Some of the things that caught my attention during the day:
- North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il has named his youngest son as his successor. If he were to succeed his father as leader of the communist country, Kim Jong-un will be the third successive ruler of the Kim dynasty. It all makes perfect sense. When a state gains control and ownership of everything, the end-result is not communism per se but feudal totalitarianism. Without private ownership, government—and the person who controls it—becomes a monarch. The irony about communism is that in its extreme form it becomes the most class-divided society imaginable.
- Today began with the news of an Air France Airbus A33-200 gone missing over the Atlantic on its way from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. The latest news reports say that the Brazilian air force have found debris in the area where the aeroplane is thought to have crashed. About 228 passengers are missing, among them are three Swedish citizens.
- A new study entitled Married against Their Will suggests many thousands of young Swedes feel they are not free to choose whom to marry. Now there is pressure on the government to criminalize forced marriages. I must admit that I was shocked to learn that it is still legal for parents as legal guardians to force their children into a marriage. I hope the law will be changed presently.
- A new American poll from Gallup shows the link between gays being out and the general attitude towards gay rights. (See graph below.) “If gays are really serious about marriage rights, they need to accelerate the process of coming out,” Andrew Sullivan writes in his blog. He’s absolutely right.
Today’s top picture is of the Öresund Bridge seen from Malmö.