Sweden's leader turns to the military for help as gang violence escalates
apnews.com
Sweden’s prime minister has summoned the head of the military to discuss how the armed forces can help police deal with an unprecedented crime wave that has shocked the country with almost daily shootings and bombings.

Sweden’s prime minister on Thursday said that he’s summoned the head of the military to discuss how the armed forces can help police deal with an unprecedented crime wave that has shocked the country with almost daily shootings and bombings.

Getting the military involved in crime-fighting would be a highly unusual step for Sweden, underscoring the severity of the gang violence that has claimed a dozen lives across the country this month, including teenagers and innocent bystanders.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that he would meet with the armed forces’ supreme commander and the national police commissioner on Friday to explore “how the armed forces can help police in their work against the criminal gangs.”

  • 332@feddit.nu
    18·
    1 year ago

    All of this is correct. I’d just like to add that, additionally, over the last couple of decades we have also systematically and agressively cut most taxes that mostly hit the very wealthy. Yes, (for now) we still have a somewhat functional wellfare system, but the wealth inequality is crazy high, which causes a lot of social stress and conflict.

    For some quick examples:

    • We have a uniquely regressive tax on real estate. There is a value cap over which no more tax is added, and that cap is CRAZY low, meaning someone with a mansion is not taxed significantly more than someone with a small house.
    • We have insanely low taxes on capital gains, which are a bit complicated to explain but essentially means that on a good year you might pay the equivalent of low single digit percent tax on the value increase.

    All of this while the tax on actual work is very high, making it harder for those not already born with capital to aquire it.