We have seen this #FHM #wold #tegnell #linde racist rhetoric before. Historically, racist language was used to scapegoat "others" for a variety of crises where government and policy have failed. #Sweden has used #racist tactics with #covid19 since Feb: https://twitter.com/NadyaSer/status/1306862841186734080?s=19

I was blown away by the audacity of #Tegnell's racist arrogance since the very beginning. Despite failing to get much right, his failures were often predicated by #illogical claims of #cultural (which to me came across as #biological) supremacy and differences between peoples

When he endorsed large-scale travel of Swedes to ski lodges in the Alps, he claimed there was very little risk, others warned there were. After the wealthy and predominately white Swedes returned with the virus from these trips, #Tegnell did little to nothing. No screening at all

Once it was clear that led to spreading the virus he took aim again at the significant "cultural" (again I think biological could be used here as well) differences between #Swedes and #southerneuropeans. The rhetoric was dangerous then with him suggesting superior #swedishness

The message was that Swedes don't live in multigenerational housing, etc. Every bit of this was not fully accurate and to me was a white supremacist view of what I will call an #östermalm Sweden. Ironically --the same version of Sweden who brought the virus back with their skies

This rhetoric would continue and soon would be used to justify Sweden's "unique" lack of need for similar temporary lockdowns. The #Swedish people do not need laws, they don't need to be forced to keep distance, they just need to wash their hands. "Others" had higher risks

These risks were higher amongst others because of "cultural" traits. To me, it was a full scale dog whistle of #whitesupremacist thinking that like all things #Tegnell has touched--proved both false and divisive. #Swedes did spread this and did ignore recommendations

The notion that somehow, culturally, #Swedish humans would be inherently different screams biology to me. It screams by birth the Swede is less susceptible and by culture they maintain this superiority by having the world's most rational and humane system of governance and laws

In press conference after press conference #Tegnell and the team's message was that the rules of a virus don't apply to Swedes the same way. Hell, even the science doesn't. #Swedes don't need to worry about #aerosoltransmission, or that it spread without symptoms and by children

#Swedes just simply needed to hold firm to the notion that they, alone, were #superior and by following the advice of a swedish scientist they don't need to worry about how it was interacting with the rest of humanity. This proved tragically false so immigrants were again blamed

#Tegnell and his team decided personal protective equipment was unnecessary in Sweden. Again, different "culture" somehow biologically protected Sweden. But then it didn't. Carehomes where they only suggested hand washing began to see the virus spread rapidly. How could this be?

It was the uneducated, impoverished immigrants who worked in the carehomes according to Swedish leaders. These minorities did not practice good hygiene #linde. When the virus started to spread fast in immigrant areas, it wasn't the failed strategy --it was a language barrier

Language was part of the problem so the government rushed to translate information from FHM. The problem is that the info itself was designed to ensure the virus was spread. It was a recipe book for #herdimmunity, and #FHM knew it. But still ... #Immigrants were blamed

So when people are now trying to defend #Tegnell for his openly racist assertion that immigrants were driving the spread, it is laughable. Immigrants have endured racist dog whistles from Tegnell and #Sweden since the beginning of the #CoronavirusPandemic

Returning back to my initial argument in this long thread-- we have seen this all before. You don't even have to just go to rhetoric used in Nazi Germany to find influences. I find the rhetoric being used to connect with a history of racist/geneticist logic in Swedish science

Without diving deep into this history, I will share the link to the Swedish State Institute for Racial Biology that was housed at Uppsala University. A research goal there was to determine racial/biological differences between humans that would shape health and medicine

This string of tweets is not a fully formed argument, but the news and place we are at in history calls for me to share it now (as I will work on articles later): https://www.ub.uu.se/finding-your-way-in-the-collections/selections-of-special-items-and-collections/state-institute-for-racial-biology/ the rhetoric I've heard seems to connect to narratives of superiority within Swedish science

Lastly, the effects of this racist scapegoating will be long lasting and will increase divisions in a country during a time that calls foe unity. Imagery of #Tegnell is perceived as racist and/or intensitive to many and the 7,000 dead. https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/eKzMbl/har-komma-har-komma-tegnell--fran-pepparkakeland

In times of tragedy when someone has admitted significant failures in judgement that directly contributed to the deaths of 7,000 and that person uses racist scapegoating...there are clear parallels to Nazi tactics within German society: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/nazis-fought-original-war-christmas-180961513/

Likewise, I urge you all to consider what happened after the spanish flu ripped through Germany. Research suggests that areas that saw large death tolls eventually became Nazi strongholds. In particular, researchers are concerned the same could boost the far right after #covid19

Here is an article about that study: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.com/amp/news/2020/05/05/fed-study-1918-pandemic-nazi-party-gains-236530 so if I were counseling the #Swedish government, I would recommend a rapid change in #FHM leadership, a clear break from racist immigrant scapegoating, and efforts to rebuild credibility #coronavirussverige #svpol

Thanks for making it this far in a Sunday evening tweet thread. As before, I share these initial thoughts and do so without much editing. So the typos are a natural consequence. Feel free to read my dissertation: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-179885 #Sweden must do better, and can. #covid19