The Holiday Spirit of Finnish Police

Today, in news of the police of Finland…

News of the What?!

Apparently the “Almighty Algorithm”, a.k.a. some stoooopid corporate AI, decided it needed me to watch a particular video on YouTube.

About a very silly holiday “mission” of a couple cops.

From 2017.

In Finland.

(Honestly, I don’t seek out the surreal. It just… finds me. Which, given we’re talking about the surreal here, is just what one should expect. I understand, somewhat, how I keep tripping over the surreal. What I do not quite understand is how so much of it originates in Finland – a place with which I have no obvious familial, cultural, or historical connection. I do have a friend of Finnish descent who might be convinced I seek out Finnish peculiarities just for trolling. That’s not the case, though it is a pleasant-enough side effect.)

Now, I am as unable to resist something so surreal as my cats are unable to resist catnip.

So now it’s your turn to experience 2 Finnish cops on an absurd “mission” to perform an act of absolutely senseless beauty and kindness. Also noteworthy: the Finnish police have a YouTube channel, because of course they do. It has a number of similar holiday videos.

Well… um.

Happy Holidays, Finnish cops? And everyone else, too?

The Weekend Conclusion

There is a saying in the US, of particular currency among the young: ACAB, or “all cops are bastards”. This has some substance behind it: the constant lying & coverups, the paramilitary equipment, the violence with smug immunity, and the attitude of an occupying army intent on “pacifying” the population.

What these 2 Finnish cops illustrate is the opposite, and what every good cop should emulate: a spirit of kindness, a desire to help, and a good sense of humor. A German colleague of mine once described German cops as “they’re just here to help”, and her shock at noting American cops were very much not that.

We need far, far fewer paramilitary cops in the US, and more like this fine European example. They fairly exude patience, like the Assistant Weekend Publisher, shown here. He is probably thinking something like:

“I note with some amusement that you have placed 2 small wooden sculptures of elephants upon my tail. I have no doubt that you have your own inscrutable reasons for doing this. I am being patient with you, because you are my very good friends and I love you. However, it is an effort. But you are worth it.”

More cops like this, please?

(Now, ‘scuse me, ‘cause I gotta go sing in the snow in my back yard.)

(Ceterum censeo, Trump incarcerandam esse.)

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Notes & References

Thus endeth the 4th year of this Crummy Little Blog That Nobody Reads.