Is Finland a 1984 Police state, or is there freedom?

[niceguy40]

I think you guys answered my question.

[adam7]

Hm..

Finnish police fired six shots in 2013 (don't have statistics for 2014). Long time average is abt 10 shots a year.

The contact you might have with the police is roadside breathalyzer tests, where they do not need a reason for stopping you, because Finnish law specifically provides authorization to for them to test you. They usually stop all the traffic in one direction. See it as a safety feature in traffic.

The other possibility is that you are driving erratically and they check you. I haven't been stopped for a check of either sort for the last ten years at least.

Then, as someone mentioned, idiotic behaviour as fighting in a bar, beating your wife/girlfriend or other stupidity might bring you in contact with the police, but normally you don't have to deal with them.

......

As an employwe you won't experience red tape. You need to get a Finnish personal number and register where you live, but if you are employed, your employer pays withholding tax from you pay/salary, and you get your tax calculation sent home and only need to react if you have additions or deductibles (not already taken into consideration)

Starting a business involves red tape, so you need a bookkeeper and possibly other advisors.

[Pursuivant]

Only "just-off-the-ryanair foreigners" or people with no business training will start up from 0, so that tells you something.... Remembering theres no such thing as personal banktrupcy in Finland.

[Upphew]

Long time average is abt 10 shots a year.

And about 2-4 of them are aimed to people.

[niceguy40]

Hm..

Finnish police fired six shots in 2013 (don't have statistics for 2014). Long time average is abt 10 shots a year.

The contact you might have with the police is roadside breathalyzer tests, where they do not need a reason for stopping you, because Finnish law specifically provides authorization to for them to test you. They usually stop all the traffic in one direction. See it as a safety feature in traffic.

The other possibility is that you are driving erratically and they check you. I haven't been stopped for a check of either sort for the last ten years at least.

Then, as someone mentioned, idiotic behaviour as fighting in a bar, beating your wife/girlfriend or other stupidity might bring you in contact with the police, but normally you don't have to deal with them.

......

As an employwe you won't experience red tape. You need to get a Finnish personal number and register where you live, but if you are employed, your employer pays withholding tax from you pay/salary, and you get your tax calculation sent home and only need to react if you have additions or deductibles (not already taken into consideration)

Starting a business involves red tape, so you need a bookkeeper and possibly other advisors.

I get the impression that I'm headed in the right direction. North America as a whole is essencially getting worse and worse. I don't need to be kept safe everywhere I go. I want real freedom.

[AldenG]

Freedom from what?

Wait, never mind. It's not the answers that differ between countries so much as the relevant questions.

[Beep_Boop]

I highly doubt that Finland has more freedom than the United States. Hell, I'm almost sure that the U.S. has considerably more freedom than Finland.

[Kayttaja1]

I highly doubt that Finland has more freedom than the United States. Hell, I'm almost sure that the U.S. has considerably more freedom than Finland.

I have my warehouses full of freedom. Also there is a huge shipping of fresh freedom coming.

[Beep_Boop]

I have my warehouses full of freedom. Also there is a huge shipping of fresh freedom coming.

We joke, but it's actually very true.
Perhaps the U.S. has certain human developmental issues that were already addressed in Finland, but when it comes to freedom, U.S. citizens are a lot more free than many European nations, including Finland.
Yes, we can probably dig an example or two of how personal freedoms in the U.S. are being limited in some cases, which is unacceptable, but it doesn't change the big picture; Gun regulations, freedom of speech, marijuana, gay marriage (yes, I know), free market, etc.

Now, I'm not making a judgement (or even giving an opinion) on whether those are good or bad, I'm just stating that they exist.

[AldenG]

Not long ago in Finland (hopefully not still today) the publication of calendars was by law exclusive to Helsinki University. Anybody else who wanted to publish one needed a paid license from HU, which they were not required to sell.

People who want to move from Canada to Finland because "Freedom!"? That's an actual thing now?



Actually, I hear Canada is the place to move. Lots of people incensed at the tyranny of having an uppity black President (I picture George Bush with an afro) make noises about that every day. Oh, and also because of the despotism of socialist/marxist Obamacare.

I wish they would go live in Canada. It would be good for them. And for those of us staying behind.

[AldenG]

Niceguy40, if you're hoping to escape reruns and the new season of Murdoch Mysteries, I'm pretty sure they'll find you in Finland, too. Murdoch might even come looking for you himself. He has done stranger things.

[Rip]

Not long ago in Finland (hopefully not still today) the publication of calendars was by law exclusive to Helsinki University.

Not for twenty years anymore, although they hold a copyright for the name day listing.

[harryc]

"although they hold a copyright for the name day listing"

I never could figure that out - if Mauri's name day is 22 September, that's a simple FACT - how can one have a copyright for noting a well-known fact?

If I make a list of all rivers located between Tashkent and Budapest - can I copyright that list?


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In any case, there's a site 'nimipaivat.fi' - where you can get what you want re nimipäiväs. I don't see any references to someone owning that fact. And if I would list the facts for each day of the year?

Maurin nimipäivä

Maurin nimipäivä on 22. syyskuuta.
Nimi: Mauri
Maurin nimipäivään on aikaa 66 päivää 13 tuntia 1 minuutti 13 sekuntia
Jaa tieto Facebookissa
Ortodoksiset nimipäivät
Nimi: Mauri, nimipäivä on
22. helmikuuta

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I did some looking around and ran across this:

http://almanakka.helsinki.fi/fi/usein-kysyttya-faq.html

I also found a list on net from 1995 and they refer to HU 'owning' the latest

HU makes the list of name popularity - 'creative' work based on buying stats from Väestörekesteri - but those stats are public knowledge so I really wonder why anyone can't buy those stats - and make their own list and then copyright it - HU updates every 5 years - so a list done in between those years is also going to be unique and created - so seemingly copyrightable.

Just raising some questions - maybe there's a simple answer - maybe not.

[betelgeuse]

"although they hold a copyright for the name day listing"

I never could figure that out - if Mauri's name day is 22 September, that's a simple FACT - how can one have a copyright for noting a well-known fact?

I assume the protection is copyright on databases.

https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/ ... 0404#L5P49

The copyright does not extend to the individual items but is for the database as a whole.

If I make a list of all rivers located between Tashkent and Budapest - can I copyright that list?

If there's enough effort involved, yes. However, the protection does not prevent someone else from independently creating the same list.

[Rip]

why anyone can't buy those stats - and make their own list and then copyright it

Sure, but luckily for Helsinki University people want to have the dates of names day on the "correct", official, Helsinki University list, not different ones on the competing one by company XY.