• Kornblumenratte@feddit.de
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    1 year ago

    As I understand the story, there was huge international pressure on Sweden to release these three men, because the bombing was deemed to be a justified defense against the company’s use of strike breakers by at least part of the unionist movement back then.

    Sort of your freedom fighter is my terrorist and vice versa thing.

    The terrorist Anton Nilsen was sentenced to death, but the hero of the fight against strikebreaking Anton Nilsen was released after 9 years forced labour.

    • Knightfox@lemmy.one
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      It might be a case of present morals/ethics being applied to the past, but it’s kinda fucked up. It’s literally justifying murder and terrorism. Fighting against strike breaking companies is certainly a admirable, but doesn’t justify killing people.

      • Kornblumenratte@feddit.de
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        I’m pretty sure a lot of people shared your opinion on the pardon even back then. I do. I think it would have been okay to grant some lenience to them because of noble motifs, like not handing out a life sentence instead of a death sentence or 20 years instead of life for his accomplices. On the other hand – WWII started a wild time in the world with revolutions, armed conflict (look up the strike culture in the US in the early 20^th century!), civil wars and full scale wars all over the place where the life of a human being was not worth a lot. Probably the morals regarding blowing up strike breakers of today and of 1908 are more alike than these of 1908 and 1917.