'Motorist Liberation Day' for Stockholm

Analysis: Congestion tax try-out is over

Stockholm, Sweden--
At sundown Monday, August 31st, the inhumane and unjust 'Congestion tax' trial period came to a close in Stockholm. The human right to go anywhere by car without paying a penny was finally reinstituted - at least for a short while.

During the congestion tax trial period, the streets of Stockholm have been as desolate as PyongyangPhoto: Pressens bild A return to car-friendly politics would normally be celebrated with champagne, fireworks, street parties and an open-air Phil Collins concert. But Stockholm was quiet and in a hesitant mood Monday night. Why weren't the people celebrating?

The only plausible explanation is that the oppressed and severely money-drained Stockholm motorists are deeply aware that their time in freedom could be a short one. The socialist dictatorship in Stockholm's city hall have announced that a referendum on congestion tax will be held at September, 17th. And for some weird reason, a slight bias towards a permanent congestion tax system is now showing in opinion polls. How is that possible? Are Stockholm motorists really such a sad bunch of self-loathing taxaholics?

In a way, yes - the car owners in Stockholm, much like everybody in Sweden, have developed what is popularly known as 'the Stockholm syndrome'.

Solna's late chief Freedom Fighter, Anders Gustâv, during a protest against the unjust taxing of motorists. Photo: Pressens bild Put yourselves in their situation - they're hostages in a prison of taxes, constantly abused and forced to come up with large sums of money. As a way of survival - because they can't go anywhere - they've started to develop sympathy for their kidnappers. That's the only reason why people weren't really protesting against the congestion tax, that's the reason they weren't celebrating on Monday 31st - the Swedes have been for so long in the social democratic Gulag that they don't know what the free and gas-fuelled world outside looks like. Now that the way toll system is not running, they're almost hoping someone will restart it so that they don't have to endure more time in freedom.

To paraphrase a popular Swedish columnist and talk show host: 'Only in Stockholm, kids, only in Stockholm'.

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