Dark and light on the Nobel Day - Jean-Claude Arnault convicted

- See you in Stockholm!

The classic sentence tossed between successful scientists all over the world hoping to one day achieve the most attractive of prizes. I wonder if it’s a say between authors too? 

Tomorrow is the Nobel Day. December 10. The day for awarding the most accomplished of those scientists. They will see each other in Stockholm. However, no author will take the stage in 2018.

The reason is a man who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants and his hands off women. His behaviour made The Swedish Academy shatter, implode and collapse. One of the finest (we thought) institutions in the world lay flat in pieces and was denied the assignment to appoint the Nobel Prize in Literature 2018. This is all a disgrace. 

The start of the fall of The Swedish Academy, was 18 women (as a part of Metoo), accusing a man in close connection to the Academy of sexual assault and rape. The name of this man is Jean-Claude Arnault, married to one of the Academy members.

I have been following the tragic, dramatic, dirty and historic events of this filthy story and here is more to reed.

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-nobility-of-nobel-prize.html

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.com/2018/04/king-for-dayswedish-academy-part-2.html

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-swedish-academy-and-2nd-amendment.html

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-swedish-academy-and-2nd-amendment.html

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.com/2018/06/jean-claude-arnault-prosecuted-swedish.html

Out of all the accusations towards Jean-Claude Arnault - events which had been going on for decades - two held all the way up to court. The long timespan has been a negative factor for the victims. Arnault denied all allegations, but on October 1 he was convicted in the District Court of rape in one case. For that, he was sentenced to two years in prison. The verdict fell the same day as the Nobel Prize in Literature should have been announced. A coincident, nevertheless symbolic. 

The prosecutor pushed the second case to the Court of Appeal. Arnault has been held in custody since the first verdict. And on December 3 he was convicted on rape in the second case as well. For those two rapes he will spend 2,5 years in prison.

The Swedish Academy is undergoing some process of renovating itself. But this is a building which needs to be demolished. Although Arnault now is a convicted felon who will do time, there are still pals within the Academy who have his back, meaning it’s all gossip. 

Tomorrow it’s December 10, the Nobel Day. Stockholm will be star spangled. Extraordinary minds. Extraordinary dresses. Extraordinary festivities. There will be a dark shadow clouding that starry sky though. The loss of the Literature Prize. And the reason for it. 

But there will also be light. 18 women told there stories a little more than a year ago. And there are probably many more narratives which have not been heard. Two of all those stories have now gone through the Swedish juridical system. There is no doubt, Jean-Claude Arnault is a serial sex offender. And every woman he has laid his hands on can stand tall. Because the verdict tells the story. Just in time for the Nobel Day.

A week of win and losses

1. The week when the Nobel Prize in Literature wasn’t announced.

2. The week when Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in to the Supreme Court.

3. The week when Jean-Claude Arnault was found guilty and convicted for rape.

4. The week when the right wing (Moderaterna) Ulf Kristersson was assigned by the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament to try to form government.

So how do I put this together? I don’t. Although two of the points are related.

To point 1: my hope from last week regarding this subject turned into disappointment. Yes, the FBI-investigation was held. In which they did not find a place, a time or any witnesses supporting Christine Blasey Ford’s detailed testimony against Brett Kavanaugh, accusing him for sexual assault during their high school years.

Those opposing Kavanaugh claim the FBI-investigation was doomed from the start, limited and constrained. After all, the investigation was commissioned by the White House, although not by the White House choice. FBI is only a client.

Christine Blasey Ford. What will her life be after this? Are the thousands of women (and men) all over the country demonstrating supporting her until the bitter end helping at all? 

Is there even one whistle blower through the history who afterwards didn’t disappear into the shadows of his/her own story? Yet, we have to whistle. I hope Christine Blasey Ford will find comfort, strength and pride in knowing she did the right thing. 

To point 2: the result of the Swedish general election was unfortunately even, 144 seats in the Parliament to the Left bloc, 143 the the right. And 63 to the nationalistic end xenophobic Sweden Democrats. 

By some incomprehensible reason math didn’t count. The Right argued they were larger than the Left. 143-144. On 25 September Prime Minister Stefan Löfven lost the vote of no confidence against him and his cabinet. As a result, a new PM and government will have to be elected. 

On Oktober 2 the Speaker gave Ulf Kristersson, the leader of the Right party (Moderaterna) the assignment to try to form government. Try is a crucial word here. Positions are locked since neither bloc is willing to compromise and the willingness to talk to or be supported by the Sweden Democrats varies and are still unclear. Ulf Kristersson will have to come upp with a government within in two weeks. So, To be continued…

To point 1 and 3: the start of the fall of The Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize in Literature, was 18 women accusing a man in close connection to the Academy of sexual assault and rape. The name of this man is Jean-Claude Arnault, married to one of the Academy members.

I have been following the tragic, dramatic, messy and historic events of this story and here is more to reed.

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-nobility-of-nobel-prize.html

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.com/2018/04/king-for-dayswedish-academy-part-2.html

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-swedish-academy-and-2nd-amendment.html

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-swedish-academy-and-2nd-amendment.html

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.com/2018/06/jean-claude-arnault-prosecuted-swedish.html

Out of all the accusations towards Jean-Claude Arnault - events which had been going on for decades - two held all the way up to court. The long time span has been a negative factor for the victims. As Brett Kavanaugh, he has denied all allegations, but on October 1 Arnault was convicted of rape in one case. For that, he will spend two years in prison. The prosecutor will go further with the second case.

It is in a way symbolic that the verdict towards Aranult fell on the same day as the announcement of the Nobel Prize should have taken place. Should have. Because 2018 is the year when the controversies within the Academy made it impossible to hold on to the tradition. The confidence around the world for the Academy is broken. An historic institution is shattered. The image of Sweden and one of the finest awards in the world is soiled. All for a man who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants and his hands off women. And for his pals who didn’t think it was a big thing.

But. Jean-Claude Arnault is now a felon. He will spend two years in prison. And there might be more to come. And every woman he has laid his hands on can stand tall. Because the verdict tells the story.

King for a day/Swedish Academy part 2

And he did it!

On Wednesday the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf announced he is going to change the 232 year old statues for the Swedish Academy, instituted by his predecessor Gustav III in 1786. About time!

The Swedish Academy is an independent cultural institution, founded in order to advance the Swedish language and Swedish literature. And, since 1901 the Academy has also awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The members are selected for life. Since some weeks back though the Academy is in deep crises,

http://homeisawayawayishome.blogspot.se/2018/04/the-swedish-academy-and-2nd-amendment.html

and last week it turned out the Swedish King might be the one able to take action on this matter. And now he has.

The most significant change will be the banishing of the life time membership for the selected members of the Academy. There will be no “until death do us part” anymore:

“It is a given in Swedish and international law that anyone who no longer wishes to be a member of an association should be able to withdraw. This should apply also to the Swedish Academy." 

Words from the King’s mouth, here here. Further: “a member who has not participated in the work of the Academy for more than two years shall furthermore be deemed to have left the Academy even if the member has not formally requested his/her resignation.”

For today, that should let authors Lotta Lotass and Kerstin Ekman - the latter left her Academy chair already in 1989 - out of frustrating life long hostage situation.

So, is everything fine now? Of course not. The Temporary Permanent Secretary (that’s one interesting title!) Anders Olsson declares in an interview how he hopes the (remaining) Academy (11 out of 18 members) now will be able to go back to it’s normal work, such as it was. That’s not a quote, but something along those lines. Does that sound promising? No it doesn’t. The remaining part of the Academy has to realize nothing is such it was. 

I am thinking about King Carl XVI Gustaf. Due to his fathers tragic death he inherited the title Crown Prince of Sweden already as a 4-year old.  At 27 he took on the job as the Swedish King after his grandfather. King Carl Gustaf has spent his whole life waiving at the Swedish people. From the castle balcony and from horse carriages. The Swedish monarch is a bystander with no right to vote in general elections or speak up his/her mind on important or political matters. Sometimes Carl XVI Gustaf can’t hold his tongue though, for which he of course gets criticized.

Once I heard an American expressing how Sweden is an interesting country. “You are a republic with a King and a Royal family.” 

Theoretically that’s not correct. Sweden is a Monarchy. But I can see what she was saying. Our political decisions are all taken by the parliament and government, elected by the Swedish people. Then there is the Royal family who has a ceremonial function, in Sweden and abroad. That’s why all the waiving.

I wonder what it is like for King Carl Gustaf to suddenly have a voice. And a much needed voice. In the case of the Swedish Academy crises it turned out he was the only one with the authority to step in and take action. 

It’s got to feel pretty great! At the age of 72 after 44 years as the Regent, King Carl Gustaf gets to make a decision in a public matter! And in a matter where he is genuinely engaged. The Swedish King is actually engaged in a lot of important questions, but of course the Nobel Prize has to be the crown jewel.