Society | Juho Romakkaniemi harshly criticizes Amanda Palo

Central Chamber of Commerce managing director Juho Romakkaniemi lets out a deep sigh when asked what thoughts the actor has Amanda Palon a recent interview sparked.

The fire told In the HS story on Mondaythat he is going to look the other way if he sees someone stealing food from the store.

In addition, he said that he believes that theft will increase due to the austerity policy of the right-wing government.

“People do have special views,” Romakkaniemi begins. The Keskuskauppakamari is an interest protection organization that promotes business conditions and entrepreneurship.

According to him, Palo's thoughts reflect a lack of understanding that theft is directly aimed at merchants, whose livelihood it can greatly damage.

In addition, Romakkaniemi wonders what kind of morality is inclined towards stealing in the first place. He questions the fact that stealing is justified as a protest against the policies of the current government.

“Palo can already predict what the government's policy will cause, even though the changes are quite marginal in the big picture,” he says.

Fire said that he believes that the majority of people who snack on food do so out of necessity. According to him, the reason for stealing is not in the individual but in the structures of society.

Romakkaniemi does not give understanding to Palo's thoughts, not even to the fact that someone would steal from their hunger in Finland.

“Nevertheless, we have one of the strongest welfare states in the world, and the last livelihood is secured on a quite human level,” he says.

Romakkaniemi points out that there are countries where seeing hunger is a real social problem. In the context of Finland, however, he does not consider such speeches to be relevant.

“Furthermore, such speeches loosen public morale and create an atmosphere in which stealing would be acceptable.”

How about how should a person act if money and food are completely gone and the next thing that comes to mind is stealing?

Romakkaniemi does not want to take a stand on the matter on an individual level, but states that there are certainly a thousand different stories behind the pickpocketing and theft.

However, according to his view, the purpose of the government's reforms is not to impoverish anyone, but on the contrary to enrich Finland.

“We have proven incentive traps, and the hope is that doing the work will be chosen in more and more situations. It's a win-win situation when the individual's income improves, employment improves and the well-being of society as a whole improves.”

In addition, Romakkaniemi reminds us that Finland has a higher structural unemployment than comparison countries and we get into debt faster than them. Therefore, according to him, the current equation is unsustainable.

“I would say to the actor Palo that now it would be worthwhile to think about what we are ultimately aiming for here. If Finland ends up in a total impasse and we have to make really radical cuts, then the weak would suffer the most.”

Finally Romakkaniemi states that the individual is ultimately responsible for his own actions.

According to him, structures are of course important, but raising them beyond human morality and free choice is “a little weak analysis”, especially in the context of criminal policy.

If Romakkaniemi himself noticed someone stealing food from the store, he believes he would report it immediately.

“Citizens have a duty to report whenever they observe illegal activity.”