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The Prime Minister of Sweden 🇸🇪 Ulf Kristersson just dismissed my colleague Åsa Wikforss – Professor of Theoretical Philosophy at Stockholm University, Member of the Swedish Academy and the Royal Academy of the Sciences, and celebrated author of numerous books – as "princess" 🧵

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Even apart from the obvious misogyny, the attack fits a pattern. The current "Blue–Yellow" nationalist–populist governing coalition stands out for its continual efforts to dismiss and delegitimize journalists, academics, and artists.

These efforts are unusual in Swedish historical context but they're not unexpected. As philosopher Jason Stanley notes in _How Fascism Works_ "Fascist politics seeks to undermine public discourse by attacking and devaluing education, expertise, and language…"

"…When education, expertise, and linguistic distinctions are undermined, there remains only power and tribal identity" (p. 36) What the targets have in common is that they know things and are free to speak about them. This is, of course, anathema to the nationalist–populist project.

So "universities are debased in public discourse, and academics are undermined as legitimate sources of knowledge and expertise" (p. 56).