To Live in Interesting Times

Last fall, our own Aalto Management hosted the first Finnish presidential debate in English. It was an interesting affair, partly for its primacy, but largely for its scope and ability to bring in different candidates for a debate targeted to students. More than anything, however, it was a fresh, qualified, and varied discussion about the nation as a whole, and it would be the last time we would witness such nuance. Within weeks of the presidential campaigns entering full force, the discussions would devolve towards one topic and one topic alone: war. For the first time in my life, war was the topic. 

“Mr Candidate, are you willing to tarnish a legacy of disarmament by stationing nuclear weapons in our lands?”

I recall recently seeing Chaudet’s silver and bronze depiction of the goddess of peace, Pax, housed in the Louvre. She sits on a throne raised atop a pedestal some 80 centimetres high, her head towering above other pieces. Carrying a gilded olive branch in her right arm and a cornucopia in her left, she was commissioned by Napoleon to symbolise the dividends brought on by peace. In her construction an irony – a monument to peace funded by a warmongering emperor. Her silver, tarnished with age but carrying a sheen, gives a mellow reflection in her otherwise blank eyes as she gazes softly down, almost judgingly, as if to remind me that peace is merely a convenience to those in power.

Back at home, a government elected on a mandate of liberal austerity and chauvinistic xenophobia continues to dismantle our social welfare state, driving the marginalised further into poverty. In an apt reflection of the changing political climate we have come to inhabit, the presidential election would ultimately not be decided over policies or war, but the gender of a candidate's partner. I suppose these are the interesting times they speak of – when decisions of nation states are dictated by equal parts bigotry and genuine existential fear. It is rare that one be made aware of the moment in history which they inhabit, to know that beneath their feet lies a turning point in time. I am reminded of a line by Trotsky lamenting the backsliding of his nation as he lay in exile:

“Everything is relative in this world, where change alone endures.” - Leon Trotsky, 1937

This edition of Kylteri meditates on one theme above all: change, be it change in technology, business, or social justice. We ask: How do we react when we wake up in a familiar yet foreign world every day? In this edition we invite you to discussions of equality in leadership, social media and consumerism, as well as journalism and war. Additionally, read two op-eds from presidential candidates discussing the present challenges facing our nation: Olli Rehn and Li Andersson. As you read this issue, I encourage you to reflect on the things you value and hold dear, the things you believe are just. Consider your social, political, and moral opinions – how the world has changed them and how they’ve changed you in return. 

The author is the editor-in-chief of Kylteri magazine. He likes his coffee black with cardamom, a hint of cinnamon and the morning news, like God intended. He doesn’t particularly like war, unlike God intended.

‍