It sounds like that belief is worth having a look at again.

Thanks for the kind thoughts. <3

I got key-logged by an abusive parent when I was 14. If that doesn’t make you take digital privacy and security seriously, nothing else will.

Sounds like someone’s previous policies led to a brain drain in their business and now he’s hoping other employers will blindly follow this rhetoric (and shoot themselves in the foot) so he can poach their employees for his company gain.

I’m fine with billionaires eating each other so we don’t have to.

You seem confused. Let me be clear:

• I have no criticism for the Finnish Parliament or their choice of soft drink selection.

• I have no belief that a government office cafeteria is equally as complex as a pension fund.

Now if you’ve made it this far, why are Finland choosing not to support Pepsi? Let’s look to the article:

The Finnish parliament will no longer carry Pepsi products as the American soft drink giant continues to support the Russian economy by continuing its operations in the aggressor country

So, from the article, the Finnish Parliament have taken a stand against Pepsi because Pepsi won’t cease operating in Russia. And Pepsi Co failing to stop their operations in Russia is bad. Right?

Still with me? Great.

Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund also isn’t ceasing their operations (by way of their investments) in Russia.

Again: where is the equivalent outrage? Why isn’t anyone taking a stand against Norway for not divesting? They said they would, but haven’t. The amount is pennies when compared to their other investments. So why are they hanging on to them? Why don’t they do what they said they would? And why isn’t anyone speaking out against them for failing to divest, especially while their former PM is leading NATO?

Hope that helps!

I did not. Happy to help!

My original comment (to which you responded) regarding the obligations of Pepsi Co were highlighting a critical comparison between a corporate drinks manufacturer and the pension fund. The Finnish Parliament can do what they like. If they’re doing it because Pepsi Co hasn’t fully pulled out of Russia, and thus Pepsi deserves to be shunned, what does Norway deserve?

If action is mandated for entities that don’t divest from Russia, then it must equally be applicable to all entities where this is true. Otherwise, hypocrisy.

Sure, but now tell me how the richest pension fund in the world, currently valued in the trillions, has such fiduciary obligation that it can’t divest ~$300 million of Russian investments.

Make it make sense.

And yet all the investments, their value, and what percentage of ownership the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund possess are all publicly available on their website.

If I filter by ‘Russia’, they still show 51 companies. Today. Let’s look at their top five, which you can also view by accessing their own data.

Highest Percentage of Ownership:

1. Lenta International Co PJSC: 2.25%
2. Rosseti Centre PJSC: 2.69%
3. Ufaorgsintez OAO: 0.99%
4. Segezha Group PJSC: 1.16%
5. Bank St Petersburg PJSC: 1.76%

Highest Amounts of Investment in NOK:

1. Gazprom PJSC: 731,368,780
2. LUKOIL PJSC: 536,571,485
3. Sberbank of Russia PJSC: 523,299,961
4. Novatek PJSC: 118,267,597
5. Surgutneftegas PJSC: 76,130,966

^ these alone = ~$185,140,710 USD.

What fiduciary obligations does a pension fund have that is somehow more complex, important, and forgivable vs obligations belonging to Pepsi Co?

Let’s break down that January 31, 2023 article once more:

1: The investments in Moscow listed equities dropped from $2.7 billion to a mere $300 million.

It would be laughably naive to think this is purely because they’ve been ‘pulling out’ of Russia. By all means, review the article and let me know if it states the exact reason for the decrease in value.

2: By December 31, 2022, Norway still had shares in 51 Russian companies.

It’s September 2023. If they were aggressively pulling out, wouldn’t they have zero investments by now?

Nice try.

How would the richest sovereign wealth fund in the world pulling out their investments from Russia bring about living in the freezing cold?

It isn’t as if Norway’s fund haven’t already said they would divest. It’s just that they haven’t taken any concrete action on what they promised for more than a year.

Why?

Who would collapse?

Again: The Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund still have active investments in Russia.

Where is the outrage for them?

According to this Norwegian publication in an article published January 31st 2023:

the Norwegian oil fund still holds hundreds of millions worth of shares in petroleum companies like Gazprom, Novatek, Bashneft and Lukoil

Even if the value of their investments lower, they still haven’t pulled out any from Russia. The investments could be worth very little, but they still have something invested in Russia.

Norwegian Government on February 28, 2022, ordered the Oil Fund to freeze all investments in Russia and prepare a plan for divesting with the goal of totally exiting the Russian stock market

What’s stopping them?

Can I still have a go if I change my name to Jeremy Corbyn by deed poll first?

You know what works every time for me against any telemarketer or tele-scammer?

“Excuse me: are you aware that this is a business line?”

Repeat as necessary with appropriate outrage. They always hang up first.

According to this Norwegian publication in an article published January 31st 2023:

the Norwegian oil fund still holds hundreds of millions worth of shares in petroleum companies like Gazprom, Novatek, Bashneft and Lukoil

Even if the value of the companies they’ve invested in lowers, they still haven’t pulled out any of their financial investments from Russia. The investments could be worth very little, but they still have something invested in Russia.

Is money more important to Norway than justice?

Norwegian Government on February 28, 2022, ordered the Oil Fund to freeze all investments in Russia and prepare a plan for divesting with the goal of totally exiting the Russian stock market

Why has it taken them much more than a year to even communicate their ‘plan’ to make the divestment happen?

Is Domino’s Pizza really better at handling their finances than the wealthiest pension fund in the world?

If Domino’s Pizza can end their presence in Russia, when will the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund?

Didn’t they promise to pull out their 51 investments by February 2022?

You’ve never seen another human refuse to address a problem affecting them (and others) because the solution could affect their current levels of comfort and habit?

Have you considered an alternative?

I give them grace. I assess their understanding gently and afford them every opportunity to learn on an accessible level. If they can’t learn from me, then I follow my curiosities and see what I can learn from them.

I remind myself, often, that ‘if I’m in the smartest person in the room, I’m in the wrong room.’

It generally comes down to convenience of access mixed with some ethical consideration for me personally. Out of print books, textbooks, and history or research titles that are in the hundreds I’m simply not going to buy. I use JSTOR where I can, but will get academic research as I need if it’s not readily available. I tend not to pirate indie publishers for any media if I can help it. Sometimes I do to check it out before I purchase it. I try to support creators wherever I can, whenever I can. I like that options are available, and I don’t think anything should truly be off limits.