The Chairman of Nokia wishes to return to the cooperative days of his youth ...

The Chairman of Nokia, the mobile phone giant, is criticizing The West, citing a direct link between conservatism and the so-called "individualism" threatening to disintegrate community values. Of course, the United States comes in for the major portion of Jorma Ollila's disdain:

"What I'm worried about is that if this disintegration of values continues and develops further, we'll get a conservative counter-reaction precisely like what has actually happened in the USA," he said.

"This ultraconservatism, coupled with the elements of the church ... which, as we well know, has also supported the current (U.S.) administration, is a powerful counter-reaction to a longtime vacuum of values in society," Ollila said.

Come again? The U.S., and our President, has been roundly criticized by the Catholic Church, which has called the Iraq situation and unjust and immoral war. The Presbyterian church has chosen to divest itself of all Israeli investments, citing the U.S. and Isreal as the true villians in a "war" against the Palestinians. I don't know what "Church" he's talking about, as it doesn't exist. And BTW, Jorma, one of the things we must realize as we become adults is that the ideals of our childhood were contructs our parents created in order to protect us. Childlike ignorance is bliss, they believed, and in time we would be ready to face the realities, often harsh, of life. To continue to yearn for them far into one's adulthood is a bit naive, n'ect-ce pas? Obviously, the adult world hasn't been too rough for you, and you can thank the U.S. for the fact that Finland is a free nation able to capitalize on its' technological prowess.