On the pages of the Slovenian magazine Demokracija, Andrej Sekulović interviewed Arktos founder & chairman Daniel Friberg, who didn’t mince words: “A society that cannot speak the truth will be consumed by its lies.”
Andrej Sekulović: Daniel Friberg is one of the founders and the president of the Arktos publishing house, currently one of the most successful publishers in the field of the New Right and Identitarianism. We talked to him about the situation in Sweden, false liberal dogmas, and political falsehoods:
Mr. Friberg, since our last interview in 2019, the sociopolitical situation has changed quite dramatically. So, for the beginning, tell us how the publishing house Arktos, of which you are the founder and chairman, is doing these days? And are you yourself working on any new interesting projects?
Daniel Friberg: Arktos is thriving and continuously expanding our catalog, which now exceeds 300 original book titles, reaching new audiences, and giving voice to perspectives absent from the mainstream. We are also building new media initiatives to challenge the cultural status quo head-on — like Arktos Journal. I encourage all your readers to sign up for a free subscription.
As for our most exciting upcoming publishing projects for 2025, perhaps most noteworthy are Samurai of the West by Dominique Venner, and our new and improved editions of all previously published books by Guillaume Faye. We also recently published The Follies of the Western Mind by the former Secretary General of the Club of Rome and prolific author, Graeme Maxton, which I can highly recommend.
How would you comment on the current sociopolitical situation in the West today, especially regarding the EU’s policies and the USA under Donald Trump?
The West faces political, economic, and cultural turmoil. The EU’s centralization deepens the divide between rulers and ruled.
In the US, Donald Trump shattered the illusion of consensus — proving that disruption, for better or worse, is possible. Regardless of his faults and failings — which are numerous — the positive metapolitical impact on the political discourse in Europe and the US should, however, not be discounted. The Trump election victory, combined with the liberation of Twitter, has shifted the Overton window on topics such as immigration, globalism, and other important topics in a very short time.
It seems that the right-wing parties are gaining momentum in different EU countries. Do you believe that the “centre-right” conservatives can use this and implement real changes, and what is the situation with the Sweden Democrats?
Right-wing momentum is real, but “centre-right” parties will squander it if they settle for cosmetic change. In Sweden, the Sweden Democrats have advanced, but the real question is whether they will wield power — or merely hold it. At present, it appears that the latter will be the case. In spite of being the biggest party in the ruling coalition, they have not managed to even reduce immigration, let alone initiate any significant remigration efforts.
Since the main topic of this Demokracija magazine is the falsehoods and lies of influential leaders and politicians, maybe you could give us some such examples from Sweden, when the elected officials did not honour their promises, or outright lied to the public?
Sweden’s leaders routinely break their word: promising to curb immigration while increasing it, vowing to restore order as crime spirals. The gap between political speech and political reality is vast — and widening.
“The gap between political speech and political reality is vast — and widening… A society that cannot speak the truth will be consumed by its lies.”
What are, in your opinion, the biggest political falsehoods and untruths that are being repeated by the liberal or leftist politicians and EU officials, thus turning them into false dogmas?
The most dangerous falsehood is that mass immigration and multiculturalism are untouchable goods, immune to criticism. This dogma is repeated until it becomes a civic religion — one enforced by social pressure and well-coordinated narrative control, not evidence.
Another distraction is the exaggerated focus on ‘climate change’ and ‘overpopulation’, even as Europe’s population continues to collapse and every competing Great Power keeps increasing their ‘carbon footprint’. Considering the vast amounts of immigration Europe is supposed to absorb, it is clear that the ideology of environmentalism has become a weapon against Europe rather than any kind of scientific ideology.
Not only certain politicians, but the mainstream media also present many political falsehoods as truths to the people, thus distorting reality and creating what some authors call “hyperreality.” What is the situation regarding this in Sweden?
Sweden’s mainstream media is less a watchdog than a guard dog for the establishment. Inconvenient truths are buried; ideology is presented as fact. This isn’t journalism — it’s pure narrative control. Today’s Western mainstream media is one massive psychological operation.
There was a “scandal” recently in Swedish media, when it was discovered that the teenage son of Johan Forssell, the minister for migration, was a “member” of a right-wing active club. The minister quickly distanced himself from his son’s views and went so far as to publicly state that he is “shocked and horrified” at his son’s involvement with the right-wing group. It seems quite shocking that a father would, in a sense, be willing to publicly “condemn” his son in such a manner, but this is also expected in today’s society. How do you view this case?
A father publicly condemning his son’s beliefs is a moral tragedy — but in today’s climate, it’s almost expected. Fear of reputational ruin now outweighs loyalty, even to one’s own family. It is shameful and tragic, but also sadly an all-too-common response in today’s liberal and hyper-individualistic culture.
What is the current situation with mass migration in Sweden, as we know that the latter is a big issue in your country? Is the situation getting better or worse? Also, would you say that the Overtoon windows is slowly moving to the right? Is the honest debate about this issue penetrating the mainstream sphere?
Migration remains Sweden’s most pressing crisis. Political rhetoric has shifted slightly, but reality continues to deteriorate. The Overton window is moving, but it’s still framed by media taboos that keep the full truth out of sight.
Thank you very much for the interview. Is there anything that you would like to add or highlight, concerning the topic of political falsehoods, or in general, for the end?
A society that cannot speak the truth will be consumed by its lies. The task before us is not just to expose falsehoods, but to build the cultural foundations for a more honest, resilient civilization that can successfully overcome this “convergence of catastrophes” we are rapidly approaching.
Arktos recently released an expanded edition of Daniel Friberg’s The Real Right Returns: A Handbook for the True Opposition — available in hardcover, paperback, & ebook:
In the US, telling the "right" Lies became a virtue which showed that one is on the "right" side of an issue. Some 45 years ago, I had a job in a government department. A "Minority Person" (MP) was hired to head my unit. Immediately, those on the "right side" in the department started chanting that the MP was hired because of the MP's qualifications, not because of the MP's minority status. This was chanted over & over - and those doing the chanting preened their moral virtue as they chanted the approved lie. It was not acceptable to point out the truth - that the MP was not qualified for the job. This was the first time I recognized that saying things which were obviously false was seen as a good thing.
How did this sorry state of affairs come about? With the advent of Pragmatism in the last quarter of the 19th century, Americans were conditioned (in the public schools, etc.) to abandon the concept of Objective Truth. Thus, Americans became a demoralized people who say whatever they need to say to get the result they want. And that's who they are today. Few even understand the concepts of "True" and "False".
It's the belief system of Americans which destroyed our Country. Since People seem to be generally incapable of metacognition; they have to be conditioned into accepting a new belief system which is based on Truth and Transcendent Principles. We are rapidly running out of time. By cutting off food stamps (which allow people in America to get food paid for by the federal government), the evil ones in our federal government are inciting the welfare parasites to resort to violence. Thus, we see on the internet people threatening to "eat you white people" if their food stamps are cut off.