Political Activity
Torvalds was active in the Communist Party of Finland (SKP) since he was a college student in the 1960s. He was elected to the Central Committee of the SKP in 1982. He belonged to the Taistoist (hardline) minority. His political beliefs developed after learning of the atrocities committed against communist sympathizers in Finland. In his son Linus' book, he is reported as having lost enthusiasm for Communism.
In 2007 Torvalds was elected to the post of the third vice chairperson of the Swedish People's Party. In 2008, he was elected in Helsinki City Council for term 2009–2012. Torvalds was a candidate for European Parliament election in 2009 on the Swedish People's Party list. He got 14,044 votes and was not allocated a seat.
Read more about this topic: Nils Torvalds
Famous quotes containing the words political and/or activity:
“Reason is a faculty far larger than mere objective force. When either the political or the scientific discourse announces itself as the voice of reason, it is playing God, and should be spanked and stood in the corner.”
—Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929)
“In literary circles, the men of trust and consideration, bookmakers, editors, university deans and professors, bishops, too, were by no means men of the largest literary talent, but usually of a low and ordinary intellectuality, with a sort of mercantile activity and working talent. Indifferent hacks and mediocrities tower, by pushing their forces to a lucrative point, or by working power, over multitudes of superior men, in Old as in New England.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)