The best Balt will be Nordic

[Äike]

The best Balt will be Nordic (http://www.economist.com/blogs/theworldin2011/2010/12/baltic_states_will_show_their_differences_2011)

MOST people think of the Baltic States as one region, with no big differences between Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. That seemed reasonable enough when all three were occupied by the Soviet Union; when they won their independence in 1991; and when they entered NATO and the EU in 2004. Moreover they constituted an investment heaven of relatively low taxes, a cheap labour force and consumers hungry for everything “western”, from telecommunications to shoes.

But that was then. Now the trio are going in opposing directions. In 2011 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will no longer count as a single economic and political region.

Estonia, one of the most disciplined countries in the EU (http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2010/10/estonia_rockets_ahead), will be labelled as “Eastern Europe” only geographically. The country had been hit by a global crisis as much as its neighbours but has recovered rapidly. That may be why officials (http://www.theapricity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-19213.html)[this link leads to TA:eek:] and inhabitants
prefer their country to be described as “Nordic” (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2204576222&topic=2760), distancing it from the less successful Balts. To rub in the difference, Estonia has joined a group of countries bailing out deeply troubled Latvia (http://www.economist.com/node/12815635?story_id=12815635).

Meanwhile, Latvia is shaping a course towards the Kremlin. On December 19th, for the first time since 1994, a Latvian president paid an official visit to Moscow. Valdis Zatlers met both President Dmitry Medvedev (the meeting lasted for 40 minutes longer than was planned) and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. (For its part, Estonia still does not have an invitation to visit Moscow.)

Lithuania, which unlike Latvia has refused IMF and EU loans, has masochistically preferred to struggle alone through its financial pain. Its foreign policy is rather odd, too: back in April President Dalia Grybauskaite refused to show up to dinner with Barack Obama (http://www.economist.com/node/15879417), having said that there would be “no decision-making”. Instead, she is drifting towards the autocratic president of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Put all this together, and in January, when Estonia adopts the euro, the differences between three, once equal countries will be impossible to ignore. If a Baltic Tiger is still alive in 2011, it will definitely be Estonia. Perhaps not a tiger, but certainly a Nordic kitten.

...

Funny header the article has, Estonians have never been Balts. But I guess that it was meant that Estonia is Baltic in the geopolitical context. Estonians as people are Nordic, but looks like that now the country of Estonia is also drifting off to the Nordic geopolitical group not the Baltic group because of sharp differences between Baltic Balts and Nordic Estonians. ;)

[Loki]

Damn, I should have bought property in Tallinn. ;)

As for Estonia - I hope its prosperity does not come back to bite it in the ass. People like to flock to prosperous places like flies to a pile of excrement. Estonia should not join the eurozone. I really hope it doesn't. Stay independent! And lock down those borders.

[Äike]

Damn, I should have bought property in Tallinn. ;)

As for Estonia - I hope its prosperity does not come back to bite it in the ass. People like to flock to prosperous places like flies to a pile of excrement. Estonia should not join the eurozone. I really hope it doesn't. Stay independent! And lock down those borders.

Estonia doesn't have a social welfare system like in the UK or Sweden. People without a job do get support, of course, but not much. Even if Estonia would be as rich as Sweden, the lazy immigrants who wouldn't want to work, definitely wouldn't come here. Estonia doesn't hand out money. ;)

The only immigration Estonia is currently receiving is mostly from Russia. Because Estonia is an advanced country and the local Russian community has several privileges like their own education system and schools.

[Peerkons]

the local Russian community has several privileges like their own education system and schools.
This is so wrong!

[Äike]

This is so wrong!

Do you know anything about Estonia? The Russians can live quite well without learning Estonian, they have an entire separate education system with their own schools with Russian teachers. et cetera

[Peerkons]

Do you know anything about Estonia? The Russians can live quite well without learning Estonian, they have an entire separate education system with their own schools with Russian teachers. et cetera

Who finances that?

[Äike]

Who finances that?

The Estonian government. The entire education system in Estonia is financed by the Estonian government. But there are 2 separate education systems. There are Estonian and Russian schools.

Doesn't Latvia have something similar? Russians having their own separate schools?

[Peerkons]

We do have the same here, which is totally wrong in my opinion.
They learn in theyr mother language and its wrong that the state finances aliens.
It should be in latvian language because learning in russian it makes them not understand latvian and so they dont integrate in latvian society. For solving russian problem we have 2 options. Deport them which is not possible and integrate them. Make them learn latvian language, culture etc. By letting them learn in russian it makes them a totally opposite and actually its succeeding russian as 2nd state language.

[Äike]

We do have the same here, which is totally wrong in my opinion.
They learn in theyr mother language and its wrong that the state finances aliens.
It should be in latvian language because learning in russian it makes them not understand latvian and so they dont integrate in latvian society. For solving russian problem we have 2 options. Deport them which is not possible and integrate them. Make them learn latvian language, culture etc. By letting them learn in russian it makes them a totally opposite and actually its succeeding russian as 2nd state language.

Sending Russians and Estonians to the same schools with the same educational system would be impossible. I do not know about Latvia.

[Peerkons]

Sending Russians and Estonians to the same schools with the same educational system would be impossible. I do not know about Latvia.
Why?
How can turks and germans or american whites and mexican hispans learn in same school..

[Äike]

Why?
How can turks and germans or american whites and mexican hispans learn in same school..

Turks speak German and Mexicans speak English.

[Adalwolf]

Sending Russians and Estonians to the same schools with the same educational system would be impossible. I do not know about Latvia.

Is this because of the ongoing hostilities between the two nations?

[Äike]

Is this because of the ongoing hostilities between the two nations?

Russia isn't related to this subject.

Edit: Somebody should do a split here. This Latvian has ruined another thread in the Eesti section. All posts after this post (http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showpost.php?p=320250&postcount=7)(this post included), should be moved to a new thread.

[Birka]

[B][SIZE="4"][
Dalia Grybauskaite refused to show up to dinner with Barack Obama[/URL], having said that there would be “no decision-making”.

OMG, my Lithuanian roots are so proud that she said FU to the Obongo!!!!!

[Peerkons]

braļiukas http://www.bmwpower.lv/files/images/smilies/icon_yo.gif

[esaima]

That may be why officials and inhabitants
prefer their country to be described as “Nordic”, distancing it from the less successful Balts.
...only a small group of Estonians are believing seriously that they are "Nordic".I have posted a results of a poll in June, according to it only 10-12 per cent, not taking into account tht the words "nordic" and "nortern" are same in Estonian language... But who cares...
Karl with his posts belongs into that group.It is aesy to finf people with different interests and beliefs. I think it would be possible to create a group of Estonians who are believing that they are, for instance "Turanic".;)
The reasons of this wannabe-Nordicism are snobism(unfortunately seems that it is an Estonian-like trait, at least some Lithuanians are believing so) and small nation´s frailty of national self-esteem.
Karl is cherrypicking differences between Estonians and Latvians and cherrypicking Estonia´s similarities with Sweden.Even Finland isn´t so similar to Estonians.As I told it is not difficult to differentiate Finns in Estonia just by their look.Finnish and Estonian language are like German and Swedish, should we treat Germans as Nordics?
In fact Estonia shares so many similarities with Latvia.Similarities are big and they look especially big if one takes into account that because of different languages and not so big catchyness of small and non-powerful neighbour there have been
no intensive contacts between Estonia and Latvia.
And if one really starts to believe that estonia is extremely different from Latvia, well does this makes us more similar with Swedes?




less successful Balts.
Those Estonia´s "success" -stories are spread by supporters of Estonia´ s government.Karl belong clearly into that group, so it is not bad to be critical.

[Äike]

...only a small group of Estonians are believing seriously that they are "Nordic".I have posted a results of a poll in June, according to it only 10-12 per cent, not taking into account tht the words "nordic" and "nortern" are same in Estonian language... But who cares...
Karl with his posts belongs into that group.It is aesy to finf people with different interests and beliefs. I think it would be possible to create a group of Estonians who are believing that they are, for instance "Turanic".;)
The reasons of this wannabe-Nordicism are snobism(unfortunately seems that it is an Estonian-like trait, at least some Lithuanians are believing so) and small nation´s frailty of national self-esteem.
Karl is cherrypicking differences between Estonians and Latvians and cherrypicking Estonia´s similarities with Sweden.Even Finland isn´t so similar to Estonians.As I told it is not difficult to differentiate Finns in Estonia just by their look.Finnish and Estonian language are like German and Swedish, should we treat Germans as Nordics?
In fact Estonia shares so many similarities with Latvia.Similarities are big and they look especially big if one takes into account that because of different languages and not so big catchyness of small and non-powerful neighbour there have been
no intensive contacts between Estonia and Latvia.
And if one really starts to believe that estonia is extremely different from Latvia, well does this makes us more similar with Swedes?

I didn't read your post, I'm just replying to it. I saw your bullshit on a different forum already.

Ask an Estonian if Estonia is a Baltic country, then the majority(including me), will say that Estonia is a Baltic country. This was the poll! Now ask an Estonian if they are Nordic and feel closer to Finns and Swedes or they are Baltic and feel closer to the Balts. The absolute majoirity will say that they "põhjamaalased", closer to Finns and Swedes than to the Balts.

Every Estonian who has ever read your viewpoints, has pointed out that you're a weirdo and do not represent an Estonian viewpoint.

As I said, you can rename yourself "Balto-Slav", as you recently said that Estonians are Balto-Slavs.

Täielik ebard oled tõesti, aasta on möödas ja nüüd ma juba mõtlen seda tõsiselt. Päriselt ka, sul on midagi viga.


Those Estonia´s "success" -stories are spread by supporters of Estonia´ s government.Karl belong clearly into that group, so it is not bad to be critical.

Estonia > Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgarian, Moldavia and the list goes on...

That's a fact, you can cry all you want about Estonia being so successful from an economic viewpoint, but it isn't going to change anything.

As the article said, Estonians think that they are similar to the Finns and Nordic, with almost no exceptions.

You just get some kind of sick pleasure from trolling the Estonians, if you're one yourself.

[Arne]

No, i'm not liar, they are ESTONIAN.

Estonians are like this
http://www.letthefuturesing.com/press/estonian1kikkas.jpg
http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/l/17/177711-im-in-estonian-heaven-the-lady-with-the-red-hair-is-the-bride-to-be-tallinn-estonia.jpg

[Loki]

Stop trolling this thread with useless garbage