tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24891328607766694612024-03-06T02:02:42.142+00:00Abdul TurayA.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-54193460763038809442017-10-06T15:03:00.003+01:002017-10-06T15:03:45.199+01:00<div class="MsoNormal">
A note for New Tallinners<br />
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<b>Russian Translation below. </b><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Dear New Tallinners<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Whether you are here for work or study; welcome to Tallinn, I hope that you have a successful, productive and fun time in our beautiful city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Tallinn has come a long way in the last 20 years. It is hard to believe this city was once grey and Soviet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It can be bewildering at times being in a new city in a new country, when all the information you need is in another language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Did you know that you can help to make it better? Did you know you have access to legal services? What do you know about the sports, leisure and cultural activities going on in Tallinn?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>The local elections for the City council take place this October 15.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Did you know that you can vote?</b><span lang="EN-GB"> Everybody registered to live in Tallinn can vote?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Voting will give you say in how the city is run? It gives you power?<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I hope to serve you as your local candidate. How someone like me ended up in Estonian politics, is too long a story to go into here. I will try to represent your interests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The party I stand for the centre-left, Keskerakond (the Centre Party) is in power. We have opened green spaces, enriched the cultural life of city with the Cultural Hub and the Telliskivi development and provided free public transport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">We have bold new plans to turn the city hall into a multi-functional conveference and entertainment centre, the first of its kind in the region, to create new attractions at the zoo, and to build a new hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The Centre Party stands for people from all walks of life. It is the only party that has successfully united Russian and Estonian speaking people not to mention ethnic minorities from Central Asia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Here is my Platform<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Easy cycling. Personally, I don’t drive, I cycle everywhere. The bicycle project aims to link North Tallinn to the Centre City and provide bicycle lanes in the centre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Tram connection. More frequent trams to the airport including early morning trams to match plane timetables.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Dealing with Tallinn’s drug problem. A drug addiction treatment centre to help clean up the kids who suffer from Tallinn’s crystal meth problem. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Information to foreigners. The Information portals owned by the city should be easier to understand, promoted in places which students and international workers can see and should be fully multilingual. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Tallinn is a great place to live. It can be even better. You have a chance to get involved. You never know you might decide to live here for good. Please write to me personally with your ideas and input or simply to find out more. Here is my e-mail address </span><a href="mailto:abdul_turay@yahoo.com"><span lang="EN-GB">abdul_turay</span><span lang="EN-GB">@</span><span lang="EN-GB">yahoo.com</span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> and watch this space for more information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Yours Sincerely<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Abdul Turay<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ЗНАЕТЕ ЛИ ВЫ, ЧТО МОЖЕТЕ ПРОГОЛОСОВАТЬ?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Новые жители Таллина!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="RU">Не важно, с какой целью вы приехали, учиться или работать – Добро Пожаловать в Таллин! Надеемся, что время, проведенное в нашем прекрасном городе, будет продуктивным, успешным и приятным.</span><span lang="TR"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">За прошедшие 20 лет Таллин прошел огромный путь, и сейчас трудно поверить, что когда-то этот город был серым и принадлежал Советскому Союзу.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Иногда, когда вы находитесь в новом городе и в новой стране, вы можете быть сбиты с толку тем, что вся необходимая вам информация доступна только только на другом языке.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Знали ли вы, что можете помочь сделать его лучше? Знали ли вы, что имеете доступ к правовым услугам? Что вам известно о спортивных, развлекательных и культурных мероприятиях, проводящихся в Таллине?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Местные выборы мера города состоятся 15 октября.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span lang="RU">Знали ли вы, что можете проголосовать?</span></b><span lang="RU"> Что каждый, кто зарегистрирован в Таллине может голосовать?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Что голосование дает вам возможность поучаствовать в управлении городом и получить власть? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Я надеюсь служить вам в качестве местного кандидата. Слишком долго рассказывать, как кто-то вроде меня попал в эстонскую политику. Я постараюсь представлять ваши интересы.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span lang="RU">Левоцентристская партия, которую я представляю (</span>Keskerakond<span lang="RU">), сейчас находиться у власти. Мы открыли парки, обогатили культурную жизнь города открытием Культурного Центра и Теллискиви, а также обеспечили бесплатный проезд в общественном транспорте.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">У нас есть смелые планы превратить здание мэрии в многофункциональный первый в своем роде в регионе конференц зал и развлекательный центр, создать новые достопримечательности в зоопарке, построить новую больницу.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Keskerakond <span lang="RU">выступает за людей из всех слоев общества. Это единственная партия, которая успешно объединяет людей, говорящих на русском и эстонском языках, не говоря уже об этнических меньшинствах из Средней Азии.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Это - моя программа:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Легкий Велоспорт. Лично я не за рулем, я везде на велосипеде. Цель проекта - соединить Северный Таллинн с центром города и обеспечить создание велосипедных дорожек в центре города.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Подключение трамвая. Учащение трамвайных рейсов в аэропорт, включая рейсы ранним утром в соответствии расписанию самолета.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Работа с проблемой наркотиков Таллинна. Центр лечения наркомании, чтобы помочь очистить детей Таллина, страдающих от проблемы кристаллического метамфетамина.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Информация для иностранцев. Информационные порталы, принадлежащие городу, должны быть более понятными, поддерживаться в местах, которые студенты и международные работники могут видеть, а также должны быть полностью многоязычными.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Таллин - отличное место для жизни, и он может стать еще лучше. У тебя есть шанс поучаствовать. Никогда не знаешь, решишь ли остаться здесь навсегда. Пожалуйста, отправляйте мне ваши идеи или напишите просто, чтобы узнать больше.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Это адрес моей электронной почты - <a href="mailto:abdul_turay@yahoo.com"><span lang="EN-GB">abdul</span>_<span lang="EN-GB">turay</span>@<span lang="EN-GB">yahoo</span>.<span lang="EN-GB">com</span></a>, следите за дополнительной информацией.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Искренне ваш,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="RU"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Абдул Турай<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-32860531222158281672017-10-06T15:02:00.002+01:002017-10-06T15:02:28.267+01:00<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Intervjuu Juuli 2016</span></div>
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<b>Ajakirjanik </b> </div>
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Kui vana te olete?</div>
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<b>Abdul Turay: </b></div>
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Ma olen 49aastane</div>
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<b>Kui kaua olete Eestis elanud? </b></div>
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Ligikaudu 8 aastat.</div>
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<b>Miks otsustasite Inglismaalt lahkuda? </b></div>
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Tulin Eestisse perekondlikel põhjustel. Kui olen inimestega siiatuleku põhjuseid arutanud, on nad öelnud, et see oli igati mõistlik samm. Loomulikult pidin tegema majanduslikke kompromisse. Hetkel teenin vähem, kui teenisin Inglismaal enne siiatulekut, ehk 8 aastat tagasi. Olen saanud palju kriitikat – inimesed heidavad mulle ette, et olen volikogus ainult palga pärast. Kui hooliksin rahast, läheksin tagasi Inglismaale, seal teeniksin tunduvalt rohkem kui siin.</div>
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<b>Mis on teie arvates märgid, et inimene on Eesti ühiskonnaga integreerunud?</b></div>
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Eesti keel. Ma ei usu, et inimene on täielikult integreerunud enne, kui ta on ära õppinud eesti keele.</div>
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<b>Kas peale keele on veel midagi?</b></div>
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Tundsin, et olen integreerunud pärast seda, kui mind hakati avalikult laimama. Sain laimu nii meedialt, avalikel positsioonidel olevatelt inimestelt, kui ka oma endise partei juhi poolt. Eestlastel on ütlus, et eestlase lemmik toit on teine eestlane. Seega pärast laimukampaaniat järeldasin, et eestlased on mind omaks võtnud. Laim on minu arvates integratsiooni tunnus.</div>
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<b>Kas arvate, et olete Eesti ühiskonnaga integreerunud?</b></div>
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Kindlasti mitte sajaprontsendiliselt. </div>
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<b>Kas teie arvates mõjutab integreerumisprotsessi ka linnaosa kus inimene elab?</b></div>
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Minu arvates mõjutab. See on kindlasti probleem, kui inimene, kelle emakeel pole eesti, ei kuule seda keskkonnas kus ta elab.</div>
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Mis piirkonda soovitaksite inimesele, kes soovib Eesti ühiskonnaga integreeruda?</div>
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Soovitaksin neile maaelu. Välitöö võib integreerumist kiirendada.</div>
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<b>Mis on Eestis elamise plussid ja miinused?</b></div>
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See oleneb sellest, kes sa oled, kust sa pärit oled ning miks sa siin oled. Minu jaoks on põhiline eelis perekonna kasvatamine. Mul on väike poeg ning Eesti on lastele väga hea keskkond. Toit on siin parem. Pole massilist GMOd. Ka piim on siin parem. Juba maitsest saab aru, et siinne piim on rammusam. See on lapse arengule väga oluline. Samas kui inimesel pole lapsi, siis see eelis ei mängi enam rolli.</div>
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<b>Kuidas on lood miinustega?</b></div>
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Eestis ei ole võimalik elada sellise elutempoga nagu lääneriikides.</div>
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<b>Te mainisite, et teenisite enne siia tulekut tunduvalt rohkem… Kuidas te hakkama saate?</b></div>
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Elan nii nagu jaksan. Teatud asju ei saa ma tõesti endale lubada. Suurim majanduslik mure on laste haridus. Raske on võimaldada lapsele haridust mõnes Inglismaa ülikoolis. See on nende jaoks suur mure. Eesti keskklassi inimestele meeldiks saata lapsed ingliskeelsesse ülikooli. Kuid see pole üldse odav lõbu. Inglismaa on väga kallis, rääkimata Ameerikast. See on kindlasti üks eestlaste murekohtadest.</div>
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Samuti elab Eestis palju inimesi, kes ei tule ots otsaga kokku. See on kindlasti probleem. Ma ise ei saa viriseda. Teenin piisavalt, et enda pere ülal pidada, aga paljude eestlaste jaoks on see väga keeruline. Seega mul ei ole põhjust hädaldada. Paljudel on tunduvalt raskem.</div>
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<b>Millised kultuurilised erinevused teile kõige raskemini mõjuvad?</b></div>
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See küsimus nõuab põhjalikumat vastust, kui ma praegu anda suudaksin. Pigem eelistaksin keskenduda sarnasustele. Ma olen pärit kristlikust riigist, kristlikust kultuurist, seega leian ma palju sarnasusi. Ilmselgelt on siinne rahvastik tunduvalt homogeensem. Mul ei ole sellega probleemi. Olen varem elanud mitmes erinevas kultuuriruumis, seega saan ka siin hakkama.</div>
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<b>Te olete välismaalane, miks otsustasite Eestis poliitikaga tegelema hakata?</b></div>
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Otsustasin kandideerida pärast oma poja sündi. Sel ajal olid valimised. Tagasi vaadates, ma vist natukene kiirustasin sellega. Teadsin, et kui ma kandideerin, on mul ka reaalne võimalus valituks saada. Eestlased on väga kavalad. Paljud said sellest aru. Juba aastaid tagasi ütles üks mu sõber, et kui ma kandideeriksin, siis inimesed hääletaksid mu poolt.</div>
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<b>Arvasite, et võidate koha Tallinna Linnavolikogus ja nii ka juhtus?</b></div>
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Tegelikult ei osanud ma arvata kuidas mul läheb. Kui aus olla, siis ei saanud ma päris täpselt aru kuidas valimissüsteem töötab. Ma ei teadnud kui palju hääli ma pidin saama. Teadsin, et kui inimene saab palju hääli, siis ei tähenda see, et ta peaks volikokku saama, samas on võimalik, et inimene saab väga vähe hääli, kuid osutub ikkagi valituks. Sain aru, et häältega käib üks paras sahkerdamine, seega ei osanud ma midagi oodata.</div>
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<b>Te kandideeriste ka Europarlamenti. Plaanite tulevikus sama teha?</b></div>
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Oleneb asjaoludest. Ma arvan, et pigem mitte.</div>
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<b>Miks te lahkusite Sotsiaaldemokraatidest?</b></div>
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Peamine põhjus on see, et nad jäid valitsusse. Enne seda toimus suur kohtumine, kus Jevgeni Ossinovski ütles, et juhul kui ta valitakse partei juhiks, lahkuvad sotsid valitsusest. Valitsus ei teinud sel hetkel midagi väikese sissetulekuga inimeste heaks. Sotsiaaldemokraadid oleks pidanud rahva poolel olema, kuid nad otsustasid jääda valitsusse. Minu arust oli põhjus väga lihtne – nad kartsid oma töökohtade pärast. Nii see süsteem töötab. Kui sa oled ministeeriumis on sul ka alluvad, nõunikud jne. See oli peamine põhjus, miks nad valitsusse jäid.</div>
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On kaks võimalust – kas Jevgeni Ossinovski ei suuda erakonda juhtida või siis erakond ei esinda oma toetajate huve. Minu jaoks oli see igaljuhul suur pettumus. Ma siiralt lootsin, et sotsid lahkuvad valitsusest.</div>
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<b>Milles teie töö täpsemalt seisneb?</b></div>
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Ma esindan Euroopa pealinnades Tallinna linna. See ei ole mu ametlik tiitel, ametlikult töötan ma Tallinna Arengu- ja Koolituskeskuse heaks. Mu ametinimetus on meedia ja kommikatsiooni nõustaja. Kirjutan, tõlgin ja toimetan infot linna avalike teenuste kohta, ning esindan linna huve Brüsselis.</div>
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See töö sobib mulle. Ma suudan esindada Eestit, kui modernset, kosmopoliitset ja tolerantset riiki. </div>
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Ma esindan Eestit üle terve Euroopa, olenemata sellest, et olen mustanahaline ning moslemipäritolu nimega. Usun, et see on Eestile hea. Ma olen osav inglise keeles ning mul on tutvused rahvusvahelises meedias. Ma esindan Tallinna, ning kinnitan, et tegemist on toreda kohaga.</div>
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Brüsselis ja mujal maailmas ei huvita inimesi Eesti sisepoliitika. Asi mida märgatakse on see, et välismaalane esindab riiki. See jätab riigist väga hea mulje.</div>
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Eestlased näevad asju teistest natukene erinevalt. Välismaalaste arvates on see väga hea idee, et ma Eestit esindan. Eestlased, kes on läänelikuma mõttemaailmaga on samal arvamusel.</div>
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Helistasin paarile kolleegile, kellest üks oli sotsiaaldemokraat, arvasin, et nad proovivad mind ümber veenda. Nad mõlemad ütlesid, et peaksin töö vastu võtma, mitte enda, vaid riigi pärast. See tuli mulle üllatusena. Ootasin teistsugust reaktsiooni.</div>
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Paljud arvavad, et ma olen reetur. Nad leiavad, et müüsin end maha siis, kui hakkasin Savisaare heaks tööle. Autsaiderite vaatevinklist tegin ma parima võimaliku valiku, et kuvada maailmale Eestist positiivne pilt. Venemaal tehakse propagandat, et eestlased on fašištid. See on üks põhjuseid, miks ma Eestit esindan. See ei olnud lihtne valik, kuid see oli õige.</div>
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<b>Te mainisite, et üks põhjustest miks lahkusite Sotsiaaldemokraatidest, oli nende “liberaalne pagulaspoliitika”. Palun täpsustage.</b></div>
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Olen töötanud pagulastega 15 aastat. Tean kuidas nad mõtlevad ja mõistan nende olukorda. Ma ise olen Aafrika-Kariibi päritolu. Samuti on mul moslemi juured. Ma samastun erinevate inimestega üle kogu maailma. Olen elanud Aasias. Mul ei ole kellegi vastu midagi, kuid olen selle vastu, et inimesed peavad vastutahtmist siia tulema. Kvoodisüsteem ei arvesta nende inimeste emotsioonidega. See on mu argument.</div>
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<b>Olete te juba Keskerakonnaga liitunud?</b></div>
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Veel mitte, kuid ma olen kindel, et olen teretulnud.</div>
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-40406844011347719542017-09-24T21:47:00.000+01:002017-09-24T21:47:34.485+01:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Kelle poolt hääletada?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Valimiste eel on see küsimus paljudel mõtteis. See on igati põhjendatud, kuna tundub, et igal erakonnal on omad vead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Minu soovitus – leia probleem, mis sulle kõige rohkem korda läheb, ja hääleta kandidaadi poolt, kes sellega tegeleb.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Minu nimi on Abdul Turay. Ma olen pärit Inglismaalt. Olen olnud Tallinna Linnavolikogu liige aastast 2013. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Linnavolikogus oldud aja jooksul olen tegelenud vanalinna tänavate puhtusega, puuetega inimestele ligipääsu võimaldamisega riigiasutustele ning saanud rahastuse uute mänguväljakute jaoks lasteaedades.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Minu valismisplatvorm keskendub pensionitele. Valitsus lubas kevadel pensionite tõusu. Hääl minu, või mõne teise kandidaadi poolt, kes selle teema endale prioriteediks on seadnud, on kindel signaal, et inimestele läheb see korda.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Räägin teile loo enda kasuemast. Mina ja teised lapsed keda ta kasvatas kutsusime teda Mummy Chris’iks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Teise maailmasõja ajal töötas ta tehases, mida ka õhurünnaku käigus pommitati. Ta abikaasa sõdis Põhja-Aafrikas ja kui kontakt temaga katkes, arvas Mummy Chris, et ta on surnud. Mõne aja pärast sai ta kirja, et ta mees on vangi langenud.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aastaid hiljem töötas mu ema samas tehases. Olid rasked ajad ja rasked tingimused väikese lapse kasvatamiseks. Mummy Chris pakkus end lapsehoidjaks. Nii läkski – nädala sees olin koos kasuvanematega ja nädalavahetusel ema ja isaga. Samamoodi kasvasid ka mu nõod.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Inimesed nagu Mummy Chris ehitasid tugevad sidemed eri kogukondade vahel. See õnnestus paremini kui valitsuse programmid. Nii mõnikord asjad lähevad – lihtsad inimesed teevad suuri tegusid.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mummy Chris elas väga vanaks. Elu lõpus kartis ta kohutavalt arveid. Ükskord kurtis ta mulle, et on saanud elektriarve, mida ta ei suuda tasuda. Kui asja uurisin, avastasin, et tegemist oli tagasimaksega. Läksime koos postkontorisse ja ta sai oma raha.<o:p></o:p></div>
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See oli väga kurb, et tal raske oli. See toimus Inglismaal, rikkas riigis. Ma ei suuda ette kujutada, mida peavad tundma vanad inimesed Eestis.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ma olen inglane, ma armastan Inglismaad, aga ma armastan ka Eestit. Inglismaa on mu sünnimaa, kuid ma elan siin, Eestis. See on mu valik. Inimesed on mind siin hästi vastu võtnud, eriti sõbralikud on olnud vanad inimesed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Riik peab kõigepealt tegelema siinsete inimestega. Riik peab hoolima vanadest inimestest.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Paljud välismaalased on samal arvamusel. Kui ma teiste Eestis elavate välismaalastega vestlen, jõuab jutt tihti selleni –miks ei saa pensionärid pensionit, millest korralikult ära elada?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Minu jaoks on saanud selgeks, et see on teema, millega Keskerakond tegeleb. Keskerakond on piisavalt kompetentne, et see asi ka korda ajada.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On veel teemasid, milles sooviksin näha arengut.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sooviksin paindlikumat kodakondsusseadustikku. Pooldan kindlalt topelt-kodakondsust.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kohalikud probleemid millele keskendun on,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Jalgrattaread kesklinnas<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Korralik raviasutus fentanüülisõltlastele<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kuid mu südameasi on pensionid. Pensionid, pensionid ja veel kord pensionid! On aeg, et vanainimesed, saaksid rahus elada.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-90286046886018998952017-08-28T11:04:00.001+01:002017-08-28T11:04:18.930+01:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Opositsioon Tallinnas on langenud<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
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Me peame rääkima Tallinna Linnavolikogust.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Inimesed peavad teadma mis toimub. Opositsioon on langenud. Poolteist aastat tagasi hakkas see lagunema ja nüüdseks on see täiesti kokku kukkunud.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Uskumatu, et see kõik leiab aset vahetult enne valimisi. Seda on raske uskuda, aga nii see on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Annan ülevaate sellest, mis toimus eelmisel volikogu istungil 24. augustil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Esimene punkt, mida arutati, oli õpetajate palk. Linnavalitsus tutvustas eelnõud, mis tõstaks haridustöötajate palkasid. Eelnõu puudutas haridustöötajaid nii lasteaedades, põhikoolides kui ka gümnaasiumites. Pärast seaduse vastuvõtmist ulatuks õpetajate palk 1050 euroni, direktoritel kuni 2045 euroni. Eelnõu sai alguse 17. <span lang="ET">jaanuari ja 5. märtsi vahemikul</span><span lang="ET"> </span>toimunud kohtumistest linnavalitsuse ja õpetajate liidu vahel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Õpetajate liit on rahul, õpetajad on rahul. Mitte keegi linnavolikogust ei hääletanud seaduseelnõu vastu. Õnne Pillak Reformierakonnast leidis, et tegemist on tähtsa ning vajaliku seaduseelnõuga.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Järgmine punkt puudutas projekti “Tehnoloogilise lahenduse prototüübi loomine maa-aluste rajatiste 3D andmeseireks” arendusfondi loomist.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Opositsioonist ei tulnud ka selle vastu ühtegi vastuhäält.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kolmas punkt käsitles tasuta lõunaid lasteaedades, mida on ka eelnevalt arutatud. Taaskord ei hääletanud keegi opositsioonist selle vastu.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Neljandas punktis arutati raha eraldamist Euroopa Liidu poolt loodud projektile “Pilvemets”. Projekti eesmärk on luua Tallinna loomaaeda vihmametsa ala. Ja taaskord – mitte ühtegi vastuhäält.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jääb mulje, et kõik linnavalitsuse poolt välja toodud ideed on lihtsalt nii head, et opositsioonil ei jää muud üle kui kõigega nõustuda.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Järgmisena hakati arutama linnale kuuluvate hoonete detailplaneeringuid ja müügitingimusi. Ja siis juhtus see – peaaegu kõik opositsiooni liikmed lahkusid saalist. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJc0IWITLGFETHaj4FwTvQcSOM9Wp4Pxxjg3mQ8CvYvwy58wj2CnRiRZWkSPVRis2mX5IS7ntqcjvPWcRv4q0GQBlIltRbPkps4WCOL3R3OO1hyphenhyphenAMGYPygFCPhQmyeKxwArbnkqRcdFC2z/s1600/20170824_175202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJc0IWITLGFETHaj4FwTvQcSOM9Wp4Pxxjg3mQ8CvYvwy58wj2CnRiRZWkSPVRis2mX5IS7ntqcjvPWcRv4q0GQBlIltRbPkps4WCOL3R3OO1hyphenhyphenAMGYPygFCPhQmyeKxwArbnkqRcdFC2z/s320/20170824_175202.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reform Erakond Tugev meeskond/naiskond (whatever) </td></tr>
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Siin on pildimatejal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaT0exkRciefKRACRlrhtdRjP7H3BpTKIrh01WwXVezUlDBYk6F2VIDxrvsaz5jQvW3PmEtctHqQ3hMHK5LAxD5bA_KhTLRYS3EBzIsoQDWk36VmMQ3fnux-g8pnYUWBZjAhtIzS5masp/s1600/20170824_175128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaT0exkRciefKRACRlrhtdRjP7H3BpTKIrh01WwXVezUlDBYk6F2VIDxrvsaz5jQvW3PmEtctHqQ3hMHK5LAxD5bA_KhTLRYS3EBzIsoQDWk36VmMQ3fnux-g8pnYUWBZjAhtIzS5masp/s320/20170824_175128.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sotsid pööre õiget</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6t5k79kBg7YThf4QuMqXcnl3KXZh2Y-P6WqxnO7zFGZ67dFt1KodYfdtnJexab8LC6b5kbjs4uU3qpBFNmyyKPzvTSdpBMnvHrbt1bE-zfOgpGtwQyt8BgfAVr5Xkuq2r1CA3buvytPp/s1600/20170824_175214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6t5k79kBg7YThf4QuMqXcnl3KXZh2Y-P6WqxnO7zFGZ67dFt1KodYfdtnJexab8LC6b5kbjs4uU3qpBFNmyyKPzvTSdpBMnvHrbt1bE-zfOgpGtwQyt8BgfAVr5Xkuq2r1CA3buvytPp/s320/20170824_175214.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IRL aeg linnavalistuseks </td></tr>
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Tõesti – ei saa oodata, et kõik volinikud oleksid alati kohal. See ei ole lihtsalt võimalik. Inimestel on tööd, perekonnad ja muud kohustused, rääkimata tervislikest põhjustest.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Probleem ei seisne laiskuses ega ükskõiksuses. Probleem on juhi puudumine ja kehv ettevalmistus.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Iga fraktsiooni juhi töö on vastutada selle eest, et vähemalt kvoorum tema fraktsioonist oleks kohal. Erakonna juhatuse töö on garanteerida, et fraktsiooni juhil see õnnestub. Tundub, et Keskerakond on ainus erakond Tallinnas, kes sellega hakkama saab.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Varem oli Keskerakond liiga distsiplineeritud, lausa autoritaarse korra järgi toimiv üksus. Nüüd, uue juhtkonnaga, on nad leidnud tasakaalu distsipliini ja paindlikuse vahel. Liikmetelt oodatakse, et nad käiksid kohal, kuid neil on luba vabalt enda arvamust avaldada.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ka sotsiaaldemokraadid, hoolimata sellest, et nad olid väikseim fraktsioon, olid hea distsipliiniga. Pärast Lauri Laatsi tagasiastumist hakkasid neil asjad logisema. IRL-ist pole mõtet rääkida. Kahjuks või õnneks on nende ridades alati kindlalt kohal Tarmo Kruusimäe. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Nii IRL-is, kui ka SDE-is on toimunud mitmed personalimuutused. Mõlemast fraktsioonist lahkus juht, võttes inimesi endaga kaasa.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Reformierakonna allakäik on müsteerium. Ei ütleks, et “Tugev mees/naiskond”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Reformierakonnal on üleval plakatid, mis kutsuvad üles Keskerakonda linnavalitsusest kukutama. Miks küll? Nad ise ei käi istungitel kohal. Ja kui käivad, hääletavad Keskerakonna ideede poolt. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Peavoolu meediale meeldib kirjutada fiktiivseid artikleid korrumptsioonist. Hullem kui korrumptsioon on aga ebakompetentsus.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Järgmisel aastal tähistab Eesti riik oma 100. sünnipäeva. Rohkem kui varem, on meil vaja riigi- ja linnavalitsuse tugevat koostööd. Vastasel juhul võivad meist saada maailma silmis naerualused.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Valijatel on valida – linnavalitsus, millel on saavutsed ette näidata või kamp inimesi,kes vaevu kohal käivad.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-35318437624656331362017-08-11T14:07:00.002+01:002017-08-11T14:07:59.126+01:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><span lang="ET">Aus valik näib rumal, rumal
valik on aga aus.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Abdul Turay<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Järgneb minu lugu Donald Trumpist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Varastel üheksakümnendatel, enne seda
kui keegi üldse internetist kuulnud oli, töötasin Hong Kongis ühes
ajalehetoimetuses nooremreporterina. Üks kolleegidest täiendas Trumpi-teemalist
ilutsevat kirjatükki omapoolse märkusega: „Ta ego on sama suur kui ta
hotelliäri.“ Paar nädalat hiljem viibis tulevane president Hong Kongis ning üks
kolleegidest pidi teda intervjueerima. Ta kirjelduses esines Trump hea
instinkti, intelligentse ja kohalikes oludes väga hästi informeeritud
vestluspartnerina. Kolleeg lisas, et Trump oli vestluses nimeliselt vihjanud ka
reporterile, kes tema kulul mahlaka väljaütlemisega lagedale oli tulnud: „See
tüüp X on paras sitapea.“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Donald Trump on oma tegemistes
pedantne ja põhjalik. Toona koha peal viibides ei palunud ta endale tuua mitte
ainult sealseid lehti, et siis ainult enda kohta avaldatu üle vaadata, vaid
luges terve eksemplari otsast lõpuni läbi, mistõttu ka tema võrratu asjadega
informeeritus. Trump luges inimesigi säärase põhjalikkusega ja tolle solvava
reporteri jättis ta nimeliselt meelde. Viha kaua ei pidanud ning meie ajalehega
koostöö tegemisest Trump peale vahejuhtumit ei keeldunud. Mis teiste kuulsuste
puhul olnu ks loogiline samm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump on üks väheseid inimesi, kes
julges endale tunnistada, et Sasha Baron Coheni kehastatud Ali G karakter
haaras ta täiesti oma võimusesse. Soovitan kõigil vastavat videolõiku vaadata
ja ise otsustada. Jah, arusaadavalt võib Trump käituda kui väike laps, mustates
kättemaksuks igaüht, kes tema kohta on midagi halba öelnud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"> Näitasin kord keskkooliõpilastele klippi, kus
Trump käitub Rosie O’Donnelliga väga ebaviisakalt. Neid šokeeris asjaolu, et
keegi üldse söandab taolist sõnavara kasutada, veel enam keegi, kes pürgib
tulevaseks Ameerika presidendiks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Otsustasin enne valimisi avalikult
Trumpi toetada. Ustitasin ka oma Ameerika sugulasi tema poolt hääletama, ja neid
on juba palju ning nad on eranditult mustanahalised. „Trump oleks mustanahalistele
parem president,“ üritasin neid veenda, „Hillary Clinton vihkab meid.“ Sellele
sõnaavaldusele järgnes valgete sõimupuhang. Eerik Niiles Kross saatis mulle
isiklikult sõnumi, öeldes, et pole kogu valimiskampaania ajal midagi nii
arulagedat lugenud. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Avalikkusel tõmbas Trumpi võit
jalgealuse kõikuma. Minul mitte. Olin kindel, et ta võidab. Kõik eksperdid
eksisid. Nad ei teagi tegelikult midagi. Pöördusin oma Trumpi-teemalise
üleskutsega just Ameerika sugulaste poole. Nüüd pöördun sellega oma Eesti sõprade
poole. Ega ma pole pime: tean, et tekitasin taolise pöördumisega pajudes
pettumust ja viha. Palun lugejatel meel avatud hoida ja korraks mind mu
selgituses ära kuulata. Selgituses, miks Trump on Ameerikale, Eestile ja
maailmale hea valik. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Kõigepealt puudutan seda, miks Trumpi
igas kontekstis nii väga vihatakse. Trump olevat tema vastaste sõnul homofoob,
islamofoob, rassist, seksist ja üldiselt üks kiusupunn. Trump on avalikkuses
figureerinud juba neli aastakümmet ning terve selle perioodi vältel asjade
kohta ausalt oma arvamust avaldanud. Hong Kongi aegadest peale olen ta karjääril
aastate lõikes üpris detailselt silma peal hoidnud. Miks leidis meedia Trumpis
alles nüüd, kampaania käigus, kõik need negatiivsed omadused? Kus nad kogu
eelneva aja olid? Trump pole isegi konservatiiv, pigem sotsiaalne liberaal,
kuid seda punkti käsitlen peagi põhjalikumalt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump pole homofoob.</span></b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump pole kogu oma elu jooksul öelnud
ega teinud midagi homofoobset. Julgen väita, et keegi ei suuda mulle vastavaid
tõendeid tuua ega näidata, et üksainuski Trumpi sõna või tegu kannab homofoobset
alatooni. Selleks on tal aga loendamatult võimalusi olnud. Talle ei meeldi
lesbist saatejuht Rosie O'Donnell. Oma ütlemistes on Trump teda kutsunud
paksuks ja inetuks, kuid kordagi pole Trump rünnanud O'Donnellit tema
soo-orientatsiooni tõttu. Valimiste algusest peale on Trump kindlalt välja
öelnud, et tal pole geiabieludega mingit probleemi. Jah, kambas on ka Mike
Pence, kelle veendumuste kohaselt on geide tagasipööramine tõepoolest võimalik.
Otsuseid hakkab aga dikteerima Trump, mitte Pence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump pole islamofoob.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trumpi programmi üks põhipunkte oli
keelustada kõikidele moslemitele riiki sisenemine – naeruväärne idee, millest
ta on nüüdseks ka taganenud. Juttu on tugevdatud järelevalvest ning
taustauuringutest. Minu vaated on islamisõbralikud ning viimane punkt näib
mulle ja teistelegi islamisõbralikele isikutele mõistlik ja vajalik. Meeldib
see või ei, kuid viimase viieteistkümne aasta sündmused on olnud tunnistajaks
miljonite moslemite radikaliseerumisele, kes nüüdseks vihkavad Ameerikat ning
võimaluse korral asuksid praegust riiki ühes selle süsteemiga ründama. Laskem
sellised isikud Ameerikasse siseneda ning islam radikaliseerub veelgi enam. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Donald Trump pole mingi pagana rassist! </span></b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trumpiga isiklikult
kokku puutunud mustanahaliste kogukonna esindajad (Mike Tyson, Ben Carson, Don
King, Louis Farrakhan, Shaquille O'Neal, David A. Clarke jt) seisavad Trumpi
selja taga. Trump võitis endale Mitt Romneyga võrreldes kaks korda enam mustade
ja hispaaniakeelsete kogukondade hääli. <i>The
Washington Times</i>, CNN, <i>The Guardian</i>,
<i>The New York Times</i>, <i>Huffington Post</i> – praktiliselt iga
peavoolumeedia odavmüügiallikas on valetanud. Ja propagandat uudiste asemel
edastanud. Trump pole kordagi osutanud mustanahalistele laiskusele, ütlus on
lihtsalt valetsitaadina käibele lastud. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Pühendasin kampaania käigus kaua aega
Donald Trumpi ja Hillary Clintoni kõnede kuulamisele. Trump räägib, kuidas tagaks
mustade kogukondadele uuesti töökohad, edendaks hariduse kättesaadavust ja -taset
nende lastel ning lihtsustaks ettevõtjate ärilaenu saamist. Igas oma kõnes
lubab Trump mustanahaliste ja latiino-kogukondade olukorra paranemist. Clinton
praalis vaid oma kvalifitseeritusega ning lubas lõpuks murda barjääri, mida too
kohutav Donald Trump endas talle kui naisele kehastab. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Kammisin lisaks läbi lõputult mustade
foorumeid, kodulehekülgi ja <i>vlog</i>e.
Clintonis jõuti üksmeelele: sama halb või et isegi hullem. Isegi Clintoni poolt
hääletada otsustanud Aafrika ameeriklastele Clinton ei istunud. Paljud
otsustasid pigem üldse mitte hääletada, kui et seda teha Hillary poolt. Erinevalt
teiste vabariiklaste kümnendeid väldanud tegevusetusest, püüdis Trump reaalselt
mustade kogukonnani jõuda. Sealjuures oli tal nii mõnigi häälekas mustanahaline
toetaja. Lõppude-lõpuks määrasid just mustade või latiino-kogukondade hääled
või hääletamatajätmised Trumpi võidu. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump tahab ehitada müüri illegaalse
immigratsiooni kaotamiseks – just see punkt figureeris tema kampaania tipus.
Muidugi ei nõustu ma sellise seisukohavõtuga, kuid saan Trumpi mõttekäigust
aru. Asja iva on immigratsioon, mitte rassism. Sama kehtib Brexiti puhul, mille
läbiminekule kindlalt oponeerisin. Rahvas hääletas Brexiti poolt, kuna ei
soovitud riiki püsivalt lasta imbuda valget Ida-Euroopa elanikkonda. Just
valgeid idaeurooplasi. Mitte Suurbritannias sündinud Aasia või mustanahaliste
kogukonna esindajaid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump kui šovinist?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Tsiteerin Martin Luther Kingi oma maailmavaateliste
eksimuste kohta: "Siin võib miskit tõde peituda." Trump on naiste
kohta öelnud paljut, mis on vale. Ja ta tõdeb, et öeldu oli vale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Seksistlike tähelepanekutega käiakse
kerglaselt ümber. Teguviis on väga vale, kuid nii kerge külge hakkama. Naised
kordavad mantrat "mehed on sead", kuid ei söandaks eales öelda, et
"mustad on sead" või et "juudid on sead, kes ise sigu ei
söö". <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Lisaks süüdistatakse Trumpi
seksuaalsetest normidest üleastumises. Eeldatakse, et kehtib üks: Trump valetab
ja naised räägivad tõtt või et naised valetavad ja Trump räägib tõtt. Kuid
võib-olla räägivad mõlemad õiget juttu. Olin kord hüpnotisti seansi
tunnistajaks, mil too veenis üht naist uskuma, et naine oli keset ööd
õppimistöö ajal kuulnud kuulilasku, kuigi taolist vahejuhtumit polnud juhtunud.
Ja kui hüpnotist veenis naist teistkordselt, et mitte midagi säärast aset ei
leidnut, nõudis naine vastupidise (ehk siis kuuldud lasu) kinnitamist. Arvestades
seda, mis seekordsetel presidendivalimistel kaalul oli, kas ei võiks kaaluda
võimalust, et Clintoni kampaania võtmeisikud, või tema raudse võiduga
arvestavad huvigrupid, korraldasid midagi kirjeldatud seansi sarnast?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump pole kiusupunn.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump on halb näitleja, kuna ei suuda
oma ego kinni katta, mis enamik teistel mõjuvõimsatel isikutel on siiani
õnnestunud. Erinevalt paljudest mõjukatest isikutest kuulab Trump mõistuse
häält. Ta on valmis usaldus- ja austusväärsete inimese veenmise tulemusel oma
arvamust muutma. See kehtib näiteks kampaaniajuhi Kellyanne Conway ja kunagise
rivaali ning praeguse sõbra ja liitlase Ben Carsoni puhul. Kampaaniast leiab
veel küllaldaselt näiteid. Trump taganes oma väljaütlemistest moslemite
keelustamise ja sünnitunnistuskahtluste osas, samuti vabandas ta naiste (siiski
mitte Rosie O'Donnelli) ees oma tooreste märkuste pärast. Trump on müügimees ja
nagu kõiki häid müügimehi, saab teda ennast kergesti müüa. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Paljud, kes on Trumpiga kokku
puutunud, näevad temas vigade suhtes leplikku kaaslast, armastavat isa ja
kohusetundlikku abikaasat. Sõimusõnu seksismi, homofoobia ja fašismi arvel
loobitakse arutellu kui granaate, mis sellesama debatti ühes isikliku arvamuse
väljendamisvabaduse kaoga ka halvavad. Mitte tähtsusetut rolli ei mängi
kujunenud vihaepiteetide rahes üliparempoolsed natsionalistid. Kui Trump juba
kord rassistiks tituleeriti, mõistsid nood, et tegemist on just nende selliga. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Kaua aega on möödunud ajast, mil
Ameerikal oli avalikult rassistlik president. Viimasena tuleb silme ette
Franklin D. Roosevelt, kes kogus Jaapani taustaga ameeriklased kokku ning
saatis nad kontsentratsioonilaagritesse. Saksa või Itaalia päritolu
ameeriklastega ta sama ei teinud. Valged natsionalistid langevad kibeda
pettumuse osaliseks. Nelja aasta pärast tembeldavad nad Trumpi rassireeturiks. Isegi
kui Trumpi puhul oleks tegemist rassistiga, ei läheks ta eales selle veendumuse
peale välja, kuna vajab mustade ja hispaaniakeelsete kogukondade hääli. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Usun, et Eesti vasakpoolseid rassism
ei huvita, neid riivab meeste šovinism. Trumpi vihkavad naised, kellele meeldib
ohvrirollis olla või siis valged rüütlid, kes tahavad nende ohvrikestega
magada. Arutellu loobitakse suvaliselt kõiksugu muid omadussõnu, kuna sõnadel
on mõjuvõimu. Aasta või kahe pärast mõistetakse, et inimeste senine käitumine
on olnud vale. Trump on palju parem, kui arvati, Clinton aga kordades hullem. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Ameerika demokraatia jaoks oli
ülioluline, et keegi Trumpi või Bernie Saundersi taoline sai juhipositsioonile.
Aastast 2000 on riiki kontrollinud suurärimehed ja Wall Street. Nüüd kukkus see
süsteem kokku, Ameerika rahvas on oma riigi korporatsioonidelt ja pankadelt
tagasi võitnud. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Donalt Trump on oma veendumustelt
sotsiaalne liberaal, mitte konservatiiv. Aastani 2009 oli Trump Demokraatliku
Partei liige. Pakun, mis ta järgnevalt tegema asub. Tegemist on vaid
spekulatsioonidega selle põhjal, mis lugenud olen. Keegi ei saa kindlalt öelda,
mis tulema hakkab, ja Trump muudab tihti meelt, kuid leian, et minu pakkumised
on samaväärsed ükskõik kelle teise omadega ja miks mitte proovida. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump taasseadustab Glass-Steagalli
akti, eraldades nõnda kommertspangad investeerimispankadest. Bill Clintoni
otsus akt kehtetuks kuulutada põhjustas nimelt 2008. aasta majanduskriisi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump tõstab alampanka ning asub
edendama tööliste ja ametiühingute õiguseid, kõnetades nii valgeid töölisklassi
valijaid, oma peamist sihtgruppi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Ta asub propageerima avalikku tööd, et
nõnda inimesed tagasi tööturule tuua, majandust elavdada ja muidugi oma
peamisele valijaskonnale meelepärane olla. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Ta asub Vaikse ookeani ülese Vabakaubanduslepingu
(TTP) osas uutele läbirääkimistele ja laseb projektil arvatavasti põhja minna.
Sama juhtub Transatlantilise Kaubanduse ja Investeeringute Partnerluslepinguga
(TTiP-ga). Eestile on see kasulik, kuna välistatakse olukord, mil Monsanto
klassis suurfirma võiks terve riigi süüdistusega kaotatud kasumi osas pankrotti
ajada, juhul kui Eesti ei luba geneetiliselt muundatud tooteid oma turule. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump laseb selle totaka müüri
ehitada, kuid Mehhiko ei panusta rahaliselt sentigi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Obamacare programmist hoiab ta alles
hea osa: inimestele tagatakse juba olemasolevatel tingimustel kindlustus ning
lastele ja noortele täiskasvanutele kantakse nende vanemate kindlustuspoliitika
üle. Obamacare'i nõrgad küljed saadab ta metsa. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Üliõpilaste laenukoorem väheneb,
lubatakse võlgadest lahtilaskmine ning avalikud ülikoolid peavad oma õppemakse
vähendama, nõnda et järgmisel valimisringil purustaks Trump aastatuhande
häälterekordi. Ta saadab hingusele standardse Common Core haridussüsteemi ning
laseb õppeaineid riiklikul tasandil hinnata. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Ta laseb ametisse nimetada
konservatiivse Ülemkohtu Otsustuskoja (<i>Supreme
Court Justices</i>), mis tagandab Ühendatud Kodanike Koja (<i>Citizens United</i>) ja viib seeläbi poliitikast suured rahasummad
välja. Selline asjade käik on Trumpi huvides: järgmistel valimistel oleks
vastaskandidaadil raske tema kampaaniat rahaliselt üle trumbata, nagu seda
seekord tegi Hillary Clinton oma kampaaniaga rohkem kui kahekordselt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Ta vähendab väga vaeste ja väga
rikaste, sealhulgas iseenda, maksukoormust. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Ta lükkab tagasi Pariisi kokkulepped
kaevanduse ja rasketööstuse taaselustamiseks, põhjustades ühtlasi suurenenud
kliimasoojenemist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Ta panustab USA sõjalise tugevuse
suurendamisesse, kuid ei asu Süürias režiimi kukutama ega vii vägesid sisse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Ta teeb Venemaaga ISISe hävitamise
osas koostööd ning lubab Venemaal suurendada mõjuvõimu endiste Nõukogude Liidu
riikide aladel, erandiks jääb Baltikum. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Miks Trump võitis?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Trump võitis, kuna ta pole Hillary
Clinton.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Hillary Clinton on tahtnud terve oma
elu presidendiks saada. Iga kord, kui ta on võimule ligi saanud, kõigepealt oma
abikaasa valitsusajal komiteedejuhina, seejärel senaatori ja riigisekretärina,
iga jumala kord on ta ettevõtmistest kõik rappa läinud. Kõigepealt kõneles ta
naiste õigustest ning siis võttis ISISt rahastanud Saudi-Araabialt raha vastu. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Hilary Clinton on üks õudusunenägu.
Juba kolmkümmend aastat on see Damoklese mõõk meie kõigi peade kohal rippunud
ning lõpuks oleme tast igaveseks lahti saanud. Erinevalt Margaret Thatcherist,
Angela Merkelist, Benazir Bhuttost ja meie oma värskest Kersti Kaljulaidist on
Clinton enda kanda võtnud New Yorgi linna suuruse märtriristi – ainuke naine
vaenulikus meeste maailmas. Ta tahab nii väga tõestada, et on sama hea kui
ükskõik mis meessoost ametikaaslane. Seepärast näibki ta sellise raisakullina.
Ta hävitas Liibüa, andes nõnda avalöögi praegusele põgenikekriisile, ning
naeris Gaddafi surma üle Ta tahtis nii väga olla suur president ning selleks
pidi tal olema näidata edukaid sõjavõite. Clinton oleks Venemaaga sõda
alustanud. Jill Stein, Rand Paul, Julian Assange – et nimetada mõningaid, kes
selles väites kindlad</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> olid. Sõda oleks alanud Lähis-Idas keelustatud Süüria
õhuruumiga ning sealt edasi levinud. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Mis siis, kui CIA psühholoogiline
raport Putini kohta (mida Clinton on kindlasti lugenud) sisaldab punkti, et
Putin ei võtaks mitte mingil juhul tuumarelva kasutusse?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Donald Trumpi pole olnud lihtne
toetada. Tegemist on väga vigase variandiga. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Alguses eelistasin Bernie Saundersit.
Tema eelvalimised ajas Demokraatlik Partei luhta kriminaalse häältega
manipuleerimise teel ning ma olen kindel, et lähiaastatel kuuleme sellest
juhtumist veel nii mõndagi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Erinevus Trumpi ja teiste poliitikute
vahel seisneb selles, et teiste vangerdused hoitakse vaka all. Trumpi vangerdused
on aga läbipaistvad. Olen kindel oma veendumuses, et Trumpi valimise läbi
päästis rahvas Ameerika demokraatia ning vältis kolmandat maailmasõda. Ma pole
kunagi oma elus tundnud end nõnda ameerikameelsena kui praegu. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Ning inimesed ei peaks muret tundma
selle pärast, kas Trump kavatseb Eestit kaitsta või mitte. Trump kavatseb
Venemaaga suhteid parandada ning Eestit kaitsta. Trump hakkab veel Eestit
armastama. Eesti on NATOle oma maksumaksmisalast lojaalsust erinevalt Lätist ja
Leedust püsivalt tõestanud, riik on peaaegu et ingliskeelne, ettevõtlus- ja
ameerikameelne ning inimesele nagu Trump peaks see ainult meeldima. Nagu
mainiti USA saatkonnas peale valimisi aset leidnud kokkusaamisel: „Andke
vastsele presidendile teada, et Eesti on maailma poole teele läkitanud väga
palju supermodelle."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Tean, et selle artikliga tekitan väga
paljudes, kes mind minevikus on toetanud, raevu. Teistes pettumust. Kuid jätkan
seda teed. Kirjutan, mida usun ning mida pikk uurimistöö vaid kinnitab, mitte
seda, mida tahetakse kuulda. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Paar kuud tagasi lahkusin
Sotsiaaldemokraatlikust Parteist, kes oli püsinud stagneeruvas koalitsioonis
valitsusega, mis ei teinud alatasustatud avaliku sektori töötajate olukorra
parandamiseks ühtegi otsustavat sammu. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Sain väga raevuka sõimu ja
kriitika osaliseks. Igast küljest. Samal ajal tundsin, et Keskerakond asub
suuri muutusi läbi tegema. Asjade taoline käik oli ilmselge ning leidis
kinnitust mitmekordsetel vestlustel partei erinevate ringkondade esindajatega. Vaid
paar kuud hiljem jõudsid need samad SDE ja IRLi esindajad järeldusele, et mul
oli ikkagi terve aja õigus. Nad lahkusid valitsusliidust ning asusid
Keskerakonnaga koostööd tegema. Kogu aja kasvas minus veendumus, et mu senised
vaatlused peaks paika pidama, kuid asjade praegune käik ületas ka kõige
optimistlikumad lootused. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;">Tajusin Eesti poliitikas toimunu
varakult ära, nägin ette USA valimiste tulemust ning tean, et siinkirjutatu teenib
õiget eesmärki. Eesti peab sellega lihtsalt leppima. Trump saab USA
presidendiks, meeldigu see või mitte. Eesti jääb oma turvalisuse tagamises
USAst sõltuma, meeldigu ka see või mitte. On aeg panna punkt ebaausale laimamisele,
mõistusevastasele vihale ja vigase analüüsioskusele. Ning uskuda Ameerika uude
presidenti.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ET;"><br /></span></div>
A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-34465597214592257892016-06-17T14:24:00.001+01:002016-06-18T18:16:43.161+01:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lost Brother <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">17.07.2016</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Over the past few weeks, four men have been vilified and
demonised by the Estonian media. Priit Toobal, Kajar Lember, Tiit Ojasoo and myself.
One man is accused of having an affair with an underage person, another is
accused of accepting bribes, a third was caught on camera beating and kicking a
woman and the fourth myself what did I do</span><span lang="ET" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For those of you not familiar with Estonian politics, I
left my party the Social Democrats and taken a job with the city, which is controlled
by a rival party the Centre Party. I started my new job the end of May
2016. I don't want to comment of the merits of the cases, the other three men who have been subject to abuse. It is for them to defend themselves, but in my case since it is tax payers money we are talking about I have to explain myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The right of centre party Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit (IRL) </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">think I am a greedy self-serving bastard
and a traitor to the nation. Jegveni Ossinovski, chairman of the Social
Democrats, thinks I have brought disgrace onto myself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Very disappointed in you wrote one reader. You have shown
that you are bribable.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“You are a lost brother (kadunud vend) to Estonians now,”
wrote another commentator. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Personal friends have been very upset with me. One friend, a
former student, now a rising star in the IRL couldn’t even look at me, he just
scowled. My advisor in the City Council reacted in a similar way. At last week’s
Tallinn City Council sitting, she just handed me my things, without even
looking at me and stormed off. I felt like John Snow in Game of Thrones just
before he is stabbed. “Traitor.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Years ago, I anticipated that this would happen someday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In my book Väike Valge Riik (Small white Nation) which came
out in 2012, I wrote in the introduction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Ma
mõistan hästi, et millalgi tulevikus põrkan ma ägedale väenulikusele. Minu
vastu tuntakse tõsist viha. Ent see juhtub alles siis, kui eestlased hakkavad
mind pidama üheks endi seast.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(I realise that at some point in the future I will face
real hostility. There will be serious rage against me. But it will only happen
when Estonians start to think of me as one of them).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So on one level, I was somewhat relieved that I turned out
to be right. I would have been worried and upset had there been no abuse, no
ridicule, no anger, just silence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was even touched by the “lost brother” thing. I hope it isn’t
too presumptuous of me to say I was actually proud of Rainer Vakra, Magnus
Tshakna, Jegnevi Ossinovski, Hanno Matto and everybody else who was so angry at
me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And it will get worse before it gets better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Whereas some Estonians were angry at me, Westerners, at
least the ones I know, were not. They saw it differently. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“That’s great you should do that,” said one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I don’t get it what was the catch. Why did you even
consider not doing it?” said another. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It’s like being hired by Richard Nixon,” I explained to
him <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He still didn’t get it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is clear division between the way Estonians see the
World and the way outsiders see it. All my personal Western friends and
acquaintances whether they live in Estonia or not, whether they know a lot
about Estonia or nothing at all, thought I am doing something good. A lot of Estonians I know think I am doing
something bad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There was one exception to this. I will come to this in a
minute. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some Estonians are very Westernised, they also “got it”, they
got it immediately. I didn’t have to explain it to them. I called two people
before I made the decision. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One of them, is very influential, well connected and no
friend of the Centre Party. I thought she would try to talk me out of
it. Instead she said: </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">“No you have to do that, not for yourself, but for the
country. You are going to get a lot of abuse but you still have to do that.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Before I get to the nitty gritty why I quit and why I felt
I had to take this job let’s clear up some of the nonsense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You took
this job for the money</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">False. I have read some outrageous figures
for what I will be earning, €5000 a month €6000 a month, €9000. Nonsense. Logically,
it is impossible that the city is ever going to pay that kind of money. It
would cause resentment with other city employees, who I have to work with. My actually salary in €2100 Gross (bruto) a
month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I appreciate that a lot of people in Estonia can’t earn
that kind of money and I am grateful for the opportunity, but it is not an outrageous sum.
It’s less money than I was earning in the UK before I came to Estonia eight
years ago, it’s less money even than the average wage is in Britain, it’s a lot
less than the average wage in London and the South East and here’s the kicker,
it’s less money than I earned before I took this job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was doing freelance work for Euromonitor a market
research company. Since the company is based in the UK, the pay is good. This
is also the reason I haven’t been writing anything, I have been so tied up with
this work I just haven’t had time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is a very simple way for clever journalists to work
out my salary. As a city councillor I am required to declare my income and
assets every year. This information is publicly available. My income from Sihtasutus
Tallinna Arengu- ja Koolituskeskus is declared automatically. All a clever
journalist needs to do is to check and they can see that I am telling the
truth, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You
are doing this to enhance your own career. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">True somewhat. One of
my oldest friends who lives in the UK, but knows Estonia well said this to me.
It stung because I realised that he was correct. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My job is to attract positive media and investment into the
city by generating interest in the city’s cultural life, opportunities for
entrepreneurs and technological and urban development. This has to be done at a
municipal level since economically Tallinn is Estonia. It is also tacitly
though not officially within my remit to try to promote the areas around
Tallinn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The job also has a technical aspect because I am also to write,
edit and translate news content. There aren’t very many people speaking English
as a mother tongue who can translate from Estonian into English and are also
professional writers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Actually I have been encouraging people who are wealthier
than me to come to Estonia and invest for years. Now I get a chance to do this
in an official capacity. Since I will be spending a lot of time in Brussels and
flying all over Europe, yes of course it is an opportunity to make contacts and
raise my profile. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So yes the job enhances my career but it comes with a cost.
I am perfectly aware that I might have blown the opportunity to work in a
public job at a national level. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I feel what I am doing is in the best interests of the
country. I believe with my background as reporter and newspaper editor, native
English speaker. I am best qualified to do this job and obviously the city
powers think so too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You
are doing this to spite the Social Democrats because they didn’t promote you or
give you a job.</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">False. It’s true I had a difficult relationship with the
party. But it was based on ideologically differences not career. I have said
repeatedly and consistently from the start that I am a social liberal not a social democrat. The decision to stay in the
coalition was wrong. Some of their most cherished policies are wrong. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Their communication is horrible. When I stood for the
European Parliament, the party put out web flyers on social media asking people
to vote for me: “to prove you are not racist.” They also had flyers with,
“prove you don’t hate women, vote Marianne Mikko.” and “Prove you don’t hate
Russians vote for Jevgeni Ossinovski.” Unbelievable. This was insulting the intelligence
of the voters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The web flyer with me went viral, I was never informed, the
first I heard of it was when a friend got in touch in alarm and asked: “Do you
realise what they are doing with your campaign?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I later found out that this idea came from the very top,
the party leadership. A dozen people in a room and no-one thought to say: “No we
shouldn’t do that, that’s a bad idea.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It was then that I started to really wonder if I want to be
in a party that could be so contemptuous of its own voters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jevgeni Ossinovski has said that I asked for a ministry
job. This is not true, I don’t think I have had a proper conversation with
Ossinovski, or Indrek Saar, or Sven Mikser, ever! I gave a speech at a conference
once last year. Ossinovski was there also. Ossinovski, me and the organisers
had dinner at a table together. We barely said two words to each other. I didn’t
read anything into it. I just assumed he is an introverted person. So no I
never asked Ossinovski for a job. I never asked for a ministry job, nor would I, for selfish reasons. There is absolutely no job security. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am not a spiteful person. I don’t hold grudges; I am too old
for it. Life is too short. Most of the people in the party are good people. I
am sorry that I upset them. I am sorry I upset my advisor she’s a very nice
lady, but I don’t regret it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By
doing this you are helping to keep Savisaar in power.</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">False,
false and again false. This is just a silly idea and I can prove it. It’s based
on a misunderstanding of how the local government electoral system works. The
theory is, if the law changes and Riigikogu members can also sit in the City
Council, the so-called Kadri Simson gang will come down from the big house and
try to kick out Savisaar. Savisaar is not even the Mayor at the moment, but in
the highly unlike event that the law is passed before the local election, and
the even more unlikely event there is yet another coup attempt; the Social
Democrats could just as easily send Andres Anvelt down from Riigikogu to take
my spot. In the event of a power struggle, I wouldn’t be in the city council. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In any case, I’m sure my handlers don’t mind me saying that
I was offered this job when it first became available months ago, long before
the Simson power grab. I turned it down flat. I am given to understand my
employers were looking at someone else, it didn’t pan out. Then they approached
me again, and this time I was more receptive. Why I changed my mind you will
find out in a minute. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By
associating with the Centre Party you are making them look good. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">True. Obviously
true. The Centre Party wants to perceived as a modern progressive party. As the
only international person in Estonian politics I could help with that. There
are ideological similarities. My opposition to quotas is the same one as the
Centre Party it’s also the same position that Dave Benton has. I have met with
people from all sides of the party, except Savisaar, I have never met Savisaar.
And they all are very keen for me to join the party. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Social Democrats think the Centre Party is like EKRE (The far right Eurosceptic party). “They
are like brothers,” one social democrat said to me, but I can’t imagine EKRE
being so keen for me to join them. It seems unlikely somehow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As for joining the Centre Party, at every meeting I’ve had
one condition which is non-negotiable. I need an assurance there is no Russian
money in the party. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By
associating with the Centre Party you are making Savisaar look good. </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">True
again, he is the party chairman, see above. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Which brings us to the crux of the matter. Why am I doing
it? Why did I change my mind?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nobody in Europe cares one jot about the internal politics
of Estonia! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If I am flying over Europe as an official representative of
the city the only thing decision makers, and the media are going to notice is
that a black man with a Muslim name and an English accent is representing the
whitest country in Europe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A lot of people voted for me
because they wanted Estonia to be seen as modem, cosmopolitan and
tolerant. As a society which is
successful and flexible, all the things Ossinovski waffles on about. If I meet
up with the mayor of London</span><span style="background: white; font-size: 10.6667px; line-height: 11.4133px;">,</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> or the Mayor of Copenhagen, they are going to
notice and remember. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If Estonia wants a positive image,
this is going to help. It’s not a whole solution but it’s going to help. The
fact it’s coming from me, not just coming from an Estonian, is more
persuasive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s more crucial than ever
the Estonia gets good PR because what most people who are not involved in
international journalism are not aware is there is less publicity about Estonia
now than five years ago. There are less reporters writing about Estonia, or
based here. And the publicity that there is, is bad. Estonia is backward,
Estonians are fascist, Estonia is about to be invaded by Russia anyway. It is
part of my job to counter this narrative, I might not be successful but I
should at least try. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But that’s not all. I
had a dialogue with my handlers which persuaded me, it went something like
this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“You do realise you are sending someone with a Muslim name
to Brussels?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
“Why is that a problem?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Brussels was just bombed by terrorists, Muslim
terrorists.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“You’re not a terrorist, are you?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“No”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Then what’s the problem? “<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was born in England. England is a Christian country.
Since my parents settled there in the 1950s they raised me as a Christian. I
went to an Anglican church I was a choirboy in a Christian cathedral. I read
the bible, memorised the Lord Prayer. I had a typical English Anglican
upbringing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But Abdul is a Muslim name and my father was a Muslim. One
of the myths about Islam is they want everyone to convert to Islam, actually a
lot of Muslim, convert to Christianity or allow their children to convert. Most
of the younger members of my family are now Christian and active Christians. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My father could read Arabic letters, and begun to take his
faith more seriously towards the end of his life. He went on pilgrimage to
Mecca. He was never a bad man but he became a better man because of his faith. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Initially when I was approached and offered this job, I
turned it down without hesitation, because “people will say I am working for
Savisaar.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then Paris happened, then Cologne happened, then Brussels
happened. That was the last straw. I was approached again quite soon after this
and this time, I was prepared to listen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For my father’s sake if not for my own I had to do
something to persuade people not all Muslims are bad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Who have I betrayed? How have I betrayed the country? I say not
sticking up for my father’s memory because I am afraid of nasty press would be the
real betrayal. A lot of EKRE minded people are going to hate the fact that a
black man with a Muslim name is representing Tallinn on an international level.
That’s why I should do it. That’s why I have to do it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">People have embraced me so fully that they have forgotten
that I’m not Estonian. And yes, I have divided loyalties. So respect to
Ossinovski, Vakra and Tshkana. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The last thing I’d like to say is this, I have been living
in Estonia for quite a long time now. I don’t embezzle funds, beat up actresses,
or burst into women’s cabin rooms. I don’t gamble, take drugs, drink, smoke, womanise, or
listen to hip-hop. I lease a car but I still get on a bus to go to work or
cycle., I am not interested in high fashion or celebrity culture or ostentatious
displays of wealth. It’s a small country, if I was up to no good, people would
have worked it out by now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have been transparent here about what I’m doing, why I’m
doing it and how much I am earning. Unlike Donald Trump, I have a thick skin so
I don’t need approval but its tax payers’ money so I needed to explain it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When I first came to Estonia everybody hated me “The man
who upsets Estonians,” I was called, then some people liked me… they liked me
so much they put me on the city council, I’m in cycle which I can’t avoid or
change<b>; villain, hero, villain, hero,
villain,</b> <b>pause, big hero</b>. Like
Severus Snape in Harry Potter it’s my destiny and I have to face it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-46316546407641650052014-05-24T10:04:00.000+01:002014-05-24T10:04:50.427+01:00<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ümberpööratult</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Avaldatud 24 Mai 2014</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abdul Turay</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Olen Briti kodanik, kes kandideerib Euroopa Parlamendi valimistel
Eestis. Mõned leiavad, et see on põhimõtteliselt vale nii et
vaatame seda ümberpööratult.
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mis oleks kui eestlane
kandideeriks Suurbritannias? Oleks see märkimisväärne? Kas see
oleks uudistes? Ma arvan, et oleks. Ma tean, et see oleks nii.</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poola pankur Przemek
Skwirczynski, kandideerib kohalikel valimistel Suurbritannia
iseseisvusparteis (UK Independence Party). See lugu on meedias
laialdaselt kajastatud, kuigi ta kandideerib vaid linnavolikokku. Ta
loodab Poola kogukonna toetusele.
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lembik
Öpik on Suurbritannias hästi tuntud poliitik. Tema nime tuntakse
poliitikute seas ilmselt kõige paremini ning ta ei ole isegi hetkel
mitte parlamendis. Suur tuntus on osaliselt seotud tema Eesti
taustaga. Ebatavaline taust ja ebatavaline nimi. Ebatavalisus müüb.
Ta valimisringkond on Walesil. Tema valijad räägivad Walesi keelt,
mitte Inglise keelt. Kahjuks ta kaotas oma asukoht värvikas karakteri tottu.
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Olen
poliitikas olnud vaid lühikest aega ja mõistan skeptilisust aga mis
oleks kui pikaajaline Eesti poliitik, nagu näiteks Siim Kallas,
kandideeriks Suurbritannias Euroopa Parlamendi valimistel?
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kallas
kindlasti teab Suurbritannia Peaministrit David Cameroni. Talle
antaks ilmselt esimese kandidaadi turvaline koht. Tema valimine oleks
garanteeritud. See oleks üle Euroopaline uudis, üle maailmne isegi.
Palju suurem kui mina suudaks saavutada. <br /><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mõelge
sellele. Ühe maa endine Peaminister on nüüd teise maa valitud
Euroopa Parlamendi liige.
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See
oleks rahvusvahelise meedia kõige räägitum uudis.
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma
kujutan ette, et kui Kallas seda teha üritaks, saadaks teda
laialdane kriitikalaine kodumaal. Kuid teisalt oleks see lihtne viis
saada Euroopa Parlamenti. Ma olen päris kindel, et kui mina või
keegi nagu mina on sel korral valimistel edukas siis keegi kusagil
proovib sedasama teha järgmistel valimistel.
</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ETV
debatis 21. mail nõustusid individuaalkandidaadid, et Euroopa
Parlamendi liikme panust ei saa hinnata peetud kõnede arvu järgi
vaid selle järgi kui tuntud ta on Euroopas.</span></div>
<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See
ei peaks nii olema. Kuulsus ei garanteeri kompetentsust. Kuid nii see
hetkel on.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma
usun, et enamus kandidaate on nii kompetentsed kui ka targad, kuid
see ei näi olevat piisav.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Kes
iganes osutub valituks, peab end nähtavaks tegema. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Oleme
hetkel kuristiku serval. Kõik võib lõppeda kohutavalt halvasti.
Eesti võib libiseda vaesusesse tänu lähedusele Venemaaga mis
peletab investorid eemale. See tooks kaasa noorte lakumise parematele
jahimaadele. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Hetkel
vajame õiget inimest, kes viiks Eesti sõnumi Euroopasse. Eesti on
väike riik ja see on oluline maa. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">“</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="et-EE">Keda
eurooplased meie kandidaatidest märkaksid?” </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Mõtle
sellele enne kui annad pühapäeval oma hääle! </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-42919453559610818322014-05-08T11:52:00.003+01:002014-05-24T09:19:06.522+01:00Delfi Answers <div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/delfi-kusimusi.html" target="_blank">Vastused Eesti Keeles </a></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1.
Why should voters vote for you?</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> The
most important reason people should vote for me is to guarantee
Estonia's security.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Estonia
needs friends. Military security must come from NATO, from the USA,
my country the UK and even from France. The EU is weak on this.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Since
I am from the West, there will be a lot of media interest in me. I am
already in the international media, the BBC, Al Jazeera, the
Economist. If I am elected, I will able to galvanise the media and
the general public in the rest of Europe and the World especially the
Anglosphere to take an interest in what is happening in Estonia, to
support Estonia, and to defend it in a way that other candidates
can't.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Eventually
the issue will move beyond me as an unusual politician, and to the
bigger issue of European integration and the European dream.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2.
Name theme(s) which you plan to be active in the European Parliament
and the reason for this choice.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
theme that concerns me most is a decent living salary for everybody.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
don't just mean the many women who are in low paid jobs, I also want
to stick up for the 40 per cent of men who are struggling to get by.
It is difficult for men to admit when they are not are successful as
they would like to be, or when they are not rewarded for doing
difficult jobs, or when they can't find a job.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
have been in this situation myself so I know how it feels. I am
teacher, so I am an ordinary person. My concern is police officers,
prison officers, fireman, teachers, nurses all these people who
struggle to get by.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
need to raise the minimum wage across Europe because it will have a
domino effect raising wages across the board and we need to
strengthen ties with Trade Unions in other European countries,
because employers will pay low wages if they can get away with it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
will fight against big corporations trying to use EU rules to get
round national laws. The Trans-Atlantic Trade Investment Protocol, in
its current form, is an example of this. If what is been suggested at
the moment goes through, big American corporation will be able to sue
entire countries for lost profits. Estonia and other European
countries should have a veto on whether they will allow regulation
that apply in the US to automatically apply in Estonia.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
will fight to make sure that Europe grants money is not spent on
fly-by-night foreign businesses coming from outside Estonia who
won't stay in the country anyway. Money should be spent on local
people and local communities.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But
much of my work will be outside of the European Parliament. I will
use my position in the international media to spread the message
that Estonia is a great country with a great future. A good place to
invest, raise a family, study or even retire.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3.
Which subject or area is the European Union dealing with now which in
your opinion it shouldn't actually be concerned with.</b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
think the whole furore over same sex marriage is a giant red herring.
There are more important things to worry about, at both a national
level and international level.</span></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. Would
you as a Member of the European Parliament support a proposal to
freeze temporarily CO2 quotas emissions or raise the value of quota?
How would you vote is such a plan would raise electricity prices in
Estonia?</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Look,
if bills go down in Estonia this is always a good outcome. We should
think about ordinary people what they can afford to spend. A lot of
old people suffer because of high energy bills.</span></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. The
situation in Ukraine has shown that the European Union can't
influence relationships with Russia by applying sanctions. In what
way must the European Union deal with Russia.</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As
I wrote above it is quite clear that in terms of defence, Estonia
should look to NATO and the Anglosphere countries not to Europe.
Europe lacks strong leadership, that is its central problem. In the
long run I truly believe leadership can come from my own
country, Britain, but first there has to be a sea change in the way
British people view Europe, That is a difficult task, it will take at
least a decade.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On the question of sanctions it is too early to say that sanctions won't be effective. Sanctions are a slow cure not a quick
fix.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
don't thing Russian troops are going to march into Narva, but there
is a real danger. That danger is the rest of Europe, and the World, will come to view the entire region as unstable. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Estonia will lose
investment and ultimately people and slowly and surely come under
Russian influence.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It
will be my task to try to stop this from happening by sending out a
positive message about Estonia.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. Please
forecast how the six places in the European Parliament will be
divided between the parties and the solo candidates.</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
don't want to make any predictions.<br /> </span></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-83417223371987009512014-05-08T11:28:00.001+01:002014-05-08T12:13:12.311+01:00Delfi Kusimused<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/delfi-answers.html" target="_blank">Answers in English</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Miks valija just teie poolt peaks hääletama? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Olulisim, miks inimesed minu poolt peaks hääletama, on garanteerida Eesti turvalisus. Eesti vajab sõpru. Sõjaline kaitse peab tulema NATOlt, USAlt ja minu sünnimaalt Suurbritanniast ning isegi Prantsusmaalt. EL on selles osas nõrk.
Kuna olen läänest pärit, tekitab see meedia huvi minu vastu. Välismeedia juba kajastab minu lugu – BBC, Al Jazeera, The Economist. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kui ma osutun valituks, avaneb mul võimalus meediat ära kasutades tekitada huvi Eesti vastu Euroopas ja kogu maailmas, eriti just inglisekeelsetes riikides. See toob Eestile toetuse ja kaitse moel, mida ükski teine kanditaat ei ole suuteline tagama.
Lõpuks huvi minu kui tavapoliitiku vastu hääbub ning olulisemaks saab küsimus Euroopa integratsioonist ning Euroopa unistusest. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> 2. Nimetage teema(d), millega Euroopa Parlamendis tegeleda kavatsete ja põhjendage valikut. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teema, mis mind kõige rohkem muretsema paneb on inimväärne sissetulek kõigile.
Ma ei pea silmas mitte ainult neid paljusid naisi, kes teevad vähetasustatud tööd, vaid ka 40% raskustes olevaid mehi. Meestel on raske endale tunnistada, et nad ei ole nii edukad kui sooviksid olla, või kui ei hinnata nende rasket tööd või olukorda, kui nad ei leia tööd.
Olen selles olukorras ise olnud ja tean mida see tähendab. Olen õpetaja, tavaline inimene.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mulle teevad muret politseinikud, vangivalvurid, tuletõrjujad, õpetajad ja õed – kõik need inimesed, kes näevad kurja vaeva toime tulemisega.
Meil on vaja tõsta miinimumpalka kogu Euroopas, sest see vallandab doominoefekti, tõstes palku igal pool. Meil on vaja tugevdada sidemeid ametiühingutega teistes Euroopa maades, sest tööandjad maksavad madalaid palku nii kaua kuni nad seda teha saavad.
Ma astun vastu suurfirmadele, kes kasutavad ära ELi eeskirju, et hiilida kõrvale riigis kehtivatest seadustest. Atlandiülene kaubandus- ja investeerimispartnerluse protokoll on üks näide sellest. Kui praegu välja pakutu peaks läbi minema, võivad suured Ameerika korporatsioonid kaevata kohtusse terved riigid kaotatud kasumi pärast. Eestis ja teistes Euroopa riikides peaks olema vetoõigus, kas nad lubavad määrusi, mis kehtivad USAs, automaatselt rakendada.
Ma võitlen selle eest, et Euroopa tagaks, et raha ei kulutataks üheööliblikatest välisfirmadele, kellel ei ole plaani jääda Eestisse. Raha peab kuluma kohalike inimeste peale, kohalike kogukondadele.
Suur osa minu tööst kulub ka Europarlamendi välistele asjadele. Ma kasutan ära oma positsiooni välismeedias ning levitan sõnumit Eestist kui suurepärasest maast helge tulevikuga. Heast kohast investeeringuteks, laste kasvatamiseks, õppimiseks ning miks mitte ka pensionipõlve veetmiseks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>3. Mis on need teemad või valdkonnad, millega Euroopa Liit praegu küll tegeleb, aga teie hinnangul ei peaks tegelema?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ma arvan, et kogu furoor samasooliste abielu üle on hiiglaslik ülepaisutatud teema. On palju olulisemaid asju, mille pärast muretseda nii rahvuslikul- kui ka rahvusvahelisel tasandil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> 4. Kas oleksite Euroopa Parlamendi liikmena toetanud ettepanekut külmutada ajutiselt CO2 kvootide enampakkumised, et kvoodi hind kasvaks? Kuidas hääletaksite siis, kui säärane plaan kergitaks Eesti elanike jaoks elektri hinda?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Kuulge, kui arved Eestis alanevad, on see alati hea tulemus. Me peaksime mõtlema sellele, kui palju tavainimesed on suutelised endale lubama. Paljud vanurid ägavad suurte elektriarvete all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> 5. Olukord Ukrainas on näidanud, et Euroopa Liit ei suuda Venemaa suhtes mõjusaid sanktsioone rakendada. Kuidas peaks Euroopa Liit Venemaa suunal tegutsema? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Nagu ma eelnevalt kirjutasin, on selge, et Eesti peab kaitseküsimustes vaatama NATO ja inglise mõjutustega riikide poole, mitte Euroopa suunas. Euroopas puudub tugev juhtimine. Pikemas perspektiivis ma tõsiselt usun, et juhtimine saab tulla minu enda maalt, Suurbritanniast. Kuid esiteks peavad Britid tugevalt muutma oma vaadet Euroopale. See on raske ülesanne, mis kestab vähemalt aastakümne.
Sanktsioonide küsimuse koha pealt on liiga vara öelda, et need pole efektiivsed. Sanktsioonid on aeglase toimega, mitte kiire parandus. Ma ei usu, et Vene väed marsivad Narva sisse, kuid oht on reaalne.
See oht seisneb selles, et Euroopa ning kogu ülejäänud maailm hakkab seda regiooni pidama ebastabiilseks. Eesti kaotab investeeringud ning lõpuks, aeglaselt kuid kindlameelselt, satuvad inimesed Vene mõjusfääri. Saab minu ülesandeks proovida vältida selle stsenaariumi tõeks saamist, saates välja positiivseid sõnumeid Eestist.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> 6. Palun ennustage, kuidas jagunevad erakondade kandidaadid ning üksikkandidaadid Eesti kuue koha vahel Euroopa Parlamendis. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ma ei taha teha mingeid ennustusi.</span>A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-40069789491011483092014-05-07T21:44:00.003+01:002014-05-07T23:27:11.406+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Debate on 10 May in Tartu</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marju Lauristin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abdul Turay</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marianne Mikko</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toomas Alatalu</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your Host is Mihkel Raud </span></div>
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-31355500075895373612014-05-01T22:29:00.003+01:002014-05-01T22:32:06.381+01:00<div align="LEFT" style="border: none; line-height: 0.58cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; line-height: 30px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">USA saadik: “Ma tõesti tahtsin hipi olla”</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="border: none; line-height: 0.58cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 30px;">Eesti Ekspress 13 märts </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kui
Venemaa näitab jälle muskleid, on paras aeg uurida, mis mees on USA
suursaadik Eestis ja millised jõud on tema isikut vorminud.<span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eesti
jaoks on hea uudis, et 59aastasele, kuid poisilikule USA
suursaadikule Jeff Levine’ile “tõesti, tõesti meeldib Eesti”.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halb
uudis militaristidest eestlaste jaoks on, et Levine pole sõdalane.
Südames on ta hipi, armastuse ja rahu inimene, “make love not
war”- ja “väed Vietnamist välja”-mees.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Olen
pisut liiga noor, et olla hipi, aga ma tõesti tahtsin hipi olla,”
täpsustab Levine. “1970. aastal olin 15aastane. Punkarit minust ka
enam ei saanud. Hipiliikumine oli viimane, mille ma omaks võtsin.”</span></div>
<div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
on väga meeldiv, avatud ja aus. Intervjuu kestel ei kao naeratus
tema huulilt. Temaga rääkides tekib selge pilt, milline ta 1975.
aastal võis olla – üsna samasugune nagu praegu, kuigi tal olid
ilmselt pikemad juuksed ja võib-olla ka habe.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
on üks neist inimestest, kes justkui ei vananegi. Tema väärtused
ja maailmapilt pole muutunud, ta on optimistlik ja pakatab energiast
ning tal on põhjalikud teadmised tänapäeva popkultuurist.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Esimese
põlve ameeriklane</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ilmselt
on tähtsam see, et me meeldime USA suursaadikule ja diplomaatilisele
korpusele üldisemalt. Selle sõnumi edastavad nad ka kodumaale. Just
sellised mitteametlikud emotsionaalsed kontaktid tsementeerivad
tugevaid liite.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Et
mõista, miks Levine’ile “tõesti, tõesti meeldib Eesti”,
tuleb vaadata tema tausta ja karjääri.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Esiteks,
tema etniline taust. Levine kirjeldab end kui esimese põlve
ameeriklast. Tehniliselt on ta teise põlve ameeriklane, sest tema
ema põgenes USAsse enne sõda Ungarist. Isa on samuti hiljutine
immigrant Leedu-Valgevene piirkonnast. Levine jätab täpsustamata,
millal see pool tema perest Ameerikasse jõudis. Ema sugulased, kes
põgeneda ei jõudnud, langesid natside ohvriks. Levine kasvas üles
jidiši- ja ungarikeelses keskkonnas. Tüüpilise teise põlve
ameeriklasena on ta võitlev patrioot ning kippus lapsepõlves ja
noorukieas oma juuri eitama.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Tahtsin
assimileeruda nii palju kui võimalik ja muutuda täielikult
ameeriklaseks. Isa poolt oli mul selles osas väga vähe mõju. Mul
polnud endal [juurte vastu] huvi, kuni välisministeeriumis töötades
tekkis ühel päeval võimalus Ungarisse tööle minna,” ütleb ta.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nagu
enamik teise põlve ameeriklastest tunneb temagi kaasa
rahvusvähemustele ja toetab rahvuslikku mitmekesisust – see
peegeldab ta enda tausta.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
sündis New Jerseys, kuid kasvas üles San Franciscos 60ndatel ja
70ndatel, mil see muutus vastandkultuuri keskuseks. Ta mäletab oma
esimest armastuse suve.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Seal
üles kasvades ma ei mõistnud, kui erilise kohaga on tegu: ülimalt
kaunis, tolerantne ja loominguline. Alles sealt lahkudes sain aru, et
ülejäänud maailm ja USA ei ole täpselt samasugune,” ütleb
Levine.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Kui
vaadata, kus said alguse hipide, naisõiguslaste, geide liikumised,
siis need algasid või muutusid tugevaks just selles piirkonnas. Kõik
sõltub sellest, kui tolerantsed ja avatud meelega on inimesed. See
tõmbas ja tõmbab ligi tohutult ajupotentsiaali. See on
tehnikatööstuse keskus. Käin seal ikka veel igal aastal.”</span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Peruu
plahvatused ja Lahesõda</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arvatakse,
et diplomaadid elavad mugavat ja mõnusat elu, naudivad luksust,
söövad kallites kohtades ning kohtuvad kuulsate ja ilusate
inimestega. Kõik tahavad neile meeldida.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
töötas 1980. aastail Peruus, kui Sendero Luminoso maoistlikud
fanaatikud üritasid iga hinna eest teda ja kõiki ülejäänud
kodanlasi õhku lasta.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ükskord
toimusid plahvatused kohas, kus ma nädal aega varem naisega olin
käinud, viiel päeval järjest. Pärast kaht aastat sellises
keskkonnas sa väsid. Olin rahul, et sain sealt tulema.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Esimese
Lahesõja ajal oli ta Egiptuses, kus valitses “pingeline olukord”.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tema
viimatine lähetuspaik oli Ungari. Peresidemete tõttu oli ta
meelsasti valmis sinna minema, kuid pidi ka pettuma.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ungarlased
on kulutanud palju aega minevikku vaatamisele, sest nad kaotasid sõja
lõpus tüki oma riigist,” ütleb Levine. “Nad pole päriselt
leppinud oma sõjaaegse tegevusega ja arusaamatul põhjusel pole ka
suutnud üles ehitada tugevaid demokraatlikke institutsioone ega
kehtestada head valitsemistava. Eestlased on üleminekuga palju
edukamad, raiskamata liiga palju aega tagasivaatamisele.”</span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Eesti
on väga lahe koht elamiseks</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Niisiis
on Eesti Levine’i jaoks meeldiv töökoht. Seda ihkavad kõik
diplomaadid. Riik, kus on lihtne hakkama saada. Riik, mis on sarnane
tema kodumaaga. Tagatipuks pole siin ka tapmisohtu.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Kultuuri
mõttes on Eesti nendest riikidest, kus ma töötanud olen, kõige
sarnasem USAga. Seda toetab inglise keele tase. See on väga lahe
koht elamiseks.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine’ile
avaldab erilist muljet Eesti IT-kogukond. “Paljud eestlased
veedavad rohkem aega Californias kui mina.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eesti
pole nii multikultuurne kui California, kuid Levine’i sõnul on ta
siin kohanud vähem antisemiitlust.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
on just seda tüüpi inimene, kellel tekivad inimeste ja kohtadega
tugevad, elukestvad sidemed. See ei kehti sugugi kõigi diplomaatide
kohta, nii nagu see ei kehti kõigi tavainimeste kohta.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Paljud
välisteenistuse töötajad ei saa 20 või 30 aasta pärast enam aru,
kus või mis on nende kodu,” selgitab Levine. “Mu keskkooliaegne
parim sõber on endiselt mu parim sõber ja ta on ka Sacramento Bee
arvamuskülje toimetaja. Mu sõbrad välisteenistusest on
tõenäoliselt üle maailma ja üle USA laiali.”</span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pole
oma väljendustes vaba</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
ei kavatsenud diplomaadiks saada. “</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Läksin kolledžisse selge
tulevikuplaanita, nagu paljud inimesed. Õppisin humanitaaraineid.
Õppejõud ütlesid, et olen päris hea kirjutaja ja seetõttu
sattusingi ajakirjandusse.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
oli päevalehe USA Today üks esimesi ajakirjanikke.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Tagasi
vaadates on see hea kogemus, kuid tegelikult oli seal õudne töötada.
Avastasin, et mulle ei meeldi halvad uudised. Kuid selleks, et
meedias läbi lüüa, peavad halvad uudised sulle meeldima, nad
peavad sind ümbritsema ja sind innustama. See polnud minu jaoks.
Paari aasta pärast tahtsin juba midagi muud teha ja kui tekkis
võimalus astuda välisteenistusse, oligi aeg küps,” räägib
Levine avameelselt ajakirjanduse probleemidest</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine’i
kultuuritarbimine peegeldab tema kasvatust.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Esimene
plaat, mille ma ostsin, oli Janis Joplin, siis tulid Big Brother and
the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Jesse
Cohen Young.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nüüd
kuulab ta ka folk- ja indirokki: The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons,
Islandi bänd Of Monsters and Men ja eestimaine Ewert and Two
Dragons.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ta
loeb moodsat ameerika kirjandust, mainides näiteks Jennifer Egani
mittelineaarse narratiiviga rock-and-roll-romaani “A Visit from the
Goon Squad”, ja samuti kriminulle.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Endast
rääkides on Levine väga siiras. Ilmselgelt on ta teinud
välisteenistuses suurepärast karjääri, kuid möönab, et on
pidanud seetõttu paljustki loobuma.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Olen
enamiku oma täiskasvanupõlvest tundnud, et ma pole oma väljendustes
vaba või pole saanud oma seisukohti välja öelda. Seda ei saa teha
püstolreporter ja seda ei saa teha ka diplomaat,” tunnistab ta.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Saan
aru, kuidas Facebookis paistab välja isegi see, kui ma midagi
“laigin”, ja kuidas see võib vale mulje jätta. Isegi siis, kui
ütlen, et teen seda eraisikuna, olen Eestis ikkagi ju suursaadikuna.
On vähe asju, mida saan eraisikuna teha.”</span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></strong>
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Ukraina kriisist: “See on kohutav!”</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kui
tõsiseks ohuks peate Venemaad Eestile?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ukraina
situatsiooni valguses on käsitlus muutumas. Aga me ei näe seda
ohuna, mis nõuaks täiendavat reaktsiooni lisaks NATO poolt
garanteeritule.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mõned
ütleksid, et Ukrainas on teistmoodi. Vene rahvas sai alguse
Ukrainas. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mida arvate?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Üks
valdkondadest, kus oleme Venemaaga filosoofiliselt eriarvamustel, on
mõttekäik, et Venemaa võib omada mõjusfääri. Et Venemaa peaks
tohtima dikteerida, millised julgeolekugarantiid ja milliseid
poliitilised suhted neil võivad olla. Meie arvame, et 21. sajandil
on igal rahval õigus endal otsustada, kellega liidus olla, ning see
kehtib ka Ukraina kohta.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mida
arvate Putini tegevusest Krimmis?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See
on kohutav. Minu arvates on venelased tunginud teise riiki sisse.
Keegi ei tea täpselt, kuidas see laheneb, kas nende eesmärgiks on
territoorium või kaos Ukrainas, kuid 21. sajandil peab olema
paremaid mooduseid. Venemaa peab aru saama, et ta ei saa dikteerida
oma naabritele, mida need peavad tegema, ei saa kasutada ära fakti,
et teistes riikides on vene vähemusi.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iga
kord, kui Venemaa hakkab muskleid näitama, muutuvad inimesed
närviliseks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ka Eestis on väga suur venekeelne vähemus. Mida te
veel saate eestlastele kinnitada, peale selle, et USA kaitseb oma
liitlasi?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma
ei usu, et saaksin öelda midagi, mida pole veel öeldud. Eesti on
NATO liige ja alliansi vundamendiks on artikkel 5, mis ütleb, et kui
üht liiget rünnatakse, tulevad teised talle appi.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">USA
võtab seda kohustust väga tõsiselt, eriti Eesti puhul, kes on
olnud meie väga hea liitlane, panustades nii palju NATO
julgeolekusse.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kõike,
mida Eesti on teinud, hinnatakse, ja meie pühendumine artikkel 5-le
on kindel. Mõistame, et saame vajadusel olla siin suurte jõududega
ja jõuame siia kiiresti. Venemaa peaks seda mõistma. Kohustuse
olemasolu iseenesest peaks ära hoidma selle elluviimise, kuid see on
reaalne.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kas
USA väed võiks paigutada Venemaa piiri äärde?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma
ei näe stsenaariumi, mille puhul see oleks lahendus. Urmas Reinsalu
tõstatas selle küsimuse ja me hindame Eesti soovi.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kõigil
oleks hea meel, kui uksel seisaks sõbralik valvur, kuid arvestades
ohu tegelikku tõenäosust ja vajalikke ressursse, ei näe ma, et see
võiks niisama juhtuda.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sõjaline
sekkumine pole siis päevakorral?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See
ei tundu praegu tõenäoline. Ma ei saa kindlalt öelda, et seda ei
juhtu, kuid praegu on fookuses diplomaatilised jõupingutused. Ma
pole näinud midagi, mis viitaks sellele, et me kaaluks sõjalist
sekkumist.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On
see liialdus, kui Eesti meedias räägitakse kolmandast
maailmasõjast?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma
ei näe seda juhtumas, ükskõik kummalt poolt vaadata.</span></div>
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-48595833783060099362014-05-01T22:07:00.003+01:002014-05-01T22:07:56.597+01:00<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really wanted to be a
hippy</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interview with the US
Ambassador Jeffrey Levine.</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published Eesti Ekpress
13 March</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most people believe that
for security, Estonia must always look to the United States, not to
Europe.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With Russia flexing its
muscles again, now would be a good time to look at the U.S.
Ambassador, to find out what kind of person he is, and what forces
have shaped him.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good news, for
Estonia, is that Jeff Levine, the boyish, 59 year old US
representative, to paraphrase Sally Field's Oscar infamous acceptance
speech; " really, really, likes Estonia.""</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bad news, for hawkish
Estonians, is Levine is not a warrior, at heart he is a hippy. Love
and peace, man, make love not war, troops out of Vietnam, all of
that.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I
am a bit too young to be a hippy, but I really wanted to be,"
Levine clarifies.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I
was 15 in 1970, I was never a punk. Hippy was the last movement I
really embraced," he said.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
is a very amiable, open and honest. Through the whole interview he
never stops smiling. Talking to him you get a clear sense of what he
must have been like in 1975, pretty much like he is now, though he
probably had longer hair and maybe a beard.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is
one of those people who doesn't appear to get old. His values and
world view haven't changed. He is optimistic and energetic, and he
has a sophisticated knowledge of contemporary pop culture.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
interview also contained a surprising twist, .... but we will come to
that at the end.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First
we discussed about the pressing issue of the day. (See side bar) What
he says is pretty much party line. As you would expect him to say.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is
important the U.S ambassador, and the diplomat corp in general,
should like us, and give us the thumbs up to the folk back home, it
is these unwritten emotional bonds which are the real glue to strong
alliances.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To
understand why Levine “really really likes Estonia” you have to
look at his background and his career.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">Firstly
there is his ethnic background. Levine described himself as 1</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">st
</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">generation
American. Technically he is 2</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">nd</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">
generation, that is to say his mother fled Hungary before the war and
became an American. His father's side is also of recent immigrant
from the Lithuanian, Belarus, area. Levine is a little hazy about
when this side of the family came to America . Those of his mother's
family who didn't escape were killed by the Nazis. He grew up hearing
Yiddish and Hungarian but as was typical of 2</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">nd</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">
generations he is fiercely patriotic, and tended to reject his roots
as a child and adolescence </span>
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The
focus was to assimilate as much as possible and become full American.
On my father's side very little ethnic influence,” he said.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"(There
was) no interest of my own, until I was in the State Department and
at one point the opportunity to be the state officer for Hungary came
up."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like
most 2nd Generationers, he is also very sympathetic to ethnic
minorities and diversity, because this reflects his own background.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">The
same forces that shaped Liz Wahl, </span><span lang="en-GB"><i>The
Russia Today</i></span><span lang="en-GB">
news anchor, who resigned in a live broadcast last week, also shaped
Levine. Wahl is also a 2</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">nd</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">
generationer of Hungarian descent. </span>
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then
there is the place he calls home.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
was born in New Jersey, but he grew up in San Francisco in the 60s
and 70s when it became the epicentre of the counter-centre movement.
He remembers the first summer of love. It is interesting to listen to
him talk about it. Even when he is talking ad hoc it is like a
speech; beautiful parallel structures.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Growing
up there you don't realise what a unique area it is until you leave.
Uniquely beautiful, uniquely tolerant and uniquely creative and all
of that. You have got to leave to recognise that the rest of World
and the rest of the United States is not exactly like that."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"If
you look at where the Hippy movement, the women's movement and gay
liberation movement started, all the social movements started in this
area or really took hold in that area."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It
has a lot to do with how tolerant and open-minded the people are, it
attracts and is attracting tremendous brain wealth. It is the centre
of the tech industry. I still get back there every year."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It
is where I want to end up it is, where I have always known I will end
up."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally
there is his career in the State Department. People assume being a
diplomat is an comfortable and easy life. Diplomats get to live in
luxury, eat well, meet famous and beautiful people. Everybody courts
their favour.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
was Peru in the 80s when Maoist fanatics the Shining Path tried their
damnedest to blow him and all members of the bourgeoisie to
smithereens.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"One
week, places were my wife and I had been a week earlier were blown up
five nights in a row. <br /><br />"After two years of living in that
kind of environment it does get to you. I was pleased to be leaving,"
Levine said.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then
he was in Egypt in the first Gulf war.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It
was a tense environment to be there."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine,
last assignment was Hungary. He was keen to serve because of his
family background but there were frustrations.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The
Hungarian have had a much more difficult transition, they have spent
much more time looking backwards to the territory that they lost at
the end of the First World War.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"They
have not done a very good job in coming to terms with their
activities in the Second World War and for whatever reason, they
haven't been able to move to strong democratic institutions and good
governance."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">"The
Estonians have been far more successful in their transition and </span><span lang="en-GB">not
spent too much time looking backwards."</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So
for Levine, Estonia is the cushy number all diplomats look forward
to, finally. A country similar to his own in terms of get up and go,
language, and institutions. Plus there are no chance of being blown
up.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"In
terms of culture it is the closest to the United States in any
country I have served in and certainly the level of English adds to
that. It's a very easy place to live."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
is particularly impressed with the IT community here.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"There
are a lot of Estonians, who spend more time in California than I do
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He
plans to stay in touch with the tech people when he leaves the
region.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"They
are such a fascinating bunch and they are doing so much."</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonia
is not as diverse as California, but Levine says he has encountered
less anti-Semitism in Estonia than in any other assignment, he also
says something else very interesting, but more of that when we come
to the twist.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
is the type of person who forms strong life long emotional ties with
people and places. This is not true of all diplomats, as it is not
true of all people.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">"At</span><span lang="en-GB"><b>
</b></span><span lang="en-GB">lot
of people, in the foreign service after 20 or 30 years really don't
have that sense of home any more," he said.</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />"My
best friend in high school is still my best friend and he is actually
the editorial page editor for the Sacramento Bee.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />“My
foreign service friends are likely all over the world and all over
the United States."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine
didn't plan to be a diplomat. His background was in journalism, he
didn't plan that either.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I
went into college like at lot of people not quite sure what I was
doing.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />"I
was taking a lot of humanities courses, professors commented I was a
pretty decent writer that sort of moved me into journalism as a
profession."
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He
was on the founding staff of USA Today.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Looking back I
enjoyed the experience but it really was a terrible place to work. So
at the end of two years I was really interested doing something else,
so when the opportunity came up to join the foreign service came at
the right time.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span><span lang="en-GB">Levin
talks candidly about the flaws in the media. </span>
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I
came to discover about myself that I really don't like bad news and
to be highly successful in the media you got to like bad news and be
surrounded by in and intrigued by it. It just wasn't me."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine's
cultural tastes reflect his upbringing. Mostly he likes rock music.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The
first album I ever bought was Janis Joplin, Big Brother and the holy
company, Jefferson Airplane was there. The Grateful Dead, Jesse Cohen
Young."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now
he listens to folk and indie rock bands, The Lumineers, Mumford and
Son, Icelandic band, Of Monsters and Men and our own, Ewert and Two
Dragons.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He
reads modern American fiction. He mentions "A visit from the
goon squad" by Jennifer Egan, a rock and roll book with a
non-linear narrative, and mystery novels.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
he is talking about himself, Levin is most candid. Clearly he has had
a great career in the foreign service but he admits it has come at a
price. <br /><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I
felt that for most of my adult life I haven't been free to express
myself or express my own opinions.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />“Because
you don't get to do it as a street reporter and you don't get to do
it as a diplomat.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />"Even
now I am aware of what it would look like on even if I like something
on Facebook. I am aware of what it could look like if it were skewed,
I am still in Estonia as an ambassador, there is very little I can do
in a personal capacity.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"After
I have done all this, the ability to speak freely and the ability to
comment is something I am looking forward to."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is
at this point the interview took its surprising twist. As a former
journalist it turns out the ambassador was just as interested in me
as I was in him.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suddenly
I was the one being interviewed. Some of what we discussed I can't
write, let's just say he was interested in all sides of the arguments
about Ukraine.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He
asked me about how and why I came to Estonia, if I liked it, about my
election to Volikogu and about my candidacy for the European
Parliament. The US ambassador seemed genuinely excited about the
prospect of an visibly different, ex-pat, representing Estonia at an
international level.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It
was great to see you here and it was great to see you wanting to be
involved, it was great to see you being elected," he said.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“<span lang="en-GB">I
was really pleased, it is a testament to the Estonians.”</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />"There
is not a lot of diversity here compared to the rest of the World. It
would be great to have Estonia as a cosmopolitan city that attracted
people from all over the World."</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Side Bar</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The party line </b>
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On America commitment
to Estonia.</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span lang="en-GB"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How big a threat
do you consider Russia to Estonia?</span></b></span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perception
are changing with the situation in the Ukraine. We don't see it as
the kind of threat that needs addition reaction other than what is
guaranteed by NATO.(ed note Since this interview the US has sent
troops to Estonia as have other NATO nations)
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people would said
Ukraine is a different case. The Russian nation was founded in
Ukraine. What do you think?</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">One
of the areas of disagreement that we have had with Russia
philosophically is this idea that Russia should be allowed to have a
sphere of influence. The Russia should be allowed to dictate what
kind of security relations they can have, what kind of political
relationship they can have. And our position has been that in the
21</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">st</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">
century every nation has the right to decide its alliances and this</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">
</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">applies
in the Ukraine as well.</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think of
Putin's actions in the Crimea?</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">(They
are) awful. I think the Russians have invaded another country. Nobody
knows exactly how it will be play out, whether they are after
territory, after chaos in the Ukraine, but the 21</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">st</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">
Century there have to be better ways. And Russia has to understand
that it can't dictate to its neighbours and can't use the fact that
there are Russian communities in these countries. </span>
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever Russia starts
to flex it muscles people start getting nervous because of the
history of the region and because Estonia has a very large
Russian-speaking minority. What assurances can you give, beyond what
has already been said that America is standing behind its ally?</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
don't think there is anything that I can say that hasn't been said
already.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonia
is a NATO ally and the bedrock of the alliance is Article 5 which
says that if one country is attacked all the other countries will
come to its aid.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
America takes this commitment very seriously, especially with a
country like Estonia that has been such a good ally, has done so much
to contribute to the security of the alliance. Everything they have
done is appreciated and our commitment to Article 5 is solid, we
understand we have the capability to be here large, and be here,
fast.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Russia's
understanding of this commitment should prevent it from ever becoming
a necessity but it is very real.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How about placing U.S.
Troops at the border?</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
don't see a scenario where that would be a solution. (Urmas) Reinsalu
raised the issue, we appreciate Estonia's desire to have a U.S.
Security presence. Everybody would like a friendly guard at their
front door, but given the real threat, plus national resources I
can't see it happening in any routine sense.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Military intervention
is off the table then?</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is
currently nothing that looks very attractive. I can't say concretely
that it can't happen. But right now the focus is on diplomatic
efforts. I haven't seen anything that say we are considering military
action.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when some people in
the Estonian press start talking about World War III that is an
exaggeration?</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
don't see it on the cards, on either side.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>On the Snowden
revelations that America spied on its allies. </b>
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>How can America rebuild
trust with Europe after spying on them? </b>
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snowden
definitely been problematic. President Obama has been so committed to
a transparent style of government. Our response for years was we
don't comment on intelligence matters and this really changed that
dynamic and changes the conversation.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So
the President was willing to speak. Just because we are bigger at it
or better at it doesn’t change the dynamic, “let's talk about
it”, but it is not a public discussion. He has not said we will not
use our intelligence assets. We are not going to say that we are
going to stop doing, but he did say just because we can do it does it
mean we should do it.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
are sharing those changes with the people who need to know. We do
understand that this was unsettling to the European public, the
American public and national leaders. This generated a discussion
everywhere. But there is no evidence, because non exists, that any
part of this intelligence was used in an oppressive way. It was
really being done in an intelligence sense. It was never done for
economic benefit, or industrial espionage.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
was done because the intelligence did offer protection especially in
the counter terrorism world. That there was a security benefit to the
United States.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many
other countries have this capability and none of those countries has
stepped forward and said we are not going to do it either.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing to spy on
enemies, another friend?</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Certainly
where it has been most problematic,</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So no reassurance to
European allies?</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a
general sense, No. More of an attempt to explain how and what was
being done.</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the Trans Atlantic
Trade and Investment Protocol (T-TIP)which the United States is
currently driving for.</span></b></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Some people say T-TIP
is nothing to do with trade, is about U.S. companies being able to
sue national government for lost profits. </b>
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
T-TIP is trying to deal with the two large bureaucratic systems, at
the core of that is coming to agreement of common standards, we will
either harmonise what we require of industry or accept each other
certification.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">It
</span><span lang="en-GB">says “if is cleared in America we
will accept it is Europe, it is cleared in Europe we will accept it
in America.” That is hard to do. I don't think it a attempt to take
advantage of the other system.</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><b>So is not about
forcing GM foods on countries that don't want them?</b></span><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NO. T-TIP is no directed
at any one industry or one product, it is just a way to make trade
easier.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-16149840590082585092014-05-01T21:52:00.001+01:002014-05-08T12:26:33.549+01:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social Democrats are solid as a rock</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published<a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/2699572/abdul-turay-sotsid-on-kindlad-kui-kalju" target="_blank"> Postimees</a> 17 February 2014</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I raised the issue of Russian
language education to a young man I know, he took his glasses off,
paused for a second, then he started to rant. He was talking so fast
in English I couldn't take it all in.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“If
Russians want to live in Estonia they should learn our language and
there could be no compromise”<b> </b>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was the gist of what he said. I
haven't heard anybody shout like that about politics since the 1990s.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Education funding has been in the news
a lot lately. But of the three issues, the mergers of schools, the
drying up for funding to private schools, and funding to the Russian
language Vene Lyceum, it is clearly the third that causes most
passion.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it was that the deputy mayor
responsible for education, Mihhail Kõlvart, faced a vote of no
confidence in the City council last week.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was always going to win. The Centre
party have an absolute majority, and what they say, goes.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The attempt to impeach him was led by
the two right-wing parties IRL and Reform Party. Whereas they seemed
firm in their resolve to fight corruption and stand up for Estonian
culture and language, my party, the Social Democrats,<span style="color: black;">
said one thing one day, and then another a few days later.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a week before the vote the Social
Democrats announced they were not going to join the vote of no
confidence.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Within days Riigikogu member, and head
of the Tallinn party, Rainer Vakra announced that he was sure that
the majority of the faction would support the vote. Then the faction
announced that it was for the Russian Lyceum, but against Kõlvart
himself.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">It
seemed like we were floating in the wind. </span>Well
it didn't go down that.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me tell you what really happened.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I sit in Tallinn city council, two
weeks ago we met up with Kõlvart. At that meeting he said decisions
on education were political and he would have done things
differently. He denied all responsibility for bad actions, but he was
careful not to mention the mayor, Edgar Savisaar. The fact this
meeting took place and what was said is no secret.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kõlvart then announced a couple of
days later to the press, that education was his remit and he, not
Savisaar, was responsible for everything. This much you may know.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's what you don't know, two days
before the vote, the party met with Kõlvart again.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time it was not just the city
council faction, or the party leadership, the entire active party
membership, everybody and anybody who was interested, were there.
There were a few well known people at that meeting; three Riigikogu
members, but most were just ordinary party members, both ethnic and
Russian-speaking Estonians, who were just interested in the issues.
They were angry they had been lied to.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all sat down in a room too small to
hold 40 people and drilled Kõlvart for close to an hour.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be fair to Kõlvart, it was brave of
him to show up. I can't imagine Savisaar putting up with such an
interrogation.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“How much money was going into the
Lyceum precisely?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“How many students are there, how
many students will there be?”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“What were the subjects they were
studying?”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Why is the Lyceum outside the school
system?”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Can you prove the money is going for
the intended purpose and not for something else?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You don't need us, so why are you
here?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After he left, we discussed the issues
for another couple of hours, then we took a vote. Readers will
understand social democrat members are not fanatically anti-Russian,
but still we draw the line at Kõlvart's shenanigans. It was an an
almost unanimous decision. Kõlvart wasn't exactly lying but he was
not telling the whole truth. We didn't even believe that the money
for the Lyceum was really being used for that purpose.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We voted to support the vote of no
confidence. It was in this way, and for these reasons that our
faction voted the way it did last Thursday.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a decision from the bottom up
not from the top down. A decision made by ordinary party members and
therefore by ordinary Estonians.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were taking a risk making this
decision because the Russian press could spin it that the social
democrats are against Russians.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst the Reform Party ad IRL, would
get the glory from Estonian nationalists for taking this action. And
it was all kind of pointless. Kõlvart was always going to win in the
end.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am even taking a risk writing this
article because up until now, I've avoided writing from a party line,
even after I got involved in politics myself.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it was the right decision, a
democratic decision, made by a democratic party. It was also a
decision made by looking at the evidence and looking at the man
behind it. I am pretty sure that Kõlvart did not discuss things with
the IRL and Reform party membership.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The IRL have made a huge deal out of
fighting the nationalist cause. They even got the central city
administrative council (the borough level administrative council that
approve planning permissions, school long term planning, etc) to
endorse the no confidence vote, contrary to its remit.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But if the IRL really are “keeping an
eye on things” where the hell were they!?”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it came time to vote, half of the
IRL faction were missing.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Either they were angry at Reform for
stealing the glory, or it was lack of discipline by the leadership,
or just plain apathy. It wouldn't have made any difference to the
final vote, but it does show the IRL are not what they seem.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were there, and we voted against
Kõlvart for all the right reasons. Social democrats are not floating
in the wind, we were steady as a rock, and the rock was the party
membership. I know, I was there.</span></div>
A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-1451338202299375432014-05-01T21:43:00.001+01:002014-05-01T21:43:46.905+01:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ansip through the eyes of a reporter</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published Postimees April 1
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time you read this, we will have
a new Prime Minister.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst everybody is speculating about
the future, I thought I would reminisce about the past and pay a
personal tribute to Andrus Ansip.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is an old saying “All political
careers end in failure.” It seems that Ansip has bucked the trend.
He wasn't pushed out, nor did he jump, he stepped down gracefully.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have met Andrus Ansip on quite a few
occasions, most times he would buy me lunch, we had some good chats
together. The first time I met him was he held a meeting with foreign
correspondents. At the time I had only been in the country a few
months and I was then the editor of The Baltic Times</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were 12 of us. Most of the
correspondents were Finns. When Ansip entered, he took in the room.
Then he spied me, and he looked a little surprised, he smiled a
little.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess he was thinking; “Ahoo you
are probably not Finnish.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His aide whispered that I was a
newspaper editor. Then we got on with the business of the day.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At that time, I had no profile in
Estonia of any kind, it wasn't for want of trying. The newspaper I
worked for was simply to small an outfit for anybody to notice. I was
an unknown, But Ansip was still courteous, polite, and interested in
me.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is always like that it is, as a
reporter, both here in Estonia and in other countries, I have always
found that it is usually the people at the top of their field,
whether they are major rock stars, actors, captains of industry, or
politicians, who have time for people. It is the wannabes, people who
think they are important, who are rude, standoffish, and won't make
time to see you.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the coming months and years, Ansip
would take time out from his busy schedule meeting World leaders, to
just to meet with us reporters and have a chat. Gradually the group
got whittled down to just four or five key people.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is important for people to
understand, now he has left, this takes dedication. The Prime
Minister gets paid the same salary whether he buys us journalist
dinner or not. He wanted to add value to his program to advance the
nation, Ansip wanted to get Estonia's message out to the
international media.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was always an honour and pleasure
for all of us, to have dinner with Ansip, and not just for the free
meal at a restaurant.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chatham House rules applied. That means
you are allowed to quote something you heard, but not allowed to say
where you heard it and from whom. But I can say this; on one occasion
I said something another reporter didn't like. The reporter began to
berate me. I thought it was a reasonable question, and so did Ansip,
he basically told the other guy to shut up.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Politicians usually have lines to take
which are prepared for them by their press office. A politician will
usually have a team of people who have worked out all the questions
that might possible be asked, and have memorise their answers.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That why they seem so clever. If you
watch interviews with Taavi Roivas you can see him doing this. Even
Ansip did this, all politician do.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ansip seemed to have answers to
questions, and the facts to back them up without any pre-rehearsal.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quite often the subject on everybody's
mind was what had happened that morning.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And because reporters are smart Alexs
and the situation was informal, reporters would often come with
questions that were totally out of the blue.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In these scenarios Ansip had no time to
prepare. Ansip would pause for a second, look like he was not going
to answer, then come back with a cogent response with evidence to
back up what he was saying
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a matter of public record, that
the man who has headed a party that has become infamous for its
corrupt business dealing going back to the 90s wasn't even a
businessman whilst he was prime minister.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know what the situation is now
but Ansip wasn't even on the board of any companies and didn't own
any companies last time I spoke to him, which was about a year ago. I
supposed he lived on his salary and his savings.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sure he won't mind me saying this
but he also had a personal dislike for Edgar Savisaar which went
beyond mere dislike of his political platform. Whilst Ansip was in
power there could never have been any chance of a Centre-Reform
coalition, the two men weren't even talking, though they did shake
hands at an American Embassy jamboree two years ago.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It interesting to see Ansip when he was
happy. We tend to dehumanise politicians. But they are people like
anybody else and they feel pride, disappointment. The difference is
if Ansip ws successful at something it wasn't just for himself, it
was for the nation.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />People have almost forgotten it now
but Ansip's achievement were prodigious. He managed to balance the
books, get Estonia into the Eurozone and reduce the nation's credit
rating at a time when other countries credit rating was falling.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is true that he had some luck.
Latvia got into debt because of the collapse of Parex Bank which led
to what another right wing politician called “killing cuts” to
the health service. In Estonia all the banks are owned by the Swedes
so this didn't happen.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ansip felt it was a personal
vindication of his policies and a validation of himself as a national
leader when Estonia got into the Eurozone before the other two Baltic
nations. He wasn't jumping for joy, Ansip doesn't operate like that,
given his taciturn and laconic nature, I haven't seen anybody so
pleased about anything.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ansip resigned because he had just had
enough. He was just tired of it all. At the time that he announced he
would be stepping down, he absolutely didn't have any idea what he
was going to do next.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eight years is a long time, being Prime
Minister is not the easiest job in the world. Politicians are always
the target of abuse, and suspicion. People think all politician are
corrupt, power hungry or dishonest, which is a shame if you are the
nicest person in the World and you happen to be a politician.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ansip may not be the nicest person in
the World, I don't know him that well to comment on that, but
assuming that I am not bad judge of character, he is not a bad
person. More importantly, he didn't appear to be motivated by money
or power.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This may seem a strange article coming
form someone who is now in a rival party, obviously I am not
satisfied with the level of social justice in Estonia. But if there
were no common ground between the Social Democrats and the Reform
Party, there would be no coalition.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-2756570235356155912014-04-30T00:37:00.001+01:002014-04-30T00:41:16.539+01:00<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item even">
<h1 style="color: #333333; font-size: 2.7em; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></h1>
<h1 style="color: #333333; font-size: 2.7em; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">29.04.2014</span></h1>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Televised debate </span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h1 style="color: #333333; font-size: 2.7em; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rise of Euroscepticism</span></h1>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-name-field-description field-type-text-long field-label-hidden" style="background-color: white; color: #565656; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 20px; text-shadow: white 0px 1px 0px;">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item even">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Stream looks at the emergence of anti-EU parties ahead of the European parliamentary elections.</span></div>
<div class="field-item even">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="field-item even">
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item even">
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is the very idea of the European Union under threat? EU Parliament elections are coming up and, according to opinion polls, the far-right is projected to do well. Right-wing Eurosceptic parties have been on the rise in recent years, but ahead of these elections there are renewed concerns about their impact on the European Union. We look at what may happen if the EU Parliament gets a sizable coalition of far-right Eurosceptics at 1930GMT.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>In this episode of The Stream, we speak with:</strong><br /><br />Paul Oakley <a class="0" href="https://twitter.com/PaulJamesOakley" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@PaulJamesOakley</a><span class="0"></span><br />Member of the European Parliament Candidate for London<br /><a class="0" href="http://www.ukip.org/splash?splash=1" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ukip.org</a><span class="0"></span><br /><br />Abdul Turay <a class="0" href="https://twitter.com/abdul_turay" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@abdul_turay</a><span class="0"></span><br />British politician and journalist, standing for European Parliament in Estonia<br /><a class="0" href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">estoniatoday.blogspot.com</a><span class="0"></span><br /><br />Amelia Andersdotter <a class="0" href="https://twitter.com/teirdes" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@teirdes </a><span class="0"></span><br />Member of the European Parliament, representing the Swedish Pirate Party<br /><a class="0" href="https://ameliaandersdotter.eu/" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ameliaandersdotter.eu</a><span class="0"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sakari Puisto<br />Member of European Parliament Candidate for the True Finns Party<br /><a class="0" href="http://sakaripuisto.fi/" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">sakaripuisto.fi</a><span class="0"></span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. </span></strong></div>
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-14157391557612330622014-04-30T00:31:00.000+01:002014-05-01T22:12:05.851+01:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social Democrats are solid as a rock </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/2747024/abdul-turay-ansipist-reporteri-pilguga" target="_blank">Ansip through the Eyes of a Reporter</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2489132860776669461#editor/target=post;postID=7128882100664193941;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=3;src=postname" target="_blank">Quiet Storm</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the local Election in October 2013 .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank">Descendants of a gang of pirates</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In defence of the British monarchy </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/mere-anarchy-published-postimees-july-4.html" target="_blank">Mere Anarchy</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Promoting Estonia's young anarchists. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html">Cut it Out </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About immigration. Frankly I am getting tired of the issue.<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html"><br /></a></span><br />
<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britainand-referenda-published.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Britain and Referenda</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why Cameron will lose the next election and we will have a government more favourable to Europe and Estonia...</span><br />
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<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chartist versus the World</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">It was just perfect timing, I write a book discussing amongst other things, whether Estonian political culture is failing on not, and a month later, some of the country's leading minds, let's call them the chartists, get together and say categorical that failing it IS! ..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html"> </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">A Black</a><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html"> President for a Small White Nation II</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An opinion piece. The title is self-explanatory.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the 2009 local elections in Estonia.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Four years ago I outraged the nation when I suggested in my first Postimees article what </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Michelle Obama the president's wife might be thinking if Estonia got into trouble.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">“</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Ah yes Estonia that small-minded little white nation....to hell with them.”.......</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/anintellectual-casino-byabdul-turay.html">Intellectual Casino</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">Tallinn is the global headquarters for a venerable institution, a giraffe, which for legal purposes we will call Giraffe Forex company. It is all part of the retail </span><span style="color: black;">forex market which in Estonia is controlled by Russian-speaking Estonian who started out in the 90s. They allied with Russian from the mother land in the early 2000s and set up shop here in Tallinn. Giraffe Forex</span><span lang="en-GB"> has plush offices down town. It billboards can be seen in advertising hoarding in the city centre. With offices in over 27 country and growing, its ehhh..... tentacles are spreading out across the world. </span>Giraffe Forex remains an excellent way for suckers to lose all their money. Don't take my word for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">The Great Migration</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">If you haven't spotted it already, the great Facebook migration means that Estonia has gone from being as leader to follower.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Whereas five years ago Estonia was ahead of the curve now it is behind it. Instead of inventing stuff that others are using, Estonians are now using stuff invented elsewhere.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html"> </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/two-tribes-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Two Tribes</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">The story of Estonians in Britain is an interesting narrative not only on how communities develop but a reflection on Estonia itself. Its shows us that some of the assumptions that we make about modern Estonia are wrong.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-i-write-in-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why I write in Estonia</a><br />
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<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/fighting-to-preserve-nations-heritage.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fighting to preserve a Nation's heritage</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Lithuania's Jewish community</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Articles</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/06/meikar-andthe-poster-boy-by-abdulturay.html">On the Meikar Affair</a> A political scandal Involving money laundering</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/05/theinvisible-beautiful-estonian-film.html">The invisible beautiful Estonian film</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/04/austrian-factor-by-abdul-turay.html">The Austrian Factor</a> On Austrian economics</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/03/galojan-will-not-be-coming-home-soon.html">Galojan won't be coming home soon.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/12/veerpalu-new-linford-christie-by-abdul.html">On Veerpalu</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/11/survival-of-fittest-by-abdul-turay.html">Survival of the fitness</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/10/view-from-london-by-abdul-turay.html">The view from London</a> On the Euro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/white-riots-by-abdul-turay-published-23.html">White Riots</a> More on London Riots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/city-under-siege-first-published.html">City under siege</a> London Riots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-newspapers-by-abdul-turay.html">The end of Newspapers</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/06/china-rising-by-abdul-turay-here-is.html">China Rising</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-world-is-silence-about-election-by.html">Why the world is silent about the Estonian election</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/02/playing-around-with-higher-education-by.html">Playing around with higher education</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://poliitika.postimees.ee/?id=383331">Response from Education Minister (ed note: in Estonian, will translate into English when I have time)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/parempoolne-on-oige-right-is-right-by.html">Right is Right ?</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/07/room-101-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Room 101</a><i> </i>A comparison between British kids and Estonian kids</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/go-west-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Go West</a> <i>Where is Estonia exactly? </i></span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Venture Capitalist Allan Martinson view</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Follow up story to <b>Go West</b> </span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musician Jaan Tätte view</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Follow up story to <b>Go West</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/greatest-speech-of-all-time.html">The greatest speech of all time</a> A review of United Estonia a very successful political play held 8 May at Saku Suurhall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/for-europes-sake-stop-tories-published.html">For Europe's sake: Stop the Tories</a> How the British elections will influence Estonia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/03/tradition-of-libertarianism-by-abdul.html">The libertarian tradition</a> Why Estonian Health care is better than the USA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/02/brave-new-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html">Brave new Estonia</a> Estonian Independence day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/01/cancel-debt-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Cancel the debt</a> Haitian crisis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/12/whos-in-charge-here-by-abdul-turay.html">Who's in charge here</a> How the leader of the opposition in Estonia can bully the PM.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/abdul-turay-man-who-annoys-estonians.html">The man who annoys Estonians: Q and A with Priit Pullerits</a> Postimees did this in depth interview.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-men-estonian-women-truth.html">Black men, Estonian women the truth</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/pyrrhic-victory-by-abdul-turay-tallinn.html">Pyrrhic Victory</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/sexiest-man-in-estonia-return-of-silent.html">The Sexiest man in Estonia</a> Guess who?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/playboy-cover-girl-and-estonian-foreign.html">The Playboy bunny and foreign policy</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html">Laar's Dilemma</a> About the former PM of Estonia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/cult-of-youth.html">Cult of Youth</a> Why Estonia is run by kids</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html">Quiet genius who brought East to the West</a> How the Koran came to be published in Estonia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/bigotry-and-denial.html">Bigotry and denial</a> Race relations in the Baltics in particular Lithuania</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-landing-indeed.html">A hard landing indeed</a> About the economic crisis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-eat-potato-peels.html">Let's eat potato peels</a> and again</span><br />
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-25780538751781769472013-10-27T13:16:00.000+00:002013-11-12T21:19:28.314+00:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/10/quiet-storm-by-abdul-turay-published.html" target="_blank">Quiet Storm</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the elections </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank">Descendants of a gang of pirates</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In defence of monarchy </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/mere-anarchy-published-postimees-july-4.html" target="_blank">Mere Anarchy</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find out more about Estonia's young anarchists. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html">Cut it Out </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About immigration. Frankly I am getting tired of the issue.<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/thatchers-legacy-to-britain-estonia-and.html">Thatcher's Legacy </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Celebrating Thatcher</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-conservative-solution-by-abdul.html">T</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-conservative-solution-by-abdul.html">he Conservative Solution</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The big issue in Estonia right now is cohabitation rights for same-sex couple. This is an opinion pieces on this subject.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britainand-referenda-published.html">Britain and Referenda</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why Cameron will lose the next election and we will have a government more favourable to Europe and Estonia...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-second-sex-by-abdul-turay-on-issue.html">The Second Sex</a> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">We are are told that we live in a male dominated society, that men have it easier than women; there are people who make a living by telling us this.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">I think that men have it tough and the situation is getting worse. I believe that feminism., or at least the radical form of it that has come to dominate, is wrong., and the effects of feminism that are causing great harm in my own country and in the rest of the Anglo-sphere are beginning to crop up here </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html">Chartist versus the World</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">It was just perfect timing, I write a book discussing amongst other things, whether Estonian political culture is failing on not, and a month later, some of the country's leading minds, let's call them the chartists, get together and say categorical that failing it IS! ..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html"> </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">A Black</a><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html"> President for a Small White Nation II</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An opinion piece. The title is self-explanatory.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the 2009 local elections in Estonia.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Four years ago I outraged the nation when I suggested in my first Postimees article what </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Michelle Obama the president's wife might be thinking if Estonia got into trouble.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">“</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Ah yes Estonia that small-minded little white nation....to hell with them.”.......</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/anintellectual-casino-byabdul-turay.html">Intellectual Casino</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">Tallinn is the global headquarters for a venerable institution, a giraffe, which for legal purposes we will call Giraffe Forex company. It is all part of the retail </span><span style="color: black;">forex market which in Estonia is controlled by Russian-speaking Estonian who started out in the 90s. They allied with Russian from the mother land in the early 2000s and set up shop here in Tallinn. Giraffe Forex</span><span lang="en-GB"> has plush offices down town. It billboards can be seen in advertising hoarding in the city centre. With offices in over 27 country and growing, its ehhh..... tentacles are spreading out across the world. </span>Giraffe Forex remains an excellent way for suckers to lose all their money. Don't take my word for it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">The Great Migration</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">If you haven't spotted it already, the great Facebook migration means that Estonia has gone from being as leader to follower.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Whereas five years ago Estonia was ahead of the curve now it is behind it. Instead of inventing stuff that others are using, Estonians are now using stuff invented elsewhere.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html"> </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/two-tribes-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Two Tribes</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">The story of Estonians in Britain is an interesting narrative not only on how communities develop but a reflection on Estonia itself. Its shows us that some of the assumptions that we make about modern Estonia are wrong.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Articles</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/06/meikar-andthe-poster-boy-by-abdulturay.html">On the Meikar Affair</a> A political scandal Involving money laundering</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/05/theinvisible-beautiful-estonian-film.html">The invisible beautiful Estonian film</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/04/austrian-factor-by-abdul-turay.html">The Austrian Factor</a> On Austrian economics</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/03/galojan-will-not-be-coming-home-soon.html">Galojan won't be coming home soon.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/12/veerpalu-new-linford-christie-by-abdul.html">On Veerpalu</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/11/survival-of-fittest-by-abdul-turay.html">Survival of the fitness</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/10/view-from-london-by-abdul-turay.html">The view from London</a> On the Euro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/white-riots-by-abdul-turay-published-23.html">White Riots</a> More on London Riots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/city-under-siege-first-published.html">City under siege</a> London Riots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-newspapers-by-abdul-turay.html">The end of Newspapers</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/06/china-rising-by-abdul-turay-here-is.html">China Rising</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-world-is-silence-about-election-by.html">Why the world is silent about the Estonian election</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/02/playing-around-with-higher-education-by.html">Playing around with higher education</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://poliitika.postimees.ee/?id=383331">Response from Education Minister (ed note: in Estonian, will translate into English when I have time)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/parempoolne-on-oige-right-is-right-by.html">Right is Right ?</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-i-write-in-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html">Why I write in Estonia</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/08/sotsid-arent-freaks-by-abdul-turay.html">Sotsid are not freaks</a> Why are the Social Democrats still failing?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/07/room-101-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Room 101</a><i> </i>A comparison between British kids and Estonian kids</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/go-west-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Go West</a> <i>Where is Estonia exactly? </i></span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Venture Capitalist Allan Martinson view</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Follow up story to <b>Go West</b> </span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musician Jaan Tätte view</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Follow up story to <b>Go West</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/greatest-speech-of-all-time.html">The greatest speech of all time</a> A review of United Estonia a very successful political play held 8 May at Saku Suurhall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/for-europes-sake-stop-tories-published.html">For Europe's sake: Stop the Tories</a> How the British elections will influence Estonia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/03/tradition-of-libertarianism-by-abdul.html">The libertarian tradition</a> Why Estonian Health care is better than the USA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/02/brave-new-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html">Brave new Estonia</a> Estonian Independence day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/01/cancel-debt-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Cancel the debt</a> Haitian crisis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/12/whos-in-charge-here-by-abdul-turay.html">Who's in charge here</a> How the leader of the opposition in Estonia can bully the PM.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/abdul-turay-man-who-annoys-estonians.html">The man who annoys Estonians: Q and A with Priit Pullerits</a> Postimees did this in depth interview.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-men-estonian-women-truth.html">Black men, Estonian women the truth</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/pyrrhic-victory-by-abdul-turay-tallinn.html">Pyrrhic Victory</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/sexiest-man-in-estonia-return-of-silent.html">The Sexiest man in Estonia</a> Guess who?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/playboy-cover-girl-and-estonian-foreign.html">The Playboy bunny and foreign policy</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html">Laar's Dilemma</a> About the former PM of Estonia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/cult-of-youth.html">Cult of Youth</a> Why Estonia is run by kids</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html">Quiet genius who brought East to the West</a> How the Koran came to be published in Estonia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/bigotry-and-denial.html">Bigotry and denial</a> Race relations in the Baltics in particular Lithuania</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-landing-indeed.html">A hard landing indeed</a> About the economic crisis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-eat-potato-peels.html">Let's eat potato peels</a> and again</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/fighting-to-preserve-nations-heritage.html">Fighting to preserve a Nation's heritage</a> Lithuania's Jewish community</span><br />
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-43267745504871062372013-10-27T11:59:00.001+00:002013-10-29T14:27:33.214+00:00.ee Bubble: Summer Update<a href="http://doteebubble.blogspot.com/2013/06/summer-update.html?spref=bl">.ee Bubble: Summer Update</a>: Checking In Summer in Estonia. Sun is shining, weather is sweet. Many Estonian startups seem to be taking time off to enjoy the weather. ...A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-71288821006641939412013-10-25T23:30:00.003+01:002014-04-29T22:46:50.867+01:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quiet Storm</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published <a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/2568512/abdul-turay-vaikne-torm" target="_blank">Postimees</a> 21 October 2013</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Readers will probably know I stood as a
candidate in the recent local election. Let's talk about something
you don't know. The other foreign candidates who stood. Hopefully it
will help you make sense of some issues in this election.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever the outcome of this election,
one thing is clear, I will not be the most successful and most
talented foreign candidate. That honour falls to Ole Michael
Ramussen, a 45 year old sales manager from Denmark.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ramussen is so successful precisely
because has caused little impact. The local press have shown no
interest in him. Yet he is the de facto leader of the Social
Democrats in Saue.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Ramussen
</span>was elected as councillor four years ago in Saue district for
the Social Democrats. He has been in Estonia for 15 years. Like many
foreigners he left Denmark because he didn't fit into there any more.
He lived in Germany for a while and then Britain. He has been a
visitor and an enthusiast of the Baltic states since the early
nineties. He moved to Estonia because of his job as a sales manager
and stayed because of a woman.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Ramussen moving to Estonia, meant
moving up in the World.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I moved from a bike to a car and I
had a mobile phone the second day I was here, I had the same salary
as at home but at that time it made a very big difference because the
costs were cheaper,” he said,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Ramussen,
who has </span>been involved in politics since he was a boy, is a
liberal. In Denmark he was in the right of centre Venstre Party, the
sister party of the Reform Party. In Britain he joined the Liberal
Democrats, another sister party. As well as being a sales manager he
owns his own business. He has a young family. He has personal friend
high up in the Reform Party.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why on Earth, join the Sotsids?
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Liberalism has different versions
and the spectrum is very wide..... I would portray the Reform Party
as most extreme, most libertarian among the liberal family in
Europe,” he said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For me it is quite a shock to join
the Social Democrats because the name and the symbolism that was what
I was fighting against both in Denmark, in Britain and in Germany,
but I have to realised there is no better option.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For many foreigners, especially from
Scandinavia, everything is to the right of what we are used to. So
what we consider responsible politics is not represented by parties
in Estonia.... many of us turn red, so to say.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I have personal friends in the
Reform Party, despite these personal relationships I couldn't bring
myself to join the Reform Party. For me it is a new lesson in life, I
used to believe that everywhere you are you join the sister party.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ramussen was struck by the contrast
between the enormous wealth people who shop in Stockmann compared to
the treatment wife's grandmother in her retirement home.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It was a shocking experience, the
lack of responsibility towards elderly people in Estonia,” he said.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rasmussen is fluent in Estonian. Though
it took him a long time to learn it.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I am a lazy schooler. I came here in
1998, I wasn't fluent until 2006.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A less successful candidate was John
Slade, his campaign was over before it even started.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slade became the target of a campaign
of vicious abuse that went beyond mere dirty politics into the realm
of cyber-bullying.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Typical comments were: <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“Wow
a new low in Estonian politics.”</i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“He
is a sponge always looking to take at every opportunity.” </i></span></span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John Slade, 65, is a retired former
army officer, sports coach, and motivational speaker. He came to
Estonia in the late 80s as a military attaché, married and settled
down.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He would appear to be a good candidate.
Slade has been involved in charity work for many years, bringing
sports to deprived kids in Kopli and Lasnamae areas.
</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I want to work with young people. I
think there is no pathway for young people to grow up and I think
that sport is a development tool and team sports are bonding. There
are hundreds of children in Kopli they have no money they like sport,
I train them.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Sport for me is for everyone, it is
not a privilege, it is a right. They should have the same
opportunities as we do in England to do lots of sports.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Stick me in the city government, if
there is any money available for sport I've got first crack at it.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are noble goals yet he faced
fierce hostility</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firstly, Slade stood for the Centre
Party.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was directly approached by Centre
Party chair and former Tallinn's mayor Edgar Savisaar.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A popular
myth about Savisaar is that he can't speak English, It is not true
he understands English quite well. Savisaar who presents himself as a
man aligned to the East, with Russia, with Estonia's past. In reality
just as comfortable operating in the West, in English, on the
internet. Savisaar public personae is a façade to appeal to
Russian-speaking voters.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“He understands every word I say, He
also speaks German very well. I have known him for years and years,”
Slade, who doesn't speak any Estonian, said.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slade understands the populist nature
of the Centre Party. He once gave a speech at a party conference.
Even though the elderly Russian speaking audience didn't understand a
word he said in 20 minute he had them clapping a cheering.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slade is also a
liberal but still he was willing to endorse the Centre Party.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“They
(the Centre Party) haven't bought me I am more in line with them than
the IRL or anyone else.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Secondly, Slade
is totally on of step with in his views on Russia and
Russian-speakers. Estonian don't realise this, but most
foreigners who have lived in Estonia a few years become, how should I
put this tactfully, cynical of Russian-speaking people and openly
hostile toward Russia itself.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slade is the opposite.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I have more empathy with Russian
culture, Russian honesty. But it's maybe because the people I meet
are older. I like that feeling of family Russians have.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a couple of weeks of non-stop
abuse, Slade quietly dropped out of the race.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there was my candidacy.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">America's founding fathers thought
public office is something that you should be called upon to do,
rather than putting yourself forward.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is what happened to me. I was
approached. I have had people like Edward Lucas and Marju Lauristin
telling me I should stand, years ago.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eerik Niiles Kross called me out of the
blue one day, sat me down and tried to persuade me to be his man.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a tempting offer and he offered
a better deal than the one I got, but I had to turned him down.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was already in talks with the
Sotsids. Like Ramussen I am a liberal. I was a conservative as a
youth but I became disillusioned with the British Conservative party
because of their Euroscepticism.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like Ramussen it was very difficult and
painful for me to accept in Estonia the Sotsid were my best option. I
have been against social democracy my whole life.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reluctant to stand as a candidate
because I was not confident with my language ability. I have passed
the B1 exam so if I was a Russian-speaker I could apply for Estonian
citizen now. I felt it wasn't enough. But Eerik Niiles Kross insisted
it was.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Standing was a tremendous risk.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It could intrude into my private life,
which as a new dad is something I would like to avoid. I had to deal
with a tremendous amount of quite ugly, and racial, abuse, though not
as bad as the abuse Slade received. <br /><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It could harm my profession life as a
journalist. Some readers may begin question my neutrality.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you look through my columns I have
been rather critical of the Sotsid in the past, but I defy anyone to
find even one piece I have written where I criticise the IRL or the
Reform Party. Even though I didn't join the party, some will always
believe everything I write is an SDE viewpoint.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I picked the party that was doing least
well in the polls. I had no idea how well I would do. There was no
financial incentive. Councillors are only paid a nominal amount, and
have to pay for their own campaign materials.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is a lot of risk for very little
benefit.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why do it?
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it possible people can get past
their cynicism and accept the reason I stood, was the reason I said I
stood?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want a better future for my newborn
son.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not Estonian, but he is, and since
he is too young to speak for himself, I have to speak for him.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My own particular concerns are
kindergarten places, key to this is making kindergarten teaching
worthwhile by giving kindergarten teachers a decent salary. We should
work with the private sector to provide more places. It's not going
to be easy but I believe with can get enough kindergarten place by
2016.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted decent roads that can absorb
water rather that big public shelters that are just for show.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted local government working with
and supporting local residence groups.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted the municipal police reformed,
not shrunk. I wanted affordable quality day care treatment centres
for the elderly. Mostly I wanted an inclusive democracy. All the
parties are offering residents the chance to participate in how
public money is spent and not just at election times.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I dreamt of Tallinn as a prosperous
dynamic city, an international city, not one of mass immigration, a
new Hanseatic order, if you like. Getting ex-pats engaged in local
politics was part of that process. For these reasons which were the
same as the other foreign candidates regardless of their political
affiliation, I screwed my courage to the sticking place and ran as a
candidate.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been a quiet election. A quiet
storm. But when people look back on it 10 or 20 years from now they
may say, it started then. This was the first tentative beginnings of
Tallinn become truly cosmopolitan.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-51491969378366451332013-08-20T21:20:00.002+01:002014-04-29T22:02:46.767+01:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quiet Storm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the elections </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank">Descendants of a gang of pirates</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In defence of monarchy </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/mere-anarchy-published-postimees-july-4.html" target="_blank">Mere Anarchy</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find out more about Estonia's young anarchists. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html">Cut it Out </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About immigration. Frankly I am getting tired of the issue.<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/thatchers-legacy-to-britain-estonia-and.html">Thatcher's Legacy </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Celebrating Thatcher</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-conservative-solution-by-abdul.html">T</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-conservative-solution-by-abdul.html">he Conservative Solution</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The big issue in Estonia tight now is cohabitation rights for same-sex couple. This is an opinion pieces on this subject.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britainand-referenda-published.html">Britain and Referenda</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why Cameron will lose the next election and we will have a government more favourable to Europe and Estonia...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-second-sex-by-abdul-turay-on-issue.html">The Second Sex</a> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">We are are told that we live in a male dominated society, that men have it easier than women; there are people who make a living by telling us this.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">I think that men have it tough and the situation is getting worse. I believe that feminism., or at least the radical form of it that has come to dominate, is wrong., and the effects of feminism that are causing great harm in my own country and in the rest of the Anglo-sphere are beginning to crop up here </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html">Chartist versus the World</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">It was just perfect timing, I write a book discussing amongst other things, whether Estonian political culture is failing on not, and a month later, some of the country's leading minds, let's call them the chartists, get together and say categorical that failing it IS! ..</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html"> </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">A Black</a><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html"> President for a Small White Nation II</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An opinion piece. The title is self-explanatory.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the 2009 local elections in Estonia.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Four years ago I outraged the nation when I suggested in my first Postimees article what </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Michelle Obama the president's wife might be thinking if Estonia got into trouble.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">“</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Ah yes Estonia that small-minded little white nation....to hell with them.”.......</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/anintellectual-casino-byabdul-turay.html">Intellectual Casino</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">Tallinn is the global headquarters for a venerable institution, a giraffe, which for legal purposes we will call Giraffe Forex company. It is all part of the retail </span><span style="color: black;">forex market which in Estonia is controlled by Russian-speaking Estonian who started out in the 90s. They allied with Russian from the mother land in the early 2000s and set up shop here in Tallinn. Giraffe Forex</span><span lang="en-GB"> has plush offices down town. It billboards can be seen in advertising hoarding in the city centre. With offices in over 27 country and growing, its ehhh..... tentacles are spreading out across the world. </span>Giraffe Forex remains an excellent way for suckers to lose all their money. Don't take my word for it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">The Great Migration</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">If you haven't spotted it already, the great Facebook migration means that Estonia has gone from being as leader to follower.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Whereas five years ago Estonia was ahead of the curve now it is behind it. Instead of inventing stuff that others are using, Estonians are now using stuff invented elsewhere.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html"> </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/two-tribes-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Two Tribes</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">The story of Estonians in Britain is an interesting narrative not only on how communities develop but a reflection on Estonia itself. Its shows us that some of the assumptions that we make about modern Estonia are wrong.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Articles</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/06/meikar-andthe-poster-boy-by-abdulturay.html">On the Meikar Affair</a> A political scandal Involving money laundering</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/05/theinvisible-beautiful-estonian-film.html">The invisible beautiful Estonian film</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/04/austrian-factor-by-abdul-turay.html">The Austrian Factor</a> On Austrian economics</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/03/galojan-will-not-be-coming-home-soon.html">Galojan won't be coming home soon.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/12/veerpalu-new-linford-christie-by-abdul.html">On Veerpalu</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/11/survival-of-fittest-by-abdul-turay.html">Survival of the fitness</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/10/view-from-london-by-abdul-turay.html">The view from London</a> On the Euro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/white-riots-by-abdul-turay-published-23.html">White Riots</a> More on London Riots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/city-under-siege-first-published.html">City under siege</a> London Riots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-newspapers-by-abdul-turay.html">The end of Newspapers</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/06/china-rising-by-abdul-turay-here-is.html">China Rising</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-world-is-silence-about-election-by.html">Why the world is silent about the Estonian election</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/02/playing-around-with-higher-education-by.html">Playing around with higher education</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://poliitika.postimees.ee/?id=383331">Response from Education Minister (ed note: in Estonian, will translate into English when I have time)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/parempoolne-on-oige-right-is-right-by.html">Right is Right ?</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-i-write-in-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html">Why I write in Estonia</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/08/sotsid-arent-freaks-by-abdul-turay.html">Sotsid are not freaks</a> Why are the Social Democrats still failing?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/07/room-101-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Room 101</a><i> </i>A comparison between British kids and Estonian kids</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/go-west-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Go West</a> <i>Where is Estonia exactly? </i></span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Venture Capitalist Allan Martinson view</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Follow up story to <b>Go West</b> </span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musician Jaan Tätte view</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Follow up story to <b>Go West</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/greatest-speech-of-all-time.html">The greatest speech of all time</a> A review of United Estonia a very successful political play held 8 May at Saku Suurhall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/for-europes-sake-stop-tories-published.html">For Europe's sake: Stop the Tories</a> How the British elections will influence Estonia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/03/tradition-of-libertarianism-by-abdul.html">The libertarian tradition</a> Why Estonian Health care is better than the USA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/02/brave-new-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html">Brave new Estonia</a> Estonian Independence day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/01/cancel-debt-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Cancel the debt</a> Haitian crisis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/12/whos-in-charge-here-by-abdul-turay.html">Who's in charge here</a> How the leader of the opposition in Estonia can bully the PM.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/abdul-turay-man-who-annoys-estonians.html">The man who annoys Estonians: Q and A with Priit Pullerits</a> Postimees did this in depth interview.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-men-estonian-women-truth.html">Black men, Estonian women the truth</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/pyrrhic-victory-by-abdul-turay-tallinn.html">Pyrrhic Victory</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/sexiest-man-in-estonia-return-of-silent.html">The Sexiest man in Estonia</a> Guess who?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/playboy-cover-girl-and-estonian-foreign.html">The Playboy bunny and foreign policy</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html">Laar's Dilemma</a> About the former PM of Estonia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/cult-of-youth.html">Cult of Youth</a> Why Estonia is run by kids</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html">Quiet genius who brought East to the West</a> How the Koran came to be published in Estonia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/bigotry-and-denial.html">Bigotry and denial</a> Race relations in the Baltics in particular Lithuania</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-landing-indeed.html">A hard landing indeed</a> About the economic crisis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-eat-potato-peels.html">Let's eat potato peels</a> and again</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/fighting-to-preserve-nations-heritage.html">Fighting to preserve a Nation's heritage</a> Lithuania's Jewish community</span><br />
<br />A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-91080162203188670532013-08-20T20:22:00.003+01:002014-05-17T08:17:34.302+01:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Descendants of a gang of pirates.</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published<a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1322152/abdul-turay-piraadijougu-jarglased"> Postimees</a> 5 August 2013 </b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monarchy is in the news in Belgium, in
Britain it's always in the news. Let's tell it how it is in the
Estonian republic.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few hundred years ago, a gang of vicious
pirates, led by a power-crazed psychopath, invaded my country.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like the knights of Teutonic Order in
this part of the World, they spread destruction before them. They
pillaged and raped and slaughtered vast numbers of people leaving
much of the country as wasteland and enslaved the survivors. Like the
Soviets they killed off anybody who had money or drove them into
exile.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For hundreds of years the British
Isles, like Estonia was oppressed by the descendants of this band of
thugs, who spoke a different language and had different customs. The
pirates were known as the Normans. Their leader was known as William
the Conqueror.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Estonia you finally got rid of the
Baltic Germans, in England we never got rid of the Normans.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like every other ethnic group that has
settled Britain before and since, the Normans assimilated and became
English. They assimilated so completely that everybody has forgotten
how the aristocracy, and the monarchy, got started.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thus when the most recent direct
descendant of the power hungry psychopath, the next person to rule us
all in about 50 years time, was born, we all stand around cheering
for the little prince.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But cheer we should.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a Briton living in Estonia I am
aware the monarchy, comes in for criticism. Some in Estonia seem to
believe it is antiquated institution. I will explain why we still
need the monarchy and why this system works.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Britain's constitutional monarchy,
the Queen doesn't have any legislative or judicial power she only has
executive power. She does not make laws, she only signs them. Her
powers are similar to President Ilves.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Queen does has a veto but since
no monarch has used it in two centuries, it has become constitutional
precedence that no monarch can use it. It could be argued what is
wrong with the monarchy is that it has too little power, the Queen
can't stand as a last resort against some outrageous law, as
presidents in other countries can do.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Britain; parliament rules. This issue
was settled over three centuries ago. Charles I paid for it with his
head. The question was finally settled when James II was thrown out
of power and out of the country in 1689.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Queen's position is almost like she
hired by the parliament to do a job, just like any other head of
state. The difference is the monarch is picked from one family,
Parliament could fire her if she was making a mess of things. This
has happened in the last century, as I will talk about latter.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we didn't have a queen, we would
have to have a president, a respected elder statesperson, somebody to
serve as focal point for national identity, someone who sign bills into law,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
attends functions, opens schools and hospitals, entertain foreign
dignitaries.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Queen does her job
superbly. She is the best diplomat on the planet, in 61 years she has
never been criticised for anything she has said or any decision she has
made, ever.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It been that way for so
long people don't even notice it. Cynics will say there is media
conspiracy not to criticise her. It just isn't true. The Queen is
just that good. Other members of the royal family have been criticised
and even vilified. Previous monarchs had a really bad time. George IV
was so unpopular he had to wear a disguise when he went about because
people would throw rotten food at him. </span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The monarch plays a key
political role especially times of crisis. When we were losing the
Second World in 1940 it became clear that the prime minister Neville
Chamberlain had to go. </span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The King, George VI,
decided to ask for Churchill to become Prime Minister after he took
advice from Chamberlain. Many in Churchill's own party were afraid of
Churchill, they thought he was a loose canon.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Think about that for a
second, One of the most famous statesman of the last century had no
mandate to run a country, or fight a war of any kind other than
King's endorsement. </span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Queen is good PR for
the country. Even if you go to a country that has a queen and you say
the word “Queen” people know immediately who you mean. Monarchs in other
countries are also well known but the president of Germany anybody?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our monarch, our Queen, is
also good value of money, She is the biggest landowner in the
country, but under a system worked out centuries ago she gets no
income from her land. Instead the government pays her a salary and
pockets the income from the land. Since the income from the royal
land is vastly more than her salary, it's a bargain.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">You could say the Queen's
power hungry ancestor stole the land in the first place, but for the
government to steal it back is just communism, and we all know where
that leads.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all
have bosses. Human societies are hierarchical but with a monarchy,
you have at least some chance of being ruled by somebody who is not
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">an
****hole.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some
people go into politics because of their strong beliefs, some
people go into politics because they are approached, this is the way
America's founding father thought the system should work, but some
people go in politics for power, money or fame. Politics like show
business attracts narcissistic personalities, even psychopaths. And since politicians are actors it is always difficult
for voters to tell who is genuine</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our monarchy
doesn't work like that, George VI, the king who appointed Churchill,
was a shy man, afraid of public speaking. If you have seen “the
king's speech” you will know he had a stammer. He didn't want to be
king, it was his duty to his people. Somebody has to do that job. At
a time when the rest of Europe was being ruled by bad men, some of
whom were elected, at a time when in democracy had collapsed across the continent,
Britain, the last hold out, was ruled by a hereditary head of state, and by an ordinary decent man.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe George VI
was one of our best kings, because he did a difficult job which was
against his nature. He wife believed the stress of being King
shortened his life.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prince William is
by all accounts a modest man. That's the best thing about him and his
wife. Apart from the fact that they are richer and better looking
than most of us, they are just ordinary people.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What if we have a bad monarchy, parliament will replace them.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">George VI became
king when his brother was forced to abdicate. The official story at
the time was he could not marry a divorcee as head of the Church of
England and stay king. Prince Charles has married a divorcee and is
divorced himself, no-one is saying he shouldn't be king.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The real reason why
Edward VIII had to go, as has transpired from declassified US secret
service files, was because he was a Nazi sympathiser whose wife
allegedly had an affair with Von Ribbentrop. Yes that's right that
Von Ribbentrop!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parliament acted
and Edward VIII abdicated. There are checks and balances in place to
make sure that the right person is in the job. It is a difficult job
but somebody has to do it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They may have
started out as brutal conquerors but they are all right now, the monarchy is in pretty good shape.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I for one will
continue to celebrate descendants of the gang of pirates.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-34892099702288147392013-08-20T20:08:00.003+01:002013-11-12T21:19:04.853+00:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mere Anarchy</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published <a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1289864/abdul-turay-koigest-anarhia">Postimees</a> 4 July 2013 </b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fed up with reading with all the stuff
that has been happening at the centre of Estonian politics, lets take
a look at the stuff that is happening on the fringes.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonia's young left-wing community,
the anarchists had a problem. They couldn't seem to get away from the
opposite numbers, the Neo-Nazis and Fascist types. The Neo-Nazis
would attacked them in Tartu's bars, in the grim housing estates
where some of them lived, in the seaside town of Pärnu and outside
gay clubs.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually a group of Anarchists got
together and came up with the solution. They would set up their own
centre. It would be a place to gather, share ideas, hold concerts, do
social evenings, have language courses to help to improve relations
between Ethnic Estonians and Russian speakers. It would be a place to
organise and spread the message of building a civil society and best
of all it would be far away from the Neo-Nazis.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They found a place to rent near
Kristiine, the Ülase centre. Andres K, a young activist takes up the
story: “We signed the contract after a month we did an opening
event and we went there to put up posters and the first morning we
saw the most famous Neo-Nazi in Tallinn barbecuing across the yard.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It turned out that the main focal point
for Neo-Nazi activity was in the motor club in the same vicinity.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worse, there was a Black Metal club in
the same hall as the Anarchist centre, which attracted some National
Socialists rockers.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Anarchists had no idea they were
there, but they refuse to be moved on.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That the far left can exist at all and
the ying yang relationship between the two group is an indication of
the Westernisation and modernisation of Estonia.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is almost symbiosis between
Fascists and Anarchists. There was a Nazi skinhead who turned into a
anti-racist skinhead or SHARP, he then reverted to being a Neo-Nazi
and tried to arrange the beating of old friends. There are punks who
wear anarchist badges and then go drinking with Neo-Nazis.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are more Neo-Nazis than
Anarchists, over a 100 can show up for Neo-Nazi rock gigs in Tartu
and Tallinn. But strangely the Anarchists are better organised and
have therefore gotten more media.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Anarchist centre looks like it
should. It is dark, dingy and punk, second hand furniture, stained
walls and at odds with the Estonian taste for bourgeois living. There
are drawings of Andrus Ansip and Mary Olsen from Little House of the
Prairie on the wall, two notorious bullies, they think, one
fictitious the other real. There is a boxing bag in the centre of the
room. The Anarchists are non-violent but with the Nazis living a
stone throw away, many of them have taken up self-defence.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristina Mering explains the history of
the centre.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It was put together by a group of
people who had been active before. And all of the people were part of
a squat project. We were thinking we really need a place of our own,”
she said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We are celebrating our two year
birthday. We opened on the 8 May two years ago,”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As an Anarchist, Mering doesn't like
the title leader, but she definitely has a leadership position.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We make decisions based on censuses,
we divide roles based on the skills that people have. Since I am a
huge talker I am more in the picture. It doesn't mean I am more
important. Among ourselves we know that no-one is more important.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The purpose of the centre is to
attract young people to find out more about left wing beliefs.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We also have very many non-political
events for chess evening. concerts, language groups. There is a
necessity for a centre like this. It gives me motivation when I see
people coming to events.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The far left in Estonia has evolved
into a mishmash of beliefs with several different focal points much
of it based on identity politics; LTBG activists, animal rights
activists and radical feminists. They are mostly Anarchist rather
than Communists. Important influences are<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
Saul Newman, and Naom Chomsky,</span> It is easier to work out what
they are against than what they are for.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They fight capitalism, exploitation of
people and animals, sexism and discrimination and most of they are
against fascism. Some of them describe themselves as Antifa, a German
term that means Antifascist.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mering's own interest is in Animal
rights activism.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“ Everybody should find a topic which
is really the voice of their heart. In my philosophy all these
questions are really important. My roots are in punk, that were I got
all these ideas. Most of us have some connection with the punk scene
but it is not a must.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The new young Anarchists are
completely different to what people think of as Anarchism in Estonia.
It is part of a Western pan-European movement. Estonian Punk and
Anarchism in 80s was really a reaction to the repressive Soviet
regime, it was never a Western movement, it primary focus was
Anti-Sovietism.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Andres K doesn't think much ot
Trubetsky.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Trubetsky wrote this book which is
practically copied and pasted from wikipedia. The media call him
father of anarchism but his theoretical knowledge is not that good
and he is not really active,” he said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonian Anarchists still have a long
way to go.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The movement is a lot stronger Spain
and Greece. It is a dream from every Estonian Anarchist to take their
stuff and move to Greece,” Andres K said.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ying Yang</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The far right and the far left always
had a kenetic relationship in the West.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The skinhead movement begun in England
in the 60s simply as a working class movement. They liked black
people and black culture and were the only white kids going to clubs
where young Jamaicans immigrants would hang out. Being young and
rowdy they would cause trouble. People started to assume they were
racist, so anybody who was racist would be a skinhead, and the whole
thing snowballed from there.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Don't be surprise to find skinheads
at the Anarchist centre.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Estonia today, there all many different
types of skinheads; traditional skinhead also known as Trojans or
spirit of 68 who hark back to its origins a working class pride
movement, there are SHARP skins (Skinhead Heads Against Racist
Prejudice) easily recognisable from their black and white clothing,
Then there are Nazi skinheads also known as boneheads who other skins
say are not real skins. There are even Red skins, communist
skinheads, notorious for their violence towards boneheads.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We have skinheads who claim to be
apolitical but they are really left. If a skinhead is about working
people's pride then they are welcome,” Mering said.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Neo-Nazis are a dangerous bunch.
Whereas Russian-speaking and ethnic Estonian Anarchists get along
with each other and co-operate, Russian-speaking and ethnic
Estonians skinheads and neo-Nazis hate each other and fight. They
carry knives and train in martial arts.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Tallinn they go to the- ironically named- Woodstock bar on a Friday night. It is next to a gay
bar. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One activist was almost stabbed one
night outside Woodstock, it was all peace and love.One thing saved
this person. The fact that she had breasts. She is a lesbian who
dresses and acts like a boy. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the Neo-Nazis realised that they
about to stab a girl they put away their fists and their knives away.
Even the Neo-Nazis have limits to what they are prepared to do.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mering has been pushed around but she
admits a lot of the violence is based on gender.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I'm a woman, they will probably not
kick my ass.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anarchists and Neo-Nazis are cut from
the same cloth. They come from socially deprived backgrounds.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Anarchists often come from broken
homes, dysfunctional families, growing up in poverty,” said Andres
K.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is a good example, he grew up in the
sprawling estates of Lasnamäe where he still lives. He said he could
just as easily have turned into a Nazi.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Because of my low education I don't
have any chance to make a career. I didn't finish high school because
I was bad at maths. I was 17 when I quit school.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I am pretty bad financial place,
even a janitor job I can't get,” he said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young
Anarchists are conviction politicians. They are in
involved in activism because they feel they have to do it, not
because the enjoy doing it. And they don't get paid to do it. With
all the cynicism about corrupt politicians they are the kind of
politicians Estonia actually needs. It is a shame their beliefs are
too radical for most Estonians.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonian anarchist see their greatest
success to be the growth of the civil society even with issues that
they may not necessarily agree with. But just as Estonian people are
cynical about politicians anarchists are cynical about Estonians.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For most Estonians the only right
they care about is the right to offend other people.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Why can't you tolerate my
intolerance,” said Andres K</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The most important thing is, to
let the public know that violent bald guys exist,” he said.</span>A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-39756160237049499892013-06-05T22:18:00.000+01:002013-11-12T21:23:01.028+00:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cut it Out</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published </span><a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1250404/abdul-turay-lopetage-juba" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Postimees</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 28 May 2013</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's up with the immigration people?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On lots of different levels and in lots
of different ways the authorities; whether there are border guards,
police, or civil servants drafting bills; appear to be getting things
horribly wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will tell three stories. They all
have to do with immigration and are otherwise unconnected. They all
have an underlying theme.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first story is my own story. I am
aware that police officers and border guards do difficult and
necessary jobs under challenging circumstances. I am also aware that
the police and border guards have done good things in the past,
BUT....guys could you please stop harassing me.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been stopped three times in the
last month, once in Old Town, once in Kristiine centre and most
recently at the Port of Tallinn when I was coming back from Sweden.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the port, I was with my Estonian
family. My niece who is six is scared of police. She thinks naughty the police will
carry her off to prison. Then she saw a police man heading towards
us. The little girl let go of my wife's hand and fled in the crowd.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The policeman just kept on coming, he
was so focussed on stopping me, he didn't even notice that I was part
of a family group, or that he had frightened away a little girl.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Can I see you passport please,” he
asked.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Up ahead of I could see two
gentlemen who appeared to be middle-Eastern origin, anyway they had
darker skin than the typical Estonian. They had also been stopped by
the police.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second story is the big news in the
ex-patriot community, though it is not as big news in the mainstream
press.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ex-pats who run small businesses have
just discovered they have to cough up more money to the tax man or
leave the country. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Readers should understand that most ex-pats exist
in a parallel universe which sometimes intersects with the “real”
universe Estonians live in. They don't know what laws are passed,
even when directly effected.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Alien Act passed last year requires
a foreigner from a non-EU country to earn 1.24 more than the national
average in order to maintain their residence permit. It's a direct
result of the residence scandal, and the hysterical rush to stop
those Russians.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The act has succeeded, as the saying
goes, in throwing the baby out with the bath water (üle võõli
keerama).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes well intention laws are badly
drafted. Lawyers and civil servants rush things. They work on a
tight deadline. Those effected by the law feel this is what has
happened here.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Louis Zezeran the Australian owner of
Comedy Estonia is feeling the squeeze, basically all money he would
have put into the company under the new laws he is forced to pay to
himself and of course to the tax man, which means that his company
may go out of business.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Both the government officials and my lawyer
have confirmed that under the new rules my company has to pay
significant more tax to allow me to keep living in Estonia,“ he said.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I
am working with my lawyer now to put together the info.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I appreciate we need to stop those who want
to make a scam, however what worries me is that the rules for my
residency were changed after I was already here and I had already
built a clearly legitimate business for two years. I believe this can
be worrying to foreign business people who look to stability in a
political environment when thinking of where to invest.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">“They could have allowed anyone who is
currently here to stay on this old law, however it seems they
specifically made a change to effect those already here,” Zezeran
said.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a man facing a
choice between possible bankruptcy or exile from a country he has
grown to love, Zezeran is remarkably sanguine.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">“I try to remember this is a political
decision. Estonian people have treated myself and my business very
warmly and I do appreciate that.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last story is about Namir. He is a refugee
from Afghanistan who had to flee for his life after decades of war.
He had a hard childhood, he lost both his parents and two sisters. He
had to decide whether to risk the life and his loved ones in his
home city or go to another country. There is also Matata for East
Congo. He lost his parents and sister and brother and fled to a
neighbouring country where he was locked up by armed men, beaten and
tortured. Then there's Abdan who fled Libya when his brother was
hanged for political reasons.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">You may have heard of these people before. You
may have got a postcard explaining what a refugee is. There's even a
website </span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a class="western" href="http://humanrights.ee/pagulane/">http://humanrights.ee/pagulane/</a></u></span></span><span style="color: black;">
explaining how the whole system works. But if you look closely you
will notice something is missing.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is no mention of Estonia!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Namir, Matata and Abdan are real people though
the names are fictitious, but they didn't come to Estonia. I have it
on good authority from the Human Rights Centre that they were unable
to find even one person who had been granted refugee status in
Estonia whom they could use to illustrate their point. In other words
of the 67 people granted status in Estonia since in the past 15
years, all, or almost all, have moved on, to Sweden probably.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe that most Asylum-seekers are not
really refugees they are economic migrants, I worked in this field for
a decade so I have some knowledge. But that's the point. If a person
comes to Europe to make money, he goes to where the money is, as soon
as he can.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Asylum-seekers will not stay, they are not a
problem, they are not even an issue, So why all the scary
pronouncements from the Academy of Security Sciences? Why all the
public angst about a problem that doesn't exist? And most of all why
the detention centres?</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Detention centres were deliberately set up in
places like Germany and Britain as deterrents. They are horrible
places, they are meant to be, detainees rioted. The hope was
potential asylum seekers would hear of the detention centres and
avoid these countries.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Here deterrents won't work. People don't know
where Estonia is anyway. Putting asylum-seekers in detention centres
or prisons, is not only inhuman it's pointless.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The
decision-makers don't always get it wrong. As I will explain in more
detail in another article, the Estonian authorities had no choice but
to turn down the Afghani interpretor who claimed asylum whilst still
in Afghanistan. Under international law, you can not be a refugee, if
you are still in your country of origin.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All this bring us
to the theme raised at the beginning. The debate on immigration on
both sides is governed by emotion and misinformation, rather that
pragmatism and facts.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people want
to help this one man because he helped Estonia. He can't be helped.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Others want to
stop refugees from swarming into the country. They won't swarm.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still others want
to make Russians pay. They are making legitimate small businesses pay.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Yet others want
the police and border controls to be toughened up. They are already
too tough.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So it was that a policeman charged up to me at
the port and demanded to see my passport. I showed him my Estonian
ID, which states that I am a permanent Estonian resident, that
surprised him.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">His superiors are not fools, they know somebody
who is in Europe without permission, wants to leave Estonia for
Sweden, not the other way round. But not everybody realises this.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe this whole incident was a phoney
public relations exercise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Somebody, somewhere, wants onlookers to think:
“look, the police are protecting our borders.”</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, what onlookers were probably
thinking was: “look, police are harassing that journalist who works
for Postimees,” or simply: “look, they are scaring the little
girl.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-50670595757328796242013-04-14T23:43:00.002+01:002013-10-25T23:37:06.932+01:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thatcher's Legacy to Britain, Estonia and the World</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published <a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1201140/abdul-turay-kuidas-suhtuda-thatcherisse/?fb_action_ids=10151417546868358&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210151417546868358%22%3A332421416880524%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210151417546868358%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D">Postimees</a> 13 April 2013 </b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Estonia, Baroness
Thatcher legacy is largely good. She was a tireless crusader against
the Soviet Empire and against socialism which she always hated. Her
robust foreign policy in Ireland, the Falkland Island and elsewhere
led to the West standing up to and defeating communism. She could not
have anticipated the collapse of the Soviet Union but that's what
ended up happening. Margaret Thatcher's economic policies were the
template, Mart Laar and others followed to transform the Estonian
economy in the 90s.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Britain the reaction
to the Baroness's death has been mixed, some mourned, others
celebrated. To understand why, you have know what was going on in
Britain before and what has happened subsequently.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will begin. Britain
before Thatcher was a pretty depressing place. The country was going
to hell, a child could notice it. My earliest memories are of sitting
in pitch darkness during the blackouts caused by the miners strike of
72-74. The miners won those strike and brought down the governments.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inflation was insane. I
would save up pocket money to buy candy, go to the store, only to
find I didn't have enough because prices had gone up.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a political
and current affairs programs called Weekend World. I would watch it
every Sunday morning. It was scarier than a horror movie. Each time
as the music started up my innards would knot up. Week after week, we
kids were told Britain was sliding into the Third World. When we
reached adulthood there would be no jobs, no leisure, and no future
for England. “No future for you,” as the Sex Pistols sung.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And just when you
thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. In “The winter of
discontent” of 1979 everybody decided to go on strike. People were
dying because hospital workers were on strike. People weren't being
buried because grave diggers were on strike. Rubbish strewed the
streets in my home town because garbage collectors were on strike.
Rats roamed freely.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then Margaret Thatcher
came to power. She didn't change everything in an instance. But she
did challenge the post-war consensus on how the country ought to be
run.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In her first term,
Margaret Thatcher priority was cutting inflation. Following the
principles laid out by Milton Friedman, she cut the money supply.
Sure enough inflation went down, but unemployment went up
dramatically. She refused to compromise. Many people thought she was
heartless, she cared more about proving an untried economic theory,
than about the real concern that people just didn't have jobs. They
have never forgiven her.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By 1983 Margaret
Thatcher won a second term in office. Nowadays there is a lot of
nonsense written about why she won that election. Let's make it
clear. She did not win the election because of the Falklands War.
Churchill won a World War and was still thrown out of office in 1945.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thatcher won the
election and the conservatives continued to win every election for a
generation because people never forgave the opposition Labour party
for “The winter of discontent”.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She then privatise
industries, allowed uncompetitive industries to go to the wall, much
as was done in Estonia in the nineties and she smashed the all
powerful unions.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She had stockpiled coal
to take on the powerful National Union of Miners (NUM), led by an
odious little communist, Savisaar-type, called Arthur Scargill.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dispute wasn't
about pay or conditions, it was about keeping the mines open at all.
The mines employed over half a million people. Whole communities
depended on the mines for their livelihoods and sense of identity.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mines had been
losing money for years and Margaret Thatcher was applying the iron
logic of free market capitalism in closing them down. Her enemies
argued her real goal was to break the NUM which had destroyed
previous conservative governments, and the closures were unnecessary.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you had been growing
up in a mining town in the 1980s you would certainly have hated this
women </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">who was destroying your
community in what seemed like a personal vendetta.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of Britain's old
industries, ship building, the car industry the steel industry are
based in the North, Scotland, the Midlands and South Wales. All were
privatised, some industries shrunk, others disappeared altogether.
Today there isn't a single British-owned volume car maker.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is why people were
then and remain now angry. All this to do a hellish job. Miners
spend their lives in a dank, dirty, hole in the ground, they hardly
ever seeing the sun.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As one mother said at
the time: years ago women fought to keep their sons out of the pits,
but in the miners' strike they were fighting to get them in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Why?” she said.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I get it. People don't
like change.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The situation was just
like the movie “The Shawshanks Redemption.” A prisoner upon
learning he was going to be released after 50 years in prison instead
of being happy, attacks the messanger. He didn't like change either.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually, in many
parts of the country Thatcher's message got through, people embraced
change; the knowledge economy. It was hard at first. But people found
or created jobs in IT, in finance, or in the service sector.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My town went from being
a minor industrial town with two big employers, to a large town with
boutique businesses in design, fashion, the media, entertainment and
electronics industries.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big cities like
Glasgow, Sheffield, Cardiff switched from heavy industry to <span style="color: black;">finance,
media tourism </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I.T
and electronics. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It took years but
even industrial townsfolk have grudgingly come to accept that she was
right.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baroness Thatcher
didn't just give people the rhetoric to reinvent their lives, to
create their own futures, she gave them the tools to do it, real
financial tools.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Millions of people who
lived in council owned house were encourage to buy their own homes,
at a huge discount. As the prices went up those people became
better-off.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Likewise people were
encouraged to buy shares in previous state-owned companies.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Higher education, still
free under her tenure, was vastly expanded. The sons and daughters of
coal-miners went off to university became journalists and advertising
executives. Some are still cursing Thatcher today, the ingrates.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not everyone adapted.
So this is the crux of the matter, what people think of Thatcher
largely depends on how well they are their families were able to
adapt to modernity.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hostility towards
Baroness Thatcher was such that she is blamed for things she didn't
do. It is a total myth that Margaret Thatcher destroyed the welfare
state. In Britain today the welfare state is still very apparent.
Health and education provision is free for everyone. The social
welfare system has become so widespread and so rampart that everybody
knows someone who is abusing it.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Baroness also had ideological enemies. Now people say she was an icon for women and
indeed she was.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the Baroness hated
modern feminism, she correctly saw it as a Marxist movement.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And feminist hated her.
What everybody knew at the time and what people have conveniently
forgotten is her success proved they were wrong, that patriarchy
theory, the idea that men keep women down, was wrong.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She became leader of
the Conservative Party and subsequently Prime Minister because her
colleagues asked her to lead them, she did not seek the leadership.
She had to be persuaded.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore, if there are
less women in positions of power is not because of male privilege,
its because less women are motivated to do it.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I owe nothing to the
women's movement,” she famously said.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Margaret Thatcher
wasn't perfect. Towards the end she started to become the very thing
she hated most, an authoritarian leader. She went from being
staunching pro-European, to being staunching anti. She thought the
whole project had been hijacked by socialists. She was also wrong
about the re-unification of Germany.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ultimately David
Cameron is right, Baroness Thatcher will be remembered as one of
Britain's greatest peacetime leaders ever.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was so fiercely
proud of Britain's achievement and the rightness of nation and so
against tyranny, it is interesting to speculate how thing would have
played out for Estonia if she had been running Britain in a time of war.
I believe had she been around in 1940s, she would not have tolerated
a Soviet takeover of a country we had helped in the war of
independence. Atlee and even Churchill did nothing. Thatcher would
have done something.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She did great enough
things in the time she did spend on Earth. She improved the quality
of life for most people in the Britain. She took my rubbish and rat
infested home town and turned it into a pleasant, green, and
prosperous place. Personally I can honestly say that she gave me my
present, and she gave us all a future, and not just in Britons, but
Estonians and people of the World.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-70497180992478780062013-04-06T19:13:00.001+01:002013-10-25T23:37:46.346+01:00<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Conservative solution</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published<a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1181590/abdul-turay-konservatiivne-lahendus/"> Postimees</a> 31 March 2013 </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really struggled with
this article. As a non-Estonian I have always felt I have no right to
suggest things. I comment, I ask questions. But I am now a permanent
resident, I have family ties here and I am paying my taxes so here it
goes.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like many people I got
a letter last week from a lobby group calling itself the "Foundation
for the Family and the Defence of Traditions". As we all know these
people oppose the draft proposal for neutral gender civil unions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past few
years, the row over the issue has swallowed up the debate over every other type of
minority right.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A student who wanted to
interview me about minority rights, ended up spending the whole
interview talking about gay rights. He really was not interested in
anything else.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like most people from my background, I am a social
conservative and economically social liberal. For example, I support the
monarchy, I was a little uncomfortable with the idea of Prince
William marrying a commoner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social conservatism
doesn't mean that you have to support conservative parties,-left-wing
intellectual Noam Chomsky calls himself a conservative. It does mean you endorse traditional values.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore I am not
talking to my fellow social conservatives as an outsider. As the
title of this article says, I think there is an argument for
conservatives to support same sex civil unions and even support same
sex marriage, and to support these things for conservative reasons.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Left-wingers uniformly
support same sex co-habitation and marriage,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conservatives are more
nuanced. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the U.S., the
Republican party is solidly against same sex marriage though most
have accepted same-sex co-habitation rights. Opposition to same sex
marriage has become almost a definition of a modern Republican.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the U.K., where same
sex couples already have civil union rights, something which straight
couples don't have by the way, it is the Conservative government that
is pushing for full marriage rights for homosexuals.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This might seem odd,
until you realise the Conservative party is a broad church of
opinions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Estonia, the issue
brings out the difference between the IRL and Reform Party. The IRL
is a Christian conservative party who oppose same sex partnership
because of their Christian values. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Homosexual practices
are condemned in both the Old Testament, the New Testament, and in
Jewish and Muslim religious texts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Reform party is a
free-market liberal party who want to minimalism government
intervention in people's lives, including government intervention
into whom people are allowed to marry.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The issue of same sex
marriage or cohabitation isn't really about whether homosexuality is
right or wrong. I am not going to go into that here. It is about the
nature and the purpose of marriage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is no reason to
oppose same sex co-habitation. A civil union is not the same thing as
a marriage. A civil union simply protects the rights of two people
who live together and are committed to each other. The real
beneficiaries of the draft bill, if it becomes law, will not be same
sex couples but opposite sex couples. Couples in Estonia aren't
marrying. The current cynicism about marriage is
putting people off settling down and having children because they
don't know legal position of the children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If civil union is
introduced, co-habitators will take advantage of it. In France the
vast majority of civil unions are straight couples.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what is marriage?
Social conservatives would say marriage is a union between a man and
a woman with the purpose of regularising the raising of children.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Left progressives would
say marriage is a fundamental civil right. If two people love each
other, are committed to each, they should be allowed to marriage.
That the right to found a family is a basic is human right.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The left are wrong. Marriage is about more than romantic love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about two
siblings, should they be allowed to marry if they love each other and
are committed to each other why can't they marry? There is no reason why we can't
categorised incestuous people as a social group in the same way will
do homosexuals. There is scientific evidence when two people who are
closely related meet for the first as adults, there is often
physically attraction between them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about first
cousins? In some countries first cousins can't marriage, in other
countries like Bangladesh, it's done all the time to keep property
within the family.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about polygamy?
Doesn't banning polygamy discriminate against people who come from
cultures where polygamy is practice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about a step
father who wants to marry his now adult step daughter? There is no
law against that, people don't do it, unless they are Woody Allen,
because it is considered immoral.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about a women who
is kidnapped and raped and then decides to marry the kidnapper,
because she loves him and in any case they have children now? That
used to happen all the time, it still happens in some places. There
is no law against that. There is a law against the kidnap and rape,
but there is no law against the marriage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My point is, whom we
are allowed to married isn't really a question of civil rights at
all, it is a question of morality and the proper place to decide
moral issues was, until recently, a church.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A conservative solution
would be to do away will civil marriages all together and only have
religious marriages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Civil marriages have
only been around for about 100 years out of 10,000 years or so of recorded
human history and they are not working.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything then becomes
a question of which faith you belong too. There is nothing to stop a
believing, gay, couple finding a church, or founding one, that is
prepared to marry them. But churches shouldn't be forced to conducted
marriages if it is against their creeds and doctrines.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a conservative
solution which treats everybody equally and it will put religious
denominations at the centre of Estonian public life, a place they
have absent from for far too long.
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A.TURAYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10142960304598445050noreply@blogger.com