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Two Tribes By Abdul Turay Published Postimees 13 August 2012 A couple of years ago, I went along with my wife to a manor house in the heart of England which every August, for the last 30 years, has been a jamboree (Rahvapidu) for the Estonian community in Britain. I expected a celebration of Estonian culture in Britain. Singing, dancing, selling handicrafts and Estonian foods; that sort of thing. I discovered, two tribes gone to war. The foreign Estonians (Väliseestlased) believe they have worked to preserve and promote Estonian culture for over 60 years, not only in the UK but in the other four Väliseestlased communities, Sweden, the USA, Canada and Australia. Here was their view of new Estonian immigrants to Britain. “We don't mix with them at all, we don't socialise, we don't even understand them. It's like apartheid,” said one of them, who understandably didn't want to be name. The story of Estonians in Britain is an inte
On Immigration Policy by Abdul Turay Postimees 13 July 2012 For once I have subject where I can draw on personal experience not just for colouring and commentary but for analysis. Immigration, let's talk about it. You may think you've read everything there is to say, but there are some things that no one is saying, no-one dare say. Once again a gap has opened up between what the business elites and technocrats who run the country want, and what the people want. The elites want more immigrants. The people do not. It really is that simple. The elites are going to win. Here are the arguments if you need reminding. As some of you will remember, last year the Estonian Development Fund (EDF) did an analysis of Estonia's future in the centenary year. Leave aside the oxymoron of a government sponsored venture capital fund, this set out four possible scenarios for Estonia's future. None of these scenarios are perfect but broadly speaking, two
Meikar and the Poster Boy By Abdul Turay Published Postimees 12 June 2012 "All domestic politics are now European politics," so said Quentin Peel of The Financial Times at last month's Lennart Meri conference. It's has been creeping up on us for some time now. I've noticed it personally. I was at a conference about year ago. I got talking to a senior British journalist, a former head of an international agency. He wanted a detailed breakdown of what was happening with Estonian politics. We discussed Savisaar's problems with KAPO and Russian secret service, which were still current at the time. We scanned a newspaper together, I translated for him. He was sceptical. Now even journalists and investors who have no direct interest in Estonia are fishing for information about what exactly is going on. I spoke to a journalist working in Brussels recently. He was keen to know every detail. He wasn't going to report on it. Nobody died,
The invisible beautiful Estonian film. By Abdul Turay Published Postimees 3 May This time I will move away from talking about politics and talk about culture. Since it is the 100th anniversary of Estonian cinema I might as well add my 50 cents to the debate. Kevade (1969) Lets borrow metaphor from that eh...em.... “masterpiece” of contemporary American cinema, Shallow Hall, starring Jack Black. There is a scene in film where Jack Black asks his co-conspirator that if he was dating the most beautiful women- Linda Carter if you're interested- would he care if everybody else thought she was ugly?” “No!” his companion says without hesitation “Because everybody else would be wrong.” Let's push that concept up a gear. Male readers, would you rather date someone beautiful and invisible or someone plain and visible. How vain are you? Is there point in dating a model if no-one else can see her? The Estonian film industry is both beautif
The Austrian Factor By Abdul Turay Published Postimees 4 April 2012 Patriotic Estonians wants two things out of foreigners. They want their country to be noticed, and they want it to be liked. And there exists a small group who are growing in influence in America on talk radio, satellite television and the internet, who do both. They are knowledgeable and successful, one of them is a candidate for president of the United States of America. They are known as the Austrian school economists or Austrians for short. There is just one problem. The world's leading intellectuals from all spectrum thinks the Austrians are crazy people, Nutters. It is a bit disheartening to say the least. What this means is when ever you read something positive in a foreign publications about Estonia, you have to take it with a pinch of salt. What you are reading, as many people think, might just be the ravings of mad person. So let's examine the Austrian school, find out why they like E
Galojan will not be coming home soon. By Abdul Turay Published Postimees 27 February 2012 Anna Maria Galojan is quite a boring person. I am bored with reading about her case already. Frankly I am not that interested in her, but since I have some insider knowledge with the system she is facing, I thought I'd share it with you. Miss Galojan claims that she is not running away by staying in the UK and if she really wanted to run she would have gone to South America. Anna Marie Galojan Splashing about. The reverse is true. I suspect Galojan choose Britain precisely because it the best place for her or anyone else to evade justice. Britain has a slow and inefficient bureaucracy, especially when dealing with law and order issues. If Galojan has actually claimed asylum like she says, she will be caught in this system, certainly for months and possibly for years. Countries with a history of dictatorship, often have fast and efficient bureaucracies. Dicta