Thread: Regarding Russian in the Baltic States

I think that Nulle grew up and went to school at the exact time when hating Russia, USSR etc was practically a mandatory religion in the Baltic states. I.e. late 90s until now.

I guess they needed a few years to re-write some school books and re-educate a few teachers, but after that it was probably full speed ahead with the anti-Russia/USSR/Socialism agenda.
And in with the pro-USA/NATO/capitalism agenda.... !

Which means that it probably doesn't matter how wrong things go with capitalism, how disgustingly the US behaves etc... Because one can spend all ones time complaining about everything that was wrong in the USSR, etc, etc.

I think a broader perspective would be better. Not everything about the USSR was bad, it had some good points. It can't have been some kind of living hell to live there, just a bit restrictive and insular - although with a sense of security that is now lost.

Also - here is another interesting point: From what I gathered reading newspapers at the time, most if not all of the Baltic states had more or less ready-made governments in exile standing by to take over... these people had lived in the USA and in Sweden, perhaps also Germany during the Soviet time. One of these countries (forgotten which) got a president who was even struggling with the language.

Why would Baltic people vote for people who had grown up outside of the countries, who did not know anything about their daily struggles and who can't possibly have been known to them at all? These candidates came in with financial backing from various types "pro democracy" groups... It can't have been particularly hard to woo people who had no experience of election campaigns or cynical politicians that make promises they don't intend to keep. It really smells of rotten fish!

I personally think the Balts to some degree have been taken for a ride by Western Europe and others. But they are too busy complaining about Russia and the USSR to notice it! For example, when the IMF wanted to force their loans on the Icelandic and the Irish, the citizens in both these small countries said "P$$ off", because they realised it was cr*p and didn't want to have it.
In Latvia it seems like they just let the EU, World bank and USA tell them what to do...

It can't have been particularly hard to woo people who had no experience of election campaigns or cynical politicians that make promises they don't intend to keep. It really smells of rotten fish!

That's true - many people who got power right after USSR collapse were real crooks and treated inexperienced voters like idiots. (Pretty much the same like Putin treats his voters now: "I and Medvedev just decided to switch places and I do not care what you, imbeciles, think" ).
Also many politicians tried to get popularity using nationalistic slogans (which are still effective now, sadly :/ ).

This situation improved in recent years at least between Latvian voters. (Most of Russian voters still vote like this: "I don't care that they are crooks, at least they are Russian").

most if not all of the Baltic states had more or less ready-made governments in exile standing by to take over

Former commies mostly took the power.

IMF did not force a loan on Latvia - our government went and asked for it, because thanks to their inept actions no one else wanted to lend to Latvia - pretty much like Greece now...

I guess they needed a few years to re-write some school books and re-educate a few teachers, but after that it was probably full speed ahead with the anti-Russia/USSR/Socialism agenda.

At least in my school no one preached that we should hate Russia/USSR.
Russian language also was a mandatory subject. (at least in my school) (now it is not)

USSR itself made people hate it - with their inefficient economy and poor living conditions. (and I say "their", because it was not our country, but foreign occupying power)
And Baltic people had extra reasons - forced russification, KGB and occupation army everywhere, and privileged immigrants that treated locals as second-class citizens.

In 1940 - there were ~200 000 Russians in Latvia - Soviet Union "imported" 700 000 more during soviet times making Latvians almost minority in our own country - another reason to hate USSR.
Imagine that someone imported 4 000 000 foreigners in Sweden against wishes of Swedish people and made their language first official in Sweden.
Or imagine that in Russia someone imported 80 000 000 Chinese and made Chinese language official in Russia.

But anyway - Hanna - what are you trying to say?
That Latvia is a failed state and we cannot govern it properly?
And that we should just give up and ask Russia to incorporate us once again?