Bruno the Lett, et al.

Kargin is not Russian. He’s Jewish. As is Krasovickis. I’d suggest to come out of your antisemitic closet.

Besides, Nils Melgailis - who has taken over Parex this morning - said at a press conference he spoke to Kargin. A reporter asked in which language he spoke, Melgailis answered, “In Latvian.” Unless you require someone to change their identity completely before they can be considered the same kind of citizen as anyone else, you’re walking on a very thin ground.

Aleksejs,

How do you know that “Kargin is not Russian. He’s Jewish. As is Krasovickis.” Why should we care?  Are they Latvian? 

Shalom and sveiks

How do you know that “Kargin is not Russian. He’s Jewish. As is Krasovickis.”

I saw them in a local banya? They are. It is a widely known fact. And you shouldn’t care which is exactly my point because judging by the amount you cut and paste, ambersun, with a little to no comment, I’d say it’s an ethnic deal for you. I’dlike to be corrected if I’m wrong.

Aleksejs et al.,

“Besides, Nils Melgailis - who has taken over Parex this morning - said at a press conference he spoke to Kargin. A reporter asked in which language he spoke, Melgailis answered, “In Latvian.” .......

Perhaps Kargins spoke latvian because Melgailis said that he did not speak russian.

Visu labu,

I think you missed my point. Kargin can speak Latvian well enough to talk to Melngailis about business. I’d say it’s near fluent. Shall he get un-circumcised now for the naturalization process?

Aleksejs et al.,

Do you think the reporter who asked which language they spoke had hebrew and latvian in mind ?

You seem to have caught the “PAREX panic” a little.

Visu labu,

Bruno,

Melngailis does not speak Russian, but speaks English. kargin prefers to speak Russian in public, but also speaks English and Latvian. I think the question is reasonable to see whether they communicated in English or Latvian, which is what the reporter had in mind. I think you’re a bit hard of reading….

Aleks

Aleksejs et al.,

“.......... kargin prefers to speak Russian in public, .......”

What does Kargin speak in private ?  Hebrew or Yiddish ?

Visu labu,

We should ask Andrejs if speaking Hebrew or Yiddish alone qualifies one as a Jew. I think it’s a bit more complicated than that - especially when it comes to Russified Jews, don’t you think? I suspect that there is more than one way to skin a Jew.

Who is a Jew

The term “ethnic Jew” does not specifically exclude practicing Jews, but they are usually simply referred to as “Jews” without the qualifying adjective “ethnic”. See: Ethnic group.

The term can refer to people of diverse beliefs and backgrounds due to the complex concepts of what makes a person “Jewish”. Since “ethnic Jew” is often used to distinguish non-practicing from practicing (“religious”) Jews, a more precise term might be “Cultural Jew”.

....

In the former USSR, “Jew” was a nationality or ethnicity de jure all the way to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Today, laws defining Jewishness are considered unwelcome and unethical almost anywhere in the world, but de facto the situation remains.

Aleksejs et al.
“We should ask Andrejs if speaking Hebrew or Yiddish alone qualifies one as a Jew. I think it’s a bit more complicated than that - especially when it comes to Russified Jews, don’t you think? I suspect that there is more than one way to skin a Jew. “

I guess , you are saying that Kargin is a russified jew living in Latvia.  I will go along with that.

As far as you wanting to skin a jew, you have to talk about that to the “nashi” skinheads living in Moscow.

Visu labu,

Either that, or become a World war II veteran who helped shooting the Jews in places like Liepaja.

Aleksejs et al.,

“Either that, or become a World war II veteran who helped shooting the Jews in places like Liepaja. “.

When it comes to actual shooting of people, the russians can not be surpassed.  Did any of your relatives shoot the poles at Katyn ?  Or do you still claim that the germans did it ?

Visu labu,

Leaving aside the ever-vital questions of who shot who and what makes an (x) an (x) - what is the general opinion on Melngailis’ appointment?  Any consensus?

Aleksejs,

It’s you who runs from the notion of being Latvian like it were the plague.  You can’t stand the idea of being “Latvian” since it is you who sees that identity only in stark ethnic terms.  You constantly differentiate your ethnicity from “Latvian” and assert your right to be “other.”  Only to those wanting to promote two, distinct Latvian/Russian identities in Latvia is there such a thing as ethnic purity.  No matter how many times I reassure you and state to anyone interested in claiming full Latvian rights in Latvia, that one is “Latvian” in Latvia if one only wants to be and chooses to be.  It’s like stating you are Danish, French, Australian, etc. - or even a Danish, French, Australian national - without for example in Australia, once a citizen,  choosing to introduce yourself as being a Russian person from Latvia but who is choosing to live exclusively in the Russian cultural space in Australia because you read Chekhov and don’t like Australian Aborigine music, dance, and literature.  It is you who appears to feel this betrayal of your “other” chosen ethnic identity - which supersedes all else - at the mere suggestion of the Latvian national identity.  For you, one can’t be “Latvian” and have an integrated/assimilated Russian (or Jewish) ancestry.  It’s always about marginalizing the “Latvian” in Latvia and picking a fight to maintain ethnic separateness because you just can’t bear the idea of identifying yourself as a Latvian without sputtering all these disclaimers and explanations. 

The topic is Parex Bank.  It is important to the discussion to know about the main Parex Bank players, Kargins and Krasovickis, and that is why their names are being mentioned.  The facts of their backgrounds and their route to such (obscene) personal wealth as covered in the Business Week article are provocative and alarming.  In light of Parex Bank’s failure, were their personal and political connections of benefit or harm to Latvia?  Were they loyal and constructive Latvian citizens working to benefit Latvia’s future progress and growth?  Why don’t you want to discuss this?