DP izvērtēs dziesmu “Mana profesija - latvietis”

Peteris,
So what have you been doing since 2004 (“2004 BSZI study”)?  Obviously, Mamikin experienced another six years of Latvians speaking Russian and saw no need to change anything or worry about getting translators what with all the conversations with Latvians taking place in Russian. No wonder he got so upset when a Latvian had the audacity to change the rules of the game the Russians thought were well-established in Latvia by this late date post renewed independence.  Yup, listening to Mamikin and reading the Russian papers (as opposed to that rural rag ak reads only when slumming it in the Latvian countryside, if ever) has gone a long way in the last six years to convince the Russian-speakers and the city-sophisticate and discerning-voter Russians in Riga concerned with their “principles” to have a bilingual Russian/Russian Latvia to vote en masse for the party with no Latvian corruption and no Latvians (except the Soviet-“reformed”).

http://www2.la.lv/lat/sodienas_zinas/?doc=8536
““Saskaņas centru” biežāk atbalstījuši austrumslāvi, personas ar zemiem vai vidēji zemiem ienākumiem, Kurzemes rajona vai Latgales priekšpilsētas iedzīvotāji. Bet “Vienotību” biežāk atbalstījuši latvieši, sievietes, gados vecāki ļaudis, personas ar augstāko izglītību, cilvēki ar augstiem ģimenes ienākumiem[bold mine].”

Amber, I have no doubt that you don’t want to “obsess” about Gerhards, that you would much rather seek refuge and obsess with your 20+ questions game—the one where you answer a question by asking another and yet another to avoid answering the original question posed to you in the first place.  I may be wrong, but I don’t think you really knew anything about Gerhards until it was pointed out to you (on the other hand, if you did, than you really are a hopeless cause!)  I, for one, did not know and I don’t necessarily think, not knowing, is such a crime, unless you’ve become so enamored with yourself, steeped in your own self-righteousness, well, then, yes—I could see how that could be problematic, to let go—come back down to earth.  Lately, more than ever, I’ve noticed that you’ve been rude to people who gave you no good cause whatsoever, to do so, except that maybe they just happened to be males?  You’re acting as if you’re the only loyal person here of any merit, value and anyone who dares to disagree with you, with your own particular brand of patriotism is automatically relegated to being a member of “the” cabal, labeled as a conspirator, subversive who is out to get you and to overthrow YOUR country of Latvia.

I won’t get into the language issues with you because we’ve already been there before—gone that round—you with me and just about everybody else here.  As for Usakovs aka “eklera gimitis” as he is known in some circles, and your remark to me, “I think it’s very telling that your comments about Ushakovs have been more about his looks as “a young James Spader…”, I, in turn find it telling that you would choose to remember that and conveniently forget everything else I said.  And you’ve got it wrong, Amber, it’s not about the surface, “looks”, per se, at least not for me (besides the fact that I prefer someone more seasoned, “ruffer”, scruffier around the edges, not to mention the most obvious of all—the VAST difference in our ages, which makes this all the more ludicrous), but about a person’s demeanor, that which emanates from within.  Sure, he has those boyish, conventional good looks that tend to draw people in but when I first saw him on the Dombur’s show, what stood out, was that I found him to be intelligent, perceptive and well spoken as opposed to the other Latvian politicians who were shouting and gesticulating like barkers at a carnie show.  Later again, here on this very forum, there was the conversation I had with Ivars G. who thought Usakovs to be dangerous, while at that time, I saw him as inexperienced, a pawn to the real owners of Latvia—the Latvian power moguls, ‘biznesmeni’, Slesers and Skele.  Whether he really is dangerous as some think or more of a product of his environment—ambitious Russian boy, wanting to make good, caught between two worlds, trying hard to appease both—I don’t pretend to know.  I am well aware of his wishy,washy stance on the occupation and I don’t condone it; I don’t like the company he keeps either, prime example being Urbanovic.  So much for the man, who he is, or may be.  Bottom line, as far as the politics go, .. if I were a native, citizen, I would definitely not cast my vote for SC.  I hope that that clears things up a bit for You.  As to your original question to me—“Irena, what is my argument?”—that actually is a very good, question, Amber, because honestly, I have no idea!

*crickets*

And that stupidity from Vidiot is just boring.  Someone go to scb and see how scathingly he’s disparaged off LOL where there’s not censorship.

Aww, c’mon Ambersun. You know, I could easily say “bah!” turn my head and wave away your misplaced linguo-fascism as boring as all hell. One can point Google at LOL and search for references for “Jukka”, “Snore” and “Case for Latvia” and take a wild guess at who has posted these terms several hundred times. Yes, several hundred times. You want to talk about boring ?

Your posts ? The product of some sort of awkward young adult experience. Your man hating speaks of it like the peal of a church bell on Sunday morning. Couldn’t be clearer and you know what the sound means the second you hear it.

So why can’t you just man up and answer ?

ps…You still owe me $5…

Labrīt!

The numbers I gave are the percentages of persons who think Russian should be made the second official language of the country. About half of the population, including about one in five ethnic Latvians, thinks it should be. I doubt that’s changed very much since 2004, especially when one considers the fact that the percentage of Latvians who think knowing Russian is important has risen.

What have I been doing since 2004, Ambersun? Living in Daugavpils and speaking Latvian. And you?

I think you might have a little more respect for the fact that people have different views, very often their own. There are many factors involved, and not everybody who takes a position different from yours is a victim of Kremlin propaganda any more than those who take other positions are victims of AS Lauku Avīze, owner of Latvijas Avīze, which defines itself as a nacionāli konservatīvs laikraksts. LA has a penchant for publishing gentlemen like Grūtups, who has an affection for monarchism and considers Ulmanis’ dictatorship “a form of democracy,” and Ruks, cited by you, who shares the latter inclination and wrote a bizarre book bashing VVF, suggesting that she is a KGB agent—primarily because she did not sign a version of the language law that was unacceptable to the European structures we then desired to become a part of. Raivis Dzintars, the leader of the far right VL, now entwined with the Fatherlanders, was the editor of the politics section of this paper, which has low journalistic standards and a murky ownership trail that leads to Ventbunkurs and the shady millionaire Oleg Stepanov.

I don’t see what Vienotība has to do with it; Gerhards was grandstanding for VL/TB-LNNK, not Vienotība. They are as different as PCTVL is from SC on the other side of the spectrum.

Your phrase about Latvian corruption is beyond me—is there some sort of irony in it? It’s Gerhards’ party, with its supposedly “nationalist” ideology, that has been involved in most every government we’ve had; SC has never been in government. You don’t think ruling parties bear some responsibility for what happens on their watch?

I will repeat that Mamikin’s show is in the Russian language. I do not think it is high treason for members of the government, or anybody else, to speak in Russian in such a context—it is actually wise to do so. On the one hand, you think the Russian-language media has brainwashed people into voting SC, but on the other you want Latvians to abandon that media space, or at least pretend not to speak Russian when they’ve spoken it quite willingly before, as a gesture. Even Dubya spoke bad Spanish to Spanish-speaking audiences at times; most Hispanics appreciated it despite his lack of facility.

Even in places with very different demographics, like Québec, most people stay with their mother tongue when listening to the radio, watching TV or reading the papers—it’s natural, Ambersun. You seem to have this vision in which the russophones strive to integrate by turning Latvian, which to you also means turning their backs on Russian. At the same time, I never see a space for integration in your rhetoric; you turn even me off, and I’m a lettophone who plans to vote for Vienotība. You screech at Aleks, an example of integration, brandishing your baseless distortions.

Many Latvians want to marginalize Russian—the natural reaction is to try to hold one’s position and push back. I will remind you that between the wars, minority members of the Saeima spoke Russian and German in Parliament. Prior to the coup, minority schools were far more autonomous than they are now. One of the papers with the highest reputation in Latvia, and even abroad, was Сегодня.

Vysu lobu,
/P

Irena,
That Gerhards is a flawed politician makes him boringly ordinary.  Like Ushakovs.  I also think that Ushakovs is dangerous.  I’m sure he would have chosen to speak to Mamikin in Russian.  Does that make him better or worse than Gerhards?  Had Latvian-speaking Mammite Theresa or Latvian-speaking you rather than Latvian-speaking Gerhards been interviewed by Mamikin, would the unprofessional, Russian-chauvinist “scum” Mamikin have spoken with you in Latvian like he didn’t with Gerhards?

I also think that Ushakovs is dangerous.  I’m sure he would have chosen to speak to Mamikin in Russian. 

In summary: two Russians get together to talk about politics on a Russian show, they ought to speak Latvian. I find it ridiculous.

Urbanoviča kga update:

http://www2.la.lv/lat/latvijas_avize/jaunakaja_numura/komentari..viedokli/?doc=85788