With Obama’s victory, I fear for my homeland Estonia - blog
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RK11 Nov 2008 06:34
Nice blog. But I didn't realize that EE had lowered itself to becoming an aggregator site.

With the recent posting of racist articles and comments; conspiracy theory articles from dubious sources; and articles that don't make any sense - and plain old suck, I'm moving on to other sources, like BNS, EPL, Postimees, BBC, Baltic Times, Sanomat etc. etc. etc. etc.

Sadly, I won't get the demented editorial stance that's taken in a few of these domestic online articles - epecially the zany "news" videos. Maybe, once the newspaper and our community's real journalists - Puusaag, Naelapea - take more control, I'll come back. But not until then.
oki11 Nov 2008 09:09
I have to agree that this is a nice blog, albeit it is fairly right wing. The writer is obviously associated with guns and conservative politics, but nothing wrong with that, I welcome views from right and left.

I also have to agree that some of the recant English language articles have been terrible. No reasonable person would believe "amero" conspirancy or "Obama is muslim zionist". But these articles are in minority among mostly balanced reporting.

I wouldn't hold EE responsible for nutty comments. While some would like comments like 'Obama is a muslim' deleted, we do have a freedom of expression. And most of the commentators with extreme views usually get a fast rebuke - democracy in action.
Anna Nüüm12 Nov 2008 07:53
I suggest you read the paper version on Eesti Elu to avoid blogs, etc.
P14 Nov 2008 09:42
I agree w/ RK: it's time to move along.

EE online could improve itself by insisting that the person or persons who are responsible for presenting these sorts of random items as "editorial content" identify themselves personally and also their reasons for thinking that the article is worth reading.

Yes of course such a policy would seriously curtail the appearance of such items, but that wouldn't be a bad thing.

Maybe the freed resources could be applied to something useful, like putting together an english language overview of the EELK v. E.E.L.K. tempest currently roiling parts of the Toronto Estonian community.

I think that is a truly appalling story.

It seems that sort of particular thing is what one should expect to find in EE -- diffuse global conspiracies, on the other hand, endlessly fascinating as they may be, are commonplace and can be found everywhere.
Maxim16 Nov 2008 06:30
I loathe these kind of populist responses, where something quite accurate get demoted because it doesn't fit the politically correct mould. The author has done his homework, and this is not a conspiracy theory. Dennis Prager and numerous other Conservatives have alluded to the weak nature of Obama's foreign policy outook. Sure, the man is a decent and civic-minded human being, but I have more than a sneaking suspicion that Obama plans on calling an end to any hint of aggressive politics as far as the US is concerned, and that leaves the playing field wide open to aggressors who want a bigger piece of the global pie and make mince meat of their rebirthed colonies. Russian military activity will once again turn a new leaf, as Medvedjev needs to prove his authority as the new Russian tsar. It will test the tolerance of US citizens for a while, but as the world slides deeper and deeper into the hands of authoritarian rule and US trade sanctions will overtake free trade opportunities, the US will become a hornet's nest for change, as Obama's impotence to stave off global aggression will reach new heights. Never has a pleasant-natured politician managed to change the world for the better, and it would be foolhardy to imagine its about to begin with Obama. I would, however, believe it either if he were the only politician left on earth to run the show, or else if there was certainty that he will not tolerate underhanded aggression led by totalitarian powers, of whom there are more than a few left roaming the earth.
Maxim16 Nov 2008 06:34
If you don't like the story, no one is stopping you from clicking with the mouse and reading something else. Calling an end to the publication of articles that don't suit your thinking is not really the way to make the world a more tolerable place in which to live.
Peter16 Nov 2008 07:55
P and RK are typical far-left totalitarians. When they see something they don't agree with then they think it should be banned.
P16 Nov 2008 11:33
I'm not banning anything. I just don't think that Eesti Elu should be anonymously (re-) publishing these sorts of things unless the editors can articulate a good reason for putting it in "our" newspaper.

Anyone can publish these sorts of things and they are freely available to anyone who feels the need to feed their petty delusions of personally understanding the "real" story of global affairs.

I just can't think of any reason why the englsh language section of Toronto's Estonian newspaper should devote so much space to wingnut theories of global governance conspiracies, even as it all but completely avoids any sort of analysis of the issues in our local community.

We all understand that there is a shortage of money to fund original editorial content. We also understand how deadly Toronto Estonian politics can be.

But then why not republish new car reviews or gossip about Hollywood celebrities or new-age spirituality or alternate health care stuff (suppression of the true benefits of colonic irrigation by multi-national drug cartels - now there's a story!).

Or at the very least, put your names on it.
Peter16 Nov 2008 14:19
Tagasihoidlik, thanks so much for the compliment!
P, We are living in one of the most dangerous times in history and I personally would like to know more about the events that are shaping history and I find that the Canadian media is so controlled and biased that it contains very little useful information. It is refreshing reading Estonian and other European papers for this reason.
I would not care to read about Elvis sightings, UFOs and other conspiracy theories that can not be backed up by any real evidence. History shows that there are often (if not usually) conspiracies behind many significant events and these conspiracies are usually not even very secret. Since most of the Canadian and US media are owned by a few companies and individuals they create an environment of anti-intellectual political correctness. Many thinking people have started to look at alternatives. The ethnic press is one such alternative and I hope that Eesti Elu continues to have the courage to publish points of view that are respected in Europe but would not be published in Canada's English-language newspapers.
.16 Nov 2008 14:34
I'm with you on this one! It's crazy how shallow our English language press has become of late. Let's hope the mainstream media don't slam the door shut on the little light reflected through our country via alternative media sources.
Maxim11 Nov 2008 13:09
Critics of this author show their complete ignorance of Estonian affairs. They are nothing more that Thomas Friedmanites who appease Russia at every opportunity, and do nothing to improve their own understanding of Russia's political machinations. I think the author has struck a very sound note, and this way of thinking lines up perfectly with the way things went for Eastern Europe for the past 60 years. Obama is going to be the favourite politician for everyone, including Russia, who will only now begin to see what enormous opportunities are about to open for them to play out their dreams of reversing the greatest tragedy of the 20th century. It is appalling that Canadian Estonians have moved so far to the left of politics, that had they been alive 60 years ago, they would in all likelihood sided with the Soviets!
to - Maximahv12 Nov 2008 07:41
Recurring themes in your incoherent comments and outrageous slurs are: that you are the only one who knows anything about Estonian politics and; that you can reliably predict the future.
You are wrong on both counts.
Tagasihoidlik16 Nov 2008 10:54
The arguments that cut across different grains have generally shown Maxim and Peter to have more substance to what they say, compared with that of their opponents. Of significance here is the current economic decline, which both of them predicted last year and were laughed at in the harshest language imaginable by Siil and Anonymous et al. I think readers who can see that unsubstantiated criticism of Peter and Maxim is of no value, since their opponents have increasingly had their comments erased from this site. The honest intellectual approach of Peter and Maxim has won the hearts of the general EE readership, and their opponents need to think out a new and more positively-minded strategy how to put forward their side of an argument. Since it has become perfectly clear that EK does not contribute to the comments section this paper, it might be at least polite to leave his name unmentioned in future.
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