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:Heart: Estonia 100 - do you love your neighbours?

TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
I love the neighbours Finland has without mitigation, less Russia which I love with some mitigation - which has nothing to do with Russians.

Foolish as I may be, I imagine the Russians view the Finns positively, and were I in St Petersburg, the locals would try to help me to a sight as much as I wanted to be of use to Russian tourists wanting to find in Helsinki Cathedral.

Nordics and Estonia are superb neighbours, and this makes me also EU-positive, because Nordic cooperation was both early and deep.


It tires me to see nasty feelz about neighbours, when I know it can be great. Do you ever feel the same?


And while ES-FI is not a perfect relation, I think it is pretty great. If you do not feel the same sentimentality about your neighbour - or regional cluster country - why not?

Especially EU citizens - but not only - do tell!

Comments

  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    Well, as an American I'd say we have pretty good relations with Canada. Our southern neighbor gets a bad rap here but I'd say the Mexicans have been nicer to us than we've been to them. I hope Trump never completes his Great Wall of Idiocy...
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  • scriverscriver Member Posts: 2,072
    I'd much rather be in a Nordic equivalent to the EU than in the EU (particularly now that the most sane partner with influence is leaving, and Sweden might get settled with paying an even bigger piece of everybody else's one than she already does), I think we share much more similarity and spirit with each other than with the rest of europe. And that includes the Baltics.

    As for Russia, I think Putin has made it abundantly clear over the last decades that us Nordics and and Baltics should regard them as nothing else than a state that is hostile to us, and as long as Putin (or other people with the same policy) remains in power I think it would be naive to not regard them as such.
  • TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
    Balrog99 said:

    Well, as an American I'd say we have pretty good relations with Canada. Our southern neighbor gets a bad rap here but I'd say the Mexicans have been nicer to us than we've been to them. I hope Trump never completes his Great Wall of Idiocy...

    I actually feel favourable to EU nations just by the virtue of us being there together, even if I do want EU to make a mechanism to remove economic benefits from those members whom disrespect the ideal and want just the money.

    @Balrog99 - as opposed to you, I would be incensed ïf Finnish "Powers-that-be" would be as disrespectful to Estonia, as US is to Mexico.

    Post and during Iron-Curtain, Estonia suffered politically and economically.

    Finland needs must to have avoided that faith, but it also probably meant we could not have had that necessary solidarity.

    In this context, your "bad rep" seems sad.


    Do you think too?
  • TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
    Shandaxx said:

    As a German I'm actually saddened by the bad relations to Poland and by the bad images that our peoples have of each other. I think there are a lot of prejudices on both sides. And I don't see either side doing anything to improve the relations. :/

    As a purportedly "guilty" German, overlooking transgressions of Poland as a rather horrid EU-member will not do.

    Please.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    I actually said bad 'rap' but I probably shouldn't use slang when talking to a non-American. Bad rep actually means kind of the same thing though. We're probably more like Russia than anybody here would care to believe. We throw our weight around quite a lot. Fortunately we only have two neighbors, unlike Russia.

    Mexico is like the little kid-brother we pick on occasionally. We do treat them better than Russia treats it's neighbors however. If it wasn't for the drug 'war' I think relations would be much better than they are. A lot of the bad relations are illusory though in practice. They're an important trade partner and a prime tourist destination for Americans.
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147


    Our neighbours are French.............

    Enough said. :D
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367



    Our neighbours are French.............

    Enough said. :D

    Do you live in Spain, perchance?
  • TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
    scriver said:

    I'd much rather be in a Nordic equivalent to the EU than in the EU (particularly now that the most sane partner with influence is leaving, and Sweden might get settled with paying an even bigger piece of everybody else's one than she already does), I think we share much more similarity and spirit with each other than with the rest of europe. And that includes the Baltics.

    As for Russia, I think Putin has made it abundantly clear over the last decades that us Nordics and and Baltics should regard them as nothing else than a state that is hostile to us, and as long as Putin (or other people with the same policy) remains in power I think it would be naive to not regard them as such.

    @scriver

    You are just not EU or Nordic, are you?

    Estonia is 100 = Mexico must pay for the wall!!!

    I'd be totally incensed.
  • ArdanisArdanis Member Posts: 1,736
    edited February 2018
    EDIT Ok, apparently that didn't land well...
    TStael said:

    Foolish as I may be, I imagine the Russians view the Finns positively, and were I in St Petersburg, the locals would try to help me to a sight as much as I wanted to be of use to Russian tourists wanting to find in Helsinki Cathedral.

    Mutual. Although I suspect I'm too lazy a Russian to bother with cathedrals and other architecture, so we probably won't be of much use to each other with sight-seeing :D
    Post edited by Ardanis on
  • TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
    Balrog99 said:

    I actually said bad 'rap' but I probably shouldn't use slang when talking to a non-American. Bad rep actually means kind of the same thing though. We're probably more like Russia than anybody here would care to believe. We throw our weight around quite a lot. Fortunately we only have two neighbors, unlike Russia.

    Mexico is like the little kid-brother we pick on occasionally. We do treat them better than Russia treats it's neighbors however. If it wasn't for the drug 'war' I think relations would be much better than they are. A lot of the bad relations are illusory though in practice. They're an important trade partner and a prime tourist destination for Americans.

    I get the "rap" - as negative PR, a negative aggressive hit - but I also get that US does not consider Mexico, like Finland considers Estonia.

    I tell you: Estonia is a privileged neighbour.

    I love Estonia being 100 today.



  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    @TStael
    If there's any stone left after building our wall maybe we can send it over to Finland so you can wall off @Ardanis!
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    TStael said:

    Balrog99 said:

    I actually said bad 'rap' but I probably shouldn't use slang when talking to a non-American. Bad rep actually means kind of the same thing though. We're probably more like Russia than anybody here would care to believe. We throw our weight around quite a lot. Fortunately we only have two neighbors, unlike Russia.

    Mexico is like the little kid-brother we pick on occasionally. We do treat them better than Russia treats it's neighbors however. If it wasn't for the drug 'war' I think relations would be much better than they are. A lot of the bad relations are illusory though in practice. They're an important trade partner and a prime tourist destination for Americans.

    I get the "rap" - as negative PR, a negative aggressive hit - but I also get that US does not consider Mexico, like Finland considers Estonia.

    I tell you: Estonia is a privileged neighbour.

    I love Estonia being 100 today.



    I do remember fondly when the Baltic States finally got out from under the Iron Curtain. I've actually thought about visiting Lithuania but maybe Estonia would be better?
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    Balrog99 said:



    Our neighbours are French.............

    Enough said. :D

    Do you live in Spain, perchance?
    UK.

    I don't think we really hate the French, it's just that it's so much fun to hate the French.
    And I'm sure they feel the same way.

    We had an ongoing Hundred Years War for example. Both sides have got to be pretty much up for it to keep going that long.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367

    Balrog99 said:



    Our neighbours are French.............

    Enough said. :D

    Do you live in Spain, perchance?
    UK.

    I don't think we really hate the French, it's just that it's so much fun to hate the French.
    And I'm sure they feel the same way.

    We had an ongoing Hundred Years War for example. Both sides have got to be pretty much up for it to keep going that long.
    It must've been very galling for both of you to have to fight together in the two world wars!
  • TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
    Ardanis said:

    All our neighbours are belong to us. All the elections in more distant countries too, btw B)
    How can one not love what belongs to him!?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWEPw3PLErA

    TStael said:

    Foolish as I may be, I imagine the Russians view the Finns positively, and were I in St Petersburg, the locals would try to help me to a sight as much as I wanted to be of use to Russian tourists wanting to find in Helsinki Cathedral.

    Mutual. Although I suspect I'm too lazy a Russian to bother with cathedrals and other architecture, so we probably won't be of much use to each other with sight-seeing :D
    Just wanting a history.

    Do you not find the above really weird?

    When the point was loving your great neighbours, while accepting that Russia will figure?
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    edited February 2018


    I think your lack of tolerance of other point of view deserves to be reported.

    Chill bro. You're setting Finland/Russian relations back decades!

    I'm pretty sure @Ardanis was just kidding.

    (Although, come to think of it Russians aren't generally known for their sense of humor)
  • TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
    :heart: Estonia.

    Trying to undermine such love of neighbour just seems a little ... petty?


    Those whom would post the skimpy female, do tell - why do you do so?


    I would recommend such love of neighbour to any nation.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    edited February 2018
    TStael said:

    :heart: Estonia.

    Trying to undermine such love of neighbour just seems a little ... petty?


    Those whom would post the skimpy female, do tell - why do you do so?


    I would recommend such love of neighbour to any nation.

    Behold, the Swedish Bikini Team posted for reasons. I can see why you love your neighbors.



    Oops, didn't notice the graffiti scribbled on the pic. No disrespect intended. That'll teach me to download the first picture I see...
  • TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
    edited February 2018
    Balrog99 said:



    I think your lack of tolerance of other point of view deserves to be reported.

    Chill bro. You're setting Finland/Russian relations back decades!

    I'm pretty sure @Ardanis was just kidding.

    (Although, come to think of it Russians aren't generally known for their sense of humor)



    ____________


    Chill "Old Hag" if you please - and I will not appreciate @Ardanis kidding with his blue authority, when Estonia should rejoice without such "playfulness".

    Was this the reason to leave this fora, just now, as I read it by the recent OP?


    I hate you defending the power that be (blue) poster, as opposed to us.


    I do.

  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    edited February 2018

    I apologize @TStael. Apparently my attempts at humor aren't translating well. I guess I'll just wish Estonia a happy 100th and tip back a brew in their honor.
  • ArdanisArdanis Member Posts: 1,736
    edited February 2018
    TStael said:


    Just wanting a history.

    Do you not find the above really weird?

    When the point was loving your great neighbours, while accepting that Russia will figure?

    Frankly, I hold little illusions the situation will improve anytime soon. Putin is going to stay in office for another term regardless, so all I can do is just brace and hope that at least the next president will show... more interest in forging good international relations.

    and I will not appreciate @Ardanis kidding with his blue authority, when Estonia should rejoice without such "playfulness".

    I'm not sure how the "blue authority" has anything to do with playing the role, but ok, I edited that out.
  • TStaelTStael Member Posts: 861
    Ardanis said:


    I'm not sure how the "blue authority" has anything to do with playing the role, but ok, I edited that out.

    Now you play the victim, which I perso find hypocritical.

    Do you want that I do too, and expatriate from these fora?

    Do tell.


    I just personally attribute respect to the "blue" - and will not appreciate a Russian hit to Estonian 100, in fact, I will hate it.

    Shall I go?
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Temporarily closing this thread.
This discussion has been closed.