Recently in politics Category

A fairly long writeup about Estonia, Russia, border treaty and recent domestic trouble. Looks objective and fairly accurate also from a native point-of-view if you don’t take sides and rather look at the “big picture”. (Via Global Voices.)

I don’t really get this USA illegal immigrants thing. Some people have sneaked their way into a country, and are now claiming they are such an asset to economy that they should be legalized just like that?

This is like an arrested mobster saying that since his cover businesses generate so much tax revenue to the country, he should be let go. I know this is an offensive comparison and most illegal immigrants actually don’t do any harm. I’m just using this to dramatize the point.

Being an illegal person is just that. If the illegal immigrants are such an asset to economy that their missing would hit it hard, well, let the market and supply-demand take care of that. If there were no illegal immigrants, then maybe prices would rise a bit, but all in all they’re an abnormality in economy, not a desirable normal status.

Several Estonians have been working in the US as illegal immigrants, some of them have been arrested, deported and banned. It’s not something to be proud about and the public generally frowns upon them, since they unfairly bring down the reputation of the whole nation in that country. Having a proper, legal career is much more respected.

There’s an old English saying, “good fences make good neighbours”. Being a EU border country, Estonia certainly recognizes the logic there and takes appropriate measures.

Interesting discussion I had with Martin-Éric based on this article.

Martin-Eric: http://funkyware.livejournal.com/1444.html
Martin-Eric: Ties in with your post that EU seems to be a one-way game rigged at the old member states’ advantage. Martin-Eric: Which it indeed is.
Martin-Eric: I said it back then, too: the former Warsaw PAct countries should have made their own Union, rather than accept an half-assed membership where they are not an equal partner.
Martin-Eric: Then again, the new member states could already sign Schengen treaties among themselves. That is, open borders within the old Warsaw Pact countries. Same idea as Schngen within the old Europe, but applied only among new members, independently of whether the old members allow you to jTHEIR game.
Martin-Eric: create an exclusive territory of your own, where the old member states are not welcome. beat them at their own game.
Martin-Eric: make it easier for canadians and australains to be in the new countries than for citizens of old EU members.
Martin-Eric: piss off the EU 15 countries the same way as they piss you.
Martin-Eric: they might become a lot more friendly when they realize that it’s more difficult for e.g. a finnish or french guy than a canadian guy to work in e.g. slovenia or estonia.
JK: interesting.. though the countries there too immature to pull this through at the time.. these days it would work, we’re doing interest blocks within EU anyway
Martin-Eric: but imagine going to the extreme of making it easier for a canadian or australian to work in Eesti and easier for a Canadian or Australian company to open an office there, than for any of the Schengen countries.
Martin-Eric: that would quickly re-establish a balance of power.
Martin-Eric: imagine the impact of a message saying “we’d rather be flooded with kiwi, aussie or cannuck products and people than let france, finland and germany have our ass for free while getting to call the shots.”
Martin-Eric: and imagine all of the former Warsaw Bloc doing that at the same time.
Martin-Eric: making it excruciatingly painful and in practice impossible for Schengen members to visit or do business in the former Warsaw Pact countries.
Martin-Eric: all while making it a piece of cake for non-EU and non-USA countries to do that.
Martin-Eric: thta would be such a violent message that the Schengen countries would have no choice but to accept you as full-standing, equal partners.

The EU recently voted in favour of having a services directive — but it’s a crippled one. The BBC website has a nice Q&A on it.