by Viacaslau Karasiou for Salidarnasc
Why the Russian side decided to grant that 1.5 billion USD loan to Belarus is getting clear only now. It looks like the Russian side decided to DO something with Belarus: when it does not go about political Anschluss, the economic one is on its way. And the longer it gets, the less chances remain to break those “brotherly hugs”.
20th December had been marked by signing the above-mentioned loan agreement. 2 bln USD more are coming next year. Belarusians will pay just 119 USD / 1000 cubic meters of gas in the first quarter of the year 2008 whatever the official contract terms had been. Loans can be deposited in the Russian banks, and gas can be re-exported to the third countries like it was done before.
Kremlin understands this tricky situation but decided to go the same way. But the banquette won’t be free for Minsk any longer. Officials in Minsk formally dismiss any suggestions that Belarus will have to pay the credit with its national enterprises, but the way they do dismissals just supports the suggestion. “We won’t sell all our enterprises to Moscow”, deputy economics minister Aleh Melnikau mentioned in a press conference. Ok, not all, but some enterprises will be sold, but that does not change the thing: it is just the question of interpretation.
Aleh Melnikau: “The government YET has no plans to sell our oil-processing facility Naftan to the Russian side. We have no exact privatization plan YET and and therefore no decision can be taken.”
What does this mean: YAT? How long will official Minsk be able to avoid this problem? Or may be, everything is already taken care of, and officials just resist the truth like they did when selling Velcom?
By the way, the Belarusian background of Mr.Lukashenka’s Moscow “affair” was characterized by addressing the strikes of private entrepreneurs with legal acts easing their situation, not brainless AMAP soldiers like in 90% cases before. May be someone finally understood that should the regime push thousands of entrepreneurs out of business, there will be no force to resist economic annexion, as there simply will be no national capital any longer.
There should be no hope for changing the course after Russian presidential elections in March. Elite remains the same - the front page comes now with a younger face which might improve Russia’s image a bit. The essence of the Empire won’t change.
UPD by eolonir:
Watcher-interio, a Belarusian blogger writing on political issues suggests that unavoidable election of pani Julia Tymashenka for the Ukrainian Prime-Minister moved Mr. Putin to approve the 1.5 billion loan to Lukashenka. What lies beyond is a logical calculation having nothing in common with any revenge or fraternal help. Russia just does not want to have 2 unpredictable neighbors while pani Tymashenka clearly stated that she won’t honour pan Jakubovic’s gas agreements with Russia.
While meeting with Putin, Lukashenka expressed surprise that Belarusian and Russian media used to sink in speculations on the form of the to-be-signed Unity Act. No one doubted that it will be signed in this or that form during this meeting. Whilst the background did not seem bright for both sides, Unity Act would have given Putin the National Hero and Leader image which he could rest on while being a no-President officially, whilst for Lukashenka it could have been a chance to make a new step in his political career.
However, the situation looks like Russia decided to buy loyalty with money by approving a 1500 million USD loan for Belarus which Lukashenka’s envoys tried to get for more than a year since the Belarus-Russia relations horizon seized to be so bright. It looks like a price to support any Russian politics in concern with the American anti-missile shield in Poland and the Czechs. In addition, Mr. Medvedev’s future government gets more influence on Belarus: by the year 2010, being completely dependent on Russia’s energy policy, Belarus will in addition be indebted. Whilst no reforms are going to be conducted by Lukashenka’s regime, an on-time return of the debt seems coming from some sci-fi book. Having failed to pay on - time. Lukashenka’s government might be forced into a greater loyalty, Anschluss, or transfer of strategic enterprises into hands of Russian pro-elite functionaries.
On the background of the Unity Act speculations having failed to come true, Lukashenka definitely gained on his Independence Defender image. However, his inability to make the next step sends unpromising signals to the Belarusian nation. Strangely enough, signing up the Unity Act would have shown his ability to take political risks. Having failed to make any other step except for begging for money, he sends a signal: there will be no reforms and no liberalization. Partly because this is a risk, and he failed to to take it by offering any constructive moves towards Russia’s propositions. Thus, all these money will be used to produce an impression that Mr. Lukashenka’s promises to the nation are being fulfilled, and without any economic impact.
Lukashenka had lost his dynamics by cleaning up the opposition field. However, he failed to understand, that in the modern world no nation can stay isolated. Even the USSR understood that they could not exist next to normal countries.
More than 30 people came to a court hearing to support Alexander Tamkovich, author of the alleged libelous article about Mikalai Charhinets, and Aliaksei Karol, editor-in-chief of Novy Chas, the independent newspaper which published the article. The assigned room in Minsk?s Pershamaiski District Court Building was too small to hold all the journalists, authors, democratic opposition leaders, readers and other supporters of the independent newspaper. The crowd of spectators did not, however, contain a single supporter for the plaintiff.
The plaintiff himself did not appear at the hearings. Lawyer Irina Menshakova, who represented Mr. Charhinets, claimed he was busy. This is true, because today Mikalai Charhinets was in fact receiving yet another award, this time it was a medal from the KGB which, by the way, celebrates its 90th anniversary tomorrow.
Charhinet?s representative began her opening remarks with the announcement that the plaintiff had decreased his injury claim to 5 million rubles (about $2,500) against the author of the article (instead of the original 100 million) and to 50 million rubles (about $26,000) against the newspaper (instead of 500 million). This news came as a surprise, especially given the fact that this morning Mr. Tamkovich and Anzhela Ratner, Novy Chas? lawyer, had both received anonymous phone calls containing threats which were related to the case. As some Belarusian media noted, Mr. Charhinet?s honor suddenly became four times cheaper.
Yet, Judge Elena Ananich did not make a quick ruling. Both sides were asked to present their arguments in detail. The hearing continued for six hours, with a one-hour break. While the defendants? team cited the country?s Constitution and laws, the plaintiff?s lawyer could only repeat that the article?s publication had hurt Mr. Charhinet?s feelings. She was unable to present any convincing evidence that the article contained any information which was untrue. The defendants? team entered into evidence quotes from numerous interviews given by Mr. Charhinets to the state media and from his official website, which were used in the article and cited in the lawsuit by the plaintiff. It appears that Mr. Charhinets is suing the journalist and newspaper for statements that he himself made earlier to other media representatives.
In the concluding remarks, Mr. Charhinets? representative insisted on the amount of the injury claims and demanded that the newspaper should publish an apology and retraction. The defendants completely rejected all of the spurious accusations in the lawsuit. A decision will be rendered tomorrow, December 20, 2007, at 9 am.
AMAP (OMON) attacked a couple dozens demonstrators which gathered on the October Square in Miensk to protest against Putin’s visit and possible annexing of Belarus by Russia. Zmicier Chviedaruk of Malady Front Youth Organization had been knocked down and walked on by AMAP soldiers which resulted in his hospitalization. Luckily he is conscious and speaking now.
Zmicier Chviedaruk being transported to hospital after AMAP had walked on him.
Another moment was AMAP tearing apart official green-red flags. This had never happened before, but I guess we should not expect any reaction from the pro-Lukashenka community. And BRSM will be silent as never.
It looks like that in our country AMAP can do everything without any fear of punitive consequences.
by czalex for Pozirk.
These Thursday and Friday are marked by Mr. Putin’s to-be visit to Miensk. For the first time in several years the Russian president comes to Belarus not for a mere couple of hours on his route to somewhere, but for two full days. Mr. Putin comes to Mr. Lukasenka and not vice verse. That means that it is the Russian side that will ask for something.
Russia is decisively speeding up on its way to a distinct dictatorship where democratic attributes will be a fake on an obvious totalitarian background. For the first time in the newest history parliamentary elections had been openly dismissed by the West like undemocratic ones. Mr. Putin must leave but wants or is being forced by his Court to remain in some other role, no doubt an important one. Such re-configuration will no doubt sharpen the fight inside the top Russian elite what is only being revealed to the public by the scandal interview of Oleg Schwarzman and arrest of the deputy minister of finance Sergey Strachek.
What does Mr. Putin wants from Lukasenka a couple of days before the new Duma starts its session?
What we can say for sure is that it is definitely not gonna be a routine meeting to produce one more round of bright statements that the Union State is almost alive. I guess that one of the following is the thing Mr. Putin wants to persuade Lukasenka to do:
1. Putin wants to persuade his only Western ally to start doing business like business without any talk of “Slavic brotherhood”. The period to come will be a dangerous one for Mr. Putin and his junta, therefore the KGB colonel wants to have a warranty against one more round of gas war. More then ever Mr. Putin needs now to have new gas price increase for Belarus introduced smoothly.
This seems to be the most probable variant, however we should not abandon another one, which is:
2. giving up Belarusian independence. Neither Belarusian, nor Russian side is either morally or legally ready for such a step, however Anschluss of Belarus might give Putin a long-desired reputation of the person who returned Russia the territories it had lost in 1991. By no means we should be misguided by Belarusian side discarding the information that the Unity Act is to be signed at this time.
3. One more declaration having no legal force will be born 
which might give Putin a necessary PR effect to re-qualify from a president into the Leader of the Nation.
Just keep in mind, that anything can happen.
On December 5th, 2007, the district court of the City of Minsk held a preliminary hearing on the law suit filed by Mr. Charhinets against the publishing enterprise “News Time” and journalist Mr. Tamkovich. Mr. Charhinets alleges that an article by Mr. Tamkovich, entitled “General - Senator Mikalay Charhinets” and printed by newspaper Novy Chas, defamed his honor, dignity and business reputation. He is asking for a 500,000,000 rubles moral damages from the enterprise and another 100,000,000 rubles from the author (totaling $280,000). Such amount of damages in an anti-defamatory suit is unprecedented in Belarusian legal practice.
According to the journalist and the paper, the article was based on facts, and all critical remarks were stated in a professional manner in reference to activities, rather than character, of the plaintiff. The article was not directed at damaging the plaintiff’s honor or dignity. Moreover, representatives of “News Time” offered Mr. Charhinets a print space of equal size for a public rebuttal. Unfortunately, the plaintiff declined the offer.
In the court, the “News Time” was represented by Aliaksei Karol, editor in chief of Novy Chas, and Anzhela Ratner, an attorney of a Minsk law advising service. Mr. Charhinets, who was absent from the meeting, was represented by his lawyer. Also absent, due to an illness, was Mr. Tamkovich. The meeting was chaired by Judge Elena Ananich. The first public court hearing is scheduled for December 19, 2007.
The future of the newspaper is of no interest to the plaintiff. In his comments to the media, Mr. Charhinets said: “I am protecting my honor, so that others are deterred from defaming me.” And warned that “those papers who will interpret it as to defame me again, will also receive lawsuits. I decided to not stop, I will enrich our healthcare system.”
Belarusian and international public are carefully following the suit against Novy Chas. On December 5th, Christina Gallach, the spokesperson of the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, stated to Belapan that this suit was evidently politically motivated and intended to close down the newspaper.
Public awareness and your solidarity are extremely important to the staff of Novy Chas and Alexander Tamkovich as well as for the future of all independent media in Belarus, caught in the fight for the freedom of speech.
You can support the newspaper by leaving your comments on Novy Chas’ blog or by informing media representatives in your country about the lawsuit against one of the few remaining independent papers in Belarus. Thank you for your support.
P.S. All the details of this case, including the text of the article, lawsuit, EU comments and other commentary can be found on Novy Chas’ blog.
German soldiers used to take not only guns when going to war. Cameras were the second thing to be put in the backpack. Photoes below show residents of occupied villages.
My big thanks for the gallery go to the Belarusian photo-community photo_polygon.
Poverty of people on the photoes was the thing that impressed me mostly.
Continue reading ‘Belarus Seen by German Soldiers. WW II’
after Lavon Volski* - Здраднікі.
That was a long time since I witnessed such emotions on the Net. What was the reason? - A couple of musicians - well-known in their country - have consented to meet one top official from “president’s” administration and have published all info immediately after having talked to this guy. They could keep that a secret, they could restrain from talking to journalists. All in all, these 20 minutes or 1 hour did not seem such a big event to tell everyone. But no, they would tell that, sometimes too emotionally, but all are people, no robots.
All demons of hell had been unleashed after that interview. Iryna Chalip** had produced an article where she stated that those musicians were being invited to the opposition concerts just as a matter of giving them some place to play. These poor guys, barred from major concert halls, let them play somewhere, she said.
Young “fighters” issue one original idea after another, like coming to a future concert in a state-owned place, shouting “Shame” altogether and leaving. Other ideas include deleting music from hard drives and throwing away CDs with traitors’ records.
That seems like a ban from another side. Or I’m mistaken?
But were have they been, these young fighters, for the last three years. Was there anyone protesting in front of the mayor’s office which refused to rent concert places for our concerts? There was not even an idea to do something in support of the banned groups. But why? Weren’t they blacklisted after having played in an opposition concert? What was the problem then? Or you need the EU bureaucrats to set the guidelines for you to organize a meeting?
Continue reading ‘Traitors’
22 / 11 / 2007 by: czalex
![[Image]](http://www.pozirk.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/avatars/avatar01_czajczyc.png)
Sensational news hit Belarusian papers some time ago: leaders of Belarusian rock groups half - prohibited in Belarus (Krama, N.R.M, Pałac, and Neuro Dubel) met the deputy head of ”president’s” office Colonel Aleh Pralaskoŭski. The administration was the meeting initator. Bureaucrats offered them to return the groups’ music on the air and ease access to public concerts inside Belarus. In return, the musicians should abandon participation in the concerts organized by the Belarusian opposition.
The event resulted in an avalanche of posts and comments in the Belarusian LJ segment ranging from calls to Internet community to remove the music of “these traitors” from computers to near-euphoric praise.
I guess that here we can surely say that Lukashists crawled to the musicians on their knees. They initiated that meeting, they can’t live without us whereas we definitely can survive without them. Our rockers should have concented: winners must be merciful - and they logically did that.
When Lukashists want some dialogue then they surely must get it! The most important here is not to lose vigilance. In case the governmental side starts retreating in completion of their pleas to return the truly national rock on the air and keeps banning “Krama” and Co from public concerts, rockers must return back on opposition stage. However if the state keeps the word - let the rockers take the stage in major concert halls of the country, let them promote and spread the real music, real language, real culture instead of the surrogate offered at the moment. This represents the most important cultural mission of theirs - to bring Belarusian language and culture closer to masses.
And as for opposition… I guess that without vision of development their demonstrations are destined to remain where they are now. And finally, one goes there not to listen to rockers.
Any changes in Belarus are better than the gravely silent status - quo. Any changes are for the best…
Photoes: http://slaver.info/
by czalex
The story begins with the scene of two crowds of people meeting on the bridge over Bug - the river now marking Belarus to Poland border. Those who run from Germans approaching from the West meet refugees from the East who run for life from attacking Soviet Army. Wajda’s “Katyń” is a movie about fate: fate of people who lost their country to two aggressors with no visible chance to get it back as they had it before September 1, 1939. It is fate of Polish officers taken prisoners and awaiting execution without knowing what expects them. It is fate of their wives, relatives, sons and daughters who are destined to live in post-war totalitarian Poland where saying the truth about murderers of their loved ones are death-dangerous.
We follow a Polish woman shown a propaganda trailer about Katyn massacre calling to fight on Hitler’s side. After “liberation”, the same trailers are demonstrated in an attempt to pursuade Poles that their relatives were killed by the Germans. Neither truth is anywhere to be found nor hope. ![[Image]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/98/Katyn_movie_poster.jpg/200px-Katyn_movie_poster.jpg)
The war is far from the screen: officers’ fate is the only prism through which we get to understand that it in fact existed. This war was neither Polish, nor Belarusian. And all in all, this movie is not about someone’s war.
Somehow watching the movie I was smiling at Polish demonstrative patriotism and gestures so typical for historic epics. A boy applying for university demonstratively rejects to correct bio data about his father killed in Katyń. Some minutes later he dies shot by the Communist police. A woman surrenders herself to the secret police to give cemetary servants time to install a memorial on the grave of his brother executed in Katyń. Another woman rejects a life-saving marriage with a Soviet officer saying proudly, “I’m wife of a Polish officer”.
Maybe this looks strange to us because we Belarusians are different people from them. We are nordically slow, awaiting, and reasonable. And this might be the biggest shame of ours, this inability of such poetical self-rejection. We are capable only of degenerative smiles and comments on the LJ minsk_by community.
The last scene really impresses: the officers get thrown out of trucks, they see trenches with their killed comrades and they understand that it is the moment their life is over. And in five minutes those people who had just been alive, who moved and thought, who cared about each other are lying in the trenches disappearing under bulldozer. The next time they appear is in 3 years when the Germans will discover the grave.
Actually, Belarus has a direct connection to Katyń as well. Thousands of officers and two generals of the Polish Army had been murdered there, one of them was called Branisłaŭ Bahatyrevič (Bronisław Bohatyrewicz). He was born in Hrodna in a Belarusian aristocratic family; in 1918-1919 he set-up and headed a local self-defence unit which became a national Belarusian division later.
By the way, one of the heroes of Wajda’s movie is a general.
Let us sometimes see the same kind of movie about Belarusian Kurapaty, the same tragedy which had been cynically rejected by both Nazis and Soviets. This tragedy being no less auful than Katyń was uncovered only after 50 years of silence and still remains in the shadow zone for the current regime.
Knowing that means never allowing such things again.
Near Palonka village located in Baranovichi district one would see a big stone. It marks the place where the Rzeczpospolita Army defeated twice bigger army of the Moscow Duchy in 1660 thus ending the “Unknown War”, which had claimed lives of more than half of the Belarusian population. Now there is not even a small sign there to commemorate that event.
Why? - one would ask. Answering emotionally - just because Belarusians don’t give a shit about their history.
But let us recall those great events. The battle took place in the morning of June 28th, 1660. Two armies clashed on the river bank: the Moscow one guided by the Duke Ivan Chavanski, and the Rzeczpospolita Army made of 6 000 Litvan soldiers and Stefan Carniecki division made of 4250 troops. The battle was over in 3 hours with a full defeat of the Moscow group. Author of the “1660 Campaign in Litwa” Pollack Krzysztof Kosarzecki evaluated Moscow side losses in 800 riders and 2.5 troops. Sapieha and Carniecki lost round 300 troops.
Palonka battle have become a breaking line for Rzeczpospolita in this battle with Moscow which had claimed more than half of the Belarusian population: from 2900 000 people in the beginning of the war only 1300 000 Belarusians (Litvans) had seen its end.
After more than 300 years a commemoration sign had been erected in the place the battle took place: in 1994 200 to 400 people witnessed this event. This report happened to be shown on the Belarusian TV in the same block with a coverage of Russian Parliament speaker Uladzimier Sumiejka visit. Due to this coincidence local authorities decided to remove the sign which had been done by the head of the district executive office himself the next day. He was afraid that on the inprovement wave of Belarus - Russia relations this sign would be treated as an unfriendly act and might influence bilateral relations. Organizers of this event had been called for explanation to the local department of the KGB for several times the next days.
Stone stood with no sign till 2000 when the TBM (Belarusian Language Society) had installed a 1 by 2 banner to commemorate the 340th anniversary of the battle. It survived just for three weeks.
I am far from the thought that this act had been designed by the KGB. Vandals had been most likely guys from neighboring village. Since 2000 the TBM organizes frequent study trips here, but no one apart from Baranovichi residents know about the place. Or (what is more likely) they don’t want to know. We like to blame authorities in everything: they are interfering with us, they don’t allow us to value our history, all that whining shit. However, for this vandalic act the local residents are to be blamed and no one else. As Miensk residents are for molesting the Kurapaty memorial. No one investigates into both cases, no one looks for vandals, and no one wants to act to undo the damage.
Please don’t treat that as too personal.
Devoted to the “humanitarian” students (historians, philologists, paedagogists and others).
The thing is that I always bump into people who have very optimistic or idealistic apprehension of their nearest future. That’s, surely, no bad, but these are the humanitarians! Here is how most students of the history department are thinking: “Let me graduate first, we’ll do the thinking later”. Girls want to get a good husband, guys dream of working abroad or on Zhdanovichi market (the biggest market in Belarus - eolonir). A lot of students geniunly think that the study will guarantee the quality of their life in the future: they want to work as archivists, teachers, research within their branch. All in all, they genuinly believe that when these high schools are working, than the state needs that. “We should play the rules in this system”.
These naive people don’t even understand which bomb is ticking under their lives. Reasoning like this might throw you away forever. And I really feel sorry for those students who geniunly try to study now. Morning - tea - university - beer - TV - seminaria preparation - sleep. A chain of 5-years long might take one to a disaster.
I will give my reasoning here. You study for 5 years getting 80 USD scholarship a month. After graduation you are OBLIGED to work for 2 years for the state without any right to choose the place and sometimes - even the job, otherwise you have to pay back tuition fees for 5 years. But this is a fraud. When you are obliged to do something - it means that your studies had not been free from the very beginning. And you are now barred from the most natural of your rights - the freedom right. O.K., shall we take a train to our first 2-year “happy placement” location? And we find 120 USD salary for the archivists and 160 USD a month for teachers, sometimes even without covered accomodation. I was shocked when I realized that a retired archivist gets 140 USD pension + some other miserables!
In addition, all male students have to throw 1 year of their lives away to serve in the army of the state which for some reason considers itself a leader of all criminal regimes in the whole world. You don’t need this army! After having returned home you will understand that you have lost all intelligence resulting from 5 years of the university studies.
Here is what I want to say: forget the state. Study yourself and only what you consider interesting, develop your professionalism, travel, try other countries, study abroad, if necessary - forget the university, when needed - leave the country. Ok, ok, don’t kick me here, AAAAAAAAAA! 
Let this state lose professionals which define the essence of every nation, let it stink, let the proletariat dominate it. Let it all go to hell!
Think only for yourself, forget any romatism. Everyone survives like he or she can. Don’t play the rules. Spirit and materia are fighting, and the spirit should temporarily retreat. Do just one useful thing for yourself, for the state, for the future, for freedom - improve yourself. Don’t waste yourself, keep for the future - it will come for sure!
The topic dominating the pro-democratic publications in Belarus now is whether to continue usage of the Belarusian language classic spelling or shift to a new one which had just been passed by the “parliament”. At the same moment quantity of Belarusian - language schools keeps decreasing.
However, there are positive changes. In Biaroza, a father has insisted and won in his effort to provide Belarusian classes fror his children.
May be it is better to open classes like this instead of finding mistakes in other’s speeches and wasting time on deep analyses which spelling is better?
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It is often spoken about domination of the leftists in the European political field and journalism. And the best indicator of that process is the way leftist journalists are speaking about their antagonist colleagues.
Political correctness of Europe requires putting on the rightists such ”renouned” labels like “rightist radical”, “ultraright”, “nationalistic” (i.e. “you are a bad man”). Wikipedia has a detailed list of the rightist parties which looks and sounds more like a “shooting list” of the 30-ies Soviet “Pravda”. The radical leftist list here is five times shorter and is not illustrated the way like is those parties had been a threat. Like, there are extreme-left parties, but at the same moment they don’t exist. And of course they don’t pose any threat.
The talk here is not about soundness of radical left ideas vs radical right ones, but about freedom of expression and speech, which even the Western journalists have a problem with.
An “ultraleft definition” can be met quite rarely in the Western press with all-the-time reference to hopeless maoists and anarcho-syndicalists. Ecopopulists from the “Greenies” are not the “radical left”. Even communists are not there! But should any influential political force rise its voice in favour of limiting the 
immigration or deportation of unintegrable immigrants who are not eager to accept ideas of democracy and freedom, they will be immediately marked as “nazis”. Increasing presence of comunism, ultraislamists or greenies are not considered by the journalist community as a threat. Why, how dare you? Greenies are protecting the nature, are you against preserving forests and killing animals?
May be journalists are real fathers of political correctness. The “nationalist” word has acquired negative sence long ago, no one would like to be called a nationalist, like the words “roma” and “nigger” has disapeared from the paper language. At the same time, series of policians which are no more tolerant or better than their ultra-right colleagues use the “socialist” label. Being an ultraright politician is shameful, but being ultraleft is fashionable! It is even attracting! An ultra-left politian is perceived alike a long-beared ecologist in the field uniform who want to take everything fromm bad richies and distribute that all among the good and the poor. Ja, and to save poor delphins from dying Ultra-right is a bad skinhead who eats Turkish children for breakfast. Being ultra-right is bad and the degree of this corruptness is not to be discussed!
Continue reading ‘Hunting The "Ulties" Down’
Talented people were usually leaving Europe for America and Canada, and had been doing that till the very recent days. Entrepreneurs could realize their ambitions much easier in more liberal United States, Australia, or Canada, than in socialist Europe. Just recall Arnold Schwarzenegger who quitted his European Austria for the US dream.
Demographically Europe is dying, and after 50 years is going to turn into one big house for elderly people. That concerns not just the age, but also dinamism, innovativeness, proactiveness of position. Even now Western Europeans are the people who need nothing else from the world but to have their social guarantees and a croissant in the morning. They are sure the state will take care of them. And as a result, European culture is retreating under a passionate influence of active immigrants from Turkey, Africa or the Middle East.
Economically, countries of South-Eastern Asia together with the USA, Brasilia, India, and China are going to dominate in the world of the 21st century. Ok, adding up Russia whose oil influence will not decrease until Chinese economy is growing. The EU has no strategy for development, and has no clear view for the next 10 years. This might end in one of the 2 variants; either acceptance of liberal values and imminent economic and political increase, or a crisis with a post-acception of liberal values. Now Europe walks more the second way.
Continue reading ‘European March As A Ticket For Titanic - 2 (by czalex)’
