An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Canada
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Anonymous30 Apr 2005 10:40
In the first paragraph, you state that, "Canada espoused the universally honoured facts that Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania were occupied by force and illegally annexed." In reality, Russia is noisily asserting the opposite and is probably supported by the world's lunocraties: Belarus, North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Zimbawe, among others.

Someone should tell you that 'universal' is a categorical term and, similarly, that facts aren't espoused or honoured. They're asserted, or denied and it's ideas, tenets or doctrines that are espoused or honoured. Check your dictionary. Furthermore, there is no such thing as "de jure" continuity. It's a republic that can exist "de jure" or otherwise, not continuity. Your clumsy sentence construction should be modified to reflect the fact.

These are errors that appear in the first paragraph of your letter. The rest of it is in suit.

In a free country, we're all entitled to make an ass of ourselves as we wish and, therefore, I wouldn't call you to account if it were not for the fact that, to our embarrasment, you have written to the Prime Minister on our behalf.

All of you at the Estonian Central Council have been educated (or perhaps miseducated) at English-language universities. Surely, there is one among you who possesses a dictionary and a grammer. Consult it. Better still, have a peek at the "Open Letter to 5 World Leaders" in this edition of Eesti Elu. There, Kalju Mätlik and and Mart Niklus (who have English as a second language) write in a manner that serves as an example to you all.
Anonymous30 Apr 2005 15:29
I didn't know that all the EKN people had been educated at North American Universities. I certainly would never have guessed this given many of the English language releases they have put out in the past. Yes it is sometimes an embarrassment to some of us when they purport to speak for the entire Estonian expatriate community, especially at this level.
Is there some reason why they simply will not or cannot pay either the editor of Estonian Life or some other competent person to fix up their English beforehand?
Anonymous30 Apr 2005 18:39
You pose a good question.
Letter's fan02 May 2005 04:29
Anonymous is full of him(her?)self. Open letters are statements of opinion. They're not legal documents. I think the letter has been extremely well crafted.
to letter's fan02 May 2005 08:54
I disagree with you. Communication breaks down as we stray from accepted meanings. If a fact is "universally honoured", it is shown respect without exception. If this is what the original letter intends to state, then there is no argument. Why write the letter in the first place?
Anonymous02 May 2005 09:42
I know how to honour a person but I don't know how to honour a fact.
Perhaps the EKN can help us here. They know that some facts are universally honoured.
Juhan02 May 2005 05:22
Anonymous' picayune, petty attitude betrays a snobbish arrogance that isn't helful in the Estonian Central Council's efforts. I say lets applaud the Central Council for the initiative they are showing in exposing Moscow's hypocritical May 9 celebrations.
from the original anonymous02 May 2005 09:34
It's sad that some in our community speak both lousy English and lousy Estonian. It's disturbing when they say that's OK.
Old fashioned02 May 2005 10:04
I'll agree with you if I can add that the Council's initiatives should be effective. That imples communication in clear, grammatical English similar to that of Mätlik and Niklus.
Middle of the road02 May 2005 12:45
If this letter gets to the Prime Minister's desk he will laugh at us. It sounds something like composed by General Boom from an Offenbach musical.
where's the philosophers?02 May 2005 14:08
Those guys should be sticking there two bits worth in this talk because they know how to talk to a smart mouth and put him in his place and make him show respect for poeple doing a good job, and if somebody thinks they can do better let him step up to the plate and strut his stuff. There poeple out there that think school makes you smarter. Its not true because there lots of poeple with high, high education, even philosophy that arent as smart as Peter and Maxim whove told us stuff that others cant because theyve read books weve never even seen. I guess the guys at the Estonian council are doing a good job but when they retire I think that Peter and Maxim should get there jobs.
Pyotr02 May 2005 05:31
"De jure" can of course be applied to continuity. It implies successor status based on certain legal principles. Anonymous' lexical correctness pretends to be as childishly intimidating as the current trumpeting of political correctness. His "I'm smarter than you" whining is rather boring.
to Pyotr from another jerk02 May 2005 09:07
"De jure" means "by law", nothing more and nothing less.
What it might imply to you, to me and to everyone else is irrelevant because, in each case, it's something different.
pmo02 May 2005 14:08
to get the ekn letter because it does not challenge the weaknesses of the current governement ..... and please give ekn some credit here - to date they are the only ones that have been visible in trying to communicate to a broader audience the true story of stalin's occupation of eastern europe during ww2
XXX02 May 2005 14:17
It's not true. If you read read this newspaper with any regularity, you would know that Paul Goble does this with regularity in conventional and unambiguous English, in sharp distinction to the gibberish of the EKN.
to xxx02 May 2005 14:27
to my point .... yes paul goble does communicate very well, as do many other writers in eesti elu .... but who is taking it beyond the converted - a more difficult venture ... i only see ekn on that front
Friend of jerk02 May 2005 14:51
Your self-righteous, pompous nattering is rather tedious. EKN at least is one of only a few groups in Canada willing to put this to a public forum.
Maxim.04 May 2005 04:59
Unfortunately the "needles in this haystack" are none other than our old-guard Vironian club members, who will argue about grammar till the cows come home. Because this is their primary motive for living, nothing of importance ever gets done by this mob. No lifelong learning for them-nope; you'll never match up to anyrhing they've achieved in their days at Uni. I applaud the efforts of the Estonian Central Council in Canada, and call upon the Vironians to do the same, instead of barking up a fallen tree!!
eesti naine04 May 2005 07:41
... and they say women are cruel!
Just nii04 May 2005 11:12
...samad sõnad
Anonymous04 May 2005 12:04
Maksim, hoo are dem Vironians guys? Is dey som kinda universitee klub or vat?
Vat is madder wit youse peoples? Vee should be fight wit dose dam Rushians not wit eetch udder. So EKN not write so good Hinglish-Big deal, who kare?
You good guy, Maksim,why no run for da EKN president? You good Hinglish write-how about da Estonian?
Longtime observer04 May 2005 18:17
It seems as if Maxim got the boot from Vironia. Quite a feat. You have to be pretty loony for that to happen. But that he is. He proves it everytime he appears with his characteristically incoherent rants.
It is embarrassing to read. Poor fellow thinks that he is the only one in the world that knows anything. And he is always as mad as a wet hen because all that wisdom is locked up in a body that can't communicate.
Maxim.04 May 2005 21:51
It is a sad but repeatable act on intellectual violence, when people who have nothing to say, like you for example, simply tear shreds off your opponents. It seems like a good way of giving yourself a lift, because you only rip into your opponent, and everyone thinks you must be modest about your self to boot. However, we know your kind; and anyone trying to take on your shallow argument is the intellectual equivalent of diving into an empty pool of water. No thanks-instead of running my opponents into the ground, I'd rather support people who have something encouraging to say. In this case, the Estonian Central Council.
Toomas Merilo04 May 2005 20:24
OK, let's step back a bit and look at the "big picture". May 9th was indeed a "trap" the foreign affairs thugs working with Putin set for the East and Central Europeans. Figure this out for your selves... duh.

EKN's letter (and no, I had no part in it) reads better than most newspaper articles and makes a point... one that should be made!

To get hung up on whatever mistakes you have made in your POLISCI papers and to berate this letter because of its similarities is to DEFEAT its purpose: Putin's thugs want to make a mockery of Baltic claims of injustice... this should be expressed by OUR PM.

So stop showing everybody how "smart" you've become in university and pitch in. Obviously you care... make your efforts relevent.

T.
Esto05 May 2005 03:55
What can we, ordinary Estos, do to help the EKN's efforts?
Anna Nüüm05 May 2005 09:40
All this nattering, back-stabbing & overall useless whining makes me SICK!
Surely there's got to be something better you complainers can do with your time!
.... like volunteer to help the EKN
Toomas Merilo05 May 2005 21:02
In answer to "What can we, ordinary Estos, do to help the EKN's efforts?"

Here are some starters:
1. Drop by the ESTore whenever you're at the Esto House and talk to Avo to find out what's going on and whether you can help

2. Create an informal group willing to offer EKN input / proof-read stuff, etc.

3. Above all stay informed, read what you can about Estonian Russian relations... subscribe to Marian & Tunne Kelams "heads-up" e-mails (email me and I'll give you instructions)

4. Run as candidates for EKN (two years from now). Don't concern yourselves with whether you'll get the votes or not. May be get a "foreign policy" group together and present some candidates. I'm sure Eesti Elu can run free profiles for the recently graduated. AND turn out and VOTE for yourselves!!

As I said, this is just a starter list from the top of my head. If you wish to get involved, there are many ways I haven't even thought of. Will you be welcome?

Yes... and resoundingly so.
to: Toomas06 May 2005 03:29
You third suggestion appeals to me. I wonder if you, or anyone, can point to other good sources about this matter. (Apart from the obvious: Postimees and Päevaleht.)

Thanks in advance.
Ervin06 May 2005 06:02
Niisuguseid avalikke kirju peaks ka teistele riikidele ja riigimestele saatma, muidugi kohandavalt ja varjeeruvalt sellele kuidas olukorrad seda lubavad.
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