Festive Fir Fight: Baltics bicker over Xmas tree roots

It's the season of goodwill, but there's a chill in the air in the Baltic states - and it all because of the origins of the Christmas spruce. Latvia proudly proclaims to be the first, but its neighbors say they're barking up the wrong tree.

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[MrViTopol]

@PleasurablyNumb dumb eesti is dumber than a dumb latvian.

[MrViTopol]

@frickadele stay in school kiddo, u can get lucky, american schools are often places of shooting rampages... how u say, a, schmuck... is yours blue yet ?...

[Olga32555]

@vbyuer And in generally there are a lot of information on the internet about communism and about fashism, so you can find out the differences yourself if you still don't know it. Или как мы говорим по-русски в таких случаях- учите мат.часть прежде чем вести такие разговоры.Вы ведь говорите по-русски - ведь в Латвии невозможно даже уборщицей устроиться без знания русского языка :-) I advice you to stop to hate. Hatred ruins a person. And please don't write me any more.

[Olga32555]

@vbyuer And if Hitler would win - a lot of chances we would not talk now, because you could be not born - nazis wanted to restrict reproduction of non -germans. And not only i see difference between nazi Germany and Sowjet Union and between parade of veterans Red Army and processions of veterans Waffen SS. Because many officials all over Europe are on the red square in Moscow during pardes of vistory 9th may and procession of Waffen SS veterans are protested and condemned all ower the world.

[Olga32555]

@vbyuer if about quality of life - it is higher now in Russia if even you don't like it.Your words that we stopped your development in soviet time are lie.Your development was stopped 1918-1940, because the level of latvian indusitry in 1940 was 99 % from level of 1913. And in 1972 latvian industry has grown in 31 times in comoparison against 1940.

[Olga32555]

@vbyuer And why we russians should be ashamed about our history? Yes, revolution in 1917 was a great tragedy, but communist took power by force, it was civilian war in the country 4 years, we did fight against communist,10,5 millions people lost. By the way 80000 of latvian riflemen fighted on communistical side.After it comminsts did keep power with repressions. And to stop communism - it was inside choice of russians, we did it ourself when communist have a bit weakened reprisals.

[vbyuer]

@Olga32555

What victory are you talking about? The WW II for us ended with a 50-year-long enslavement. How is that a victory?

[vbyuer]

@Olga32555

You really don't see the parallels between Nazi Germany and Soviet Union? What is the difference between Stalin and Hitler? What is the difference between a soldier in the Red Army and a soldier in Waffen-SS? What is the difference between commemorating veterans of the Red Army or veterans of Waffen-SS?

[vbyuer]

@Olga32555

Besides, is it really that hard to understand that occupation has nothing to do with money or cinema?

Occupation is a forced, illegal control of a territory against the will of the people. Nazi imperialism or Soviet imperialism, there's no difference. Imperialism is imperialism and it really doesn't tell anything good about you or the Russian state that you go to such lengths to justify the enslavement of other nations instead of saying sorry.

[vbyuer]

@Olga32555

Somehow the quality of life in Latvia is still better than in Russia. For some reason the Latvian economy was more advanced than the Finnish one back in the 30's. Yet for some reason the development completely halted during the Soviet era. We are thrown back by 50 years thanks to your great housing. We don't want you, we don't need you. We don't need your money, we don't need your cinema. Thanks, but no thanks. We don't need any Russian "liberators".

[vbyuer]

@Olga32555

That's the WHOLE point - you're seeing Russia as some sort of a natural continuation of the Soviet Union. You're saying that the Russian goverment can't be ignoring Stalin's crimes, because they were denounced in 1956. This is what worries and upsets us at the same time. Soviet Union was a murderous dictatorship, be it 1943 or 1983. Instead of being ashamed of your past like the Germans, you're boasting about it.

[Olga32555]

@vbyuer Our foreign minister recently said Soviet Union saved Europe from its own madness, and he is right absolutelly. And by the way it was our common victory, and you say such things now...And german foreing minister (that one who was before Westerwelle) said that Soviet Union saved Germany of slavery of fascist ideology. So they said almost literally the same. Please think about it when you will have free time.