I keep checking WikiLeaks for the horde of secret diplomatic cables out of the US Embassy in Tallinn. "Local demagogue known for shady real estate dealings!" "Wealthy chocolatier may have connections to organized crime!"No such luck. Just more about Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, and Israel. *Yawn* Guess they haven't caught on yet that Estonia is the center of the universe.
This week, the group seeks to release 251,287 leaked US embassy cables, 610 of which are out of Estonia, though they aren't up yet. It's prompted mass media coverage and fiery op-eds about freedom of information in the 21st century. I am sure all journalism majors out there will be writing about this for their senior paper. I personally am neither a friend nor foe of the effort. They got me with this line though:
Every American schoolchild is taught that George Washington – the country’s first President – could not tell a lie. If the administrations of his successors lived up to the same principle, today’s document flood would be a mere embarrassment.
George Washington? I see we've headed back to the Enlightenment. It confuses my cynical 21st century soul. I keep reading that line over and over again and shaking my head and looking at the photo of WikiLeaks' enigmatic front man Julian Assange wondering if I've slipped into some forgotten episode of The X-Files where Crispin Glover has been cast as an Andy Warhol-lookalike computer hacker.
While I am, like everybody, keen to learn more about US policy, I would also appreciate if WikiLeaks provided more information on other countries. Because of its access to those cables, global interest, plus perhaps the prevalance of English, the bulk of the material seems to be about the US. As an American, I have to say, not fair! An international media organization should provide more content than that. In other words, where are the confidential Russian cables, Julian? We in Estonia await more.
20 kommentaari:
The fact that your country has so many documents floating around and that people are willing to leak them is why there are so many out there. Churnalism even works in the leak-world I suppose. Plus your country is seen as the Western World's nasty school bully by many, so naturally the crazy Australian hacker is trying to cut down the tall poppy...
Sure Adam and the rest of the "free world" isn't a willing participant in all of this.
I recommend reading the very colorful description of a Caucasus wedding, sent by the Moscow embassy - what attention to detail! What a wealth of ethnographic data! So enjoyable...
Here's that Caucasus Wedding description -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112905431.html
Enjoy.
Despite it's exotic overtones, "Caucasian Wedding" really is in essence a description of post-soviet oligarchy.
I was somewhat reminded of Estonian 90's. So many things to wonder about now.
Anyone knows any other good wikileaks?
I'd like to read some american diplomat's cable back to the mothership after a good "saunapidu" either in Estonia or, even better, Russia. I can imagine their struggles with trying not to offend their hosts by braving the steamroom for extended periods of time and strong beating with the birtch branches or by drinking each toast of vodka in one gulp to the bottom, by not refusing some hairy fat guy to wash your back, etc., etc.
Most of them civil servant types coming from some East Coast stogy blue-blood Ivy leaque backround, it is all so alien to them. It would be pure comedy.
*Most of them civil servant types coming from some East Coast stogy blue-blood Ivy leaque backround, it is all so alien to them. It would be pure comedy.
These "type" people from "those" stogy "East Coast" Schools???
Those Blue Blooded, Ivy League types.
(that would seem to include most of all of your schoolmates and friends from home).
Better not bleed too near your readers as you might get some of that maternal blue blood on them from my/your many great-grandparents side... (the Irish side) and be sure to keep that Uni diploma well concealed from your readers as well.... because DC and NY...are the East Coast.
Um, ma, my name's not Piimapukk.
* Giustino ütles...
Um, ma, my name's not Piimapukk.
Um, Justin, I know who this is...
It's just that I feel compelled to address anything that "speaks" narrow minded sterotypes.
Is Piimapukk our relative or something? I don't get it.
What's wrong with East Coast stogy blue-blood Ivy leaque stereotypes in sauna? It would be funny.
Thank you, Joshua. I think so too.
G, I am your lost twin. You know, the evil one.
Mum just lost her funnybone.
No worries. She'll come around.
Giustino ütles...
Is Piimapukk our relative or something? I don't get it.
No way.. a peep from there for sure...
[i]Despite it's exotic overtones, "Caucasian Wedding" really is in essence a description of post-soviet oligarchy. [/i]
Aw, c'mon... How much do you know about situation in Dagestan? Hint: not remotely comparable.
that one with Prince Andrew in Bishkek is pretty good
Addressing the Ambassador directly, Prince Andrew then turned to regional politics. He stated baldly that "the United Kingdom, Western Europe (and by extension you Americans too") were now back in the thick of playing the Great Game. More animated than ever, he stated cockily: "And this time we aim to win!"
siTo assuage any fears about my really being the very last liivlane, let me assure everyone that that was a name given me by viimnevadjalane when we thought ourselves to be the last of our respective tribes. Subsequent to that, I’m glad to report that there is an activist group in Kuramaa bent on reviving their liivlaste heritage. Sadly the vadjalased have all been russified.
But that’s not why I’m writing today. I would like to call up all swedes who have a good conscience following the drop in popularity of their king as a subsequence of the publication of what the life he lived was really like.
Get with the program swedes – England has lived through realising that they also had very real feelings when they tragically lost Princess Diana because she had human feelings. For England I would like to see all those students who rioted against the Conservative goverment last week come out again with signs that read ‘Free Assagne’ and truly I don’t expect them to be more articulate than that.
However, of the swedes, I would like to see at least 1,000 women out in Stockholm bearing placards which read ‘I had consensual sex with Julian Assagne’ and here’s why – you have a king who enjoyed life, so let the rest of the world know that deceit gets you nowhere. (For those who need this explained, rape charges generally come down to 'he said / she said' as you know there usually are no witnesses to testify and this is why I'm questioning Sweden's intentions, particularly when they are usually so reticent to speak out for or against anything...let me not be suspicious that this has anything to do with the publication of the king's private memoirs. No, much too simple I say.
In the US deceit has caused people to construct conspiracy theories which in turn has immobilized their spiritual development. Don’t let that happen in Sweden. Can we ever know who shot JKF?
And, as far as content goes, Estonia really comes out the winner as we all had concerns about paragraph 5 of the NATO agreement following that very serious Russian incursion into Georgia in August 2008.
First let’s get some interest going – I have to say that Medvedev really does look like Robin (Batman’s sidekick for those who didn’t know that) and there’s no proving or disproving that. You Justin are more perceptive than the entire staff of the US Embassy in Tallinn if you noticed that the former Russian Ambassador Uspenski looked like the Grinch that Stole Christmas and they didn’t.
To sum, we in Estonia are well positioned to help Russia enter the real world where image counts, where positioning has to be transparent, and the brass ring goes to the true winner and not an imposter.
No doubt the new NATO cyberscpace security agreement which the US just this week signed up with Estonia is a significant step – can we get some ‘Free Assagne’ action going in the US as well do you suppose? Estonia can only come out a winner.
"Aw, c'mon... How much do you know about situation in Dagestan? Hint: not remotely comparable."
I know about the situation in Estonia, being estonian myself. And the text had similarities to the society of Estonian 1990's. That's what I was saying. Your taking my sentence out of context. It was intended to lead into: "I was somewhat reminded of Estonian 90's."
The oligarchs, the backdoor political deals with each other, parties with "celebrities", corruption, shootings... very familiar.
And I stand behind that opinion.
When I speak of similarities I mean people like Meelis Lao or Mait Metsamaa (the dead 666 guy).
They wouldn't be out of place in that party.
Could be caucasian culture influencing the soviet mob culture, which has influenced the post-soviet "businessman" culture.
Estonia has never had a neighbor named Ramzan Kadyrov giving 5 kg gold pieces to local oligarchs. Yeah, there were shootings. How many Estonian police officers were killed during the 90-s, 4 or 5? That much get killed in Dagestan (population: 2,5 million) in one and a half weeks, if not less.
Just some everyday business to start the winter with
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