Skats no Igaunijas (tulkojums komentāros).

/P

I can’t quite understand all the words and I’ve just skimmed through some of the comments, ranging from downright outrage, insult to but, hey, we did have it coming after all and what’s a little dark humor.  I’d tend to pass it off as the latter and even venture to add that there are times when a little kick might be what’s needed to keep one from staying down too long in the same position, wallowing.  Of course that’s easy for me for me to say, as I sit here from afar in my comfy, heated house, thus far not lacking, looking out at the cold-snow.

And then again there’s this, that I just read today from the Baltic Times (not so good):

Web site calls for violent protest on Jan. 13

Jan 09, 2009
TBT Staff in cooperation with BNS

RIGA - The Latvian security police have launched a criminal investigation over a call to stage a violent revolt on Jan. 13, when mass protests are expected to take place in Riga, a police representative told the Baltic News Service.

Following reports about a call for violent riots and a coup on Jan. 13 that has been posted on an Internet website, the security police have launched a probe over a public appeal to overthrow state authority established by the Constitution or to change the political system by violent means, and distribution of materials to that end.

According to the Baltic News Service, the criminal probe has been launched over the appeal posted at http://www.nostarsaeimu.times.lv

“We urge all capacitated residents of Latvia to take part in the January 13 rally in Dome Square at 5.30 p.m and in a violent toppling of the government. Let’s gather at around 5.30 p.m. in Dome Square and head to the parliament building on 11 Jekaba Street armed with petrol bombs, pitchforks and tractors,” the statement said.

“The president from the zoo [a reference to the fact that the candidacy of Latvia’s incumbent President Valdis Zatlers was agreed among Latvia’s policymakers at the Riga Zoo] has already said he would not dissolve the parliament. Karlis Ulmanis [former Latvian president who came to power in a coup in the 1930s] was the only one in Latvia’s history to do what a president must do—to stage a coup. How long will they be building libraries instead of nursery schools?” the statement says.

Farmers are called to arrive for the rally with tractors for blocking streets to the parliament building to prevent police from accessing the parliament building. Farmers could also distribute pitchforks and other tools that could be used as makeshift weapons to people.

“We are calling on policemen and soldiers to feel part of the people that the ruling clique has just humiliated by cutting jobs and wages, while not forgetting to pay bonuses to themselves. We urge you not to turn against your own people, but to participate in and support the violent coup.”

“You got it right, we are calling for riots and a violent coup on Jan. 13,” authors of the statement said using an expletive against security police to mock its inability to find the still unidentified organizers.

Police declined to provide more details, citing investigation interests.

A Latvian language translation of Traffic’s song is at: http://www.tv3.lv/content/view/1712/85/

I couldn’t do justice to an English translation, since it really does require knowing specifics of what’s happening in LV.  But, in case anyone thinks that this typically Eastern European black humor piece is making fun of Latvia - which it’s not - below are a few lines toward the end of the song.

“If God were Estonian, then
He wouldn’t mock Latvia in this way.
If God were Estonian, then
Latvia wouldn’t be listing to one side.
/...../
No, we can’t do without Latvia,
For we share a stiff backbone.
The new Baltic Way is an empty store’s counter
That stretches from Narva to Rīga.”

Paldies, Elizabete par tulkojumu.  Looking further through the comments, someone did offer a rough translation.  So…I don’t see what seems to be the moral outrage on the part of some of the people.

Irena