Economist Selects Estonia as 'Country of the Year'

[Äike]

Economist Selects Estonia as 'Country of the Year' (http://news.err.ee/politics/bdd3c049-efaf-4ee7-8eb2-8c81a243bc3f)

The Economist magazine's blog, Eastern Approaches, has chosen Estonia for its 2010 country-of-the-year award.

"For a country that emerged battered and blinking from Soviet occupation not quite 20 years ago, being the only country to meet the main rules of the continent’s main clubs is a triumph. Häid jõule ja head uut aastat!" congratulates a blog post from December 16.

The writers explain their criteria in recognizing Estonia. "From January 1st, when it joins the euro, it will be one of only two countries in the single currency area that actually meet its debt and deficit rules. The other is Luxembourg. But if you add another filter, the willingness to meet NATO’s target for defence spending of 2 percent of GDP, Estonia (at 1.9 percent next year) beats Luxembourg (0.7 percent) easily.

...

Even almighty Germany doesn't meet the debt and deficit rules, that's disappointing.

[esaima]

An other news at err.ee

Many Still in Extreme Poverty with Western Prices

There are around 100,000 people in Estonia, including 20,000 children, who need help because they cannot afford to buy even the essentials, said Piet Boerefijn, chosen as person of the year for his work as the Estonian Food Bank founder.

"It is a little shocking that Estonia is so small and we have so many people who live in poverty," Boerefijn said in an interview to ETV.

Boerefijn said he doesn't see how it is possible for someone in Estonia to live off of welfare alone, which is currently 65 euros and will in the new year rise to 77 euros. Prices, in the meanwhile, are just as high as in Western Europe, and they are increasing. To make matters worse, there are those who do not qualify for welfare becuase of bureaucratic technicalities.

The NGO founder said he knows a single mother whose only monthly income is 19 euros. "I don't understand how these people live, but they exist and there are a lot of them," said the Dutch-born Boerefijn who has lived in Estonia for 17 years. He said the Estonian government and people aren't fighting hard enough to help those in trouble.

Having helped tens of thousands of people, Boerefijn said the situation has improved since 10 years ago, but that social divides are still unacceptable. "We live in the same society and I don't think it's normal if one person gets 19 euros a month with a child and someone else makes 100 times more. It's not right and it's not fair," he said, adding that such inconsistencies are dangerous to the nation's health.

http://news.err.ee/economy/ce2938e5-07a9-4348-9173-4fa57f8bb704

And a comment about this news:


Well said Piet. You put the finger in an open wound of the Estonian society and show the absurd contrast to such articles like: Economist Selects Estonia as 'Country of the Year'... Let's work together to make Estonia a better place to live for all - and let's reduce self-praise in media to an acceptable level.

[Äike]

An other news at err.ee

Many Still in Extreme Poverty with Western Prices

There are around 100,000 people in Estonia, including 20,000 children, who need help because they cannot afford to buy even the essentials, said Piet Boerefijn, chosen as person of the year for his work as the Estonian Food Bank founder.

"It is a little shocking that Estonia is so small and we have so many people who live in poverty," Boerefijn said in an interview to ETV.

Boerefijn said he doesn't see how it is possible for someone in Estonia to live off of welfare alone, which is currently 65 euros and will in the new year rise to 77 euros. Prices, in the meanwhile, are just as high as in Western Europe, and they are increasing. To make matters worse, there are those who do not qualify for welfare becuase of bureaucratic technicalities.

The NGO founder said he knows a single mother whose only monthly income is 19 euros. "I don't understand how these people live, but they exist and there are a lot of them," said the Dutch-born Boerefijn who has lived in Estonia for 17 years. He said the Estonian government and people aren't fighting hard enough to help those in trouble.

Having helped tens of thousands of people, Boerefijn said the situation has improved since 10 years ago, but that social divides are still unacceptable. "We live in the same society and I don't think it's normal if one person gets 19 euros a month with a child and someone else makes 100 times more. It's not right and it's not fair," he said, adding that such inconsistencies are dangerous to the nation's health.

http://news.err.ee/economy/ce2938e5-07a9-4348-9173-4fa57f8bb704

And a comment about this news:

I wanted to post this thread, but looks like the local Estonian antagonist was faster than me. Increasing your post count, huh? :thumb001:

[esaima]

I wanted to post this thread
you wanted?lol

[Fortis in Arduis]

Just exterminate the poor people and soon Estonia shall rule ze verld!!! :evil

[Äike]

you wanted?lol

Yes, but you were faster. Estonian members being active isn't a bad thing.


Just exterminate the poor people and soon Estonia shall rule ze verld!!! :evil

Genocide on Russians isn't allowed and would be frowned upon by other countries. ;)

There are of course, poor Estonians too, but there are more poor Russians. In the recent years, there has been a increase in quality and people who cannot speak Estonian in Estonia have bigger difficulties getting jobs than people who do speak the official language. While at the same time, young Russians who speak Estonian and Russian, fluently, have a strong advantage over young Estonians who usually speak rather bad Russian or no Russian at all.

[esaima]

young Russians who speak Estonian and Russian, fluently, have a strong advantage over young Estonians who usually speak rather bad Russian or no Russian at all.
Yes, I agree.Youngsters´ Russian is really bad.

[lei.talk]

Originally Posted by Piet Boerefijn http://www.theapricity.com/forum/images/styles/blacksmart/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://news.err.ee/economy/ce2938e5-07a9-4348-9173-4fa57f8bb704)
"We live in the same society and I don't think it's normal if one person gets 19 euros a month with a child and someone else makes 100 times more. It's not right and it's not fair," he said, adding that such inconsistencies are dangerous to the nation's health.
does that sound as inane in the original language?
is he a demagogue (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/demagoguery) or a fool?

if you are giving away free money - a queue will form.


In a higher phase of communist society, after the enslaving subordination of the individual to the division of labor, and therewith also the antithesis between mental and physical labor, has vanished; after labor has become not only a means of life but life's prime want; after the productive forces have also increased with the all-around development of the individual, and all the springs of co-operative wealth flow more abundantly—only then can the narrow horizon of bourgeois right be crossed in its entirety and society inscribe on its banners: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!

- Critique of the Gotha Program (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critique_of_the_Gotha_Program)

[esaima]

does that sound as inane in the original language?
is he a demagogue (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/demagoguery) or a fool?

if you are giving away free money - a queue will form.

I am certainly not supporter of the marxist principle From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!
but he is not a fool.You have perhaps no idea how some Estonians live.
Maybe according to some Estonian member eveone has an expensive smatphone and all here are rich nordic overmen but real life is hard for many people.

[Äike]

Maybe according to some Estonian member eveone has an expensive smatphone

Not everyone, but smartphones are popular among Estonians. I have a Nokia N97 for instance.


and all here are rich nordic overmen but real life is hard for many people.

Estonians aren't rich when compared to people who didn't suffer from Soviet occupation. But Estonians are definitely the richest, ex-Soviet people. There's even a visible economic gap between Estonia and the countries which are inhabited by the Balts(Latvia and Lithuania). I am not even going to mention countries like Russia and Ukraine.

[esaima]

[QUOTE=Karl;316015] I have a Nokia N97 for instance.I even don´t remember which is my phones type exactly.Kind a ordinary one.
I do not fetish mobile phones and the question: which/how expensive is your phone is not important for me.
The main values I estimate are friendliness, broad-mindedness,tolerantness.


I am not even going to mention countries like Russia and Ukraine.
So, you think Ukrainians have no Nokia N97-s?

[Äike]

I even don´t remember which is my phones type exactly.Kind a ordinary one.
I do not fetish mobile phones and the question: which/how expensive is your phone is not important for me.
The main values I estimate are friendliness, broad-mindedness,tolerantness.

I also do not have a fetish for mobile phones, the Nokia N97 just has many capabilities which make it very useful.


So, you think Ukrainians have no Nokia N97-s?

Economic wealth isn't synonymous with having smartphones.

[Albion]

Economist Selects Estonia as 'Country of the Year'

Well done Estonia, keep up the good work and don't get to cosy with the EU as Ireland did.

[The Lawspeaker]

does that sound as inane in the original language?
is he a demagogue (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/demagoguery) or a fool?

if you are giving away free money - a queue will form.
Maybe he is right. They give money away for free... to the banks. What about the people. Should they be exploited ?

Besides: those robber barons make enough money as it is. The Russians did one good thing during the USSR: they had them lined up.

[esaima]

Now just an other opinion.
I hope noone starts to call me "unpatriotic" and "trolling your own country"if I post an article from an opposition newspaper.But I would not like to focus on politics now.
The article is about economy and describes the situation from non-governmental point of view.


Lucas’ „Estonian Rocket“ looks like the new “Challenger”

Edward Lucas appeared in The Economist magazine with his new praise, where he compares Estonia with a rocket heading to the skies. He brings mind stimulating figures about industrial production and export, but somehow forgets to mention other figures, which are more familiar to the rocket that is about to lose its tail.

Lucas' selectivity should not come as a surprise, for the East and Central European correspondent of The Economist is a long-time admirer of Mart Laar and its liberal reforms, and a long time friend of the two-times prime minister. Readers who are more informed might remember that there were rumors in the 90s about Laar having bought for state money the entire pages in the major economical publications where Western businessmen were preached about "Estonian economic miracle".


Estonia has ran out of dividends
I admit that state promotion brought Estonia some dividends and attracted investments. In the same time, those investments could not protect Estonia from the two major crisis - 1998 and 2009. Moreover, at the end of 90s, foreign investors started to pull their investments out of Estonia, which further worsened the problems in the economy. It were the foreign banks that with the support by our government, initiated the loan boom and literally put Estonian population on the loan needle.

Lucas writes that Estonian industrial production rose in September by 21,7 % compared to August, and export by 41 %. The specialist of post-soviet economy believes that Estonia has already made up the losses incurred during the crisis. Lucas is also fascinated by the fact that by accessing both euro-zone and NATO Estonia has managed to adhere to the requirements of both "clubs". So that the "Toompea's dreamer" Ansip can take some rest.

Now about the figures that The Economist didn't say a word about, but which have been addressed by other sources. According to Arvo Sarapuu, member of the Economic Commission of the Parliament, high industrial and export figures only reflect that Estonia has capitalized on power shortages in neighboring countries and has started to sell them our energy in large quantities and with high price. One might say that export is export, but Sarapuu says that such export may also rise power prices for our local consumer and local Estonian industry - prices is dictated by demand.



Estonians have harder and get smaller pay
Lucas' article lacks other numbers, too. According to Eurostat, unemployment did not decrease in this year, as our government tells us, but it continuous to increase and reaches 18.6 per cent by the end of the third quarter. Economic advisors close to the Stencbock residence justify it with the increase of efficiency in Estonian companies. OK, but in this case the increase in efficiency is also indicated by a decrease of salary expenses by 6% during the last year in Estonian companies. In other words, people work harder and get less paid.

Statistics Estonia has published another figure that makes one to doubt in increased business efficiency. Namely, investments into Estonian companies have decreased by 16 per cent, whereas the profits have grown by a third. In other words, instead of investing into future, our entrepreneurs prefer to allocate it differently - by buying new luxury cars and yachts, or simply keeping their money in some safe Western bank. That's of course their personal business but doubts about Estonian sunny future only get worse.

There are some more unpleasant figures one could use to illustrate Lucas' article. Number of people living below poverty level has tripled during the last four years - from 7 per cent to 20. Those are already the figures published by OECD. If economic growth causes such extensive social shocks, it would definitely raise a question: why would it be necessary if not for a few to fill their pockets and for the head of the government ot prepare his safe landing in some halls in Brussels?

Seems like Edward Lucas intends to imitate famous film director Georg Lucas. Howeve, Edward Lucas has succeeded in adopting the genre of science fiction. He does not consider that although planets shown in the movie "Starwars" do not exist in the real life, people still want to see them. But as a kind of serious article, written by a kind of serious journalist, and published in a kind of serious publication should be much more than that.


http://www.kesknadal.ee/eng/uudised?id=16009