Pandering to ethnic nationalism
The furore regarding Russia's so-called cyber-war tactics against Estonia makes for sensational headlines. Raising the bogeyman of an insurgent and beligerant Russia certainly makes better copy than exposing the extreme nationalism and institutional racism of many post-Soviet states.
Ethnic Russians, deprived of citizenship, language rights and employment in Estonia and Latvia, enjoy no sympathy from the West's media, still enthralled by the notion of these plucky states standing squarely against the might of Russia. This attitude of course ignores the realignment which has given these states the means to recover economically whilst failing to impose the norms expected of other EU states as regards protecting minorities.
Rampant national chauvinism an demotic right-wing posturing is ignored when manifested in Europe's newest states.
Ethnic Russians, deprived of citizenship, language rights and employment in Estonia and Latvia, enjoy no sympathy from the West's media, still enthralled by the notion of these plucky states standing squarely against the might of Russia. This attitude of course ignores the realignment which has given these states the means to recover economically whilst failing to impose the norms expected of other EU states as regards protecting minorities.
Rampant national chauvinism an demotic right-wing posturing is ignored when manifested in Europe's newest states.
Comments
sorry for my english
The western norm is not to view ethnic minorities within EU states as an inconvenience to be sent back to their ethnic homeland.
Whenever Russian minorities in the Baltic states and other ex-Soviet Republics are at question, these liberal values seem to go out the window. There is a double standard at work, and that double standard is dictated by prejudice against Russians and suspicion of their home country.