Piektdiena, 5. novembris (2010)
Cien. lasītāj!
Sakarā ar aktuālo, vismaz mani dziļi šokējušo notikumu ar daktera Sluča un ministra Kristovska visā pasaulē izbazunēto "krievnīdīgo rasismu", jutos spiests ierakstīt Maijo klīnikas, daktera Sluča darbavietas, Facebook blogā savu izpratni par situāciju.
Jasaka, ka, kā tādos gadījumos pierasts, blogs ir piegāzts pilns ar Krievijas, krievu un "krievvalodīgo" sašutuma kaucieniem un brēcieniem pēc svaigām asinīm. Pats par sevi saprotams, krievu internets ir liels, sarīkot talku, lai nolinčotu "latviešu nacistus" šiem ir nieks un patīkama izklaide.
Ja arī Tu vēlies ieskatīties minētajā blogā (tajā, ko rādīja pa televizoru, ar latviešu ārsta bildi komentāros ar nacistu kāškrusta banti uz rokas - žanra klasika), un varbūt atstāt arī savu piezīmi, tad dodies uz šejieni:
http://www.facebook.com/top ic.php?uid=7673082516&topic=14565
Un te nu ir mans devums lauzīta angļu valodā, kas vairak vai mazāk dublē agrāko rakstu, bet lai jau nu ir ar:
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Dear Mayo,
First, let us assume the published e-mail letter is indeed authentic, which remains to be seen. Though not that it would be of importance to what I am going to say.
Second, the supposed Mr. Slucis letter at the beginning talks about the huge number of Russian in Latvia and then it says:
"I am visiting Latvia only on the "regular" occasions because as a doctor I could not provide to Russians equally good a treatment as compared to Latvians, and that is not permissible, so I am waiting."
Now, a person familiar with situation in Latvia knows that there is a great number of Soviet post-WWII immigrants illegally brought in by Soviets to settle the occupied Baltic states. Partially this was to compensate for population loss caused by Soviets themselves, including killing and en masse deportations to Soviet labour camps when USSR occupied Latvia in 1940 and once again after the WWII was over.
These Soviet immigrants who normally are referred to as “Russians”, though actually they are a mix of different ethnic groups, normally do not speak Latvian. If they do, their language skills are very poor.
Many of these people are Soviet indoctrinated, and have strong Soviet and Russian nationalist sentiments, often hate local people, the Latvians, for struggling to maintain their language and culture. Even if they do know some Latvian normally they challenge the Latvians by forcing Russian to be used in conversation.
Many of them consider themselves belonging more to Russia than to their country of residence. Influence of anti-Western Russian politicians and mass media in Russian speaking segment of the society is dominating.
It is common for Latvian citizens to be discriminated against by Russian speaking businesses, who ignore the law which makes servicing customers in state language, the Latvian, mandatory.
Latvian state is trying to improve knowledge skills of young Russian speaking population, by intensification of teaching Latvian in schools, but this meets strong and aggressive resistance from local Russian speaking politicians.
So far the background information, and, keeping that in mind, we come to the essence. Pay attention:
1) Mr. Slucis makes no offensive or racist remarks with intent to insult Russians
2) Mr. Slucis claims that if he would go to Latvia to be a doctor, he could hardly provide equal treatment to both Russian and Latvian patients. That is all that he says! IMPORTANT!!! He does not say that *they do not deserve* equal treatment or that *he does not want* to provide equal treatment! He just could not provide it, for a very simple reason – he would not be able to communicate with his would-be patients without a dedicated translator. Most of them speak only Russian. Mr. Slucis does not.
3) Then Mr. Slucis frankly and professionally admits that such un-equal treatment is not acceptable. Which is very sound, ethical and responsible conclusion.
4) Mr. Slucis makes a decision to abstain from doing medical business until situation possibly changes in future. Which may be a sad decision for him.
THAT IS ALL!
There is no racism, no hatred, no discrimination whatsoever!
Well, actually there is. Though not in the Mr. Slucis letter.
This scandal brings to light the problem of dicrimination in Latvia, but it is discrimination and bullying of the original population, the Latvians, by nominally smaller (though it often feels itself as the part of the much greater Russia) but more aggressive minority.
First. It is not uncommon for Latvians to be denied proper treatment when communicating to Russian doctors and medical personnel in Latvia.
Second. A bit similar to the case of Mr. Slucis – a Latvian speaking Latvian (the state language) may be and often is denied employment possibility in Latvia, because of the widespread resistance to use Latvian by the local Russian minority. At the same time it is relatively easy for a Russian to find a job without any knowledge of the Latvian.
This, indeed, is discrimination of Latvians in their own country, due to the consequences of the 50 year Soviet occupation and rather cowardly attitude to the issue in the following decades, promoted by the EU authorities, preferring “politically correct” denial of the problem instead of solving it.
All this scandal was causing by a very simple chain of events:
After the recent Parliament elections in Latvia, two opposition parties, the largest of them official partner of Putin's “United Russia” with clear Communist and Soviet sympathies, claiming to “protect rights” of the local Russian speaking minority, used a supposed copy of the supposedly leaked one year old e-mail message published at a web site maintained by a reporter notorious for scandals and suspected to have links to the other party of the two, to create havoc by claiming that the new minister for Foreign Affairs, confirmed in position only a day before, is a “Russophobe” racist, thus discrediting this well know and successful politician, EU Parliament member Mr. Kristovskis. Russian media locally, in Russia, and in the whole Russian speaking media space went wild propagating this sensational news in the last twenty-four hours. Now, as you can see, brainwashed Russian nationalist Internet hoodlums are bombarding this website with their comments, crying for blood of doctor Slucis.
Again. Mr. Slucis has not written ANYTHING that would be racist or “Nazi”, or anything of the sort!
He has described the situation as it is, and has done so in a very professional and frank manner, though in a bit bitter way.
Mr. Slucis has been unlucky to become a victim of propaganda war waged by Russian Federation, which is hardly considered to be a democratic and free country, and its friends, partners and collaborators against the Baltic states and Poland (as well as Georgia and, as the case used to be, Ukraine). This is a dirty local party struggle, but it is a part of the larger picture. Your fine Mayo clinic has suddenly become involved in this propaganda war over the post-Soviet Europe too against its will.
Consider this. We in Latvia are experiencing media attacks, similar to the one your blog is seeing now, constantly. All over the last 20 years since we broke free form the USSR. Massive disinformation, defacing, information manipulation. It is the New Cold War.
So, please consider all this, relax and take with a bit of salt all this Russian “Nazi” and “discrimination” thing. For a very simple reason – it just isn't true.
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