Article

2006-04-25 Europe

In Finland, EU critic is gaining a following

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Posted by ryuge 2006-04-25 01:08|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "In some countries, people throw fish on the streets to show their discontent,"

I think I detect covert racism towards us fish throwers. Under International Law, fish throwing is a basic human right. I was going to organize a fish throwing protest in my neighborhood, unfortunately I slipped on something smelly on my driveway and hit my nose on the aformentioned substance and consequently can't separate the smoked fish throwers from the pickled fish throwers. And............

Posted by phil_b">phil_b 2006-04-25 09:09|| http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/]">[http://autonomousoperation.blogspot.com/] 2006-04-25 09:09|| Front Page Top

#2 More fish tossing.

Posted by 6 2006-04-25 09:43|| 2006-04-25 09:43|| Front Page Top

#3 Finland is still under Swedish Law, from the early 18th Century, not Napoleonic Law, which is how they do things in Brussels. Its way of doing business may therefore be closer to Common Law England than the majority of the continent.

This matters because different legal systems really define countries, and behave like oil and water with each other.

The EU is Napoleonic dominated, which is why so much of it is increasingly repugnant to everyone else. There is a good chance that it will become intolerable over time.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-04-25 10:21|| 2006-04-25 10:21|| Front Page Top

#4 ...negative feelings about the EU, with the difficulty of understanding what the bloc actually does cited among the greatest problems.

This one is easy. They raise your taxes, steal your land, suppress your voice and expect you to make them rich while you are a new serf. Simple!

Posted by DarthVader 2006-04-25 10:25|| 2006-04-25 10:25|| Front Page Top

#5 Ah, yes Ship. Fond memories of the FlorAla. It's now Gone With the Wind

Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues 2006-04-25 13:27|| 2006-04-25 13:27|| Front Page Top

#6 Soini, for his part, has no hesitation about the way forward for Finland. "We need to escape from the heart of darkness in Brussels and stop licking the EU's boots," he says.

We'll have to ask EU Comissioner Kurtz about that...

Posted by mojo">mojo 2006-04-25 13:43|| 2006-04-25 13:43|| Front Page Top

#7 #3 'moose - Louisiana's law is Napoleonic, too.

Hmmmm. That explains a lot, methinks.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2006-04-25 15:46|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html] 2006-04-25 15:46|| Front Page Top

#8 a reluctant partner with Moscow during the Cold War

Err...not really. Maybe the guvmint was, but the population was quite anti-American in Helsinki when I was there in the late 80's, so much so that they made the Russians look like they adored us.

Posted by Desert Blondie 2006-04-25 18:30|| http://azjetsetchick.blogspot.com]">[http://azjetsetchick.blogspot.com] 2006-04-25 18:30|| Front Page Top

#9 DB - since you have visited Helsinki and have the word Blondie in your nickname, may I infer that you have some Finnish heritage? If so, it's interesting how many of us end up here in the Arizona desert. If you ever post anything about visiting Helsinki on your website, I'd love to read it. Haven't been there, but it's on my long list of things I might do before I die.

Posted by ryuge 2006-04-25 19:08|| 2006-04-25 19:08|| Front Page Top

#10 Desert Blondie-Had the same experience myself in 1994. Was kinda surprised-they were vehemently anti-American. Was disappointed, too-I had quite A thing about Finland up til then.

Posted by Jules 2006-04-25 20:11|| 2006-04-25 20:11|| Front Page Top

#11 Finnicky Finns

Posted by jim#6 2006-04-25 21:50|| 2006-04-25 21:50|| Front Page Top

#12 ryuge, nah, I'm not Finnish, at least not that I'm aware of. The blonde part comes from the Lithuanian side of my family.

What the hell all us blondes end up doing in the desert is a mystery, though! (Just moved to Florida....like it here too, but miss my native state a lot.)

I was there twice in the late '80's, for stopovers before we went to Russia on a student trip. It *is* a beautiful country, but I enjoyed my much briefer stay in Sweden far more.

I did write about it on my blog when I first started it, but it is not a place I was ever planning on returning to, chief among them was the attitude towards me when they realized I wasn't Finnish but apparently could pass for one. You would have thought they caught a spy or something. I wish I was kidding.

When I was walking around, they would start talking to me in Finnish, and when I probably butchered the words, "I'm sorry, I don't speak Finnish," damn, did I get lectures on how the US sucks! In Sweden, they would start talking to me in Swedish, and when I butchered "Sorry, I don't speak Swedish," they would just laugh and switch to English.

I thought they just hated Americans, but my Russian sweetie told me they treated Russians pretty much the same way. The Swedes I talked to about it just kind of stifled it and nodded, so they might get crap too when they visit. Maybe it's a cultural thing, or just a Helsinki thing, I don't know. I didn't get any crap in Turku, but Helsinki was really anti Yankee.

It's weird, because the Finns I met here in the states and overseas were polite and cordial.

Possibly they would cut you some slack because you are of Finnish descent. I sure hope so! Some places are like that (hate Americans, but are ok as long as you have some family roots there).

Go there, see the incredible scenery (and architecture, definitely in a style all its own...there's a reason Finns are known as wonderful designers!), but don't get shocked if they get in your face because you are American. They did it to me, they did it to Jules, and they did it to other people I know, so it's not anything personal....I think. Be prepared for the high prices, too, even by Scandinavian standards.

One other thing....if you go, fly Finnair. Their economy class was very nice, not a dungeon like most back-of-the-bus airlines. I'd happily fly them again, they are a terrific airline with great service.

Posted by Desert Blondie 2006-04-25 22:30|| http://azjetsetchick.blogspot.com]">[http://azjetsetchick.blogspot.com] 2006-04-25 22:30|| Front Page Top

23:52 Anonymoose
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