From: ryyti@jyu.fi (Jarmo Ryyti)
Subject: Re: Bilingualism - a good cause!
Organization: University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 15:32:54 GMT

Matthew Huntbach (mmh@dcs.qmw.ac.uk) wrote:
: In article <1993Jan7.164927.1@cc.helsinki.fi> thietaniemi@cc.helsinki.fi writes:
: 
: I was very careful to say "Estonia", meaning the government,
: rather than "Estonians" meaning the people. Clearly it would be
: wrong to say that individual Estonians are necessarily guilty
: of the prejudfice shown by their government.

Well, I can write openly that my hear beats for the small nations and peoples
of Europe.

The russians are the largest single people, 101 mill. in Europe according
to World Almanac. I have nothing against the russians but I still see that
my duty is to support small nations in Europe and their right for
the existence. May be I am on a wrong side, but it does not matter.

There is only 1 million estonians existing in Europe/Estonia. 
Many small nations of Europe have already disappeared, assimilated and
many are about to assimilate into the bigger ones. Best I know the
situation around in the North-West of Europe. There is left just tens
of votians any more, it is a matter of time when the last will die.
Then we have one cultre less in the world and they never return and
we are that more poor.

The liidians are not many more left in the banks
of Baltic Sea. Karelians are less than one hundred thousands, they have
not yet own standard karelian written language even. Vepsians are estimated
being c. 5000 on the shores of Onega. The last Forest-Finn of Sweden died
in 1960's...etc. etc. Is it that you want Huntbach?

But still we find "huntbaches" which are concerned about the largest
single people of Europe and its existence? I would not wonder if in the
newsgroup came out "an other huntbach" which would start a campaign
for the favour of english-speakers in Europe, because they are so badly
treated by for instance karelians!


I see Europe from an other angle than "the huntbaches"

Small peoples of Europe fight for their
existence, for their culture. "The centers" are against their goals. The
majority is allways right?

Paris is against all the attempts corsians do to get rid of theri "center",
London does not like Northern Ireland movement.
Madrid dislikes the basques and their fight for their culture and independence.
The tone is the same everywhere in Europe. The chauvisnism of bigger
nations is a daily programme.

There is allways a bigger culture, a more powerful against smaller ones.
So first when a smaller culture does not make any more "harm" bigger
nations can afford symphaty and open-mindness. When welsch is no more
powerful it is tolerated. When the basques become a marginal group in Spain
it will be tolerated, otherwise if they want some more they face armed
forces "in the name of Unity."

The center orietated thinking is deep.
 The idea of "unity", but it means bad for the smaller ones.

So I have chosen my side - I am on the side of smaller peoples like
the estonians, karelians, corses, welsch,vatians,saamis,maris,mordvians...
the reason is simply such that like a species disappears from the nature
the same way we become poorer when a nation disappears. Therefore
bigger nations should be more tolerant and stop humiliating smaller
cultures. If being on their side of smaller nations is considerd
"as anti-russian," "anti-english," "anti-french," "anti-spanish" 
"anti-swedish" I am very sorry indeed. 
: 
regards,
jarmo