Comments by "duncan smith" (@duncansmith7562) on "Kremlin propaganda targets Latvia's Russian-speaking minority | DW News" video.

Hopefully, once NATO has been demilitarized a little more and has been humiliated in Ukraine in the near future, Russia will annex the Russian speaking borderlands of Latvia. The derussification of Latvia has seen shocking levels of discrimination against the Russian speakers in Latvia, a la Ukraine, so fingers crossed Putin keeps Latvia high up on his list.
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Given Latvia was where a young man was jailed for trampling on the Ukrainian flag, maybe a little freedom and democracy from Russia would be welcome to the genuine freedom lovers in Latvia.
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it's called freedom of movement, and was fairly common in the USSR (which is not the Russian Federation). Derussification, a move to restrict Russian language and culture, is common in Latvia. as it is in Ukraine, so Latvia should not be surprised if it gets the Putin treatment, as it deserves it.
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@Franchesko653 you are clueless.
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@greengarnish1711 we have the same wish! NATO is a paper tiger and would sue for peace immediately. Given how the goat herding Taliban humiliated NATO in Kabul, safe to say Russia would wipe the floor with NATO
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@Franchesko653 wait til Putin's successor wants real war!
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@Franchesko653 let's have a bet! tell me by what date Putin is out of power!
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@Franchesko653 ok, Feb 14. if by midnight GMT on Feb 14 2024 Putin is still in power, how much money do you agree to give me?
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@diepiepiewda looks like you are still in denial. now NATO can't even supply Ukraine with ammunition! it's over.
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@Valle95 we are referring to Russian speakers in Latvia. There was substantial freedom of movement for Russian speakers to relocate to Latvia, and indeed for Latvians to relocate to other parts of the USSR. Soviet deportations and restrictions on travel outside the USSR would be an entirely different subject, obviously.
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@whitelutik in some cases, yes. but it also meant the ability to move to other parts of the USSR, hence Ukrainians can be found in places like Kazakhstan and Latvians in Russia.
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@juliec5309 they can. or they can choose to stay in their homes and fight for their rights. Putin has made it clear, he will intervene to assist Russian speakers be treated fairly and equally in whichever ex Soviet country they may be. And he is right to so do. If the West truly believed in freedom of speech, language rights and human rights, it would support Putin.
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@boynamesue7720 correct. so what is your point? the present generation of Russian speakers in the Baltics must be punished for using their native language due to the influx of Russian speakers in the 1940's?
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@staris12 deportations would be a whole different subject from the freedom of movement afforded to other Soviet citizens regarding re-locating to another Soviet republic for work reasons. If you think the sins of the USSR should now justify compelling native speaking Russians in Latvia to be second class citizens, just say it, say you want revenge on the descendants of those who may have done your ancestors great harm. Why don't we punish all the young Japanese in this world for what their ancestors did in WW2?
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@ramadankadriu5336 freedom of movement of workers in the USSR, to relocate to one of the other Soviet republics, has nothing to do with Kaliningrad. Nor with the Kirill Islands. Latvia is in NATO. And NATO is so demilitarized and effete, ready for the Russian speakers of Latvia to bring their part of Latvia into the Russian Federation, if they so wish.
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@staris12 1) "asked" to learn a language and compelled to learn a language are two different things. If there is any compulsion, then we have a problem. 2) what does "integrate" mean? what would a Russian speaking Latvian HAVE to do to become integrated into "Latvian" society? Sing folksongs in Latvian and pretend he/she loves being Latvian and not Russian? 3) Why should a Russian speaking Latvian have to be able to speak a sentence in Latvian? A French speaking Canadian does not have to ever be able to speak a sentence in English, if he/she doesn't wish to. it's called "freedom" 4) Yes, the reforms (forced language learning) worked quite well (achieved the goals you so desired). It is an absolute disgrace that you feel compelling any citizens to learn and speak a second language is desirable. Forced integration will not work. My time in Daugavpils showed me Latvia is sitting on a time bomb. it would be wise to allow freedom of expression for the Russian speaking minority. otherwise, like South Ossetia, Transnistria, Abkhazia, Ukraine, you are playing with fire.
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@staris12 There is nothing wrong with Russian speaking Latvians not being able to buy bread in Latvian. Why are you so hateful and Russophobic to fellow citizens who speak a different language? It is a kind of racism that is fascistic. There are plenty of Bengalis in England who can't buy bread in English. So what? if you compel them to, you will be stripping them of their freedom of speech.
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@staris12 to be honest, given your racist/fascistic attitude to your Russian speakers in Latvia, I understand 100% why they feel alienated and closer to Russia. If most of Latvia is like you, the sooner Putin does what is needed to liberate the Russian speakers of Latvia, the better.
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@staris12 France has no need to be concerned about French speaking Canadians, for the simple reason that French speaking Canadians have equal rights with English speakers. French speaking Canadians can go through life unable to buy bread in English and are still accepted as equals, unlike the situation in Latvia. Canada is enlightened about language rights. Latvia is fascistic about language rights.
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@staris12 oh, so supporting Russia threatens your "security" and must be prohibited. Again, the Fascistic Republic of Latvia at work. At least you confessed that Latvia has indeed banned freedom of speech. Latvian security is at FAR greater risk with these new restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of expression than if you had respected the rights of everyone. Latvia has made an enormous mistake by throwing freedom out the window, You criticize Russia for such measures, then copy Russia by denying free speech. Unbelievable.
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@staris12 forcing Latvian children to learn Russian is as abhorrent as forcing Russian speaking children to learn Latvian. Let the free market decide, as in Kazakhstan. If parents choose a Russian speaking education system, fine. If parents choose a Latvian speaking system, fine. Kazakhs and Russians live together pretty well in KZ. Why can KZ make it work but Ukraine and Latvia can't or won't?
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@staris12 Most neighbors dislike Russia? Not true. Let's go through the list of Russia's neighbors. N Korea, an ally. China, on friendly terms. Kazakhstan, on friendly terms. Azerbaijan, on friendly terms. Armenia, on friendly terms. Georgia, tolerates Russia. DPR and LPR, allied with Russia and then became Russian. Ukraine, at war with Russia, but was close to Russia 1991 to 2014 (the year of the coup), Belarus, ally of Russia, the chihuahua Baltics. their Russian speaking population feel much closer to Russia now they have seen the fascistic attitude of the non Russian speaking population. on balance, Russia is pretty much liked. Deal with it, fascist boy.
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@staris12 so, this is where the discussion ends. you have proven to me the two things I suspected. 1) Latvia has abandoned freedom of speech and freedom of expression. 2) Latvia has a fascistic, Ukrainian style of disdain for its Russian speakers that will only lead to more and more conflict in the future. Slava Rossiyi and fingers crossed NATO comes to your rescue...but don't count on it.
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@itheuserfirst3186 Fine, if you want to limit "racism" to skin color, no problem, the result is the same, horrific discrimination based on ethnicity, and it is to the shame of Latvia that it celebrates treating its Russian speakers as second class citizens. Latvia needs to follow the Kazakhstan model, not the Ukrainian model.
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@itheuserfirst3186 intolerance is indeed often born from being aggressed. now you know why the Donbass ethnic Russians, after 9 years of aggression from the Azov Ukronazis, is determined to separate from Kiev. Russian military interventions since the founding of the RF have been totally justified, because each intervention has been to restore the rights of the aggressed Russian speakers of Chechnya, Georgia, Transnistria and now Ukraine. RF's neightbors will stop seeing Russian intervention when the neighbors of Russia that insist on aggressiing Russian speakers decide to stop. Latvia may well get the Putin treatment. Latvia deserves it. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan will never be invaded while they, correctly, respect the rights of Russian speakers. Got it?
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@wiktorpoliszczuk1372 HIMARS yet another wonder weapon that fails to stop the Ukronazis getting massacred and losing more ground.
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@indieanna4380 on the contrary, you will see a certain amount of re-russification, as in the Caucasus and Central Asia. The Baltics will have the choice of a certain amount of re-russification or the Ukraine treatment.
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@Mr. Burns conspicuous by its absence, anything of substance that refutes what I said about the derussification of Latvia
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@planderlinde1969 not at all. Russia has no timelines in war, never did and doesn't today. but curious that you swallowed the Western MSM lie about "3 days to win" (or "10 days to win" according to some other myth makers in the West). do you believe every thing you hear, or do you check to see if there is a real source, some kind of Kremlin announcement?
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@thegreatdane3627 of course. when war is not declared and no war mobilization has taken place, it's not a war. not the brightest at learning definitions, are you?
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@whitelutik have done that several times, and nothing happened. on the other hand, try saying "white lives matter" in the UK and see what happens to you.
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@arthurvyater656 it's called a probationary jail sentence. in a free country the court would say "you are welcome to trample on any flag you choose at any time". bye bye freedom of expression in Latvia.
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@whitelutik so your defence of Latvia as a free country is to point to Russia and say "look, Russia is not free"! speaks volumes.
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@arthurvyater656 so what happens if he tramples on the Ukrainian flag again?
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@janisduncitis8533 exactly so. in police states like Latvia, expressing such opinions gets you arrested.
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@anthonyhulse1248 yeah? you were right there on the spot when such people were arrested? or you saw Western media reports of this? which one?
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