Latvia has been an independent state for almost 30 years. Under the guise of sovereignty, the corrupt minority quickly took control of key government assets, the means of production and all valuable land. Shady deals were made and questionable laws were passed. Now, when it is all said and done, when everything has been either destroyed or sold abroad, when the majority of the population got the short end of the stick, it is finally time to think thoroughly, look back and take off the rose-tinted “loyalty” glasses. No one likes to be cheated. Very few people are ready to admit this, even to themselves.
We were promised a bright future with tremendous economic prospects. And it all sounded coherent: Latvia held no foreign debt in 1991, had a developed economy with thriving production and a strong agricultural sector. We had a hard-working and well-educated workforce. But it all turned out to be a lie. Everything made by working men and women in the last decades has been obliterated and sold for profit with murderous haste. As if this country’s leadership did not believe their own promises and instead proceeded to extract maximum profit. The education system is just a drain on the budget. The same goes for health care. Factories have been turned into warehouses and shopping malls… Here, foreign capital now feels like at home. Rīgas Dzirnavnieks, Dobeles Dzirnavnieks, Laima, Cido, Latvijas Maiznieks, Latvijas Balzams – all these companies no longer belong to Latvia. And this particular list is incomplete. The banks that control the money flow belong to foreigners as well.
If you indeed wished for a future like this, then congratulations! Your dream has come true. But I believe that the people of Latvia don’t have to be slaves of capital (regardless of whether this capital is domestic or foreign). The people of Latvia have proven themselves to be capable of building a better future both for themselves and their children. In order to achieve this goal, being honest with yourself would be a good start.
Conscious worker
