Re: piedod, ka tā neaicināti jūsu sarunā pa vidu, bet...
Alright Martin, klausies, driikst atbildet angliski? - esmu diezgan knackered.
Zini, it probably is a question of a question of human nature, and changing that is beyond any individual's power - I imagine the slightest of changes takes generations and is usually a result of circumstance as much as any fine words.

One word about countries. Reading your comments, I get the feeling this is a Latvian concept of the Latvian character that will never be completely clear to me - tipa - 'we are all thieves - we are all guilty'. In other countries, itš a different story. As I'm from the UK, we still (despite plenty of corruption etc) believe in the welfare state, and any attempt to fuck around with it is met with resistance.

The Swedes also have a different concept of themselves and what is accepted/acceptable with regards to the marriage of the free market and the state - witness their reaction to the Latvian building firm undercutting local builders. The unions were acutely aware of 'the race to the bottom' that this entails and as far as I remember there was industrial action among a wide range of unions (ja atmina man kalpo).

As regards the US, nu Martin pizģec! Capital rules absolutely, and the working class is suffered in as much as they can more or less function as consumers.

Nu piedod, ka rakstu angliski. (un es tevi gaidu - saproti!!)