In April of 2009 in the Republic of Moldova, a popular protest culminated in the burning of the parliament building. The protest was largely due to the illegitimacy of the ruling coalition. Seven years later, another illegitimate ruling coalition is worried about protests. My translation: The Parliament building recently got a security upgrade that cost 9 million lei [455 thousand USD]. Anatolie Zoltcov couldn’t give … Continue reading Bunker Mentality
Word Count: 1087 There’s been a number of stories about Romania that I haven’t had time to cover here in my long absence: Romanian party leaders being arrested/investigated for corruption, the President continuing to prove he’s a worthless crook, people dying due to corruption and incompetence, more economic failures and nonsense related to the budget, scandals and resignations, further embracing the role as America’s compliant … Continue reading Sinvergüenza
Word Count: 729 Every time a Moldovan tells me how great it would be if the unirea (political union with Romania) would happen, I always ask them the same question. “Why in the world would you want those fucking crooks in charge of your life?” In Romania, just a week after siccing the dirtbag police on a group of unarmed shepherds, the parliament just voted … Continue reading Every Man for Himself, and May the Devil Take the Hindmost
Word Count: 1029 A few years ago, someone asked me if I had ever thought of pursuing a career in journalism. I replied, “No thanks, I actually respect myself.” As Stephen Colbert said way back in 2006, most journalists are just whores with a notepad. Here’s a case in point, brought to you by VICE, the stupidest “news” outlet on the planet (and it’s not … Continue reading How the Brave Moldovan Police Saved my Family from Evil Russia
The sun came out yesterday and I spent a goodly amount of time enjoying the fresh air in downtown Unicorn City, taking in the sights and chatting with a few people. Right now Cluj is in the middle of its TIFF film festival and it seems like both visitors and locals alike are having a good time. But as I sat there on the bench, … Continue reading Szabadság
All Things Romania 