Considering all the racist shit that’s been going on lately, I thought it was worth discussing a few basic definitions. Today, we use the word “country” (Ro: țara) rather loosely, sometimes meaning a sovereign political entity and sometimes in the older sense of a territory inhabited (predominately) by one people. For example, we say that Romania is a “country”, but there are several “countries” inside … Continue reading Nation vs. State
Just days after I wrote about the dire situation at Air Moldova, two new incidents have come to light. In the first, a scheduled Air Moldova flight from Chisinau to Greece was grounded. My translation: Dozens of Moldovans who were ready to head to the Corfu Islands and Zakinthos in Greece on vacation were sent home and told that the flight was canceled. Air Moldova … Continue reading Air Moldova Problems Continue
Dum dee dum, ho dee ho, I was just minding my business this week, reading through incredibly boring government announcements when I nearly fell out of my chair. Sometimes, it’s really easy to forget what a truly weird country Moldova is. The announcement I was reading is about the streamlining of 16 ministries into nine. So far, makes sense and sounds good. But as I … Continue reading The State Agency for the Protection of Morals
Hmm…. this all sounds very familiar. First, the staid New York Times piece: These days, however, it is a different photograph that is rallying support for Moscow’s allies in Europe’s Poorest Country™. It shows a United States assistant secretary of state, Victoria J. Nuland, standing shoulder-to-shoulder in Washington with Vlad Plahotniuc, Moldova’s most-feared figure, a nominally pro-Western tycoon with a reputation so toxic that even … Continue reading Nuland Endorses Moldova’s Most Hated Politician
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
All Things Romania 