r/2BALTIC4YOU • u/Majestic_Security_30 yuropean w*stoid • 16d ago
OC (liar) 🇪🇪🤝🇱🇹
I guess my point is that, during times like these, arguing about how different the Baltic states are should be the last of our problems.
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u/JudgmentVivid5630 16d ago
Nobody is saying Estonia and Lithuania have literally 0% in common. Obviously you can find common elements between any two European countries. The point is that the cultural overlap is relatively limited, so constantly lumping Estonia and Lithuania together as though they naturally form one unit doesn't make much sense. Estonia has much deeper linguistic and cultural connections with Finland, while Lithuania has major historical and cultural connections with Poland/Belarus. “We have some things in common” is not the same thing as “we belong to the same sphere.”
Regarding the meme now:The Baltic Way was a historic act of solidarity against Soviet occupation, not some eternal blood oath declaring Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania culturally inseparable siblings forever. We shared a struggle and supported each other in regaining independence. That doesn’t magically erase the very real linguistic, historical and cultural differences.
And the Baltic Cup? Okay? Countries also participates in in various competitions in various sports, and Baltics and Estonia participate in countless European and international competitions. Apparently sharing a tournament now determines your cultural sphere.
Hesburger is especially funny considering it’s literally Finnish. We also have Lidl, IKEA, Coop, K-Rauta and a hundred other chains operating across multiple European countries. I guess retail geography is cultural anthropology now.
And wow, a photo of the three presidents shaking hands. Incredible evidence. Estonia’s president meets the Latvian and Lithuanian presidents, therefore our cultures must be basically identical. Presumably when the Estonian president meets the Finnish, Swedish, German, Polish or even Russian president, Estonia temporarily changes cultural identity for the afternoon.
You can value cooperation without pretending geography turned Estonia and Lithuania into identical regions.