Lithuania has confiscated five pairs of camouflage pants from a passenger train traveling from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to Moscow, the local authorities have said, promising to send them as aid to Kiev.
The thing is, the OBVIO second hand pants, are confiscated symbolically and very publicly. Someone either hoped to have a stash of war memorabilia to sell, or a just cheap source of clothing. It doesn't matter. They ridiculed that person. How dare they. What if someone wanted to wear camo pants on the daily? Does that make them an undercover agent, or partizan, or spy? I dunno. These days, for akshual soldiers, it's more about the embroidered badge, I believe, although they also wear camo pants.
The outrage at things Russian, while mumbling about Soviet-era wrongs (while conveniently forgetting the repressions from the neighbors from the other direction, who were very nattily dressed by Hugo Boss).
The hatred has chrystalized upon hatred of Rus, or even Slav. We apparently shouldn't possibly blame Fascism, or Communism, or the privations and costs of war in general.
This part has me boiling. And as I said - the confiscation of someone's property is ideological and comes with burning books, ripping down statues and yelling at Russian-speaking Babushkas in the shop.
I am all for taking contraband as a government policy, but confiscation is also typical of third-rate chihuahua-banana countries. And yes, my family had to stock up on shiny pirate-brand watches bought on street-markets in London, and pack them in little gift-boxes, to dot around one's suitcase, so that they could be confiscated by the corrupt border officials. Just so that the cheese that was also packed in there (because the supermarket shelves were literally empty where we were going) was left alone.
Kaliningrad is a hot bed of crime and espionage. I spent time in Klaipaida Lithuania in 2002 for a partnership for peace program. I did force protection and we and a.few.scrapes with kaliningrad operatives. If Lithuania sent that stuff to Russia it was likely to show them they were onto something Russia is doing. There is a rail line that still runs through Lithuania to kaliningrad which the Lithuanian authorities have the right to search to prevent military or equipment from passing through.
Wow, this'll help them win the war for sure!
Take that, Putin
Also, Lithuanians rifling through private belongings belonging to train-passengers, just to send the contraband (pants) to Ukraine.
It's an insult to the partisan Lithuanian heroes who fought and died throughout Soviet occupation!
I agree.
The thing is, the OBVIO second hand pants, are confiscated symbolically and very publicly. Someone either hoped to have a stash of war memorabilia to sell, or a just cheap source of clothing. It doesn't matter. They ridiculed that person. How dare they. What if someone wanted to wear camo pants on the daily? Does that make them an undercover agent, or partizan, or spy? I dunno. These days, for akshual soldiers, it's more about the embroidered badge, I believe, although they also wear camo pants.
The outrage at things Russian, while mumbling about Soviet-era wrongs (while conveniently forgetting the repressions from the neighbors from the other direction, who were very nattily dressed by Hugo Boss).
The hatred has chrystalized upon hatred of Rus, or even Slav. We apparently shouldn't possibly blame Fascism, or Communism, or the privations and costs of war in general.
This part has me boiling. And as I said - the confiscation of someone's property is ideological and comes with burning books, ripping down statues and yelling at Russian-speaking Babushkas in the shop.
I am all for taking contraband as a government policy, but confiscation is also typical of third-rate chihuahua-banana countries. And yes, my family had to stock up on shiny pirate-brand watches bought on street-markets in London, and pack them in little gift-boxes, to dot around one's suitcase, so that they could be confiscated by the corrupt border officials. Just so that the cheese that was also packed in there (because the supermarket shelves were literally empty where we were going) was left alone.
Kaliningrad is a hot bed of crime and espionage. I spent time in Klaipaida Lithuania in 2002 for a partnership for peace program. I did force protection and we and a.few.scrapes with kaliningrad operatives. If Lithuania sent that stuff to Russia it was likely to show them they were onto something Russia is doing. There is a rail line that still runs through Lithuania to kaliningrad which the Lithuanian authorities have the right to search to prevent military or equipment from passing through.
Kek! That's where my amazon.lt order went?! Meh. Guess I'll stick to my old faded tiger stripe.
Those stripey Russian t-shirts (ours have navy stripes) from the army surplus are pretty comfy, IMO.