Banana republic?

In a recent essay entitled Where is Estonia's pura vida?, Martin 'Everyone Thinks I'm Gay But I'm Not I Tell You' Kala draws comparisons between the Central American nation of Costa Rica and ye olde Estonia. ("It's not hard to find similarities," he assures sceptical readers.)

Why don't Estonians simply want to enjoy life instead of always striving to cause problems, asks Martin Kala.

[In Costa Rica] pura vida is about taking it easy and enjoying life as it comes, regardless of how much you have or how big your neighbour's property is. [In Estonia] we value personal wealth and we talk about economic growth; we are proud of the fact that we are independent, that we have our own national colours, our own anthem, our own money and our own president. We love our nation and culture, and although we do not trust our government, it promises to raise us up among the five richest countries in Europe before we know it.

But you often register anger and bitterness in the attitudes of Estonians: a negative way of thinking that in future will leave us depressed and unemployable, at which point we will question whether we wanted an Estonia like that, without asking ourselves what we contribute as a nation to the process of change. If you want things to change you have to start from the individual. How do you marry subjective satisfaction and success at the national level?

We need to feel that we truly are a nation and that we are all responsible for its future, and for our own wellbeing and shared sense of security. We need to start thinking more along the same lines, for as long as we fail to try, we will never see any results. And until then our successful little country won't be characterised by pura vida, but rather that old chestnut mañana. Except that its meaning to Estonians will not be the hope-filled tomorrow or one day, but rather the disappointment-laden not today...

http://www.postimees.ee/010907/esileht/arvamus/280331.php