Essey: How does the United States influence Estonia (0)

Diana Ostrat
Essey
How does the United States influence Estonia?
The United States of America with it's global economic and political superpower is one of the most influential countries in the world and therefore it’s influence can also be felt in Estonia.
Fluctuations in Estonia’s status as an independent country have had significant impact on the amount of influence from other countries, whether it is the language , eating habits or lifestyle. But how has United States influenced Estonia after we gained our independence?
Estonia is not economically dependent on the United States as they are not one of our most important trading partners, but as the economics of the United States has a great influence on the world economy , they can still indirectly have an influence on Estonian economy.
In Estonian politics the influence of the United States can be seen the most in relations with NATO . Estonian national security is built up on being a member of NATO and depending on it's system of collective defense. The United States with it's second biggest army in the world is the most influential member of NATO and therefore we can say that in the sense of national security we depend on them . For this reason Estonian politics are very much interested in having good political relations with the United States and therefore some political decisions in Estonia might be influenced by the United States even if this impression might be withheld from the public. For instance , one example that comes to mind is the removal of the Monument of Lihula, which is a monument commemorating the Estonians who fought on the German side for Estonia against the Soviet Union in World War II.
In Estonia the influence of the United States is felt the most in cultural sphere. We live in a society that is no longer limited by state borders when it comes to consuming different goods and media. The United States are not the only cultural imperialists, but I would say that in Estonia their influence is the biggest. American films , TV programs, pop music and brand labels are a big part of everyday life for almost every Estonian. Of course, it is not only the case of Estonia. Americanization is taking place all over the world. We could say, that we are just dealing with globalization, but since the most influence apparently comes from US and not equally from the rest of the world, I would say we rather deal with Americanization.
Language is unquestionably an integral part of culture and through language people recognise their national identity . Until the 20th century, our mother tongue was most influenced by German language. During the first half of 20th century, Estonian language was closer to Finnish and the second half of 20th century was dominated by Russian influences . In the 21th century, however , Estonian language has been stoutly impacted by English . Some people are very protective and resolute about preserving Estonian language with its linguistic diversity just as it is without any foreign influences. Some say that it is only natural that every language changes , picking up bits and pieces of other languages . I believe both "parties" are correct , but I also believe that we must be careful, unless instead a normal development of our language we get overrun by another language, thereby mutating Estonian into Estonglish. Everything even remotely tourist/ abroad aimed is labelled firstly in English and in very small letters in Estonian. I do believe in broadcasting ourselves. I believe in translations. But I believe that going about in, say, Tallinn, and reading the pub and shop signs, I should still be reading Estonian and not have a constant question "am I still in Estonia?".
Estonia is without a doubt influenced by American mass culture, which has changed the way the youth of today look at life. Daily we listen to American pop music (well, I don't, but that is an active choice , if I turned on radio or picked what Youtube is proposing, then most likely I'd get US daily pop music), and our cinemas are full of Hollywood's box busters, whereas Scandinavian and European films mainly show up during a few festivals , although it would make more sense if it was the other way around or at least in some natural balance .
The same , apparently, goes for books – a lot of American literature is translated into Estonian or simply sold , and sometimes it seems that the only reason is because they sold in America and became known to us via internet . I do believe "Fifty Shades of Grey " being one of such phenomena, and at that rather an unnatural one.
Furthermore , another aspect of strong influence from America on us is the internet. I personally can’t imagine my life withou it. One can search the web and get the answers in an instant. The internet has helped to create many Estonian companies . It guides the way we create documents , send e-mail and exchange information in a multitude of different ways . But what we should not forget while reaping benefits of this easy information is that no source is neutral and when we digest on daily basis information that comes with a mentality of a certain country, we also digest that mentality.
And speaking of the mentality, then I'd like to draw attention to the everspanning "you can be anybody" (also known as "turning slumdogs into millionairs" – "ajalehepoisist miljonäriks"). Since I myself belong to an older age group not so much influenced by this philosophy, I can mostly take note of what I've heard from my ten years younger friends . They do complain , that many of them were brought up with some quite impossible expectations , with believing the "American dream ", which in Estonian translated solely into "you can be anybody if you want to". Of course, it is terribly important to have dreams and strive, but when we lack the resources and the knowledge how to achieve them, there is that. And also, these kids were taught that they must finish university, must strive to become company leaders, professors etc etc. What they lack is confidence to know that it is OK to be a shop keeper, a cleaner , a teacher. It's OK to be anyone you want to be, and you don't have to beat everybody , win everything, prove yourself to the world over and over again while you keep smiling until you kick the bucket .
And with these thoughts, I draw my conclusion , that with every influence, whether it comes from US or some other nation -wide source, it is important to look at the threats as well as the benefits and try to maintain balance, within and out.