~ No 6 / May 2001 / Page 2 ~	~ I'm green and I say it loud: I rub mint and I am proud" ~

		Romania - Heaven on Earth (II) Due to lack of space we could not include all of Romania's wonderful accomplishments in the past issue of "Romania - Heaven on Earth". Therefore we return with the second issue of this nauseating optimistic section of the Mint Rubbing Journal. Before reviewing the materials, you might want to read an interpretation of "Heaven on Earth" sent by a mint rubbing specialist: "Menta (site-ul primar) si Raiul (offspring page) sunt asemeni lui Dr Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, un split personality in plina desfasurare schizofrenica. Prin Raiul se poate explora si istoria recenta (mai ales cea comunista), nu numai prezentul. Raiul nu este doar proiectia inversa a Mentei. Este incremenirea mentei in stadiul de floare, inca neculeasa si nefrecata, daca vreti. Cam asta e menta-litatea multor romani: ce bine a fost, ce clasicism socialist am trait prin 60-70, ehei cum eram noi.... Faptul ca hidra poate fi simpatica cind e inca pui este total ignorat. La fel este ignorata complet Romania dinainte de 45. Este o falie de perceptie care arunca acel trecut nu prea indepartat in acelasi cos cu nebuloasa evului mediu. Stiti cum se vede istoria recenta in subconstientul colectiv? Modernizarea (deci secolul 20) a descalecat odata cu niste haiduci cu sepcile date pe ceafa, care imediat cum s-au dat jos de pe caii lor rosii au aratat cu degetul in jur si hocus-pocus au inceput sa rasara holde de griu, fabrici si uzine, blocuri si sosele. Raiul exista si este inca bine inradacinat. Incercati sa il intoarceti cu cracii in sus. Nu va sfiiti sa publicati fragmente din discursurile lui ceausescu, poate anotate din perspectiva de azi (a cui? depinde...), reciclati jurnalistica Raiului.... ma rog, o sugestie. O incercare de a sintetiza campii batuti. Avem si noi, ca orice alta natie, cateva vaci sacre. Raiul le-ar putea imbalsama odata pentru totdeauna." Click here or on the above logo to access the second issue of Heaven on Earth. We're seriously considering featuring some more communist "wisdom" in future issues, so feel free to send us some samples. Efficient, efortless and pleasent mint rubbing has been the dream of mankind since the dawn of time. No effort has been spared to reach this goal, but at the moment only the Romanian people have succeeded in turning mint rubbing into a form of art. The results of uninterrupted mint rubbing for more than 11 years are now clear to each one of us. Or aren't they? I can see you still have hope, so let me tell you about hope. By comparing the situation in Romania with the situation in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, one can easily see that Romanians are the most skilled mint rubbers in Europe (and, perhaps, in the world). For this you know whom to thank. God bless them, they got us here. And God bless us too. Now the facts: Some brief explanations (can be skipped): The first graph compares foreign reserves, exports and foreign investments across countries in Eastern Europe. While being glad that we're not on the last place in this graph, keep in mind that the figures are related to a country's size and the size of its economy, so matters are worse than you think. The second graph shows Gross Domestic Product (PIB) per capita, GDP change and budget balance. Romania is almost last and has the highest budget deficit (isn't that great?). The third graph compares Inflation and exchange rates. As expected Romania has the highest inflation and an off-the-scale exchange rate (21.693 LEI/USD, nearest figure: 282 forints/USD in Hungary). The last graph shows how rich we really are, with an average monthly wage of 127 dollars. People in Slovenia have an average monthly salary of 952 dollars and people in Hungary have 640 dollars. Ok, these are the facts. So, next time you watch on TV the latest reform programs, anti-corruption measures, good news, smiling politicians, shiny huge Mercedeses and optimistic declarations, just remember where we are now. Don't be fooled again. Not after 11 years. We will keep you posted. It's time you learned the truth. ~ Page 2 of 6 ~

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