I am growing really tired being on the (rapidly losing) side of the common sense. If the world seems to be going nuts, maybe I should just join it and enjoy the ride while it lasts.

So when another minister (this time it’s Kaspars Gerhards, responsible for economics) comes up with another idea, of how to support the local producer, why don’t I just join all the cheerful crowd (check out the comments in Latvian) in saying what a great idea it is?!

So, the large retailers should have the special shelves designated for “made in Latvia” products. At last! At last, all these illiterate people will get a chance to learn which products are made in Latvia! But why stop here? I’ve got an even better idea! Lets make it a separate section of the supermarket – the “Made in Latvia” section. Then, make it a law that the retailers will have to place this section right next to the entrance, so that every potential buyer would have to pass through it. If this is not enough, lets make the retailers make the foreign section as inhospitable as possible. Let them turn off the heating, stop cleaning it, make it less lit, and generally not observe the usual sanitary requirements.

But wait, it gets better! The entrance to the foreign section should be monitored by the video surveillance, which will track all those who would want to shop in the foreign section. Then we should put the pictures of these people on a special Internet site under “they didn’t support the Latvian producer” title, or something like this. This can be supplemented by their names and addresses so that the most patriotic farmers could… well, you know, bring their tractors to their homes in a “peace-loving protest”.

So, what do you think? Will I get a prize for the best idea on how to support the local producers?