National Psyche or Political Psychosis?
For you non-Albanian speakers, Dori at Peshku Pa Ujë calls to our attention some developments regarding the Serbian ultra-nationalist party, the Serbian Radical Party (Srpska radikalna stranka), which is the largest bloc in the Serbian Parliament:
The first is a B92 story on statements made by Tomislav Nikolic on force being a last resort in retaining Kosovo. He acknowledges diplomacy as being the primary means of negotiation, but says that Kosovo's final status should include autonomy in all respects, falling short of a "military of its own." In a response, Dusan Petrovic, who looks kind of like a sheep in wolf's clothing (scary beard!) of the Democratic Party (Demokratska stranka), says "Nikolić has no moral leg to stand on when it comes to making decisions that influence the fate of the Serbian nation."
Hey, at least they recognize his outlandishness, but sometimes I wonder if they only speak against the SRS for the sake of gaining Western favor. I guess that's my cynical side; I don't believe it, and would like to believe that SRS members of a dying breed, but I guess I wont know until I visit Belgrade. Would anyone like to buy my ticket?
Dori also mentions an incident last month involving an ethnic Croat member of Serbian parliament being called Ustashe by a member of the SRS. The SETimes story says that this event might lead to a banning of the SRS on grounds of "inciting ethnic, racial and religious intolerance."
Not only is it childish to call people names and curse people in government settings (can anyone say "Dick Cheney"), but it's scary to think that these kinds of insults are still being thrown at each other. When will they learn?!
I also don't think banning the party is the solution, although I can't think of a better one. I mean, they are a party that represents a certain constituency, but then again, so were the Nazis...
Can any of you living in Serbia give some picture of what the general mood is regarding the SRS there? Then again, "general mood," "national psyche": of what importance are these things, really?
Bg Anon had something really intelligent to say about this in his post a few months back on the Montenegrin referendum:
"Above all (and repeat this again and again, I do) people are (or should be) concerned with their own futures. That means a persons priority is having a job, being well paid, having a decent health service, that their children are attending good schools and so on."
I think if the politicians had these same priorities, we wouldn't have had the turmoil of the early '90s. Maybe that's simplistic of me.
In hopeful news, LlTako cited a report on Peshku Pa Ujë that shows some positive evolution in Serbia:
"A survey reported by the Belgrade press last week showed that Serbs would vote for E.U. membership by 59 to 12 percent, while a plurality believe independence is the most realistic solution for Kosovo."
The first is a B92 story on statements made by Tomislav Nikolic on force being a last resort in retaining Kosovo. He acknowledges diplomacy as being the primary means of negotiation, but says that Kosovo's final status should include autonomy in all respects, falling short of a "military of its own." In a response, Dusan Petrovic, who looks kind of like a sheep in wolf's clothing (scary beard!) of the Democratic Party (Demokratska stranka), says "Nikolić has no moral leg to stand on when it comes to making decisions that influence the fate of the Serbian nation."
Hey, at least they recognize his outlandishness, but sometimes I wonder if they only speak against the SRS for the sake of gaining Western favor. I guess that's my cynical side; I don't believe it, and would like to believe that SRS members of a dying breed, but I guess I wont know until I visit Belgrade. Would anyone like to buy my ticket?
Dori also mentions an incident last month involving an ethnic Croat member of Serbian parliament being called Ustashe by a member of the SRS. The SETimes story says that this event might lead to a banning of the SRS on grounds of "inciting ethnic, racial and religious intolerance."
Not only is it childish to call people names and curse people in government settings (can anyone say "Dick Cheney"), but it's scary to think that these kinds of insults are still being thrown at each other. When will they learn?!
I also don't think banning the party is the solution, although I can't think of a better one. I mean, they are a party that represents a certain constituency, but then again, so were the Nazis...
Can any of you living in Serbia give some picture of what the general mood is regarding the SRS there? Then again, "general mood," "national psyche": of what importance are these things, really?
Bg Anon had something really intelligent to say about this in his post a few months back on the Montenegrin referendum:
"Above all (and repeat this again and again, I do) people are (or should be) concerned with their own futures. That means a persons priority is having a job, being well paid, having a decent health service, that their children are attending good schools and so on."
I think if the politicians had these same priorities, we wouldn't have had the turmoil of the early '90s. Maybe that's simplistic of me.
In hopeful news, LlTako cited a report on Peshku Pa Ujë that shows some positive evolution in Serbia:
"A survey reported by the Belgrade press last week showed that Serbs would vote for E.U. membership by 59 to 12 percent, while a plurality believe independence is the most realistic solution for Kosovo."
respectfully submitted by Nicholas G. Nikic at 11:04
2 Comments:
Nice to read your observations Nicholas.
Dont worry its not simply rhetoric by Tadic and company on SRS. They are not doing it simply for Western favour.
There is a pretty long tradition of Democratic Party thinking which predates 'Western' influences holding that moderate social democratic style policies are better than populist or extreme right wing ones.
If you are interested you could check out Desimir Tosic's recent book on the history and roots of the Democratic Party. Tosic is one of the best things about todays DS although he doesnt have much power within it.
Of course the contemporary DS is a different creature to the old one - for example its not well known but the West did do much to influence the (re)creation of DS at the onset of the multiparty elections.
In most recent opinion polls support for the Radicals has been falling. More stability, less arguments, more prosperity means a weak Radical Party.
"Tosic is one of the best things about todays DS although he doesnt have much power within it."
Isn't that the case with a lot of visionaries?
Thanks for the comment, bg, and for the cool information. I look forward to some more interaction with you and your cool blog.
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