Nationality and Nationalism: Highlights
Nationality and Nationalism
by Manuela Dobos, 6/5/96Despite some differences, the joint policy of the U.S., Britain, France, Germany and Russia seems to follow one of the more traditional roles of the Great Powers in the Balkans, that of disregarding the demands of the nations there for the sake of arrangements among themselves. . . .
The rationale has been the need to impose peace on chronically warring, equally guilty nationalist movements. Many independent observers welcome this substitution of national governments with international authority because they, too, blame the nationalisms of the component republics equally for having destroyed what they view as the positive, multi-ethnic second Yugoslavia. But the international powers have refused to commit the necessary arms and resources for a lasting peace and economic reconstruction, let alone a serious defense of the victims of aggression. . . .
Is there an international policy which can instead uphold the right to national self-determination and help to assure small nations a peaceful future?
We must respect the constitutions of ALL NATIONS.
by Michael Pravica, 7/4/96Whether or not the constitution of any nation is favorable to a majority of that nation's inhabitants, it is not another nation's business to change or violate it - that is imperialism. We must respect the consitutions of other nations just as we respect and cherish our own constitution. If the constitution of a nation must be changed, then only that nation's inhabitants can change their consitution by DEMOCRATIC AND LEGAL MEANS. We, in other nations, can try to help elicit change by PEACEFUL PERSERVERANCE in the spirit of education, political pressure, and example. However, in the case of the former Yugoslavia, Western nations violated the sovereignty of this country and have therefore set a poor example for the rest of the world as they have demonstrated that they view their laws as superior to those of less powerful nations. That is wrong and Western nations will pay a HEAVY PRICE IN THE FUTURE FOR THEIR DISRESPECT OF INTERNATIONAL LAW. MARK MY WORDS!
Never Voted To Approve The Constitution
by Mirko Bodul, 7/3/96No election ever held in the former communist Yugoslavia to ratify a or any constitution could have been fair or free. Serb apologists here in America are putting wet band aids on the totally phoney legalities of the former COMMUNIST Yugoslavia. It was a police state in every sense of the word. Unconstitutional is a ridiculous term in a communist system.
It is a moral obligation for any people to secede from a communist state, whether that state is run by Serbs, Russians, or Martians.
Not Disgusting
by Marko Puljic, 6/22/96Of all people who is calling this "disgusting", the plan for Greater Serbia is a mirror of Hitler's liebenstraum for the German people.
The crimes of the past do not justify the crimes of the present. If 1 million Serbs had died in WWII we wouldn't be having this problem in Bosnia...
Rhetoric
by T. Phillips, 6/23/96With centuries of alien culture replacing Serbian Folk traditions, the odds of reviving the Serbian people seem phenomenal. However, the odds of Prince Lazar and his small band of Serb warriors turning back the hordes of invading Turks must have also seemed beyond them, but they did it. They lost the battle, but won the war 500 years later.
How many of us are Serb enough to fight a losing battle in order to win a war whose victory we may never live to see? This is the test of a true warrior. It is easy to fight on the side which is advantaged. It takes a real man to fight on the side which is disadvantaged.
This is why the Western masses hate the Serb people. Weak people need to ride the coattails of the powerful. The Serb must never compromise his views.
As Milosevic said at Kosovo Polje: "You shouldn't abandon your land just because it's difficult to live, because you are pressured by injustice and degradation. It was never part of the Serbian and Montenegrin character to give up in the face of obstacles, to demobilize when it's time to fight. You should stay here for the sake of your ancestors and descendants. Otherwise your ancestors would be defiled and descendants disappointed. But I don't suggest that you stay, endure, and tolerate a situation you're not satisfied with. On the contrary you should change it with the rest of the progressive people here, in Serbia and in Yugoslavia."
In every politician a Hitler is hiding...
by Valentin Sendula ,Rotterdam, 6/24/96Nationality and nationalism are just another couple of words invented by greedy, egocentric and above all ruthless politicians to serve only one single purpose: THEIRS! The idea is to exploit the mindless and poor, taking advantage of the people's inability to think for themselves, while the politicians make the best out of their positions. Did Izetbegovic, Tudjman or Milosevic suffer from this war... From what I can see they all gained a few pounds.
Many times I wondered how people could be so foolish to let somebody else decide over their lives, then again this is the Balkan we're talking about and looking back over a period of a few centuries we can only come to one sad conclusion: These people (with a lucky exception of a few) can't think for themselves: they've always been occupied or at war or ruled by a firm (Tito's) hand. Letting these people rule a country would be the same as opening the gate to all the cows in the corral: they wouldn't know what to do. . . .
Passion for Killing
by Simon F., 6/10/96The spasm of cruelty and murder that we've seen in the balkans for the past 4 years is an emotion, a passion that drives people unreasonably, like revenge. It was never expunged from National feeling, only let lie dormant under Tito, to come out again afterr his death.
This passion had to exhaust itself before all sides were sick of war and suffering even more than they hated the other side.
I think there was nothing the international community could have done before that point. There is little outsiders can do if nations want to settle ancient scores, as tragic as this is for thousands.
Put People First.
by HRH Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, 6/11/96There will be no future without a proper free media and reforms.The media in Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia is controlled by the state and the people are fed hours of atuned propaganda. The western powers must use carrots and sticks to bring democarcy and get the reforms going. The continual negative use of religion and nationalism will only hurt more people. There has been enough suffering and now the west must make the effort to help all the people of Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia and FYROM achieve gradual democracy. Until the leaders put people first there will always be problems, no future and economic misery.
There must be disarmament and a "draw dawn" of weapons on all sides. The west must impress upon the "leaders" that human rights must be respected. The religious leaders must also act in good faith in the name of "the same God" and preach what the book says. Enough talk, now let's get help to the people and stop the intimidation and all the mafias that came out of the terrible war. There are those that profitted from the war and have no interest to see this nightmare conclude, these profiteers must see that the west means business, the business of democracy and people, respect for all. People must go home, but they are scared because of all the thugs and threats.
Yes there is a peace in Bosnia, but not much of a future until the people of all sides are treated equally. The elections will be problematic until the people are given the luxry of a free media and politicians protection. It seems that the term "Bosnians" implies exclusively one part of the population of Bosnia, I would like to remind everyone, to be politically correct, there are Bosnian Muslims, Bosnian Serbs (Orthodox), Bosnian Croats (Roman Catholic) and Bosnian Jews. They are all Bosnians and they all deserve equal respect and equal rights. It is a big subject, but I would like to thank the NYT for introducing this forum.
passion for dissembling
by kofman, daniel, 6/18/96The idea that the war would only end, and did in fact end, after the "exhaustion of all sides", was repeated again and again by western, especially British, politicians intent on forcing the legitimate Bosnian government to capitulate to the relentless Serbian onslaught. The present interim peace, however, came about not from the "exhaustion of all sides", but the impending total victory of one side - the government aligned with the Croats - against the other side, the Serbs. That result could have come about three years and 200,000 deaths earlier had the western powers wanted it. Instead, they imposed an embargo on the victims of genocide, refused to bomb the aggressors for four years (from 1991), proposed plans to carve up a legitimate UN-recognised state along lines of ethnically cleansed territories, and finally intervened TO PREVENT were about to be cut in two at the Posavina Corridor, and to lose their largest city and site of then ongoing crimes, Banja Luka.
That is why we are today faced with so many anxious questions about the future; instead of the defeat of the regime of indicted war criminals, the international community has in effect come to their rescue. There has not been "exhaustion by all sides" from a "passion for killing", the passion for lying by commentators in the west has certainly taken its toll.
