 |
|
|
|
| The West Has Destroyed The Balkans |
| If the West (G.B., U.S., Germany, and France) had not meddled with Slovenia and urged them for independence Yugoslavia would still be together to this day and be ahead of many "modern" European countries such as Spain, Italy, and Denmark. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Balkans have been in turmoil since the Ottoman occupation in the 1600's. The Serbs, however, are
ultimately responsible.
The proof is the constant fighting. Kosovars and Serbs have launched all-out war, and
Bosnia-Herzegovina is ultimately the result of prior conflict.
Now how is the West, whom was hesitant to interfere with Yugoslavia, responsible?
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
The Serbs were responsible for the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the subsequent carnage.
Slovenian independence was no more than a reaction to Serbian nationalist aggrandisement within the
Yugoslav federation.
It's remarkable that the Serbs are able to see themselves as innocent victims even as they are
butchering defenceless people left, right and centre. It would be much better if the Serbs were able
to take responsibility for their own actions and acknowledge their outrageous crimes than continuing
to indulge in fantasies about what really happened, worshipping their big-haired heroes like Slob
and Karadzic.
The idea of it being ahead of Spain, Italy and Denmark is laughable. Yugoslavia was a primitive
wasteland which enjoyed a slight economic advantage compared to other communist wastelands through
being able to extract bribes from both camps in the Cold War, and having a tourist sector which
brought in a little hard currency. |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
Ethnic nationalism and specifically Slobodan Milosevic, coupled with many of the same economic
problems that were present in other Eastern European countries by the early 1980s, destroyed the
artificial, multiethnic federation once known as Yugoslavia, and not the West. Milosevic, a
Communist politician at the time, did what was rare for his ilk: He tried to save his own political
skin by replacing socialism with nationalism, and he was successful. As such, various institutions
of Yugoslavia--including most importantly its army--essentially turned into Serbian establishments
by the early 1990s. Slovenia was frustrated by Serbia's increasing power in the federal government,
following Milosevic's appointment as the Communist party leader. The West, specifically the US under
both President George Bush and Bill Clinton actually did not want to get involved in Yugoslavia and
hesitated for some time. They were not keen on intervening, but the Yugoslav (Serbian) army's
invasion of Slovenia and then Croatia helped solidify their resolve somewhat.
There is no question that Yugoslavia was a much more developed and prosperous country than any other
in the Eastern bloc. In fact, Yugoslavia under Tito was not even really part of the Communist East,
due to its cool relations with the Soviet Union. Yet the Yugoslav national identity was an
artificial one, and while it was quite popular among academics and intellectuals, the events of the
1990s show that the majority population still identified with different ethnic groups and this is
also where their primary loyalties were. |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 For and Against Recent Activity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19 May 2008 03:05
Sign In
