How would the Canadian province of Quebec seceding from Canada go down with Washington? Especially if say they closely allied with China?

Last I checked, Canadia was outside the jurisdiction of the USA. :P

Mindy

I would consider that a statement born of male territoriality. And incorrect. It is completely possible not to take a position on something, even when you have very strong feelings about it. Completely challenging, but definitely possible.

It’s not possible to debate in different languages, so I have no reply.

I think it is possible to have a perspective other than the pre-defined (and nationalist) pigeonholes of “Kosovo” or “Serbian”. Observing and characterizing the riots, looting, and jackbooted thuggery of police could be construed as a perspective of “look at how civilized behavior breaks down under pressure” — similar to what Rod Serling did in The Twilight Zone with “The Shelter” and “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street“.

Well, that’s a fat, steaming pile of irony.

First, as I said, I find is suspicious that the US embassy was empty before the protest last night… just my own paranoia…

And I think it’s sad that dissident serbs were not allowed into Kosova to express solidarity with other activist. This is just what Albin Kurti has been talking about, reinforcement of ethnic tensions, which leads to only more tension. This independence is not going to work… If I could be more paranoid, I’d say that was the plan all along, to show that these people can’t work together and need a “guiding hand” to control them.

I’m sorry all of this is happening. I’m really ashamed of the Western role in all of this as well. I wish there was more I could do than write about it.

Mindy

She thinks it would have been great to have during the siege and bombings several years back (sturdy and portable and power-frugal), and the educational equivalent of having a personal spaceship for poor kids. Bruce loves it as a gadget but had great doubts about its political acceptability.

Demonstrations in Belgrade were organized by part of the government that is controlled by nationalistic parties. Similar incidents were happening in days before the demonstration. So, everybody knew that this was going to happen.

Right-wing politicians in Serbia are trying to create atmosphere of emergency by creating this chaos as preparation for possible parliamentary elections.

Yeah. I know. But I’m counting on the fact that Tadić was elected as a sign that the majority of Serbians want a peaceful solution. Although there’s been a fair amount of huffing and puffing (particularly from Russia – big surprise there), the situation could already be much, much worse. Attacking US embassies is a rite of passage for most of the world’s youth.

Al,

I agree with you. It’s a journal piece, not op-ed. I find the absence of clear political statement to be helpful.

Anyway, uncivilized displays of violence, hate, and raw anger mixed with petty acts of self-interest are not uncommon elsewhere. As always, to be condemned.

Welcome to the real world, Jasmina. Time to read up on Gibson and Sterling (btw, need to see if and what Bruce is reporting, last time I checked, he was very partial to Belgrade).

I also find every occasion of expressing surprise at displays of rejection directed by Serbs towards nation-states meddling in Serbia internal politics (not to mention the so very recent war-grade meddlings around Kosovo), spectacularly funny in some very sad way.

The Serbs, with their legitimate right to mourn for the loss of Kosovo, were transformed into vandals who loot their own city.

It’s not like Kosovo disappeared or was wiped out by an atomic weapon. It’s still there. The people living there (generally) just chose to quit from participating in Serbian government. Why are people so down on secession?

Time and time again cultural borders have proven far more stable than colonial occupations. Let Iraq divide into Sunni, Shia, and Kurd nations. Help Africa finally heal itself by restoring cultural borders instead of the artificial lines handed down from European colonization to modern day lineages of brutal military dictatorships. And if Albanians don’t want to be ruled by the Serbian government anymore, that’s their freedom of association to do so.

http://www.trakmarx.com/?p=211

It sums up my feelings about the issue over all. Enjoy…

Mindy

I very much appreciate the fact that Tesanovic seems to be focusing on the emotions of the situation, which surely deserve much attention. But I would still like to know what she thinks. Her last post included something about a grandmother (mother?) charging her with protecting Kosovo (I think). I’m interested to know if she meant to protect it by helping it secede or by keeping it united with Serbia. Also, if she is recognizing the right of Serbs to mourn the loss, a very empathetic thing to recognize, I’d like to know whether she was able to see this despite wanting to see Kosovo free, or whether it is just a part of the opposite position.

I’m not reading her post as art, but as a conversation, and in that conversation I would be saying, “Wait, do you think it is right for Kosovo to be free, or not?” Maybe it doesn’t matter as a piece of art, but I read it as more than that.