Kosovo: Hours Old, Centuries Old
Today, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia. Maybe it’ll run as a back page story in American newspapers tomorrow. Or maybe it will find its way to the front soon, with talk of NATO security guarantees, Serbian demands, and Russian/American pressures. Doesn’t it all sound familiar? From Jasmina Tešanović, over at Boing Boing:
The Sirens :: 02.17.2008
It’s starting again: the language of war is the daily bread in Serbia. The sirens of nationalism are turned on again, as if nothing had changed in the eight years after Milosevic was toppled.
[ . . . ]
In Belgrade yesterday a thousand nationalists with Serbian flags marched downtown to the Slovenian embassy. Today, in front of the American embassy, potential riots were controlled by the police. In Kosovo province, two thousand policemen from EU mission will be deployed for 120 days until the situation “becomes stable.”
[ . . . ]
The president of the government with much harsher tones accused the US and EU of robbing Serbia of its territory, after destroying Serbia in 1999 with bombs. High ranked Orthodox priests also condemn the loss of their historical heritage. The members of the Serbian government tour Kosovo, encouraging Serbs to stay there. They could have done that eight years ago by coming to terms with the criminal ethnic cleansing.
Over and over again.
aniket says:
within any given population,certain differences always exist…..what if now the the 6 ethnic tribes of the new nation want to break apart?………there is no end to fragmentation until we reach an unsustainable size.but when 95%of kosovians wants independance…it is ok …………..but isnt is easier to live in a bigger country and enjoy both benifits………………………………………for eg
look at pathetic bengalis of bangladesh and pujabis of pakistan…………..that broke apart from india after the british left……… but the bengalis and punjabis of india are far safe, prosperous and happy…………
February 18th, 2008 at 12:32 am
MB says:
These are fair points, Aniket, but I suspect the Bengalis and Punjabis you refer to might take some issue with the characterization . . .
February 18th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
aniket says:
i am myself a Bengali and there is n denying that things happen 2 b so here……this was just an example but i claim that things have happened the same in other parts of the world as well….the reason why the Germany united…….the reason why Quebec remains a part of canada
February 21st, 2008 at 10:36 am