Another thing the albanophobes seem to be obsessed with is the so-called "Albanian Mafia" According to them, the government of Kosova (and probably Albania proper as well) is run by them, they are best friends with Al-Qaida, and are even more powerful than the Russian and Italian mafias put together, among other unsubstantiated (or at best poorly substantiated) claims. (Gee, what's next? Maybe that they're the ones who really run Microsoft! Ya think?)
This blog will not try to convince you that there are no Albanians involved in organised crime, for the simple reason that there is no group of people in the world that does not have it's criminals, Albanians included, and probably at least some of them are engaged in what you and I would call "organised criminal activities". This is just a simple fact of human nature, unpleasant as it may be to admit.
However, the subject of this post is not about Albanian criminal activities (this blog trusts its readers to be sufficiently intelligent to freely investigate that on their own if they so wish, and draw their own conclusions of the "danger" to the world at large posed by them, or just how typical of Albanian society and culture such individuals involved in such activities really are), but rather about criminal activities our "opposition" opts never to mention (and small wonder, since it would completely destroy their argument that they are in toto a Godly, Saintly people); namely that of the Serbian Mafia, aka the Zemun gang (Zemun is a suburb of Belgrade). Of course, I'm sure that just as the late J. Edgar Hoover did with the American Mafia, if asked, they would deny there's any such thing as a Serbian mafia, (The Serbs being to the last man, woman, and child being such "Godly Christians", of course). However, there is indeed a Serbian mafia, and it has included among its members such personages as the great Serbian "hero" (or at least he is to the National(social)ists), Zeljko Raznatovic, aka "Commandante Arkan" (see what a wonderful guy he was-even kind to animals!). and it's interesting to note that they call themselves "Nasa Stvar". Now supposedly in Serbian, "Nasa Stvar" means "The Future Belongs To Us". I wonder if that is as in "The World Is Yours", or more like "Tomorrow Belongs to Me"? One thing's for sure: They don't have a lot in common with these guys.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
"Right is right, and wrong is wrong"
On the 4th of July (ironically), Julia Gorin, as a part of a lengthy (to say nothing of long-winded) attempt at defending the opportunistic Draza Mihailovic, published in her "GLOB" some correspondence she had received from Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian, a US airman rescued by his men and returned to the Allies, and who for the past 60 years or so has been trying to "clear" Mihailovic's name. I don't know if Mr. Jibilian's opinion has changed in the past 8 years (unlike some, this blog does not go around quoting 8 year old articles as if they are current, and none of the facts in them have changed in the intervening years due to more complete knowledge than was available at the time), but at least this is how he felt in 1999 about whether "good deeds" done in the past give one a pass to do evil ones in the present:
"I love the Serbs," said Jibilian, 75, a retired industrial safety director. "I owe them my life. Five hundred American airmen owe them their lives. The bombing of Serbs -- I find that very hard to accept." "But right is right and wrong is wrong. And as much as I love the Serbs," Jibilian said, "what they're doing now," in driving Albanians from their homes, "is wrong."
-Minneapolis Star Tribune, 25 April 1999 (Sunday)
Mr. Jibilian (at least as of April 1999) had it right.
"I love the Serbs," said Jibilian, 75, a retired industrial safety director. "I owe them my life. Five hundred American airmen owe them their lives. The bombing of Serbs -- I find that very hard to accept." "But right is right and wrong is wrong. And as much as I love the Serbs," Jibilian said, "what they're doing now," in driving Albanians from their homes, "is wrong."
-Minneapolis Star Tribune, 25 April 1999 (Sunday)
Mr. Jibilian (at least as of April 1999) had it right.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Sooooo tolerant! Sooooo multicultural! (then again, maybe not so much....)
Much ado has been made by our "friend" Julia Gorin about just how tolerant and open to living with people of cultures other than their own Serbia is. While this may well be true in some instances, in others, well, um...maybe not so much....
For those wondering, the picture at top is a piece of Serbian National(social)ist propaganda demonising Albanians over the alleged assault and sodomisation of a Kosovar Serb farmer and Yugoslav National Army civilian employee named George Martinovic in early 1985, who claimed that the acts were perpetrated on his person by a couple of Albanian attackers. Investigating authorities found that it was more likely that the wounds suffered by Martinovic from the supposed "sodomising" were really more likely from "self-abuse" than from any assault. For those who might wish to claim that the investigation was invalid because it took place during the period when the Albanian majority "ruled" the province, it should be known that after the termination of Kosovar autonomy in 1989, no attempt was made by Serbian authorities to re-open the case, even in spite of the efforts of a "crusading" journalist from a once-reliable Serbian newsmagazine.
The picture beneath it is a little simpler to explain. It is one of the posters generated to advertise the Anti-Masonic (read Anti-Semitic) exposition, held in Belgrade in late 1941-early 1942, and sponsored by the Nazi-puppet ruler, Gen. Milan Nedic. The "exposition" received rave reviews in respected Serbian publications of the time like Obnova and Nasa Borba.
Anyone notice any similarities between the two pictures? Naaahhh....didn't think so.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Coño, Vllazen, coño!
(For those who don't know Caribbean Spanish, "Coño" is an expletive roughly equivalent to "damn!", and yes, the title of this post is a linguistically mixed play on "Çonju vllazen, çonju!")
It's interesting that back when the Kosova crisis first heated up, most of those taking the side of Serbia were of the far-left political persuasion. Well, times have changed, and while Serbia still has it's supporters from that side of the political equation, the majority of it's supporters now seem to come from the far right. How ironic it is, then, that they should find themselves on the same side of the Kosova status fence with this "gentleman"....
On the other hand, I can speak from personal experience that most Cubans do not share "El Lider Maximo's" feelings about Albanians or Kosova, and in fact, here is a bit about one Cuban-American who's helped do something for the Albanians of Kosova.
It's interesting that back when the Kosova crisis first heated up, most of those taking the side of Serbia were of the far-left political persuasion. Well, times have changed, and while Serbia still has it's supporters from that side of the political equation, the majority of it's supporters now seem to come from the far right. How ironic it is, then, that they should find themselves on the same side of the Kosova status fence with this "gentleman"....
On the other hand, I can speak from personal experience that most Cubans do not share "El Lider Maximo's" feelings about Albanians or Kosova, and in fact, here is a bit about one Cuban-American who's helped do something for the Albanians of Kosova.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
It's The National(social)ist Politics, Stupid!
Perhaps some of you who are reading this who are not Albanian may be wondering, "Why won't the Kosovar Albanians accept the 'generous' offer of broad-ranging autonomy offered by the current Serbian government in place of total independence, since they were willing to accept autonomy as recently as the Rambouillet talks?" A fair enough question, so here is the simple, point-by-point answer:
1. Let us say that the Kosova provisional government accepts said offer of autonomy. In all likelihood, this will strengthen the position in the eyes of the voting public of Serbia of the these guys, who won the latest parliamentary elections, though fortunately not by a large enough percentage of seats to govern, and were shut out by a coalition of the other political parties.
2. Emboldened by the seeming "victory" of Serbia having regained control over it's beloved "Kosmet", the SRS gains support among the electorate.
3. The next election cycle comes around, the SRS promises to make this and this realities, and wins a handy majority, enough to form either a coalition-less government, or one with partners "junior" enough not to impede the Radicals in making real their desires.
4. SRS makes null and void all agreements between the Kosova provisional government and the government of the the Republic of Serbia, and makes good on their promises regarding Kosova. Tanks are sent in, military and paramilitary forces stream in full force, Russia has it's "little brother's" back, pointing some lovely little nuclear phallic symbols at the rest of the world until the SRS finishes the job it said it would do.
And that is why Kosova must insist on nothing less than complete independence; not to build up some ridiculous "Islamic Caliphate in the Balkans", or to fulfill the dream of a "Greater Albania", but simply to survive, as all human beings wish to do, according to the instinct planted in them by their Creator.
1. Let us say that the Kosova provisional government accepts said offer of autonomy. In all likelihood, this will strengthen the position in the eyes of the voting public of Serbia of the these guys, who won the latest parliamentary elections, though fortunately not by a large enough percentage of seats to govern, and were shut out by a coalition of the other political parties.
2. Emboldened by the seeming "victory" of Serbia having regained control over it's beloved "Kosmet", the SRS gains support among the electorate.
3. The next election cycle comes around, the SRS promises to make this and this realities, and wins a handy majority, enough to form either a coalition-less government, or one with partners "junior" enough not to impede the Radicals in making real their desires.
4. SRS makes null and void all agreements between the Kosova provisional government and the government of the the Republic of Serbia, and makes good on their promises regarding Kosova. Tanks are sent in, military and paramilitary forces stream in full force, Russia has it's "little brother's" back, pointing some lovely little nuclear phallic symbols at the rest of the world until the SRS finishes the job it said it would do.
And that is why Kosova must insist on nothing less than complete independence; not to build up some ridiculous "Islamic Caliphate in the Balkans", or to fulfill the dream of a "Greater Albania", but simply to survive, as all human beings wish to do, according to the instinct planted in them by their Creator.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Welcome! Miresevini!
Greetings, one and all, and welcome to Albanian Reality Check! What is Albanian Reality Check, you ask? It is a new blogsite whose purpose is simply this: To offer a counter to the growing number of scurrilous Anti-Albanian lies, half-truths, spin, and innuendo from both left and right that are growing everyday both on the internet, and in more conventional media.
For far too long, most of the Albanian community and it's friends and supporters have been far too complacent in the face of the various forms of albanophobic propaganda that have been increasing daily. "Oh, they're only _______ (fill in the blank-Serb, Greek, Russian, Macedonian, etc.), who cares what they have to say?", is the most common litany I personally have heard that is representative of this attitude. Only a few of us have seen the danger this propaganda, left uncountered, represents. However, recently, more and more people in the Albanian community have begun to realise the threat that these lies, half-truths, and spin represent, not merely to Kosova's independence, but to the future of the Albanian state proper and even to the Albanian community in the diaspora! And even those who are not entirely convinced of the danger such propaganda presents are still insulted and offended enough by the lies that they too are saying "MJAFT!" (ENOUGH!) And that's why this blog is here. To stand up to the lies, the half-truths, and the hate-mongering against one of Europe's oldest and noblest peoples. To give "The Other Side of the Story".
It should be said, though, before going any further, that there are some things this blogsite is NOT:
It is NOT a site that will defend Albanians who are truly in the wrong, or have done something provably wrong. The Albanian people have a very high code of conduct they subscribe to, one that is summed up by the concept of "BESA", the unbreakable promise. However, believe it or not, for all that, Albanians are still people, with all the same flaws and foibles as any other group of human beings. And they too have their share of "bad apples". Those "bad apples" we have no interest in defending, and indeed if their misdeeds can be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt, we will be the first to condemn them.
It is also NOT a "______ bashing" (again, fill in the blank: Serbian, Greek, Russian, Macedonian, etc.) blogsite. The slander of a whole people is repugnant and racist, no matter who they might be, and will not be tolerated here. That being said though, we do not have any compunctions of challenging the haters out there when they put forth lies like, for example, "Albanians are a bunch of savage, tribalistic, Nazi-Loving, Taliban-Sympathising goons, while Serbs are a tolerant, peace-loving, semitophilic, godly, Christian folk, right down to the last man, woman, and child." We would not consdier it "bashing" to challenge such propaganda by say, posting evidence of the existance of the Nazi-sympathising Serbian political movement Zbor in the 30's, or the existance of concentration camps within Serbia during WWII, partially staffed by Serbs, or the modern Skinhead movement in Serbia today. This would be, in our opinion, simply presenting a counter-claim to a claim we consider demonstrably false-not slandering a whole people, as the albanophobes do.
So now you know what this blogsite is, and what it is not. We hope you will join us here frequently, as we expect to have new posts on a regular basis. And if you are an Albanian, or friend of the Albanian community, and have a knack for writing and dilligent research, we would ask you to consider becoming a contributor to this blog. The only things we ask of you if you are considering doing so are: That you have good english skills, that you be willing to commit to contributing on at least a semi-regular basis, and that you be someone who does not resort to the tactics of our opposition, but writes dispassionately, and with reliable facts and sources to back you up.
I guess that's about it for this post, folks. Before I close it, I would leave you with two sayings that I think are good to keep in mind. The first is from the author of the US declaration of independence, Thomas Jefferson: "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance". The second is from the American baseball great, Yogi Berra: "It ain't over until it's over!"
For far too long, most of the Albanian community and it's friends and supporters have been far too complacent in the face of the various forms of albanophobic propaganda that have been increasing daily. "Oh, they're only _______ (fill in the blank-Serb, Greek, Russian, Macedonian, etc.), who cares what they have to say?", is the most common litany I personally have heard that is representative of this attitude. Only a few of us have seen the danger this propaganda, left uncountered, represents. However, recently, more and more people in the Albanian community have begun to realise the threat that these lies, half-truths, and spin represent, not merely to Kosova's independence, but to the future of the Albanian state proper and even to the Albanian community in the diaspora! And even those who are not entirely convinced of the danger such propaganda presents are still insulted and offended enough by the lies that they too are saying "MJAFT!" (ENOUGH!) And that's why this blog is here. To stand up to the lies, the half-truths, and the hate-mongering against one of Europe's oldest and noblest peoples. To give "The Other Side of the Story".
It should be said, though, before going any further, that there are some things this blogsite is NOT:
It is NOT a site that will defend Albanians who are truly in the wrong, or have done something provably wrong. The Albanian people have a very high code of conduct they subscribe to, one that is summed up by the concept of "BESA", the unbreakable promise. However, believe it or not, for all that, Albanians are still people, with all the same flaws and foibles as any other group of human beings. And they too have their share of "bad apples". Those "bad apples" we have no interest in defending, and indeed if their misdeeds can be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt, we will be the first to condemn them.
It is also NOT a "______ bashing" (again, fill in the blank: Serbian, Greek, Russian, Macedonian, etc.) blogsite. The slander of a whole people is repugnant and racist, no matter who they might be, and will not be tolerated here. That being said though, we do not have any compunctions of challenging the haters out there when they put forth lies like, for example, "Albanians are a bunch of savage, tribalistic, Nazi-Loving, Taliban-Sympathising goons, while Serbs are a tolerant, peace-loving, semitophilic, godly, Christian folk, right down to the last man, woman, and child." We would not consdier it "bashing" to challenge such propaganda by say, posting evidence of the existance of the Nazi-sympathising Serbian political movement Zbor in the 30's, or the existance of concentration camps within Serbia during WWII, partially staffed by Serbs, or the modern Skinhead movement in Serbia today. This would be, in our opinion, simply presenting a counter-claim to a claim we consider demonstrably false-not slandering a whole people, as the albanophobes do.
So now you know what this blogsite is, and what it is not. We hope you will join us here frequently, as we expect to have new posts on a regular basis. And if you are an Albanian, or friend of the Albanian community, and have a knack for writing and dilligent research, we would ask you to consider becoming a contributor to this blog. The only things we ask of you if you are considering doing so are: That you have good english skills, that you be willing to commit to contributing on at least a semi-regular basis, and that you be someone who does not resort to the tactics of our opposition, but writes dispassionately, and with reliable facts and sources to back you up.
I guess that's about it for this post, folks. Before I close it, I would leave you with two sayings that I think are good to keep in mind. The first is from the author of the US declaration of independence, Thomas Jefferson: "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance". The second is from the American baseball great, Yogi Berra: "It ain't over until it's over!"
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