From: abrodnik@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca
Subject: Re: Calling a spade a spade
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 22:16:32 GMT

In article <Jan.2.02.51.54.1993.20821@andromeda.rutgers.edu> pshane@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Ana M. Shane) writes:
> YES, EVERYONE
>WITHIN THE LEADERSHIPS OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OF FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
>IS TO BLAME. How much? What for? Well each one individual and
>official structure, for what they have exactly done. Not more,
>and not less. That would be only just, wouldn't it?

I completely agree with Ana here, though I'd add, following the same
logic, why don't blame then also other leaderships? Leaderships of
other countries? They are guilty as well? Why don't also blame other
people with power? Why don't blame other people? Why don't blame also
you, Ana, and me? Right? Don't you see that such an approach is
somehow leading to complete anarchy? Is this what we want?

>First, I am not blaming CROATIA AND SLOVENIA, but Croatian and Slovenian
>leadership.
>
>Second, I am not even "blaming" but just laying out the irrefutable facts.

So, Ana, are you blaming or not?-)

>(Take the official press releases from: Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and
>Kosovo for years 1980-1987 and after 1987, and tell me whether you can
>or cannot conclude that
>"Croatian and Slovenian *leaders* had used the Kosovo conflict to,
> on one hand, support the most extreme secessionist Albanian leaders, 
>
>and 
>
>on the other hand, to prepare their own populations for hatred, satanization
>and demonization of all Serbs. (analyze the style of writing up the news).
>(here I'll also add, that the Serbian leadership equally used the said
>political events occuring in Kosovo prior to Milosevic and even more
>after he came to power, to equaly satanize and demonize Croatians and
>Slovenians and Albanians).

Hm, we are going the same way as we did so many times already. First
question which needs to be answered is whether pointing out on
problems on Kosovo is act of "hatred and satanization of all Serbs"? I
don't think so, or you need to blame for this also Helsinki Watch and
Amnesty International. So was there other writting (in Slovenia
particularly) which had as a goal what you wrote above? It happened to
be that in most of eighties I used to live in Ljubljana and hence also
read and listen (also) Slovene sources (what I sincerely question if
you did in original language) and I have to say that no such emotions
were spread around. On the other hand I agree with you, that Serbian
side was constantly accusing Slovenia of such acts and, especially, of
not understanding of Serbian position on Kosovo. The next problem, as
I saw it, was that Serbs were angry because Slovenes were (also)
listening to Albanian side. The culmination happened when Slovenes
declined to allow "a rally of truth" in Ljubljana. Serbs said, at that
moment, that Slovenes do not want to hear their side of story. But
they completely forgot to mention that Slovenes were willing to give
them prime time on TV and radio (to their representatives) to explain
their position. Is this again the "demonization of Serbs"? I'd rather
turn the question around. What if Serbian authorities have shown their
people that others (Slovenes) are "preparing their own populations for
hatred, satanization and demonization of all Serbs"? The rest of
conclusions are left to the reader.

Regards,

Andrej