From: jovanovic-nick@cs.yale.edu (Nick Jovanovic)
Newsgroups: alt.politics.europe.misc,soc.culture.yugoslavia
Subject: Re: Croatian dreams
Date: 14 Dec 1992 15:52:01 -0500
Organization: Yale University Computer Science Dept., New Haven, CT 06520-2158
NNTP-Posting-Host: zoo-gw.cs.yale.edu

In article <1992Dec14.171443.17268@eng.umd.edu> josip@eng.umd.edu (Josip Loncaric) writes:
>
>policy could not make much headway.  Knin had been looking towards Belgrade
>but needed to understand that it should negotiate with Zagreb.  Quick
>recognition would help make this clear.

Actually, Zagreb should also have been "looking toward Belgrade" during this
period instead of working with other countries to destroy a sovereign and
internationally recognized state (ex-Yugoslavia).  Croatia's land grab of
compact regions of Serbian settlement when it seceded from Yugoslavia was 
contrary to international principles concerning self-determination.  It is
only because Serbians do not want all of Croatia that Zagreb is now a capital
city in Europe.  If full force had been used to prevent the breakup of
Yugoslavia (as would have been used in China, for instance), Croatia would
not now even exist.  Serbia should be getting accolades for having not
followed this proven method of squelching unrest.  Had they pursued this
course of action with air, land, and sea forces they would have accomplished
a quick preservation of ex-Yugoslavia as a state.  The international community
would no doubt have expressed disapproval, but would have done nothing else.
 
The message from the international community is loud and clear.  Serbia has
been villainized much more than it would have been if it had chosen to use
full military force to keep ex-Yugoslavia intact.  Around the world, generals
and politicians are hearing that message, no doubt--use maximum force, use
it quickly, and allow no secessionist activities.  Of course, most of the
world already knew that lesson, e.g. the U.S. requires me to sign the
following statement, "In accepting an appointment, each fellow declares that
he/she will support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and
he/she is not a Communist or Fascist, that he/she does not advocate, and is
not a member of an organization that advocates the overthrow of the Government
of the United States by force or violence, and that this declaration will
remain in effect during the period of this fellowship."  What do you think
would happen to me if I became governor of Connecticut, held a referendum,
and promptly seceded from the U.S., taking all of the areas of Connecticut
which didn't want to secede because the referendum showed overall support?
The U.S. military would quickly intervene and I would be tried for treason.

Actually, I hope Serbs never learn this lesson that the international
community is trying to teach them.  The Ottoman rulers knew it well, the
Nazis knew it well, Tito and Stalin knew it well, and Serbs were among the
victims of each.  Even though they have been taught by these masters of 
savagery and brutality, Serbs still only want what is theirs instead of
what they have the potential to take by force.  None of the media spin 
doctors, none of the public relations firms hired by Tudjman and Izetbegovic,
and none of the net nabobs will ever change that.  

-Nick 
 


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