Respected abroad: surprising Serbian elections yield another ally
Take a look at this fellow before Putin gets to him and the dioxin scars set in.
No, it’s not Vincent D’onofrio; that’s Serbia’s president, Boris Tadic.
The pro-Western coalition’s surprisingly strong showing came just three months after protesters outraged by Kosovo’s Feb. 17 independence declaration set fire to part of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade.
That anger had stoked expectations of an electoral backlash and a Radical victory that would have squelched Serbia’s efforts to prepare for eventual EU membership. The Radicals had vowed to steer the country away from the West and toward Russia, and openly defy international demands for the arrest of Gen. Ratko Mladic and other fugitive war crimes suspects.
Some of you may remember some other recent unpleasantness involving that Mladic jerkwad and the Serbians in the 1990’s. Well, despite all that, they’re throwing in with the West against Pooty-poot.
We’re justifiably focused on the events of the day, especially the great war we’re involved in and our upcoming election. But there are a thousand little things like this going on all over the world every week that barely get discussed. (Dozens of them flash across my monitor every day, and usually their significance is yet too obscure for a blog post or I just don’t know enough to say anything useful.*)
Some things, though, you hear about and think, that matters. Granted, there’s a human temptation to see patterns in these events where there may be none, but I agree with Publius Pundit’s Kim Ziegfield that this is another important little pixel in an encouraging picture of the world turning away from Soviet tyranny:
It’s one breathtaking defeat after another for the failed KGB regime of Vladimir Putin. First NATO moves decisively towards missile defense and admission of Ukraine and Georgia (both countries have recently repudiated ties with Russia in national elections), and now Russia can’t even hold on to its “little brother” Serbia. At home and abroad, Putin’s policies bring only misery and humiliation to the people of Russia, the same neo-Soviet bitterness with which they are already well acquainted.
It’s also a victory over ethnic nationalism in a place that has suffered grievously because of it. That element is still there, and they are the ones pushing alliance with Putin’s neo-Soviet empire. That makes this victory a two-fer.
This shouldn’t be a surprise. Who would voluntarily ally their country’s future with Russia’s grim crime-ridden oligarchy? But it is a surprise nonetheless, and a welcome one. And though this isn’t much more than a hunch, I think looking back in twenty or thirty years we might say it’s an important one.
My post on the NATO conferences that Kim mentioned is here.
*Yes, smart alecks, occasionally that does stop me. Occasionally.
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{Post by See-Dubya. Edited slightly to change “President-elect” to “President“.}
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Umm, Barack Obama? Is this a rhetorical question?
Well,even the smaller stones have their place in the wall….and the wall is the stronger for it.
Well, he would sit down and talk with Putin. He might look him in the eye and get a sense for his soul…if he can find one.
Doug T, I think Barack will offer up 7 states to Russia as a gesture of kindness. That will leave us with 50.
Posts like this need a cover-page graphic or no one will click on them. Any suggestions?
Freedom is very appealing. Serbia has had a taste and is ready for more.
but…but…but….we’re lost our international credibility *in high pitched Code Pink voice*
an image of the Eastern Bloc with US flags pinned into them?
or a picture of Putin pouting?
How about a map in the background, Tadic’s photo facing the West and Putin looking downward?
Zorro (#6), I agree with that. Once they’ve ventured out of the barn, there is no getting the people back inside without a violent crackdown.
And freedom tastes like crispy succulent bacon, IMO.
Good one, Zorro, but too complicated for me. I added something simpler. He looks pouty.
I thought I sent you a worthy graphic there, see-dubya. I was going for click throughs though, not topical relevance.
Bullseye’s are always good.
I like this one…
DougT–just checked that account–there wasn’t a link or an attachment, but I have an idea what of what you had in mind…
For that other NATO post, it languished with no comments for a while and then I put up a picture of Dolly Parton, and retitled it “Was the NATO summit some kind of bust?” Marginally more successful, but Laura Ingraham probably wouldn’t approve…
liken yours… lol
DougT, Freedom is a powerful tonic for those who have had to live under the boot for so long. I know the Christians of Lebanon will never give up either.
Thanks see-dubya, I’ve been trying to learn CS3 Extended, I’m only a third of the way through the “Classroom in a Book” but once I get the hang of that massive piece of software, I’ll forward some visuals of my thoughts! And your choice for cover graphic is catchy as usual.
God Bless the Serbs
Geez, see-dub, that is the one. There was some confusion on my part between work and personal email. And I sent it sans link.
Which countries are still under Putin’s yoke? Aside from Mother Russia. Are the Asian republics fairly autonomous?
Putin seems to have these poorer countries under his sway thanks to huge amounts of debt they’ve amassed with Russia.
The Russians once again are behind the times, and i wonder if they will ever catch up to the US in terms of freedom and integrity of government (yes that’s a relative term-but the differnece is so vast it might as well be an absolute).
The current Russian government is now at the year 1907 with a virtually identical system of government now as what existed before Tsar nicholas was overthrown in 1917 (re: October Manifesto of 1907 by the Tsar’s government)….
The only differnce is that Putin is the “Tsar” and he’s got oil control (gazprom).
The Serbs are brave indeed.
Debt, and a huge army, and threats of assassination and dirty tricks, and shooting down their drones.
Check out the video at that link. That’s another one of those things that I almost blogged, but wasn’t sure what do with.
Pootin’
Heh. That used to be the euphemism that we used with our kids for…well…ya know.
Poot!
RE: post #15
See-Dubya,
Once in a while sex sells..men will certainly enjoy Dolly’s inspiring beauty.
Pootie-poot is W’s nickname for Putin.
It’s wonderfully condescending. I hope it drives that vampire SOB to rage.
I could only imagine W’s nickname for HIllary.
How come this isn’t making national news?
just another day in L.A. john.
Wonder what NATO’s reasons were for balking at Georgia? Russian-exacerbated civil war perhaps?
NATO balked at Georgia and Ukraine for the same reason Bush and Condi have been putting forth moronic Middle East peace plans. Some sort of magic liquid that gets pumped out of the ground.
This is probably far more an anti-Putin vote than a pro-Western one, but still it is significant. The Serbs and the Russians have been very close historically, but it is clear enough of them looked into Putin’s eyes and saw a Stalin-wannabe. Putinia is dying, no question about it, but it is not dying fast enough and it remains incredibly dangerous. We must be prepared for the very worst.
No doubt President-to-be Obama is thinking this matter through with his advisers even now — assuming he knows anything about the 20th century other than what Rev. Wright has told him.
Ironic that the rest of the civilized and semi-civilized world is running full tilt away from socialism, and we’re running full tilt towards it. We used to be the world’s leader, now we’re following, a full century behind.
And I suppose tomorrow the New York Slimes will be calling the Serbs traitors to the PEOPLE and puppets of G.W. Bush. The Slimes and their followers will be mad because this is going to slow down the rebuilding of the Great Soviet Empire ! I love it.
Ain’t it the truth txvet2, ain’t it the truth. #32
I hope he still agrees with Russia on one think. No independent Kosovo!
Poor Russia. Putin is dragging it back to 1970 while the rest of the USSR is moving forward. Sure, there’ll be hiccups, but the trend if wonderful. Besides the Ukraine and Georgia have more military and resources to offer than Russia. Add in the stans (Uzbekistan, etc.) and the old East Europe (Czech Republic, etc.) and you have a vast anti-Communist loose confederation that way out weighs Putin’s Russia and they don’t want to go back. Ever.