Kosovo War will make Iraq look like toy soldiers
ANALYSIS, Balkans — There is a lot of discussion over an independent Kosovo.
Most of this naively assumes such independence is good, like independence is a golden panacea for the problems of the Balkans.
Much of this presumes, that the Balkans is a child-ish conflict. But the Serbs are not the ‘bad kids’ to be sternly warned by the US and EU. The causes are far more complex.
Too often nascent racism is played out, calling the Serbs ‘bad’ and to be blamed for the original conflict. There are more dirty hands regionally. All Balkan countries were involved in various ways, nobody has clean hands.
But reality is that Kosovo is a backward province of 2 million people; and is it worth creating a potentially pan-European conflict in order to create an independence that will quickly result in additional border disputes?
Russia is the only nation that understands what the EU and US are pushing the Balkan region towards.
And why doesn’t the US stay out of a conflict it does not understand?
The Russians understand this conflict better than the US administration. The Russians have been in the Balkans for a very long time, and they have the most incentive for a better outcome. They do not want a conflict in their backyard.
Conflicts are unpredictable and always harm innocent people, generally not political leaders.
Yet the EU keep pushing Kosovo independence in the arrogant way that remote bureaucrats often do.
Like the IMF, the EU and UN at times interfere far too much in individual nations, often causing very little good for the citizens of those countries.
Although the leaders and politicians of these countries often live like latter-day Emperors, and have everything to gain from conflict. Leaders pockets are fat with cash their citizens pay for. Too often its the people who lose their homes.
It’s not about independence
Kosovo is not looking for independence, they are looking to consume the Northern part of Albania, splitting that country in two, or worse yet, consuming the whole of Albania, which is NOT homogeneous into the South.
The South of Albania would be Orthodox Greeks and Macedonians, despite being called Albanians. Some are Serbs, also Orthodox.
This will make a larger Albania (including Kosovo), or a smaller Albania, but is unpredictable. It is not neat. And poor Albanians will suffer.
This will also lead to new ethnic rivalries. It will not solve anything.
Kosovo people are often called ethnic Albanians. This term is repeated by commentators without questioning the implicit meaning.
But Albania and Kosovo have not been joined since 1914 and briefly in World War II.
Kosovars are a separate group, yes, like Serbs, Croats, Macedonians.
By the definition of 1914 ethnicity, I am an ethnic Englishman! Not an Australian or American. Do we now revert Australia to British rule?
This is based on a theoretically neat, mostly sound, but ultimately naive US government concept of giving each ethnic group its own ‘country’.
This idea of ethnic self-determination has some merit, yet strangely, is not US policy in Iraq (Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis).
It is simply too complex, nor is it realistic or fair to revert to 1914 borders, which in effect is possible technically, but a strangely disingenuous idea.
The Bigger problem: Balkan Wars start other wars
This is possibly going to be a war. Seriously.
Kosovo is playing sides as much as any Balkan nation. They were just as involved in the war as other Balkan nations, ask anyone regionally about what the KLA did.
This American diplomatic idea of ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ does not play here. The real world is more complex than that. All nations have dirty hands.
Very worrying.
This is an example where EU and US influence can damage the lives of everyday people, because a few politicians in Kosovo want more political power, and a few politicians in Albania, believe, falsely, they might get some too.
International politics played by those who are too far from the scene rarely help those who live there.
There are 2 million Kosovo people, a rush to independence may potentially create Pan-European turmoil for 10s of millions of Europeans. Is this worth it?
Will this only improve the life and power of local politicians?
An Alternate Vision of Regional Discussion
Take the time instead and get the advice of locals instead of imposing solutions. Involve Russia and other Balkan nations, which understand the region. Multi-lateralism.
Don’t make the typical Western mistake of imposing Western ideas, and then saying afterwards ‘Why didn’t this work?’
A war does not favor Albania, Kosovo, Serbia or any of their neighbors, and indeed causes headaches for all people. Wars are unpredictable.
And as usual, in all countries, average people and average families (families just like yours) will pay the price.
Do we need more wars?
Take care,
Christopher
Speaker. Author. Editor-In-Chief. Executive Director of Innovation, 2thinknow.
3 Responses to “Kosovo War will make Iraq look like toy soldiers”
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Get a life Chris! Go in Southern Albania if you do not mind (if it’s not too hard for you, too) and see who lives there: Greeks? Serbs? Macedonians?
Come on dude! Justify the money they pay you…
To start with, Albanians suffered for almost 45 years under communism. During that time I remember every 1-st of May when we had those stupid parades, someone from Kosovo coming and bringing our dictator Enver Hoxha a big bounch of flowers on behalf of Kosovo people.
If you were born there “Hansy” and are over 30years old, I am sure you will remember like I do.
The reason why they supported our dictator, has never been explained to Albanian people, till today. Just so their leaders to be honest about it that’s all, if they may.
Despite all this, when Kosovo people refuge to Albania in 1997-1998, Albanian people open their hearts and houses and invited them to stay temporary there with them. During that time Albania went through the hardest times, something else I have to emphasize for the westerners.
Many Kosovo people were surprised how poor we were (we still are) and the restrictions of life we had, (while like most Yugoslavs under Tito, Kosovos weren’t poor at all, financially speaking, another thing we didn’t understand back then, while we do now).
As well, they didn’t like the fact that couldn’t not make calls on the mobile overseas, to their families (we didn’t even know what a mobile phone was at that time anyway), while at that time just a few families had just home phones.
Calls overseas were extremely expensive for Albanians.
Not only that, but they put Albanians down for not being as well off as they were. Was that a sign of naivety on the part of Kosovars? I do not think so.
“Hansy”, I am not quite sure you get Christopher’s point.
I am an Albanian born and lived there for years. Not sure where you from at all.
As an Albanian, I am more than fed up with Kosovo’s problem. As most people in Albania are. Albanians don’t have the freedom to say it though, something those reading only the news in the west doesn’t know!
One example, I know for a fact one of my colleague’s uncle who invited a Kosovo family into his house had to throw them out in a few days. he reason? They were making fun of his poverty rather than being thankful to him for inviting refugees home!!!
We didn’t know then that Kosovo people have always been financially better off than Albanians!
It is a truth no-one can deny, but media and people who live in the west, don’t know that either. Perhaps would have been nice if someone from Kosovo to raise that point, since they are exposed to the west better than we are. Or I might be dreaming? Kosovars have had the opportunity to travel and live overseas while we couldn’t even dream of it!
Yet they felt “very repressed”!
The reality is nobody cares about Albania, yet they “care” about Kosovo. It’s all about special interests.
So, being well off, being able to effort more than one big house and support very well your family, having to travel and live outside their country, having more than 1 wife (as many do) all over Europe wasn’t good enough for them?
Or perhaps, we, after 45 years of being isolated from the rest of the world, having restrictions of electricity, water and not being able to support the family at all, were the ones who were better off? These are true stories which need to be told.
Now I have to say, it is about time Albanians have to focus on themselves.
Since the changes in 1991, not much has been done because Kosovo has taken the attention of the media. With all do respect for Kosovo, we have a country of our own you know? Isn’t what we have suffered in tha past, enough for us already?
Kosovo has had the exposure to the media, while Albania hasn’t.
It seems Albania can’t get ahead not because we don’t want to, but, because Kosovo has taken the attention of the western media at Albania’s expense! this is because of the West’s lack of understanding of the Balkans, and a desire to control Serbs, when Croats, Serbs and Kosovars were all responsible for a Balkan war.
And Albanians have suffered enough for 45 years! We deserve better lives and better future! We are trying! Where is the West for Albanians? Is this so much to ask for?
My truth comes from Albania …while am not sure where you “Hansy” come from because that name is not the real one! Not Albanian for sure. You do not need to be paid to say the truth about your country “Hansy”!
In the end, all Christopher is trying to say is, no need for more wars! Enough of politicians ego, which is what is going on in our region and that is the main reason for those stupid wars, Balkan has gone through in the last decades. Those wars are unnecessary! And why risk a war to create a country so small, and with only 2 million people.
Albanians just want to have a good life, not to be “the lost generation” like my poor parents are!
So “Hansy” how about you get a life and do not stop the truth, no matter how bitter it might be!
Thank you Christopher for taking the time and shedding some light on the truth about Albania and Kosovo!
Jan 10th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
[…] By the same definition I am an ethnic Englishman, and if you go far back enough an ethnic Frenchman or ethnic Austrian. See story. […]