Audrey
pre 17 godina
"All that has changed..." More has changed, Mr. Montgomery. The power and glory that once was America has lost its moral lustre and the world feels it.
sreten
pre 17 godina
Good one, Nev.
That's exactly what I was trying to say.
Mongomery recently wrote about differences in oppinion between Albanians, Serbs, Croats, etc. calling it "Parallel universes".
Montgomery himself seems to live in one.
His views of America are very different than those widely seen around the globe.
Not so long ago, he talked about black and white views of US media. Yet, we see that his views are just as simple. Example, Turkey is member of NATO, and on its way to EU, therefor "democratic, market oriented, peaceful," etc. and Kurds should be happy to live in such state. On the other hand there is China that is not "democratic, market oriented, peaceful," and Tibetans should be unhappy.
The key is in Western orientation, and that seem to be the only principle that matters.
When I mentioned Russian minority in Estonia that was the point I was trying to make.
Let's compare situation of this minority to situation of Albanians, in Yugoslavia and Serbia.
I've never seen Autonomus Province set-up in Estonia for the purpose of safe-guarding minority rights of Russians.
35% of then have a right to vote, unlike 100% of Albanians who choose to boycot Serbian and in the past Yugoslavian elections.
Montgomery goes to accuse Russia of "instigating riots by ethnic Russians in Tallinn".
What would he say if weapons started to pour over border, while Estonian Russians unsatisfied with their status, launch "series of attacks against military installations, police units and government officials"?
It's not hard to see that such thing would provoke a reaction from Estonian government, or any other government for that matter.
Russia could then stage "Rambulliet talks 2" and offer them peaceful military occupation of their country. Should Estonia reject this (as anyone would) Russia could then engage in humanitarian war against them, targeting hospitals, bridges, etc. and rolling back their economy to above mentioned 1940.
Again, luckilly, Russians don't appear to be all that "democratic, market oriented, peaceful," and hypotetical scenario above will remain to be hypotetical. Plus, we all know that Americans have more rights to be concerned about Albanian rights then Russians about rights of other Russians.
But, if it was to become reality, I can't exactly see anyone in NATO thinking of it as a way to resolve minority problems in one coutry, despite of the fact that this precise method of "conflict resolution" was chosen by NATO just few years ago.
One can easily see what the problem is here. Lack of any principles, except appearantly one - Western orientation of the coutry is the only criterion used to determine its democratisation, respect of human and minority rights, etc.
Take a look at former Yugoslavia.
Serbs in Croatia lost the right to use Cyrillic alphabet, etc. Albanians in Kosovo had education (including University) in their language, yet, they have chosen to boycot it.
It's striking that number of Western official repeadatly were concerned about rights of Albanian minority, but almost nobody about rights of Serbs in Croatia. Appearantly, all the republics of former Yugoslavia are indivisable, except one that isn't. List could go on and on.
It's not hard to notice that entire thing lacks any principles, despite "principles" being a word readily used by scores of Western officials.
Last week we were able to see a fine example of it.
When Tomislav Nikolic became Speaker of Serbian parliament senior US official gave a statement:
"The leader of this party is Vojislav Seselj, currently on trial for alleged war crimes. While he is not proven guilty yet, he is indicted. Our position is that party with the leader indicted for war crimes should not be given this position, or any other position in the government. It would send a wrong message. It's a matter of principles."
There you have it. Matter of principles.
The fact that Alliance for the Future of Kosova (AAK), is a member of the governing coalition in Kosovo, and has number of government ministers, doesn't concern him. AAK's leader is Ramush Haradinaj, indicted for war crimes.
nev
pre 17 godina
Montgomery should realise that US is percieved very differently in the world, that the vision presented by him. Every major pool suggest that. And I'm not talking about Serbia at all.
It's a fact that US image have suffered tremendously abroad, even among staunch allies in EU.
I'll end this by quoting recent statement by Laibach (Slovenians, not Serbians) on their recent tour to US.
"First of all, we know that America likes us and we shall therefore come back; nonetheless, we have seen it and we agree that it is the only nation in history which has miraculously lapsed from barbarism directly to degeneration without the usual interval of civilization. If America is the foremost nation of today, then history has come to a full stop."
I would not agree with their assertion of America being "uncivilised", at least not fully.
But, Americans should take a good look at why they are perceived this way.
Jovan
pre 17 godina
it really looks like as the US-administration wishes a new cold war or cold peace, if you want it called that way.
but speaking that way, they only show their lack of progressive ideas, of real political understanding and what is worse, of values that have once been called "western" ones...
they did not do their homework, as it seems.
sreten
pre 17 godina
Did it ever occur to you Mr. Mongomery, that some of the Russian concerns might be justified?
Just look at what you are talking about here.
"Even if it did raise objections to actions such as the expansion of NATO into the "near abroad," the protests did not stop the expansion and were not treated as any sort of "veto."
Luckily for us, lurking in the heart of Russians, "democratic, market oriented, peaceful, Western-oriented" genes just waiting to come out, have not done so, yet.
Otherwise, we would have Kennedy, not Putin in power in Russia, who would block those countries, just as Cuba was blocked in 1962, and invasion would be planned. Then we would have much more reason to worry about.
Mr. Montgomery is accusing Russia of " hysterical media campaign of a nature last seen at the height of the Cold War. " against Estonia.
In my memory, the last hysterical media campaign was after the Cold War, and it was waged by Rudder and Finn, against Serbia.
What's with Estonia, anyway?
Let's see some great and democratic treatment of minority at work here, shall we?
There are quite a few ideas that we Serbs have failed to adopt from the democratic world.
After regaining independence in 1991, the authorities of Estonia did not automatically grant citizenship to anyone whose forebears did not have Estonian citizenship prior to the Soviet occupation of 1940. This policy affected people who had arrived in the country after 1940, the majority of whom were ethnic Russians. Knowledge of Estonian language and history was set as a condition for obtaining naturalised citizenship.
Why didn't we think of this in Kosovo?
According to the Estonian Statistical Office
http://www.stat.ee/170189/, ethnic Russians comprised 25.7% of the population in 2006.
Russians appear to be a majority in highly industrialized Ida-Virumaa County.
Out of that 25.7%, approximately 27% of ethnic Russians in Estonia hold Russian citizenship, 35% hold Estonian citizenship, and 35% continue to have undefined citizenship.
Only 35% of Russians have a right to vote (the ones with the citizentship).
The rest of them are residents without right to vote in national elections of Estonia, or in European Parliament elections.
Why didn't Serbia think of that?
It's obviously democratic.
Let's just hope that things with Estonian Russian minority will not detoriate further, and that we will not see such movement as KLA there.
Any response from Estonian government could awake Russian "democratic, market oriented, peaceful, Western-oriented" genes just waiting to come out" who could ,guided by principles established by more democratic coutries, be tempted to, without UN resolution, go to humanitarian war for right of Russians in Estonia.
sreten
pre 17 godina
Did it ever occur to you Mr. Mongomery, that some of the Russian concerns might be justified?
Just look at what you are talking about here.
"Even if it did raise objections to actions such as the expansion of NATO into the "near abroad," the protests did not stop the expansion and were not treated as any sort of "veto."
Luckily for us, lurking in the heart of Russians, "democratic, market oriented, peaceful, Western-oriented" genes just waiting to come out, have not done so, yet.
Otherwise, we would have Kennedy, not Putin in power in Russia, who would block those countries, just as Cuba was blocked in 1962, and invasion would be planned. Then we would have much more reason to worry about.
Mr. Montgomery is accusing Russia of " hysterical media campaign of a nature last seen at the height of the Cold War. " against Estonia.
In my memory, the last hysterical media campaign was after the Cold War, and it was waged by Rudder and Finn, against Serbia.
What's with Estonia, anyway?
Let's see some great and democratic treatment of minority at work here, shall we?
There are quite a few ideas that we Serbs have failed to adopt from the democratic world.
After regaining independence in 1991, the authorities of Estonia did not automatically grant citizenship to anyone whose forebears did not have Estonian citizenship prior to the Soviet occupation of 1940. This policy affected people who had arrived in the country after 1940, the majority of whom were ethnic Russians. Knowledge of Estonian language and history was set as a condition for obtaining naturalised citizenship.
Why didn't we think of this in Kosovo?
According to the Estonian Statistical Office
http://www.stat.ee/170189/, ethnic Russians comprised 25.7% of the population in 2006.
Russians appear to be a majority in highly industrialized Ida-Virumaa County.
Out of that 25.7%, approximately 27% of ethnic Russians in Estonia hold Russian citizenship, 35% hold Estonian citizenship, and 35% continue to have undefined citizenship.
Only 35% of Russians have a right to vote (the ones with the citizentship).
The rest of them are residents without right to vote in national elections of Estonia, or in European Parliament elections.
Why didn't Serbia think of that?
It's obviously democratic.
Let's just hope that things with Estonian Russian minority will not detoriate further, and that we will not see such movement as KLA there.
Any response from Estonian government could awake Russian "democratic, market oriented, peaceful, Western-oriented" genes just waiting to come out" who could ,guided by principles established by more democratic coutries, be tempted to, without UN resolution, go to humanitarian war for right of Russians in Estonia.
sreten
pre 17 godina
Good one, Nev.
That's exactly what I was trying to say.
Mongomery recently wrote about differences in oppinion between Albanians, Serbs, Croats, etc. calling it "Parallel universes".
Montgomery himself seems to live in one.
His views of America are very different than those widely seen around the globe.
Not so long ago, he talked about black and white views of US media. Yet, we see that his views are just as simple. Example, Turkey is member of NATO, and on its way to EU, therefor "democratic, market oriented, peaceful," etc. and Kurds should be happy to live in such state. On the other hand there is China that is not "democratic, market oriented, peaceful," and Tibetans should be unhappy.
The key is in Western orientation, and that seem to be the only principle that matters.
When I mentioned Russian minority in Estonia that was the point I was trying to make.
Let's compare situation of this minority to situation of Albanians, in Yugoslavia and Serbia.
I've never seen Autonomus Province set-up in Estonia for the purpose of safe-guarding minority rights of Russians.
35% of then have a right to vote, unlike 100% of Albanians who choose to boycot Serbian and in the past Yugoslavian elections.
Montgomery goes to accuse Russia of "instigating riots by ethnic Russians in Tallinn".
What would he say if weapons started to pour over border, while Estonian Russians unsatisfied with their status, launch "series of attacks against military installations, police units and government officials"?
It's not hard to see that such thing would provoke a reaction from Estonian government, or any other government for that matter.
Russia could then stage "Rambulliet talks 2" and offer them peaceful military occupation of their country. Should Estonia reject this (as anyone would) Russia could then engage in humanitarian war against them, targeting hospitals, bridges, etc. and rolling back their economy to above mentioned 1940.
Again, luckilly, Russians don't appear to be all that "democratic, market oriented, peaceful," and hypotetical scenario above will remain to be hypotetical. Plus, we all know that Americans have more rights to be concerned about Albanian rights then Russians about rights of other Russians.
But, if it was to become reality, I can't exactly see anyone in NATO thinking of it as a way to resolve minority problems in one coutry, despite of the fact that this precise method of "conflict resolution" was chosen by NATO just few years ago.
One can easily see what the problem is here. Lack of any principles, except appearantly one - Western orientation of the coutry is the only criterion used to determine its democratisation, respect of human and minority rights, etc.
Take a look at former Yugoslavia.
Serbs in Croatia lost the right to use Cyrillic alphabet, etc. Albanians in Kosovo had education (including University) in their language, yet, they have chosen to boycot it.
It's striking that number of Western official repeadatly were concerned about rights of Albanian minority, but almost nobody about rights of Serbs in Croatia. Appearantly, all the republics of former Yugoslavia are indivisable, except one that isn't. List could go on and on.
It's not hard to notice that entire thing lacks any principles, despite "principles" being a word readily used by scores of Western officials.
Last week we were able to see a fine example of it.
When Tomislav Nikolic became Speaker of Serbian parliament senior US official gave a statement:
"The leader of this party is Vojislav Seselj, currently on trial for alleged war crimes. While he is not proven guilty yet, he is indicted. Our position is that party with the leader indicted for war crimes should not be given this position, or any other position in the government. It would send a wrong message. It's a matter of principles."
There you have it. Matter of principles.
The fact that Alliance for the Future of Kosova (AAK), is a member of the governing coalition in Kosovo, and has number of government ministers, doesn't concern him. AAK's leader is Ramush Haradinaj, indicted for war crimes.
Jovan
pre 17 godina
it really looks like as the US-administration wishes a new cold war or cold peace, if you want it called that way.
but speaking that way, they only show their lack of progressive ideas, of real political understanding and what is worse, of values that have once been called "western" ones...
they did not do their homework, as it seems.
nev
pre 17 godina
Montgomery should realise that US is percieved very differently in the world, that the vision presented by him. Every major pool suggest that. And I'm not talking about Serbia at all.
It's a fact that US image have suffered tremendously abroad, even among staunch allies in EU.
I'll end this by quoting recent statement by Laibach (Slovenians, not Serbians) on their recent tour to US.
"First of all, we know that America likes us and we shall therefore come back; nonetheless, we have seen it and we agree that it is the only nation in history which has miraculously lapsed from barbarism directly to degeneration without the usual interval of civilization. If America is the foremost nation of today, then history has come to a full stop."
I would not agree with their assertion of America being "uncivilised", at least not fully.
But, Americans should take a good look at why they are perceived this way.
Audrey
pre 17 godina
"All that has changed..." More has changed, Mr. Montgomery. The power and glory that once was America has lost its moral lustre and the world feels it.
sreten
pre 17 godina
Did it ever occur to you Mr. Mongomery, that some of the Russian concerns might be justified?
Just look at what you are talking about here.
"Even if it did raise objections to actions such as the expansion of NATO into the "near abroad," the protests did not stop the expansion and were not treated as any sort of "veto."
Luckily for us, lurking in the heart of Russians, "democratic, market oriented, peaceful, Western-oriented" genes just waiting to come out, have not done so, yet.
Otherwise, we would have Kennedy, not Putin in power in Russia, who would block those countries, just as Cuba was blocked in 1962, and invasion would be planned. Then we would have much more reason to worry about.
Mr. Montgomery is accusing Russia of " hysterical media campaign of a nature last seen at the height of the Cold War. " against Estonia.
In my memory, the last hysterical media campaign was after the Cold War, and it was waged by Rudder and Finn, against Serbia.
What's with Estonia, anyway?
Let's see some great and democratic treatment of minority at work here, shall we?
There are quite a few ideas that we Serbs have failed to adopt from the democratic world.
After regaining independence in 1991, the authorities of Estonia did not automatically grant citizenship to anyone whose forebears did not have Estonian citizenship prior to the Soviet occupation of 1940. This policy affected people who had arrived in the country after 1940, the majority of whom were ethnic Russians. Knowledge of Estonian language and history was set as a condition for obtaining naturalised citizenship.
Why didn't we think of this in Kosovo?
According to the Estonian Statistical Office
http://www.stat.ee/170189/, ethnic Russians comprised 25.7% of the population in 2006.
Russians appear to be a majority in highly industrialized Ida-Virumaa County.
Out of that 25.7%, approximately 27% of ethnic Russians in Estonia hold Russian citizenship, 35% hold Estonian citizenship, and 35% continue to have undefined citizenship.
Only 35% of Russians have a right to vote (the ones with the citizentship).
The rest of them are residents without right to vote in national elections of Estonia, or in European Parliament elections.
Why didn't Serbia think of that?
It's obviously democratic.
Let's just hope that things with Estonian Russian minority will not detoriate further, and that we will not see such movement as KLA there.
Any response from Estonian government could awake Russian "democratic, market oriented, peaceful, Western-oriented" genes just waiting to come out" who could ,guided by principles established by more democratic coutries, be tempted to, without UN resolution, go to humanitarian war for right of Russians in Estonia.
Jovan
pre 17 godina
it really looks like as the US-administration wishes a new cold war or cold peace, if you want it called that way.
but speaking that way, they only show their lack of progressive ideas, of real political understanding and what is worse, of values that have once been called "western" ones...
they did not do their homework, as it seems.
nev
pre 17 godina
Montgomery should realise that US is percieved very differently in the world, that the vision presented by him. Every major pool suggest that. And I'm not talking about Serbia at all.
It's a fact that US image have suffered tremendously abroad, even among staunch allies in EU.
I'll end this by quoting recent statement by Laibach (Slovenians, not Serbians) on their recent tour to US.
"First of all, we know that America likes us and we shall therefore come back; nonetheless, we have seen it and we agree that it is the only nation in history which has miraculously lapsed from barbarism directly to degeneration without the usual interval of civilization. If America is the foremost nation of today, then history has come to a full stop."
I would not agree with their assertion of America being "uncivilised", at least not fully.
But, Americans should take a good look at why they are perceived this way.
sreten
pre 17 godina
Good one, Nev.
That's exactly what I was trying to say.
Mongomery recently wrote about differences in oppinion between Albanians, Serbs, Croats, etc. calling it "Parallel universes".
Montgomery himself seems to live in one.
His views of America are very different than those widely seen around the globe.
Not so long ago, he talked about black and white views of US media. Yet, we see that his views are just as simple. Example, Turkey is member of NATO, and on its way to EU, therefor "democratic, market oriented, peaceful," etc. and Kurds should be happy to live in such state. On the other hand there is China that is not "democratic, market oriented, peaceful," and Tibetans should be unhappy.
The key is in Western orientation, and that seem to be the only principle that matters.
When I mentioned Russian minority in Estonia that was the point I was trying to make.
Let's compare situation of this minority to situation of Albanians, in Yugoslavia and Serbia.
I've never seen Autonomus Province set-up in Estonia for the purpose of safe-guarding minority rights of Russians.
35% of then have a right to vote, unlike 100% of Albanians who choose to boycot Serbian and in the past Yugoslavian elections.
Montgomery goes to accuse Russia of "instigating riots by ethnic Russians in Tallinn".
What would he say if weapons started to pour over border, while Estonian Russians unsatisfied with their status, launch "series of attacks against military installations, police units and government officials"?
It's not hard to see that such thing would provoke a reaction from Estonian government, or any other government for that matter.
Russia could then stage "Rambulliet talks 2" and offer them peaceful military occupation of their country. Should Estonia reject this (as anyone would) Russia could then engage in humanitarian war against them, targeting hospitals, bridges, etc. and rolling back their economy to above mentioned 1940.
Again, luckilly, Russians don't appear to be all that "democratic, market oriented, peaceful," and hypotetical scenario above will remain to be hypotetical. Plus, we all know that Americans have more rights to be concerned about Albanian rights then Russians about rights of other Russians.
But, if it was to become reality, I can't exactly see anyone in NATO thinking of it as a way to resolve minority problems in one coutry, despite of the fact that this precise method of "conflict resolution" was chosen by NATO just few years ago.
One can easily see what the problem is here. Lack of any principles, except appearantly one - Western orientation of the coutry is the only criterion used to determine its democratisation, respect of human and minority rights, etc.
Take a look at former Yugoslavia.
Serbs in Croatia lost the right to use Cyrillic alphabet, etc. Albanians in Kosovo had education (including University) in their language, yet, they have chosen to boycot it.
It's striking that number of Western official repeadatly were concerned about rights of Albanian minority, but almost nobody about rights of Serbs in Croatia. Appearantly, all the republics of former Yugoslavia are indivisable, except one that isn't. List could go on and on.
It's not hard to notice that entire thing lacks any principles, despite "principles" being a word readily used by scores of Western officials.
Last week we were able to see a fine example of it.
When Tomislav Nikolic became Speaker of Serbian parliament senior US official gave a statement:
"The leader of this party is Vojislav Seselj, currently on trial for alleged war crimes. While he is not proven guilty yet, he is indicted. Our position is that party with the leader indicted for war crimes should not be given this position, or any other position in the government. It would send a wrong message. It's a matter of principles."
There you have it. Matter of principles.
The fact that Alliance for the Future of Kosova (AAK), is a member of the governing coalition in Kosovo, and has number of government ministers, doesn't concern him. AAK's leader is Ramush Haradinaj, indicted for war crimes.
Audrey
pre 17 godina
"All that has changed..." More has changed, Mr. Montgomery. The power and glory that once was America has lost its moral lustre and the world feels it.
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