Russian Regression Into Cold War Mode

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Few days ago I finished reading “Stalin: Court of the Red Czar” by Simon Sebag Montefiore. Fascinating read that paints detailed picture of the times when “Man of Steel” ruled Soviet Union. When Stalin would order murder of a thousand his henchmen would kill two, just to make sure that they don’t miss those that the boss wanted killed. His most trusted killer, Lavrentiy Beria executed Stalin’s orders with zeal of the religious disciple, always, like others, making sure that he goes extra step, just in the case. Montefiore quotes in his book that, regardless of his communist credentials, Beria went on record saying, “He would love to see the day when his kids would go to Cambridge or Oxford to get their education”. Coincidentally, the New York Times published an article on Russia the same day that I finished reading the book. In the article they analyzed consequence of the recent ban on foreign adoptions of Russian orphans and some even more recent recommendations of members of Putin’s party that would further distance Russia form the West. Seeing that “New Czar” is determined to severe connections with the West his “Berias” are competing who will come with more drastic measures.  One of the recommendations was to legally sanction practice of sending children of Russian leaders to Western schools. Beria’s dream came true in last twenty years.  Many Russian young people have enjoyed their ability to attend schools outside of the country and, as I believe, that could have only positive effects on their development and for the Russia in general. Traveling and interacting with others is enriching and eye opening, I know that very well from my personal experience. In order to exert control over his people Putin and his camarilla need to severe as many connections with foreign world as possible.  Leader of a country that possess enough nuclear weapons to destroy the entire planet multiple times should have very difficult time explaining to his people why should they fear any particular entity in the world. In order to forge national unity at the times where there are no many reasons to fear, Putin and his apparatus have to be very crafty. If George W. Bush was able to get his way with Iraq and its alleged weapons of mass destruction, in country with free press, what then Putin can do in the country where he has de facto despotic powers. Wheels of our human, especially democratic, development turn forward very slowly. In USA it took hundred years to liberate slaves and then another hundred to give them right to vote and then another fifty to have the first black president. It took us two hundred years to develop sanctity of the habeas corpus and than ten years of the “War on Terror” to roll it back. And all this is happening in a democracy. When wheels of progress spring back, they go at a ten-fold speed. We could see this in Russia before revolution. From agrarian country, Soviets, by 1937, turned Russia into land of starvation and cannibalism. In former Yugoslavia fifty years worth of progress was gone in smoke in couple of months in 1991-1992. Countries of former Yugoslavia, other than Slovenia, have been rebuilding themselves at snail speed since acquiring huge debt in the process. Putin is on his way to undo the entire gain of the democratic progress in Russia and, with his apparatchiks eager to make him happy, things could get very ugly very fast. Greatest victims will be Russians themselves but newly independent state in “near abroad” could pay the price as well.

Srdjan Aleksic The Man Who Saved Humanity

The Bosnian war brought enormous suffering to Bosniak people. In those four years of war I grew accustomed to pain, suffering and lack of basic necessities such as shower and regular meals. Seeing death and destruction became my daily routine.  What was scarring me more than atrocities or hardships themselves was absence of any news of Serbs on the “other side” who would stand up against crimes committed by the Serbian forces. During the entire war I never heard about single case of a Serb in occupied area of Bosnia defending a Bosniaks in any way, shape or form. Stories of murder, rape, torture and all other sorts of evil were abundant. Perspective where “them” would be locked against “us” in perpetual and uncompromising bloodshed meant that there was not future, no hope other then more death and destruction.  After the war the same thought came fears back to me multiple times.  Sometime in the summer of last year one of my Facebook friends posted a story of a young Serb man that had an incredible effect on me. The young man’s name was Srdjan Aleksic and he lived in one of the most Southern Bosnian cities called Trebinje. Srdjan was an accomplished swimmer and a local celebrity as an amateur actor.  By early 1993 most of the Bosniaks of the city were either murdered or expelled. On January 21, 1993, Srdjan was told that a group of drunken Serbian soldiers were about to kill his best friend, Alen Glavovic, who was a Bosniak. Instantly springing into action he found Alen at the city marketplace lying on the ground with soldiers with drown knoves knelling on him. Knowing what they were about to do he tackled them both while yelling at Alen to run away. Alen did get away but ultimately attackers ended up beating Srdjan so bad that he died in hospital 6 day later.  None of the bystanders moved a finger to help hm. His father wrote in his obituary that he “died while doing his human duty”.  Alen is still alive, lives in Sweden and he visits Srdjan’s grave with Srdjan’s father every year. Being brave means to disregard one’s own safety to do something. Srdjan’s act went beyond and above bravery. He not only lost his life for his human believes but he also did something that went against most of his compatriots who at the time believed that Bosniaks were suppose to be eradicated from Bosnia. He not only tried to save his friend’s life but he did so while swimming upstream against a current of savage nationalist hatred. As real champs do, he won in two ways, one by savings his friend life and another even more important by keeping a light of humanity on in one of the darkest hours of modern European history.  The reason that I never heard of his action until a year ago lies in the fact that current administration in that part of Bosnia has no interest in glorifying a person who died as a proof that Bosnian people cared about others regardless of their ethnicity. After future research I have found out that Srdjan was not the only case.  There were other brave Serbs who stood up and almost all of them died for their actions by hands of nationalist Serbs.  At the times when hatred, xenophobia and bigotry become a rule and not the exception standing up for ones believes and justice becomes difficult but without those willing to do so clockwork of the humanity will role backwards very fast. People like Srdjan are heroes in any society, in any era.