Hooligans, Assholes, & Shitheads

I've said many times how much i admire and enjoy the wonderful companeros I have discovered here on the Balkan peninsula. It must be said, however, that there is an equal - if not larger- population of utter assholes that roam this natural wonderland.

I know many brothers and sisters from Serbia, great rainbow warriors. I don't know how they cope with the extreme right that dominates Serbia. Just a small example of the type of racism and violence that is so prevalent in Serbian society; this week alone there were two major incidents at football matches. One where the team from Novi Pazar (a part of Sandzak with a large Muslim population) played against RAD. The RAD fans went bezerk, screaming 'noz, zica, srebrenica!' which amounts to 'knifes, wires, Srebrenica' -- expressing their pride and joy of the genocide committed by the Serbs at Srebrenica. They then went on to attack the police - par for the course I guess.

The other incident involved another Serbian team that happens to have a player from Africa on their squad. A large group of opposing fans appeared, decked out in Ku Klux Klan outfits with confederate flags and all. I think backward ass southerners from the sticks of Mississippi would be embarrassed to do that in the 21st century. Not Serbian hooligans though. Not even in the slightest bit.

The most disturbing thing about that for me is that there is no outcry. There is no reaction. So i ask myself, is this accepted in Serbian society? Have the hooligans become our role models or are we just so scared and apathetic that just 'do our own thing?'

Now to Bosnia -- man, do we pack 'em full with shitheads here. Our new and beloved president, Mr. Haris Silajdzic, who praised the citizens for their maturity for democracy in the last elections, has just pulled the biggest scam in post-war Bosnian history.

Together with his good buddy Safet Orucevic, a former poker machine vendor - have signed a deal worth close to a billion euros to practice their democracy on Bosnians. They aere going to build 6 major hydro electric dams on Bosnia and Herzegovina's most beautiful waterways. What's the crime you ask? Well besides damming up the most precious and abundant natural resource the country has....it was all done in total secrecy. No strategy. No transparency. No environmental impact assessment. No public debates. NO DEMOCRACY.

And the beauty of it all is that it is now becoming apparent that they have been strategizing and planning this for many years. The former Minister of the Environment, Ramiz Mehmedagic, left his post as minister to become general director of Intrade. This company had a profit of 200 euros last year. Guess what, Intrade got the concessions to build two hydroelectric dams on the Neretva River. And guess what else, he comes from Dr. Silajdzic's party. So does the Minister of Energy - who pushed this agreement through without anyone knowing about it.

And we, who try to promote sustainable development and protect BiH's environment - are the criminals who want to make 'Indians' out of Bosnians and Herzegovinians. It is they, with thier monopolistic and ultra-capitalistic ideals that want to make monkeys and paupers out of us.

But fear not companeros...we shall rise. We shall rise. And pray that we overcome the asshole syndrome that grips the balkan peninsula. Smrt Facizam, Sloboda naroda! Death to fascism, freedom to the people!