Again. The die IS cast. But why weren't serb protesters raging at least back in January when declaring independence was known and imminent. Why weren't Serbs/Russians starting to lobby and get information out a year ago when independence was proposed by the UN?

It just feels like protesting a penalty after the game is over. Even if you have a good point and protest passionately likely nothing will be changed. Instead you should protest before the other team makes the penalty kick.

This even applies to threads like this. If Amusedtodeath and commonsense started going on like this in early January I think they'd find a lot more support on the forum or at least less hostility.

Serbia will survive, that's for sure.
The other part of your sentence is inaccurate. Kosovo has always been an integral part of Serbian national being.

West should know one thing: Serbia will NEVER, and I repeat, NEVER, recognize Kosovo as a country in terms of international law. You would say: Who gives a EDIT about Serbia? Well, we say the same thing. Who gives a EDIT about the fact that you recognized Kosovo?

And guess what: things and relations will change dramatically in the future. Once all the western democratic countries finally realize that Serbia IS and WANTS to be their ally, and after they realize that it is much better to have a strong ally in the Balkans than to have a pathetic terrorist puppet state like Kosovo as an ally, then things will change. And Serbs will retake Kosovo one day. The Jews waited for 2000 years for their country, we shall wait too.

And another thing: the Serbs invented democracy in comparison with Albanian "democracy" and "human rights" respect.

Because nobody really believed that things will take that course. We all had hope of some common sense in international community, of justice and truth... But no, that ain't happening.

Seems like there are a lot of parallels between Kosovo and Iraq. In both cases, we've picked fights that aren't necessarily in our immediate best interest.

The question is, do the people want us there? In the case of Kosovo, it seems that they do, and I can see why. You get a nut like Milosevic in charge and everybody's screwed -- us, the Albanians, Russia, everybody.

Iraq isn't a case like that, though. The place's history and immediate circumstances lead the people there to believe -- more or less accurately -- that we've had a huge part in creating the situation there, and our involvement has caused more problems than it's solved.

The Americans have credibility in Kosovo because we didn't create guys like Milosevic. Not that we wouldn't have, necessarily -- we're clearly not above that kind of thing -- but the Russians were just better at it than we were in that region. And, as generally happens when you embark on stupidity like "ethnic cleansing," you get your butt kicked (I don't know why people still do it). Kind of ironic.

Very accurate statements. I agree with you.

We all know what happened under Milosevic, if the people of Kosovo want a new country, so be it. But when we support the very institutions we are trying to destroy in other parts of the world, it is very questionable.

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"We've been blowin up, we're the issue, we're ammunition" Switchfoot

If we failed to support democracy, we would be hypocrites. And it does not surprise me that you would mock democracy. It pretty much confirms the prejudices I already had about Serbians.

We were correct not to attempt negotiations with you people. If you are a typical example of your people, we made the correct decision.




And if not him, then probably his children. Or Grandchildren. That has been the pattern in the past.


I guess you will need to find a way to live without it now. Or attempt to reconcile peacfully (I'm not holding my breath).



Yeah, we heard you the first time. We still dont care. Your recognition is not required.


Apparently you do. No one here is complaining that Serbia isnt recognizing Kosovo. But you people are complaining loudly that we are recognizing Kosovo. Obviously you care what we think.



Probably. But not in the way you hope.


You keep saying that...what exactly makes you think we need Serbia as an ally? What can they offer us that we dont already have?

The only way we will ever be allies again is if Serbia embraces democracy and lets go of Kosovo. Since that is unlikely to happen, it is also unlikely we will ever be allies...at least in my lifetime. I am ok with that since the alternatives were worse. We have no allies who do not share our basic ideology. Right now Serbia does not share our basic ideology. It begins and ends there.



Better get comfortable.


They seem to have forgotten it.


You seem to have a habit of underestimating people.


If they don't their elected leaders will tell us to get out. And we will (and should) obey them if they do. That is true of both Iraq and Kosovo.

But I am betting they wont. Either of them.



How did you determine that? Are you saying you do not recognize their elected leaders as legitimate?



We are supporting a democracy. Democracies are inherently hostile to terrorists, which is why terrorists hate democracy so much. Terrorists know that if given a free choice, the masses will eventually choose our way over their's.

We have to take a risk to demonstrate our sincerity; that we support democracy even when it is not necessarily in our interest to do so. We need to demonstrate that we are not hypocrites.

And this is an excellent opportunity. This will demonstrate that we do not have a bias against Muslims, as many people claim we do. We support Israel (a Jewish democracy), and now Iraq and Kosovo (Islamic democracies).

Not that I expect any support from Islamic non-democracies like Iran. They will feel threatened for the same reason terrorists will feel threatened. And for good reason.

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My Political Blog (Updated Oct 3rd) - Which Flame Warrior are you?

Nope, bud. You are just supporting your dirty goals in other countries covering dirty arse of the US foreign policy by the neat name of DEMOCRACY. Period.

__________________
EU : Portable Stereo AM/FM Radio Cassette Recorder
CIS (Russia) : АМ/ЧМ Stereo Magnitola
US : Boombox (Ghettoblaster)
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'I trust no one, not even myself.'
Joseph Stalin
'Couldn't agree with you more!'
Sarah Palin

Savior - Terrorists are feeling anything but threatened as we've opened a pro-US cooperative government composed of them. Iran actually supports this, but for fear of breaking ties with Russia her government has not spoken out - I'm tired of providing links, go look it up, you will find it. Muslim extremists support this because the Kosovar government supports them and the US. Which moves terrorist groups in power closer to the vacinity of western europe and the United States. Basically, we've taken Serbia's problem and made it our own, and yet we still think it's a nice little democracy.

Here is a parallel. The government says it is a democracy. It has been proven times over the KLA is composed of a large percentage of Mujihadeen. Therefore, a terrorist democratic party. And If a majority of the people support the KLA (which I am anything but positive of), then we support a terrorism-loving people. These people are smarter than the world gives them credit, they've completely fooled America.

What to do? Disband the KLA and create a new institution elected by the people of Kosovo, until then it is no democracy.

__________________
"We've been blowin up, we're the issue, we're ammunition" Switchfoot

A excellent point!

__________________
EU : Portable Stereo AM/FM Radio Cassette Recorder
CIS (Russia) : АМ/ЧМ Stereo Magnitola
US : Boombox (Ghettoblaster)
----------------------------------
'I trust no one, not even myself.'
Joseph Stalin
'Couldn't agree with you more!'
Sarah Palin