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What Would Bismarck Do?
American Conservative Union ^ | March 24, 2008 | William s.Lind

Posted on 04/11/2008 11:52:38 PM PDT by Bokababe

In the Balkans, 1914 is never far away.

There is an old saying that the problem with the Balkans is that they produce more history than they can consume locally. Events in, and over, the Serbian province of Kosovo may soon give this adage new relevance.

Last month, an Albanian government in Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia. That action was unhelpful, at best, for the future peace of the Balkans. Kosovo is the Serbs’ ancestral homeland, to which they remain emotionally attached. Serbian mothers sing lullabies to their babies about Kosovo, and men will fight for what their women love.

Never content to see a fire without pouring gasoline on it, the Bush administration promptly recognized the new “state” of Kosovo, as did some forgetful European countries. Russia, which may remember history too well, responded by announcing its support for Serbia. Within a week, Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence and the Great Powers’ response to it had set the stage for a classic 19th-century Balkan crisis. A few old fogies may recall that the last such crisis, in the summer of 1914, led to a certain amount of unpleasantness, not entirely contained within Balkan boundaries.

(Excerpt) Read more at amconmag.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Russia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: kosovo; russia; serbia
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To: tired1
"we will be supporting it and its population forever. “

"i have a good solution: let’s bring them here."

We've been doing that for a while now. How do you think we got four of the "Fort Dix Six"?

In all fairness the results of Albanian immigration to the US have been mixed, but somewhat predictable -- the Christian ones tend to integrate (like the Belushis). The Muslims don't tend to do so well, and often get involved in crime and drugs. Then you get Albanian Mafia crime like the Albanian Mafia plot to assassinate Rudy Giuliani when he was a prosecutor.

But in Kosovo now, the Albanians are almost all Muslim. They have an economy less productive than most of Africa, an unemployment of over 50% and have the highest birthrate in Europe.

Are you sure that you want more of them here?

21 posted on 04/12/2008 12:30:12 PM PDT by Bokababe ( http://www.savekosovo.org)
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Comment #22 Removed by Moderator

To: Bokababe
I sincerely thank you for your cogent answers. They make me weep for my country.

I do not know how big the harvest will be from all that the Clintonoids did, But my guess it is going to be big and it will last us a long time.

23 posted on 04/12/2008 4:19:01 PM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)
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To: Bokababe
Then, following the eternal Serbian narrative, came more betrayal and defeat. Russia, Serbia’s only Great Power supporter, pulled the rug from under the Serbs and demanded they yield. Why? History may some day find out, but as of now, we don’t know.

Schröder on Kosovo - "Moscow had for some time given the impression that it stood on the side of Belgrade out of a kind of pan-Slavic sentiment -- an alliance that the Serbian President Milosevic could use as a trump card. It was to the great credit of the German foreign ministry that it finally persuaded a hesitant Russia that it was in its own interest to withdraw its support for Belgrade."

When NATO bombed Serbia in the 1990s, Russia was too weak to respond. That is no longer the case. ...the boozy, corrupt Yeltsin has been replaced by the new Man of Steel, Vladimir Putin.

What delusional fantasy!! Yeltsin supported Serbia more than Putin! Yeltsin at least sent troops to Kosovo, Putin pulled them out and refuses to send them back!

Gerhard Schroeder, who orchestrated Russia's betrayal of the Serbs now works for Putin! Serbia is a victim of the new Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, they are just too blind to see what is happening right in front of their faces!

By the way, on a historical note, it was Bismarck's siding against the Russians at the Congress of Berlin which ensured World War I. It was Bismarck's machinations which created the alliances which led to World War I, so I think maybe he's not the best guy to look toward.

24 posted on 04/12/2008 6:40:54 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Tailgunner Joe

The alternative facing Russia at the time however was certain defeat in war with (at the least) the British, Austrian, and Ottoman Empires.
This is why Russia took the deal, why Bismarck got involved in the mess with the results you pointed out, and why they say no good deed remains unpunished.


25 posted on 04/12/2008 8:41:17 PM PDT by nkycincinnatikid
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To: Jimmy Valentine
Geopolitical realignment, and isolation of Russia, deprived them exits to Mediterranean and Black Sea.Montenegro, Albanian, Greece, Bulgaria, Rumania, ( Ukraine, Georgia next to join NATO) Turkey. Kosovo is a perfect peace of real estate for the new military base, location gives you perfect staging grounds to Africa and Middle East.

They are useful idiots, in this case they are not just moslems,they are Otomans, the worst enemies of Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Traditionally, Russians throughout history were always viewed as defenders of Eastern Orthodox Christians.

What next is a good question.

26 posted on 04/12/2008 9:54:21 PM PDT by King Lazar
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To: nkycincinnatikid

Yeah, it was a Pommeranian grenadier, but I wasn´t sure how to spell Pommern and “Grenadier” in English, so I chose a not-so specific description. Pommerania was part of Prussia, and a grendaier is a soldier. :-)


27 posted on 04/13/2008 6:42:23 AM PDT by Michael81Dus
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