You have a point about common dangers faced by Serbs and Croats, and I count expansionist Islam and imperialists from the west who shall remain unnamed as the two major ones. However, the latter danger has cast its lot with the former, at least in the Balkans, and pretty much has both Serbia and Croatia under its boot. Self-destructive behavior to be sure, but until such sponsorship ends don't you think the Serbs and Croats will be hamstrung in effectively meeting the threat you identified?
First of all, show me where Garashanin's work equals or even smacks of Starcevic's. Oh, wait, it's obvious you know about it, but you have never read Nachertanie. That much is obvious. His work had nothing to do with Croats, it did not demonize, dehumanize, marginalize, etc. Croats. In fact, the bullwork of this was made by Polish emigres in Istanbul. The fact that you are tossing names as if you know what you are talking about is a smoke screen, along with labeling others as bigots when you have nothing more constructive to say.
So, hot shot, we should do away with history, right? Tradition, those who died for a cause, etc. all that's meaningless. Ah, if we could only have more pragmatists like you.
You have Islamophobia? Are you doing something about it? Or are you just wasting your time passing labels on chat forums? Got anything more constructive than "set aside your differences" and mixing apples and organes and betraying your utter inability to tell them appart?
Serbs had vested interests to protect their status. If they were in the same rot as their Croatians neighbors, the serfs, they would have had every reason to be on the same political wavelength. Some politicians exploited that, as all politicians do. Like, people in "real" and pragmatic democracies don't fall for BS?
If Croatians just minded their own business instead of posting inaccurate articles I am sure most of the freepers on this forum would never find it necessary to even mention them. It's mind over matter: I don't mind and they don't matter!.
So two of us Christians can't make mends while the Islamic boogeymen have a meeting in Travnik. What are we to do? Stop them? With what? RS police? The phantom "Herceg-Bosna" storm troopers? Or maybe just use NATO or SFOR? Bosnia is occupied and ruled by a Western proconsul who makes laws by decree and fires elected oficials. Travnik is in the middle of Bosnian "Muslimania," the heartland of Islamic fundamentalism which, by the way, is not illegal.
History is important to put things into a sensinble perspective because, like you, some people are confused and a vast majority of people on our forum don't know the origins of some of the problems, so this is done for their benefit, to promote understanding of what made the mess in the Balkans.
You have already mentioned the Islamic threat several times. I am anxiously waiting for a constructive proposal what to do about it? And when you are at it, why don't you tell those feuding Christians in Ireland to "set aside their differences?"
Sorry to say,you haven`t got a clue!
But,I am gratefull to you for opening my eyes:nothing in Balkans is black or white!?
But,why are your flipant remarks and posts so black and white?
You remind me of Hoplite:if you don`t like the answer you throw insults!
Furthermore,I agree with Kosta that you like throwing arround names,but without a basic,let alone,profound knowlege about names (people)mentioned or their work!
Starchevich and Ilia Garashanin are incomparable.In every sense.
And,let me tell you something about ideas:they don`t have a sell by date.
Ilia Garashanin was a foreign minister in Serbia,when he had "drawn" a "Blueprint"(Nachertanie).The year was 1848,the time of massive European Romanticysm and revival of national aspirations of many nations in Mittel Europa!Chechs and Slovacs,Poles ...When Garashanin made Nachertanie it was a desire of an occupied,semi-indenpendent Christian nation under Islam,to be indenpendent after 450 years.And of one nation to live together,in the same state.
At that time,there was no Croatian state,just Habzburg Empire.Garashanin does not talk about Croats ,wish them no evil.There is no criticisum of other nations,or racism!
Nachertanie was a private document,which was not published,or implemented it practice.
Garashanin did not organize a political party (like Starchevich) and he was not spreading inflamatory hatred to Serbian people!Serbia,at that time had more important problems to deal with.
Serbia could have created Grater Serbia at the end of the WWI,but it did not,because the idea has never been official policy of Serbian people.
To compare Garashanin and Starchevich is ridiculous and loughable.Know the subject,Wonk,before you start lecturing some of us.
Your disregard and disrespect for history is dangerous and very contradictory!?
You want to deal with Islamic presence in Balkans by forcing Balkanoids to "stop wallowing in history",which is,I guess,un-American way of thinking,right!And,we are all stupid idiots.But,problem is,you have discovered Islamic(fundamentalist) threat after 9/11.That is the day when history has begun,because,USA was hit!
Well,you`re only 600 years late.pall!
So,now,we all have to say :Yes,Sir! and abandone all that has happened before,because,you say so?
Only your pain is relevant,and your version of history.
But,thank you for the marching orders,anyway!
And,don`t think that you are "power in charge".
Maybe,your government is...No wonder that your posts look like Rumsfelds memos!
Don`t insult other people and be arrogant.You don`t have a credit on FR to do that.
And,if you don`t like Balkan threads,you can always go away!