State of the Nation:
All Serbs Under a Plum Tree

ARTEL GEOPOLITIKA
Belgrade, November 7, 2002

Introduction
Two years after the October transfer of power in Serbia, the political and economic state of the country and the nation are even worse than before October 5 (Yugoslavia having already become collateral damage), and we face the destruction of what little is left. Most citizens are either unaware of this or turn a blind eye to the facts, believing that would shield them from ghosts and fears, probably weary of a decade of stress, countless "moments of destiny," political crises, undeclared and unrecognized wars, humanitarian bombing, lustration and "education." For those unaware of the impending Golgotha (as Prof. Emil Vlajki recently termed it), we will try to give a short assessment of current affairs and indicate what awaits us in the near and distant future. Aware of the risk that events could prove us wrong, we hope they do. Most of all, we hope for a change in international circumstances to our favor, as they were shown to have crucial influence on our country.
Though we realize that such an ambitious task can take up volumes, respecting the time and patience of our readers we will try to be specific and concise.

Foreign Policy
Even though the current government lists as its greatest success our return into the international community and cooperation with the world, supposedly now enjoying the full respect of foreign partners - the very people who were demonizing and bombing until just recently - the situation is rather different.
Since toppling the former government, the current regime has accepted every foreign extortion and demand and given up our continuity of UN membership (which will have long-term negative consequences). It still persistently accepts and implements all foreign dictates, without any consideration or regard to our vital national and state interests, placing our country into an even more inferior position, weakening its defense and forestalling possibilities of autonomous existence and development. Meanwhile, instructed by its Western mentors, the current regime bombards us daily with propaganda aimed at weakening any cohesion of our society. By manipulating history, fragmenting identity, culture, and traditions of our people, and placing upon us the guilt for events for which others - the West, first and foremost - are much more responsible, they aim to disorient the citizens and engender a collective apathy. Low voter turnout in the recent presidential election indicates they have succeeded to a degree.
Even though the West hand-picked, financed, and trained terrorists and separatists, and promoted them in the media while threatening, cajoling and extorting us on their behalf with the sole purpose of destroying the former Yugoslavia, they now blame us for it all. And not just blame, but put on trial. They even rewrite history and teach our children in schools that we deserved the bombing, even though it has been condemned by most of the world and even many citizens of NATO countries.
All of this is aimed to weaken our mental immune system and turn us into a shapeless, clueless mob unable to realize what is being done to them, let alone do anything about it. Thus confused, we would not realize the long-term negative implications of events, designed to turn the clock two centuries back and wipe us off the Balkans and European maps as a country of any influence, at which point we would be denied any opportunity for development, economic or otherwise. Yet we look on with resignation, or even approval, in our erroneous belief that the world is praising and supporting us. We consider agreeing with the policy of our own destruction a great success.
Let us mention just some so-called successes of our foreign policy:

- By renouncing our continuity, we agreed that the FRY (est. 1992) was a new country, which means it could be ruled responsible for aggression against Croatia and Bosnia, and genocide against their population. We should not doubt the likelihood of this verdict, because Hague prosecutors will "prove" anything their masters (US and UK) tell them to. The process is already in court, and if we are found guilty, we would be required to pay enormous war reparations to these two former Yugoslav republics and recently manufactured sovereign states. Aside from the fact that this would be absolutely untrue and fabricated, how could we pay the reparations if we cannot survive as it is? There would be other negative consequences as well.
- On the issue of our former common homeland's succession, we have accepted almost all demands of other republics, giving up property of Serbia acquired prior to entering a union with other nations (which were then ruled by foreign empires), all in the name of some undefined pragmatism and abstract cooperativeness. Who had the right to do that, and on whose behalf? History will judge.
- Without exception, we have obeyed the diktat of foreign powers, without regard to the dignity of our people, our state, and our nation. To the illegal and illegitimate tribunal in The Hague, we have delivered a former president, forced another president to testify, and it seems a third president will be on his way there as well. We believe this world record in submissiveness and self-abasement will be hard to match. Tribunal's investigators freely travel around Serbia and pursue their victims as if this state did not exist. No one can guess who might be the next sacrifice to the court, but anyone intelligent might wonder why our children would serve in the military to defend their country, when that country can send them to foreign tribunals for doing their duty. Given that all who fled the draft were given a general amnesty, why would anyone answer a call to mobilization if the country became endangered in the future? God forbid we have to test that notion. Even though The Hague Tribunal indicts people at will, without valid accusations or reliable witnesses, this is understandable; it is a political court, persecuting those who defy the only surviving world empire. But if extradition of one's citizens to foreign courts were legitimate, why would the US try everything to ensure their military personnel would not be tried by such courts?
- Even though the Belgrade regime is completely loyal to the US and the EU, the Western position regarding Kosovo has not changed at all. Kosovo is still sailing towards independence, Serbs and non-Albanians are still murdered and expelled, while Americans calmly build their new military bases, closing their eyes to crime, destruction of churches and monasteries, and seizures of property. Our government does not even bother to object, while some of its high officials have much more understanding for American arguments and interests than our own. The way things are, obviously the US is only waiting for the right moment to "reluctantly" accept the final separation of Kosovo, supposedly under pressure of Kosovo's inhabitants (ignoring, of course, the role of violence in establishing the current majority). Our government, if it remains the way it is, will find a way to give its blessing while officially issuing words of condemnation to calm down the public opinion and those who were expelled by the terror of Albanian separatists.
- Relations between Serbia and Montenegro are no better than they were under Milosevic. Before October 5, 2000 they were poor supposedly because of Milosevic and his undemocratic regime. Why do they remain poor still, and why does Montenegro persist in its separatist aspirations? Despite the alleged European insistence on a joint state, which the proposed Charter (and that term reveals what sort of union they have in mind) makes anything but a state, it is clear that Montenegro's separation actually has Western support and approval. Everyone reasonable knows that the separation of Serbia and Montenegro will have long-term negative consequences for both. Also, the infamous Charter does not even mention Kosovo, and it is pretty obvious why. The three-year probation period will likely serve another purpose, for example, to undermine Serbia even further in Sandzak and Vojvodina, while dismantling the Army and other institutions of government. Then no one would be able to stop the final and complete destruction of Yugoslavia and Serbia. Western plans would be fully realized, and we would suffer a total defeat after two centuries of struggle marked by our ancestors' bloody self-sacrifice, horrible persecution and pogroms, injustices and betrayals. If someone disagrees, they should answer the following questions:

- Why is it, now that Serbia has a "democratic" government that favors everyone's national interests except its own and gladly obeys all foreign demands, separatists in southern Serbia, Raska (Sandzak) and Vojvodina are thriving and escalating their provocations? Their constant "problems" are obviously only waiting for a green light by foreign sponsors to begin using the already proven methods of separation.
- Now that we are partners, "democrats" and "friends," why would the US and her vassals not allow Serbs to return to Kosovo? What about the institutions: our military, police, judiciary? It would be no special favor - all of this is written in the UN Resolution 1244, which they ought to comply with. Or is it only Iraq that should comply with UN resolutions? Anyway, why haven't they created law and order in the province? They have over 50,000 troops there alone, not to mention police, civilian officials, non-governmental and other organizations…
- Now that our government wants to join the Partnership for Peace, why do NATO and the US still incessantly pressure our military, fabricating affairs intended to undermine it? If they really cared about our partnership, shouldn't they strengthen and support our military?
- Why does the US insist on revising the Dayton Agreement to create a unified Bosnia, even though the Serb Republic is powerless and Bosnia is a direct foreign protectorate?
- Why is our country threatened with sanctions and denied entry into the Council of Europe, even though our government has done everything that was demanded, and when no domestic issue is resolved without interference or participation of foreign powers in one way or another, often at the expense of our own people and country?
- Finally, why is our economy being destroyed and sold off to foreigners, even though it survived the wars and sanctions, and has remained better than the economies of surrounding nations?

Finally, a word about our diplomacy, as it is the first line of defense of our country and its national interests abroad. The quality of this defense is obvious looking at our diplomats. Though the former government employed many political appointees, it at least kept many Foreign Service professionals. The current regime has broken all barriers in disrespecting this difficult and complex profession. Incompetence has now spread to all levels, from Ambassadors and minister-counselors to advisors, secretaries, accountants and even chauffeurs. Without discussing specific details, it is clear that our once-strong and respected diplomacy, despite the setbacks during the collapse of Yugoslavia, has never been worse. Party loyalty is the foremost criterion of employment, followed by family connections and personal loyalties. Professionals who excelled at anything during the former administration have been either sacked or sidelined. We doubt that anyone currently employed in Foreign Service knows exactly what our state and national interests currently are. As it is, they've probably copied the relevant sections from American and British policy papers.

All of these issues pose the question about the real intentions motivating the US and NATO. What are the reasons for their behavior, or their ultimate goals? What are our interests, and how do we intend to defend them?
To provide an answer, we need to establish why our country and the Serbian people are still considered an enemy, and why our vital interests and national defense are continually under attack.
One answer is obvious: because their actions are motivated by their own long-term strategic, political, military and economic interests, not our well-being. They consider our position relevant only as far as the degree of resistance we can offer, or if we will agree to assist in our self-destruction by putting the interests of others before our own. It would be justified to ask what our options would be in such circumstances. If confrontation is not the solution, surrender will certainly not lead to salvation, but only to defeat and misery. In any case, it should not be called a "success."

Internal Policy
On October 5, 2000, "dictatorship" was replaced by "democracy."
What has really changed?
After years of patriotic fervor, fateful decisions, sanctions, isolation, wars, bombing, demonization and extortion, we were hoping for peace and prosperity. What we got was more accusations, scandals, lustration, persecution, witch-hunts, oppressive political correctness and propaganda the previous regime would envy. The dust raised by current authorities hides all the fatal decisions they are making, which lead us ever farther from our vital national and state interests, entangling us in integrative processes whose costs far outweigh their benefits. They are selling off our country and its riches for petty change. They even approve the further carve-up of our territory. This is not even a "d," let alone "democracy."
While during the previous administration the state media and political leaders spoke of their opponents as mercenaries America and NATO - which turned out to be right in many cases - we also had a plethora of opposition media, including TV stations, and numerous non-governmental organizations, round tables and clubs. They all harshly criticized the government and blamed it for all sorts of things, most of all corruption, wars and isolation of the country. Realistically speaking, although the former government was accused of repressing the media, most of the media supported the opposition and strongly opposed the government. Today's situation is considerably worse. There are practically no media supporting the opposition. Almost all act like a chorus, attacking the former regime without measure or taste, and support all sorts of "purification," mass firings, imprisonment, seizure of businesses and property, everything the current government does or intends to do. The citizens should decide how democratic that behavior really is. Besides, some government officials and many such media openly advocate bans on certain political parties. After that, nothing should be too surprising.
On the other hand, leaders of the governing coalition constantly accuse each other of things that would have long since forced even remotely honest people to resign in disgrace. Which part of that is a media circus and which a real conflict, the citizens should decide. Still, it is undisputed that they forget all their arguments and overcome their differences the moment boss Montgomery reminds them their job is to do his bidding, not pretend they are a real government.
Relations within the country are worse than ever. DOS is conflicted, and has split into at least two factions. The SPS has gone one-up, and is currently split into three. SPO seems unable to recover from its self-imposed isolation. Serbian Unity part hovers around 4-5% of the vote, while the Radicals are ascendant, probably as a consequence of popular discontent with the new government and the current situation.
The federal parliament is also worse than ever. Montenegro is still represented by a bloc that lost the elections at home, and had switched in 2000 from being a Milosevic ally to a partner of DOS - exactly what Milo Djukanovic and his DPS were until then. If this did not decide the political future of the country, it would all seem like a burlesque. No one takes such a parliament seriously, nor is it capable of doing anything meaningful. It is as if everyone is just waiting for its abolition.
However, instead of resolving the serious issues and problems of the country and the people, such as defense, security, unemployment, standard of living, development and so forth, all the current government offers are scandals, conflicts, mutual accusations and excuses. Of course, everything is blamed on the former government and those among us who supported it with their votes. The mosaic is completed by inevitable characters of Biserko, Kandic, Vuco and others, who criticize and advise from their academic and globalist vantage points, almost pontificating at us to repent - as if that would lead us to salvation from the chaos and widespread poverty we live in. Dignity has already been forgotten.
Crime and political murders are thriving instead of disappearing. If the former government was blamed for such events prior to October 5, who is to blame now? Could nothing be done, nothing resolved in the past two years? If so, why? Was it really the former government's fault, then, or is this something typical for all governments or even unrelated to them?
The parliament in Serbia, usually the basic instrument of democracy in a country, dances to government's tune. It votes, decides and schedules sessions whenever the Prime Minister tells it to. Yet we were taught the Parliament controls the government, not the other way around.
Foreign advisors and experts are everywhere. Economic and natural resources are being sold off. Banks and state institutions are abolished or destroyed. Foreign-owned banks, supermarkets, companies, workshops and offices are opening everywhere, yet all doors are closed to our entrepreneurs. How many Slovenian stores and companies can be found here, and how many of ours over there?
Most laws in effect during the previous government are still in force.
There has been no new Constitution, nor other meaningful laws, that would "democratize" the country and the political relations within. Once again it has been demonstrated that criticizing the government from the opposition was easy, but implementing reforms once in power was something quite different. Perhaps because the circumstances change so much. Absolute power bothered the opposition while it was the opposition. Now that they are the government, they find it useful.
In Serbia today, most citizens feel deep disappointment and apathy. The state has been taken over by chaos, willful abuse, nepotism, closed-mindedness, persecution, poverty, unemployment and crime. Anesthetized by phrases about a bright future and the inevitable road to Europe, where they eagerly await us with open arms, we all sink ever deeper into ruin. No one is even thinking of asking the people whether they want the Euro-Atlantic integration, nor of telling them what they would gain or lose from it. These are serious issues, normally decided by referendum elsewhere.

The Economy
Economic circumstances in Serbia are also worse than ever. Although paid analyses by subsidized or pro-government agencies offer soothing statistics, and cabinet ministers are trying to convince the citizens they are really much better of - they just can't seem to see it, really - a large number of people has been utterly impoverished, so suddenly that their bare existence has come into question.
Instead of the abundant foreign aid that had been lavishly promised in order to topple the former government, instead of rising living standards, economic revival, foreign investments, and new jobs, all Serbia got was total economic deterioration.
Instead of aid, we were forgiven part of our debts, which had illegally accrued during the sanctions and our frozen UN membership.
A drastic drop in the standard of living is obvious, not only in the increased costs of rent, electricity and telephone, but also the cost of services that were free until recently: education, health care, etc.
The economy is completely blocked, not only because there is no capital investment, but also because of widespread privatization (i.e. plunder) that is threatening every enterprise. It is fully justified to wonder why anyone would try doing any business, when the government can sell their enterprise tomorrow regardless of whether it is profitable or not.
Foreign investments are nowhere to be seen, nor will they be any time soon, because the political, economic, and even legal circumstances in the country are unstable. Tales of foreigners eager to invest in Serbia are empty talk. Foreign investors have enough trouble trying to sell their products because of hyper-production, so they would only need us as a potential market. Even if they buy some enterprises, they will likely end up like similar cases in neighboring countries: closed, so the investors could sell their own products - or alternately, used to make their products, not ours.
Instead of new jobs, we got mass layoffs. Less so for political reasons (revenge, though officially it does not exist), and mostly as a "wise" economic cure for our accumulated ills. The extent of layoffs is so immense, that the impoverished population and blocked economy are threatening to become a chronic condition, one that would increasingly threaten the country with popular unrest.
If Serbia, tired of wars, conflicts and accusations, gave up resisting foreign assaults and sacrificed its dignity, commitment to truth and many of its vital interests for the sake of promised peace and prosperity, then it has been harshly deceived. It got neither peace nor prosperity, nor will it have them any time soon.

Conclusion
If any of the above could point to consistent conclusions, stemming from an analysis of the present situation and indicating the further developments in our country, such conclusions would necessarily be as follows:
The US and Western powers will continue their policy of fragmenting our territory, supporting the secession of Kosovo and Montenegro, unrest in Raska and separatism in Vojvodina, blaming us for it all; mostly the previous government, but indirectly this one as well, until they reach their ultimate goal: a new international conference to decide the final borders of this territory (ours, if we may say so), to finally resolve the problem in this part of Europe. Of course, they would be led by the "best of intentions," since we could not resolve them ourselves and Europe is in a rush to move ahead, and has no time to wait for some savage Serb and other primitives. America will reluctantly yet magnanimously accept the solution, though it officially "opposed the change of borders in Europe," as if it hadn't changed many of them already, specifically in the former Yugoslavia. Like good disciples, we will accept everything they propose - that they will propose a solution is a given - by which we would formally and legally renounce our own territories, interests and history. It would be done "democratically," almost voluntarily, though "in presence of authority"(that is, the US and Co.) Once we agree, there will be no room for second thoughts. In a few years, they will of course claim that they had not really wanted any of this, but that we insisted. We will be left with the pashalik of Belgrade, which we have feared all these years.
Naturally, this will not be the outcome or a confirmation of any "conspiracy theory," but if anyone becomes suspicious, it would be explained by their "paranoia" and "obsession with history." For this would be our "democratic will," and "our own decision," hard but courageous, as honored representatives of the world would put it, and of course in the "interest of civilization." That way, we will all fit under that one plum tree the Tarabic prophets mentioned. Since we are already experiencing declining birth rates because of apathy and poverty, and many are emigrating abroad, it doesn't seem like the plum's shade will be crowded, either. Besides, there will surely be some foreigner thereabout to organize and instruct us - in our best interest, naturally.
In order to get there, we will have more scandals, dramatic "conflicts" in and around DOS, schisms, new witch-hunts and persecution, new self-accusations to the joy of our enemies (and we do have them, though some refuse to see it), resolutions of minor issues, but never the key ones (and that will not be an accident), and of course, the wholehearted "help" from outside friends. The more aid we get, the more impoverished, unemployed and helpless we will be. Just the way they want us, if they need us at all. Why do we need any of this? Will we widen up by then, and somehow save ourselves from the Tarabics' plum tree?
The way things are right now, only God, or a change in international circumstances, would help us. Wise people say, "God helps those who help themselves." If God's help depends on us, then we fear it is already too late. There is only hope that things will change to our benefit. It is a weak hope, but history has always been full of surprises.

End quote.