Croatia: Online Discussions Overview · Global Voices
Ljubisa Bojic

Some Croats feel nostalgic when they think about Tito's Yugoslavia, which broke into pieces in 1992. Turbo Kvrcko posts a funny “Wanted” image that depicts why he misses the good old times (HRV):
WANTED
Josip Broz Tito
Beyond reasonable doubt, he has committed the following “criminal acts”: he didn’t allow our factories and land to be sold, he didn’t allow to have working man serving entrepreneurs, he stopped famine and poverty, established the right of common working men to be in charge of their own future, empowered all to work, get free education, health care and certain pension benefits, sold us neither to the east nor to the west, created our own path. Those thinking the same as Josip Broz are armed with arguments and therefore can be considered dangerous!!!
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At Socialism blog, Zemlja Oz describes the European policy of double standards as he reviews (HRV) the efforts of two Balkan countries to join the European Union:
We all know how tremendously hard the Croatian way was towards the kick-off of the negotiations to join the EU. The ultimate problem was the cooperation with the Hague tribunal, e.g. failure to arrest and hand in general [Ante] Gotovina. Croatia entered the negotiation phase only when the fugitive was taken into custody. On the other hand, Serbia still hasn’t caught Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. [Slobodan] Milosevic was arrested but at a huge price as the first Serbian reformist, Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic was assassinated. At this point, the EU's double standards come into play, as the European countries are divided over one issue: should Serbia continue the negotiations despite the fact that the main accused have not been brought to justice. How come they treat Serbia differently? What is so attractive in Serbia […]? International community treats us as if we were an ugly dog. Serbs are always good [in their eyes].
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At Index.hr discussion board (HRV), members discuss the latest international news: North Korea.
Beograd writes:
While Kim Jong II throws hundreds of millions to buy weapons of mass destruction, his people are facing slow death of hunger. Greater proportions of famine are prevented only by humanitarian aid from neighboring North Korea, China and Russia. International phone calls and Internet use are strictly forbidden within the country. Those deeds are considered ultimate betrayal. Thus the ones found guilty of communicating with the rest of the world are instantly sent to prison camps. There are four national TV networks broadcasting stories about the great leader, homemade soap operas and ethno music. All radios in the state are specially set so the volume can be decreased but the device couldn’t be turned off. So the “truth” would easily flow towards ears of the citizens. Since the Soviet Union collapsed, North Korea is in a stage of constant economic depression. Daily power cuts are common in urban areas while most of the villages don’t get electricity at all despite all the energy given away by China and Russia. Is there any chance these people would ever escape such a tyranny especially now when the dictator has nuclear arms?
Agressor:
I don’t give a shit about America and North Korea. If they want to fight, we should let them fight. I will make sure to get snacks and beer, sit down, relax and watch their war over TV like I would watch some action movie. […]
Mali Klon:
North Korea doesn’t exist. It was invented by CNN.
Dienek:
Why don’t they descend on this Asian country and stop the crazy “comics” people because they officially got the arms of mass destruction. The case is totally different from Iraq. As we know Iraqis struggle in the civil war and destruction brought to them by just promoters of a special – Texas – democracy.
Predratni Zavodnik:
Pakistan has got the nuclear bomb as well. Contrary to North Korea that lives in peace for about fifty years, Pakistan is involved in constant tribe disputes and war with India. How come somebody don’t bomb that country?
Ekstenzor:
I don’t think Koreans would be better off knocking down the regime and switching to capitalism. If they turn to western system, they would still stay poor as we did in Croatia. At the moment Koreans can’t see so many rich people. On the other hand, when [I] get out on the streets, [I] am tempted all the time like a dog by expensive unreachable goodies. For example, Korean person hasn’t seen a Mercedes ML automobile. I can see it every day and I will never own it. Who is having awful time, the Korean or me?
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Back on the home front, Siber examines the problems of nationalism and explains why the extremes that strike the region of the Balkans can’t be good:
[…] Nationalism leads towards problems of individual perception. One perceives everything through the spectacles of belonging to a nation. That person barricades himself in a group isolating from the others. He ends up losing identity. Emotional judging prevails over rational thinking. Xenophobia and chauvinism occur. The worst consequence of nationalism could be extortion of people and genocide. Individuals harboring nationalistic feelings could be manipulated easily by state propaganda. Topics presented to the targeted viewers range from economic hardship to conspiracy theories. […]
Mindza concentrates on national identity:
What is Croatian identity right now? Are our national emblems and the fact that Croatia is an independent entity the only feelings we are left with after the war? There is a reflectivity towards the dark times of Yugoslavia (equals Serbs). At the time, the only wish was to persecute the Serbs. Since we won the war, we somehow vegetate as a nation into a wideapread crisis of identity. […] We have got the so-called freedom, in which everything is dictated by Europe. […] Not many walls are left, but Serbs are missing too. What shall we do now as [hatred towards] those Serbs used to make up our state identity? Who can we blame now that the Serbs are gone – maybe Slovenians or maybe we could blame the fact the Europe is on the side of Serbs in a conspiracy against us. […]
Frko:
Let's take into account an example from our recent history. At the times of state crisis, the ruling oligarchy provoked feeling – if you oppose the government, you oppose the people and the country (at the times of war this was understandable). So, what happened? Apart of unquestionable value of the wartime – successful defense from Serbian aggression other ugly things aroused: […], bad economic situation and tycoons appearing overnight thanks to firm connections to ruling oligarchy. Those negative outcomes are still defended by national interests. The irony is that a huge chunk of Croatia ended up in the hands of strangers [in the process of privatization]. The flow of blood of our homeland, our banks were sold to [multinationals]. They buy villas by the sea in Opatija while the indigenous citizens move to the hills. Half of the Istra region is sold out. There are 9,000 deaths more than births annually. Almost the whole political scene is divided with Cetniks on one side and Partisans on the other. […] The sad thing is, the masses buy the story and acknowledge those [primitive] political factors by voting at state elections allowing the country to sink even further. To love the country, preserve its cultural heritage and territory is a must, but nationalism is a dangerous asset, especially when there's too much of it. […]