Kosovo is independent? Someone pass me the crack pipe, please. According to Dictionary.com, independent means:

* * *
4. not dependent; not depending or contingent upon something else for existence, operation, etc.
5. not relying on another or others for aid or support.
6. rejecting others’ aid or support; refusing to be under obligation to others.
7. possessing a competency: to be financially independent.

For nearly a decade, Kosovo has been under the authority and control of UNMIK, a United Nations led civil administration bureau who has failed miserably at its stated “missions” as found under “Duties” and “Criticisms” in this Wikipedia article. Electricity is still sporadic, as the original news article bears out; since UNMIK arrived on the scene, Kosovo has been used as a place from which young Slavic women are trafficked as prostitutes, most notably from Romania, Bulgaria and the Ukraine. Minority Serbs living in Kosovo are not being protected, as UNMIK was supposedly beholden to do, and in fact ethnic violence there is rampant.

Independent? Not hardly; they’ll still be reliant on UNMIK, NATO and others for handouts for years to come. Why is everyone patting themselves on the back for this “bold” move? I, for one, am not an American who will sit back and cheer for independent Kosovars. The media only tells part of the story. The real people involved, those whose lives are affected, know the score. And the score is: Kosovo: 0; Serbia: 0. It’s a wash, folks.

Today, Serbia votes on a new president. The original voting, which took place on January 20, resulted in today’s runoff election between incumbent Boris Tadic and Tomislav Nikolic. While both oppose the secession of Kosovo, Tadic apparently is not prepared to impose sanctions or trade embargos against the West (meaning the U.S. for one), which probably will further isolate this troubled country from the rest of Europe. I have a vested interest in the outcome of this election as my very best friend in the world lives there. Sitting here today hoping for the right outcome, and remembering that you can cut diplomatic relations, you can impose embargos, you can refuse to deal with a certain entity. But you cannot cut heartstrings.

Update, 4:03PM CST/11:03PM CET

Serbian Election Commission:

Based upon 47,55 % of the votes that have been counted so far…
TADIC, Democratic Party 51,16 % of the votes
NIKOLIC, Serbian Radical Party 47,18 % of the votes

Thanks, Alex, for that update!

It’s Official…

Tadic won.

Gibonni is still one of my all time favorite singers. My best friend introduced me to his music about two years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. Since that time, I’ve also discovered artists such as Legende, Leb I Sol, Eros Ramazzotti, Madame Piano, Zdravko Colic, and many more. Hey, it’s the gift that keeps giving!

This particular song is interesting because in Croatian, oprosti means I’m sorry. Gibonni had been approached in 2004 to sing this very song at the opening ceremonies of the rebuilt and very historically significant Stari Most, the Mostar Bridge¹, in Bosnia & Herzegovina. However, Croat officials protested the choice of music, and particularly, the song’s chorus, which reads: Say to each other ‘I am sorry’. Even though the song is actually a love song, Croat politicians didn’t want the Bosniaks to misconstrue the song as an apology on their part [for having destroyed the bridge during the conflicts of the 1990s]. Outraged, Gibonni backed out of the ceremony, saying he would not allow his music to be politicized. That makes me admire him even more.

1. The Mostar Bridge incident [↩]

I am going to figure out a way to keep this post at the top until the Kosovo issue is resolved. And it won’t get resolved any time soon as long as America has its nose over there. Lest anyone forget, here’s what happened the last time we showed up:

And we need to stay out of the Middle East for that matter. (I’m sure I wouldn’t have to look very hard to find supporting video for that either.)

I will say that this video is a graphic depiction of the horror and devastation of war. You may see things there that make you sick. That repulse you. That make you want to cry. That’s all good. It shows that you are human. I cry every time I watch this video. And I feel ashamed to be a citizen of the country that had such a big part in it. But NEVER forget the images you see here and never forget what we did.

Oh, and comments? They’re closed on this post because really, I’m not interested in your opposing views on this. Look, read, take to heart; or ignore it, but keep your illusions to yourself.

In the wee hours of the morning of October 16, 2007, near Nova Gradiska, Croatia, a bright light was extinguished. Tose Proeski, one of Southeastern Europe’s rising pop stars, was killed when the vehicle he was riding in slammed into the back of a truck, killing him and injuring the car’s driver and other passenger. He was only 26 years old, but had already achieved so much. In 2004 he was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and recorded the song “This World” which became the UNICEF anthem. In 2007 he released Igri Bez Granici (Games Without Borders) and was working on another (which is why he was travelling in Croatia).

You will be missed.