Kosovo Kabuki

Hugh Griffiths RSS / 22.11.2007. u 13:22

The reality-impaired coverage of Kosovo dominating the headlines for the past 18 months has been interrupted of late by a tangled web of accusation and insinuation which when unravelled gives a far clearer indication of  the state of the Serbian body politic than delusional comparisons of Kosovo with Baltic or south China sea island chains.

At the heart of the matter is  Miroslav Miskovic, a – pardon the euphemism – “Milosevic-era tycoon” long-blacklisted by the US government for his alleged involvement in cigarette smuggling and other bad behaviour during the good old, bad old days of the Slobo n’Mira roadshow.

Miroslav has had a little more press attention than he would like of late, photographed over drinks with the head of the secret police, various politicians & government ministers, accused of pressurising journalists and covertly funding news media, creating monopolies, disappearing capital and pressing criminal charges against the anti-corruption council.

That anti-corruption council is clearly but a den of thieves. Naturligt, as they would say on the Aland islands.

Miskovic has even managed to get himself associated with Kosovo, thanks to a US embassy memo which the press managed to get hold of. The memo speaks of an offer Miskovic allegedly made to the Americans via an oft-quoted supposed emissary, Braca Grubacic. According to the US embassy memo, Miskovic offered to intervene in the Kosovo dispute and get Serbian prime minister Vojislav Kostunica and the gang to “soften” their position on Kosovo in return for Miskovic’s removal from the US black list. For some reason Miskovic was allegedly able to offer his services to “secure the stability” of the fractious ruling coalition comprising of feuding political parties united only by their need to secure funding from multiple singularly generous, yet conditional, sources.

Miskovic for his part has accused the leader of one of the political parties not getting moolah from him and not comparing Kosovo to territories in the Baltic and South China Seas of benefiting financially from the latter’s abduction and kidnapping. Oh no ! Do tell us all, Mr Miskovic.

As he proceeds to do in a “public letter” – curious term for a press release – to the aforesaid pol. Ceda Jovanovic. Why Miskovic took this matter to the press rather than the police may for the moment be a source of media speculation but it’s always amusing to watch the elaborate Kabuki performed via tame or hostile journalists between oligarchs and politicians that precede political tectonic shifts.

While politicians are happy to spout nonsense, slander and untruths about government road contracts every day, you know something serious is going on when the oligarchs break cover. Although the recipients of frequent political party funding solicitations, or thinly veiled blackmail threats in the case of the Radicals, they tend to avoid the political spotlight where possible.

The most notable exception to this rule is Bogoljub Karic who not content to influence developments via the middlemen that pass for politicians, started his own political party which threatened to undercut support for the party that controlled both the ministries of police and justice. Tut, tut. This was clearly NOT ON and the entirely independent judiciary and police interest in his business dealings forced him to leave the country not long after. I’m all for continuing exposure of the real political economy and following the money, but suspect that normal Sloboesque service involving much flag waving and maps to resume shortly



Komentari (16)

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Vega Vega 17:48 22.11.2007

2 thumbs up

Excellent review of current events - I guess there are no comments because it is in English only :(
semele semele 11:32 29.11.2007

Re: 2 thumbs up

Domazet Domazet 18:26 22.11.2007

Well, well, well...

...what do we have here? A subject of her Majesty(?) is telling us that the US Embassy is publicly spreading lies. In a semi-public statement (a curious term for a blog post). Interesting. But what he does not tell us is how worthy it is to embarrass yourself completely in order to embarrass the others. Or he takes it for granted that it is? Now that would be even more interesting. Inadzija Hugh? This is not very British. Or maybe it is. Hugh does not need a (US) visa, Ceda does.
adam weisphaut adam weisphaut 21:46 22.11.2007

Re: Well, well, well...

But what he does not tell us is how worthy it is to embarrass yourself completely in order to embarrass the others

I guess the allegations that Miskovic controlled some of the closest men around VK didn't agree with you too well
Nenad Šeguljev Nenad Šeguljev 18:45 22.11.2007

Welcome to the States of Jersey

Next stop - State of Jersey.



s56a s56a 19:20 22.11.2007

Re: Welcome to the States of Jersey

San Marino might be even better

It is easy to describe Serbian BIA folies. More difficult to trace BEA Saudi deals.
jinks jinks 20:40 22.11.2007

BK

The most notable exception to this rule is Bogoljub Karic who not content to influence developments via the middlemen that pass for politicians, started his own political party which threatened to ...
The Karics should, maybe, be very grateful for this kind of observation. Of all the tajkuni, it seems that they were the least autonomous ones. And the reason why (if at all) they fled and stopped with the business is still covered with the veil of mystery. Maybe the business did not stop at all, and the real owner (this one may not be MM at all, for example) resumed with the “business as usual” without the ever-smiling middleman.

p.s.

Аlso, the local tajkuni have started to mix their insignia ... amongst others are Karics, who already have a fair share in the Delta inheritance.
vladimir petrovic vladimir petrovic 21:55 22.11.2007

Kosovo is not kabuki

When I see that a foreigner speaks about Kosovo, I expect the worse. First, I don't like your title, Kosovo is not a Kabuki. Kabuki consists of three japanese characters - ka for dance, bu for music and ki for skill. The case of Kosovo is not an amusement!
Neither I like your saying "delusional comparisons of Kosovo with Baltic or south China sea island chains". Serbia is threatened and tries her best to find a compromise and your examples are just some of them... If you cannot help, please, please don' make things worse.
As for Mr. Miskovic, well, he is the product of the circumstances in this country. Neither he is a good or bad guy, but he is clever. In principle, I'm glad to see the new rich people, we have abandoned idea of social equility among citizens of this country. I'm more worried about Mr. Jovanovic... too many accusations pour, not only from Miskovic, and one wonders whether his hands are clean...
Have a nice day.
adam weisphaut adam weisphaut 22:02 22.11.2007

Re: Kosovo is not kabuki

Neither he is a good or bad guy, but he is clever.


And yet they don't grant him on visa ona allegations of being close to SM regime and smuggling cigarettes. Isn't life a bitch.
Hugh Griffiths Hugh Griffiths 11:15 23.11.2007

Re: Kosovo is not kabuki

Informative & interesting comments, many valid points, thank you for the responses.


But I think Vladimir may misunderstand the title, I am not saying that Kosovo is Kabuki - I am saying that the way Kosovo is treated by most of Serbia's politicians is reminiscent of Kabuki for the following reasons.

First Kabuki used to be performed exclusively by men - and all the primary actors on the stage in the case are men as well. Second, as Vladimir correctly points out, Kabuki consists of music, song and dance, and Serbian politicians perform an elaborate song and dance ritual over Kosovo most days, accompanied by very familiar background music. Primarily it is the language of protest and righteous indignation, at other times a walk-out is staged, some subjects are regarding as sacred and hence often repeated, but there are many, many, many things that have to go unsaid. Sometimes the routine is varied to include that part of Bosnia & Herzegovina they like to call the republic of srpska and at other times reference is made to the safe haven of investigative journalists, free media and democracy that is Putin's Russia today.

Thirdly, Kabuki is accumulative theatre, that means that it incorporates earlier theatrical genres which preceded it. In the case of the Kosovo Kabuki performed by the party of international law, the DSS, and the highway robbery party, the NS, this involves incorporating aspects of Sloborules, a theatre style which ran for many years in Belgrade to the detriment of audiences throughout the Balkans.

The chief characteristic of this theatre involves the leading players speaking for poor people living far away from the comforts of Belgrade- the Krajina, western Bosnia, Dalmatia, Kosovo - spring to mind. After telling them what to do, imposing a corrupt leader or two, these players walk away when the poor people are forced to leave their homes normally via tractor thanks to the aggression the Sloborules style has inspired elsewhere.

Kabuki also involves wearing a great deal of make-up, which members of the DS have to put on each time they get on stage to try and convince the audience that they too are just as keen on Kosovo as the party of international law and highway robbery.

And finally, Kosovo is Kabuki in Serbia because Kabuki has a great deal of bunraku in it. Bunraku is puppet theatre and there is a great deal of string pulling going on behind the scenes in Serbia today, with a great many puppets doing the same old song and dance routines. Meanwhile the real political economy keeps on truckin'.
mikimedic mikimedic 12:23 23.11.2007

Re: Kosovo is not kabuki

Life is a bitch and then you die. So was Hoolbrook a close associate of SM and RK... so what?
semele semele 21:16 28.11.2007

Traitors used to commit HARA KIRI

And finally, Kosovo is Kabuki in Serbia because Kabuki has a great deal of bunraku in it. Bunraku is puppet theatre and there is a great deal of string pulling going on behind the scenes in Serbia today, with a great many puppets doing the same old song and dance routines. Meanwhile the real political economy keeps on truckin'.




Outside legal spheres, the word "traitor" may also be used a person who betrays (or is accused of betraying) their own political party, nation, family, friends, ethnic group, religion, social class, former allies or other group to which they may belong.

Murder is now generally considered the worst of crimes, but in the past, treason was thought of as worse. In English law high treason was punishable by being hanged, drawn and quartered (men) or burnt at the stake (women), the only crime which attracted those penalties (until the Treason Act 1814). The penalty was used by later monarchs against people who could reasonably be called traitors, although most modern jurists would call it excessive. Many of them would now just be considered dissidents.

In Shakespeare's play King Lear (c. 1600), when the King learns that his daughter Regan has publicly dishonoured him, he says They could not, would not do 't; 'tis worse than murder: a conventional attitude at that time. In Dante's Inferno, the lowest circles of Hell are reserved for traitors; Judas, who betrayed Jesus in Christian theology, suffers the worst torments of all. His treachery is in fact so notorious that his name has long been synonymous with traitor, a fate he shares with Benedict Arnold, Brutus, Pétain, Quisling, Alcibiades of Athens, and Ephialtes.

wiki(ed)
vladimir petrovic vladimir petrovic 23:23 23.11.2007

You're rather wrong!

Sir,
Come on! Lighten up, Mr. Griffiths
You say “But I think Vladimir may misunderstand the title, I am not saying that Kosovo is Kabuki - I am saying that the way Kosovo is treated by most of Serbia's politicians is reminiscent of Kabuki… “ and continue giving an explanation that explains nothing. Your comments are not a pleasant read, and sound rather meanspirited to me.
It’s your right to have your rather ‘naughty’ opinion about some of the Serbian political parties (the DSS = party of international law, the NS = the highway robbery party, the DS = men with make-up etc.). It’s your right to ironically say “Sometimes the routine is varied to include that part of Bosnia & Herzegovina they like to call the republic of srpska”, and to believe that the Sloborules style is not abandoned. But what makes you believe that you are being right in what you are saying? To me it’s seems like a personal one-sided evalutation of the present day situation in this country which is not supposed to be “eye-opener” but rather a scold… In any case you don’t sound well-intentional. Republika Srpska is what it is (and there’s no need for you to teach us lessons about her), and probably not what you like to believe she is. I agree, the Republic of Serbia passes through a difficult period thanks to the Kosovo and the Hague Tribunal problems, but the West is not willing to help, on the contrary, it is making things worse (No use to mention the notion of the bloody idea of “punishment package for Serbs”, or “(large) stick and (small) carrot” policy which, in the West is believed, brings results… Your mentioning Putin’s Russia is also unwanted advice…
Kosovo is not Kabuki, Serbia is not what you believe because we are not the Japanese, because we are not seen stereotypically as being overly polite and smiling business executives, we are just the Serbians with a long history in the Balkans. … ha, ha, ha… Whatever you intention was, it does not sound reasonable to me, and it does not help to make our minds on the right path.
If you cannot help, don’t make things worse (By the way, I wonder whether you are from International Crisis Group?)
guey guey 21:33 28.11.2007

Re: You're rather wrong!

Vlado, there is no reason to get all worked up about this, these are the author's personal opinions. He wasn't giving anyone advice or stating facts, just stating his opinion and filling them with playfulness and sarcasm. Thats how I see it.
semele semele 13:15 29.11.2007

Re: You're rather wrong!

Vlado, there is no reason to get all worked up about this, these are the author's personal opinions. He wasn't giving anyone advice or stating facts, just stating his opinion and filling them with playfulness and sarcasm. Thats how I see it.


In other words,

Hey Vlado we are English. We don't have friends we only have interests. Take it easy here is what our American cousins discovered lately:

"MONKEYS SHOW SENSITIVITY TO UNFAIR REWARD SCHEMES
The Guardian Nov. 24, 2007
Paying peanuts may result in a workforce of monkeys, but if those peanuts are unfairly distributed, the result is a simian strike, researchers found. Scientists at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, found that our primate cousins get as irate as humans when they see one of their number better rewarded for doing the same job. They found brown capuchin monkeys that had been happy to accept cucumbers as rewards refused them if they saw other monkeys get better payment, such as grapes, for the same amount of work. Individuals worked harder when rewards were fairly distributed. Sam Jones"


the peanuts distributors ass. uk. plc. (just personal opinion!)


ps I love this construction: "thanks to a US embassy memo which the press managed to get hold of."
Wow, we really have some nitty witty investigative journalists around who are able to get into the American fortress in Belgrade. I wonder if it is an inside job. WELL, DUH!



KABUKI DIRECTORS
Hugh Griffiths Hugh Griffiths 10:53 01.12.2007

thanks for the comments & cartoons

Thank you all for the comments and cartoons, some of which rightly point out that Kabuki is popular all over the world with politicians and assorted rogues who indulge in make-believe and cite international law when it suits them.


As to lightening up and keeping the exchange of information going, as I continue to poke fun at certain phenomena visible in Serbia, I would encourage those who wish to post comparisons with other countries where scoundrels use patriotism in the pursuit of profit. And please don't take it personally, unless you are a very special sort of person.

Arhiva

   

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