By Andrej Nikolaidis, CdM columnist
How easy is it to get from “Everything for Serbia, Serbia for nothing” to “Everything for NATO, NATO for nothing”…
I guess this is what is usually called progress and democratic maturation. Once upon a time, when people were less progressive and democratically immature, it was called – one day you call for war against “NATO villains” and the next you organize a reception in honor of the power that, as you said, “unjustifiably and deservedly” bombarded you with impoverished uranium – that is, fukarluk.
At the ceremony on the occasion of six years of Montenegrin membership in the North Atlantic Alliance, held in Villa Milocer, there were none of those who, despite the strong resistance of the public, the opposition and the open obstruction of Russia and the SPC, brought this country into the most powerful military alliance in history. The political structures that expressed that resentment (and, by the way, brought Montenegro one step away from the EU) are today, government propagandists say, defeated dictatorial forces. The intellectual elite that backed the country’s entry into NATO is today, according to government propagandists, a group of mercenaries of organized crime.
OK, there weren’t there. But who was there?
The Prime Minister and Minister of the Army from the party that did not vote for NATO in the parliament, but in the name of action unity stood in solidarity with the anti-NATO opposition.
Parliament’s speaker who grew up in a party that not only offered political, but also military resistance to NATO, a party that was at war with that alliance. As, after all, it befits a virtuous Stalinist party.
Finally, the president of the country was also present. At the time when the decision on Montenegro’s membership in NATO was made, he did not vote on it, as well as on any other important issue for Montenegrin society. But he voted for Djedo (Metropolitan Amfilohije), who made him a minister in Ostrog monastery after he defeated the DPS on the streets thus gaining the right to appoint the government in the monastery. Djedo was sharp-tongued – the author of some of the most inventive insults against NATO.
Times have changed, as Dylan said. Djedo passed away, may his soul rest in peace. Belgrade ruined his organization of the church in Montenegro. His successor was brought to the inauguration by a NATO helicopter (Montenegro is a member of NATO; Montenegrin helicopters are NATO aircraft), making him the first Serbian NATO metropolitan.
Everybody loves Raymond. Everyone loves NATO. Love, as is well known, leads to inventive interpretations. The enthusiasm a person who loves demonstrates in inventing reasons why what they love is worthy of love can only be matched by the enthusiasm we show in inventing reasons why the person we loved is shit, when we stop loving him. It usually goes like this: love then hate. But in the case of Montenegrin officials and NATO, it was the other way around: hate, and after that – love.
That love goes so far that, in the interpretation of the Montenegrin authorities, NATO is no longer to blame even for Murino: this year, based on the statements of Montenegrin officials, the former government was to blame for the victims there. You know how it goes: your father loves you even when he beats you drunk. NATO loves you even when it bombs you.
In Tito’s Yugoslavia, the books for the first graders started with a story about a group of school children who had a heated argument in the classroom. On the wall above the school board (both in the story and in reality) hung a framed photo of Tito. Each of the children claimed that Marshall was looking at them. The argument was interrupted by a wise teacher who said: children, Comrade Tito is watching all of you.
That’s right. Enough with divisions and fights in Montenegro. Take your seats, peace in the classroom. NATO loves you all.
