Written by Andrej Nikolaidis, CdM columnist
And what would Djedo (late Metropolitan Amfilohije) say about this all?
Luckily for himself and all of us (for now), Andrija Mandic has failed in his ideological plan. In the practical sense, he did it: there he is, in power. It’s just that, in order to be in power, he has to implement someone else’s policy and ideology – more precisely, exactly the same policy and exactly the same ideology he fought against all his life. With the coalition agreement he signed in order to be in power, he recognized both NATO and Kosovo. Whether he kept his fingers crossed or, like Subara, shoved his middle finger, is completely irrelevant.
Would Andrija Mandic, if he had a chance, fuck off NATO immediately and let the army go back to Kosovo? He would. But that’s also completely irrelevant.
And what is important? Only the fact that Andrija Mandic, in order to be in power, agreed to carry out the policy of Milo Djukanovic: concerning both NATO and Kosovo.
If Andrija Mandic had succeeded in his plan to prevent Montenegro from becoming a state, he wouldn’t have been a statesman. And that’s what he is – a statesman – thanks to the fact that Milo created a state for him, against which he – Andrija – fought heroically. If he had succeeded in his plan, Andrija Mandic could have been the president of a regional assembly, command, republic… anything, just not the state.
If it had been according to his wishes, Andrija Mandic would have watched foreign officials only on TV. He wouldn’t have met them and delivered joint statements.
I hail his transformation. And eagerly back it. If I didn’t know that by doing it, I would cause him political damage, I’d publicly praise him. But I just want to ask: What would Djedo say? And to add: If I agree with Andrija’s policy, Djedo would hardly ever.
After all, what would Djedo say about the behavior of his faithful people? Who, as it looks like, sleep like the dead. And wake up only when they need to enter employment.
Is Sarajevo where it used to be? And Mestrovic’s mausoleum? It is. Djedo’s bequest to ruin the Mausoleum down the slopes of Lovcen will be fulfilled – next year. When the army returns to Prizren.
Is Djedo’s Metropolitanate where it used to be? Well, it’s not. As soon as he died, Vucic cut what Djedo was running.
Is Kosovo where it used to be? It is, but is it whose it used to be? It’s not. And what are you going to do about it? Write paroles on the walls? And take pictures next to the Kosovo parliament speaker?
What did the faithful people tell about it? Nothing. They were waiting in line to get employed in Elektroprivreda and the Coal Mine.
Was that what it was all about? About dividing the spoils? About positions? About who will be paid from the state budget? All that screaming, shouting lofty slogans and pointing out even higher goals – all to give up everything for the sake of comfort and benefit?
If so, that’s good and as it should be. It’s rational behavior. Politics is a rational activity. The more rationality, the less “traditional values”, “bequests”, “fixing of historical injustices” – the better.
If that is as it looks like, Spajic’s motivation to have women of all races and religions and money of all kinds – that’s a much healthier motivation than what Milatovic is pointing out, as well as what he is not: men with moustaches, Momir Bulatovic for example and sons’ revenge for the political defeat of their fathers’ generation.
From time to time, politicians announce that there has come to an “awakening of the people”. Politicians love it, because when there is an “awakening of the people”, there’s also the awakening of their accounts and incomes. The people, after “awakening”, as a rule, perish and become impoverished. If you don’t like me, as you don’t, try to forget who’s telling you this, but pay attention to what is being said: remember what happened to you after waking up in the 1989.
The nation that refuses to be a nation fares best: the one that wants to be a citizen. The one who replaces the hard drugs of “conciliarism”, “mass movement”, “people’s events” with the easy drug of individualism and pragmatism. Mass gives the illusion of security and the illusion of strength. Man is never alone as in a crowd, never as weak as when he is part of a crowd. There are those who benefit from large mass movements – but it’s never a mass.
What’s happening in Montenegro doesn’t look like the awakening of the people. It’s rather that they’re going musty.
And that’s good. Very good.
(The opinions and views our columnists are not necessarily those of the CdM news team)
