Dispatch from Kosovo
Michael Totten certainly gets around. This time he reports from Kosovo. Edifying, as always.
The New Neo
A blog about political change, among other things
Michael Totten certainly gets around. This time he reports from Kosovo. Edifying, as always.
What an enlightening article! The author has a way of drawing you in with his description of architecture and countryside and then pow! He is talking to a survivor of the violence who tells it first hand (interestingly, without animus — which has a significant point in terms of these people and their attitude toward their neighbors, as well as rest of world). This narrator of horrors experienced JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, doesn’t spare much detail, yet we, of such different experience, wonder how today they are able to be so open, with little resentment.
And wonder of wonders, for the most part, this is a people who don’t just verbalize gratitude — they live it. And they’ve applied their experiences to inform the way in which they view other parts of the world. Their regard not just for those who saved them, but also for those with whom they can empathize (and, in fact, it seems they were taught this by previous generations) – such as Israelis, Jews. They are Muslims who like and respect Jews — because they are people. Likewise Serbs who remain neighbors.
This really made me think — so this might be a long-ish pot.
I wonder, in this great country of ours, when we ALL will open eyes to reality. See the good we’ve done in the world, without the inperative to do so because of personal threat. Just because it was right.
So much of our population is so spoiled — and that crosses all economic levels. Relative to the rest of the world, even are poor, are relatively “rich” in lifestyle. I think this is because we are a land which is relatively isolated physically, save for Mexico and Canada, and have benefited from this as we are not easily accessible to enemies in contiguous states, as exist in Europe.
We have not had to deal with war on our own land. We live with virtually no deprivations here at home which result from war — even when our own parents’ experience in World War II — not really so long ago in terms of the history of the world (but relatively ages ago in terms of the life of the U.S.) was so completely different! Now, for the first time, we are confronted with rising gas prices, and there is resentment and the need to blame — first the administration, then the “rich” oil companies, and now speculators. Again, ignorance rules emotion. I can’t quite get over those who fail to understand the free market principles which create cycles according to laws of supply and demand.
With the exception of those who volunteer for the military, and travel to foreign lands to conduct war, the majority of us are shielded — and, as a result, blind — which translates to comfort. There is little emphasis on teaching, nor seeking out the lessons of history — both national and international, and this results in a self-absorbed culture who refuse — or perhaps are unable to understand and acknowledge threats to our security.
The divisive nation we live in today reflects this. We who understand and have respect for the dangers that loom, support the need for military intervention — not just to “save” other countries, but we understand that there is a very purposeful plan in the effort to build allies in geographical areas abroad.
And then there are those who don’t want to hear about ugly realities, and as a result they conclude they are not just unnecessary but wrong.
Who among us LIKES war and its horrors? Few, if any. But those of us who seek out knowledge, history; that which informs us of real threats — we, even if regretfully, acknowledge such, and face reality.
The question is, how do we reconcile all this as one people, in order to be able to continue doing what is necessary.
Are we still in Kosovo? talk about an endless war…