Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground

The big and small
in defense of „the only truth“
The claim that
maximal sincerity
should
not be expected
from the
U.S. towards
states where
their flag and
embassy have
been burned
favours those
who say that
the "world's
foremost
policeman" is
involved in the
actions of the
armed
Albanian
groups. It has
nothing to do,
however, with
Washington's
proclamations
or specific
actions regarding
events in
Macedonia
Ilir Ajdini
There are two declarations about
what is happening in Macedonia: The
first more or less is that "suspicious ethnic
Albanian groups wish to destabilize
Macedonian democracy." The second is
that "ethnic Albanians in Macedonia can
no longer withstand pressure from Slav
Macedonians and they have therefore
grabbed rifles to accelerate the realization
of their human and national rights."
The truth, however, is probably somewhere
in between these two.
Such is the conclusion reached by a
reputable British newspaper, the one to
which the Macedonian media refer with
great pleasure when they say, for
instance, that the international community
in Kosovo has not accomplished anything
and has no justification for military
intervention. Or, that in this conflict in
Macedonia there is probably an intertwining
of Kosovar, Mafia, Albanian,
German and other conspiratorial interests.
However, ordinary Macedonians, and
even some unusual Macedonians, do not
like the above conclusion at all. Neither
do they like the numerous worldwide
reports and articles that do not state that
responsibility lies with "Albanian
gangs," or at least "Albanian terrorists,"
who strive to destroy the Macedonian
state (where they enjoy their rights
unlike any other minority in the world,
not to mention when comparing their
rights with those of "hundreds of thousands
of Macedonians in Albania"); and
that they are striving to create a "Greater
Albania," or more recently a "Greater
Kosovo!" Thus, as lovers of the truth,
Macedonians have entered in a fierce
war with no compromises against all the
world's media.
And so every single big and small
Macedonian in this country has arisen to
present this truth to the world. To accomplish
this, firstly one needs to show that
all the media are mistaken by not reporting
on "Albanian terrorist gangs" that are
being "exported from Kosovo." For this
purpose, a group of enthusiasts found the
e-mail addresses of hundreds of important
institutions and individuals throughout
the world and compiled texts about
the truth of the conflict with notes about
the biases of various governments and
media toward "Albanian terrorists." This
list of addresses started being sent to
Macedonians, according to the rule of
geometric progression, so that
Macedonians could protest all over the
world. The mission, thus, is to convince
all media, starting with CNN and the
BBC and ending with the TV insert of
the Czech newspaper Dnes, that there is
only one truth. Other enthusiasts hunt
through world reports that the "terrorists
are from Macedonia, and do not come
from Kosovo"; where "Slav
Macedonians" are mentioned. By marking
them "urgent" or "extremely important"
such enthusiasts send these reports
to others in order for them to join the
protests against the world.
I had an opportunity to read some of
the replies from people who had received
such protest messages. Here is the
approximate content of these answers:
29
Liberation from war, April 2001