Brief thread: The Republic of Serbia

Two current world news stories this week reminded me of Serbia's recent history of civil unrest and war:

>The first #SeditiousConspiracy charges filed in relation to 1/6.

>Novak Djokovic's twice cancelled Australian entry visa.
The first 1/6 seditionist charged with sedition invoked former Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević as the loser of the 2000 presidential election, who was overthrown by a violent uprising.

Except that he would have been on the side of Milošević.
Novak Djokovic is a highly successful tennis champion, who has brought shame upon his native Serbia by repeatedly and brazenly mistreating Australians during a severe Covid wave.

AU affects the pandemic in nearby NZ, so I have real skin in the game.

theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan…
Novak committed immigration and other fraud at various times in the months leading up to the events in AU. This contributes to the AU federal government being well within it's rights to cancel his visa & deport him, which entails an automatic 3 year ban on entering the country.
It's become vitally important for AU to ensure no special treatment for foreign VIPs. AU citizens have a right of return. Many of them are still trying to exercise this right and are hampered by the bottleneck caused by the ups and downs of the pandemic. The outcry has been loud.
There are many causes of the various wars among the states of the former Yugoslavia since the fall of the Soviet bloc (early 1990s.)

Ethnic nationalism & religious bigotry are high on the list of causes. An estimated 90% of Serbians are "Christian," mostly Eastern Orthodox.
In the small "breakaway republic" of Kosovo an estimated 97% of people are Muslim. 97 is also the number of countries that currently recognize the independence of Kosovo. Serbia is trying to somehow gain EU membership while still pretending to own Kosovo. Good luck. /sarcasm
The 1/6 seditionists and hangers-on have something in common with the tennis player and the rogue state. Inadequate respect for the rule of law and the rights of others.

In each example, guardians of the truly free and peaceful countries stood firm. And we always will.
The current state of the world is a much needed reminder of the Age of Enlightenment.

Modern civilization, liberty, human rights, and science depend upon a sufficiently educated population. In recent decades, our standards have dropped. The fault is on both sides.
Education is much more than formal schooling.

We all have the choice every day to become more educated, or not.

Those too young to remember the 1990s Balkan wars would do well to learn about them. They're relevant to 2022.
A healthy democracy is something to strive for and protect. The public are at a disadvantage when cult leaders and politicians (often the same thing) are able to brainwash and gaslight the public to a large extent like right now.

Self-education is the answer, IMO.
This 2014 blog made the case for democracy at a time before the violent far right GQP "came out."

I found it when searching for the quote "democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried.” -Churchill

END

blogs.fcdo.gov.uk/petermillett/2…

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More from @FreedomFriesInc

15 Jan
Seditionist Stewart Rhodes' news broke on 1/13/22. It was a milestone day for 🇺🇸.

During what seemed like the longest year ever, the DOJ kept quiet on evidence they already had. Garland is taking each step at a time of his choosing. Charges need to stick.

#NeverForgetJan6
I really am heartened and relieved to know that this seditionist (one of many to come) was caught and is now in custody. The affidavit is so detailed. It's a clear sign to everyone that the DOJ is "on it." I can understand the skepticism of folk before now, but hear this:
Not only did Garland clearly have the goods on this oxygen thief, he waited until the 1st anniversary had passed. We got to pay our respects to the fallen, injured, witnesses, loved ones, and everyone else directly affected, without this overshadowing that.

And it exposed some.
Read 6 tweets
12 Jan
ICYMI, this British scandal is extremely important for that country and several others.

PM Boris Johnson must resign. The sooner he does, the better.

IMO, there is no excuse for any elected or appointed official breaching lockdown rules like this.

bbc.com/news/uk-politi…
In my experience both inside and outside government, such scandals from time to time can be forgiven BUT: not during a life and death national emergency like this pandemic.

One of the benefits of a Westminster system is that a PM or a government can be removed at any time.
Those involved in events that were both legally and morally/ethically wrong are not just out of touch with the needs of the public: they are clueless about PR and common sense; which often coincide.

Whatever country you're talking about, those at the top used to do better.
Read 7 tweets
7 Jan
Thread: For my fellow American democracy lovers, of any stripe.

This first anniversary was an emotional rollercoaster for me. We'll have to heal ourselves and democracy, while unceasingly fighting for justice at the same time.

#NeverForgetJan6🇺🇸

Imma watch and re-watch this strong, timely, presidential address over and over. Been waiting for these things to be said, inside that sacred place.

Some more great videos to watch from today.

Stephen Colbert:

Read 6 tweets
6 Jan
That's true, the level and type of co-ordination became clearer after the event.

But days prior (see my next tweet) and on 1/6 itself, there was already enough publicly available info to know this was a coup attempt with a terrorist attack involved.

Sickening isn't it?
I gotta provide some context about my 12/27/20 tweet below. I was almost out of the cult & had accepted #TrumpLost. But I kept an open mind about supposed "evidence" GQP Senators promised to reveal on 1/6. That was the last possible legal "remedy."
I had underestimated the level of violence, but plenty of people closer to the subject gave explicit warnings on Twitter, that evidently were ignored by authorities before 1/6.

From early on I wrote about the yawning gaps in routine security planning:

Read 18 tweets
4 Jan
Very quick thread on #FreeJimStewartson @jimstewartson

(I added his username in anticipation of a positive result from his appeal below. Also FW @radicalizedpod please & subscribe to their podcast. It's brilliant, as is Jim.)

#NeverForgetJan6
#Jan6Anniversary
#AntiFascist
I am sick to death of having to beg Twitter to reinstate accounts that are actually on the good side, ie law abiding people volunteering their time and throwing everything they have at the dire emergency caused by far right fascism throughout the GOP.
#FreeJimStewartson is one of the pro-democracy activists I first started reading on my journey out of the "maga" mvt culminating on 1/6/21, almost one year ago today.

His evidence & arguments are among the best I've seen. H/t @rickyx2001 @gal_suburban @davetroy for pic:
Read 14 tweets
2 Jan
Her post is a good eg of the fact-free "logic" used in the far right fascist GQP. It's an educational tool. (MTG is just a tool.😉)

On the upside, her Twitter a/c had about 500k followers, and at Telegram it's 150k. Many are bots. But in any case, the vocal minority are TINY.
My advice to fellow pro-democracy fighters:

Always remember how tiny the group of literal anti-Americans is. An unknown number of 2020 R voters left within weeks of the election & they're not going back.

So do not let this place get you down, ever.
Both sides claim to be "the silent majority" all the time.

Right now the actual silent majority includes D voters, #XGOP folk like me, and everyone who didn't vote R last time. That's a huge number.

To win 2022 we* have to Get Out The Vote like never before.
Read 6 tweets

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