<nettime> I don`t believe/ by Aleksandar Davic

[pticica <baza@EUnet.yu>]

I just watched RTL news. They say: "Two Yugoslav Mig 29 jets were
destroyed yesterday in an attempt to attack SFOR troops and fell on
Bosnian territory". They also showed video of what appears to be a part
of the Yugoslav Mig. Very convincing, except one little detail. In a
close up of some metal part I couldn`t help myself seeing inscription
ANNUAL in capital latin black letters on more or less white metal
background. Now, Mig 29 is a Russian made mashine and as far as I know
Russians use neither latin alphabet nor English language. Yugoslav
military sometimes use latin alphabet but not English language. Well???
Sky news yesterday confirmed that one NATO jet crashed yesterday near
Bijeljina (Serbian part of Bosnia) after mission in Yugoslavia. RTL said
all NATO planes returned safely to their bases yesterday. I`m almost
tempted to became a part of Serbian propaganda mashine and say that a
slight possibility exists that wrack of the airplane shown on RTL is not
Yugoslav but NATO jet.

NO! I must be wrong. I do believe gentlman from the Sky news who refused
accusations of  a ruthless pro-serb Englishman in a live contact
program  on Kosovo crisis. Sky gentleman said : " No, we are not NATO
propaganda mashine. We report what happened! You have distorted image of
the events and that`s why we continue with our next guest." Alas, his
next guest had similar distorted image of the events, and another and
another and another and another… Needless to say, this show is hit nr.1
on serbian TV. I must admit I haven`t seen the original live broadcast,
but I couldn`t notice any cuts or any sort of additional editing. It
looked to me like genuine uninterapted 10 minute long skyhead torture.
I`m probably very naïve. Its all serbian propaganda. But skyhead was
really good. He has no doubts. Good for him, I have all sorts of doubts.
In fact, I don`t believe this is happening at all. I don`t believe NATO
bombed my city, Novi Sad . I don`t believe my little son is in shelter
right now. I also don`t believe that NATO airforce bombed hospital and
refugee center yesterday. I don`t believe that on one dead soldier NATO
killed ten civilians. That`s why I feel absolutely safe and that`s why
I`m typing this and listening James Brown right now. I feel good.
Honestly, I feel just great. Things couldn`t be better. Cavalry came.
Bad guys are punished and good guys are happy.

I`m happy too. I was extremely happy yesterday when I heard Madeline
Olbright on Radio Free Europe addressing Serbian people in (some kind
of) Serbian and telling how nice and generous were Serbs to her and to
her family when they had to escape from Nazi occupied Chechoslovakia to
Belgrade. Some hardline Serbian nationalist might notice that all this
is rather unusual way of expressing gratitude, but not me. For Christ
sake not me. I know this is not happening at all and even if it`s
happening I know, that`s all because she`s deeply concerned for all of
us here in the Balkans.

Aleksandar Davic, Novi Sad, march 27th 1999


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