Free Your Mendje

[Pjetër]

Yeah I remember that. I believe Menduh Thaci even texted the host during the show to confirm what Zheji said.

[Migjeni]

Yes it is. And not it doesn't.
The main problem for Kosova is its corrupt government and their appeasement of Serbia. If Kosova hadn't been destabilized by Serbia - with the blessing of the West - since after the war we wouldn't have this so called neo-ottomanization and Arabization. It's these corrupt politicians who've created this problem by not being able to ensure economic progress and by not being concerned about anything else but filling their own pockets and being blackmailed to sign these agreements with Serbia.

The neo-ottomanization has been happening since Tito's time, it's not just the politicians now. Artur Zheji mentioned this months months ago from his time in Macedonia, where he said Tito would build mosques left and right, especially in Macedonia, and when they asked him to build Albanian schools he wouldn't do it. In order to quench Albanian nationalism he replaced it with religion. Enver Hoxha did the exact opposite. He banned religion to promote nationalism.

I know Serbia is the boogey man for Kosovars, but they have no real power, unlike Turkey and Arabs with hundreds of billions of oil and gas money. They're even fully funding a 30 million euro mosque right now in Tirana, which will be the biggest in the Balkans. Half of people in RA distrust organized religion so the damage is mitigated, but in Kosova and West Macedonia it's by far the biggest problem. Religion and democracy are incompatible, so far as there is no deep secularism within that religion.

To be honest, that's a load of bullshit. It's quite obvious that you don't know the situation in Kosova when you make remarks like that. I won't speak for FYROM, as I don't know enough about the situation there, but religion is not even top 5 problems in Kosova. Turkey and the Arab countries have NO power at all in Kosova, so I don't know where you get that from. Also, can you mention which mosques were built by Tito during the Yugoslav days? - The biggest mosque in Prishtina functioned as a garage for fire trucks, so I don't know what you're talking about. Also, to be historically correct, Albanians in Kosova - with the change of the Yugoslav constitution in 1974 - got all but the name of republic. They had almost all rights that the other people of Yugoslavia had. Not that that makes it any better, but still. We have to tell the truth and not this bs which isn't true.

Also, you mention Hoxha promoting nationalism - and according to you Kosovars have been under the influence of religion, but to tell you the truth, people from Kosova are more nationalistic than those from RA. We both know that, whether you want to admit it or not, that's another issue.

Serbia (and our corrupt politicians) is and has been the greatest problem for Kosova and will continue to be for the next decade at least.

[Plako]

I have to agree with Migjeni. The hotbed of Albanian nationalism in the late 1970's and early '80's was the University of Prishtina and Trepça miners union. I think Islam/religion is a bigger problem in Macedonia and even there only in certain pockets like Tetove and Kumanove I think. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. Of course Islam became part of the Albanian identity in Former Yugoslavia but I don't think it played any part at all in the rise of Albanian nationalism.


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[Aurora Bulkualis]

Tifozi, I didnt say their means led to the desired ends. But you can feel the effect of their means. RA is largely non-religious even after Middle Eastern states have pourred dozens of millions if not hundreds of millions of euros for religious propaganda. But its working to some extent. In Albania, there are new mosques every 5 meters. For a poor country where is all this money coming from? You cant be telling me the same isnt happening in Kosova.

Serbs barely have money for food, and youre acting like theyre some world power. You have hundreds of people going to Syria like theyre going to the convinience store, yet you keep talking about Serbia. Religious propaganda is dangerous and theyre planting the seeds bit by bit.

That is why the least religious states (irreligious by enlightenment not forced) are the most developed, and the most religious are the least developed unless they have oil. Organized religion, unless extremely secular, corrupts socities much more than politicians (which are a problem but more of a reflection of it rather than the cause).

[Migjeni]

Tifozi, I didnt say their means led to the desired ends. But you can feel the effect of their means. RA is largely non-religious even after Middle Eastern states have pourred dozens of millions if not hundreds of millions of euros for religious propaganda. But its working to some extent. In Albania, there are new mosques every 5 meters. For a poor country where is all this money coming from? You cant be telling me the same isnt happening in Kosova.

Serbs barely have money for food, and youre acting like theyre some world power. You have hundreds of people going to Syria like theyre going to the convinience store, yet you keep talking about Serbia. Religious propaganda is dangerous and theyre planting the seeds bit by bit.

That is why the least religious states (irreligious by enlightenment not forced) are the most developed, and the most religious are the least developed unless they have oil. Organized religion, unless extremely secular, corrupts socities much more than politicians (which are a problem but more of a reflection of it rather than the cause).

I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, that these so called "humanitarian" organizations have tried to influence our people - regardless of it being KS, RA etc. - The thing is though that it really has been futile. I mean only a very tiny minority have been victims of this brainwash and their brand of Islam is now one of the most hated things in Kosova, as I can't speak for the rest of the Albanian lands, as my knowledge isn't good enough.

The Serb state has more money than Kosova and Albania. I'm not acting like they're a world power, I'm acting like they're a considerable power in our region, and anyone who won't recognize that is naïve to say the least. Serbia has gained so much in the last 16 years. I mean only 16 years ago they were bombed by the greatest military alliance in human history, and today they're having negotiations on when to become part of the EU, while Kosova and Albania are nowhere near that.

As for the hundreds going to Syria; I think the number is around 300. That isn't a high number. It's a problem, yes, but it isn't a big problem. Serbia controls a quarter of Kosovas territory. They've installed a party in the Kosovar parliament which has a direct line to Belgrade and get their orders from there and what to do. Of course I'll talk about Serbia and our corrupt politicians, as they're the ones who damage my country the most.

You're funny. Honestly. Look at this list from Transparency International which was published a few days ago. Now tell me again how it's religion corrupting these countries. Corruption and poor governing leads to a fertile breeding ground for extremism, whether it being religious or political.

[Aurora Bulkualis]

First of all, Albania is an EU candidate and will open negotiations within 1-2 years, and that means absolutely nothing. Romania and Bulgaria are mafia states and have been in EU for a decade. EU means jack shit. Serbia is a cleptocratic state like all Balkan states and their leaders couldn't care less about Kosova. They just pretend to throw red meat at their rednecks, Second of all you have the world's second biggest power at 119 there. So not sure that's non-indicative of "strongarm" politics.

Lastly, corruption is a social problem not just a political problem. It transcends all levels of society. Populism is a cop-out for a complex problem but the reality is almost all 2 million people in that state are responsible for corruption, not just a handful of politicians. It's the corrosive culture of passiveness and uneducation that breeds it, and religion does nothing but fuel it.

[Albanian Damien]

First of all, Albania is an EU candidate and will open negotiations within 1-2 years, and that means absolutely nothing. Romania and Bulgaria are mafia states and have been in EU for a decade. EU means jack shit. Serbia is a cleptocratic state like all Balkan states and their leaders couldn't care less about Kosova. They just pretend to throw red meat at their rednecks, Second of all you have the world's second biggest power at 119 there. So not sure that's non-indicative of "strongarm" politics.

Lastly, corruption is a social problem not just a political problem. It transcends all levels of society. Populism is a cop-out for a complex problem but the reality is almost all 2 million people in that state are responsible for corruption, not just a handful of politicians. It's the corrosive culture of passiveness and uneducation that breeds it, and religion does nothing but fuel it.

Russia is not the world's 2nd biggest power. Germany, France, and England can all lay much better claim to that title than Russia. Hell even Turkey I would say is stronger than Russia at the moment.

[Migjeni]

First of all, Albania is an EU candidate and will open negotiations within 1-2 years, and that means absolutely nothing. Romania and Bulgaria are mafia states and have been in EU for a decade. EU means jack shit. Serbia is a cleptocratic state like all Balkan states and their leaders couldn't care less about Kosova. They just pretend to throw red meat at their rednecks, Second of all you have the world's second biggest power at 119 there. So not sure that's non-indicative of "strongarm" politics.

Lastly, corruption is a social problem not just a political problem. It transcends all levels of society. Populism is a cop-out for a complex problem but the reality is almost all 2 million people in that state are responsible for corruption, not just a handful of politicians. It's the corrosive culture of passiveness and uneducation that breeds it, and religion does nothing but fuel it.

You're making my point.

Bulgaria and Romania are mafia states, I agree, and the EU also agrees and in many circles in Brussels they admit that taking those two countries in back then was a huge mistake. Since then the things asked for to become a member of the union have increased incredibly because of the mistake of accepting these two countries.

Now Serbia has played the EU, as they've used their connections with the Russians as leverage for being accepted and that has been done in the expense of the Albanians in Kosova. Serbia and Russia are using the exact same politics to create hegemony all around them. We have to remember, that Milosevic and Serbia didn't accept Bosnia, until Bosnia accepted Serbia inside of Bosnia. The same has been done by the Russians in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Belarus, Ukraine etc. - They're trying to do the same in Montenegro and now in Kosova with this so-called association of Serb municipalities. That's our main problem along with our corrupt politicians. Kosova is not a bone the Serb government throws at its rednecks, as you try to portray it. It's a clear strategy to not let Kosova and Bosnia prosper as independent states and to maintain their influence in both of these places, while also winning sympathy in Brussels, as they've had negotiations with the government of Kosova.

And that has absolutely nothing to do with religion. Just like Bulgaria and Romania being mafia states has nothing to do with religion.

And finally; What exactly has Russia being 119 on the corruption scale have to do with anything? - Everyone knows Russia is corrupt in all layers of society, and them being strong is not an argument or an excuse.

Regarding corruption being a social problem, I agree. But there are different kinds of corruption. In Kosova we have the most primitive form of corruption; Nepotism. Even in the most developed countries you have corruption, but as I've said, it's a different kind of corruption. But again, this is not the fault of religion. The internationals in Kosova are just as corrupt, if not even more than our politicians there.

The international bureaucrats tolerate local corruption, in exchange for this they get paid back with local politicians servitude.

6-digit corruption is local.

7-digit corruption signals a local-international partnership.

8-digit corruption is an international affair.

The International protectorat in Kosova then ends up protecting the elites from the people, rather than the other way around.

Instead of working for the rights of the people, they talk about the needs of the communities. Instead of fighting for justice, freedom and equality, they encourage advocacy and lobbying.

Instead of protest and demonstrations, where dissatisfied people get together in a public sphere; they promote campaigns with billboards, TV ads in a public virtual sphere which people watch alone.

1:09:38 - Check out Albin Kurti's answer to a question regarding religion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi8NcO_JQCM

[artan]

Migjeni, what a post!

[Aurora Bulkualis]

Again, EU, now or then, means nothing. Albania has people who were pimps and murderers with fake identities in parliament, and they gained candidate status and are about to open negotiations. The difference between Bosnia and Kosova, is that in Bosnia, Serbs make up half the population. In Kosova, it's like 3%. Even then those Serbs are fleeing because of poverty. You guys have to get over your complex. You gotta realize no one gives a crap about Balkan states. They are irrelevant, rural, redneck countries with no power in the real world, including Serbia, Croatia, and whatnot.

The problem is when you have illiterate rural villagers, with 0 education, jobs, and AKs, praying 5 times in a mosque built by Erdogan & co, and are highly vulnerable to stupidity. Their religion brainwashing leads to those places becoming a cesspool for ignorance, since religion encourages passivity to corruption and acceptance of their problem in the hopes God will make everything better.

What needs to happen is Kosova needs well educated people, who question everything, protest corruption, but also accept the blame when blame is to be accepted and not blame politicians for everything. Fundamental change happens from the bottom up, not the top down. Religion, along with redneck culture, destroys the free thinking individuals that form a great state.