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"Globalization and
Identity" CHALLENGE OF GLOBALIZATION: IDENTITY CRISIS IN POSTCOMMUNIST COUNTRIES By Bozidar Jaksic
However it may
seem that Yugoslavia was close to European integration processes, closer
than any other country of real socialism, it was shown not to be true.
The fall of the Berlin wall, which symbolically denoted the historical
crash of political systems of “real socialism” made an impact on
Yugoslavia also. Not one of the three federal “socialist” states
survived that historical crash of European order made after the Second
World War. Checs and Slovaks parted relatively peacefully, it s
difficult to say whether to mutual benefit or mutual damage. The great
Soviet Union disintegrated and transformed into the Association of
Independent States, with a string of local conflicts among which the
Chechen one had the most impact internationally. So the dance of
communist ideologues with the “devil’s tail” of ethno-nationalism
put a horrible end to the “real socialism” in some of its segments.
And to the people who are the victims of that tragedy, if they survive,
it remains to think about whether the endless horror was better then the
horrible end. It seems that the political elites of South Slavic peoples
showed colossal incompetence in the face of new challenges. They led
their ethnic communities on the road of war, conflict and suffering, and
not one of cooperation and understanding. Their
everyday life does not give them any opportunity to dream, to hope, even
to work hard in order to live well. The historical crash of real socialism
destroyed middle class in most countries. Masses of impoverished people
with no rights make in some countries, Serbia for example, over 95 % of
the population. Former middle class people often live below the
existential minimum. The narrow class of nouveau
riche, and in the Balkans many of them are war profiteers, are in
charge of enormous capital over which they feel no responsibility -
neither of the inheritors, nor of the managers. The impoverished citizens
of those countries are helpless and hopeless. The black market becomes an
important economic factor, which allows masses of population to survive by
miserly transactions. So in pronouncing reasonable economical, political
and moral sentences on the black market, we should keep in mind that
masses of people in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Albania survived
thanks to its existence. The other survival strategy was the revival of
the country life and help that people in cities received from relatives
and friends from the country as well as mailings from gastarbeiters
from abroad. Also, young people decided on permanent emigration from the
postcommunist countries of Southeastern Europe, not only to avoid
participating in the war. It was most difficult for those parts of city
populations who were permanently unemployed or lived on factory wages.
Even today the monthly salaries in Serbia are somewhat over 150 DM. It is
obviously not enough for decent existence if indeed it is enough for any
kid of existence. Everyday
survival struggle is hardly a pleasant way of life.
But still, people live. They do not live well, they suffer, but
they survive. Hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons are
looking for a corner to fit in. Life of minority members in postcommunist
ethno-nationalist countries is a hardship. Living in that environment and
talking about a “lifestyle” would be cynical. Not only is any kind of
“style” absent in this survival struggle, but so is any kind of value
or moral system. Those societies are falling apart. Their catastrophe is
not only political or economical; it is much broader and goes into every
facet of cultural and spiritual life. The centers of power in those
societies are most often a combination of organized crime and political
leadership. The Serbia of Milosevic, Croatia of Tudjman, Belorussia of
Lukashenko are some more prominent examples of this affliction. We
are conversing today on the pluralism of cultures, interculturality and
global life style on the threshold of the third millennium. It is certain
that Europe is by processes of globalization gradually becoming less
racist and xenophobic and more open to values of other cultures. The
question is, however, what to do with the Balkan gutter and millions of
poor Eastern, mostly Slavic, neighbors. How
will they become a part of European integration processes and other
global cultural trends. Of course, the first question is what those poor
relatives of rich Europeans can do for themselves! Only then we can ask
what developed European nations can do for them. I am afraid that arrogant
attitudes and offers of the kind of “Partnership for Peace”, NATO
membership, etc., are not on the right track, because it is not the way
towards, in the phrase of Jean Perre Faye, “one Europe”, Europe of
citizens. Different modes of assistance, however worthy, do not solve this
problem. It seems that the vital interest of Europe is the democratic
stabilization in postcommunist countries. So, if Europe on the threshold
of the third millennium wants to do more for itself, it will have to take
more care of its gutter, the Balkans. Until the European lifestyle becomes
the way of life in postcommunist countries, developed European countries
will remain imprisoned by xenophobia and racism. And it will put into
question not only the future of its own cultural development, but also
some traditional values it nurtured for centuries. B. Participants in the November conference are asked to send their papers to Prof. Tom Bridges (bridges@civsoc.com) for posting on these pages.
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