[lit-ideas] Re: The de-islamization of Europe
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 13:05:45 -0800
Well yes, we do have a bit of a turnaround here. I am utterly lacking in
the sympathy for the Colonial Power, Austria-Hungary, in their desire to
suppress and dominate the Balkans. I'm a little surprised that you and
Simon have so quickly jumped to the defense of this Austro-Hungary, claiming
that the Serb loss of independence comprised no loss at all. Well, I'm not
surprised at anything Simon says; so scratch thtat.
There was the IMRO, a terrorist organization set up to force the Ottoman
Empire to implement Article 23 of the Treaty of Berlin. But as far as I
know, Gavrilo Princip acted on his own, and his act was called
"assassination," and not "terrorism."
If someone teases a rattle snake and ends up getting bitten, given the
predictable nature of snakes, the behavior of the one doing the teasing is
much more interesting, don't you think? Did the Archduke know?
Gerolymatos implies that he may have in the vaguest sort of way, a sort of
understanding that the Serbs were not delighted at being taken over by the
Austrians, but he didn't take it seriously. The Serbs were a lower class of
society, a people to be kept under the thumb. He had more serious things to
worry about, namely getting his commoner wife Sophia accepted by the
Austrian upper class.
Lawrence
-----Original Message-----
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of joerg benesch
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 12:30 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The de-islamization of Europe
Lawrence Helm schrieb:
> (...)
>
> The fatal visit of the Austrian heir apparent was on the anniversary
> of the day they lost a major battle to the Turks in the 14^th century.
> The Serbs consider that the day they lost their independence to the
> Turks, and now they are losing it once again - this time to The
> Austro-Hungarian Empire and this Austrian Prince and his bride Sophia
> have come to rub it in on the anniversary of the 1389 Battle of
> Kosovo. It was intolerable, and Princip for one wasn't going to stand
> for it.
>
> Gerolymatos says that the Archduke Ferdinand probably wasn't guilty of
> the motives being ascribed to him by the Serbians. He probably didn't
> read either. On that visit to Sarajevo on a June day in 1914, Archduke
> Ferdinand pissed on their electric fence.
>
Well, Lawrence, who'd have thought you'd develop such a subtle and
sympathetic gusto for terrorism? If the Serbian appetite for foreign
territory (they were not in danger of losing anything belonging to them)
did justify terrorism, if terrorism can be justified by atavistic whims,
I can't understand the fuss you make about OBL... On the other hand,
Kaiser Billy should have patented the concept of a "rogue state" ("Ist
kein Staat, ist Raeuberbande!"), anyway, can't see why they wouldn't let
him have his little War on Terrorism. Would have spared us all a lot of
trouble.
As for "pissing on electric fences": is this your position concerning
victims of terrorism in general?
joerg
from Suebia
------------------------------------------------------------------
To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off,
digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
Other related posts:
