Serbian Nationalism: Nationalism of My Own People

Abstract

How can one be objective in confronting abstract nationalism without facing the nationalism of one's own people? Moreover, in the case of former Yugoslavia, to be a Serb means to face the burden of the greatest responsibility for what has happened within the country. To be a Serb, to live in Serbia nowadays, and not to be nationally obsessed, means to be accused of betraying your nation, and labelled as a 'bad' Serb. Distinctions between 'bad' and 'good' Serbs have become very important to our national mythology which is a warrior mythology, extrapolated from Serbian history, overburdened as it is with liberation wars. Through their history, Serbs have been brave soldiers, fighters for their national liberation and the liberation of their 'brother' nations of South-Slavs. They have been glorified as honest and fearless soldiers, constantly at war, suffering terrible losses, regarding themselves as the greatest victims of the 'violent cauldron' of Balkan history. Always, at some point, they come to feel 'betrayed' by their 'brother' nations during or after these wars. In truth, Serbs have certainly suffered privations in their difficult history. That, no one can deny. The current manipulation of Serbian national pride is based on tragic memory and deeply rooted fear, especially among Serbian communities in neighbouring republics. They fear becoming victims of their 'brother' nations, as has happened before in their history. Our nationalistic leaders, 'fathers of their nation', 'invented' the slogan that 'Serbs were always winning the war, but always losing the peace', in order to mobilize our people to fight for their 'national pride and historical justice'. Due to this shameless manipulation it became possible to mobilize Serbs mainly living in more or less homogeneous communities in some regions of Croatia, to start to fight for their 'national rights and liberation'. Actually, they became the first victims of the radical national policy of the Serbian leadership in Serbia. Yesterday's 'powerful national policy' became today's 'destiny', the only