Setting

„We“ in Croatia often debate violence. As, I guess, do „you“ in the States, but most often this comes down to the state having „the monopoly,“ ideological appeals to „civic and historical norms,“ what not, but it's worth reminding this country had a revolution mere 70 years ago, and a civil war 30. Of course, than we debate some more „wicked communist state that killed,“ only to be remined from abroad the CIA still does the very same thing, as do the Russians, „and they say they don't.“ During the last batch of posts I tried explaining I do not perceive school shootings in USA as an aberration, but a symptom of society which surfaces, and I do not agree at all with WaPo violence is unjustified, unfortunatly, for than our issue would but quite simple: there aren't that many truly mad individuals around and some of them also have trouble walking. No, violence is a response to poverty, psychological violence which includes propaganda and, worst of all – struggle for power. Do remind yourself of anthrax attacks. A revolution is easy to explain: the goal, expressly so, is to eliminate any vestige of the previous regime. Civil war is different, but Tuđman is on footage saying there would have been no war had he given up on the idea of independent Croatia i.e. being a part (albeit possibly even totalitarian) Yugoslavia. Like men in the West I dubbed „diabolical“ (Their student body is wickedly called Skulls and Bones.), he managed both those who wanted Yugoslavia but also right wing extremists by skillfully employing money, or lack thereof, and an occasional murder. This is the monopoly. What else is the Floyd case? And why should anybody be surprised if some other faction employed the same „cure“ against a pharma corporation or if somebody just flips and has his or her say in an uncoordinated fashion? This might come as a big surprise to some, but the same is visible in the Trumpian takeover. Layoffs, different kind of ideology and – a parody of all American problems: president not being omnipotent but a person who requires nominations in the FED board, claims against Dominion machines, anti NATO rhetoric that some still dream of but for which the US does not have enough greenback. This too might be a shock – but to poor students of history. True, the sole penalty in the realm political is incarceration for corruption or breaking of the laws and the Constitution. In reality, however, from Roman emperors executed by their Praetorians, through Kennedy and Tuđman and Milošević all the way to Prigožin and possibly Zelenski – the penalty for wrong kind of politics is – still – death.