James,
I'm sorry I missed Soros.
I'm in that part of town quite often (Dupont Circle area) and could have figured out a reason to digress from my day's itinerary for that speech. It would have been worth it.
I don't always agree with George S., but I understand where he is coming from with regard to open society and he is right that some decade down the road we might actually achieve a measure of it.
I found this comment particularly pertinent:
As it is, the Serbs simply fail to connect what is done to them with what they have done to others. It fits their self-image as victims, and those who think of themselves as victims are often the worst victimizers.
The German people ALSO thought of themselves as victims of WWI, when the Allies left them destitute and and economic basketcase. That created an overwhelming resentment and desire to get revenge.
I'm not out to devastate Serbia, but someone has to make them see beyond their own racial hatred and victim mentality.
That requires the removal, forcibly by coup or resignation, of Milosevic. It requires Serbs, Kosovars, Croats, and Bosnians, to come to terms with the brutality that has been wrought by all sides and how they can get to the point where it doesn't happen again.
And that will not happen so long as there are hordes of refugees staring Europe in the face wondering what will happen to them next.
Regards,
Ron |
