Yesterday (February 19), the Politika daily published an article by Vladimir Đukanović, a member of the SNS presidency, titled “The Hypocrisy of the Liberal Left”. In this article, he fiercely criticized the citizens of Serbia mourning the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He called them “left liberals”, in order to separate them from other citizens of Serbia, who, if Đukanović is to be believed, don’t feel sorry for Navalny.
Đukanović used the worst insults, reducing the expressions of grief of these “left liberals” for the death of the Russian opposition leader to lies and hypocrisy. He normally doesn’t mince words when describing the alleged evil that the civil opposition represents for Serbia, but I – a regular reader of Đukanović’s articles in Politika – cannot recall that he ever called the opposition ‘bastards’ before. Now he has reached – or rather, lowered himself to – a whole new level.
In doing so, Đukanović misused Bora Đorđević’s song Indifferent to tears, a pearl of dark humour. In the song, the deceased laughs and mocks the mourners gathered over his grave and says, “The bastards that lie as soon as they open their mouth / exaggerate my virtues.” Đukanović quotes these words, but twists their meaning. They are no longer spoken by the deceased, he remains silent, and Đukanović speaks instead. Now he is indifferent to tears, he mocks those who mourn the death of Alexei Navalny, and even more so the deceased himself. “Like in the Riblja Čorba song Indifferent to tears” – says Đukanović – “The bastards that lie as soon as they open their mouth, exaggerate his virtues”. An example of political forgery performed in one fell swoop, by substituting a single word (“my” is replaced by “his”).
The article goes on to list alleged information from Navalny’s biography, which is supposed to show that he didn’t have any virtues. Because, if Đukanović is to be believed, he was a bad man, an extremely immoral person. There is no misdeed foreign to him. According to Đukanović, he was “ready to be servile towards numerous Western politicians, and especially towards Russian oligarchs who fled Russia”, he was “arrested for embezzlement”, “showed a tendency towards corruption” and “a tendency to use violence to achieve his goals”, he collaborated with “a British MI6 agent” and “promoted Nazism.” The reader of this article could only conclude that this Navalny guy was a real bastard!
But it was important for Đukanović to tell the readers of his article something else, to explain that Western propaganda invented the narrative that Navalny had an important role in Russian politics, because he – says Đukanović – “wasn’t a threat to Putin”. Yes, he was in prison, but “he was not a political prisoner”. Far from it. Navalny found himself in prison because he asked foreigners for money in order to “undermine his own country”. That’s why, Đukanović points out, “the Western liberal story about him as a politically oppressed man is seriously offensive, because they would never allow such a thing in their own countries”. The story about Navalny as a dangerous opponent of Putin is a clear lie, but Đukanović is still worried and angry that it is spreading and turning into the ludicrous claim that Putin is responsible for the death of this Russian miscreant. Western media and politicians, says Đukanović, “and especially these domestic miscreants of ours repeat the same sentence like parrots – Putin killed him”. Bastards!
Domestic miscreants, i.e. left liberals, deserve Đukanović’s contempt not only because they join the West in their sorrow for Navalny, expecting to be paid for it, but even more because they allegedly never joined the sorrow of Đukanović, his party and their formal and informal allies for Kosovo and the suffering of Serbian children there. “Our liberals are especially disgusting”, thunders Đukanović, “shedding so many tears for the deceased in question, all with the aim of getting another cent from Western funds, while they never said a word about the Serbian children from Kosovo and Metohija”. Bastards!
Where did this angry and sharp attack against people in Serbia who mourn Alexei Navalny come from? I think that Đukanović is not speaking to them, but to those who could potentially join them in mourning, making this an occasion for more people in Serbia to start wondering about what Putin is doing, whether their country should continue maintaining political ties with this autocrat, who gets rid of his opponents by any means necessary. Does Serbia want to put up with this crime, to become an accomplice in it? That’s what Đukanović says at the end, that’s the whole point of his article: “All in all, this wailing for Navalny, and especially the desire to present Serbia and Aleksandar Vučić as somehow guilty of his death, because they didn’t impose sanctions on the ‘dictator’ Putin… is madness.” It is a “shameless thesis”, which was taken over from the West by “domestic miscreants who want to use even the death of Navalny for their political goals”.
The fact that this should be said as soon as possible, and that the bastards should be dealt with as harshly as possible, is made evident by the incomprehension of even some media close to the authorities, who seem to have missed that they should not pay attention to Navalny and his death, and especially not attribute any merit or good deed to the late opposition leader. Thus, it happened that even Večernje Novosti, a paper that could not be closer to the authorities, on February 16, published an article titled “One of the most prominent critics of Putin: Who was Alexei Navalny?”, which describes him as “an anti-corruption activist and politician who gained international recognition as one of the most prominent domestic critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin”. This article goes on to say that Navalny was one of the bravest and most consistent critics of Putin’s policies, and give more information about the previous assassination attempt that nearly cost him his life. Google informs me that this article has also been conveyed by other media. I imagine Đukanović reading it, and muttering to himself: Večernje novosti, you bastards!
Therefore, Đukanović’s article is a warning, a public admonition to all those who did not understand the danger to the Serbian people and the state that the spreading of mourning for Navalny represents. To such he says: we will not arrest you, as Putin justifiably does, although you also deserve it, we will not remove flowers and candles at night if you place them as a sign of mourning for this Russian, which Putin’s poor police officers have to do in the dead of winter, but, be warned, that by lamenting Alexei Navalny, you are working against your people and your country. You bastards.
Translated by Marijana Simić
Peščanik.net, 26.02.2024.
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Ivan Čolović, rođen 1938. u Beogradu, na Filološkom fakultetu diplomirao opštu književnost (1961), magistrirao (1972) romanistiku, na Filozofskom fakultetu doktorirao etnologiju (1983). Radio kao urednik u nekoliko izdavačkih preduzeća, u penziju otišao 2000. kao naučni savetnik Etnografskog instituta SANU. Predavač i gostujući profesor na univerzitetima u Francuskoj, Španiji, Nemačkoj, Italiji, Engleskoj, Sloveniji, Švajcarskoj i Poljskoj. Preveo desetak knjiga sa francuskog, najviše dela Rolana Barta i Žorža Bataja. Objavio 17 knjiga studija i eseja. Dobitnik je sledećih nagrada i priznanja: Herderova nagrada (2000), Orden viteza Legije časti (2001), nagrada Konstantin Obradović (2006), povelja Prijatelj lista Danas (2009), zvanje počasnog doktora Varšavskog univerziteta (2010), nagrada Vitez poziva (2010) i medalja Konstantin Jireček (2012). Biblioteku XX vek osnovao je 1971, a od 1988. je i njen izdavač. (Istorijat Biblioteke prikazan je u knjigama Dubravke Stojanović
Noga u vratima. Prilozi za političku biografiju Biblioteke XX vek (2011) i
Pola veka XX veka. Zbornik radova povodom 50 godina Biblioteke XX vek (ur, 2021). Knjige:
Književnost na groblju. Zbirka novih epitafa (1983),
Divlja književnost. Etnolingvističko proučavanje paraliterature (1985, 2000),
Vreme znakova (1988),
Erotizam i književnost. Markiz de Sad i francuska erotska književnost (1990),
Bordel ratnika. Folklor, politika i rat ( 1992, 1993, 2000), prevodi na nemački (1994) i francuski (2005, 2009),
Pucanje od zdravlja (1994),
Jedno s drugim (1995),
Politika simbola. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji (1997, 2000), prevodi na engleski (2002) i poljski (2002),
Kad kažem novine / When I say newspaper (1999, 2004),
Campo di calcio, campo di battaglia, originalno izdanje na italijanskom, prev. Silvio Ferrari (1999), prevod na grčki (2007),
Dubina. Članci i intervjui 1991-2001 (2001),
Etno. Priče o muzici sveta na Internetu (2006), prevod na poljski (2011),
Vesti iz kulture (2008),
Balkan – teror kulture. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 2 (2008), prevodi na poljski (2007), engleski (2011), nemački (2011) i makedonski (2012),
Zid je mrtav, živeli zidovi (ur, 2009),
Za njima smo išli pevajući. Junaci devedesetih (2011),
Rastanak sa identitetom. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 3 (2014),
Smrt na Kosovu polju: Istorija kosovskog mita (2016);
Slike i prilike. Redom kojim su se ukazivale (2018);
Virus u tekstu. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 4 (2020),
Na putu u srpski svet. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 5 (2023). Knjige: Književnost na groblju. Zbirka novih epitafa (1983); Divlja književnost. Etnolingvističko proučavanje paraliterature (1985, 2000);
Vreme znakova (1988);
Erotizam i književnost. Markiz de Sad i francuska erotska književnost (1990); Bordel ratnika. Folklor, politika i rat ( 1992, 1993, 2000), prevodi na nemački (1994) i francuski (2005, 2009); Pucanje od zdravlja (1994);
Jedno s drugim (1995); Politika simbola. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji (1997, 2000), prevodi na engleski (2002) i poljski (2002);
Kad kažem novine / When I say Newspaper (1999, 2004); Campo di calcio, campo di battaglia, originalno izdanje na italijanskom, prev. Silvio Ferrari (1999), prevod na grčki (2007);
Dubina. Članci i intervjui 1991-2001 (2001); Etno. Priče o muzici sveta na Internetu (2006), prevod na poljski (2011);
Vesti iz kulture (2008); Balkan – teror kulture. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 2 (2008), prevodi na poljski (2007), engleski (2011), nemački (2011) i makedonski (2012); Zid je mrtav, živeli zidovi (ur.) (2009); Za njima smo išli pevajući. Junaci devedesetih (2011); Rastanak sa identitetom. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 3 (2014); Smrt na Kosovu polju: Istorija kosovskog mita (2016); Slike i prilike. Redom kojim su se ukazivale (2018); Virus u tekstu (2020).
Author: Ivan Čolović
Ivan Čolović, rođen 1938. u Beogradu, na Filološkom fakultetu diplomirao opštu književnost (1961), magistrirao (1972) romanistiku, na Filozofskom fakultetu doktorirao etnologiju (1983). Radio kao urednik u nekoliko izdavačkih preduzeća, u penziju otišao 2000. kao naučni savetnik Etnografskog instituta SANU. Predavač i gostujući profesor na univerzitetima u Francuskoj, Španiji, Nemačkoj, Italiji, Engleskoj, Sloveniji, Švajcarskoj i Poljskoj. Preveo desetak knjiga sa francuskog, najviše dela Rolana Barta i Žorža Bataja. Objavio 17 knjiga studija i eseja. Dobitnik je sledećih nagrada i priznanja: Herderova nagrada (2000), Orden viteza Legije časti (2001), nagrada Konstantin Obradović (2006), povelja Prijatelj lista Danas (2009), zvanje počasnog doktora Varšavskog univerziteta (2010), nagrada Vitez poziva (2010) i medalja Konstantin Jireček (2012). Biblioteku XX vek osnovao je 1971, a od 1988. je i njen izdavač. (Istorijat Biblioteke prikazan je u knjigama Dubravke Stojanović Noga u vratima. Prilozi za političku biografiju Biblioteke XX vek (2011) i Pola veka XX veka. Zbornik radova povodom 50 godina Biblioteke XX vek (ur, 2021). Knjige: Književnost na groblju. Zbirka novih epitafa (1983), Divlja književnost. Etnolingvističko proučavanje paraliterature (1985, 2000), Vreme znakova (1988), Erotizam i književnost. Markiz de Sad i francuska erotska književnost (1990), Bordel ratnika. Folklor, politika i rat ( 1992, 1993, 2000), prevodi na nemački (1994) i francuski (2005, 2009), Pucanje od zdravlja (1994), Jedno s drugim (1995), Politika simbola. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji (1997, 2000), prevodi na engleski (2002) i poljski (2002), Kad kažem novine / When I say newspaper (1999, 2004), Campo di calcio, campo di battaglia, originalno izdanje na italijanskom, prev. Silvio Ferrari (1999), prevod na grčki (2007), Dubina. Članci i intervjui 1991-2001 (2001), Etno. Priče o muzici sveta na Internetu (2006), prevod na poljski (2011), Vesti iz kulture (2008), Balkan – teror kulture. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 2 (2008), prevodi na poljski (2007), engleski (2011), nemački (2011) i makedonski (2012), Zid je mrtav, živeli zidovi (ur, 2009), Za njima smo išli pevajući. Junaci devedesetih (2011), Rastanak sa identitetom. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 3 (2014), Smrt na Kosovu polju: Istorija kosovskog mita (2016); Slike i prilike. Redom kojim su se ukazivale (2018); Virus u tekstu. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 4 (2020), Na putu u srpski svet. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 5 (2023). Knjige: Književnost na groblju. Zbirka novih epitafa (1983); Divlja književnost. Etnolingvističko proučavanje paraliterature (1985, 2000); Vreme znakova (1988); Erotizam i književnost. Markiz de Sad i francuska erotska književnost (1990); Bordel ratnika. Folklor, politika i rat ( 1992, 1993, 2000), prevodi na nemački (1994) i francuski (2005, 2009); Pucanje od zdravlja (1994); Jedno s drugim (1995); Politika simbola. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji (1997, 2000), prevodi na engleski (2002) i poljski (2002); Kad kažem novine / When I say Newspaper (1999, 2004); Campo di calcio, campo di battaglia, originalno izdanje na italijanskom, prev. Silvio Ferrari (1999), prevod na grčki (2007); Dubina. Članci i intervjui 1991-2001 (2001); Etno. Priče o muzici sveta na Internetu (2006), prevod na poljski (2011); Vesti iz kulture (2008); Balkan – teror kulture. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 2 (2008), prevodi na poljski (2007), engleski (2011), nemački (2011) i makedonski (2012); Zid je mrtav, živeli zidovi (ur.) (2009); Za njima smo išli pevajući. Junaci devedesetih (2011); Rastanak sa identitetom. Ogledi o političkoj antropologiji, 3 (2014); Smrt na Kosovu polju: Istorija kosovskog mita (2016); Slike i prilike. Redom kojim su se ukazivale (2018); Virus u tekstu (2020).
