Cretinization of Serbia

There was a lot of talk these days about “Kristianization of Serbia”, due to promotion of Kristijan Golubovic in numerous Belgrade media just before his going away to jail for many years. Glorification and heroization, maybe even “beatification” of crime and criminals is certainly something that the society mustn’t allow and the reaction of the public and officials was justified. But what happens when similar actions are state-sponsored and even become part of state policy and, at the end, become patriotic acts.

I am talking about the decision of the company Simpo from Vranje to give “its” factory in Zubin potok to Serbian orthodox church.

Yes, yes, you read it well, dear readers – to give the factory. The building, machinery, raw materials, products… while only the last two items are worth a million euro, they didn’t ever bother to tell us how much the rest is worth.

Someone may wonder what would the church do with the factory. A company, as we all know, may have a mission; it is not a charitable, but a for-profit organization, which isn’t really in line with teachings of the Christ, whose resurrection we celebrated couple of days ago. However, on the other hand, it may not be a bad thing, maybe next year the patriarch will bless the Business forum on Kopaonik, so our economy could finally catch a break. But, let the Managing Board, sorry, the Holy Synod of Serbian orthodox church, worry about that.

We want to point out another thing here. First of all, why did we write “its” with quotation marks? Well, basically, because the factory in Zubin potok doesn’t belong to Simpo. Just like Simpo doesn’t belong to Simpo, nor does it belong to Dragan Tomic, Aleksandar Vucic or Aleksandar Vulin – not to mention any of the others individually. Simpro is a company owned by citizens of Serbia. They have given their own money so many times already (so that the company from Vranje, which is allegedly giving something away now, could pay salaries) that Simpo is already completely owned by them. This information alone will easily demonstrate that. The factory from Vranje owes to the state, more precisely to citizens of Serbia, almost seven billion dinars (60 million euro), which is almost two billion more than its book value and, according to relevant assessment, 3 times its current market price.

Another detail is important. Even though the whole company Simpo, as illustrated by the data, is deeply in debt, it gave the factory in Zubin potok to the church free of all debts towards the state and of all bank credits, bathed and clean as a newborn. Very Samaritan of them, I must say.

You don’t have to be a lawyer to know that giving away something that isn’t yours is actually stealing or, better yet, a robbery. And an armed one, since the state, by default, holds a monopoly on the use of physical force.

Patriotic robbery is a well-known title which is suitable here. Because, as Vulin said at the signing of this “deed of gift”, all of this is done in the name of patriotism. “They often say that you can’t pour patriotism into a tractor fuel tank, now you can see that you can”, said the former “minister without portfolio, in charge of Kosovo and Metohija” triumphantly.

Not only do they steal from us, but ask us to be proud of that. Not only do they rob us, but treat us like idiots.

Considering all of this, “Kristianization of Serbia” mentioned at the beginning, served from national frequencies, however dangerous, is nothing compared to this cretinization promoted and spread from the highest national authorities.

Translated by Marijana Simic

Peščanik.net, 01.05.2014.