** Topic: Zagreb Diary **
Response  45  of  67
** Written 12:37 PM  Jun  6, 1992 by wamkat in gn:yugo.antiwar **
Subject: Zagreb Diary

Zagreb Diary
05-06-1992

Dear Friends,

Do you ever that feeling that you computer reacts different each day, mine does in any case, I never know how long it takes before he (computers are males I think) wants to let me in. Anyway maybe he reacts on this country the same way as my mood.

If the Croatian government was smart they should close the country after the concert of Public Enemy in Slovenia this month, in one blow they would be freed from all their political enemies. It is the most popular group among the radical movement, to which a big deal from ARK and their friends below. ARK is surely not a group, which is so happy with their government. They are not so Croatian anyway, at least not nationalistic. It is surely not that part of the Croatian population which get tears in their eyes when they hear the Croatian national hymn at the end from every days television programme.

Public Enemy, you will find their names all over town written on the walls, let's start a war p.e. (that's an old one from before the ...), fight for your right, but mostly just simple Public Enemy. I know not it charms me, but not enough to leave the country for their concert. Somehow that music fits in this country. Rough music in a rough time, some how that siren in their music is a normal sound in this surrounding.   

Still I like my John Lennon tape, remember that tape, 2 months ago I started this diary with it, better. Somehow I get bloody nervous and even aggressive from that high speed RAP music, but the texts is all right. 

So what does a town council for their citizens in a war time, when the prices are going sky high and petrol is something for the happy few or does who like to starve to dead, but still want to drive their cars.

Yes, you organise a car-rally in the city. Yes, Serbia and Montenegro has no drop petrol coming in the country, but the Croats organise a rally, yes why not. You only have to organise a place where the cars can start and then off the go, with 100 km through the pedestrian zone, through the red traffic lights, having a competition with the tram, really straight through the city. No special protections for the spectators, just look out there is another racing devil coming. 

Bread and games is all we need. At least ones every two weeks there is one major party or other events at the main square, people happy and forgetting the idiocy which is going on. But this is about top of the bill so far. Porches, Ferarries, Opel Astras and what ever of high powered up racing models from the INA motor club dashing through the city if it is their city and nothing is going on.

Zagreb and Croatia, but I think also the other countries here are countries with a huge difference between poor and rich. Now the economy is really dropping in the last two years and even every week now, you start to see who can afford him or herself luxury and who not. Beside the old Fiats, Yugocars and Renaults you see BMW's, Mercedeses and other high fashion yuppy cars racing through the streets (I am not talking anymore about this rally, but about normal live, no police agent will make any problem any way, otherwise you give him a few thousand and Nema Problema). And you see this split in the population growing with the month. The rich get richer since the poor has to sell there their stuff to stay alive.

A special picture is the woman in fir coats and with gold everywhere, most of them are refugees (or rather displaced people) who just arrived. Some months ago the youth of Green Action did an action against the use of fir (like so many environmentalist do), but here that is some type of a very strange thing to do. Most of the refugees from BiH however haven't had the time to pick up there gear (or they didn't had, what is more likely) and arrive here with some carton boxes (with some clothes, the transistor radio, some artificial gold watches (which they like to sell)) and nothing else and soon you see a part of them back going bagging in the streets, with their identity card proofing that they are refugees and no gypsies (the last ones are on the bottom of the social stairs, even under Macadonians and Albanians).

The amount of people bagging or selling roses or anything is growing, they often even come at the doors and ask for money. You see how desperate they are, but I can maybe help 10 of them for some days and then I have to start bagging (what I am in principle doing all the time, but not here, via the nets).

Ever serious thought about hi-jacking an airplane, probably not, but I was angry on myself that I never got my flying papers, otherwise I probably had stolen myself an airplane or helicopter to fly things to Sarajevo. Via our friends in the States on the net we have now the possibility to collect a lot of the medical equipment for over there and for the hospitals in Dalmatia. But who likes to bring it there, who is going to bring it to Sarajevo, none of the international humanitarian organisation had the nerves, it is dangerous. Some people from Split will now go through the mountains.

But I thought were are all those experienced helicopter pilots, those Vietnam Vets, can we find them they have flow under harder situation and they can bring food and medicines now, rather then destruction and dead. And probably somewhere we can find some grasshoppers (helicopters) if we have to heroes to fly them. Maybe you know... why not just trying it... There must be a way to get through.

According to Big Blue (HTV programme for UNPROFOR) in were the USAmericans who are pushing in NATO in the direction of military intervention, first step should be military protection for humanitarian convoys, but later maybe the full operation. But Europe was against it for the time being. This surprises me, I wrote some days ago that I thought it was that way, but some USAmericans made me clear that their government wasn't thinking about it, they had already too much problems in their own country, Bush anyway was too busy abroad. 

Ofcourse the political field here is fed up with the waiting of Europe and since the USA has recognise Croatia, Slovenia and BiH all the hope is focus on Uncle Sam, this big protector of western democracy. As long as Europe play this waiting game, the USA can play their game, but I am curious to know when it change.

Countries who are also popular around here are South Africa and Australia, you see a lot of propaganda for those countries, and a lot of displaced persons or refugees are planning or already emigrated there. After this whole thing is over a few hundred thousand will never return. They found themselves a new home country as I found one here for the time being.

Believe me this situation are getting more crazy with the more you get into it. If you follow the Greece-Macadonia discussions, Bulgaria claiming that all Macadonians are in principle Bulgarians, Greece being against the name (afraid of upraises of Slavic people in their Macedonia), Serbia more or less having the same opinion as Bulgaria and the Macadonians saying their are an own nations (both geographically as ethnically). A little to the East Transilvania and Vojvodina with their minorities (or even majorities of Hungarians). It looks like a giant cooking pot of tensions which can exploded any moment.   After the private jet Tudjman has got himself a private train and a summer house on an island. About 60% of the people in Croatia think that Zagreb is using to much money anyway (Zagreb has 25% of the Croatian population), 75% thinks that the government spend too much money on cars, flats and other luxury things for there selves. More statistic, 60% of the wounded (invalid) soldiers is younger then 30. 

With Love and Peace from Zagreb,

Wam:-)

P.s. listen to the first 5 lines of Lennon "Watching the wheels"

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