"Closer ties with Serbs in U.S. needed"

I've left Serbia in 2001, and nothing have changed. I've visited Serbia in January and was shocked with attitude of government and major political parties towards Serbia. I have the feeling that an occupying force would have destroyed Serbia less than current government since 2001. We want to see you go away the same way we wanted Milosevic out.

Agim, the guy posting as 'Milos Obilic' is no Serb and neither are the other two people who posted below. That is all the one same troll that has been stalking me and he's back today because I emailed him several articles last night about ethnic Russian immigrants with a single Jewish grandparent in Israel abusing its law of return to spread anti-Semitism. Needless to say he is Jewish and hypocritical and Slavophobic and jelaous
(highduke, 8 February 2011 14:33)
You emailed articles to him and he is stalking you? Maybe you should look up the definition of stalking.

I don't know why anyone would attempt to disunite Serbians from Serbia proper and those living abroad. We need to become closer and all effort on this front should be welcomed.

I've met many Serbians who grew up mainly in the West and have now returned, me being one of them. What is wrong with bridging the gap between us? It's better that US/Canadian/Australian Serbians have a better understanding of life here so they stop demanding so much of those living here. And a better understanding of life abroad will stop local Serbians dreaming of some kind of life that doesn't exist. There is a gap of misunderstanding that needs to be filled.

You can't walk out on the wife, not phone for 10 years, then complain when you eventually come home with a bunch of flowers to find she's moved another guy in. You sold out for some yankee dollars and now expect us to care about your opinion of Serbia. Sorry, not interested.
(Milos Obilic, 8 February 2011 11:18)

Just because the man spoke the truth, it does not mean that he is not a good and loyal Serb.Actually, he more of Serb han can ever be. I wonder if you missed your so called Obilic aka Kastriot!?

Good move. If the Jews can do it, so can we Serbs.
(highduke, 8 February 2011 13:27)
Just because the man spoke the truth, it does not mean that he is not a good and loyal Serb.
(Agim Kelmendi, 8 February 2011 13:00)

Thanks for proving my point. It doesn't really matter lining up alongside the Albanian when you live in Chicago, does it? If you're really nice to him he may even give you a free pizza.

This highduke is either mistaken, deluded or a liar. I have never had any direct communication with him, nor would I want to. Let these internet warriors play with each other, out in the real world people have lives to get on with.

You can't walk out on the wife, not phone for 10 years, then complain when you eventually come home with a bunch of flowers to find she's moved another guy in. You sold out for some yankee dollars and now expect us to care about your opinion of Serbia. Sorry, not interested.

Good move. If the Jews can do it, so can we Serbs.

What is wrong with bridging the gap between us? It's better that US/Canadian/Australian Serbians have a better understanding of life here so they stop demanding so much of those living here. And a better understanding of life abroad will stop local Serbians dreaming of some kind of life that doesn't exist. There is a gap of misunderstanding that needs to be filled.
(Zoran, 8 February 2011 22:18)

Zoran, you hit the nail on the head - well articulated.

I'm also puzzled by another's assertion that Serbia has "sold out for some yankee dollars" - I don't know about the rest of you, but living in the US, I get paid in dollars. Are there any extra-patriotic Serbs out there who chose to move to the US but demand to be paid in dinars?

highduke, you really can not compare the jews and the serbs. The jewish community that can be compared is that orthodox jewish community. They do not mix with the others, they study their own language, and quite frankly in a way do not assimilate or have much contact with non-orthodox jews.

The serbs in the US on the other hand are in a much worse place. They have assimilated, our children for the most part do not know the language, have no clue how to read our text... many have fallen to the lowest ranks of americans. So, the whole deal is that they are americans of serbian descent, not by any means serbs.

Dacic is a very troubled and silly person. Come next elections, and he won't even have a job. :)

Its not surprising that there is a call for closer ties with Serbs in the states.

Disunity and disaccord have plagued Serbia and Serbians throughout history. Disunity is often perceived as being the chief problems in Serbian history up to this day, causing political or military defeats, and constantly tearing Serbian society completely apart. These are deep-rooted self-perceptions that the majority of Serbians have of themselves and their culture.

Serbian disunity become most destructive
when they are turned into the tools for the intentional enforcement and/or strengthening of radically exclusive political and social splits and divides. Instead of finding rational means of describing and overcoming
real problems, Serbians have often found it hard to resist the temptation to instrumentalise popular narratives(Milosevic's use of the ancient battle of Kosova) on disunity in order to defeat their political opponents or drum up support for perceived "enemies" and support for suicidal policies.

Serbs use "disunity" to explain every ill in their society from the loss of Kosovo to the Turks, to the loss of all of these most current wars to the economic ills facing Serbia. In all the listed “explanations”, the underlying claim is that the Serbs are disunited because something or somebody has made
them to be so. If this is not to their satisfaction, then somebody or
something partially (a bad part of them, or of their culture), or totally
external to them (their enemies or corrupting foreign influences) is
to be blamed. Serbs are, therefore, the victims of something, or, even
more probably, of somebody.

Milosevic’s failed forced "unification" project replicated the failure of King
Aleksandar Karadjordjevic.

Lastly, Serbia will always be in turmoil because there is no unity. They will never achieve their dreams or goals because they do not know how to work together. As I've said before, Serbs are their own worst enemy. Albanians, Croations, Bosnians, Montenegrins dont have to do anything to the Serbs because Serbs and Serbia will always be a fractured society and whatever their mission is, it will fail as it always has historically.

Maybe it would pay to learn a thing or two from your enemy the Albanians. Serbia percieves them to be inferior, but look at what they have acheived. Prince Lazar would be rolling over in his grave if he knew about Serbia losing Kosovo. The independence of Kosova is the Albanians empirical evidence that they know how to accomplish a thing or two. Why? Because it was acheived with unity! Albanians from all over the world travelled to Kosova to support their fellow comrade in arms. There were entire commercial airliners filled with Kosovars from all over the world going to fight on behalf of Kosova. I never saw such planes with Serbs from abroad. As a matter of fact, there were more foreign Russians fighting for Serbia than foreign Serbians. What does that show you about Serbian unity and guts?

I love this quote by Sun Tzu:
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

The Albanians knew themselves and they knew Serbia. Victory was guaranteed the minute the first shots were fired. Serbia on the other hand didnt know themselves and they didnt know the Kosovars, so they lost.

Agim, the guy posting as 'Milos Obilic' is no Serb and neither are the other two people who posted below. That is all the one same troll that has been stalking me and he's back today because I emailed him several articles last night about ethnic Russian immigrants with a single Jewish grandparent in Israel abusing its law of return to spread anti-Semitism. Needless to say he is Jewish and hypocritical and Slavophobic and jelaous

Haha "some others"

The comparison with the Jews is disingenuous and "highduke" (is that how you think hajduk is spelled, boy?) knows it. Jews worldwide work in support of Israel, they come back to Israel, they serve in the Israeli army. Some people from our diaspora do exactly that and I salute them for it, whether they can speak Serbian properly or not. Unfortunately, too many more sit in Chicago or Toronto, contributing nothing, whining and demeaning Serbia's institutions and running the country down to the delight of our enemies, like Agim here.

"highduke" has admitted on this forum that he refused to serve in the army in the period when Kosmet was under assault from OVK terrorists. He has admitted that he won't return to Serbia because we won't pay him enough. Being a Serb for hhim is like supporting a football team in a foreign country. It may help his sense of self-identification, but it doesn't count. No wonder Agim supports him.

Anyhow, the more we talk about him, the less chance there is he'll wander off and find something else to do. Next!

I didnt say I didnt provoke him at times for amusement but stalking over the internet involves following the target on msg boards and blogs to single him out for attacks. Sending an occasional email or debating within a single medium isnt stalking just a UDI with no hope of UN ascension isnt independence.

What is wrong with bridging the gap between us? It's better that US/Canadian/Australian Serbians have a better understanding of life here so they stop demanding so much of those living here. And a better understanding of life abroad will stop local Serbians dreaming of some kind of life that doesn't exist. There is a gap of misunderstanding that needs to be filled.
(Zoran, 8 February 2011 22:18)

Zoran, you hit the nail on the head - well articulated.

I'm also puzzled by another's assertion that Serbia has "sold out for some yankee dollars" - I don't know about the rest of you, but living in the US, I get paid in dollars. Are there any extra-patriotic Serbs out there who chose to move to the US but demand to be paid in dinars?

Highduke, it's part of their religion to have to know Hebrew. So they enforce it. Kinda like how Muslims need their kuran to be written in Arabic. On top of that their religion is exclusionary. They are an ethnic religion. They do not let their offspring intermingle with others. It's a closed off society, and that's why they have held on and preserved themselves.

We on the other hand are not like that. I was born in the 1980s and grew up in the 1990s in North America. As I was in my teens I noticed how our youth was just becoming assimilated. It is simply scary. We do not hold on to anything.

Keep dreaming about russia. There are many social ills there. If you said belarus I would have said okay. But look no further than Solzyenitsyn for when talking to russia - if you knew who this amazing person was you would know how he has widely talked about the western trash culture having too much influence on society there. I mean come on, in Serbia our youth starts going out at like 10 pm and stays up all night. They sleep during the day and have no prospects. We serbs (and other yugos) in North America filter down, rather than filter out, for the most part. That is a fact that you have to accept.

Zoran, the only Serbs in North America that I know that have gone back are those who have failed in their economic conditions. The reality is that when you look at wages being several times higher in the West, with the unemployment being several times lower... it's a no brainer that almost nobody returns, while more than half of Serbia (and eastern europe) wants to move out.
(Lazar, 9 February 2011 06:17)
--
I have to disagree to an extent. Of course there are some who have failed in their economic conditions but there are quite a few that have returned to make something of this country. They have taken their skills obtained in the West and started businesses here, which from what I can see are generally successful and has increase the standards of this country.

Of course you're not going to get a job here and expect to get paid Western wages but Serbia is full of opportunities and a good life can be made here for those willing to invest and with the right ideas.

I've come back to help my country, economy and people. I also know of others who have come for the same reason. There is along way to go and Western educated Serbian have a lot to offer here as the system needs a major overhaul. And yes, there is lots of corruption, which is holding Serbia back but we are making progress.

Zoran, the only Serbs in North America that I know that have gone back are those who have failed in their economic conditions. The reality is that when you look at wages being several times higher in the West, with the unemployment being several times lower... it's a no brainer that almost nobody returns, while more than half of Serbia (and eastern europe) wants to move out.
Just look at Lithuania or Latvia... I forgot which one. Even before the economic crisis, some 25% of their population left to the EU. Everyone who could leave left, especially the educated. I think it is very important to not romanticize the brutality of the free market economy... there is no free lunch as the saying goes, and so our people are starving.

Many people believe that having a strong national identity is the most important thing in the universe, but how does that help people who have been unemployed for years, chronically ill or suffering from depression? To me, it makes no sense at all. Pride will only lead to arrogance, and you end up becoming exactly like the people you hate. Maybe a bit of openness, humility, and a desire to evolve beyond "cultural paradigms" is what's needed.

If you really want to stand up for something, make sure it's something worthwhile that will help all people (not only some). It's easy to follow cultural or historical trends; much harder to think for yourself and actually try to improve yourself and others, instead of competing with them.

I can't remember the last time a flag has ever helped me or anyone else in need. If it doesn't help, then what good is it?

My country, your country... this type of thinking will lead us back to the dark ages. Over the last 500 years, it hasn't really helped anyone except the "war industry".

There he is trolling again not to mention probably rigging the votes of the comments. Again. Jews didnt speak Hebrew for 2000 years but still kept their ways because they kept their faith and so will we for the same reason but with nobler aims. Those who leave the Church are welcome to leave so that the cream of the crop will remain, whereas those 300 000 anti-Semitic nominally Jewish Israeli Russians I mentioned WILL rot Israel while Serbia & Russia will remain.

And a better understanding of life abroad will stop local Serbians dreaming of some kind of life that doesn't exist. There is a gap of misunderstanding that needs to be filled.
(Zoran, 8 February 2011 22:18)

Zoran,

You are on the right track. Now, if you would only take your own advice and fill in the gap of misunderstanding that is quite obvious from reading your posts. For your own personal edification, I would recommend you read the recent post by "bluetube" on Feb.10th at 1:48, his is the most sensible and constructive post I've read in quite some time.

Milos, you have no idea what you are talking about. It is not a matter of jews supporting israel... many jews oppose israel because in their torah it specifically states that israel should only be created again once the mesiah comes back. Now yeah, most jews abroad support israel... but israel would be an economic failure were it not for billions of dollars in US aid that they get from the US every year since their country was created.
On top of all that, you ignore that the serbs in chicago and toronto are not as affluent as jews in those areas. They do not have as much money to spend and many barely make ends meet.



Zoran, if that indeed is true what you say, then it is a rare exception.

Ha HA! Its an exception? Even YOU know that isnt true. Enjoy the embrace of the Islamic brotherhood in the Middle East and Obama in America. And have the decency to stop pathetically using sockpuppets pretending to be a Serb and just come out as a being Jewish.

I didnt say I didnt provoke him at times for amusement but stalking over the internet involves following the target on msg boards and blogs to single him out for attacks. Sending an occasional email or debating within a single medium isnt stalking just a UDI with no hope of UN ascension isnt independence.

You can't walk out on the wife, not phone for 10 years, then complain when you eventually come home with a bunch of flowers to find she's moved another guy in. You sold out for some yankee dollars and now expect us to care about your opinion of Serbia. Sorry, not interested.
(Milos Obilic, 8 February 2011 11:18)

Just because the man spoke the truth, it does not mean that he is not a good and loyal Serb.Actually, he more of Serb han can ever be. I wonder if you missed your so called Obilic aka Kastriot!?

Agim, the guy posting as 'Milos Obilic' is no Serb and neither are the other two people who posted below. That is all the one same troll that has been stalking me and he's back today because I emailed him several articles last night about ethnic Russian immigrants with a single Jewish grandparent in Israel abusing its law of return to spread anti-Semitism. Needless to say he is Jewish and hypocritical and Slavophobic and jelaous

Good move. If the Jews can do it, so can we Serbs.

You can't walk out on the wife, not phone for 10 years, then complain when you eventually come home with a bunch of flowers to find she's moved another guy in. You sold out for some yankee dollars and now expect us to care about your opinion of Serbia. Sorry, not interested.

Good move. If the Jews can do it, so can we Serbs.
(highduke, 8 February 2011 13:27)
Just because the man spoke the truth, it does not mean that he is not a good and loyal Serb.
(Agim Kelmendi, 8 February 2011 13:00)

Thanks for proving my point. It doesn't really matter lining up alongside the Albanian when you live in Chicago, does it? If you're really nice to him he may even give you a free pizza.

I've left Serbia in 2001, and nothing have changed. I've visited Serbia in January and was shocked with attitude of government and major political parties towards Serbia. I have the feeling that an occupying force would have destroyed Serbia less than current government since 2001. We want to see you go away the same way we wanted Milosevic out.

This highduke is either mistaken, deluded or a liar. I have never had any direct communication with him, nor would I want to. Let these internet warriors play with each other, out in the real world people have lives to get on with.

There he is trolling again not to mention probably rigging the votes of the comments. Again. Jews didnt speak Hebrew for 2000 years but still kept their ways because they kept their faith and so will we for the same reason but with nobler aims. Those who leave the Church are welcome to leave so that the cream of the crop will remain, whereas those 300 000 anti-Semitic nominally Jewish Israeli Russians I mentioned WILL rot Israel while Serbia & Russia will remain.

Ha HA! Its an exception? Even YOU know that isnt true. Enjoy the embrace of the Islamic brotherhood in the Middle East and Obama in America. And have the decency to stop pathetically using sockpuppets pretending to be a Serb and just come out as a being Jewish.

Agim, the guy posting as 'Milos Obilic' is no Serb and neither are the other two people who posted below. That is all the one same troll that has been stalking me and he's back today because I emailed him several articles last night about ethnic Russian immigrants with a single Jewish grandparent in Israel abusing its law of return to spread anti-Semitism. Needless to say he is Jewish and hypocritical and Slavophobic and jelaous
(highduke, 8 February 2011 14:33)
You emailed articles to him and he is stalking you? Maybe you should look up the definition of stalking.

Zoran, the only Serbs in North America that I know that have gone back are those who have failed in their economic conditions. The reality is that when you look at wages being several times higher in the West, with the unemployment being several times lower... it's a no brainer that almost nobody returns, while more than half of Serbia (and eastern europe) wants to move out.
(Lazar, 9 February 2011 06:17)
--
I have to disagree to an extent. Of course there are some who have failed in their economic conditions but there are quite a few that have returned to make something of this country. They have taken their skills obtained in the West and started businesses here, which from what I can see are generally successful and has increase the standards of this country.

Of course you're not going to get a job here and expect to get paid Western wages but Serbia is full of opportunities and a good life can be made here for those willing to invest and with the right ideas.

I've come back to help my country, economy and people. I also know of others who have come for the same reason. There is along way to go and Western educated Serbian have a lot to offer here as the system needs a major overhaul. And yes, there is lots of corruption, which is holding Serbia back but we are making progress.

Highduke, it's part of their religion to have to know Hebrew. So they enforce it. Kinda like how Muslims need their kuran to be written in Arabic. On top of that their religion is exclusionary. They are an ethnic religion. They do not let their offspring intermingle with others. It's a closed off society, and that's why they have held on and preserved themselves.

We on the other hand are not like that. I was born in the 1980s and grew up in the 1990s in North America. As I was in my teens I noticed how our youth was just becoming assimilated. It is simply scary. We do not hold on to anything.

Keep dreaming about russia. There are many social ills there. If you said belarus I would have said okay. But look no further than Solzyenitsyn for when talking to russia - if you knew who this amazing person was you would know how he has widely talked about the western trash culture having too much influence on society there. I mean come on, in Serbia our youth starts going out at like 10 pm and stays up all night. They sleep during the day and have no prospects. We serbs (and other yugos) in North America filter down, rather than filter out, for the most part. That is a fact that you have to accept.

I don't know why anyone would attempt to disunite Serbians from Serbia proper and those living abroad. We need to become closer and all effort on this front should be welcomed.

I've met many Serbians who grew up mainly in the West and have now returned, me being one of them. What is wrong with bridging the gap between us? It's better that US/Canadian/Australian Serbians have a better understanding of life here so they stop demanding so much of those living here. And a better understanding of life abroad will stop local Serbians dreaming of some kind of life that doesn't exist. There is a gap of misunderstanding that needs to be filled.

What is wrong with bridging the gap between us? It's better that US/Canadian/Australian Serbians have a better understanding of life here so they stop demanding so much of those living here. And a better understanding of life abroad will stop local Serbians dreaming of some kind of life that doesn't exist. There is a gap of misunderstanding that needs to be filled.
(Zoran, 8 February 2011 22:18)

Zoran, you hit the nail on the head - well articulated.

I'm also puzzled by another's assertion that Serbia has "sold out for some yankee dollars" - I don't know about the rest of you, but living in the US, I get paid in dollars. Are there any extra-patriotic Serbs out there who chose to move to the US but demand to be paid in dinars?

highduke, you really can not compare the jews and the serbs. The jewish community that can be compared is that orthodox jewish community. They do not mix with the others, they study their own language, and quite frankly in a way do not assimilate or have much contact with non-orthodox jews.

The serbs in the US on the other hand are in a much worse place. They have assimilated, our children for the most part do not know the language, have no clue how to read our text... many have fallen to the lowest ranks of americans. So, the whole deal is that they are americans of serbian descent, not by any means serbs.

Dacic is a very troubled and silly person. Come next elections, and he won't even have a job. :)

The comparison with the Jews is disingenuous and "highduke" (is that how you think hajduk is spelled, boy?) knows it. Jews worldwide work in support of Israel, they come back to Israel, they serve in the Israeli army. Some people from our diaspora do exactly that and I salute them for it, whether they can speak Serbian properly or not. Unfortunately, too many more sit in Chicago or Toronto, contributing nothing, whining and demeaning Serbia's institutions and running the country down to the delight of our enemies, like Agim here.

"highduke" has admitted on this forum that he refused to serve in the army in the period when Kosmet was under assault from OVK terrorists. He has admitted that he won't return to Serbia because we won't pay him enough. Being a Serb for hhim is like supporting a football team in a foreign country. It may help his sense of self-identification, but it doesn't count. No wonder Agim supports him.

Anyhow, the more we talk about him, the less chance there is he'll wander off and find something else to do. Next!

Its not surprising that there is a call for closer ties with Serbs in the states.

Disunity and disaccord have plagued Serbia and Serbians throughout history. Disunity is often perceived as being the chief problems in Serbian history up to this day, causing political or military defeats, and constantly tearing Serbian society completely apart. These are deep-rooted self-perceptions that the majority of Serbians have of themselves and their culture.

Serbian disunity become most destructive
when they are turned into the tools for the intentional enforcement and/or strengthening of radically exclusive political and social splits and divides. Instead of finding rational means of describing and overcoming
real problems, Serbians have often found it hard to resist the temptation to instrumentalise popular narratives(Milosevic's use of the ancient battle of Kosova) on disunity in order to defeat their political opponents or drum up support for perceived "enemies" and support for suicidal policies.

Serbs use "disunity" to explain every ill in their society from the loss of Kosovo to the Turks, to the loss of all of these most current wars to the economic ills facing Serbia. In all the listed “explanations”, the underlying claim is that the Serbs are disunited because something or somebody has made
them to be so. If this is not to their satisfaction, then somebody or
something partially (a bad part of them, or of their culture), or totally
external to them (their enemies or corrupting foreign influences) is
to be blamed. Serbs are, therefore, the victims of something, or, even
more probably, of somebody.

Milosevic’s failed forced "unification" project replicated the failure of King
Aleksandar Karadjordjevic.

Lastly, Serbia will always be in turmoil because there is no unity. They will never achieve their dreams or goals because they do not know how to work together. As I've said before, Serbs are their own worst enemy. Albanians, Croations, Bosnians, Montenegrins dont have to do anything to the Serbs because Serbs and Serbia will always be a fractured society and whatever their mission is, it will fail as it always has historically.

Maybe it would pay to learn a thing or two from your enemy the Albanians. Serbia percieves them to be inferior, but look at what they have acheived. Prince Lazar would be rolling over in his grave if he knew about Serbia losing Kosovo. The independence of Kosova is the Albanians empirical evidence that they know how to accomplish a thing or two. Why? Because it was acheived with unity! Albanians from all over the world travelled to Kosova to support their fellow comrade in arms. There were entire commercial airliners filled with Kosovars from all over the world going to fight on behalf of Kosova. I never saw such planes with Serbs from abroad. As a matter of fact, there were more foreign Russians fighting for Serbia than foreign Serbians. What does that show you about Serbian unity and guts?

I love this quote by Sun Tzu:
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

The Albanians knew themselves and they knew Serbia. Victory was guaranteed the minute the first shots were fired. Serbia on the other hand didnt know themselves and they didnt know the Kosovars, so they lost.

Many people believe that having a strong national identity is the most important thing in the universe, but how does that help people who have been unemployed for years, chronically ill or suffering from depression? To me, it makes no sense at all. Pride will only lead to arrogance, and you end up becoming exactly like the people you hate. Maybe a bit of openness, humility, and a desire to evolve beyond "cultural paradigms" is what's needed.

If you really want to stand up for something, make sure it's something worthwhile that will help all people (not only some). It's easy to follow cultural or historical trends; much harder to think for yourself and actually try to improve yourself and others, instead of competing with them.

I can't remember the last time a flag has ever helped me or anyone else in need. If it doesn't help, then what good is it?

My country, your country... this type of thinking will lead us back to the dark ages. Over the last 500 years, it hasn't really helped anyone except the "war industry".

And a better understanding of life abroad will stop local Serbians dreaming of some kind of life that doesn't exist. There is a gap of misunderstanding that needs to be filled.
(Zoran, 8 February 2011 22:18)

Zoran,

You are on the right track. Now, if you would only take your own advice and fill in the gap of misunderstanding that is quite obvious from reading your posts. For your own personal edification, I would recommend you read the recent post by "bluetube" on Feb.10th at 1:48, his is the most sensible and constructive post I've read in quite some time.

Haha "some others"

What is wrong with bridging the gap between us? It's better that US/Canadian/Australian Serbians have a better understanding of life here so they stop demanding so much of those living here. And a better understanding of life abroad will stop local Serbians dreaming of some kind of life that doesn't exist. There is a gap of misunderstanding that needs to be filled.
(Zoran, 8 February 2011 22:18)

Zoran, you hit the nail on the head - well articulated.

I'm also puzzled by another's assertion that Serbia has "sold out for some yankee dollars" - I don't know about the rest of you, but living in the US, I get paid in dollars. Are there any extra-patriotic Serbs out there who chose to move to the US but demand to be paid in dinars?

Zoran, the only Serbs in North America that I know that have gone back are those who have failed in their economic conditions. The reality is that when you look at wages being several times higher in the West, with the unemployment being several times lower... it's a no brainer that almost nobody returns, while more than half of Serbia (and eastern europe) wants to move out.
Just look at Lithuania or Latvia... I forgot which one. Even before the economic crisis, some 25% of their population left to the EU. Everyone who could leave left, especially the educated. I think it is very important to not romanticize the brutality of the free market economy... there is no free lunch as the saying goes, and so our people are starving.

Milos, you have no idea what you are talking about. It is not a matter of jews supporting israel... many jews oppose israel because in their torah it specifically states that israel should only be created again once the mesiah comes back. Now yeah, most jews abroad support israel... but israel would be an economic failure were it not for billions of dollars in US aid that they get from the US every year since their country was created.
On top of all that, you ignore that the serbs in chicago and toronto are not as affluent as jews in those areas. They do not have as much money to spend and many barely make ends meet.



Zoran, if that indeed is true what you say, then it is a rare exception.