Daily: PDK, AKR reach agreement

I believe a smell a dirty deal coming out of Pristina, but I do not think Marty will back down. It will not be good enough for the Snake just to leave politics, he must leave all his comforts and go to jail, where he belongs. It's a tough pill for the Albanians, and their KLA will be tarnished forever, to be remembered as organ-harvesters, but justice must be served, for the sake a peace and reconciliation in the region.

Probably the best possible result for Serbia, or the least bad result.

Bloody awful if you are Kos Albanian though.

Congratulations! Now Kosova will get the honorable leader it deserves, the gentleman, hero and future Nobel peace prize winner Hashim Thaqi!

I'm happy!

Thank you all voters (and manipulators) who voted (and manipulated) for a clean and prosperous future of Kosova!

Thaci: take a break - wai that this Marty stuff is cleared up and come back even more victorious.

The latest news is that even Rada Trajkovic changed her mind, and she is more than willing to be part of colosion with Thaci. 2 weeks ago she was categocically against joining Thaci. I wonder what made her change her mind now?

Amer my comment is in the context of Kosovo talks. Yes, I'm sure that Pacolli is a deal maker, people like that are usually rational. I don't consider the Kos Alb position on Kosovo to be very rational generally, I don't think most Kos Albs would want to 'give away' as much as he and Thaci would be willing to.

As for the man, I don't pretend to know much about his business practice but if he's succesful he must have a ruthless streak and be willing to make morally dubious decisions to get ahead. Thats simply part of the game.

However, I do know quite a bit about how businessmen use their influence on governments, let alone when they are the government. What happens invariably is that rivals are forced out. As a result one business clique is favoured and competition is hampered. Prices then go up as there are less suppliers in the market etc.

On the other hand of course its good that he isn't a former warlord and this will increase the confidence of foreign investors.

But on balance perhaps you are right it is likely a step in the right direction, however, I am very concerend about (the lack of) checks and balances which will lead to his domination of business in Kosovo.

Amer,

The dog is an Irish Settler, not Setter. And those kind of stories are urban legend so look up your facts before your start rumors. Do you really think Pacolli can turn Kosovo around by letting everyone pay their bills later when they have money? How much money is KEK owed from this pay-when-you-can scheme? It doesn't work in the real world. Do you think the world will wait till Kosovo has money to pay it's bills? Pacolli's method may be a great vote-getting method but is not realistic when applied to world economics. I don't know what you think Pacolli will do for Kosovo when he will sit in the President's chair. That is pretty much a ceremonial post. The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have more power, which is why Thaci kept those seats for himself. Pacolli can't really do much other that smile and wave.

And where is the new about Rada Trajkovic joining Thaci's coalition? I haven't seen it. Or is that a joke like the Irish Settler story?

"Bloody awful if you are Kos Albanian though.
(bganon, 13 February 2011 18:44) "

How so? Pacolli is a businessman who knows how to make money, which is exactly what the country needs most right now. He started out poor and ended up founding and running his own company - he learned his lessons working for others well. And he's no heartless money-grubber, from the sounds of it - doesn't he run food-stores on the "pay me when you get the money" basis?

Mitt Romney, currently exploring the idea (again) of running for president here in the States, on the other hand, started out rich and made his money as a turn-around specialist - he took unprofitable companies and made them profitable by outsourcing jobs to China before it was a routine. I'm not sure how many people are aware how my former governor made his money - now the most popular story is about how he strapped a cage containing the family Irish Setter to the top of the car for a trip to Canada and had to keep stopping to hose off the feces released by the terrified animal. (You'd have to have known an Irish Setter to understand that this was probably the worst breed of dog to try this stunt with.) Given a choice between Pacolli and Romney for president, I know who I'd vote for. (At least I haven't heard any animal-abuse stories about him.)

"Amer,

The dog is an Irish Settler, not Setter. And those kind of stories are urban legend so look up your facts before your start rumors.
(American Eagle, 14 February 2011 12:22) "

The Irish Setter is also known (I don't know where, maybe in the UK?) as the Irish SettLer, but I used to train dogs for a living, and I have to admit I never heard it used. BTW, God preserve me from ever having to try to train an Irish Setter in obedience again - gorgeous animals, with absolutely no attention span (at least for obedience work). This is what happens when a sensible working dog becomes popular because of its looks - the breeders meet demand by breeding out all the animal's characteristic traits, - not that most families ever knew what those traits were - they just want a red or a spotted or whatever puppy. So they end up with a pretty dog with a list of medical problems due to in-breeding. Even if they get a good, healthy, typical specimen - say a by-definition-hyperactive Dalmatian - they start complaining that all they wanted was a placid, good-natured pet. In other words, a mut. But they go for the looks, and end up spending a fortune on trying to train the dog to act against its instincts, or to the vet to deal with the overbred's medical problems. If you want a dog, just to have a dog (not to go hunting, or herd sheep, or something specific) - visit your local pound. Hint: the most faithful dogs I've ever seen (or owned) included "second-hand dogs" who realized the good deal they'd suddenly got and didn't intend to push their luck. (After a little training, just so they knew that there are such things as rules in the world, and that life goes better when they're followed. There are even trainers these days who specialize in such situations.

Anyway, the Irish-Setter-on-the-top-of-the-car is a standing joke with one of the NYTime's front-page columnists (Collins) - if you want a link to another source, here's one: "Romney's Cruel Canine Vacation - TIME
Jun 27, 2007 ... How it got there: Romney strapped a dog carrier — with the family dog Seamus, an Irish Setter, in it — to the roof of the family station ...
www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1638065,00.html

Were you the one who asked about Rada? No idea what she's up to.

"But on balance perhaps you are right it is likely a step in the right direction, however, I am very concerend about (the lack of) checks and balances which will lead to his domination of business in Kosovo.
(bganon, 14 February 2011 14:56) "


"Checks and balances" work within the government, not between government and business. But if there is a law prohibiting one person from holding both the leadership of his party and the presidency, they seem to be aware of the possibilities of conflicts of interest in theory, and I'm willing to assume until it's demonstrated otherwise that they have ways of preventing this in their legislation. If not, some other party is sure to raise the potential problems involved - politicians there are not shy about speaking up.

I believe a smell a dirty deal coming out of Pristina, but I do not think Marty will back down. It will not be good enough for the Snake just to leave politics, he must leave all his comforts and go to jail, where he belongs. It's a tough pill for the Albanians, and their KLA will be tarnished forever, to be remembered as organ-harvesters, but justice must be served, for the sake a peace and reconciliation in the region.

The latest news is that even Rada Trajkovic changed her mind, and she is more than willing to be part of colosion with Thaci. 2 weeks ago she was categocically against joining Thaci. I wonder what made her change her mind now?

Thaci: take a break - wai that this Marty stuff is cleared up and come back even more victorious.

Congratulations! Now Kosova will get the honorable leader it deserves, the gentleman, hero and future Nobel peace prize winner Hashim Thaqi!

I'm happy!

Thank you all voters (and manipulators) who voted (and manipulated) for a clean and prosperous future of Kosova!

Probably the best possible result for Serbia, or the least bad result.

Bloody awful if you are Kos Albanian though.

"Bloody awful if you are Kos Albanian though.
(bganon, 13 February 2011 18:44) "

How so? Pacolli is a businessman who knows how to make money, which is exactly what the country needs most right now. He started out poor and ended up founding and running his own company - he learned his lessons working for others well. And he's no heartless money-grubber, from the sounds of it - doesn't he run food-stores on the "pay me when you get the money" basis?

Mitt Romney, currently exploring the idea (again) of running for president here in the States, on the other hand, started out rich and made his money as a turn-around specialist - he took unprofitable companies and made them profitable by outsourcing jobs to China before it was a routine. I'm not sure how many people are aware how my former governor made his money - now the most popular story is about how he strapped a cage containing the family Irish Setter to the top of the car for a trip to Canada and had to keep stopping to hose off the feces released by the terrified animal. (You'd have to have known an Irish Setter to understand that this was probably the worst breed of dog to try this stunt with.) Given a choice between Pacolli and Romney for president, I know who I'd vote for. (At least I haven't heard any animal-abuse stories about him.)

"Amer,

The dog is an Irish Settler, not Setter. And those kind of stories are urban legend so look up your facts before your start rumors.
(American Eagle, 14 February 2011 12:22) "

The Irish Setter is also known (I don't know where, maybe in the UK?) as the Irish SettLer, but I used to train dogs for a living, and I have to admit I never heard it used. BTW, God preserve me from ever having to try to train an Irish Setter in obedience again - gorgeous animals, with absolutely no attention span (at least for obedience work). This is what happens when a sensible working dog becomes popular because of its looks - the breeders meet demand by breeding out all the animal's characteristic traits, - not that most families ever knew what those traits were - they just want a red or a spotted or whatever puppy. So they end up with a pretty dog with a list of medical problems due to in-breeding. Even if they get a good, healthy, typical specimen - say a by-definition-hyperactive Dalmatian - they start complaining that all they wanted was a placid, good-natured pet. In other words, a mut. But they go for the looks, and end up spending a fortune on trying to train the dog to act against its instincts, or to the vet to deal with the overbred's medical problems. If you want a dog, just to have a dog (not to go hunting, or herd sheep, or something specific) - visit your local pound. Hint: the most faithful dogs I've ever seen (or owned) included "second-hand dogs" who realized the good deal they'd suddenly got and didn't intend to push their luck. (After a little training, just so they knew that there are such things as rules in the world, and that life goes better when they're followed. There are even trainers these days who specialize in such situations.

Anyway, the Irish-Setter-on-the-top-of-the-car is a standing joke with one of the NYTime's front-page columnists (Collins) - if you want a link to another source, here's one: "Romney's Cruel Canine Vacation - TIME
Jun 27, 2007 ... How it got there: Romney strapped a dog carrier — with the family dog Seamus, an Irish Setter, in it — to the roof of the family station ...
www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1638065,00.html

Were you the one who asked about Rada? No idea what she's up to.

"But on balance perhaps you are right it is likely a step in the right direction, however, I am very concerend about (the lack of) checks and balances which will lead to his domination of business in Kosovo.
(bganon, 14 February 2011 14:56) "


"Checks and balances" work within the government, not between government and business. But if there is a law prohibiting one person from holding both the leadership of his party and the presidency, they seem to be aware of the possibilities of conflicts of interest in theory, and I'm willing to assume until it's demonstrated otherwise that they have ways of preventing this in their legislation. If not, some other party is sure to raise the potential problems involved - politicians there are not shy about speaking up.

Amer,

The dog is an Irish Settler, not Setter. And those kind of stories are urban legend so look up your facts before your start rumors. Do you really think Pacolli can turn Kosovo around by letting everyone pay their bills later when they have money? How much money is KEK owed from this pay-when-you-can scheme? It doesn't work in the real world. Do you think the world will wait till Kosovo has money to pay it's bills? Pacolli's method may be a great vote-getting method but is not realistic when applied to world economics. I don't know what you think Pacolli will do for Kosovo when he will sit in the President's chair. That is pretty much a ceremonial post. The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have more power, which is why Thaci kept those seats for himself. Pacolli can't really do much other that smile and wave.

And where is the new about Rada Trajkovic joining Thaci's coalition? I haven't seen it. Or is that a joke like the Irish Settler story?

Amer my comment is in the context of Kosovo talks. Yes, I'm sure that Pacolli is a deal maker, people like that are usually rational. I don't consider the Kos Alb position on Kosovo to be very rational generally, I don't think most Kos Albs would want to 'give away' as much as he and Thaci would be willing to.

As for the man, I don't pretend to know much about his business practice but if he's succesful he must have a ruthless streak and be willing to make morally dubious decisions to get ahead. Thats simply part of the game.

However, I do know quite a bit about how businessmen use their influence on governments, let alone when they are the government. What happens invariably is that rivals are forced out. As a result one business clique is favoured and competition is hampered. Prices then go up as there are less suppliers in the market etc.

On the other hand of course its good that he isn't a former warlord and this will increase the confidence of foreign investors.

But on balance perhaps you are right it is likely a step in the right direction, however, I am very concerend about (the lack of) checks and balances which will lead to his domination of business in Kosovo.