The Revolution In Serbia Discussion Page

Introduction:

Teachers and students: this page has been developed by students at North Hagerstown High School to generate discussion and learning. We hope you will read our comments and respond to our questions. Please share your thoughts with us by e-mailing us at georgecassutto@hotmail.com. Thanks for visiting.

 

Discussion Questions and Related Issues

  1. Why did Yugoslavia break up in the first place?
  2. Do you think the citizens of Serbia will be able to successfully overthrow Slobodan Milosevic's authoritarian government and create a democratic one?
  3. Should the U.S. get involved in Serbia's internal matters, or should we let them work it out themselves?
  4. Should Slobodan Milosevic have been able to annul the elections that were held in Serbia where the opposition won? Why or why not?
  5. Why would the trade unions threaten to go on strike? What effect will the Unions have on the protests?
  6. Should the American government help solve the conflict in Serbia by means of arbitration?
  7. Is it America's business to be in Serbia trying to help?
  8. What do you think Slobodan Milosevic will do? List reasons and tell why.
  9. How could this "war" effect teens?
  10. What should be the limit of involvement that the United States government has in Serbia?
  11. Do you think the people of Yugoslavia will succeed in protesting in the streets and striking on their jobs?


E-mail from Serbia
Received late December, 1998

Sorry for my bad english.

How many of you were actualy in Serbia?  How do you know there is no democracy in Serbia?  Do you know that Belgrade (serbian capital) has more daily newspaper than New York? How can you speak about something you have
heard just from CNN? Have you ever thought that Yugoslavia was broken with US help? Why do you think yugoslav people want you and your army to help us? We can see how your army and "democracy" help Iraq. I am apsolutly sure that people here don't want your "help" and your type of democracy. Thank you but don't help us any more......PLEASE!!!!!!!!

I realy can't understand this....Do you (teachers) know that over one million Serbs was killed in WW2 by Germans? Do you teach your children that Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia were on Nazi side during WW2 and Serbia was ally??? Do you know that those "poor" muslims in Bosnia want religious country(muslim country)? Why don't you try to read history books. Serbia
didn't attack anybody. Serbian people (who were born in Bosnia!!) are fighting against people(muslims and Croats) who were killing them during WW2!!!

My e-mail is: vboc@hotmail.com  if you have any question.

I would like to say something about your The Revolution in Serbia Discussion Page.  We, here in Yugoslavia, know that you (Americans) are not informed about our country but  your page is more that lack of information.  I am surprised that teachers of one high school use not complete and politicaly coloured information about one country. For example,  Serbia fought AGAINST Nazi Germany during WW2 and Slovenia, Croatia and Muslims and Croats in Bosnia were on Germany side. There is no Nazism in Serbia!!!!!! I just want to say....Please,please use history books and facts when you speak about somebody. PLEASE!
P.S.
Slobodan Milosevic was choosen by people of Yugoslavia to be a president. People here do support him (not everybody...but ...that is democracy).  Contrary to CNN reports.  Sorry for my bad english.

Uros
Uros vboc@hotmail.com
 
 

Student Commentary On the Issues
Posted mid-December, 1996

The trade unions decided to go on strike because the Serbian President would not reinstate the oppositions local elections victories. Street marches have taken place by workers, but have not by organized labor. There are also many complaints about having poor living conditions, unemployment, and civic freedoms. Many workers are on paid leave due to shortage of raw materials and other economy failures.


Slobodan Milosevic will not outlast the protest. One reason why I think so is because trade unions threatened to go on strike. The citizens will rise above Slobodan Milosevic because Milosevic should have listened to the people of his country. He should have kept the results of the election instead of throwing them out. Then his people would be happy and the protests would never have happened.
I don't think that Serbia will become democratic because they are very big on authoritarian government. If the people don't vote the way the government tells the to they are imprisoned. So they will stay authoritarian.
I agree with American soldiers being in Bosnia. They are there because they were told to go there. They are just obeying their government and doing their jobs in the Armed Forces. All people need to do is understand that people are there to help not to kill. They are doing good for America and doing good for the country of Serbia.
Slobodan Milosevic will stay in power and not resign because he is to bullheaded to be smart enough to give up and face the facts that he is not going to win anything. Reasons for this is: He thinks he is power of everyone, He thinks he is to good for everyone and he thinks everyone likes him when the truth is everyone is just scared of him.
The crisis could effect teens overwhemingly. We are the new generation. If the war causes some kind of revolution then we have to deal with its consequences. It may put a strain on our resources, or another depression could arise from the Dayton Agreement. So the war could effect the teen-agers of the world.
The American government has a responsibility to go and stop the Ethnic Cleansing in Serbia. What the Serbians are doing to the Muslims could lead to another Holocaust. Our responsibility comes in to play when another country like Serbia starts to kill people in Bosnia because of their being Muslims. We believe in the right to free religion so we should at least try to stop the killing , after all we have American troops in Bosnia that might get killed because they are American. I bet it sounds stupid for Americans to die because of a tiny difference in background. Well, if we let the Serbians kill the Muslims in Bosnia we might as well let someone kill our own family.
There is a revolution going on right now in Serbia. A majority of the people do not want their president Slobodan Milosevic. On Saturday (Dec 7, 1996) trade unions threatened to go on strike. Under the Milosevic government the economy has failed. Thousands of workers are on paid leave because of lack of raw materials.
Majority rights should be protected. World nations should support the protesters against the Milosevic government and help remove him. If people do not want Milosevic then he should be removed.
Serbia will fall to pieces if there are no changes in their government. Milosevic may find it hard to keep everything in control if the workers become organized. 
I feel that the American government should help resolve this conflict, perhaps by arbitration. But Serbia, unlike the U.S., is not a democracy. The US must set a good example for non-democratic countries such as China, North Korea, and Haiti. The U.S. government should not join forces with any particular side (the Serbian government or the protesting citizens), but the main concern is that peace is maintained. 
The Holocaust could happen again. But this time not in Germany, but in Serbia and Bosnia. The people of Serbia and Bosnia are trying to get rid of the Muslims by what they call Ethnic Cleansing. But really all they are doing is starting the Holocaust all over again. It may happen again. I think are U. S. troops should help the Muslims, stop the efforts of the Serbian government as they did in World War 2, with Hitler and the Nazis. It should not happen again. But most of all we should not let it happen again.
Take a look at the PBS New Hour Report on Serbian protests (very complete).

CNN Links To Pages on the Serbian Protest


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