To the Glory of the Unknown Deserter

If Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic had not appeared with a wreath on Avala last Tuesday, I don't think that anyone would have take it amiss, because few would have remembered that it was a holiday. Six years ago Serbia was on its feet celebrating the constitutional reintegration of Vojvodina and Kosovo. Songs were sung and enormous pictures of the Liberator and Unifier carried around. There was talk that this was the peak of Serbia's history and it became obvious that this was not going to be the end. Later impressions turned out to be more convincing, so that first date faded from memory. And, then the people dispersed all over the world. It is as if, of the vast masses at Belgrade's Usce and Kosovo's Gazimestan, only Milosevic has remained to remember his holiday, to climb up to the Tomb of the Unknown Hero, inspect the guard of honor, and meditate a little on human ingratitude.

I don't believe that there is any special reason why he visited the Unknown Hero. He's probably just following Tito's habits and protocol, or thinks that there is no other place in town where one can lay down a wreath in peace. Still, I don't understand why wreaths should be laid to mark this occasion, and before a WW1 monument, when no heroes fell in the creating of Milosevic's Serbia, nor did he, as he has admitted, wage war anywhere. In fact, just because of those who claim the opposite, he is doing his best to stop the war.

What I wish to say is that Belgrade lacks a monument which would mark and recall the drama and misfortunes of these years. WW1 and WW2 monuments cannot do this, nor can those dedicated to the War of National Liberation, the House of Flowers (Tito's grave), not even the Victory monument on Kalemegdan fortress. I can't agree with those who claim that there is nothing to be marked and that it's best to forget everything. I also don't agree that it's too early for monuments, even though some will say that the drama has not ended, and who knows what can still happen.

The nature, essence and main consequences of the Yugoslav wars are now clear and certain. Nothing essential will change, regardless of the kind of agreement that is accepted, and no matter how Milosevic manages to wriggle out of it, and even if he doesn't manage to. He has already renounced glory and merit, and this is no small thing, and there need be no doubt that he is firmly convinced that there will be none of that this time. The only thing that can be done is to lessen the disgrace and defeat.

This is why I propose the erecting of a monument to the Unknown Deserter. At the beginning of the Yugoslav wars for the disintegration of Yugoslavia, while the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) was trying to mobilize reservists in Serbia and Montenegro and while various national armies and private guards were being formed, I thought it best to avoid putting on an uniform, to refuse to take up arms, or to desert. Thousands of men in Belgrade and Serbia did this, and this is something that someone in the future will be able to be proud of.

These men who have dispersed all over the world were the final proof that things were going the wrong way. Before this all human values had to be withdrawn. Good manners and honesty were demobilized, intelligence deserted, as did the love of truth and humanity. No one is calling those men and virtues to return. Such a monument would honor them, even though Slobodan Milosevic would not place a flower on it. And he wouldn't have to, because this wouldn't be a monument to the dead, but to those who refused to die and kill in his war.

This would be a monument to civic disobedience, a rare and precious virtue which isn't for daily use, and which a developed society must have. Because, the state sometimes forgets itself, and demands of the citizens more that it should and can, especially if the authorities aren't sufficiently responsible and controlled. In various forms civic disobedience is built into, and institutionalized in well organized democratic societies, and that is why they don't enter into war all that easily. Human victims and losses are difficult to explain and justify. This is why democratic countries don't wage war between themselves and why their governments search for peaceful compromises so persistently.

In this context, I believe that a monument to the Unknown Deserter would be an important contribution to democracy, as a reminder of the ease with which this regime lurched headlong into war. As a reminder of disgraceful patriotic insanity. As a warning to all future authorities not to take up arms and not to risk the lives of their citizens except in self-defence and after absolutely all other means have been exhausted.

If Milosevic has given up on the war and if he is abandoning his war goals, I don't see why we shouldn't accelerate the pushing of this episode into history and recognize those who earlier didn't believe in it. If a dimension of Serbia's national pride were damaged thus, then all the better. I don't think that Serbs can become Czechs, but I do think that the good soldier Schweik is worthy of respect. But, if one has to be proud of a war like this one, and if entirely different lessons are not learned, then in the world theater there won't be a place in the audience for the Serbs.

When talking about this, perhaps Ljubisa Ristic would have some understanding for this, but I fear that his new comrades are not prepared to accept the slogan: "Deserters of the World - Unite!" They would probably think this graffiti wasn't in keeping with their serious historical awareness and mission. With its stories of peace and love, the Yugoslav United Left (JUL) is the correct answer to the need to talk of something else after all these misfortunes, it's just that they add greatly exploited Communist rhetoric to it all. An old fashioned party like JUL takes up space and blocks the road to what is probably the only way out, and a realistic alternative.

And what if a new and bigger war is just starting in Bosnia? What if the Muslims have launched an offensive? And somebody is unveiling a monument to the Unknown Deserter in Belgrade now? The answer would be: yes, right now, and because of all those people in Bosnia. This war is turning into a permanent nightmare and the only salvation is to run from it. All sides and all armies should be encouraged to do so. By Belgrade and the rest of the world.

According to general belief, all the people in Bosnia are sick and tired of war, it's just that they don't know how to stop and don't know what else to do, which is a much greater problem than maps and constitutional solutions. What would happen if the Serbs were the first to launch the idea of helping and caring for deserters, instead of arresting them and sending them back to Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic? Perhaps the other side would hesitate in following this example, but it is right that the Serbs are the first to start. And, it would be possible to seek the world's help in drafting plans for the evacuation of fighters who are prepared to leave their guns, just as civilians are evacuated. Or just as POWs are exchanged: one for one or all for all.

You wish to say that all this seems unrealistic and romantic? I know. It is realistic to leave them there to exterminate each other ad infinitum, to glorify heroism and prepare the children to repeat these acts whenever some Balkan genius thinks of it. It is realistic that we should treat such matters as a natural state of affairs, as ancient customs and a way of life in these parts. It is realistic that the stronger should win and that we shouldn't complain for as long as we think that they are on our side. And when we finally realize that we have lost, we will start singing sad folk songs in which we will talk of lost happiness. But then, that is romantic.