In accordance with the widespread TV propaganda of violence, pornography and homosexuality, in this case we are facing pure political pornography. The new editor-in-chief gives reason for hope, if she is given free rein (now her right to appoint editors for certain programs is being questioned), that she may introduce some sort of ethical and professional criteria in the national TV station. Why is there any talk of censorship and bans, as if the most recent show of “Latinica” was banned by a state institution. One assumes that the editor of the national [government-controlled] TV station, just like an editor of any other medium, has the right to decide what to broadcast. Otherwise, why do we need editors?
This is only one of numerous TV shows of this sort, and only one of numerous similar articles, which systematically attempt to discredit the Homeland War and the Croatian state by drawing parallels with Pavelic’s NDH [Independent State of Croatia, pro-Nazi puppet state during WWII], all under the label of de-Tudmanization and de-Nazification. According to a statement given by a witness during the trial against Norac and Oreskovic, Feral Tribune paid, most likely with Soros’ money, fake witnesses who talked about imaginary crimes of the Croatian Army. However, the withdrawn “Latinica” show was the worst and most explicit attack so far.
In one report, after the story about Nazi concentration camps and conclusion that many were naïve to think that Auschwitz could not happen again, it is concluded that Tudman’s regime used concentration camps as a solution of the minority, Serb problem. It is suggested that camps existed in Croatia, therefore not in Bosnia-Hercegovina, although no one has ever mentioned any camps in Croatia. But propaganda has its own rules. The second report addresses the cult of similarity, of course between 1941 and 1991, and for Lordan Zafranovic there is no difference. The history, he says, did not repeat. It is the same history. The only difference between Pavelic and Tudman is that the latter did not occupy all of Bosnia, but instead split it with Serbs, and then exchanged Serbs with Milosevic. The evidence for a resuscitation of the Ustashe ideology in Croatia is again insistence on separate language, words like zupanija, kuna, satnija, and velered.
The management of the Croatian TV is showing no interest; it only reacted strongly once when its friends from Europapress Holding were attacked. Latin is, by the way, the producer of the show and has the right to syndicate it and sell broadcasting rights to any other station besides Croatian TV. Most of his customers are stations in Yugoslavia and the Republic of Srpska, so naturally his shows target his major audience.
The topic of the show, whether a law on de-Ustashization is needed, is anachronistic and morbid. It suggests that the Ustashe ideology is our reality. This topic about Ustashe past is deliberately emphasized with clear political intentions. We have already heard the goal: Croats must not be allowed to liberate themselves from their past.
The fire on which the body of St. Lovre, whose martyrdom most closely resembles that of the history of the Croat people, is roasted must be stoked all the time. The discussion of fascism among Croats is deliberately emphasized so that it can always be used as a reference framework for condemnation of every unsuitable idea, every unsuitable political party, every yearning for freedom and sovereignty.
The content of the show and its messages are highly correlated with the Hague indictments of Croat generals, with recent assertions about the war in Croatia by Slobodan Milosevic, and interpretations of the war by the president of Croatia and his warning that fascists may return to power in Croatia.
Latin enjoys strong support by the circle of revisionists of the recent history; editor-in-chief [of the Croatian TV] Jasna Ulaga-Valic has been under pressure. Ivo Banac is working very hard to set up parallels between Tudman and Milosevic, while Slobodan Snajder goes with his accusations and slanders even further than “Latinica”.
Even if it were true that in modern Croatia there are elements of Ustashe or fascist ideology, can such campaigns, which do not spare anyone and anything, which have no allowance for painful historical experiences of the Croat people, which do not talk about crimes against Croats, both in WWII and in the Homeland War, give any results? Most likely, they will provoke resistance, including a radical reaction on the right.
Sometimes, one even gets the impression that they would even gladly murder themselves only to get more arguments for their attacks. These are horrendous ideologies and horrendous prejudice, whose standard bearers are members of the minority that enjoyed ideological monopoly in the past and remained, as servants of the foreign occupier, in perpetual disagreement, phobia, and hatred of the nation it preaches to, even now when the occupier is gone.
And indeed, one did not believe that they would be reborn with such force after a ten-years-long incubation. They grabbed the first opportunity offered by this servile and anational authorities and the outline of a new hegemony and colonialism [sic].