Propaganda and the deceit of history
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Dear Ms. Leicht,
In addition to my earlier letter related to your report on Human rights in Croatia I wanted to inform you about one of the sources that you used for this report. I would kindly ask you to read about it:
http://www.croatianworld.net/CROWNframes.htm?/Letters/3070.htm
My comment to this is that it is amazing that the way in which western public is informed about Croatia still works the same way as it worked 14 and more years ago during communist Yugoslavia: Namely, western informators go to Belgrade to ask about Croatia. What I never understood is why westerners have been so eager to believe whatever they were told there. Also – why they have been so persistent in presenting this one side of info. In spite the abundant evidence they should not. E.g.:
Cohen, P. J. (1996). Serbia’s secret war: Propaganda and the deceit of history (1st ed.). College Station: Texas: A&M University Press.
One another, painful example for this illogical yet unconditional cooperation with sources from Belgrade is that westerners still teach that that Serbo-Croatian language is spoken in Croatia.
http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/profiles/profs01.htm
This “Serbo-Croatian” thing communists invented in 1954 as a transitional phase to Serbian language for all. This lasted until 1991. So during “full” 37 years of history.
However this transitional language continues to live in academic space of western universities. Knowledgeable professors support their claims with literature from this period (notice that there are no references before 1954 nor after 1992). Also, this litereture – all had the identical source.
I guess when there is too much democracy in politics and media, it is difficult for any tiny bit of truth to go through.
And human rights are not tiny. They are big thing.
When are they going to pass through?
Am I asking a wrong person / organization?
Sincerely
Zdeslav Hrepic