Day 11: Sightseeing and the Super Interesting Borko Stefanović

5/17/22

Just another scene of beautiful Belgrade...

Our first stop was the Military History Museum, where we got to see a walkthrough of weapons and armor starting all the way from the most ancient peoples of Southern Europe. Seeing the evolution of technology was interesting, sometimes ornately beautiful ivory and gold pistols, and at times morbid, as was the case with a certain ribbed flail. I lost my appetite for the subject when we got to the World War 1 weapons. One primitive, large steel bomb in particular made me shudder and think of the horrors.

We had (yet another) meat tray at for lunch. This is very customary of Balkan food, and we like it, but the group is starting to crave a little more variety. Anyhow, here's the dishes! Don't get me wrong- this is some of the most deliciously cooked and seasoned meat I've come across, and they do a great job here. Additionally, the meat codes are at a higher standard here, which my colleagues think has to do with the good taste.

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Now let's talk some politics.

Then, we had a special guest, leader of the opposition party, Borko Stefanović. Being in his position is no easy (or safe) task- he survived an assassination attempt in 2018 from masked men with metal bars, yet he is still driving change, growth and in the Serbian politics, and wow, he knows his stuff.

Now for some background: in Serbia, the sitting President Vučić is the leader of his party (SNS), which has been in power for 10 years now. The opposition and independent observers listed a series of irregularities and incidents associated with the vote, including violence. The SNS denied manipulating votes or pressuring voters. Since the SNS came to power in 2012, Vučić has gradually clamped down on mainstream media and institutions, assuming complete control. A former ultranationalist, he has also served as defense minister and prime minister.

Since Vučić controls the media (there is not cable tv to the same popularity as in the US), it is hard to reach voters.

The opposition parties are coming closer to forming a coalition to overturn the entrenched and questionable president, but this also depends on how the Serbian people react to what Vučić does or doesn't do in response to the Ukraine crisis. Serbia has not joined the EU and the west in sanctions on Russia.

Mr. Borko explained this situation he and his party is in, and how dangerous and difficult a task this is.

He also spoke to us about his PhD topic, the US Supreme Court. And oh boy, how that is relevant now...

He had some great points: the supreme court is not electable, not controllable, and they are not even held to the constitution. It would only be just that their power come from a vote since it directly affects US citizens. The Supreme Court judges have absolute power to amend the constitution with zero voter accountability. They can vote based on personal inclination. Judicial reform was tried in the past, but it failed. More than ever, these issues with the system are apparent.

He also had some excellent and eloquent arguments in support of the European model of healthcare and how capital, when unchecked, devours workers without a thought. Unchecked capital would eliminate institutions because they are do not contribute to larger profit margins, but these are the very same things structures that protect us, such as anti-trust laws preventing monopoly to keep prices down, and making sure people don't die because they can't afford the medicine/surgery they need to live.

Well... another fascinating day.

Ćao for now!