Croatian Sociological Association and Jesenski & Turk Publishing House
Abstract
This article looks at some of the recurrent themes in Serbian propaganda 1986–95, examining their operation in inculcating collective neurotic and psychotic syndromes and noting the relevance of those syndromes for the war against Croatia and Bosnia, 1991–95. Six pivotal themes in Serbian propaganda are examined:
1. Victimization, in which Serbs were constructed as collective victims first of the NDH, then of Tito’s Yugoslavia, and more specifically of Croats, Albanians, Bosniaks, and other non-Serbs. 2. Dehumanization of designated ‘others’, in which Croats were depicted as ‘genocidal’ and as ‘Ustaše’, Bosniaks were portrayed as ‘fanatical fundamentalists’, and Albanians were represented as not fully human. These processes of dehumanization effectively removed these designated ‘others’ from the moral field, sanctifying their murder or expulsion. 3. Belittlement, in which Serbia’s enemies were represented as beneath contempt. 4. Conspiracy, in which Croats, Slovenes, Albanians, the Vatican, Germany, Austria, and sometimes also the Bosniaks as well as the U.S. and other foreign states, were seen as united in a conspiracy to break up the SFRY and hurt Serbia. In this way, the Belgrade regime’s obstinate disregard for the fundamental standards of international law was dressed up as heroic defiance of an anti-Serb conspiracy. 5. Entitlement, in which the Serbs were constructed as ‘entitled’ to create a Greater Serbian state to which parts of Croatia and Bosnia would be attached, under the motto, ‘All Serbs should live in one state\u27. 6. Superhuman powers and divine sanction. The Serbs were told that they were, in some sense, \u27super\u27. They were the best fighters on the planet, they could stand up to the entire world, they were sanctioned by God himself, be cause of Tsar Lazar and the fact that Lazar had chosen the heavenly kingdom. Moreover, since Lazar had chosen the heavenly kingdom, the Serbs, encouraged to view themselves as Lazar’s heirs, were entitled to the earthly kingdom which Lazar had repudiated, as their patrimony.Ovaj se članak usredotočuje na neke od ponavljajućih tema srpske propagande u razdoblju od 1986. do 1995. godine. Promatrajući njihovo djelovanje u procesu nametanja kolektivnih neurotičnih i psihotičnih sindroma, zapaža se važnost ovih sindroma u ratu protiv Hrvatske i Bosne, 1991-95. godine. Rad razmatra šest k1jučnih tema srpske propagande:
1. Viktimizacija, kojom su Srbi konstruirani kao kolektivna žrtva najprije NDH, zatim Titove Jugoslavije, a posebno kao žrtva Hrvata, Albanaca, Bošnjaka i ostalih ne-Srba. 2. Dehumanizacija označenih \u27drugih\u27, kojom su Hrvati opisani kao "genocidni" i "ustaše", Bošnjaci kao "fanatični fundamentalisti", a Albanci kao niža vrsta ljudi. Ovi procesi dehumanizacije učinkovito su uklonili označene "druge" iz područja morala, sankcionirajući na taj način njihovo ubijanje i protjerivanje. 3. Omalovažavanje, kojim su neprijatelji Srbije prikazani kao dostojni prezira. 4. Urota, u kojoj se Hrvati Slovenci, Albanci, Vatikan, Njemačka, Austrija, a ponekad također i Bošnjaci te neke druge strane države poput SAD vide kao ujedinjene u namjeri da sruše Jugoslaviju i unište Srbiju. Na ovaj je način beogradski režim svoje posvemašnje ignoriranje temeljnih standarda međunarodnog prava prikazao kao herojski otpor anti-srpskoj zavjeri. 5. Polaganje prava, kojim su Srbi konstruirani kao oni kojima je "dano pravo" stvaranja Velike Srbije kao države koja bi pripojila dijelove Hrvatske i Bosne, pod motom "Svi Srbi u jednoj državi". 6. Nadljudske moći i božanski blagoslov. Srbima je rečeno da, su na neki način superiorni - najbolji su borci na planetu, mogu se suprostaviti čitavom svijetu, blagoslovljeni su od samoga Boga, zbog činjenice da je Car Lazar odabrao kraljevstvo Božje. Štoviše: upravo stoga što je Car Lazar odabrao kraljevstvo Božje, a odbacio ono zemaljsko, Srbi, poticani da se vide kao Lazarevi nasljednici, baštine pravo na ostvarenje ovoga posljednjega
