Yugoslavia and the EU

After the session he asked me what I thought of his playing.

I replied , rubbish, and you played far to loud.

Unabashed, and still smiling, he responded by telling me that there was a saying among trumpeters that if you can’t blow well, blow loud.

I was reminded of this when I read the two letters supporting the EU membership, which appeared in The Star on March 5.

If the word long was to be substituted for loud, my comment would be the same.

The contents of these letters were suitably demolished by Mick Andrews in his letter of March 8.

However, he omitted to challenge one key point in the letter of NP Johnson, which asserts that Yugoslavia would never have broken up if it had been a member of the EU.

Yugoslavia was a communist state under Marshal Tito and would never have applied for membership as it would surely have been rejected.

It was an artificial polygot state comprised of six nations who basically hated each other.

A bit like a mini EU which will probably eventually go the same way.

Four different religions were also involved.

Shortly after hard man Tito’s death, an excellent article appeared in the Financial Times which forecast, with uncanny accuracy, the break-up of the state into its constituent parts and even suggested that armed conflict would be involved.

It would not have made any difference if Yugoslavia had been part of the EU or even the Kingdom of Heaven.

Break-up and conflict were inevitable.

FBS

Dronfield