Torq
14 Jan 2024
Off-Topic / Personal Pan-Slavic Manifesto [37]
OK, so I give up the essay/memoirs form, that was a bad idea. Let's stick to simple distilled cold facts; no personal digressions, no literature, not too much history. Also, I will attempt to write it in a light, humorous formula, to increase the number of potential readers.
What I have in mind is something that was to some extent already thought of (I'm standing on the shoulders of giants and all that), but with substantial differences when it comes to details.
As you probably already have guessed, I am thinking - for a start - of a union of countries which share similar...
1. ethnicity (most of them are Slavic),
2. geopolitical position (situated between three seas - Baltic, Black and Adriatic),
3. history (of being conquered and enslaved either from the East or from the West).
For geopolitical and/or moral reasons (any Union needs a higher moral principle to guide it and add cohesion to it) the block, mostly Slavic, would include 6 non-Slavic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania and Moldova). Those countries have either sizeable Slavic minorities or share very common historical experience of being invaded, occupied, and of their independence being taken away from them (with, quite often, their very right to ever having an independent country openly questioned). Also, those countries have similar experience of being betrayed by those they considered their allies and similar experience of being ridiculed, disregarded, and dominated by those who thought themselves better. Never again shall any member of our Union be lectured upon by some e.g. puny Dutch shopkeeper about what democracy or freedom is. The Union will restore pride and dignity to all its Honourable Member States. Never again will anyone invade, enslave and slaughter our people by millions (or, if they try, they will be met with a shock-and-awe response).
Because of the inclusion of non-Slavic members, the names such as Panslavic Union or Great Slavia are out of question, and we would have to settle for something like Middlesea (Międzymorze, Intermarium). The name is a secondary issue, but for practical reason I shall henceforth refer to the union as Intermarium. There will be three stages of Intermarium before it reaches its final form, in which it will include every single Slavic state among its members.
Intermarium - Stage One
Member states: 16
Population: ~120 million
Area: ~ 1.35 million sq km
The membership in other international organisations would not be forbidden for member states (EU, NATO, UN etc.) but Intermarium will always take precedence over any of them.
The Union will be by default wholeheartedly friendly towards the EU*, as many of our members will also be EU members. However, any attempts at domination from the likes of France or Germany, any attempts at disrespect or lecturing upon, any attempts of forcing anything down our throats will be met with a swift spit in the eyes and slap in the face, followed shortly by a kick in the balls (Slavia is - after all - a woman).
The Union will be by default wholeheartedly friendly towards Russia, as either our neighbours or Slavic brothers or a country that shares similar experience of being disregarded and disrespected in the past (or, in some cases, all three). However, any threats, sabre rattling, not to mention any concrete, openly aggressive actions will be met with a swift spit in the eyes and slap in the face, followed shortly by a kick in the balls (in future, I will shorten it to SE-SF-KB). In general, Intermarium when it comes to Russia, will adopt a role of an advocate of our Russian Slavic brothers, as long as their behaviour towards us is also brotherly.
The Union will be by default wholeheartedly friendly towards the USA and China, cooperating with them to our mutual benefit. However, any dirty tricks or double play, any attempts of achieving any shady aims at the cost of our sweat or blood (or both) will be met with - yes, you guessed it - SE-SF-KB.
In other words, no Intermarium country will ever again be: bombed into submission (like Serbia), lectured upon and disrespect (like Poland) or bullied and threatened (like Czechia). The Union will protect them from that. We will finally be strong enough not to ever face humiliation from anyone. It will be, by and large, a huge dignity restoration program.
Three main aims of Stage One Intermarium:
1. Increasing internal cohesion of the Union by educational means (from primary schools to universities), common economic, science and military projects, centrally subsidized tourism between the Union countries, student exchange programs, literature festivals, TV shows, film industry producing Intermarium blockbusters etc. (many of these actions and more will be aided and controlled by the common Intermarium Parliament).
2. Acquiring our own nuclear deterrence force. It is an absolute must and the vital factor that can ensure longevity of the project, and future safety of our entire region. Of course, there will be certain powers who will dislike the idea, but this point is non-negiotable.
3. Preparing for future inclusion of Belarus and Ukraine. A complicated issue for historical, political and merely practical reasons but for Intermarium Stage One to be transformed into Intermarium Stage Two in the future, the brotherly Belarussian and Ukrainian nations will have to be accepted in the Union.
... to be continued ...
--------
* - one major reform will have to be introduced within the EU: no more European funds, no more "free money", no more subsidies or cheap loans etc. Firstly, these very often serve as a way of applying political pressure (not to use the word blackmail). Secondly, they are a constant source of corruption and debt. And thirdly, they prevent people from seeing and realising the very obvious fact that wealth comes from hard work, frugality and discipline, not from taking out loans or receiving "free money".
OK, so I give up the essay/memoirs form, that was a bad idea. Let's stick to simple distilled cold facts; no personal digressions, no literature, not too much history. Also, I will attempt to write it in a light, humorous formula, to increase the number of potential readers.
What I have in mind is something that was to some extent already thought of (I'm standing on the shoulders of giants and all that), but with substantial differences when it comes to details.
As you probably already have guessed, I am thinking - for a start - of a union of countries which share similar...
1. ethnicity (most of them are Slavic),
2. geopolitical position (situated between three seas - Baltic, Black and Adriatic),
3. history (of being conquered and enslaved either from the East or from the West).
For geopolitical and/or moral reasons (any Union needs a higher moral principle to guide it and add cohesion to it) the block, mostly Slavic, would include 6 non-Slavic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania and Moldova). Those countries have either sizeable Slavic minorities or share very common historical experience of being invaded, occupied, and of their independence being taken away from them (with, quite often, their very right to ever having an independent country openly questioned). Also, those countries have similar experience of being betrayed by those they considered their allies and similar experience of being ridiculed, disregarded, and dominated by those who thought themselves better. Never again shall any member of our Union be lectured upon by some e.g. puny Dutch shopkeeper about what democracy or freedom is. The Union will restore pride and dignity to all its Honourable Member States. Never again will anyone invade, enslave and slaughter our people by millions (or, if they try, they will be met with a shock-and-awe response).
Because of the inclusion of non-Slavic members, the names such as Panslavic Union or Great Slavia are out of question, and we would have to settle for something like Middlesea (Międzymorze, Intermarium). The name is a secondary issue, but for practical reason I shall henceforth refer to the union as Intermarium. There will be three stages of Intermarium before it reaches its final form, in which it will include every single Slavic state among its members.
Intermarium - Stage One
Member states: 16
Population: ~120 million
Area: ~ 1.35 million sq km
The membership in other international organisations would not be forbidden for member states (EU, NATO, UN etc.) but Intermarium will always take precedence over any of them.
The Union will be by default wholeheartedly friendly towards the EU*, as many of our members will also be EU members. However, any attempts at domination from the likes of France or Germany, any attempts at disrespect or lecturing upon, any attempts of forcing anything down our throats will be met with a swift spit in the eyes and slap in the face, followed shortly by a kick in the balls (Slavia is - after all - a woman).
The Union will be by default wholeheartedly friendly towards Russia, as either our neighbours or Slavic brothers or a country that shares similar experience of being disregarded and disrespected in the past (or, in some cases, all three). However, any threats, sabre rattling, not to mention any concrete, openly aggressive actions will be met with a swift spit in the eyes and slap in the face, followed shortly by a kick in the balls (in future, I will shorten it to SE-SF-KB). In general, Intermarium when it comes to Russia, will adopt a role of an advocate of our Russian Slavic brothers, as long as their behaviour towards us is also brotherly.
The Union will be by default wholeheartedly friendly towards the USA and China, cooperating with them to our mutual benefit. However, any dirty tricks or double play, any attempts of achieving any shady aims at the cost of our sweat or blood (or both) will be met with - yes, you guessed it - SE-SF-KB.
In other words, no Intermarium country will ever again be: bombed into submission (like Serbia), lectured upon and disrespect (like Poland) or bullied and threatened (like Czechia). The Union will protect them from that. We will finally be strong enough not to ever face humiliation from anyone. It will be, by and large, a huge dignity restoration program.
Three main aims of Stage One Intermarium:
1. Increasing internal cohesion of the Union by educational means (from primary schools to universities), common economic, science and military projects, centrally subsidized tourism between the Union countries, student exchange programs, literature festivals, TV shows, film industry producing Intermarium blockbusters etc. (many of these actions and more will be aided and controlled by the common Intermarium Parliament).
2. Acquiring our own nuclear deterrence force. It is an absolute must and the vital factor that can ensure longevity of the project, and future safety of our entire region. Of course, there will be certain powers who will dislike the idea, but this point is non-negiotable.
3. Preparing for future inclusion of Belarus and Ukraine. A complicated issue for historical, political and merely practical reasons but for Intermarium Stage One to be transformed into Intermarium Stage Two in the future, the brotherly Belarussian and Ukrainian nations will have to be accepted in the Union.
... to be continued ...
--------
* - one major reform will have to be introduced within the EU: no more European funds, no more "free money", no more subsidies or cheap loans etc. Firstly, these very often serve as a way of applying political pressure (not to use the word blackmail). Secondly, they are a constant source of corruption and debt. And thirdly, they prevent people from seeing and realising the very obvious fact that wealth comes from hard work, frugality and discipline, not from taking out loans or receiving "free money".