The problem with corruption in Albania is not that the government has not committed to doing something about it, but that in effect it has done nothing – period!

Reference article here and here

Though I personally try to bring forth a different perspective of this Albanian reality and life, I obviously do not tend to focus on the worst aspects nor do I want to exalt the evils of our society. But obviously there are harsh realities and issues that still affect us in ways that bring about dire consequences even to our very lives!

The recent violent protest in Tirana, which was interpreted as an attempt to try and overthrow the current government was an extreme example of that harsh reality in Tirana, Albania.

Albanian democracy does not need more martyrs
I would have liked to say that I was the one to say that quote, but nevertheless its truth was harshly realized by the death of three protesters on the street. Albanian democracy is still weak and irresponsible with regard to human life and the well-being of its people. Short-sightedness and selfish gain, continue to plague most of our decision-making be it in the political, social or economic spheres of our society. But further worst is the fact that the development of democracy can be so easily thwarted by acts of violence and the loss of lives!

Use of violence for political goals
[[Show as slideshow]]I am against violence, and more so against the use of violence to further political goals of any political party. But even more so at a time when there is true suffering all around us. A time when the economy is weak and is faced with natural and political catastrophes. But I guess that old saying holds true: the people deserve their leaders! At least the leaders that they choose to follow!

It is a historical fact that the poorer social stratas of any society are often misled and misused for political reasons. And Albanian political parties have no problem resulting to violence to sustain their position, be it on the part of the opposition or the current government. The recent protest was a vivid example!

We have not learned from history
There is another saying, which says: “those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat its mistakes”. And for me the violent protest in Tirana is a sad reminder that we as Albanians have a short memory. But even sadder than that is the fact that the same people who got the country in this situation are the same people that we continue to elect and call our leaders. Thus we continue to pay the consequences of bad leadership and forget about what should matter most in terms of the long-term well-being and prosperity of the people.

Congratulations, your cell phone has won 500,000 paunds in the onging Nokia UK prom. For claims Email: coordinatior.nokiaprom”at”live.com or call +447024038551

Well, being acquainted with different scam schemes I went directly online and searched for “Nokia UK Promotion Scam” to immediately find out that this was another old trick which is now expanding in Albania as well.

It’s so sad, but sadder when you think that these schemes go on because innocent or naïve people fall for them all the time.

Some months back a friend of mine almost fell for another major amount of funds that he was supposed to receive from an investor to start businesses in Albania. Another friend got a very similar SMS on his cell that he was decided to ignore thanks to good counsel.

Thankfully there are recognized websites such as “Complaints Board” which have been operating for years now that help point these scams out to innocent recipients like myself. Scams will always be part of our human interactions, while technologies seem to only make it easier for them to reach a wider audience.

Feel welcome to share your experiences below….

Excerpt:

“Years after the collapse of the Stalinist regime, many families of Albanians executed by the communists are still desperately looking for the bodies of their relatives.

As the excavator’s bucket scraped the earth in a narrow path sandwiched between the old military barracks and the pine forest that lines the slopes of Mount Dajti, a skeleton emerged, buried in a shallow grave.

The cotton prison jacket suggested the victim had been executed in winter while his healthy teeth and strong jaw showed he died young. Goni, a small businessman who had earlier been digging for his father’s remains at another location, knew others would surely follow.”

Another excerpt:

“Albania is one of the few former Iron Curtain countries not to have opened the archives of its communist-era security services. As a result, precise data on the number of political prisoners killed by the regime is not available.”

Obviously this story has been commented much from both political sides and the media in recent days. I will not add any of my comments, but thought it of importance to highlight here.

A group of Albanian journalists and civil society activists protested on Wednesday in front of the office of Prime Minister Sali Berisha against the brutal assault of Tirana publisher Mero Baze by oil magnate Rezart Taci.

Following the symbolism of the Iraqi journalist that attacked U.S. President George W. Bush with a shoe, the protesters threw shoes at the office of the prime minister, while accusing him of being responsible for the violence against the journalist.

Baze was beaten late on Monday evening in Tirana, following a series of reports in the publisher’s media accusing the businessman of tax evasion.

According to witnesses present in the Capriccio Bar in the center of Tirana’s upscale Bllok neighborhood, Rezart Taci and his bodyguards attacked the journalist, kicking and beating him for roughly four minutes, leaving him unconscious.

Present during the assault were also two other journalists; political commentator Andi Bushati and the editor-in-chief of Vizion Plus TV Arban Hasani, who later testified on the assault on the journalist.

Baze recovered in Tirana’s military hospital on Monday evening and was released in the early hours of Tuesday. He had ran a series of critical reports on his TV Show, Faktor Plus, on Vizion Plus TV accusing Rezart Taci and his company, the ARMO oil refinery of massive tax evasion.

Apart from the TV show, Baze also publishes the Tirana daily Tema, a publication that is very critical of the government.

Rezart Taci is known as one of the Tirana businessman in Prime Minister Berisha’s inner circle. His other company, Taci Oil International has spent millions of euros organising charity football matches, with the proceeds donated to a children’s charity ran by Berisha’s wife.

The businessman through a statement for the media, admitted he had been present during the assault, but denied he had participated.  Police so far have arrested two of his bodyguards and issued a warrant for Taci’s detention, but have not yet arrested him.

On Tuesday a journalism organisation, offered a 10,000 euro reward for information, leading to Taci’s arrest.

Source: BalkanInsight

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue…

Here is the list:

Focus on the urgent instead of the important.

Vivid emotions and the visuals that go with them as a selector for what’s important.

Emphasis on noise over thoughtful analysis.

Unwillingness to reverse course and change one’s mind.

Xenophobic and jingoistic reactions (fear of outsiders).

Defense of the status quo encouraged by an audience self-selected to be uniform.

Things become important merely because others have decided they are important.

Top down messaging encourages an echo chamber (agree with this edict or change the channel).

Ill-informed about history and this particular issue.

Confusing opinion with the truth.

Revising facts to fit a point of view.

Unwillingness to review past mistakes in light of history and use those to do better next time.

My first reaction was to agree with him. Though I do not live abroad any more, the issues that he points out are so reflective of the pervasive reality conveyed everyday by the media in Albania. Now there are variations, and while I cannot say that no. 5 is always true, the rest the topics seem to be right on the money.

Just some food for thought!

Elevated levels of music noise and smoke-filled rooms are an all-year-round problem which gets worse in the colder seasons of the year.

Meanwhile, music noise levels are a ‘thorn in the flesh’ for the inhabitants of the apartment buildings around or above such places of “zombie like” entertainment!

In the past several weeks a couple of newspapers have given special attention to this issue by voicing the concerns of the inhabitants in their daily pages. The issue has gotten to the point that now the Tirana municipality and other related authorities are intervening to remedy the situation by issuing warnings and fines to those who break the rules.

On the one side, I can sympathize with the bar owners and managers who due to increased competition have to come up with ways to attract more customers, though their methods are always the same. If it’s not some band or special singer, then it’s just the DJ blasting loud music. But even for those places that may choose to keep their volume low, the surrounding sounds of other bars tend to intrude at which point the only solution would be to raise their volume as well. In this cacophony of mind-numbing sounds everyone is left deaf or close to it. But in my judgment the source of the problem lies elsewhere.

The obvious lack of entertainment venues such as theaters, galleries, etc., makes it almost inevitable for people to resolve going to such places such where the only language spoken is loud music and smoke.

Great Presentational Video for Albania

I am talking about Albanian youth and politicians who use them for their own political campaigns, thus exploiting their innocence and youthful look to decorate their political stages while they fill you with ‘hope’ about what they are going to do in order to get your vote.

That is all that matters. Who cares if they are exploiting our youth and meanwhile saying anything necessary to ensure their own political future.

The main enforcing authority is the Ministry of Health, which as reported, has close to 200 inspectors all around the country. These people are responsible to ensure that the law is respected and those who break it, are to be penalized through fines and other legal measures. However, the inspectors have failed at their task completely. Meanwhile, they are paid about 10,000 Lek extra per month, for doing nothing. Basically wasting taxpayer money.

Today, if you visit the local bars or restaurants, you cannot help but get the stench of smoke on your clothes and body from people smoking near or around you. The situation is almost worst than what it was before the law was implemented. What is worst is the fact that you can often find people in health facilities like hospitals and clinics doing just that – smoking.

Moreover, the situation is not expected to change as local and central authorities are gearing up for the parliamentary elections coming up in June, and obviously this issue is not of major concern to them.

What do you think about this issue?