When Sarajevo is ready to stop Serbian propaganda, it will have the opportunity to defend Bosnia from the special war waged by Serbia

By: Rasim Belko

When the Russian aggression against Ukraine began, the European Union, as well as countries outside of it, began to shut down TV, radio, and internet communication channels through which Vladimir Putin's regime conducted propaganda to achieve its goals.

The majority of these communication channels have been restricted or shut down. Why? Because propaganda, by the definition of Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O'Donnell, is: “A deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist. In other words, propaganda is a systematic method of manipulation and it is quite successful.”

Putin's propaganda has been severely restricted by the synchronized actions of Western countries that have sided with the attacked Ukraine.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been under continuous aggression from multiple sides since the decision on independence, little attention is paid to propaganda activities. And propaganda is actually the key weapon of policies that have replaced weapons and tools and continued to destroy the independent, sovereign, and internationally recognized state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Propaganda, along with the intelligence sector, is a key part of the special war that Serbia is still waging against our country. This propaganda uses absolutely all communication models, and no one is held accountable for even suggesting its blocking.

From trash programs like reality shows, singing competitions, to shows that have only one purpose – to continuously propagate the arguments of Serbian politics to get us in Bosnia and Herzegovina used to it being that way. Shows like Ćirilica are perhaps the best proof of such a form of propaganda, and the false artistic trash of yellow journalism and the jet set is just a supplement for lulling us to sleep.

We are already used to the so-called pro-Bosnian intellectuals sleeping between the two layers of their wallets, but it is completely unclear why the rest of the pro-Bosnian bloc is absolutely not interested in Serbia's propaganda activities.

Because, SANU has given clear instructions on how the political leaders of Serbia and the entity of Republika Srpska should act in the direction of denying Bosnia and Herzegovina, its existence, the crimes committed in our country… And Serbian politics absolutely adheres to it.

However, this would not have had an effect if Sarajevo had not allowed the media space to be taken over by our neighbors. Given that public radio-television services must be organized according to the retarded concept of constituent peoples, where the news is led by a genocide survivor and an admirer of those who committed genocide, it is clear that we did not have much of a chance when it comes to "state" television.

I don't understand how we allowed media based in Serbia or Croatia to hold the key media discourse in Sarajevo, but also in the entire country. What was presented to us as Western was actually Serbian-Croatian and perfectly served the methods of special warfare and propaganda.

On the other hand, a trend of media dissidents is noticeable, who flee the regime in Republika Srpska and then operate in Sarajevo, bringing us exclusives against parties whose actions do not contribute to the breakup of the state. If it is a regime in Republika Srpska, why don't these media dissidents and Western media sit in Banja Luka and overthrow the regime. They won't overthrow it from Sarajevo.

But, it is more likely that they actually want to burden Sarajevo with the false overthrow of the regime, while the regime, with the help of Belgrade and Zagreb, undermines Bosnia and Herzegovina and is getting closer to succeeding. The kind of veil that this media network of dissidents and foreign media is pulling over our eyes could cost us our existence. And all those who say that this is democracy are either lying or are American mercenaries.

Democracy has nothing to do with propagating three truths. Because, there cannot be three truths, except where the real truth is actually intended to be killed by the narrative of the other two truths. All of this is propaganda from the special war operation that Serbia, primarily, with the addition of Croatia, is conducting against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

And the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denis Bećirović, is completely right when he defines nine strategies by which neighbors and domestic traitors fight against BiH. And these strategies are the key points of the special war, and all of them pass through propaganda channels.

Therefore, regardless of the fact that we know what is attacking us and why, we will not know how to defend ourselves, nor will we be able to, until we stop the propaganda. Just as top Western strategists, as the first step after the Russian aggression against Ukraine, disabled the Kremlin's propaganda! Sanctions and all other repressive measures came later.

We in Bosnia and Herzegovina must find foreign partners, real partners, who will help us stop the propaganda of the hegemonic aspirations of Belgrade and Zagreb. And this will not be possible without a serious socio-political struggle.

But, if we win that battle, we will face the continuation of the hybrid or special war with much greater chances for the final defense and liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina!