He also said that Obama’s victory had been “hailed by world public opinion as the arrival of a messiah.”

It’s only the latest in a series of quips about foreign heads of states, embarrassing and entertaining Italians and only entertaining everyone else. He also once said about Finnish President Tarja Halonen: “I had to use all my playboy tactics, even if they have not been used for some time.” Which resulted in the Italian ambassador to Finland having to explain what his Prime Minister was referring to exactly.

On another occasion Berlusconi praised Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as being “the best-looking prime minister in Europe.” So good-looking, in fact, that “I’m even thinking of introducing him to my wife.”

As said, you’ve got to love Berlusconi. A great sense of humor; terribly politically incorrect, but terribly entertaining.

©2008 PoliGazette. All Rights Reserved.

In the UK, England for Obama rejoiced at the news that Obama emerged victorious in the first election returns of the 2008 presidential race, winning 15 of 21 votes cast in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.

And that was a full voter turnout! Woo-hoo!

Hang on – shouldn’t John McCain be the winner in a place called Dicksville[sic]?

Seriously, though: this is the first time that Dixville Notch – which is always the first town to announce its results – has voted for the Democratic candidate since 1968.

People in Dixville Notch, which has a population of 75, voted just before midnight Tuesday (Nov 4). The last Democrat residents there picked was Hubert Humphrey over Richard Nixon in 1968. (Source: CNN)

After having read Italian blogs that covered the Dixville Notch results, bloggers seemed to delight that this might be a prediction of what’s to come in the next few hours. One blogger, ultimenotizie, is looking forward to the results and has promised to stay up late to wait for the results at home in Italy. Calling the Dixville Notch result “symbolic”, ultimenotizie noted that Obama also won in another New Hampshire village called Hart’s Location.

“Anche a Hart’s Location, l’altro villaggio del New Hampshire dove si vota a mezzanotte, ha vinto il senatore nero per 17 voti a 10.”

However, the Italian warned still that even though Obama had the lead in polls for months, the numbers could be deceiving if the “Bradley effect” comes into play. The Bradley effect is named after former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, an African-American who ran for California governor in 1982. Polls then showed him leading by a wide margin, and the Democrat thought it would be an early election night. But it turned out Bradley and the polls were wrong. He lost to Republican George Deukmejian.

“In testa ai sondaggi da mesi, Obama aspetta l’esito sereno e ha detto alla Cbs di non credere al cosiddetto “effetto Bradley”, ovvero alla teoria secondo cui gli elettori dicono ai sondaggisti che votano per un afro-americano come lui, ma poi non lo fanno nella segretezza dell’urna. Per contro, da parte repubblicana ammoniscono di non compiere lo stesso errore delle ultime elezioni, affidandosi a exit poll regolarmente smentiti, ma di aspettare i dati ufficiali.”

Christian Rocca joins the many Italians who believe that the game is now over for McCain.

“… ma se Obama dovesse prevalere in Indiana sarebbe il primo segno di una vittoria a valanga per il democratico. All’una di notte italiana, le sette sulla costa est d’America, chiudono le urne in Florida e in Virginia. In questi due stati vinti da Bush nel 2004 si comincerà a delineare il profilo del prossimo presidente.

“Ma nel momento in cui uno dei due verrà messo nella colonna di Obama, per McCain la partita sarà finita, non ancora aritmeticamente, ma di fatto.”

Voters in Dixville Notch may have voted early in the US, but according to Lars Von Torne Berlin, Germany says Americans there were ways ahead of them.

“Berlin hatte als erstes gewählt: Schon Stunden, bevor am Dienstagabend in der deutschen Hauptstadt zahlreicher Partys zur US-Präsidentschaftswahl begannen, meldete die US-Botschaft, dass die Wahl in Berlin bereits gelaufen war.”

Von Torne said that all over Berlin, Obama had much support.

“Zumindest, was die Stimmung unter den Berlinern anging, die sich am Abend bei einem Dutzend größerer und zahllosen kleinen Wahlbeobachtungspartys versammelten.”

Speaking about a US election party hosted in the city and attended by more than 1,000 Berliners, Von Torne said that

“Fast jeder der Gäste ging davon aus, dass Barack Obama das Rennen machen würde.”

The party was held in the offices of Telekom and Bertelsmann. Amongst the attendees were US Embassy officials and other diplomats.

Major celebratory events for whoever wins the election are reportedly already scheduled to be held in Berlin within the next few days.

“Fast alle meldeten schon vor Tagen: ausgebucht. Wesentlich mehr Anmeldungen als Plätze verzeichneten auch die Veranstalter der größten Pro-Obama-Party der Stadt, die Democrats Abroad. Die Auslandsorganisation der US-Demokraten wollte bis Sonnenaufgang am Mittwochfrüh im Babylon-Kino in Mitte feiern – inklusive „Sunrise“-Drinks, eine Anspielung auf das Wahlkampfsymbol Obamas, eine aufgehende Sonne.”

Brazilian Marcelo Donati asked who will be the new “chairman of the world” in his blog Abrigo Na Net.

“Façam suas apostas. Obama está praticamente eleito, mas como a eleição americana é confusa e bagunçada, nunca se pode afirmar nada… Nós aqui, vamos vivendo, absorvendo o resto da crise mundial…”

Another Brazilian, cursoblogcorp took it to another level. He has already declared Obama the victor of the election.

He wrote:

“O candidato democrata Barack Obama foi eleito o mais novo presidente dos Estados Unidos, com 68% de aprovação da população norte-americana. Ele é o primeiro negro a chegar à Presidência. Além desse marco, o candidato foi audacioso ao dispensar o financiamento público de campanha, optando apenas pelas contribuições de seus apoiadores, feitas através de seu blog. Com isso, conseguiu mais de US$ 660 milhões.”

Perhaps he's psychic? Perhaps.

• Paris, France - La nuit Obama
• London, UK - ObamaWatch Election Results Party (+events in other UK cities)
• Rome, Italy - all night pancake party on 4-5th Nov
• Moneygall, Ireland - Hardy Drew & the Nancy Boys gig in the hometown of Obama's great-grandfather
  

November 4th, 2008

THE GLOBAL PARTIES OF A LIFETIME

obamavsmccain.jpeg

With the 2008 US Presidential Elections - destined for history making, many are planning or will be attending events surrounding this electric night of stars and stripes.

DURING ELECTION NIGHT PARTIES 2008, some may prefer to sip on a “Maverick Martini” while others might select an “Obama Slamma.”

Whatever your drink of choice, we wanted to offer you a snapshot of events we’ve found from around the globe - Enjoy, and be safe!

LONDON, ENGLAND

British Broadcasting Company (BBC)

Leading up to and on the United States Presidential Election Day, BBC will bring live reports, specials, debates, interviews and other programming tailored for the African continent’s diverse audiences.

BBC journalists reporting in English, French, Hausa, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi and Swahili will be filing their stories for TV, radio and online from across Africa and key cities in the USA.

SEE DETAILS HERE

Villa Saint Exupery Event

Mad Hatter’s Election Night Party!

Find Out Who Wins USA on Giant Screens!!

(Bring a Hat ;))

NEW YORK, NY
Tea Party Music & Manchildblack invite you to the mecca of global soul culture, Libation!

On Tuesday, November 4th Tea Party Music and Manchildblack bring you a special election night edition of thier popular soiree, Libation. Resident DJ Ian Friday will be joined on the decks by none other than DJ Sabine (Oya Sound/Brooklyn Mecca) to keep the dance floor jumpin’ all night as the television moniter keeps track of the results on this historic night.
Also, expect a live performance by the all female house dance troupe MAWU, as well as other surprise performances throughout the night.

Acclaimed dance collective Afro Mosaic Soul will host the nights festivities while resident visual artist Concep captures the essence of the party live on canvass. Doors will open at 8pm for what will be an amazing celebration. Arrive in the first hour for free food and 2 for 1 drinks.

8:00 PM - 4:00 AM
21+
$5 before 10pm/$10 after
@
Sullivan Room
218 Sullivan Street
Between 3rd & Bleecker | A,C,E,B,D,F,V to W. 4th
New York, NY - 212.252.2151

Election Night In Harlem

Schomburg Center For Research In Black Culture:

7:00pm -11pm

www.schomburgcenter.org

WASHINGTON, DC

Too many to name -

This one however, seems to bring together a power list of groups and individuals.

LIVE YOUR LIFE: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH…ELECTION NIGHT WATCH PARTY.

Come network with young professionals in the DC Metro area as we watch Senator Barack Obama make history at this private event. Admission is complimentary and open to all in the DC Metro Area. Not only will we provide the opportunity to socialize with other Obama enthusiasts, but we will also create an environment in which to share the excitement. The event will also be HOSTED by WKYS 93.9’s, DJ Jeannie Jones, “Kitty of the City.”

Park on Fourteenth

6pm - until

920 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

757-739-8898

CHICAGO,IL

GRANT PARK - Don’t even bother - Tickets are ALL GONE!

This one is to host Senator (possibly President) Obama and the DNC.

Grant Park hosts many of the city’s biggest summer festivals, offers stunning views of both the skyline and the lakeshore and is best known for its massive Buckingham fountain.

Millennium Park, located a few blocks north along Michigan Avenue, is peppered with sculptures and is home to a bandshell designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry.

You might be able to hang out in the lobby of the BEST WESTERN GRANT PARK and catch a glimpse - of the action.

CLICK FOR MORE ON GRANT PARK

ROME, ITALY

THE OFFICIAL U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION NIGHT EVENT This is a bi-partisan, bi-lingual, bi-cultural event, all are welcome!

21:00 or 9:00 pm
RSVP: electionnightevent@gmail.com
Students and Seniors €40.00 (with I.D.)-children free
Advance Payment €45.00
Door Entrance €50.00

PARCO DEI PRINCIPI HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER, Via G. Frescobaldi, 5, Rome (Parioli)

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Black Women in Europe will be blogging “live” in Stockholm on election night.

The Democrats Abroads dinner and election watch event at the Scandic Anglais Hotel at 10pm CET. There will be Swedish/American celebrities and Swedish TV4 is convering the event.

Then at 4.30amCET we will go to the American Embassy/American Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the Hilton Slussen.

Join us with your thoughts and observations!

Click Here

PARIS, FRANCE

Democrats and Republicans Abroad, will be holding their official and traditional Election Night at Cinéaqua Paris, a spectacular venue at the Trocadéro, starting at 10:30 PM and going on until the next morning.
There will be great food and drink to get you through the night, music, entertainment and speeches. French media – France 24, TV5Monde and others — will be broadcasting live, with all-night interviews and political personalities on their stages set up there.
But most importantly, you will be able to follow, minute by minute, the election results on CNN, Fox News and other international media on 10 big screens including two comfortable screening theaters. Cinéaqua Paris is spacious and high-tech enough to accommodate all of this and all of us.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

From Kazakhstan, Zhuldyz Jumadilova wants Americans to think more about international issues, like the war on Iraq and the war on terror. She explains:

I think American people are concentrating on their local problems, local issues, and sometimes maybe they don't think more about international problems. I think if the American people think about international problems in the elections of 2004, George W Bush would not be (in that) presidential election.

From Italy, this man shares similar sentiments. He says:

One thing I'd like you to think about while casting your vote is to bear in mind that the person you're going to vote for is going to represent the most power country all over the world. He is going to decide on very important issues on the international policies. Your last administration, in my point of view, was quite unfortunate from the point of view of international relations since they managed to create a real mess in the Middle East.

For more of his views, check out the video:

This young woman, from Mumbai, India, urges American votes to elect someone who is not into “interfering in other countries business.” Here's what she says:

Dr Abdulla Abdulla, from Afghanistan, says the US needs to take a democratic approach towards dealing with global issues, rather than being a lone wolf on the world scene.

And finally, Seung-Min Lee, from South Korea, hopes the US “will be able to help North Korea come out to the world.”

He also says:

I have been paying attention to the US election in the media because any change in the US affects Korean society, directly or indirectly.

Here's his video message:

In his haste to honor U.S. President George W. Bush, Berlusconi accidentally bumped into the podium, which fell apart. He quickly picked up the pieces with the microphones on it, carried it in his hands, and ran to Bush.

Smiling, Berlusconi went on to thank Bush for the dinner and to praise him. The entire crowd burst out in laughing, seeing the sympathetic (when he wants to) Italian PM stand there with a grin on his face, and part of the podium in his hands.

The dinner was translated so that Italians who did not speak English could understand what was said. Bush praised Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel A. Alito Jr. for being the first Italian-Americans on the court. They, of course, received applause and appreciation. Bush also honored Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for being the first woman (and from Italian heritage) the occupy the office. The translators translated that into “prima donna,” which was an accurate translation in two ways. The crowd appreciated it, bursting out in laughter once again.

Even Pelosi herself found the translation entertaining.

Berlusconi was and is somewhat of an oddity. He’s very conservative, yet entertaining. A serious man, with a highly successful career in business, but also a clown; a populist and someone who couldn’t care less about opinion polls.

It is undoubtedly true, though, that he’s much better for Italy than his successor (and predecessor) Romano Prodi. The latter’s solutions for Italy’s problems aren’t new, and have proven to be counterproductive. As such, Italians probably made a correct decision by voting Berlusconi back in office.

©2008 PoliGazette . All Rights Reserved.

In an interview earlier this week, Biden told journalist Katie Couric that an attack ad by the Obama Campaign was “terrible.” The statement was later retracted with Biden saying he didn’t fully review the ad.

Neocon Latina, from Colombia, writes in her blog that Biden is a “human gaffe machine” and that it simply is incomprehensible.

“Good lord. That doesn't even make sense. Biden is apparently claiming that the act of viewing his own ad somehow made him realize that McCain's ads are “disgraceful.” Yeah, that's the ticket. “Now that I've finally seen my own disgraceful ad, I've decided that your ads are … er… disgraceful.” And from that breathtakingly illogical leap, Biden declares that his own crappy ad is fine.
This is Kerry-esque, folks. Biden truly is … the gift that keeps on giving.”

While, Michael van der Galien of the Netherlands, writes in PoliGazette that Senator Biden has made contradictory comments before, thus hurting the Democratic campaign.

“It’s not the first time that Biden says something contradictory to Obama’s official policy. The ad, about which Biden was honest calling it “terrible,” was also an issue on which Biden broke with Obama. Of course, on this subject too Biden was forced to take back his words.

What this makes clear is that Biden is not as reliable as Obama hoped. He either doesn’t seem to know what their policies are supposed to be, or he doesn’t care. In either case, Biden probably causes Obama and his main advisers to take a painkiller every night before going to bed. These gaffes may very well hurt Obama’s chances in key battle groundstates such as Pennsylvania.”

And an American Puma in Italy writes in her blog that Obama knew what he was getting into.

“Well, Obama should have known what he was getting into when he selected Joe *speaks his mind* Biden.”

She ends her post with a message to Democrats:

“To Democrats who worry about whether their nominee is willing to do whatever it takes to win: You can calm down.”

De Montalembert surveys the demographic distribution of the state in 2006:

Chiffres de 2006 (Statistics for 2006).
Population totale (Total population) :
Floride (Florida): 18 089 888 habitants
Miami Dade : 2 402 208 habitants
Population d’origine hispanique ou latine (Hispanic population)
Floride : 20,2 %
Miami Dade : 61,3 %
Personnes dont la langue parlée à la maison n’est pas l’anglais (people whose language at home is not English)
Floride : 23,9 %
Miami Dade : 67,9 %
Population noire (Black population):
Floride : 15,8 %
Miami Dade : 20,2 %

De Montalembert asks Cuban-Americans who they will vote for in November in why (fr):

Question : Pourquoi les immigrés cubains sont-ils majoritairement républicains ?
Réponse : Nous voulons que le pays soit dirigé par des conservateurs. Des gens qui se battent contre les pays dont la population est oppressée… Les Démocrates, ils sont du coté de Mao ou de Fidel Castro !
Q : Qu’est-ce qui vous plait d’autre chez les Républicains ?
R : Avec eux, chacun est responsable de sa vie. Ils ne nous disent pas quoi faire. Dans la vie, tout se paye. A Cuba, tout est gratuit mais on n’est pas libre. On fait des études mais on ne peut pas trouver un emploi correctement payé. Ici, personne ne nous embête. C’est ça l’esprit républicain !

Question: Why are Cuban immigrate mostly in favor of McCain ?
Answer: We want the country to be led by conservatives. People who fight against countries where the population is oppressed..The Democrats, the are on the side of Mao and Fidel Castro !
Question: What appeals to you the most with the Republicans ?
Answer: With them, everyone is responsible of their own lives. They don't tell us what to do. In life, everything has a price. In Cuba, everything is free but we are not free. We go to school but then we cannot find a decent paying job. Here, no one bothers you. That is the republican spirit !

The interviewees then turn the table on De Montalembert and ask why people in Europe are in favor of Obama:

Là, j’ai un peu expliqué nos différences de culture, les liens entre politique et religion, la peine de mort, le port d’armes, les soins de santé, les lois autorisant l’avortement, etc. Cela ne leur a fait ni chaud ni froid mais nous nous sommes quittés très amicalement.

I explained the differences with respect to culture, the links between politics and religion, the death penalty, the right to carry weapons, health care, abortion laws etc. It did not really move them either way but we left on very amicable terms.

De Montalembert also asked Keith, an African American Chef at the famed “Bouchon du Grove” in Miami and long-time life partner of his Italian girlfriend why he will vote for Obama:

Question : Miami est-elle une ville raciste ?
Réponse : Non, franchement ! J’ai habité longtemps la Nouvelle Orléans où je sentais vraiment du racisme. Pareil en Iowa, Etat dans lequel j’ai été élevé. Ici, presque pas
Q : Croyez-vous au changement par la présidentielle ?
R : le vice-président choisi par Obama est excellent (NDLR : Joe Biden) ! Ce ne sera pas du changement du jour au lendemain, évidemment ! Il faut que l’économie s’améliore, ce qui passerait par un retrait complet d’Irak. L’argent que nous économiserions ainsi pourrait être réinjecté dans les rouages de l’économie nationale.
Q : La question des assurances santé semble clef pour une partie de la population…
R : Je ne suis pas totalement persuadé par les arguments d’Obama sur ce sujet. Mais au moins, il veut faire quelque chose. Quant à la question d’un programme genre « Universal Care » (Sécurité sociale pour tous), cela me semble totalement impossible aux Etats-Unis ; nous sommes bien trop nombreux !
Q : De quel œil voyez-vous ce lien redondant entre religion et politique ?
R : Les politiques ne devraient jamais s’engager dans des domaines religieux ! Même en parler relève de l’hypocrisie.

Q: Is there a lot of racism in Miami ?
A: Honestly, No ! I lived in New-Orleans where I really sensed a bit of racism still, same for Iowa, the state where I grew up. Here, almost never.
Q: Do you believe that the presidential elections can bring change ?
A: The VP chosen by Obama (Joe Biden) is excellent. Evidently, change won't happen overnight. The economy has to get better, which starts with a total withdrawal in Iraq. The money that we save from that could be be reinvested for the benefit of the national economy.
Q: The question of health care insurance seems key for most of the population….
A: I am not totally convinced by Obama's argument on this matter. But at least, he is trying to do something about it. On the question of universal health care, it seems impossible in the US, we are far too many.
Q: How do you see the growing link between religion and politics ?
Politicians should not venture into religious issues. Just talking about it is hypocritical.

Finally, with respect to the women vote, the Palin effect in Florida will apparently benefit Obama although De Montalambert notes that Palin's rally in Lady Lake drew quite a crowd.

Below are a few snippets of this lively discussion, all translated from Russian.

LJ user iraan reported from Kosovo on Feb. 15:

[…] In Kosovo, everyone is promising independence - even this hotel ad.

A picture of a roadside ad for a hotel in Kosovo's capital Priština accompanied the post; the ad read:

INDEPE
NDENCE

HOTEL AFA IS READY

On Feb. 17, the day Kosovo declared independence, LJ user iraan wrote:

…Priština. Today
…celebrations are in full swing here already. Here you go, my dear ones

In the comments section, she later added two photos of happy-looking men waving Albanian flags. LJ user cqdx - who served in Kosovo (RUS) as part of Russia's peacekeeping mission, but is currently based in Geneve, Switzerland - noted:

[…] If at one point Yeltsin's Supreme Council hadn't chickened out and instead accepted Serbia as part of Russia, there wouldn't have been today's [orgy] in Kosovo. […]

In another Feb. 17 post, LJ user iraan made this observation about the flags she was seeing in Kosovo's capital:

…there are more stars and stripes in Priština than even the black eagles. It is obvious who the papa is and who is directing the process.

LJ user vikrussia left this comment:

How sad. I am speechless. There was hope until the very last moment. And now there's only one thought in my head: this is what they are going to do to us, too - “in a civilized manner,” [pretending to observe principles] of “legality” and “law.” The Slavic world has died. God has turned away from us. We have to figure out what for.

Serbia-based LJ user sanielisse wrote this on Feb. 19:

I've been reading and watching the news non-stop for the second day in a row. […] Kosovo, an independent state?
On Friday and Saturday, they began sending SMS's - “pray fro Kosovo… […]”
Where were you before? Why didn't you pray every day in Serbian temples for the rescue of Kosovo and its relics, and its Serbian people?
A female student at the university declared to me today: “I want to live and not to think about Kosovo…”
It's easy to sell your past. But then you'll be walking through a swamp.
After these words I joined the protest rally with my friends. My heart was aching…
Is this a protest, or a funeral of Kosovo, or a holiday? Not very clear… God, what can one understand here, in Serbia, when the president declares, “Be peaceful…” How could those who carried out the pogroms on Sunday night stay peaceful if the country's heart and soul had been torn out?
And if today you stopped those who were yelling “Kosovo is Serbia's heart” and asked WHAT IS KOSOVO, would many of them have an answer?
And no one but [Bishop Artemije] has mentioned that it's not just an attack on Serbia. It's a new blow to Orthodox Christianity.
[Abkhazia's Sergei Bagapsh] and [South Ossetia's Eduard Kokoity] said beautifully today: Serbia is a country well-established politically, it's not in turmoil, and a piece of it is being cut off only because two ethnic groups look at each other through gun muzzles… And what can be said about Georgia, a country that isn't well-established yet, which is permanently on fire, and into which North [sic] Ossetia and Abkhazia are being squeezed? […]

LJ user dreamy_tanger left this comment:

[…] Why wasn't your heart aching when [Slobodan Milošević] organized the genocide of Albanians and Bosniaks? Was Orthodox Christian “compassion” an obstacle? As for Kosovo, there's no use worrying about it anymore, it has not been part of Serbia de facto for a long time, now at least they'll be obliged to observe minorities' rights as an independent state.

LJ user drugoi, on Feb. 16, posted five photos of the pre-independence celebrations in Kosovo, titled his post, “Farewell, Serbia?” - and received four pages of comments. Here are some of them:

drakon_1 [Israel-based]:

Hurrah!!!

dtxysq [Russia-based]:

Hurrah?

sergey_sht [Ukraine-based]:

He doesn't live in Kosovo.
“Freedom and land to Palestine!”

drakon_1:

Palestinians, too, should have a state of their own, with clearly defined borders - I don't see any contradiction in this.

sergey_sht:

Albanians also should have a state of their own with clearly defined borders. But for some reason they want Kosovo, too, just like Arabs want Jerusalem.

Don't you understand that it can't be just ‘We want it and that's it.' It's not as simple over there.

dao_b [Russia-based]:

Russians also should have a state of their own with clearly defined borders. But for some reason they want a small Russian republic on the territory of Moldova, too.

Don't you understand that it can't be just ‘We want it and that's it.'

***

polinsky_yard:

[…] Well, good luck to them.
Why are we saying farewell to Serbia as if it's something that belongs to us? We have no more rights for it than Americans.

terskiy_kazak:

Oh-oh, are you serious?! [Count with me]: faith, language, history… Damn, we are the same people with Serbs! It's somehow awkward to even discuss this subject: it's like proving that the Earth is round…

LJ user shupa (originally from Belarus, currently based in Prague, Czech Republic) wrote this in the yugo_ru LJ community, whose focus is on “culture, history and literature of the former Yugoslav states”:

Someone has reminded us here today: “I'm reminding you that Kosovo is a historically Serbian territory, which, in the past half a century, has become dominated by Albanian population.”

What kind of term is that - “historically XXX territory”? If we start looking for all the historical territories and all those who are occupying them now, then Russians should be kicked out from behind [the Urals] or even closer (definitely [Smolensk], [Prussia], [Ingria]). And I'm not even talking about [the Americans]. Anyway, let's all return to the borders of the 14th century, when [the Grand Duchy of Lithuania] stretched from one sea to the other :)

The most important thing now is for them not to start killing one another again. As for all this screaming - we are not giving Kosovo away, Moscow is behind us - these are indeed [calls to action]. There must be plenty of them on the other side, too, only we don't see or hear them, and “the other” side isn't really advertising them. […]

LJ user michail wrote this:

[…] Serbian [dear brothers] deserve our sympathy, of course. But, honestly, would all that's happened be possible if Serbs hadn't exchanged their resistance will for the sweet promises of the Eurocommissars? One's gotta pay for “the European choice.” […]

I suspect that we need the proverbial solidarity with [dear Serbian brothers] more than Serbs do. I haven't forgotten yet that the [Russian mass awakening] began with the [1999 NATO bombing of Belgrade]. We were throwing stones at the U.S. embassy then and singing [Kosovo Front] all together - was it in vain? Cannon fire in Serbia awoke the Russian bear, ridding him of a whole package of the most dangerous illusions of the 1990s. […] And, thank God, it was someone else's war that served as a catalyst for national awakening. […]

LJ user michail ended his post with a video of a Corsican band “L'Arcusgi,” which included a Corsican female singers' performance of “the famous ‘Hegoak' - a patriotic anthem of [the Basque Country].”

Israel-based LJ user aristocrate was not sincere when he congratulated Europe on the birth of its “new child”:

I congratulate Europe with a new child - Kosovo!

And since the EU has so happily supported the unilaterally declared independence of a new Muslim state on its territory, I'm also wishing it to have many, many more kids: independent Catalonia, Corsica, Wallonia, Flanders, the Basque Country, Wales, and, somewhat later, Normandy, Ruhr, Gascony, Wallachia, Prussia, Sicily, etc.

You deserve it, idiots. […]

LJ user varfolomeev66, a Russian journalist, was “more concerned” with the fate of Russia than with that of “the USA and the leading European states. He wrote:

I'm trying to understand: our diplomats and those who sometimes listen to their recommendations - are they fools or enemies?
I'd like to have a look at the authors of the thesis on the “precedent-making nature of Kosovo case,” about which Putin and [Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov] have been talking incessantly for the past few months. Do they understand what they are doing?
I assume they […] were trying to intimidate Europe and America this way: like, Wales and Montana will follow Kosovo's example. But [they] ended up prescribing treatment that's worse than the disease itself.
The president, who has called the unilateral separation of Kosovo a precedent, has given [freedom to act] to our own, home-grown separatists. If, for example, Ingush, Karelian or [Primorye] comrades decided to split from Mother Russia, they would remind those who'd try to stop them that Putin himself had shown them the way! Wasn't it Putin who said that other peoples may follow after Kosovars - and we are following them!
[…]
Instead of emphasizing the uniqueness of the Kosovo case along with the countries of the West and talking of the impossibility of repeating it, our regime is voluntarily provoking our own secessionists. […]

LJ user freetatarstan - which is actually a “journal for those who support the idea of independence of [the Republic of Tatarstan]” - wrote:

KOSOVA!

Remember how some observers used to assert that as soon as Russia starts being nice to Abkhazia and Ossetia in response to Kosovo's independence, the national autonomies of the Russian Federation will raise their voices as well…
Well, what can you say to this… We wouldn't want to disappoint them… […]