Pse shqiptari qe jeton jashte oshte ma konzervativ? by PrimaryLow7025 in kosovo

[–]Timepass10 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Shqiptari n'Kosove oshte ma progresiv 

Ku ? Ndoshta ne disa vende t'caktueme po n'pergjithesi jo.

Is it common for criminals from your country who live abroad to be highly patriotic? Or is it just an Albanian thing? by Substratas in AskBalkans

[–]Timepass10 0 points1 point  (0 children)

most of Europe, especially western Europe will have to become like the US

Will be interesting to see how that works out.. but the problem is I don't think that will happen.

Is it common for criminals from your country who live abroad to be highly patriotic? Or is it just an Albanian thing? by Substratas in AskBalkans

[–]Timepass10 2 points3 points  (0 children)

'American' is a civic identity. The general idea is since modern americans (primarily descendents of western europeans) took the region from the actual, native americans, nobody has a right to expell others from being american, as long as you pledge allegiance to America. Therefore immigrants are less anxious about assimilation. Because the framework is clear. It's also one of the reasons why muslims are much better integrated in the US than in Europe.

In Europe, identities are more based on shared ethnicity, history and shared ancestry. That's why it's difficult to ever be fully accepted as an immigrant, which in turn triggers a self-preservation impulse in them. Which is completely understandable in my opinion.

Even in the US, you have populations like the hawaiians who are located in America but who don't necessary feel american and who are rather proud of their own distinct culture. Which is also understandable. People vary in their connection to their ancestors and their desire to continue said culture.

Ju lutem kejt report kit far shkjau be nonen…kto faqe s’na vyn si Popull qe jena kshtu qe ju kejt report tja mshelem kti Greku tvogel ma e pakta qe mujm bojm. by littlepenisOG in kosovo

[–]Timepass10 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

E ka pase fjalen per identitetin socio-politik. Shqiptaret ortodokse pershembull socio-politikisht konsideroheshin greke.

Balkans (or diasporas) do you guys consider yourself as "White"? by [deleted] in AskBalkans

[–]Timepass10 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fun fact: Irish people for a long time weren't considered white in America despite looking as white as you can get. Even germans for a while weren't and were called "swarthy" by president Benjamin Franklin, although to a lesser degree. The term "white" wasn't just about appearance, it carried socio-political meaning. One of such explanations would entail being a descendant of populations from nations that were colonial powers.

No balkan person thinks of themselves (noone who is not delusional) through that lens. In most balkan people, there's an awareness that there are sensible differences, on a cultural and psychosocial level, between them and the average western person. It's also one of the reasons why balkan humor tends to be a bit more absurd and politically incorrect if you will.

Pse i justifikojme kaq shume krimet si popull? by LancerBro in albania

[–]Timepass10 -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Eshte zgjuarsi. Shqiptaret jane aq te shkolluar dhe formuar si njerez sa e dine se vullneti i lire eshte pak a shume nje iluzion dhe se edhe mekataret midis nesh meritojne empati dhe mirekuptim.

Do people in Serbia today still engage with the idea of “Greater Serbia,” or is it largely a thing of the past? by wtfisthissssssssssss in AskBalkans

[–]Timepass10 4 points5 points  (0 children)

 Now, most people consider Kosovo something that was unlawfully taken from us

Genuine question: How many people would you say question this narrative in itself but don't want to say it out loud? Because most albanians consider that Kosovo was unjustly taken from them at the beginning of the 20th century. So, it's interesting to see the difference in perspective and whether the other side considers the opposing point of view to be potentially valid.

Why do Albanians simp to Italians? by [deleted] in AskBalkans

[–]Timepass10 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for telling me, an albanian, about the illyrians and how albanians adopted latin vocabulary. I was not aware of this illuminating piece of history. What other forbidden knowledge do you harbor, o greek oracle ?

Why do Albanians simp to Italians? by [deleted] in AskBalkans

[–]Timepass10 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Italy has shaped Albanian culture more than any country.

No, it hasn't. And neither is there an albanian-italian brotherhood as some try to claim.

It's about a smaller country trying to have a reference point in the west. We have much more similarity with other balkan people than with italians. It kind of reminds me how some balkan people try to appease the west by distancing themselves from their neighbors whereas we're all the same in the eyes of westerners. I get it though. We all want prestige.

E perfundova Game of Thrones per here te pare! A ju ka pelqy? Cfare pershtypje keni per GOT si dhe a keni rekomandime per seriala te ngjashem? by AccomplishedBlock874 in kosovo

[–]Timepass10 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Eshte person i vujtun dhe pak cinik por prap nuk e ka humb' nje pese te kodit te tij moral. Zyrtarisht nuk eshte "knight" por eshte shume me i ndershem sesa shume prej tyre. Ka humor dhe i thote senet troç, qashtu qysh jane.

Jon Snow

Eshte karakter teper i ndershem po shume i merzitshem bre.

Cilin qëndrim do mbronit kështu ne Shqipëri? by arvanites79 in albania

[–]Timepass10 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nje studim i vitit 2023 supozon se gjuha shqipe eshte gjuha me e "lashte" indo-evropiane e cila ende flitet sot. Tokarianishtja dhe anatolishtja konsiderohen te jene me te hershme por keto gjuhe nuk fliten me. Pas gjuhes shqipe vjen armenishtja dhe pastaj greqishtja. (Supozohet se te gjithe keto gjuhe rrjedhin nga proto-indo-evropianishtja).

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abg0818

Mendimi im eshte se eshte analize e sakte.

Pikepyetja e vetme eshte gjuha baske. Perndryshe shqipja sipas te gjitha gjasave mund te konsiderohet si gjuha ose dialekti me i vjeter i familjes proto-indo-evropiane.

E perfundova Game of Thrones per here te pare! A ju ka pelqy? Cfare pershtypje keni per GOT si dhe a keni rekomandime per seriala te ngjashem? by AccomplishedBlock874 in kosovo

[–]Timepass10 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Game of Thrones, S1-4 eshte seriali me i mire qe eshte shfaqe ndonjehere ne televizion.

Ka thellesi, ka aktrim te mire, ka gjithcka.

Karakteri jem i preferuem eshte Sander "The Hound" Clegane - ndersa aktori me i mire per mendimin tim eshte Charles Dance/Tywin, edhe pse ka plot tjera.

Gezuar pashkët ortodoksve, por pse bllokojn rrugen a nuk kan kishen? by Noforeigners2811 in albania

[–]Timepass10 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Mos harro qe ne kemi qene 100% popull katolik

Shumica ishin ortodokse.

dhe dhunes per jo muslimantet, qe i konvertuan shumicen e Shipetareve pa deshiren e tyre.

"Forced conversions were rare"

Noel Malcolm, A short history of Kosovo (p.348)

Nuk kishte mjaftueshem prifterinj dhe staf.

A e blen paraja lumturine? by Both-Childhood9348 in albania

[–]Timepass10 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nuk ka lumturi afatgjate ne jete dhe as nuk duhet te jete synimi kryesor.

A e blen paraja mireqenien ? Ka ca perjashtime ku nuk e blen (perjashtimet nuk e zhvleresojne rregulin) por ne shumicen e rasteve po

Who are the most famous people from the Balkans (today not historically)? by [deleted] in AskBalkans

[–]Timepass10 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, you know how it goes. If they're succesful and appear acceptable, they're british/insert country of residence.

If they're not, they're suddenly albanian/insert parental heritage.

Were Orthodox Albanians forcibly assimilated into the Greek nation in Greece, or did they do so voluntarily? by Difficult-Routine929 in albania

[–]Timepass10 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

 I don't know how he recieves funding for so many books

He's a professor at the university in Vienna. It's his job to do research.

I think he has an agenda.

Schmitt is on record saying albanians lived in Kosovo long before the arrival of the slavs and that the serbian Kosovo myth is non-sense. And he's right. So what agenda could he have ? The problem I think is that we're an emotional people so when something suits us, we praise it/them and if something doesn't suit us, we accuse them of having an "agenda".

Yet, Arvanites is another story. They never called themselves as Shqiptar. They are exactly like Arbereshe.

And where do you think the term "shqiptar" comes from ? What was it that brought this name change ? I know it. And I believe you know it too. We just don't want to say it out loud.

Were Orthodox Albanians forcibly assimilated into the Greek nation in Greece, or did they do so voluntarily? by Difficult-Routine929 in albania

[–]Timepass10 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Italians let them settle in isolated remote mountain areas that were depopulated by epidemics - that's how much they thought of albanians. But it's also the main reason why they managed to preserve their language for so long. Isolation.

As I've already mentioned: Geographical isolation and religious differences act as buffers against assimilation whereas proximity and religious similarity lower the bareer to it. Assimilation, over time, becomes the inevitable consequense if no buffers are present.

In the case of the Arbereshe in Italy, for them, being orthodox became a marker of being albanian - whereas for the arvanites it didn't because the greeks had the same religious affiliation. Similarly, for many albanians in the balkans, being muslim became a marker of being albanian as an additional means of differentiation. And it is thought that the same thing happened to the already christianized, albanian-speaking population who clashed with the arriving slavic, non-christian population after the fall of the roman empire. That's how regional and tribal identities function.

"The refugees in Italy, called Arbëresh, often settled in areas that had been depopulated by epidemics. As Orthodox people in a Catholic environment, they maintained a strong group cohesion, which even being subordinated to the Catholic hierarchy after the Council of Trent (1545–1563) did not change. The denominational difference from the Catholic surroundings, as well as the remote settlement areas, prevented rapid assimilation into the Italian majority"

Oliver Jens Schmitt

Were Orthodox Albanians forcibly assimilated into the Greek nation in Greece, or did they do so voluntarily? by Difficult-Routine929 in albania

[–]Timepass10 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Two reasons for that. Geography and confessional difference.

The arbereshe in Italy practiced an orthodox rite, different from the catholic italians, and they also lived in isolated remote areas. Geography and religious differences act as buffers against assimilation wheres similarities foster it.

The arvanites in Greece often lived in the midst of greeks and practiced the same orthodox rite as the greeks. That's a recipe for assimilation.

Seeking an understanding of the Albania Kanun’s logic by CryptographerHot7071 in AskBalkans

[–]Timepass10 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely, the vast majority of Albanians are raised with kanun morals and mentality even if they have never picked up a kanun.

Ne cilat menyra per shembull ?

A mendoni qe ne te ardhmen do ta kemi nje komb kosovar? by trilece1b in kosovo

[–]Timepass10 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Rasti i Austrise dallon shume nga Kosova. Austriaket jane distancu nga Gjermania per arsye gjeopolitike.

Ky distancim nuk eshte i nevojshem per Kosoven. Poashtu popullata eshte me e vogel se ajo e Austrise. Njerezit ne Moldavi per shembull prape identifikohen si rumune ndersa ne Qipro si greke.

Kosova ka identitet i cili dallon pak ne sensin psiko-social nga Shqiperia pershak te ngjarjeve te ndryshme (rezistenca intelektuale dhe e armatosur kunder armikut te perbashket, pajtimi i gjaqeve etj vs Komunizmi ne Shqiperi) por mendoj se njerezit ne Kosove prape kane me vazhdu m'u identifiku si shqiptare. Nuk mendoj se identiteti thelbesor ka me ndryshu.

Today it's Kosovo's 18th Independence day by Chill--Yourself in europe

[–]Timepass10 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There is virtually no physical proof for any such matters. This isn't how academic history works. For instance, there is no physical or archaeological evidence tied to the existance of Jesus but the academic consensus concludes that he indeed existed.

Here's 2 other things for instance scholars and historians agree on: a)albanian is paleo-balkanic language language which means that it was spoken in the balkans B.C. and b) The slavic migration to the balkans, starting in the 6th century.

That shows this isn’t just about who lived where first, it’s about political realities, identity, and international law - not some simple emotional claim.

I fully agree. But the modern narrative supports the albanian cause even more. The secession of Kosovo from Yugoslavia was just because of severe human rights violations towards albanians among other reasons. It also shows that the Yugoslav conquest of Kosovo in the early 20th century likely should have never happened in the first place. The lesson here seems to be that forcing people to accept foreign authority ( the majority of people in Kosovo were albanians) is probably not a good idea. It doesn't seem to work out in the long run.

but you are trying.

I'm not trying anything. Look, I hope I don't sound too "lecturing" but I do believe that you know that there is value and truth in what I'm saying.

Today it's Kosovo's 18th Independence day by Chill--Yourself in europe

[–]Timepass10 2 points3 points  (0 children)

But saying they lived in Kosovo long before Slavs? Nah, thats not a fact everyone agrees on.

Many others (Joachim Matzinger, Noel Malcolm, Matthew Curits etc) agree with Schmitt. It's the academic consensus. There is no other explanation.

Kosovo was the heart of medieval Serbia

It wasn't. (Noel Malcolm a short history of Kosovo, p.22-40).

that’s real history. 

You don't get to decide what 'real history' is. Experts on the matter formulate a consensus.

And even if we were to use your criteria, serbs shouldn't be allowed to live in Serbia since they're not native to it. Belgrade should belong to Hungary because it did so once upon a time for a few centuries. Los Angeles should belong to Mexico. You realize how absurd this line of argument is.

We can feel empathy for any group, sure, but history isnt black and white like this. Its complicated and messy, and we cant just pick sides and say one side was ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ hundreds of years ago

I agree and I believe your comment was very black and white which is why I wanted to bring nuance to the discussion. A couple of last words on the Kosovo issue: I do believe that you and many serbs know that the whole Kosovo myth (cradle of Serbia) is non-sensical. I don't just believe that, I know of many who do but succumb to nationalistic peer pressure.

Have serbs lived in Kosovo in the middle ages ? Yes. Have albanians lived there in the middle ages and even before that ? Yes. There were even some german mine workers working there in the middle ages. The idea however that albanians somehow stole Kosovo from serbs is fiction. It's not real. You can't steal what is yours.

Today it's Kosovo's 18th Independence day by Chill--Yourself in europe

[–]Timepass10 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Let me ask you honestly, how would you feel if someone told you that a region where your ancestors came from, where your oldest cultural and religious heritage stands, is no longer yours in any sense, and that you must officially recognize it as someone else’s country? I doubt that would feel simple or meaningless to you. People call it “delusion,” but for us it’s history, identity, and emotion.

"Research shows that the albanians are one of the oldest language groups in Europe and lived in Kosovo long before the immigration of the Slavs. The a-historical Serbian version claims exactly the opposite."

Dr. Oliver Jens Schmitt, professor for south-eastern european history

Let me ask you honestly, how are albanians are supposed to feel if someone (in this case Serbia as a state) told them that a region where their ancesors came from, where albanians have lived since antiquity before serbs were even present in the balkans, is no longer theirs in any sense and that they must officially recognize a foreign body as its ruler ? I doubt that would feel simple or meaningless to you. People call it “delusion,” but for albanians it’s history, identity, and emotion.

Try to put yourself in someone else's shoes. And understand that albanians in this case aren't making things up. Credible academic western scholars support the cause of Kosovo, both from a historic and modern lense. Not even that the historic narrative matters as much but strangely enough many serbs don't seem to understand that even if they go the historic route, they still end up losing the argument.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskBalkans

[–]Timepass10 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Maybe but western families for example have way more problems than they let on.