Yuri Kim as one of us

Alfred Lela

Andi Bushati at Lapsi.al and Kostana Morava at Politiko.al have so far offered the most approximate angles in the prism of multifaceted views on the revolt after the assassination of Klodian Rasha. Bushati emphasizes that 'the protesters have it with all of us', including here those who are in power, those who serve the government, and others who are in opposition and, once in power, will quickly and without hesitation, accept the services of those who are now servile to power.

Morava was the first to picket the revolt as of the 'neighborhood boys'; of the great despised, escorting the 'cortege' of the revolted beyond the usual government-opposition clashes.

I think that these two angles have been the most right, or the most honest, in the Albanian press, traditional and electronic.

The projection of what was happening on the boulevard, streets, and alleys of Tirana as nothing more than the old rush for the power of the three political blocs, an agenda pushed forward strongly in the media by the government, did not leave unscathed even the first lady of the US Embassy, Yuri Kim.

Involuntarily, it served the main narrative pumped by the pro-government media of Tirana. It is not the unintentional bias, I hope and believe, of Mrs. Kim, that makes her reaction inappropriate, but the humiliating idea for all those who breathe outside the lungs of politics, that Albania's oxygen is found only in the PS-PD-LSI chambers.

This puts pressure on that shrinking minority trying to get out of the discourse of major political and economic groups in the country.

The American ambassador does exactly the opposite of the promise with which she and her predecessors come to Tirana: the expansion of the democratic space, the independence from the political backyards, the replacement of the stooges with critical thinking.

What should be emphasized, and what makes people 'put inline' after the American approach, has to do with the perception that 'Elbasan Street knows', 'they have accurate info on who organizes the protests, etc.'. This kind of assurance that Americans bring makes their intervention more debilitating and 'biased'. It is also worth emphasizing the fact that, in the communications, for American citizens to be careful, it is not implied that the demonstrations are political, but only as potential threats. This 'politicization', lacking these days, had been clear in previous cases, when protests have been called by the opposition.

Another highlight, which should be remembered, has to do with the civic engagement of the US Embassy. Recall, for example, the Act Now of former Ambassador Arvizu who invited young people to engage and take charge of their own destinies. A reminder that applies to Ms. Kim is that the political parties here are the biggest 'employers' in the country. Their protesting phalanxes, pouring into the squares for both sides, are nothing more than wards ready to take a job when the red or blue come to power. Some are content with a place of laziness, where they receive a salary without doing anything - only violating the rights of the needy, while the most 'sophisticated' fight for directorial positions in Customs, Tax offices, etc., where the money is made in sacks.

Whenever there is an uprising in Albania outside the party ranks, as seems to be the case of the revolt for the assassination of Klodian, they should be encouraged. Putting them in the 'party bag' discourages the independence of non-partisan groups and breaks the threads of participatory democracy.

As the saying goes in America: 'put your money where your mouth is'. This time in contrast to Ms. Kim: 'put your words where your money is'.