No Pity for S a r a j e v o

In t h e TV p r o g r a m m e Le Couloir pour la parole (broadcast on t h e ' A r t e ' c h a n n e l , 19

D e c e m b e r ) , w i t h its S t r a s b o u r g - S a r a j e v o v i d e o l i n k - u p , t h e striking feature was t h e
absolute superiority, t h e e x c e p t i o n a l status c o n f e r r e d by m i s f o r t u n e , distress a n d total
disillusionment - that very d i s i l l u s i o n m e n t w h i c h allowed t h e p e o p l e of Sarajevo to
treat t h e ' E u r o p e a n s ' w i t h c o n t e m p t , or at least w i t h an air of sarcastic f r e e d o m , w h i c h
contrasted with the hypocritical remorse and contrition of those at the o t h e r end of
t h e v i d e o - l i n k . It was n o t they w h o n e e d e d c o m p a s s i o n ; t h e y h a d c o m p a s s i o n for our
w r e t c h e d destinies. ' I spit o n E u r o p e ' , said o n e o f t h e m . N o t h i n g offers g r e a t e r freed o m , in fact, or greater sovereignty, t h a n justified c o n t e m p t a n d n o t e v e n for t h e
e n e m y , b u t for t h o s e s u n n i n g t h e i r g o o d c o n s c i e n c e s i n t h e w a r m g l o w o f solidarity.
A n d t h e y have seen plenty o f these f i n e friends. R e c e n t l y , even Susan Sontag, w h o
c a m e to stage Waiting for Godot in Sarajevo. W h y n o t Bouvard and Pecuchet in Somalia
or Afghanistan? Yet t h e w o r s t part of this isn't t h e h i g h - f l o w n cultural s e n t i m e n t , b u t
6

6. Bouvard et Pecuchet was Flaubert's last, unfinished novel. It was published in serial form in the
Nouvelle Revue, b e g i n n i n g on 15 D e c e m b e r 1880, s o m e seven m o n t h s after his death.

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the condescending attitude and the misconception regarding w h e r e strength and

w e a k n e s s lie. They are t h e s t r o n g o n e s . It is we w h o are w e a k , g o i n g over t h e r e
s e a r c h i n g for s o m e t h i n g t o c o m p e n s a t e for o u r w e a k n e s s a n d loss o f reality.
O u r reality: t h a t i s t h e p r o b l e m . W e h a v e o n l y o n e reality, a n d i t has t o b e r e s c u e d . A n d r e s c u e d e v e n w i t h t h e w o r s t o f slogans: ' W e have t o d o s o m e t h i n g . W e
can't j u s t d o n o t h i n g ' . B u t d o i n g s o m e t h i n g j u s t b e c a u s e y o u c a n n o t n o t d o i t has
never a m o u n t e d to a principle of action or freedom. Merely a form of absolution
f r o m y o u r o w n i m p o t e n c e a n d c o m p a s s i o n for y o u r o w n fate.
T h e p e o p l e o f Sarajevo d o n o t have t o face this q u e s t i o n . W h e r e t h e y are, t h e r e
i s a n a b s o l u t e n e e d t o d o w h a t t h e y d o , t o d o w h a t has t o b e d o n e . W i t h n o i l l u sions a s t o e n d s a n d n o c o m p a s s i o n for t h e m s e l v e s . T h a t i s w h a t b e i n g real m e a n s ;
t h a t i s w h a t i t m e a n s t o b e i n t h e real. A n d this i s n o t i n a n y sense t h e ' o b j e c t i v e '
reality of t h e i r m i s f o r t u n e , t h a t reality w h i c h ought not to exist a n d for w h i c h we feel
pity, b u t t h e reality w h i c h exists as it is t h e reality of an a c t i o n a n d a destiny.
T h i s i s w h y t h e y are alive a n d w e are t h e o n e s w h o are d e a d . T h i s i s w h y , f r o m
o u r o w n p o i n t o f view, w e have, first, t o r e s c u e t h e reality o f t h e w a r a n d i m p o s e
t h a t c o m p a s s i o n a t e reality o n t h o s e w h o are suffering f r o m it, b u t w h o , a t t h e
v e r y h e a r t o f w a r a n d distress, d o n o t really believe i n it.
I n h e r o p i n i o n p i e c e s , Susan S o n t a g confesses t h a t t h e B o s n i a n s d o n o t really
b e l i e v e i n t h e distress all a r o u n d t h e m . I n t h e e n d , t h e y find t h e w h o l e s i t u a t i o n
u n r e a l , senseless, u n i n t e l l i g i b l e . It is a hell, b u t an a l m o s t h y p e r r e a l hell, m a d e t h e
m o r e h y p e r r e a l b y m e d i a a n d h u m a n i t a r i a n h a r a s s m e n t , since t h a t m a k e s t h e a t t i t u d e o f t h e w h o l e w o r l d t o w a r d s t h e m e v e n m o r e i n c o m p r e h e n s i b l e . So, t h e y live
in a k i n d of spectral w a r - a n d a g o o d t h i n g t o o or t h e y c o u l d n e v e r b e a r it. It is n o t
I w h o say this; t h e y say it t h e m s e l v e s .
B u t Susan S o n t a g , w h o i s f r o m N e w Y o r k , m u s t k n o w b e t t e r t h a n t h e y d o w h a t
reality i s b e c a u s e she has c h o s e n t h e m t o e m b o d y it. O r p e r h a p s s i m p l y b e c a u s e i t

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is w h a t she a n d t h e w h o l e of t h e W e s t lacks m o s t . So it is n e c e s s a r y to go a n d
r e b u i l d a reality for ourselves w h e r e t h e b l e e d i n g is. All t h e s e ' c o r r i d o r s ' w e o p e n
u p t o s e n d o u r supplies a n d o u r ' c u l t u r e ' are, i n reality, c o r r i d o r s o f distress t h r o u g h
w h i c h we i m p o r t their strength and the energy generated by their misfortune.
O n c e again, a n u n e q u a l e x c h a n g e . A n d Susan S o n t a g c o m e s t o c o n v i n c e t h e m they w h o find a kind of additional strength in the t h o r o u g h stripping-away of the
illusion o f t h e real ( i n c l u d i n g t h e p r i n c i p l e o f political r a t i o n a l i t y b y w h i c h w e are
g o v e r n e d , a n d w h i c h i s p a r t o f t h e E u r o p e a n reality p r i n c i p l e ) - o f t h e 'reality' o f
t h e i r suffering, by c u l t u r a l i z i n g it, of c o u r s e , by t h e a t r i c a l i z i n g it so t h a t it c a n serve
as a p o i n t of r e f e r e n c e in t h e t h e a t r e of W e s t e r n values, o n e of w h i c h is solidarity.
Yet Susan S o n t a g herself is n o t t h e issue. S h e is m e r e l y fashionably e m b l e m a t i c
o f w h a t has n o w b e c o m e a w i d e s p r e a d s i t u a t i o n , i n w h i c h h a r m l e s s , p o w e r l e s s
intellectuals trade t h e i r w o e s w i t h t h e w r e t c h e d , e a c h s u p p o r t i n g t h e o t h e r i n a k i n d
of p e r v e r s e c o n t r a c t exactly as t h e political class a n d civil s o c i e t y t r a d e t h e i r
respective w o e s today, t h e o n e s e r v i n g u p its c o r r u p t i o n a n d scandals, t h e o t h e r its
artificial c o n v u l s i o n s a n d i n e r t i a . N o t s o l o n g ago, w e saw B o u r d i e u a n d t h e A b b e
P i e r r e offering t h e m s e l v e s u p i n televisual sacrifice, t r a d i n g off b e t w e e n t h e m t h e
p a t h o s - l a d e n l a n g u a g e a n d t h e s o c i o l o g i c a l m e t a - l a n g u a g e o f m i s e r y . A n d so, also,
7

o u r e n t i r e s o c i e t y i s e m b a r k e d o n t h e p a t h o f c o m m i s e r a t i o n i n t h e literal sense,
u n d e r c o v e r of e c u m e n i c a l p a t h o s . It is a l m o s t as t h o u g h , in a m o m e n t of i n t e n s e
r e p e n t a n c e a m o n g intellectuals a n d p o l i t i c i a n s , a m o m e n t r e l a t e d t o t h e p a n i c c u r r e n t l y s u r r o u n d i n g h i s t o r y a n d t h e t w i l i g h t o f values, w e h a d t o r e p l e n i s h t h e
s t o c k s o f values, t h e referential r e s e r v e s , b y a p p e a l i n g t o t h a t l o w e s t c o m m o n

7. T h e A b b e Pierre has been a p r o m i n e n t French figure since the 1950s, b e i n g particularly well
k n o w n for his w o r k w i t h the homeless. Pierre B o u r d i e u was Professor of Sociology at t h e College
de France and Director of Studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales.

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d e n o m i n a t o r t h a t i s h u m a n misery, r e s t o c k i n g t h e h u n t i n g g r o u n d s w i t h artificial
g a m e , as it w e r e . 'It is c u r r e n t l y i m p o s s i b l e , in n e w s a n d d o c u m e n t a r i e s , to s h o w
a n y o t h e r spectacle t h a n suffering' ( D a n i e l S c h n e i d e r m a n n ) . A v i c t i m society. I
s u p p o s e all it is d o i n g is e x p r e s s i n g its o w n d i s a p p o i n t m e n t a n d r e m o r s e for an
u n t h i n k a b l e v i o l e n c e against itself.
T h e N e w I n t e l l e c t u a l O r d e r e v e r y w h e r e treads t h e p a t h s m a r k e d o u t b y t h e
N e w W o r l d O r d e r . T h e m i s f o r t u n e , suffering a n d m i s e r y o f o t h e r s h a v e e v e r y w h e r e b e c o m e the raw material and the primal scene. V i c t i m h o o d , a c c o m p a n i e d
b y h u m a n r i g h t s , a s t h e only, funereal, ideology. T h o s e w h o d o n o t e x p l o i t i t
directly a n d i n t h e i r o w n n a m e d o s o b y proxy. A n d t h e r e i s n o lack o f m i d d l e m e n
w h o take t h e i r financial o r s y m b o l i c c u t i n t h e process. Deficit a n d m i s f o r t u n e , like
t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l d e b t , are t r a d e d a n d sold on in t h e futures m a r k e t in this case
t h e p o l i t i c o - i n t e l l e c t u a l m a r k e t , w h i c h i s q u i t e t h e e q u a l o f t h e late, u n l a m e n t e d
military-industrial complex.
N o w , all c o m m i s e r a t i o n is p a r t of t h e logic of m i s f o r t u n e . To refer to m i s f o r t u n e ,
if o n l y to c o m b a t it, is to give it a base for o b j e c t i v e r e p r o d u c t i o n in p e r p e t u i t y .
W h e n f i g h t i n g against a n y t h i n g w h a t e v e r , w e h a v e t o start o u t f r o m t h e evil t o b e
c o m b a t e d , never from the misfortune p r o d u c e d .
A n d t h e t h e a t r e o f t h e t r a n s p a r e n c y o f Evil i s t r u l y t h e r e i n Sarajevo. T h e s u p pressed c a n k e r w h i c h c o r r u p t s all t h e rest, t h e v i r u s o f w h i c h E u r o p e ' s paralysis i s
t h e s y m p t o m . E u r o p e ' s irons are b e i n g p u l l e d o u t o f t h e f i r e a t t h e G A T T talks, b u t
t h i n g s are g o i n g up in s m o k e at Sarajevo. In a sense, this is a g o o d t h i n g . T h e s p e cious, sham Europe, the E u r o p e b o t c h e d together in the most hypocritical
c o n v u l s i o n s , i s c o m i n g u n s t u c k a t Sarajevo. A n d i n this sense w e m i g h t a l m o s t see
t h e S e r b s a s p r o v i d i n g t h e u n o f f i c i a l a c i d test, a s d e m y s t i f y i n g t h a t p h a n t o m
E u r o p e t h e E u r o p e o f t e c h n o c r a t i c politicians w h o are a s t r i u m p h a l i s t i n t h e i r
s p e e c h e s a s t h e y are d e l i q u e s c e n t i n t h e i r a c t i o n s . F o r w e c a n see t h a t t h e m o r e talk

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t h e r e is of E u r o p e , t h e m o r e it decays (just as t h e m o r e talk t h e r e is of h u m a n rights,

t h e less t h e y are r e s p e c t e d ) . B u t this i s n o t t h e real p o i n t h e r e . T h e real s t o r y i s t h a t
t h e Serbs, a s t h e agents o f e t h n i c cleansing, are a t t h e forefront o f t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n
o f E u r o p e . F o r i t i s b e i n g c o n s t r u c t e d , t h e 'real' E u r o p e : a w h i t e E u r o p e , a w h i t e washed Europe, integrated and purified morally as m u c h as economically or
ethnically. It is b e i n g v i c t o r i o u s l y c o n s t r u c t e d at Sarajevo a n d , in this sense, w h a t is
h a p p e n i n g t h e r e i s n o t a n a c c i d e n t a t all, b u t a logical, a s c e n d a n t p h a s e i n t h e N e w
E u r o p e a n O r d e r , t h a t subsidiary o f t h e N e w W o r l d O r d e r , e v e r y w h e r e c h a r a c t e r ized by ' w h i t e ' fundamentalism, protectionism, discrimination and control.
I t i s said t h a t i f w e j u s t leave t h i n g s t o h a p p e n a t Sarajevo w e shall b e t h e n e x t t o
' g e t it'. B u t w e have already g o t it. All t h e E u r o p e a n c o u n t r i e s are u n d e r g o i n g
e t h n i c c l e a n s i n g . T h i s i s t h e real E u r o p e t a k i n g s h a p e i n t h e s h a d o w o f t h e
P a r l i a m e n t s , a n d its s p e a r h e a d is Serbia. It is no use t a l k i n g a b o u t s o m e sort of p a s sivity or powerlessness to react, since w h a t we h a v e h e r e is a p r o g r a m m e c u r r e n t l y
b e i n g c a r r i e d o u t , a p r o g r a m m e i n w h i c h B o s n i a i s m e r e l y t h e n e w frontier. W h y
d o y o u t h i n k L e P e n has largely d i s a p p e a r e d f r o m t h e political stage? B e c a u s e t h e
s u b s t a n c e o f his ideas has e v e r y w h e r e filtered i n t o t h e political class i n t h e f o r m o f
n a t i o n a l o p t - o u t s , c r o s s - p a r t y unity, E u r o - n a t i o n a l i s t instincts a n d p r o t e c t i o n i s m .
T h e r e i s n o n e e d n o w for L e P e n , since h e has w o n , n o t politically, b u t virally - i n
m e n t a l i t i e s . W h y s h o u l d this stop at Sarajevo, s i n c e w h a t is at stake is e x a c t l y t h e
same? Solidarity will n o t m a k e a j o t of difference to all this. It will e n d m i r a c u l o u s l y
t h e day t h e e x t e r m i n a t i o n i s c o m p l e t e , t h e day t h e d e m a r c a t i o n l i n e o f ' w h i t e '
E u r o p e has b e e n d r a w n . I t i s a s t h o u g h E u r o p e , irrespective o f n a t i o n a l d i s t i n c t i o n s
a n d political differences, h a d ' t a k e n o u t a c o n t r a c t ' w i t h t h e Serbs, w h o h a v e d o n e
t h e d i r t y d e e d for it, a s t h e W e s t o n c e t o o k o u t a c o n t r a c t o n I r a n w i t h S a d d a m
H u s s e i n . O n l y , w h e n t h e h i r e d g u n g o e s t o o far, h e t o o m a y have t o b e b u m p e d
off. T h e o p e r a t i o n s against Iraq a n d S o m a l i a w e r e relative failures f r o m t h e p o i n t o f

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v i e w o f t h e N e w W o r l d O r d e r ; s o far a s t h e N e w E u r o p e a n O r d e r i s c o n c e r n e d ,
t h e B o s n i a n o p e r a t i o n s e e m s set t o s u c c e e d .
T h e B o s n i a n s k n o w this. T h e y k n o w t h e y are c o n d e m n e d b y t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l
d e m o c r a t i c o r d e r , n o t b y s o m e h a n g o v e r f r o m t h e past o r s o m e m o n s t r o u s e x c r e s c e n c e called fascism. T h e y k n o w t h e y are d o o m e d t o b e e x t e r m i n a t e d o r b a n i s h e d
o r e x c l u d e d , like all h e t e r o g e n e o u s , refractory e l e m e n t s t h e w o r l d o v e r - i r r e v o c ably s o b e c a u s e , w h e t h e r t h e k i n d souls a n d b a d c o n s c i e n c e s o f t h e West like i t o r
n o t , t h a t i s t h e i n e x o r a b l e p a t h o f progress. T h e p r i c e t o pay for m o d e r n E u r o p e
will b e t h e e r a d i c a t i o n o f M u s l i m s a n d Arabs, w h o are i n d e e d already b e i n g e r a d i c a t e d e v e r y w h e r e , e x c e p t w h e r e t h e y r e m a i n a s i m m i g r a n t slaves. A n d t h e m a j o r
o b j e c t i o n t o t h e b a d - c o n s c i e n c e offensive, a s m o b i l i z e d i n m e d i a h a p p e n i n g s like
the o n e at Strasbourg, is that, by p e r p e t u a t i n g the image of the alleged powerlessness o f E u r o p e a n policies a n d t h e i m a g e o f a W e s t e r n c o n s c i e n c e r a c k e d b y its o w n
i m p o t e n c e , it p r o v i d e s a c o v e r for t h e real o p e r a t i o n by l e n d i n g it t h e spiritual
benefit of the d o u b t .
T h e p e o p l e o f Sarajevo s h o w n o n A r t e certainly l o o k e d a s i f t h e y h a d n o illusions
a n d n o h o p e , b u t t h e y d i d n o t l o o k like p o t e n t i a l m a r t y r s . Far f r o m it. T h e y h a d
t h e i r o b j e c t i v e m i s f o r t u n e , b u t t h e real w r e t c h e d n e s s , t h a t o f t h e false apostles a n d
v o l u n t a r y m a r t y r s , was o n t h e o t h e r side. N o w , a s has v e r y r i g h t l y b e e n said, ' i n t h e
hereafter n o h e e d will b e p a i d t o v o l u n t a r y m a r t y r d o m ' .
7 January

50

1993