From Batak Chiu
The big and small Albanian tragedies do not repeat themselves even in the 21st century. Their modern history runs through a thin, almost invisible thread that has only recently begun to be noticed and studied by experts.
Edvin K. Rama is the first one who has the merit of reviving, reborn and reintroduced the concept and the term in question in the political current and in the post-modern vocabulary of the new Albania. If nothing else, he will be remembered for his intelligent public debates and for his elegant yet direct characterization of political opponents over the years. It can therefore be attributed as his, the epitaph for the competitors:
"With these you have to have two B's. One to hold, and one to break!"
And with this he has revealed a bitter truth: Albanians, at the national or local level, in different periods and eras, for small and big issues, have often been put in the dilemma of which of the two B's they should choose. Which one should they keep? Who should they tear?...
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The two most strategic B's that have recently been targeted by researchers go back to the second world war, when Albanians had to choose between the anti-fascist Bloc and the Axis forces. Then came the clash between the Communist Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc. A long and sad story that extremely disappointed the Albanians: Because no matter which B they chose, they were always torn.
With the fall of the communist dictatorship, society finally thought that White days were ahead. They happily chose this color, but in fact for many, many years, their days were actually Beige, to say the least.
Confused and unaccustomed to the many options of choice, the Albanians were once again offered to choose their favorite, between Berisha and Baca Namik. They solved the first B and Baca Namik (Hoti), the head of the first Albanian Ecological Party was left in oblivion.
After many vicissitudes, Berisha was ousted from power and in the early 2000s, Albanians entered the new millennium with renewed hopes that the worst was over. This period proved once again that, like the Theory of Relativity, the Theory of Two Bs remains undisputed. Thus, in the early 2000s, the American Bush won the presidential elections, while Berlusconi became prime minister in Italy. Albanian democrats believed that the time of the Bs had come, but they were wrong. At the global level, the world had chosen to keep the two big Bs, so the small Albanian B, Berisha, had no other way but to split in the parliamentary elections of 2011. But.. note: Berisha won in 2005, only because Berlusconi would lose a few months later, in front of Romano Prodi. So, in the long run,
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Throughout the mists of history, Albanians have always walked with the pride and stubbornness of the one who, in his stubbornness, has nothing to lose. That's why he had to try everything, and not to lose the truth even if he loses everything. From this philosophy of life came the golden expressions: " Don't break it, B... B didn't break us... You are smart, you do this work with B... Does B keep it?" , etc. etc.
But in the meantime, the dilemma of choosing between the two B's has not been cruelly presented to the Albanians.
Mr. Basha was presented to Albania as the new Messiah of the democrats. And the presentation was made no less and no more, but the big B himself, Berisha. The illusion that the two B's could live together in harmony did not last long. The Americans made the first choice: They decided to keep the small B and tear the big B. But the Albanians did not like this selection of imperialists, that's why they are conducting another round of elections themselves. And they are not to blame. Finally, Berisha just showed them on video that Basha was secretly meeting with Balla. So with a B from the other camp. How come two little Bs conspire against the big B? Yes, this has no place to stay!
And finally. The most spicy confrontation between the B's will take place in Shkodër. The people of Shkodran have to choose between Bardhi and Benet, both from Shkodra, both right-handed, but one, Benet, is much more pehlivan than the other and has been waiting for the left wheel for several years. Actually, Bennett says he didn't go left, but it was Edwin K who turned right to meet him. It's probably not bad.
So, which B will the people of Shkodran choose? Who will they keep and who will they tear?
Note: Patronageist is a satirical column that occasionally accepts comments from independent analysts whose name begins with B