The Harm of Shooting Blanks

TIRANA, Dec. 10 – The Mafia has engulfed Albania!!! The Mafia is dominating at least in its capital Tirana!!! The Mafia is running businesses and purchasing thousands of square meters of land property!!! The Mafia is laundering its money in this tiny Balkan country!!! The Mafia …!!!
One wonders, what would the reaction be from the European Union where Albania aspires to join one day? Should they send a prosecutor in the shape of Giovanni Falcone to take care of this infesting Albanian Mob? One wonders, what would the reaction be from NATO, a member of which Albania has already become? Should the Alliance assign a Douglas MacArthur like general in a shock and awe campaign to restore law and order in the Albanian jungle of mafiosi?
The reaction of the international community has indeed been quick, calling on Albanian politiciansƴo sit down and resolve their disagreements. A rather disappointing reaction one might think, or maybe not!
Indeed, the peace loving citizens should rest assure for Lucky Luciano has not been reincarnated into an Albanian godfather. Instead, the lack of emergency in the reaction of the international community can be easily explained by the fact that this is nothing more than just another noisy day in the playground of Albanian politics.
The governing Democrats, led by Prime Minister Sali Berisha, have strongly accused main opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama, a small group of lawmakers, and some construction businessmen of having organized a ‘plot’ to ‘capture’ properties in the capital and exploit their political position for personal benefits.
The opposition has reacted with almost identical charges by accusing Berisha and his close family of using their posts for personal profits.
It has become a daily matter to hear politicians in Albania accusing each other of corruption and grave wrongdoings, or comparing their country to (apologies are due for mentioning) Afghanistan, Rwanda or Ghana.
Mafia is “A secret criminal organization operating mainly in the United States and Italy and engaged in illegal activities such as gambling, drug-dealing, protection, and prostitution. Any of various similar criminal organizations, especially when dominated by members of the same nationality. A secret criminal organization operating mainly in Sicily since the early 19th century and known for its intimidation of and retribution against law enforcement officials and witnesses. A tightly knit group of trusted associates, as of a political leader,” write different dictionaries found on the net.
We are not the United States or Italy. We’re close to Italy. There is gambling, prostitution and other crimes committed in this country. There are very likely secret criminal organizations operating and involving even government officials, the 20 or so last years have shown.
Indeed politicians may be very correct to say there is Mafia in this country. But are Rama and his associates linked to, part of, or control it?
Governing politicians say yes. Well, they should know better.
Logically, common Albanians would tell them to either take the mafiosi to the court, or else, the governing politicians should also go to the court for co-conspiracy. How could a government, in its fifth year of governing, or the second mandate, let Mafia persons, whom they know, free? That is not normal, gentlemen.
You either act, legally, or shut up!
In addition, how much sense does it make to claim that the opposition is working against the achievement of the visa-free regime? None would really accept that and none should!. The opposition, as crazy as it may be, could not work against itself. The visa-free regime is a goal all Albanians aspire to achieve soon and therefore establish their Europeanness not only in matters of geography.
Yet, on the other hand, Europe may very normally react calmly and say that fighting organized crime and corruption is a top issue in the country’s road map towards the visa-free regime. Hence, eliminate the said issue, the Europeans would say, or don’t bother for free visas because none would accept a small Mafia-linked country to shelter in the 27-member bloc.
Such strong accusations, gentlemen, may well serve your immediate purpose and reach the people’s ears. However, they are strongly and harshly damaging the country’s image along its efforts to get integrated into the European Union. For sure, Europeans know or understand what Berisha and others mean when they make such accusation or use dirty words. But they also tell the country every day that democracy means many things, including political relations and ways of solving political disagreements.
Albania is geographically in Europe but it still has a lot to do economically, in its administration, and, understandably so, in its fight against organized crime and corruption, in hope of becoming its member one day.
It means that the government should really fight against Mafia or Mafia-resembling criminal organizations, personalities, including politicians, and not waste its breath with political accusation that make us all victims of an image we don’t deserve.