From the clipping drawer
Columns
Newspaper columns, public notes and sharper pieces from the writer’s room.
-
CONSPIRACY THEORISTS OF THE FUTURE
In the previous essay, we discussed the first two pillars of the new system of control: digital money and global identity. Once these two elements are connected, they create the foundation for managing individual behavior without legal complications and without the visible use of force. But those two pillars cannot function on their own without a third: the hardware of global surveillance. We are talking about networked cameras, satellites, sensors, cell towers,…
-
THE DIGITAL “BRANDING” OF THE PEOPLE
Three friends are talking in the Stara Srbija tavern. “They’re threatening to kill our president again, and the two of you are making jokes,” says the domestic-affairs expert, firmly of the blockade-and-ćaci school. “I honestly don’t know how he doesn’t get tired of it.” “Why are you surprised by him?” says the foreign-policy expert, visibly astonished. “Just look at America. They’re being led by an even bigger fool.” “You two have obviously…
-
GLOBAL WHEELING AND DEALING
Imagine that the owner of a bakery owes the bank 65,230 euros, charges his creditor a 25 percent fee, and then sends his entire family to become clients of that same bank. Sounds absurd, doesn’t it? But if we move onto the global stage, we quickly learn that anything is possible. According to data from March of this year, the United States, which owes China 652.3 billion dollars, is raising tariffs on…
-
KRAGUJEVAC’S LONDON PANORAMA
During the final days of my stay in Kragujevac, I ran into an old schoolmate I had not seen for years. One word led to another, and I learned that he now held some important position in the city government. He was pleased with life, with his family, and most of all with the President. Toward the end of our conversation, he surprised me with a question: “Will you be here for…
-
A TRAVELER THROUGH TIME
During my stay in my homeland, I visited a distinguished colleague whose roots are deeply woven into every clod of our long-suffering native soil. After a fruitful conversation, I decided to call a taxi, thinking it would not do to embarrass myself. To the taxi driver’s sharp question, “Where to?” I naively replied, “To the old courthouse.” The driver of the pink limousine then delivered, in a single breath, a lecture on…
-
WHEN THE ORGAN FALLS SILENT
It was after eight in the evening when the phone rang. “Good evening, Peter Faith speaking. Is this Dezhan?” When you live in America and your name contains the letter “J,” you quickly learn that people will call you Deejan, Dehan, or, more romantically, Dezhan. “That’s me, my friend! An interesting surname for an independent believer!” Calmly, without any introduction, he got straight to the point. “Are you free tomorrow evening? I…
-
MONOPOLY ON VICTIMHOOD
For years, the American public was told that Iran is an existential threat, until fear itself became the primary political tool. In late February 2026, the military operation “Epic Fury” began. As soon as the war escalated, the narrative suddenly shifted, and the same actors who actively support the genocide in Gaza started claiming they were bombing Tehran to help the Iranian people. Wars were once fought for interests. Today, they are…
-
OPERATION ARMAGEDDON
The Oval Office in Washington, a symbol of U.S. state power, has been the stage for all kinds of sordid affairs later covered up by wars. From that very place, in early March this year, a bizarre photograph was sent out into the world: President Trump surrounded by leaders of conservative Christian communities. The host in the White House stood encircled by influential Protestant pastors who had placed their hands on his…
-
PRAYERS AND ROCKETS
At this moment, the three oldest religious traditions on the planet are marking their holiest days. Jews are celebrating Purim – a holiday of survival and divine deliverance. Muslims are observing Ramadan – a month of fasting, prayer, and inner purification. Christians are going through Lent – a period of abstinence, self-examination, and preparation for Easter. Three faiths. Three of the most influential communities. Three parallel worldly languages through which a person…
-
LEFTOVERS
I met Srebrenko many years ago. He immediately introduced himself as a fashion designer from Kakanj, although I later learned he had actually been a second-rate tailor, or as we would say back in Pomoravlje, an old-style cloth maker. Harmless, naive, full of himself, and a loud defender of all things Serbian. Whenever he wanted to emphasize something in conversation, he would cross himself three times. He found a job at a…
STORY TELLER 