Aphorisms by and via Aleksander Cotric

Posted on August 26, 2009
Filed Under Aphorisms | 7 Comments

Serbian aphorist Aleksander Cotric (see p. 30 of Geary’s Guide) sent me excerpts from Serbia’s Secret Weapon, a collection of Serbian anti-war aphorisms compiled by Slobodan Simić. “These aphorisms are about the Balkan wars,” says Cotric, also a member of the Belgrade Aphoristic Circle portrayed in the film Goodbye, How Are you?, “wars that were happening in ex-Yugoslavia at the end of the 90s, but the consequences of those wars are still very present in this part of southeastern Europe.” Professor Zack Trebjesanin provides a kind of introduction to the volume, writing: “Aphorisms, just like the humorous, lucid slogans in the demonstrations against the dictatorial regime, were the best defence against the planned massive spread of madness through mythomania, exclusion and fervent hatred … I believe that short, meaningful aphorisms, mercilessly unmasking lies and stupidity, helped many people keep their spirit and a clear head.” Prepare to have your head cleared with a bracing dose of Serbian satire…

What kind of a patriot are you when you are not on the list of war criminals?! —Aleksandar Baljak (see p. 10 of Geary’s Guide)

Would you like the lesser of two evils? Let Serbs choose first. —Rade Jovanović

We did not die in vain. Our neighbours rejoiced. —Aleksandar Baljak

Every nation has a right to self-determination until self-destruction. —Slobodan Simic

I, too, would condemn the massacre of civilians, but I don’t want to take sides. —Vladan Sokić

These aphorisms are by Aleksandar Čotrić:

The crazy here are not imagining anything; they really are presidents, ministers, generals…

There was no wandering around. We started going the wrong way right from the beginning.

Sometimes they put people in front of tanks. That’s then called a parade.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. That’s our houses burning.

Comments

7 Responses to “Aphorisms by and via Aleksander Cotric”

  1. Drew Byrne on August 26th, 2009 12:41 pm

    Enough is enough but even some more is still interesting.

  2. marty rubin on August 26th, 2009 12:55 pm

    The struggle against injustice is another kind of injustice.

  3. Borislav Mitrovic on September 21st, 2009 8:53 am

    1. Od javnih radova u toku je sahrana drzave!
    2. Najtezi su udarci praznom glavom!
    3. Ponekad je odlazak na onaj svijet veseliji od zivota!
    4. Pokojniku svaka cast.Na sahrani niko nije ostao gladan!
    5. Bogati dugom nemaju sitno za hljeb i mlijko!
    6. Niz dlaku se lakse penje!
    7. Ako drzavi nije dobro,kako li je onda narodu?
    8. Podvijen rep je najcvrsci oslonac!
    9. Nemamo para za sahranu.To nas održava u zivotu!
    10. Nije dovoljno staviti prst na celo.Treba nisaniti u glupost!

  4. SLOBODAN on November 28th, 2009 8:36 am

    *** ŽENA ! AH ŽENE!!!
    * Sve su žene drugačije samo je moja ista.
    * I žena je čovek.
    *Žena je slatka so i dobro zlo.
    *Kod žene je predaja pobeda.
    * Žene ne misle – one znaju.
    *Kad bi žene vladale svetom on bi izgledao drugačije.
    * Juriti ka ili od žena -sve drugo nema smisla

    SLOBODAN Ničić – MANGO Novi Sad. ps. HVALA VAM ukoliko objavit aforizme iako su na SRPSKOM.

  5. nenad corilic on January 21st, 2010 11:01 am

    Do not hang out with bad people! Give them a chance to become better.

  6. More Aphorisms by Aleksandar Cotric > All Aphorisms, All the Time on March 4th, 2010 5:00 pm

    [...] sharp sayings are not for the faint-hearted… Cotric’s aphorisms can also be found in Serbia’s Secret Weapon, a collection of Serbian anti-war aphorisms (which seems to have taken its title from one of the [...]

  7. Forbidden Thoughts (Aleksander Cotric) | Cosmopoetica on March 14th, 2010 7:27 pm

    [...] and found selections from an anthology that looks rich Serbian Secret Weapon, also with selections by Geary. Some of the selections are somehow simultaneously as sharp as a scalpel and blunt enough to [...]

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