| How
does the regime of Slobodan Milosevic and his Socialist Party of Serbia
(SPS) remain in power? Since legitimizing its power in 1990, the SPS
has never received a majority of votes in an election. Furthermore,
it has been defeated in three military conflicts, produced more than
500,000 refugees, presided over the most extreme hyperinflation in
modern times, and failed in its original defining promise to see "all
Serbs in one state." In The Culture of Power in Serbia, Eric
Gordy explores how the Milosevic government prolongs its tenure despite
failures and setbacks that would have brought down most other regimes.
Gordy finds the answer in everyday life. The Milosevic regime has
largely succeeded in making alternatives to its rule unavailable.
By controlling key aspects of daily life, including politics, media,
and popular music, it has undermined opposition by closing off alternative
voices. The result is an atmosphere in which people feel they have
lost control over their private life and cultural environment.
Nevertheless, Gordy finds reason to be optimistic about the long-term
prospects for Serbia. The regime's forays into popular music have
largely failed, and it has had only partial success in controlling
the media, suggesting that the present strategy will not work forever.
In Gordy's judgment, the Milosevic regime has a limited future.
The Culture of Power in Serbia provides fresh perspective
for readers interested in contemporary Eastern Europe, in the strategies
and tactics of authoritarian regimes, in the sociology of everyday
life, and in the political potential of culture. |
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