Interview: Neil Clark, a journalist and writer

I would love to live in Serbia

I am anti-globalisation, as I believe that globalisation is destroying national culture and national identity, as well as leading to an ever-increasing gap between the rich and poorer countries. I believe in true internationalism - the friendship of people all over the world - but not one country dominating over another and telling it what to do


By MARKO ANDREJIĆ (marko.andrejic@wavemagazine.net)
from Belgrade, SERBIA


Neil Clark is a UK-based journalist, blogger and writer. A regular contributor to the Guardian, the Daily and Sunday Express, the New Statesman and the Spectator, his work has also appeared in publications as diverse as The American Conservative, Pravda, the Morning Star and the Racing Post. His blog was voted Best UK Blog in the 2007 Weblog Awards.

Few weeks ago, Neil Clark's article on TV show "Only Fools and Horses" and it's specific status in Serbia, published in the Guardian, was very much quoted and re-published in Serbian media. That was our motive to make an interview with Mr. Clark via e-mail. He is speaking for WAVE magazine about Trotters family, but also about his visit to Serbia, his political orientation and attitudes, and about future of journalism in era of digital media.

What do you think, what is the reason for TV comedy "Only Fools and Horses" to be so popular in Serbia?

Firstly, I think that Serbs have a wonderful sense of humour. They really appreciate good comedy. I also think that people can identify with the main characters. Del Boy and Rodney have their faults of course, but they are loveable characters. Another factor I think, is that during the 1990s, when very harsh sanctions were imposed on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, many Serbs had to become 'Del Boys' in order to survive.

And what is your personal opinion about Trotters and the quality of the show?

My personal opinion is that "Only Fools and Horses" is one of the greatest comedy series of all time. It's not just me who thinks this way: it was voted Britain's favourite comedy of all time in a poll. The show features great performances from the actors and John Sullivan's scripts were always excellent. There's just been a prequel broadcast in Britain called 'Rock and Chips' which tells the story of The Trotters' early years. I hope it is broadcast in Serbia too as it was excellent.

You spent some time in Serbia. When exactly and what is your impression about Serbia in general, and people here? What was your professional experience?

I love Serbia and I would love one day to live in Serbia. I have been to over 50 countries, but I think the Serbs are among the kindest and most generous of people in the world. The hospitality in Serbia is incredible. The people are warm, friendly and very intelligent.

I have long been interested in the Balkans and visited the Socialist Federation of Yugoslavia in 1989. My first visit to Serbia occured in 1998, when it was still part of the FR Yugoslavia. FR Yugoslavia and Serbia received very negative publicity in the western media at this time, for political reasons, but the reality was very different. For instance, FR Yugoslavia in the late 1990s was portrayed in the west as a 'dictatorship' and similar to Nazi Germany. But it was not true - Yugoslavia and Serbia received this negative media coverage because the government at the time did not do what the US, Britain and the EU demanded of it. I was interested in Balkan affairs before, but coming to Serbia in 1998 - and seeing with my own eyes that the situation was very different to that portrayed in the mainstream western media - really increased my interest in the country, and since then I have written many articles about Serbia, in publications such as the New Statesman, The Guardian. The First Post and the Morning Star.

Your blog was voted Best UK Blog in 2007, and your posts there are very popular and read. There is also a list of links and other blogs - among others about Belarus, Venezuela, but also Slobodan Milošević. What is your opinion on ex-Yugoslavian and Serbian president and his ruling?

I think that Slobodan Milošević was one of the most demonised figures of the 20th century. He is portrayed in the west as a 'dictator', even though opposition parties freely operated during his time in power. He is labelled a 'war-criminal', even though he started no wars. If Milošević's guilt is so obvious, how was it that his trial at The Hague failed to come up with any compelling evidence against him during a four-year period? The great 'crime' of Slobodan Milošević was that he stood in the way of the west's plans for economic and military hegemony in the Balkans. His trial at The Hague was a total farce and should not have happened. And it is interesting that the people who have been most loud in their denounciation of him as a war criminal, were the same people who supported the illegal war against Iraq, in which up to 1m people have died.

You are accusing Tony Blair for war in Iraq. How do you see NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia in 1999?

The war against Iraq was illegal and so too was the NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia. International law is quite clear: a war can only be legal if the UN Security Council sanctions it, or if a country is under attack and fights back. Neither of these conditions was satisfied in 1999: There was no UN authorisation of the war, neither were any of the NATO countries under attack from FR Yugoslavia. Moreover, we should remember the principle of international law laid down at the Nuremberg trials of the Nazis after World War Two, namely that to launch a war of aggression against a sovereign state, as NATO did in 1999, is 'the surpreme international crime'.

Reading your blog we could see about your political orientation and attitudes. It seems that you are very anti-war and anti-globalisation oriented. What are your reasons for that? Are you an official member of any political party?

No, I am not a member of any political party. I am anti-war, as war is immoral and, as we see in Iraq, it can lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. But I am not a pacifist - and I believe that country has the right to defend itself if attacked. I think the Second World War was a rare example of a just war - the Nazis were the aggressors and had to be stopped.

I am anti-globalisation, as I believe that globalisation is destroying national culture and national identity, as well as leading to an ever-increasing gap between the rich and poorer countries. I believe in true internationalism - the friendship of people all over the world - but not one country dominating over another and telling it what to do.

You are also against privatisation?

I am opposed to privatisation as it is not in the public interest. Privatisation doesn't make countries richer, but poorer, as is the case in Serbia today. How does it benefit the country that assets that were owned by the Serbian people are now owned by foreign multinationals? In Britain we have had a disastrous experience with privatisation. Our privatised railways are the most expensive in the world and the service is very poor, as I'm sure that Serbs who have visited Britain will testify.

As you are a contributor to numerous different media in Great Britain and worldwide, how would you describe journalism today, regarding modern information technology? Do you think blogging and social networks are somehow new form of journalism, or it is only a helpful tool for promoting journalistic content?

That's a very interesting question. I think the growth of modern information technology is generally a good thing as people now have a much wider choice of media to read. Let's think back to 1999 - and in the west there was very little challenge to the standard 'elite' line on the war with Yugoslavia. Now, you don't have to get your news from just a small number of outlets.

As for blogging, I think it's a fascinating - and generally positive development. The idea that anyone could publish their views, opinions and thoughts for all the world to see, would have seemed incredible only a few years ago. But now its possible. I once interviewed Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. He believed that the web could enhance democracy and I hope that's the way it will turn out. It's certainly harder for political elites, wherever they are in the world, to get away with telling lies.

Democracy - true democracy - means involving everyone in the decision making process. I think that we should be using the Internet to move towards more direct democracy. If we can vote on what is our favourite tv programme, why can't we vote directly on political issues?



(Published: 09.02.2010.)