WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.100 I want to start today with a bit of a riddle. 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:05.280 OK. Actually, it's more of a personality quiz 00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:08.179 for an entire nation. I want you to picture a 00:00:08.179 --> 00:00:11.320 dinner party, a very high stakes and honestly 00:00:11.320 --> 00:00:13.960 very confusing dinner party. I'm already intrigued. 00:00:14.359 --> 00:00:16.620 Who exactly is on this guest list? OK. So at 00:00:16.620 --> 00:00:18.719 this table, you have seated the following people. 00:00:19.300 --> 00:00:21.460 First, you have a former United States Secretary 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:25.559 of State, a four star general. Right. Next to 00:00:25.559 --> 00:00:28.370 him, you have the Emir of Kuwait. Okay, a bit 00:00:28.370 --> 00:00:31.530 of a pivot. Across the table sits a retired British 00:00:31.530 --> 00:00:34.609 appellate judge. Next to him is an Italian TV 00:00:34.609 --> 00:00:37.810 broadcaster. A TV broadcaster. Yeah. And finally, 00:00:38.210 --> 00:00:40.390 in the empty chair at the head of the table. 00:00:40.490 --> 00:00:42.670 Yeah, the empty chair. An empty chair. Because 00:00:42.670 --> 00:00:45.909 seated there is an assassinated politician. That 00:00:45.909 --> 00:00:49.289 honestly sounds like the setup to a very complicated... 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:53.679 with a niche geopolitical joke, or maybe a meeting 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:55.719 of the UN that went completely off the rails. 00:00:55.799 --> 00:00:57.320 It does, doesn't it? It sounds like a random 00:00:57.320 --> 00:00:59.000 number generator just picked the guest side of 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:01.439 a hat. But it's not a joke, and it's not random 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:03.979 at all. This is an actual list. So the question 00:01:03.979 --> 00:01:07.060 for you listening is, what on earth do all of 00:01:07.060 --> 00:01:09.099 these entities, because obviously one of them 00:01:09.099 --> 00:01:11.439 isn't even a single person, what do they all 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:13.439 have in common? And just to ground this for everyone 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:16.480 listening, we aren't talking about... A conspiracy 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.000 theory here. These aren't members of some secret 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:21.540 society meeting in a basement somewhere. No, 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.140 not at all. These people are linked by a very 00:01:24.140 --> 00:01:27.959 specific, very official thread that's found right 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:30.040 there in public government records. Exactly. 00:01:30.359 --> 00:01:33.799 They're all recipients of the Gjergj Kastrioti 00:01:33.799 --> 00:01:36.599 Skanderbeg decoration. It is one of the highest 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:39.340 honorary state decorations given by the Republic 00:01:39.340 --> 00:01:42.620 of Albania. And that is exactly what we are unpacking 00:01:42.620 --> 00:01:44.959 in this deep dive today. Because on the surface, 00:01:45.019 --> 00:01:46.799 if you just glance at the source material, it's 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:48.799 really just a list of names. It looks administrative. 00:01:48.900 --> 00:01:51.980 Boring even. Yeah, boring. But if you actually 00:01:51.980 --> 00:01:55.599 stop and look at who is on this list and crucially 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:58.590 why they're there, It stops being a simple list 00:01:58.590 --> 00:02:01.049 of names and it starts becoming a map. A map 00:02:01.049 --> 00:02:03.709 of what, exactly? A map of survival. I mean, 00:02:03.769 --> 00:02:07.030 a map of high -stakes strategy. This single medal 00:02:07.030 --> 00:02:09.569 gives us a forensic look at how a small nation 00:02:09.569 --> 00:02:12.490 like Albania navigates the modern world. Which 00:02:12.490 --> 00:02:14.490 is fascinating! We're going to see how they balance 00:02:14.490 --> 00:02:16.830 superpowers, how they attract foreign wealth, 00:02:17.069 --> 00:02:20.250 how they honor their own scars, and perhaps most 00:02:20.250 --> 00:02:22.750 surprisingly, how they fight to keep their culture 00:02:22.750 --> 00:02:26.419 alive in a completely globalized world. So we're 00:02:26.419 --> 00:02:28.740 treating this medal as a lens to understand a 00:02:28.740 --> 00:02:31.539 country's entire worldview. I love that. But 00:02:31.539 --> 00:02:33.360 before we get to the celebrities and the emirs, 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:35.680 we really have to establish the ground rules. 00:02:35.780 --> 00:02:38.120 What exactly is this object we're talking about? 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:40.960 Right. The Jujurd -Castrioti -Scenderbu decoration. 00:02:41.659 --> 00:02:44.020 It is a state decoration awarded by the president 00:02:44.020 --> 00:02:46.979 of Albania. Now the name itself is the very first 00:02:46.979 --> 00:02:49.939 clue to his weight. Scenderbu, or Scanderbeg 00:02:49.939 --> 00:02:52.979 in English. Right. Jurd -Castrioti -Scanderbeg. 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:55.460 If you aren't familiar with Balkan history, or 00:02:55.460 --> 00:02:58.199 if you've never visited Tirana, you really cannot 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:00.400 overstate this man's importance. No, you can't. 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:02.979 The source material describes him simply as the 00:03:02.979 --> 00:03:05.539 national hero of the Albanian people. Which feels 00:03:05.539 --> 00:03:07.639 like a bit of an understatement given his actual 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:10.120 legacy, right? It is a massive understatement. 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:13.479 He was a 15th century military commander who 00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:15.879 led a decade -long rebellion against the Ottoman 00:03:15.879 --> 00:03:19.419 Empire. Wow! He held up a superpower for 25 years. 00:03:19.610 --> 00:03:23.030 In the Albanian consciousness, he isn't just 00:03:23.030 --> 00:03:25.990 a historical figure. He is the ultimate symbol 00:03:25.990 --> 00:03:29.229 of resistance identity and survival. He is the 00:03:29.229 --> 00:03:32.270 founding myth. His helmet is literally on the 00:03:32.270 --> 00:03:35.050 flag. So naming the medal after him is essentially 00:03:35.050 --> 00:03:37.770 the highest compliment the state can pay. It's 00:03:37.770 --> 00:03:40.870 their version of the Legion of Honor or the Congressional 00:03:40.870 --> 00:03:43.590 Medal of Honor. Precisely. It invokes the spirit 00:03:43.590 --> 00:03:46.259 of the nation's greatest defender. And because 00:03:46.259 --> 00:03:48.819 the name carries that incredible weight, the 00:03:48.819 --> 00:03:50.979 criteria for getting it are very, very specific. 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:53.080 Why are they? Well, the source says it is awarded 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:55.539 for important contributions or specific heroic 00:03:55.539 --> 00:03:59.319 acts for three things, the defense, the strengthening 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:01.580 and the advancement of the Republic of Albania. 00:04:01.819 --> 00:04:03.460 Defense, strengthening and advancement. I want 00:04:03.460 --> 00:04:05.159 to keep those three pillars in mind, because 00:04:05.159 --> 00:04:06.879 as we go through this list, I think we're going 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:08.919 to see that the definition of defense is much 00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:11.400 broader than just guns and ammo. It definitely 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:13.639 is. But before we move on to that, I need to 00:04:13.639 --> 00:04:16.560 make one technical clarification. OK. This is 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:18.480 important because the terminology can get quite 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:20.459 confusing. And if you're ever at a diplomatic 00:04:20.459 --> 00:04:23.420 reception in Toronto, you do not want to mix 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:26.240 this up. You have to distinguish this decoration 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:29.899 from the Order of Skanderbeg. Oh, I noticed that 00:04:29.899 --> 00:04:31.660 in the notes. There's a big distinction there. 00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:35.000 A massive one. The Order is a dynastic award. 00:04:35.500 --> 00:04:39.160 That is given by the Albanian royal family. The 00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:41.439 descendants of the monarchy King Zog's line. 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:43.939 Right. The decoration we are analyzing today 00:04:43.939 --> 00:04:46.860 is a state award from the Republic. So one is 00:04:46.860 --> 00:04:48.920 from a would -be king and the other is from the 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:50.660 elected president. Correct. We are looking at 00:04:50.660 --> 00:04:52.600 the government's choices here, not the monarchies. 00:04:52.899 --> 00:04:54.620 This is the state speaking about who matters 00:04:54.620 --> 00:04:58.240 to the state. Got it. Republic, not royals. And 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:00.040 looking at the eligibility for this, it seems 00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:03.319 pretty open. Yes. And that is key to our analysis. 00:05:03.959 --> 00:05:06.120 It is eligible to both Albanians and foreign 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:08.800 nationals. And honestly, The foreign nationals 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:10.879 are where the geopolitical story really gets 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:12.920 interesting. Why is that? Because when a country 00:05:12.920 --> 00:05:15.120 gives a medal to a foreigner, they're sending 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:17.920 a message to the rest of the world. Let's get 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:20.319 into that list then, because when I was scrubbing 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:22.660 through the recipients, the first group that 00:05:22.660 --> 00:05:25.649 jumped out at me were the heavy hitters. We are 00:05:25.649 --> 00:05:28.529 talking about legitimate global power players. 00:05:28.769 --> 00:05:31.569 You are seeing the defense aspect of the criteria 00:05:31.569 --> 00:05:34.389 in action right there. This is Albania shoring 00:05:34.389 --> 00:05:36.649 up its security through alliances. I'm looking 00:05:36.649 --> 00:05:40.829 specifically at 2003. Who gets the medal? Colin 00:05:40.829 --> 00:05:44.009 Powell. At the time, a retired U .S. general 00:05:44.009 --> 00:05:46.829 and the former secretary of state. Context is 00:05:46.829 --> 00:05:49.290 everything here. Look at the date. 2003. Post 00:05:49.290 --> 00:05:51.689 9 -11. Exactly. Post 9 -11. The early stages 00:05:51.689 --> 00:05:55.279 of the Iraq war context. Albania, having emerged 00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:57.939 from decades of extreme isolation under communism, 00:05:58.459 --> 00:06:00.920 was very keen to demonstrate its loyalty to the 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:03.560 Atlantic alliance. By honoring Colin Powell, 00:06:03.740 --> 00:06:06.040 the Albanian state is sending a massive signal. 00:06:06.300 --> 00:06:08.360 It's a signal of alignment. It's basically saying, 00:06:08.660 --> 00:06:10.740 we pick this side. Exactly. It's a way of saying, 00:06:10.939 --> 00:06:13.000 we are with you. And reciprocally, thank you 00:06:13.000 --> 00:06:14.980 for being with us. Remember, US intervention 00:06:14.980 --> 00:06:17.360 in the Balkans in the 90s is a defining memory 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:19.660 for the region. Right. Without US involvement, 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:21.839 the map of the Balkans might look very different 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:25.740 today. Honoring Powell is cementing that specific 00:06:25.740 --> 00:06:28.259 bond. And he's not the only American official 00:06:28.259 --> 00:06:30.800 on the list either. We see Rosemary DeCarlo, 00:06:30.939 --> 00:06:33.800 a career diplomat, and Jonathan and more. It 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:36.100 feels like a very deliberate strategy to keep 00:06:36.100 --> 00:06:39.439 Washington close. Absolutely. For a small country 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:42.180 in a volatile neighborhood, access to the U .S. 00:06:42.300 --> 00:06:45.800 State Department is a survival mechanism. These 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:48.379 medals are diplomatic currency. They build relationships. 00:06:48.459 --> 00:06:50.699 They build personal relationships. But notice 00:06:50.699 --> 00:06:53.459 it's not just the U .S. If you look at the European 00:06:53.459 --> 00:06:56.379 names, you see a similar pattern of cementing 00:06:56.379 --> 00:06:59.160 alliances, but with a slightly different flavor. 00:06:59.500 --> 00:07:01.779 Right. I see Giorgio Napolitano, the president 00:07:01.779 --> 00:07:03.879 of Italy. That makes sense. Italy is right across 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:05.839 the water. Then you have Michael Spindalegger, 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.699 the foreign minister of Austria, and the Norris 00:07:08.699 --> 00:07:11.420 Tack, a German politician. These are key European 00:07:11.420 --> 00:07:14.100 power centers. Italy, Austria, Germany. These 00:07:14.100 --> 00:07:16.040 are the countries that hold the keys to European 00:07:16.040 --> 00:07:18.319 integration. Albania wants to be part of the 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:21.300 EU. honoring these figures is a way of acknowledging 00:07:21.300 --> 00:07:23.600 their support in that long, difficult process. 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:26.500 It's almost like a who's who of people Albanian 00:07:26.500 --> 00:07:30.019 needs on speed dial. In a way, yes. But it's 00:07:30.019 --> 00:07:32.360 deeper than just shaking hands at a summit. I 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:34.879 want to draw your attention to Henry Brooke. 00:07:35.339 --> 00:07:37.899 The British judge. I saw that. Sir Henry Brooke. 00:07:38.060 --> 00:07:40.600 Yes, a retired British Court of Appeal judge. 00:07:41.660 --> 00:07:44.199 Now pause for a second. Why does a British judge 00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:46.920 get a medal named after a 15th century warrior 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:50.040 who fought the Ottomans with a sword? I honestly 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:52.639 assumed he did something heroic. Or maybe presided 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:55.600 over a specific case that helped Albania internationally. 00:07:55.860 --> 00:07:58.319 He did help them, but in a very specific context. 00:07:59.019 --> 00:08:01.019 The source notes he was honored specifically 00:08:01.019 --> 00:08:04.399 for services to justice reform. OK, so that connects 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:06.759 back to the criteria strengthening the republic. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:08.959 Exactly. This is where the definition of defense 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:11.519 expands. Strengthening the republic isn't just 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:14.079 about tanks and NATO treaties. It's about the 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:16.519 legal system itself. Does that make sense? For 00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:19.060 a post -communist country transitioning to democracy. 00:08:19.290 --> 00:08:21.689 Judicial reform is arguably the hardest battle 00:08:21.689 --> 00:08:24.750 they face. Corruption can destroy a state just 00:08:24.750 --> 00:08:27.889 as effectively as an invading army can. So honoring 00:08:27.889 --> 00:08:30.629 a British judge is a way of acknowledging that 00:08:30.629 --> 00:08:33.490 a functioning court system is just as vital to 00:08:33.490 --> 00:08:35.730 the nation's survival as a military alliance. 00:08:36.169 --> 00:08:38.309 Correct. It acknowledges that the rule of law 00:08:38.309 --> 00:08:40.950 is a central pillar of the state. So you have 00:08:40.950 --> 00:08:43.809 the American military might, the European diplomatic 00:08:43.809 --> 00:08:47.590 corps, and British legal expertise. All covered 00:08:47.590 --> 00:08:50.000 by this one single medal. It paints a picture 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:52.879 of a country that is firmly, firmly looking west. 00:08:53.220 --> 00:08:55.799 It's integrating itself into the Euro -Atlantic 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:57.919 framework. It's saying, we are part of this club. 00:08:58.059 --> 00:09:00.899 That is the primary narrative, yes. But, and 00:09:00.899 --> 00:09:02.759 here's where the plot kind of thickens. It's 00:09:02.759 --> 00:09:04.600 not just looking west. Because if you scroll 00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:06.899 down that recipient list, you suddenly leave 00:09:06.899 --> 00:09:09.019 Europe entirely. You cross the Mediterranean 00:09:09.019 --> 00:09:11.750 and land squarely in the Middle East. This is 00:09:11.750 --> 00:09:13.870 the development aspect of the award kicking in. 00:09:14.210 --> 00:09:16.850 And this is where Albania's strategy gets very 00:09:16.850 --> 00:09:18.789 pragmatic. We're talking about royalty from the 00:09:18.789 --> 00:09:22.230 Gulf. We have Hamad bin Khalifa al -Thani, the 00:09:22.230 --> 00:09:25.490 emir of Qatar. We have Abdullah bin Zayed al 00:09:25.490 --> 00:09:28.129 -Nahyan, the former minister of the UAE. It creates 00:09:28.129 --> 00:09:30.629 a fascinating balance, doesn't it? You have the 00:09:30.629 --> 00:09:32.690 NATO commanders on one side and the Gulf leaders 00:09:32.690 --> 00:09:35.690 on the other. Albania is diversifying its portfolio 00:09:35.690 --> 00:09:38.049 of friends. And there's one specific example 00:09:38.049 --> 00:09:40.429 that I think perfectly illustrates why they are 00:09:40.429 --> 00:09:42.450 getting this award. It's almost transactionally 00:09:42.450 --> 00:09:45.470 transparent. the Emir of Kuwait, Saba al -Amar 00:09:45.470 --> 00:09:49.549 al -Jaber al -Asaba, he got the medal in 2012. 00:09:49.850 --> 00:09:52.470 Yes. The citation for that award is incredibly 00:09:52.470 --> 00:09:55.350 telling. It's very specific. The source explicitly 00:09:55.350 --> 00:09:57.970 says he got it for his, quote, financial contribution 00:09:57.970 --> 00:10:00.289 to the reconstruction of the Skanderbeg Square, 00:10:00.490 --> 00:10:02.990 end quote. Connect the dots there. The medal 00:10:02.990 --> 00:10:06.009 is named Skanderbeg. The main square in the capital, 00:10:06.269 --> 00:10:09.480 Tirana, is Skanderbeg Square. Right. The Emirate 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:11.360 Kuwait writes the check to fix up the square, 00:10:11.539 --> 00:10:14.139 and in return he receives the Skanderbeg decoration. 00:10:14.379 --> 00:10:16.740 It's incredible literal. You fix the namesake 00:10:16.740 --> 00:10:19.720 square here as the namesake's medal? It is, but 00:10:19.720 --> 00:10:22.019 you shouldn't dismiss it as just a receipt. It's 00:10:22.019 --> 00:10:25.159 symbolic of modern statecraft. Development is 00:10:25.159 --> 00:10:27.419 one of the pillars of the award. In a modern 00:10:27.419 --> 00:10:30.480 context, securing funding for major infrastructure 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:33.539 projects, making the capital city look like a 00:10:33.539 --> 00:10:36.879 modern European capital, that is a high service 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:39.100 to the state. It is interesting, though. Skanderbeg 00:10:39.100 --> 00:10:41.600 was famous for fighting the East, specifically 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:44.500 the Ottomans. And now the medal named after him 00:10:44.500 --> 00:10:46.799 is being used to thank leaders from the East 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:49.159 for rebuilding his square. That is the irony 00:10:49.159 --> 00:10:51.620 of history, isn't it? But it's also the flexibility 00:10:51.620 --> 00:10:54.960 of modern diplomacy. Albania is recognizing that 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:57.960 to strengthen the republic, you need diverse 00:10:57.960 --> 00:11:00.559 resources. You can't just rely on one group. 00:11:00.860 --> 00:11:02.840 Right. You need security guarantees from the 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:05.440 West. But you also need development capital, 00:11:05.980 --> 00:11:08.500 and often that capital comes from the Gulf. So 00:11:08.500 --> 00:11:10.779 the metal essentially bridges those two worlds. 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:13.460 It says we value your money just as much as we 00:11:13.460 --> 00:11:15.840 value their protection. Precisely. It's a survival 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:17.639 strategy. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:20.000 OK, so we've covered the global stage. We've 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:21.980 been to Washington, Brussels and Kuwait city. 00:11:22.419 --> 00:11:24.700 But we have to talk about the neighborhood, because 00:11:24.700 --> 00:11:26.840 a significant number of these recipients are 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:29.750 from the Balkans. Naturally. You cannot separate 00:11:29.750 --> 00:11:32.750 Albania from the broader Albanian ethnic region, 00:11:33.129 --> 00:11:36.049 specifically Kosovo. We see Futmer Sijju, the 00:11:36.049 --> 00:11:38.690 president of Kosovo. We see Ramush Hardinash, 00:11:38.730 --> 00:11:40.809 the former prime minister of Kosovo. This signals 00:11:40.809 --> 00:11:44.049 regional solidarity. By awarding the leaders 00:11:44.049 --> 00:11:47.629 of Kosovo the highest state decoration, Albania 00:11:47.629 --> 00:11:50.110 is reinforcing the bond between the two populations. 00:11:50.129 --> 00:11:51.990 Right. It's an acknowledgement of their shared 00:11:51.990 --> 00:11:55.269 struggle and shared political destiny. It's stating 00:11:55.269 --> 00:11:58.600 your leaders are our heroes, too. And it's not 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:01.159 just the external leaders, either. There's mention 00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:03.580 of internal politics, too, like Faros Nano, the 00:12:03.580 --> 00:12:06.440 former prime minister of Albania. But what really 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:08.740 struck me most about the domestic list is the 00:12:08.740 --> 00:12:10.960 tragic element. There are several posthumous 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:13.320 awards. Yes. This is where the medal serves a 00:12:13.320 --> 00:12:15.220 completely different function. It stops being 00:12:15.220 --> 00:12:18.019 a tool of diplomacy and becomes a tool of memory. 00:12:18.340 --> 00:12:21.070 The name Azem Hajdari stands out. The source 00:12:21.070 --> 00:12:23.950 describes him as an assassinated Albanian politician. 00:12:24.190 --> 00:12:26.289 Hajdari was a key figure in the student movement 00:12:26.289 --> 00:12:28.870 that helped bring down communism in the early 00:12:28.870 --> 00:12:31.850 90s. He was a turbulent, charismatic figure in 00:12:31.850 --> 00:12:35.090 the democratization process. He was decorated 00:12:35.090 --> 00:12:38.690 posthumously in 2008. And Sebregoto, a writer, 00:12:38.990 --> 00:12:41.190 screenwriter, and politician, also decorated 00:12:41.190 --> 00:12:44.710 posthumously. When the state does this, awarding 00:12:44.710 --> 00:12:47.320 the dead, It's doing something very different 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:49.600 than when it awards a foreign diplomat. How do 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:52.600 you mean? It's canonizing them. It's saying this 00:12:52.600 --> 00:12:55.379 person's life and their death was for the strengthening 00:12:55.379 --> 00:12:57.600 of the republic. Yeah. It weaves their personal 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:59.980 story into the official national history. It 00:12:59.980 --> 00:13:02.879 makes them permanent. Exactly. It elevates them 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:06.120 to the level of Skanderbeg himself. a defender 00:13:06.120 --> 00:13:08.940 of the nation. It creates a pantheon, basically. 00:13:09.019 --> 00:13:11.100 It's telling the citizens, these are your saints. 00:13:11.340 --> 00:13:13.279 Exactly. It tells the next generation who to 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:15.820 look up to. It says a political sacrifice is 00:13:15.820 --> 00:13:18.519 recognized and honored. It binds the trauma of 00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:20.580 the past, like the assassination of Hajdari, 00:13:20.980 --> 00:13:23.460 into the strength of the modern state. It's fascinating 00:13:23.460 --> 00:13:26.919 how one physical object, this piece of metal 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:29.019 and ribbon, can mean thank you for the money, 00:13:29.179 --> 00:13:31.480 thank you for the protection, and we will never 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:34.019 forget your sacrifice all at the exact same time. 00:13:34.139 --> 00:13:37.740 It is a multi -purpose tool of state identity. 00:13:38.840 --> 00:13:40.620 But there's one more category that I think is 00:13:40.620 --> 00:13:43.600 the most surprising. And in my opinion, the most 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:45.440 profound. I think I know exactly where you're 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:47.200 going. We've done defense. We've done development. 00:13:47.340 --> 00:13:48.980 We've done politics. Now we have to talk about 00:13:48.980 --> 00:13:51.779 culture. We have to. Because if you look closely, 00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:54.720 the list includes poets. It includes historians. 00:13:55.100 --> 00:13:57.460 It moves away from the hard power of generals 00:13:57.460 --> 00:14:00.320 and politicians and right into the soft power 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:03.740 of ideas. I saw Sabri Hamidi. The source says 00:14:03.740 --> 00:14:06.539 he was awarded for irreplaceable contribution 00:14:06.539 --> 00:14:09.440 to modern Albanian thought. Modern Albanian thought. 00:14:09.580 --> 00:14:11.779 Just pausing that for a second. That is a magnificent 00:14:11.779 --> 00:14:14.159 phrase for a government citation. It really is. 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:16.100 Usually, governments reward action. You built 00:14:16.100 --> 00:14:18.159 a bridge, you won a battle, you signed a treaty. 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:21.379 This is rewarding thinking. It acknowledges that 00:14:21.379 --> 00:14:24.200 philosophy, literature, and ideas are a genuine 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:27.000 form of national service. And next, I hear Spahiu, 00:14:27.379 --> 00:14:29.679 decorated for contribution to national culture. 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:31.940 And Aleksandr Stepchevich, the historian and 00:14:31.940 --> 00:14:34.399 archaeologist. These aren't people leading armies 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:37.580 or signing treaties. They're writing books. But 00:14:37.580 --> 00:14:40.200 in the Balkans, writing history is a form of 00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:44.090 defense. Establishing your narrative? Your origin, 00:14:44.529 --> 00:14:48.049 your culture? That is how you maintain your identity 00:14:48.049 --> 00:14:51.110 against larger powers who might want to erase 00:14:51.110 --> 00:14:53.250 it or claim it as their own. That makes a lot 00:14:53.250 --> 00:14:55.929 of sense. The historian is a soldier in the battle 00:14:55.929 --> 00:14:58.409 for memory. Wow. But the one that really stopped 00:14:58.409 --> 00:14:59.929 me in my tracks, the one that made me go, wait, 00:15:00.029 --> 00:15:02.649 is this a typo? Was the award given recently 00:15:02.649 --> 00:15:06.269 in October 2023? You're talking about RAI Calabria. 00:15:06.450 --> 00:15:09.600 Yes. It's a TV station. Right. Well, a branch 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:12.820 of the Italian broadcaster by REI. It seems odd 00:15:12.820 --> 00:15:15.220 at first glance, doesn't it? Putting a regional 00:15:15.220 --> 00:15:18.240 TV branch on the exact same shelf as Kellen Powell 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:21.179 or an assassinated martyr, it feels like a category 00:15:21.179 --> 00:15:23.240 error. It seems very odd. I mean, why did a TV 00:15:23.240 --> 00:15:25.340 station get the highest state honor? Did they 00:15:25.340 --> 00:15:27.139 produce a really good documentary or something? 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:30.120 The source explains it clearly. They were awarded 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:32.480 for their significant contribution to preserving 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:35.379 the Arboreshi culture and language. Can you unpack 00:15:35.379 --> 00:15:37.679 that for us? Because I think a lot of you listening 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:40.299 might not know who the Arboreshi are or why they 00:15:40.299 --> 00:15:43.240 matter so much to Albania. The Arboreshi are 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:45.820 an Albanian community living in southern Italy. 00:15:46.379 --> 00:15:48.340 But they aren't recent immigrants. They didn't 00:15:48.340 --> 00:15:51.200 arrive on boats in the 1990s. Okay. They fled 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:54.559 Albania centuries ago. actually right after the 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:57.059 death of Skanderbeg himself in the 15th century 00:15:57.059 --> 00:15:59.399 to escape the Ottoman conquest. So they have 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:02.980 been in Italy for 500 years. Over 500 years. 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:05.919 And miraculously, they have kept their distinct 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:09.440 language, their customs and their identity alive 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:12.320 in Italy all that time. They're essentially a 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:15.419 living time castle of medieval Albania. That 00:16:15.419 --> 00:16:18.120 is incredible resilience. Five centuries. It 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:21.899 is. And RAI Calabria The regional branch of the 00:16:21.899 --> 00:16:25.059 Italian State Broadcaster produces regular programming 00:16:25.059 --> 00:16:27.460 specifically for this community. So they broadcast 00:16:27.460 --> 00:16:29.559 in the language itself. Exactly. They broadcast 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:31.600 in the Arboreshi dialect. They tell the local 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:33.940 stories. They keep the dialect breathing in a 00:16:33.940 --> 00:16:36.820 digital age. And the president of Albania decided 00:16:36.820 --> 00:16:39.419 that this act, keeping the language alive across 00:16:39.419 --> 00:16:42.159 the Adriatic Sea, was worthy of the Skanderbeg 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:44.700 decoration. That is a profound statement on what 00:16:44.700 --> 00:16:47.360 actually constitutes defense. It is the ultimate 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.340 statement. It says that the nation isn't just 00:16:49.340 --> 00:16:51.980 borders and armies. The nation is the language. 00:16:52.539 --> 00:16:55.240 The nation is the culture. If the language dies 00:16:55.580 --> 00:16:57.860 the nation disappears, no matter how many tanks 00:16:57.860 --> 00:17:00.700 you have or how many treaties you sign. So by 00:17:00.700 --> 00:17:03.740 broadcasting a TV show in an old dialect, this 00:17:03.740 --> 00:17:06.160 Italian media outlet is in the eyes of the state 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:08.359 defending the Republic. They are defending the 00:17:08.359 --> 00:17:10.980 very soul of the Republic, and that's why they 00:17:10.980 --> 00:17:13.859 get the medal. It puts the preservation of identity 00:17:13.859 --> 00:17:17.420 on the exact same pedestal as geopolitical security. 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.819 It elevates the cultural worker to the rank of 00:17:20.819 --> 00:17:23.119 the general. It's a really incredible spectrum. 00:17:23.180 --> 00:17:25.119 When you look at it all together, you realize 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:27.640 that a state has to operate on so many different 00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:30.640 levels simultaneously just to exist. It really 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:32.559 strips away the simplicity of foreign policy. 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:35.420 It shows that survival is a complex ecosystem. 00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:37.960 So let's try to pull this all together. We started 00:17:37.960 --> 00:17:40.680 with a riddle. What connects a U .S. general, 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:44.160 a Kuwaiti emir and an Italian TV station? And 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:46.319 the answer is there are all pillars that hold 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:48.480 up the house. That's a great way to put it. If 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:51.980 you were a small nation like Albania. You cannot 00:17:51.980 --> 00:17:54.720 survive on your own. You don't have the luxury 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:58.400 of isolation. You absolutely need the hard power 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:00.680 That's Colin Powell in the NATO Alliance. You 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:02.500 need that shield, right? Right, but you also 00:18:02.500 --> 00:18:04.539 need the soft power and infrastructure That's 00:18:04.539 --> 00:18:06.319 the emir of Kuwait in the Skanderbeg Square. 00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:11.180 You need investment to make life livable and 00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:13.720 modern And you need the political will that's 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:16.339 the regional leaders and the domestic politicians 00:18:16.339 --> 00:18:18.519 who sacrificed for the system. And finally, you 00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:20.319 need the soul. You need the soul. That's the 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:22.700 writers, the thinkers, and yes, the broadcasters 00:18:22.700 --> 00:18:24.980 who ensure that 500 years from now, someone is 00:18:24.980 --> 00:18:27.220 still speaking the language. It's amazing how 00:18:27.220 --> 00:18:29.660 a single Wikipedia list, if you actually take 00:18:29.660 --> 00:18:32.539 the time to read it, can reveal the entire survival 00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:35.200 strategy of a country. It's not just a list of 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:38.140 awards. It's a list of values. And it shows that 00:18:38.140 --> 00:18:40.339 national defense is a much wider concept than 00:18:40.339 --> 00:18:42.660 we usually think. It's not just about stopping 00:18:42.660 --> 00:18:44.799 an invasion. It's about building a square where 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.200 people can gather. It's about writing a book 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:49.819 that challenges how people think. It's about 00:18:49.819 --> 00:18:52.200 broadcasting a song in your grandmother's language. 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:55.000 All of that is Skanderbeg. All of that is Skanderbeg. 00:18:55.099 --> 00:18:57.319 It really makes you think about how we define 00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:00.059 contribution in our own societies. That is a 00:19:00.059 --> 00:19:02.799 powerful place to leave it. But before we go, 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:04.779 I want to leave you listening with one final 00:19:04.779 --> 00:19:07.339 thought to chew on. What's that? We live in a 00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:09.859 world where we constantly obsess over military 00:19:09.859 --> 00:19:12.900 budgets and trade deals. We track where the aircraft 00:19:12.900 --> 00:19:15.279 carriers are going. We look at GDP growth quarter 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:18.220 by quarter. But here is a nation that officially 00:19:18.220 --> 00:19:20.920 equates modern thought and cultural preservation 00:19:20.920 --> 00:19:24.559 with national defense. They give them the exact 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:26.740 same medal. It really makes you wonder about 00:19:26.740 --> 00:19:29.680 our own priorities. Exactly. If we started viewing 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:31.819 our artists and our teachers as being just as 00:19:31.819 --> 00:19:34.339 critical to our national survival as our generals, 00:19:35.079 --> 00:19:37.859 how different would our own societies look? That 00:19:37.859 --> 00:19:40.079 is a question definitely worth exploring. Thanks 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:42.059 for joining us on this deep dive. A pleasure 00:19:42.059 --> 00:19:42.579 as always.