[PEN-L:6169] Re: Re: Imperialist strategy for "reconstructing" theBalkans

[Jim Devine <jdevine@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 03:12 PM 4/29/99 -0400, Charles wrote:
>Isn't this some evidence of imperialism's economic motive in this war ?
Preparation for profit creation out of destruction ? Are there any studies
of profiteering in the Marshall Plan ?

I think it's a mistake to look for the motives for a war in terms of it
unintended consequences. That is, I don't think the US/NATO thought ahead
before they started to hit Serbia with cruise missiles. Our Fearless
Leaders seem to have thought that Milosevic would simply cry "Uncle" and
the whole thing would end.

I'm sure that there was profiteering in W. Europe after WW 2, but
businesses can profit from a lot of different situations. And often the big
profiteers were people with little or no political influence before the
policy was put into effect.

To explain the Marshall Plan, I'd emphasize US hegemonic ambitions, the
effort to protect capitalism in Europe, the effort to control the USSR
(which had MP aid offered to it, with big strings attached),
anti-communism, etc. Corruption and profiteering were results more than
causes.

Jim Devine jdevine@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx &
http://clawww.lmu.edu/Faculty/JDevine/jdevine.html
Bombing DESTROYS human rights. US/NATO out of Serbia!