[PEN-L:6101] Re: Demonizing Milosevic, NATO

["J. Barkley Rosser, Jr." <rosserjb@xxxxxxx>]

       I have been surprised that nobody has taken
me to task yet for my "demonization" (although maybe
such is further down my inbox).  But, just for the
record, I only posted that stuff because I saw it in
the Russian language media out of Russia, where
they are now virulently anti-NATO, somewhat less
strongly pro-Serb, but distinctly ambivalent about His
Excellency, being all too aware of his unpleasant
personal characteristics.  Indeed, the Russian media
has had further insulting things to say about His
Excellency that I did not reproduce.
      Those reports did not come from the "imperialist
press," although I have seen such stories in the US media.
Barkley Rosser
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: lbo-talk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <lbo-talk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tuesday, April 27, 1999 7:23 PM
Subject: Demonizing Milosevic, NATO


>At 15:26 27/04/99 -0400, Barkley  wrote:
>
>>      BTW, I would ask those who criticize the "demonization"
>>of His Excellency:  How would the world be different today if
>>HIs Excellency had fallen dead of a heart attack in about 1986?
>
>
>I am not sure that Barkley's comments amount to a demonization although
>they show a cordial disrespect. Generally I prefer a more austere position
>that the social, economic and political formation in Serbia has to explain
>how a fascist politics could have emerged in the name of socialism.
>
>I would also argue against demonization of NATO. Some Serb authorities have
>tried to sneer at Mad Madeleine Albright. It seems likely that she and the
>CIA were most responsible for tying western pressure to a strategy of a
>massive air bombing campaign without thinking through the consequences for
>the Kosovars. But the steps by which this occurred are not the steps of
>demons. Capitalism and imperialism are not to be explained that way.
>
>I do think that her policy, at a personal level, clearly influenced by
>being a Czech of Jewish background, is imperialist and capitalist in
>character.
>
>Chris Burford
>
>London
>
>