Yugoslavia

[phillp2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I was listening to "As it Happens", the CBC news backgrounder,
this evening on the events in Yugoslavia.  Rather interesting.
Apparently Milosevic met with the Army Chiefs and Kostinica,
congratulated Kostinica on his electoral victory and announced he
was going to retire temporarily from politics to play with his
grandchildren.  Meanwhile, as Ken Hanly has posted, his party
retains an absolute majority in the legislature -- democratically
elected -- and, it is noted, Kostinica has no legislative power since
the office of president is largely ceremonial/ figurehead head of
state.  i.e. Milosevic exerted power through political rather than
executive or legislative influence, power he retains through his
influence on the governing party, not on his elected office.

Already some voices of the American/British Nato alliance were
heard saying getting rid of Milosevic is not enough.
Serbia/Yugoslavia must surrender to the demands of the west --
i.e. the problem of Yugoslavia was not Milosevic, but Serbia's
refusal to bend to occupation by western (i.e. US) capital.  This
means that Kostinica must deliver Serbia to the west.  But he,
constitutionally, is unable to do this, at least democratically.

This poses a problem for the US/NATO (and for those on this list
who accepted the demonization of Milosevic).  They have blamed
the devil (Milosevic) and engineered his downfall.  But, at least to
this point, have not attained their aims.

Now, a quick question.  Several on this list who are otherwise
perceptive and critical thinkers have accepted, and indeed
broadcast, the view that Milosevic is an agent of the devil, etc.
What evidence does anyone on this list have that he is evil, anti-
democratic, satanic etc. other than Albright's (sic) and company
diatribes.  What evidence is there?  Have any of you actually read
his speech at Kosovo Polje where he supposedly fanned the
flames of ethnic hatred?  Has he ever used the police to quell
dissent any more than the Seattle police did over the WTO, or the
RCMP did over Suharto's participation in the APEC conference in
Vancouver, or the Israeli Army has to quell Palestinian opposition
in Israel?  People keep saying he is a 'thug'.  He may be a
machine politician, but is that any different than Clinton, Blair or
Chretien?

It seems to me unfortunate when North American leftists become
spokespersons for CIA propaganda.

Paul Phillips,
Economics,
University of Manitoba