"Pro-Serb-Nationalism"/"Pro-Milosevic" Baiting and the Death of Yugoslavia

[Chris Burford]

At 20:21 01/04/99 -0500, you wrote:
>It has been my experience on this list that those who do not swallow the
>imperial thesis that "Serbs are the worst rapists, ethnic cleansers, and
>organizers of genocide" have been repeatedly characterized as
>"pro-Serb-nationalism" and/or "pro-Milosevic." I have no probelm refuting
>such characterization, but the frequency with which such epithets are used
>reminds me of red-baiting rhetoric; only this time, you are not baited for
>being a red, you are baited for being pro-Serb or pro-Milosevic. Completely
>misleading, not to mention quite tiresome.
>
>I simply note here that this "Pro-Serb-Nationalism"/"Pro-Milosevic" Baiting
>has happened less often on three other left-political-elists I'm subbed to.
>The difference does say something about this list's subscriber demographics.
>
>I also add that even in the left imagination and language, Yugoslavia (a
>multi-ethnic country) died a long time ago, and only "Serbia" remains in
>its place, though not all who live in "Serbia" are Serbs and not all who
>live in "Kosovo" are Albanians. This language use reveals that despite
>their superficial anti-nationalist rhetoric, they have actually bought into
>the imperial strategy of carving up Yugoslavia through nationalism.
>
>Yoshie

You have been a dedicated apologist for Serb fascism, all the more serious
for the reasoned way you do it.

It is disingenuous to suggest the proposition by which you are judged is
that we must believe that the Serbs are the worst ethnic cleansers. 

It is enough to see the evidence that the Serb nationalists have had a well
worked out plan to empty Kosovo of Albanians. 

You can try to trivialise the matter by calling it an "imperial thesis" if
you wish. Others will form their own opinion.

I do not regard that accusation as red-baiting. Marx said that a nation
which oppresses another cannot itself be free. 

If you claim that Serbian nationalism is socialist, then I would merely
modify my challenge: you have been a dedicated and reasoned apologist for
Serb social fascism.

Chris Burford

London

PS This is the sort of honourable marxist position you should have publicised:


>MONTENGERIN COMMUNISTS REJECT RALLIES
>
>Montenegrin Communists have refused to take part in anti-NATO rallies
>outside the US cultural centre in Podgorica.
>
>The Communists sent an open letter to the rally organizers saying they
>would no longer participate in such demos.
>
>"We were ashamed when we saw that the rally began with impassioned
>chants of 'We shall slaughter the Albanians'," the party's central
>committee said.
>
>The Communists added that the main speakers were "proven
>nationalists", the Information Ministry reported.
>
>		- BBC Monitoring 01/04/99