-----Original Message----- From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
>It is those who de facto ally with Milosevic by defending him who are
>steeped in the gore of Kosovar deaths and ethnic clensing.
-Who the fuck is defending Milosevic, aside from Mark Jones? You just can't -stop that slur, can you, Nathan? It's essential to the rest of your prowar -stance, but it's crap.
I know I am allied with NATO imperialism on this one (and it makes me damn uncomfortable), so I don't call that a slur when it's hurled at me, although I will deny being pro-imperialism. Opposing the bombing is de facto allying with Milosevic's regime, even if that does not mean you are pro-genocide or ethnic clensing.
But this "clean hands" attitude of those opposing relief for the Kosovars, despite the fact that many activists protesting the bombing have found themselves next to Serbian fascists, is just disingenuous.
In war, like a lot of conflicts, the question is just Which side are you On? In cases like this, neither side leading the charge is particularly appetizing, but to claim to have a political opinion on the war while also claiming to be non-aligned is just not credible.
The Kosovar leadership, including Rugova now that he has gotten out of the country, has called for the withdrawal of Serb troops and an international force in Kosovo, exactly the demands of NATO.
If you have a strategy to accomplish that without military action, the fine, but otherwise you are de facto allying with Milosevic against the Kosovars in opposing military intervention.
One reason many in the Left are so comfortable in opposition is that it means they never have to take moral responsibility for hard choices. They can claim to oppose everything bad and when their inaction allows evil to happen, they can just say, Well we weren't in power so we are not responsible.
I'm not religious but I have always taken the story of the Good Samaritan seriously as a key to activism. Doing right is not enough; you also cannot allow evil to happen while claiming clean hands.
>Would anyone argue that killing some poor kid drafted into the army is more
>moral than bombing the home of the Serbian legislator who voted to send him
>to war?
-Wow, they can distinguish between the homes of legislators and those of -podiatrists and beauticians? Those are some smart damn bombs!
Better than bombs that land on troops can, since those are almost guaranteed not to fall on legislators or their children. Military attacks are more discriminating, true; they carefully discriminate in killing those too poor or too without connections to avoid frontline military service.
--Nathan Newman