Parenti's "The U.S. War On Yugoslavia"

[gorillafuck]

I just finished watching this, and he seems to allege that there wasn't ethnic fueled violence and killing carried out by Milosevic, which is contrary to all my prior knowledge. Are there any criticisms of his speech or things he may have gotten wrong so I have a more even picture (not from a viewpoint supporting the war)? I'd also like to hear the viewpoints of our members who live in ex-Yugoslavia. Overall I thought it was a good and informative speech though, but I need a more even picture.

Here's the speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEzOgpMWnVs

[GatesofLenin]

Remember that the USA and the CIA never liked Serbia and would do anything to turn public opinion against them. Serbia was a long-time supporter of the USSR, remember Greater Serbia (the idea to connect Serbia to the USSR). That's a big Communist threat to the US. The Balkan war = CIA experiment ... believe it!

[RadioRaheem84]

Woah. So now Milosevic is a victim? I thought he had a rather nasty version of national socialism set up back then.

[Tatarin]

But the fact was that they didn't align themselves with the USSR, which would have given them considerably support, if not protection from Western forces.

[blake 3:17]

But the fact was that they didn't align themselves with the USSR, which would have given them considerably support, if not protection from Western forces.

Milosevic came to power as the USSR collapsed.

[zubovskyblvd]

Remember that the USA and the CIA never liked Serbia and would do anything to turn public opinion against them. Serbia was a long-time supporter of the USSR, remember Greater Serbia (the idea to connect Serbia to the USSR). That's a big Communist threat to the US. The Balkan war = CIA experiment ... believe it!

I always thought that Greater Serbia was just about Serb nationalism and its desire to dominate other countries, never heard anything about linking up with the USSR... got any links for further info on this?

[Intelligitimate]

I just finished watching this, and he seems to allege that there wasn't ethnic fueled violence and killing carried out by Milosevic, which is contrary to all my prior knowledge. Are there any criticisms of his speech or things he may have gotten wrong so I have a more even picture (not from a viewpoint supporting the war)? I'd also like to hear the viewpoints of our members who live in ex-Yugoslavia. Overall I thought it was a good and informative speech though, but I need a more even picture.

Here's the speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEzOgpMWnVs

There is no "even picture." There is the mainstream bourgeois view, promoted by various cruise-missile Leftist types, and then there is the radical Leftist view, promoted by anarcho-y people like Chomsky and Herman to communists like Parenti, and lots of other non-Lefty people who have bothered to investigate the conflict.

So pick your side: pro-imperialism or radicalism.

[rebelmouse]

this video at youtube is very long.
separation of Yugoslavia was clear ideological war between capitalism and socialism, in which capitalism misused local nationalists and their greediness (to be president in own state instead to be president of republic inside of big state) to destroy socialism.
milošević was one idiot who killed his competition (stambolic helped to him to succeed in politics and special unit of milosevic killed him when he wanted to come back in politics), idiot who created problems with aim to set himself as necessary person for solving of problem, he started war with aim to take parts of croatia and bosnia (although president of croatia was not better but we speak now about milosevic), he was idiot who started privatization and made privatization for himself and his friends from his political party and therefore we got bombs from west europe (western politicians serve corporations/business because they are financed from them, therefore we got bombs on our head because of stupid milosevic privatization in which he excluded western corporations).
I am against privatization, but when he did it already, then it was better to let other to take what they want. but he didn't do it and the west misused conflict in kosovo to kill people in serbia. if they killed milosevic, minimum half of serbia would be happy, but they killed us, ordinary people (they bombarded us with aim to make cheap industry and cheap workers, in that way corporations can profit from war).
one more time, conflict in kosovo was misused, the west don't care for human rights and Kosovo Albanians. they care only how to create profit.

In any case, I am not agreed that there was not ethnic cleaning in kosovo, I have friend who was in military in Kosovo and when he came back he told me that they bombard whole villages in Kosovo. Maybe my friend lied, but I don't think so.
problem is not so simply, but surely it was crime what army of milosevic did. they found excuse, like turkish military: albanians (from villages and from cities) made armed guerrilla attacks against serbian police and military in Kosovo, most of the state see it as terrorism, and then after attack, guerrilla went back to their homes. for serbian police was not easy to discover them because they were any peasant or worker, but secret agency knew which village support guerrilla. therefore milosevic bombarded whole villages where guerrilla had support among people. I compare it with Turkish actions against Kurds, or US/NATO actions against Taliban villages. it is crime 100%.
but as I said, west don't care for people, they just misused such situation to bombard Serbia. The same as some Albanians died even they never touch weapons in their life, the same many Serbs died from NATO bombs even these Serbs never touch weapon in their life. innocent people died at the both sides.
of course, I am agreed that CIA supported separation of Yugoslavia and later conflict in Kosovo.
but people must know that Kosovo Albanians had such plans several decades, situation is not developed in 2-3 years than much longer. Albanians gathered in west europe money ("taxes") from Kosovo Albanians who work there and they had to pay. Leaders of Albanians guerrilla were mixed in arm trade and drug business. Kosovo is even today one of the most transit route between Turkey and EU about heroin, so, the main drug criminals are leaders of mentioned guerrilla. even now after everything is finished, they still control transport of heroin from Turkey to the EU. they are new ruling class, mixed in criminal activities and many times they kill competition in Kosovo. I think that Hashim Thaci, he succeeded to eliminate competition so he is now the main politician and big boss there.

Milosevic and Russia: yeah, in serbia exist beliefs that russia will always help us when we are in trouble, and milosevic even didn't care for conflict with NATO because he really believed that russia will help him. but it was not so, russia was not ready to make conflict with whole world because of milosevic. russia also in that time needed credits/money from west europe. so, when milosevic saw that there is no help, he capitulated.
but he had brother there in russia as ambassador of serbia, so many years they misused offshore companies in cypress (greece) to steal money from serbia and to transfer it to russia. therefore, after milosevic finished in prison in hague/holland, his family ran away to moskau/russia. they are there full of money which they stole from serbia. they got status of refugees even court in belgrade tried to find them and jugde them for different things (son of milosevic attacked (with chainsaw) activists of youth groups who fought against milosevic, wife of milosevic is mixed in affairs with property/flats, etc). simply, brother of milosevic secured that their family get political protection in russia and of course when they are full of money they will get everything what they want.
problem is that political party of milosevic is again inside of government and there are court processess which will be abolished or it will become old or eyewitness died, etc. so before or later, family of milosevic will be able to come back in serbia without problem, full of our money.

[ComradeMan]

I worked on a translation that dealt with certain reports on this conflict. Respecting the confidentiality of the report and professional ethics I can however state that it seems no side came out of the conflict smelling of roses, the Serbian group where not well liked in the West because of their more tradtionally pro-Russian stance- understandable in view of history, religion and the Second World War and also that they had the upper hand in controlling Belgrade and the main state apparatus of the former Yugoslavia. It's long and complicated.

[Drace]

I like this guys style
Does he have a book on US imperialism?