Re: <nettime> remember the kosovo war on this list?

[richard barbrook <richard@hrc.wmin.ac.uk>]

Hiya,
>
>1) Were there any people on Nettime who supported the NATO bombing
>campaign?

I thought that the Left was supposed to support national liberation
struggles and oppose fascism! If the American imperialists choose to aid
the oppressed against the oppressors, why should we protest? I loathed the
Stalinist regime in Russia, but was very happy that they gave money and
guns to the ANC...

>2) Did anyone think that Serbian Television was a proper war target and
>that bombing it was a correct act?

Is making propaganda justifying imperialism, apartheid and 'ethnic
cleansing' correct? Is it okay to murder newspaper editors, imprison
journalists, close down opposition media, etc., etc.?

>3) What might have been the nature of any 'censorship' that was carried
>out by the editors of Nettime -- from what point of view?

The most obvious absence on the nettime discussions were the voices of the
Kosovars themselves. Just think for a moment about *why* this might have
been the case...

>Many well-educated, liberal, otherwise gentle, loving people I know
>swallowed the NY Times propaganda whole and to this day support the
>bombing.

Or maybe they've met people who lived through the siege of Sarajevo, had
their relatives murdered by Chetniks, survived being imprisoned in a
concentration camp or were burnt out of their homes? My sister was a
Greenham Common peace protestor in the 1980s who had turned into a NATO
tanks-to-Belgrade hawk by last year.

>It could easily happen again... That's what concerns me.

'Milosevic carries within him a psycho-pathology of war. He is compelled to
seek war. Just as a murderer must kill and a psychopath rape, he must make
war. The West let him wreak destruction for far too long.' -  Bogdan
Bogdanovic, ex-mayor of Belgrade, quoted in the latest issue of 'Bosnia
Report': <www.bosnia.org.uk>.

Later,

Richard

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Richard Barbrook
Hypermedia Research Centre
School of Communications and Creative Industries
University of Westminster
Watford Road
Northwick Park
HARROW HA1 3TP

<www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk>

+44 (0)20 7911 5000 x 4590

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