Date: Wed, 02 Nov 1994 02:37:03 EST
From: Pete Bratsis <aki-AT-cunyvms1.gc.cuny.edu>
Subject: RE: the degenerated workers state and yugoslavia




The assertion that Servbian aggression is a phenomenon that can simply be
explained by reference to a plot by the CIA or imperialist Germany is a 
severly misleading and in many ways meaningless position to argue.  
Two major weaknesses are entailed in this position.  The first is the
assumption that good old-fashioned imperialism is needed for capital to 
extract labour power from what we could call 'peripheral' or 'semi-peripheral'
areas.  Obviously, the US need not have traditional imperialist-type
arangements with Mexico, China, South Korea, or any other country for 
capital to expropiate significant amounts of profit.  The terms-of-trade
between primary and finished products, the market power of industrial and
finance capital, etc.  all do a much better job of extracting labour-power
than Spanish administrators in South America, British administrators in 
India, or French administrators in Algeria ever dreamed possible.  
Second, the emphasis on the imperialist west supporting and funding
reactionary elements in no way explains the apparent resonance of 
nationalist discourse in Serbian society.  Are we to assume that all
Serbs are stupid and easily seduced by these fast talking lackies of 
the imperialists?  Are we to assume that CIA money has gone into the
pockets of these Serbian peoples in order to win their support?  Or, 
should we conclude that Serbian soldiers actually display active 
consent for the nationalist/raceist positions of the Serbian state.  
Should we not conclude that at least a significant percentage of 
Serbian people have made a decision that it actually likes this nationalist
position and chooses to support these lackies qua Serbian patriates.

I am not trying to say that the Serbs are the only bad guys, I am simply
noting that they are responsible for the actions they have choosen to 
make.  Furthermore, explaing the conflict simply as an effect of 
imperalist policies (apart from the use of imperialism as an explanitory 
factor when it is not longer a strategy of Euro-Amer. accumulation strategies)
severly discounts the popular element in these confing against the
of consent implied.  I am from Greece and have nother against the 
Serbs (we are supposed to be cs etc,), but I see 
supposed to like the evil rethorical dribble aspires to overshadow 
the severity of a well armed nationalist  force waging a war upon 
a relativly unarmed civilian population.



Peter Bratsis
CUNY, Grad. Center

it as very dangerous when 


     ------------------