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June
19, 2003
Paragons
of Empire
Balkans
Protectorates Celebrated as Exemplary
"Rare
Bosnia Success Story, Thanks to U.S. Viceroy," blares
the New York Times headline on a story
celebrating Empire that appeared this Tuesday. It has to be
read to be believed, but suffice to say that the author unflinchingly
uses terms such as "viceroy," "proconsul"
and even "colony" while arguing that a bit of occupation
is a good thing.
As
his example of Imperial bliss, the New York Times reporter
took the Brcko District, a sliver of territory dividing the
Bosnian Serb Republic under direct rule of foreign satraps
since 1999. Using the absolute power that came with the position,
its third supervisor, one Henry Clarke, has forcibly integrated
public schools, prevented local elections and "reformed"
the area "with a whip and some cash in hand," as
the Times put it. Brcko, boasts the article, "is
the only city in Bosnia where the three main ethnic groups
are mandated to go to school together." It is social
engineering at its purest, Empire's prurient fantasy come
true.
Balkans
to Baghdad, Again
Nothing
notable has happened in Brcko recently to warrant the attention
of the discredited
American paper of record. The forced integration of schools
prominently mentioned in the article actually took place two
years ago. The real reason, even mentioned in the fifth paragraph,
is the "lesson" it offers to the US occupiers and
"nation-builders" in Iraq: Empire works, and here's
how.
That
is, of course, sheer nonsense. Brcko's location makes it a
natural hub for commerce – a peaceful, mutually beneficial
activity absolutely unconnected with displays of Imperial
power. Also, the District lacks authority to levy taxes that
Bosnia's quasi-state entities mercilessly extort from their
residents, thus attracting even more business. It is the absence
of state in Brcko that makes it prosper, not the presence
of some American proconsul or other. But far be it from the
New York Times to ever let facts get in the way of
an agenda.
Realities
of Occupation
Despite
the efforts of the New York Times to present Imperial
occupation as something wonderful, reality is quite different.
For example, the current viceroy of Bosnia, Paddy Ashdown,
has recently decided to protect Bosnians' human rights by
abolishing
the Human Rights Court. He would replace it with a Constitutional
Court, controlled by the Bosnian state, thus eliminating the
only venue of ordinary citizens to protest the egregious violations
of basic human rights (life, liberty, property) committed
every day by their rulers. Plus, Ashdown is directly violating
the Dayton
Constitution, which he is supposed to be protecting.
What, someone actually expected the Empire to abide by its
commitments!? Fools…
Over
in Kosovo,
things are even worse. There, Albanian militants murder Serbs
at will while the viceroy comes up with excuses. Most of the
occupied Serbian province does not have regular electricity.
It might be because the international bureaucrat in charge
of the power company embezzled
almost 4 million euros during his tenure.
Nor
is Kosovo immune from power games in the larger Imperial context.
With the current viceroy scheduled to leave in about two weeks,
Europe and the US are trying to decide who will succeed him.
One choice, a Swedish bureaucrat, was already vetoed by Washington
because of his opposition to the invasion of Iraq.
Opposed
Iraq, but wants to run occupied Kosovo? The fellow was clearly
in the wrong place to begin with…
Instead,
Europeans are suggesting an Italian
diplomat, who most recently worked as "as Rome's
link-man with the U.S. occupation forces' civil administration
in Baghdad." That says it all.
Playing
With Kosovo
With
a new viceroy fresh from the sands of Mesopotamia, things
in Kosovo may take a turn for the worse quite soon. There
are rumors that final status talks might begin next year.
By then, Albanians may declare
independence already, with enthusiastic support
of the U.S. Congress. A recent flurry of lobbying efforts
in Washington has led reliable analysts to speculate
that Empire might actually be considering the independence
of (Albanian) Kosovo. The KLA, George Soros
and the ICG
might finally get their wish, to the detriment of most inhabitants
of the Balkans.
Missionaries
of Empire
After
a brief recovery from substantial embarrassment after it accused
Serbia of "arming
Saddam" last December, the International
Crisis Group is pushing to regain its influence in Washington.
Its program manager was extensively quoted in the New York
Times Brcko piece, to lend credibility to the argument
for Empire. One of its "special advisers" recently
advocated a Liberian
adventure on the op-ed pages of the Washington Post.
Officially
a "research group" and "non-governmental organization,"
the ICG is funded by government grants and run by former government
officials from all corners of the Empire. Along with a host
of other such "NGOs," they are at the vanguard of
Imperial aggression, twisting history and manipulating
politics of target countries. Such power naturally breeds
large egos, which often lead to displays of arrogance that
reveal true goals behind the officious rhetoric.
Another
organization, the IWPR, focuses on sowing
chaos and confusion, claiming to pursue "independent
journalism" while actually serving as a conduit of vilest
propaganda. Fortunately, as with ICG, their enthusiasm often
overtakes their caution. Three days before Albanian thugs
will murder an entire Serb family in Obilic, IWPR's Pristina
correspondent filed a report describing the horrible oppression
of … homosexual
Albanians (she called them "Kosovars," but it was
pretty clear what she meant). Next thing you know, they'll
be suggesting that Albanians persecute their homosexual kin
because Kosovo is not independent and some Serbs still live
there.
Between
the ICG, IWPR, the New York Times and the actual Imperial
officials, no wonder their victims in the Balkans, Iraq and
Afghanistan are seething with rage.
Ending
the Lies
Two
weeks ago, commenting on Bush the Lesser's fiasco over nonexistent
Iraqi weapons, fellow Antiwar.com columnist Matthew
Barganier wrote: "A nation must be nearing the end
of its decadent twilight when its politicians no longer bother
to cover up their lies." And with media such as the New
York Times and "watchdogs" such as ICG and IWPR,
why should they? Obviously, the people on whose behalf (but
at whose ultimate detriment) the Empire is acting couldn't
care less.
Or
could they?
Last
week, in the London Spectator, Neal Clark detailed
how the U.S. and British regimes simply
made up justifications for invading Kosovo out of whole
cloth. This was not deception or trickery, but outright lies.
Now a British journalist is speaking out, at the time when
NATO's victims – the Serbs – watch in silence as their quisling
government begs
for the proverbial 30 pieces of silver from the Empire.
How sad.
And
therein lies the answer and the hope for a free tomorrow.
It is not governments who will eventually stop the Empire,
nor meaningless
treaties and sham
UN resolutions, but the revolted human beings sick and
tired of lies and murder perpetrated in their name. And the
lying hacks and bureaucrats will have to face reckoning for
their heinous crimes against life, liberty and property.
Someday.
Somehow. Soon.
–
Nebojsa Malic
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