-Caveat Lector- ----- Original Message ----- From: Ed Wolfe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, June 17, 1999 8:14 PM Subject: SNET: [piml] Not My War > > -> SNETNEWS Mailing List > > "The contrast between truth and propaganda was so dramatic that we all > received an education in how war disinformation works." > > THURSDAY JUNE 17 1999 > > Not my war > by Llewellyn Rockwell > > The aftermath of the war on Yugoslavia is not > following the typical pattern. Usually, the > commander in chief basks in the glow of > victory. Medals are handed out, parades > organized, speeches given to the masses. > Veterans are heralded as preservers of > freedom. The national soul swells in patriotic > fervor. The merchants of death gain a new lease > on life. > > Not this time. This is no victory glow, no > parades, no flag waving. Outside the > mainstream media, there is a curious lack of > any bragging at all. There are no yellow > ribbons adorning trees. Indeed, veterans of this > war are more pitied than praised. Veterans of > past wars are rushing to repudiate the whole > mess. > > As regards the "national soul," it is pretty much > what it was before and during the war: > skeptical of any pronouncement from D.C. > Meanwhile, Congress has moved on to the > usual civic pieties: promising to reform a > smattering of failed programs, dreaming up > new ways to regulate our lives, and celebrating > Rosa Parks. Even Clinton seems to be backing > away from the topic of the war. > > What gives? > > This war never enjoyed wide or deep public > support, and for good reason. It was an attack > on a far-away sovereign country that never did > anything to any American. No interests of this > country were threatened, or even affected, by > the 600-year-long struggle between Christians > and Muslims over Kosovo. The U.S. bombing > was simply an aggression of the sort the > Russians used to accuse us of. > > Even now, it is difficult to know the real reason > for intervention, since no one believes that the > Clinton administration cares about > human-rights violations. You can't take > anti-brutality sermons seriously when the > preacher is simultaneously bombing hospitals, > schools, and water systems, and killing > innocents as a war tactic. Far from giving rise to > nationalist pride, U.S. behavior forms a pit in > your stomach. > > Clinton tried to draw on antique war myths > and accuse his opponents of appeasement in > the face of evil. But it didn't fly. His poll ratings > actually declined during the war, an > astounding fact in light of the tendency of war > to unite a country behind the ruling regime. > And these numbers are from phone polls that > dramatically under-assess the level of > dissatisfaction with existing government > policy. The war was supported with intensity > by very few, mostly those who had something > to gain from it. > > Even according to NATO's own stated aims, > the war was not a success. The final treaty steps > away from the absurd demands made in the > Rambouilett talks. And from a humane point of > view, the war was catastrophic, with thousands > dead and an entire society in ruins. The lack of > public celebration of victory reflects a > widespread acknowledgment of this. > > The truth about this war was not being spread > by mainstream organs of opinion, of course. > But thanks to the Internet, this was the first war > in which a sizeable number of Americans had > access to alternative media. News from > anti-war sites was just as accessible as that > from pro-war sites (again, the mainstream > media). So there was no need to rely on the > warfare state's spokesmen, and those who > parrot their opinions. > > The contrast between truth and propaganda > was so dramatic that we all received an > education in how war disinformation works. > Even NATO was sometimes forced to admit it > had lied about its own iniquities. It was either > confess, or lose all credibility. > > One of the few reporters to deal somewhat > frankly with NATO atrocities was Steven > Erlanger of The New York Times, though he > waited until the NATO occupation to > unburden himself fully. Writing in the New > York Times Magazine (June 13, 1999), he points > out that no one, Serbian or Albanian, believed > "that this was anything but Washington's war." > All the prattle about allies was just a fig leaf. > > He further confirms that the U.S. was, "perhaps > out of frustration," deliberately targeting > civilians. One "month into the war, no Serb > believed that the bombs were not aimed at > them or that NATO hit anything -- even > hospitals or the Chinese Embassy -- by error." > > He tells a horrifying story about the massacre > at Aleksinac. Reporters were invited to view > the death inflicted on civilians by NATO. As > they walked, "Western reporters joked to inure > themselves to the bloody human remains on > which they were unavoidably stepping." But > Serbians standing nearby said, "listen to the > bastards, speaking English and laughing." > Serbians wept, says Erlanger, not only at the > loss of life and property, but also "for the death > of their own misconceptions of America." > > And now, we hear of individual Serbs being > run out of Kosovo, 80,000 at last count, > frightened of terrorism directed against them > that NATO is either powerless to stop or de > facto encouraging. When a handful of Serbs > refuses to collaborate, and dares to resist the > foreign occupiers with guns, can anyone really > say they are wrong? As Erlanger notes, even > Serbs "have a right to their patriotism, and to > their own national myths, and to their grief." > > There's a scene in Godfather when Michael > Corleone tells his new girlfriend how his father > once offered a contract to a man at gunpoint. > His father said, "either your brains or your > signature are going to be on that paper." His > girlfriend freezes in horror, but Michael > quickly assures her, "that's my family, Kate, it's > not me." > > It is difficult for Americans to consider the > immense human suffering inflicted on > Yugoslavia with weapons built by our tax > dollars. Far from celebrating, there is a > widespread tendency to avoid even thinking > about it. But for those who do think, this war > makes them want to cry out to the world: that > was the government's war, not mine. > > > Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. is president of the Ludwig > von Mises Institute in Auburn, Alabama. > > http://www.worldnetdaily.com > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Make the News Come to you! FREE email newsletters sent directly to > your in-box USAToday, Forbes, Wired, and more. Sign-up NOW! > http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/316 > > To discuss posts to this list, subscribe to the Patriot > Discussion Mailing List via the following website: > > http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/pdml > > > > -> Send "subscribe snetnews " to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -> Posted by: Ed Wolfe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
