I'm in basic agreement with Neil Smith's recent posting. I think
that there are three implications. First, we need to think about a long
term perspective about the interventionist strategy of NATO. If we look at
the wave of interventions that William Blum has chronicled, it not only
says something about the limits of militarists but also about a crisis in
anti-militarist strategy, the balance of power between militarists and
anti-militarists. The history of the anti-intervention movement has often
been short term, moving from crisis to crisis. The issue is how to change
the balance of power here.
Second, how can we act collectively against Serbian militarism and
not just limit our critique to NATO? Critics of the war point to the economic
pressures on Yugoslavia which led to the break up. Chomsky and others suggest
the need for good faith negotiations. The practice of internationalism
and international solidarity could also be extended to strengthening the
peace and democracy movements in the Balkan region, e.g. like the Miners'
support networks that developed in the U.K. Some in Sweden are active in
trying to support the peace movement in Croatia and have articulated a sister
city strategy for that purpose. If there are limits to Serbian intellectuals'
posture vis-a-vis Milosevic, how can we enter a constructive dialogue with
them?
Third, is there a way to change the balance of power of
anti-militarists
vs. militarists in both the West and in the Balkan region with a common
agenda? One potential scenario would be to open up a new political terrain
that could link corporate campaigns, human rights work, progressive
development NGOs, churches, labor unions, the socially responsible
investment movement, and municipal purchasing (procurement) strategies of
left-leaning governments, as in the apartheid movement. We need to create
an alternative set of institutions
to shape foreign policy and mutual support "from below." Another set of
arguments involve the development of a multilateral disarmament treaty,
e.g.
http://www.fourthfreedom.org/denuclearization/disarmamentTheLossIdeal.html
Moreover, economic conversion of defense industries and campaigns for
disarmament, development and military budget cuts are another approach.
Another example: I have discussed with scholar activists in South Africa
and the U.K. organizing an international conversion conference to explore
conversion and mutual aid issues in the UK, Sweden and South Africa, three
countries linked by the export of Swedish JAS fighters to South Africa, as
well as the usual
problems associated with uneven development. At the very least it
would be good to organize an international conference with scholars and
activists which operationally showed how to forge these various links
in a pro-active manner. This could be used to encourage the "progressive
funding community" to broaden their agenda from reactive "just say no"
politics.
Recently a letter was sent to the organizers of an international peace
conference at the Hague to encourage such agenda broadening.
Dr. Jonathan Michael Feldman
Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Linkoping University
Teknikringen 4
S-581 83 Linkoping, Sweden
PHONE: 46 13 28 5687
FAX: 46 13 122299
E-MAIL: [log in to unmask]
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