THE WAR in ex-Yugoslavia is a major question of international politics which finds the left utterly divided. The source of this division is the failure of many left-wing organisations to grasp the importance of the national question, and the tendency to attempt to resort to pat answers about the role of imperialism, or Stalinism, or the evils of reactionary nationalism. All these factors have played a role, says JEFF LOWE, but the central role of the reactionary Great Serb project of WORLD NEWS Milosevic cannot be evaded. 1. Why did Yugoslavia go into crisis TITO'S Communist partisans led a real revolution against the Nazis. Breaking with the orders coming from Moscow, after October 1945 they took power and began the destruction of capitalism.
The state they established was heavily bureaucratised, relying on the 'Icading role' of the Communist Party The Tito leadership attempted to solve the problem of the complex national structure of the country by creating a fedemi structure of ux republics ano one aornos proveice Vojvodina within Serbia. This gave an element of real selfgovemment to the different republics.
However the drawing of the boundaries between the republics keft 25 per cent of Serbs outside Serbia. 25 per cent of Croats outside Croatia and many Moslems and Albanians outside Bosnia and Kosovo.
This was not some kind of plot by Tito to weaken the Seralists claim) but a reflection of the incvitability of national minoritics in such an ethnically mixed arca.
However. only with the fullest socialist democracy could have been a guarantee against any trampling of national nights within the various republics.
The one area which did suffer serious violatons ce nanobal rights was Albanian Kosovo. But the 1974 constitution granted Kosovo the status of an autonomous province, within Serbia; Kosovo was able to participate alongside the six repuband Vojvodina in the Hies eight-person presilency created to replace Tito upon his death.
After 1974 therefore Kosovo had the same rights as any republic. But it was in Kosovo that the break-up of Yugoslavia was Tito's goverment hekd national tensions in check, despite cconomic transfers from the richer republics to the poorer ones, so long as there was relative cconomic stability.
However many of the measures taken to keep the cconomy stable also contained dangerous centrifugal tendencies, particularly the increasing reliance on market forces pursued during the 1960% The experiment in localised workers self-management developed into competition between different factories. different industries and different regions. This helped fuel cconomic competition and rivalries between the different republics. In particular the richer republics of Croatia and Slovenia complained that resources were being taken away from them.
This incipient economic rivairy between the republics got much worse in the 1970s, when to will amit ta in. the word cconomic crisis Bnpacted onto Yugoslavia and created a massive international disguised as workers' self-management fuelled rivalries between the different national componenas or tre ourcaucrek y It was in this framework of competition for economic resources thae national resentments and conflicts grew, leading to the rise of the Great Serb project in the 1980s. worst in backward Kosovo. In 1981 the people of Kosovo demanded the status of a full republic and were met by fierce military repression. continued at an even higher level since the Kosovo miners strike of 1989. 2. Why did the crisis lead to war? RIVALRIES between the different republics led to war for one simple reason.
In order to try to keep itself in power, in the face of economic crisis and mass disillusionment. the leadership of the League of Communists in Serbia. personified by Slobodan Milosevic, resorted to the politics of Great Serb nationalism - leading eventually to the 1991 military attack on Croatia and Slovenia.
Serbian nationalist forces built up their strength throughout the 19%k The most Stalinist wing of the League of Communists in Serbia began the Serbian nationalist crusade in response to the Kosovo events in 1981. Whole sections of the intelligentsia, including former dissidents like Mihailo Markovic, editor of Praxis magazine.
This chauvinist political offensive was capped by the capture of the lcadership of the Serbian party by Milosevic in 1987. He immediately set about changing the balance of forces in Yugoslavia. By 1988 he had changed the party leadership in Montenegro to install his stoores. and dsd the same in Vojvodina in 1989. The Serbian changed to abolish the autonomy of (wo provinces. By thesc measures Milosevic effectively gave himself four votes on the eieht-member collective Yuso stav presidency, in cucci & veto on any decisions.
The rise of Serbian nationalism led to the rise of republicanism in the other republics; and eventually to various forms of reactionary nationalism, especially in Croatia.
While it is clear that small groups of Croatian nationalists had long hoped for total independence, the push forward with this project was given by the need to take defensive measures against Ser3. Who is responsible for the war and its atrocities? THE RESPONSIBILITY for the wars in Slovenia. Croatia and Bosnia lies firmly with Milosevic and his Great Serbia project. Not a single act of war has taken place on the territory of Serbia..
There can be no doubt that the Serbian regime is guilty of acts of aggression against its War was declared neichhours, on Bosnia even before the referon independence had been held.
Therefore we do not equate ine haikoausn or the opores sors-which we condemn - with that of the oppressed - which we defend, even if we do not share their nationalist idcology. To equate Serbian and Croatian nationalism is to equate the op pressor with ine operesseu This is not, of course, to deny Tudjman regime in Croatia or to imply support for its policies. For example. the decision of the Croatian govemment to change its law on citizenship - denying equality to Serbs- strengthened Milosevic's appeals to Serbian chauvinism and his preparations for war.
It also facilitated Milosevic and Karadzic in their attempt to declare a separate Bosnian-Serb state. Moreover, it is obvious that Milosevic and Tudjman
"Military intervention by the United States was United States ruling class has no strong interests in the region. That's why Clinton's personal preference for some kind of intervention has been so controversial in the US establishment" nia-Herzegovina some time ago.
However, despite the crimes false to claim that he is equally responsible for the destruction of Yugoslavia or. even worse, primanly responsible (as does Socialist Worker).
It has been the Serbian army and the Chetniks that have carried out systematic murder of poople because of their ethnic origins, It has heen the Serbiar army and Chetniks that have arisen copic out or their towns and villages, the so-called pol. icy of 'ethnic cleansing".
It has been the Serbian army and the Chetniks that have used mass rape as a weapon of war. It has been the Serbian army and the Chetniks that have set up Whilst it is almost certainly and rapes have been carried out by sooters and mudas or all sides these have -until recently - primarily been carried out by individuals or small groups.
However reprebensible these acts may be they do not compare to the deliberate policy of murder. rape and torture embarked upon Milosevic and Karadzic in order to carry out the 'ethnic cleansing' which is necessary to implement their policy of uniting all the Serbs in a single state.
Their main targets have overwhelmingly been the non-Serb civilian populations and all cultural manifestations of their existence.
The Croat HVO is now carDying our samura ders in nortern Bosnia and evidence is emerging of collusion between Serbian and Croat forces to facilitate attacks upon Moslems up of Bosnia.
The ability of the HVO to attempt to emulate Karadzic is, however, a direct consequence of the totally cynical policies pursued by the imperialist pow4. What has been the role of imperialism? THERE HAS been no single, unified approach to Yugoslavia from the imperialist powers. Each has attempted to defend its own specific interests. The overwhelming point is that they have approached the crisis not with any 'humanitarian' concern but with total cynicism.
Germany has tilted towards Croatia, secing it as an area of notential econome and political influence. France has long had good relations with Serbia.
Intervention
But the atitude to intervenfion in the war nas coen under punneu by the fier that de the imperialist powers see Serbia as the crucial force in the region. one which they will eventually have to do business with. United States was never likely. if only because the United States ruling class has no strong interests in the region. That's why Clinton's personal preference for some kind of intervention has been so controversial in the US military. foreign policy and political establishments. Imperialism has not intervened because there is nothing (like oil in the Gulf) for them to defend. What they all want is stability: and of coure a war and neargenocide is a big embarrassment for them when it takes place in Europe.
But ultimately the imperiallation about their own interests. incy calculare thar aremaress stability requires a strong Serbia. Slovenia is already out of the quagmire, Croatia will survive, and multi-ethnic Bosnia little aid and a few crocodile tears, together with show-case restures like the meaningless no-fly zonc over Bosnia. 5. Can socialists support anyone in this war? YES. THE people and their legitimate rights, including the right to life and limb, the right to resist massacre and ethnic cleansing, the right to By 1991 it was clear that Croatia and Slovenia wanted independence. constitution guaranteed that right. It was denied by the brutal invasion of the Yugoslav army. purged of its non-Serb officers and following the disarming of the Croatian and Slovene territorial militias.
At the time of the attack by the army, Socialist Outlook demanded the withdrawal of the troops and took a position of deferling Croatia and Slovenia. The people of Croatia and Slovenia had the right of selfacierminanon, waatever the po litical character of their leadership.
Here and now socialists must defend multi-ethnic Bosnia. which is being carved up by the Serb offensive and by Croatia The destruction of Bosnia is throughout its history Bosnia nas ocen a mum-cannic, muldnational and multi-religious en'The Croatian decision to seize as much territory in Bosnia as possible is particularly cynical. In 1992 a huge demonstration against the war in Croatia took place in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo: this demonstration was fired on by Serb nationalist forces. Now the Bosnians are repaid for their defence of Croatia by being attacked by the Croat HVO militia. 6. What is the way forward? FIRST and foremost, socialists should demand the lifting of the arms embargo, which is only an embargo aeainst Bosnia. "Ine Bosnian resistance must have the right to defend itself against both the Serb onslaught and Croatian attacks:
spond by opening its borders to Bosnian refugees driven from their homes and plunged into despair by this crisis.
A socialise approach to the tion that whatever its merits and faults, Yugoslavia is dead - forever. The long term solution is a free and equal. eventually socialist, federation of the peoples of the Balkans.
The road to federation now goes through independence and Multi-ethnic and multi-cultural Bosnians held prisoner by Milosevic's nationalist regime SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 44 June 12 1993. Page 9 Croatian soldiers spy out for vicums self-determination for the different republics.
But the idea of ethnically pure' republics is racist and reactionary. Every republic will have national minorities which must have equal rights.
Beyond ine curren crises, the eventual defeat of reactionary nationalism can only come with a rebirth of working class polttics in the region, the rebuilding of trade unions and independent workers organisations.
The European left must faCilitate that. Ixth through the campaign for opening the borwith the left in ex-Yugoslavia.
By Zibigniew Kowalewski THE BLACK ghetto youth organised in the street gangs commemorated the first anniversary of the Los Angeles uprising in a very significant way. remarked on by all the media.
A meeting of around 200 delegates from the gangs of 36 towns met in Kansas to conclude a peace treaty in order to put an end to the 'urban war' between the oppressed and to elaborate a common platform of immediate demands.
During the second half of the 1980s. Black and Hispanic youth came into the youth gangs in huge numbers. This was a response to the catastrophic social effects on the community of the "liberal" economic policies of Reagan and Bush.
LIBERATION POLITICS The response of those in power was to unleash, under the pretext of the "war on drugs", what was literally a war waged by the police against the oppressed youth of the 'coloured' community.
Meanwhile, as US socialist Ben Tupper put it: "While violent, heavily armed, gangs are not inherently a negative entity. the lack of political radicalisation of these forces has resulted in a self-destructive frenzy of young men and women killing each other over the limited available resources of the ghetto."
Feared
In 1988 Dennis Hopper's film Colors introduced public opinion to what would be the most feared and visible of all street gangs, the Bloods and the Crips.
'1988 was also when the Compton (Los Angeles)-based rap group NWA in. troduced "gangsta rap' to the world and.
in the process, sokl millions of records in the process, sold millions of records that glorified the lifestyle of the Southern California gangs' says Rap Pages magazine.
But, while some "gangsta' rappers continue to glorify the life, the values and the violence of the gangs, according to Ben Tupper 'various artists. have crossed over from the 'gangsta' position of critique of the self-destructive violence. The result is an evolving group of 'ex-gangstas' who are redefining gangsterism with a touch of political savvy.
These rappers raise the real reasons for gang violence, which lie not in gang rivalries but in the system of exploitation and violence.
'Build your brain'
This is the case with Ice-T, one of the most influential and sussed of the 'gang"Peace to all LA gangs We sta rappers. are all brothers, we can live together.
Death is no answer. No one lives in the ghetto by choice. Go to school, build your brain. Escape from the killing fields. Fuck that war!' says one of his records.
The man's got a sure-fire system, an economic prison - you're still slave to the man. Prepare for revolution!' Just before the 1992 uprising, truce was announced between the LA gangs.
The Crips and the Bloods were often to be found together at the head of the youth participating in the uprising, and served as a factor of leadership and organisation.
Their weapons intimidated the Los An geles cops (LAPD), who did not dare to engage in large scale repression until the uprising subsided.
In his report on the uprising published in The Source James Bernard explained the dynamic and scale of the fraternisation between the gangs. After the uprising numerous joint meetings of Bloods and Crips were held, sometimes involv1965 Watts riots created revolutionary Black orginisations ing up to 700 people. Often these meetings were attacked by the police, leading to violent clashes.
Truce was declared by leaders of the Crips and the Bloods under the auspices of the Nation of Islam (NOI), and supported by well-known rappers.
A coalition of gang leaders launched a programme of demands for the immediate development of LA's poor communities: demands for more resources to employment, education, social secunity, health, AIDS and the urban environment.
All told they demanded a programme of 53.7 billion, putting the stress on self-organisation and control of their own Give us the hammer and nails, and we'll rebuild the city" said the leaders of the Crips and Bloods.
Also in the programme was the demand for community-controlled law enforcement, and the involvement of former gang members in it.
In some racially mixed areas policing has been virtually taken over by NOI security, establishing a non-confrontational and educational style with gang members; this shows the practicality of the demand for an altemative mechanism for maintaining order.
Publicity
Ice-T. who organised an LA meeting of 30 gang leaders and founded the association Help them Across the Rap said: "The sole thing that the gang members ask me today is to publicise the truce.' Frank Broughton wrote in i-D magazine: "Last year's violent events in South Central LA brought a sharp and inevitable politicisation of the gang culture there, and this has been well reflected in the lyrics of the gangsta' groups.
The Crips and the Bloods have called an end to their mindless war of retribution. Violence - both in reality and rap lyrics - is now aimed firmly at the sys"The revolutionary rhetoric of cast coast groups like Public Enemy has been infusing the gang members, and people like Ice Cube and Da Lench Mob rather than continuing to emphasise the Blackon Black violence of street wartare, are now celebrating the under-publicised gang truce and the new feeling of brotherhood.
Rapper Paris' records now attempt to reach and reorient the large, and in his opinion, largely misguided gang youth and 'gangsta' audience, exhorting Black youth to inspire themselves with the thought of Malcolm X and the experi ence of the Black Panthers.
He calls for the formation of an organised and conscious political movement, orientated towards revolution and the taking of power by the people.
The police and those in power have observed the evolution of the gangs with great disquiet. Before the LA rice a Black police officer told the Final Call:
The fearlessness and leadership potential of the Black gangs frightens them. Imagine if this youth becomes properly motivated, trained to love themselves and commit themselves. You might have the emergence of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army.
After the uprising US socialist Mike Davis, author of City of Quartz about LA. wrote:
he ecumenical movement of the Crips and the Bloods is their worst imag ining: gang violence no longer random but politicised into a Black Intifada. The LAPD remembers only too well that a generation ago the Watts rebellion pro. duced a gang peace out of which grew the Los Angeles branch of the Black Panther Party:* In this situation. the capitalist authorities continue to try to criminalise the Black youth. A report after the LA uprising by the District Attorney's office states that 47 percent of Black males between the ages of 21 and 24 show up in police gang databases.
Corrupt and co-opt
But at the same time, the authorities are trying to corrupt and co-opt a section The challenge that faces the gangs, in this period between gang war and peace, is to construct a Black youth leadership, capable of surviving in the face of repression and developing independent politics.
In any case, as Ben Tupper puts it:
*Seeds are being planted in fertile but volatile ground for the construction and development of politicised gangs and radical organisations in America's cit• Well-known Polish revolutionary socialist Zbigniew Kowalewski is the author of a book on Malcolm X.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 44 June 12 1993. Page 11
WORLD NEWS SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 44 June 12 1993. Page 10