Support for the war is wavering in the US and abroad amongst NATO countries. Recent polls taken in the US show a decrease in support for the war and an increase of support for negotiations.
The American populous is tiring of the Kosovo fiasco and we can only expect this slide for support to continue as the conflict drags on. "Support for the air war has slipped 9 percentage points since early April and support for ground troops to end the conflict dropped 5 percentage points in that time." Furthermore, "Steve Kull, director of the University of Maryland's program on international policy attitudes, said his own survey due out later this week shows some slippage in support for the air war and growing public interest in negotiations."
According to the ABC/Washington Post poll, "A majority, 56 percent, opposes sending in ground troops if there is a good chance that some U.S. soldiers would be killed in the fighting," Another sign of wavering support for the bourgeoisie's violent and futile efforts. Sending ground troops into Yugoslavia will only mean the deaths of more innocent working class men and women. We are not ready to shed our blood for those who have created this conflict with their ineptitude of leadership.
Perhaps the American Public knows something that their reactionary leaders do not. "A majority of those polled, 58 percent, said the United States and its allies should negotiate with Serbia on terms for ending the conflict," A majority support negotiations to achieve peace, yet the administration continues to bomb Yugoslavian, men, women and children.
It should also be noted that according to the poll only "38 percent said Serbia should be required to accept NATO's terms." This only shows that the working class is more aware of those unacceptable and antagonistic terms and knows that the bourgeoisie will only exacerbate the situation further the longer they bomb.
As mentioned above there are growing divisions amongst NATO members. On Monday the 17th, Greece called for a 48-hour cease fire so that diplomacy can have a chance. Of course this bourgeois diplomacy may lead to the end of the bombing of innocent civilians, however it can not free the Yugoslavian people from the exploitative nature of capitalism. Only a truly Socialist Federation of the Balkans can do this.
Italy has also voiced the desire for a peaceful negotiation process admitting that the bombing is not having the desired effect.
According to a BBC report, "Italy's Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini said: "It has certainly not produced the results that had been expected - that is to say to convince (Yugoslav President Milosevic) that NATO countries were determined to go on with this."
We are reminded of what Trotsky once said that "when all else fails… think". As reaction starts to fade into the pail of garbage politics and hindsight examines the results of a flawed policy in Kosovo by NATO allies, we can only expect the division amongst NATO's allies to correlate accordingly.
Even the US and her lapdog Britain are showing signs of division as gung ho Tony Blair appears to have an itchy trigger finger. Blair was quoted as saying that that he was "prepared to do whatever it takes" to end the bloody conflict, inferring the use of ground troops. We suppose that he plans on stopping the bloodshed with even more bloodshed.
The more the U.S. denies the fracture with Britain it becomes only more obvious that one exists. According to a Reuters' report, " British media have reported that Washington and London are at loggerheads, with President Clinton reluctant to commit ground troops but British Prime Minister Tony Blair eager to send them in."
Blair is ready to send our young men and women off to die because of their failed policies. The working class is inevitably used as pawns by the bourgeoisie in wars such as this; pawns that are sacrificed in the name of so-called "humanitarian efforts". However, equally inevitable is the fact that these wars are created by the bourgeoisie and in the interest of the bourgeoisie and it is only the working class who suffers as a result.
Kristopher Marc
May 18, 1999
Sources:
"Poll: Support Slipping for Kosovo" By WILL LESTER Associated Press Writer
"NATO differences emerge" BBC
"U.S. Denies Rift With Britain Over Kosovo" by Charles Aldinger Reuters