Kosovo, the Wrong War

For almost seventy nights I have been joining the people on various Belgrade bridges in protest gatherings, demonstrating the Gandhi-like spirit of nonviolence, and spending most of the night in singing and reading poetry, showing that we are ready to die together with our bridges, in case they are bombed down (which eventually did happen in some cities, like Novi Sad).

I also joined the other group that gathered separately in the full moon night in May, to mark the Enlightenment of Buddha in these times of utter darkness.

It was very significant, since on that night -- as on many other nights -- almost the whole city was in darkness, because among other evils done, the bombing was aimed at destroying the electrical supply system. So the only light were full moon, a candle (to help some reading of poetry and texts), and flick of the incense stick. We read passages from the Lotus Sutra:

In all our palaces
Never has there been such shining:
What can be its cause?
Let us together investigate it.
Is it that a great virtous god is born,
Is it that a buddha appears in the world,
That the great shining
Everywhere illuminates the universe?

The linden trees are here in full bloom, and one afternoon I was picking the flowers for two hours, in order to have some good tea for the winter.

Prof. Dusan Pajin (Belgrade)

One of your articles, "Dancing on the Bridge" totally ignores the reason for the bombing in the first place. It also makes a comparison to bridges in the U.S., suggesting that they should not be considered military targets. If the U.S. was invading Mexico, slaughtering citizens, and driving them out of the country, then I would say that those bridges could be considered fair game. Bridges in Germany during WWII and WWI were fair game.

In fact let's compare WWII to this conflict in Albania for a minute. Let's see... Insane dictatorial leader focuses angst of the population on a specific group of people, dehumanizes them, and then declares that "they" are the cause of the entire conflict, and all the woes of the common man. The people, driven by nationalistic fervor go along with all kinds of things they would not normally allow, and it takes the combined force of half the world to stop the killing. Sound familiar? It does to me. Somehow though, because 6 million Jews haven't died yet, America is the bad guy. Somehow we have talked the majority of NATO countries to attack a totally innocent benevolent dictator. I don't think so! Nobody has that kind of influence over other countries any more.

Lest we forget, the U.S. did not enter WWII until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Why, because it was an unpopular war, and would not be supported by the public. Also there was a lot of pro nazi support in this country at that time. We must remember that all it would take for Serbia to have the bombing stopped is for them to pull their troops out of Kosavo, all of them.

Robert James

Gregg S. (Nevada County CA)

How the IMF Dismantled Yugoslavia

I read Michel Chossudovsky's article on IMF policy towards Yugoslavia, and I have no words for my amazement. It made me feel dizzy, and very angry. All of the time during the war in Kosovo I've been looking for a credible explanation for the attacks. Everebody else seems to have given up thinking about it, and accepts the NATO-propaganda (which I know it is) about the purely humanitarian motives. I can almost not believe that this kind of cynicism exists.

Thijs Vissia (Holland)

Barrington Daltrey

Chinese Scandals

Trent Lott has called the Cox report "scary." The estimate I have heard of U.S. to Chinese nuclear weapons puts the ratio at 6000 to 23 with the U.S. having ICBM capable of reaching China and currently targeted upon China. Chinese missiles threaten Japan and the Korean Peninsula but are probably not capable of reaching Hawaii or the continental U.S. Without having seen the Cox report it is hard to tell whether his pronouncement is accurate, but going on past experience I would have to say that the fact that Trent Lott is a leader in Congress is pretty "scary."

The Cox report claims that there are over 300 Chinese companies with branches in the U.S. that deal in technologies useful for nuclear weapons. Many of these companies undoubtedly deal in technologies with many possible uses. Many U.S. companies, even some who are military aerospace firms that support Cox and Lott, have been encouraged to do business in China from Reagan Administration times. If there are specifics allegations in the Cox report related to particular companies then that will be one thing. If however the Cox report cites only potential resulting from Chinese technology firms located in the U.S., then I think a label of witch hunting is in order.

There are many reasons to put pressure on China including human rights and Tibet. If this Cox report is primarily a political attack on the current administration, it has potential to do great harm to the potential for reform of real problems in China. It will be interesting to see if charges of Chinese spying have the backing of proof that, say, Israeli spying had, and what people like George Will and Trent Lott will call for in the way of corrections. At a time when we have just bombed the Chinese Embassy and killed Chinese citizens, a witch hunt against Chinese aerospace workers, firms doing business with the U.S. and administration officials that may have acted responsibly toward China, seems especially unwise. I look forward to the articles you are undoubtedly working on, looking into the allegations presented in the Cox report.

Ed Scott

Leonard Peltier Suffering, Faces Medical Crisis

Whenever I think of the years that Leonard has spent in a federal penitentiary for a crime that the FBI had to have a "scapegoat" for, I can't help but think of the title of a book, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They" by David Niven. Now that Leonard is in such poor and painful health, I would like to know if the government is wanting blood! If so, they have been paid back many times over by our young Indian men that fought for this country, and gave their all. Today, our American Indian Veterans have to beg for what they were promised to receive, and this was "free" medical care, education benefits, and a lot more. Now we have a man in the Pentitentiary that desperately needs medical attention, yet he cannot be shown the decency we show our animals.

We all owe Leonard Peltier a debt of gratitude for showing us just how little this country feels about human lives. We "first Americans" can hope for only what we are able to do for ourselves, and we will survive (much to the government's dismay). Our brother Leonard's death will serve only one purpose, and this is to make us stronger as a race that refuses to die out, regardless of what is forced upon us today. The Great Spirit will guide us and protect us, and in our prayers, we hope Leonard will eventually be treated as a human being, and get the badly needed medical treatment he deserves.

I pray that President Clinton wakes up and sees that when someone is unjustly accused, and must face many trials and errors, but in the end is allowed to go on living as a free man, that he will grant this kind and gentle giant a presidential pardon, so that Leonard may live out his days as God created him, a free man.

Ms. Lee Parrish

John McCain's Squishy First Amendment

Steve Chapman's main thesis is well taken, McCain's disdain for free speech is worth noting. But I wonder if, in his search for examples, Mr. Chapman has used too broad a broom? Chapman writes, "Free TV time involves a different sort of infringement on free speech -- forcing broadcasters to air views they may not agree with at their own expense." At whose expense would such TV time come from? Certainly not the broadcasters, because they don't "own" the airwaves. The airwaves are a publicly owned resource which the commercial broadcasters are granted a limited license to use "in the public interest." They have a responsibility to provide services "in the public interest" in order to continue to enjoy the rights to the spectrum they use. It would be entirely legal and constitutional to require commercial and public broadcasters to air candidate's campaign ads... and would foster free speech and democracy, rather than hinder it. Let us work to bring this about... rather than criticize it because we don't like a polititian who supports it.

Kay Brown (Portland)

Flooding Linked to Development

Being new to the "net," this is my first letter to be sent out. Flooding was my first choice and your site was one that "hit the spot." My home has flooded so many times from a creek that is directly behind my home and it keeps getting worse. Several cities contribute their drainage to this creek. Contacts with these cities usually end up with laughter and assuring me that their city has no effect on contributing to the overflow of the creek.

Steve Thompson (Robinson, TX)

The Fight For Headwaters Forest

Pacific Lumber, with the OK of the California State Forestry Agency, will soon begin clearcutting within the boundaries of Headwaters. If you don't help us, those magnificent Gianta will be lost to us forever to the disgrace of our greed, California's stupidity, and our very own uneducated and viral consumer habits.

Ruth Miller

Sweatshops

The information you have provided has depicted reality in the unfair labor ways that still exist in some countries. I enjoyed reading the points that you have raised. I hope that you will continue to distribute these types of facts in the future.

An AOL reader