Western

Subserbience

It has t a k e n a s u p e r h u m a n effort a n d t h r e e years of s p o r a d i c massacres, a n d , m o s t

i m p o r t a n t l y , i t has n e e d e d t h e forces o f t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m m u n i t y t o b e h u m i l i a t e d , b u t it s e e m s t h a t g r u d g i n g l y a n d w i t h e v e r y possible r e s e r v a t i o n W e s t e r n o p i n i o n has finally r e c o g n i z e d t h e Serbs as t h e aggressors. T h i s r e c o g n i t i o n
s e e m s t o r e p r e s e n t t h e u l t i m a t e i n f i r m n e s s a n d lucidity. T h e fact i s t h a t w e have, a t
last, g o t t o t h e s t a r t i n g line i n this war. E v e n t h o s e w h o reject t h e official d o c t r i n e
o f t h e ' b e l l i g e r e n t s ' a n d are l o n g - s t a n d i n g critics o f S e r b aggression are c e l e b r a t i n g
this t u r n a b o u t a s a victory, naively h o p i n g t h a t t h e W e s t e r n p o w e r s n o w h a v e n o
a l t e r n a t i v e b u t t o p u t a n e n d t o t h e a g g r e s s i o n . Clearly, n o t h i n g o f t h e k i n d will
o c c u r . T h i s entirely p l a t o n i c r e c o g n i t i o n o f t h e v i c t i m i z e r s a s v i c t i m i z e r s i n n o w a y
entails r e c o g n i z i n g t h e v i c t i m s a s v i c t i m s . T o b e f o o l e d i n t o t h i n k i n g t h a t i t d o e s ,
o n e has t o share t h e evangelical idealism o f t h o s e w h o believe t h a t t h e ' d e p t h s o f
r i d i c u l e a n d d i s h o n o u r ' have b e e n p l u m b e d a n d t h a t t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l p o w e r s a n d
a 'suicidal' E u r o p e c a n be called on to r e c o v e r t h e m s e l v e s , w i t h o u t realizing for a
m o m e n t t h e futility o f s u c h efforts. T h i s , i n d e e d , i s e v e r y b i t a m a t c h for t h e
p o l i t i c i a n s ' endless hypocrisy. R e c r i m i n a t i o n g o e s h a n d i n glove w i t h t h e c r i m e ,

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a n d t h e t w o proliferate i n a n i n t e r m i n a b l e o r c h e s t r a t i o n o f t h e e v e n t . S i n c e t h e
W e s t e r n c o n s c i e n c e takes i t u p o n itself t o m o u r n t h e situation, since i t m o n o p o l i z e s
b o t h the hypocrisy and g o o d intentions, it is understandable that the murderer
s h o u l d r e t a i n his m o n o p o l y b o t h o f a r r o g a n c e a n d c r i m e .
I n fact, n e i t h e r t h e g r o t e s q u e g e s t i c u l a t i o n s o f t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l forces n o r t h e
d i s g u s t e d l a m e n t a t i o n s o f t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f g o o d causes can h a v e a n y real
effect, b e c a u s e we h a v e n o t t a k e n t h e decisive step t h e final step in t h e analysis
o f t h e situation. N o o n e dares, o r w a n t s , t o take t h a t step, w h i c h i s t o r e c o g n i z e , n o t
simply t h a t t h e Serbs are t h e aggressors ( w h i c h is to state t h e o b v i o u s ) , b u t that t h e y
are o u r o b j e c t i v e allies in a cleansing o p e r a t i o n for a future E u r o p e w h e r e t h e r e are
n o a w k w a r d m i n o r i t i e s a n d for a N e w W o r l d O r d e r w h e r e t h e r e i s n o radical
o p p o s i t i o n t o its o w n values t h e values o f t h e d e m o c r a t i c d i c t a t o r s h i p o f h u m a n
rights a n d t h e t r a n s p a r e n c y o f m a r k e t s .
In all this, it is t h e q u e s t i o n of t h e evil w h i c h is at issue. H a v i n g d e n o u n c e d t h e
Serbs a s ' d a n g e r o u s p s y c h o p a t h s ' , w e c o n g r a t u l a t e ourselves o n h a v i n g p i n p o i n t e d
t h e evil w i t h o u t d o u b t i n g for a s e c o n d t h e p u r i t y o f o u r d e m o c r a t i c i n t e n t i o n s .
W e b e l i e v e w e h a v e d o n e all t h a t i s n e e d f u l b y p o i n t i n g t o t h e Serbs a s b a d - b u t
n o t a s t h e e n e m y . A n d w i t h g o o d r e a s o n , since, o n t h e w o r l d front, w e W e s t e r n e r s
a n d E u r o p e a n s are f i g h t i n g exactly t h e s a m e e n e m y a s t h e y are: Islam, t h e M u s l i m s .
W e are f i g h t i n g t h e m e v e r y w h e r e : i n C h e c h n y a w i t h t h e R u s s i a n s ( w h e r e t h e
W e s t displays t h e s a m e s h a m e f u l t o l e r a n c e ) ; i n A l g e r i a , w h e r e w e d e n o u n c e t h e
m i l i t a r y g o v e r n m e n t w h i l e p r o v i d i n g a l l - o u t logistical s u p p o r t ( t h e r e , a s i f b y
c h a n c e , t h e f i n e souls w h o s t i g m a t i z e t h e official d o c t r i n e o f t h e ' b e l l i g e r e n t s ' i n
B o s n i a u s e precisely t h e s a m e l a n g u a g e : state t e r r o r i s m against f u n d a m e n t a l i s t t e r r o r i s m t h e o n e side a s b a d a s t h e o t h e r . A n d w e , t h e i m p o t e n t o n l o o k e r s a m i d
this b a r b a r i s m as t h o u g h state t e r r o r i s m w e r e n o t p r e c i s e l y o u r t e r r o r i s m
already use i t i n o u r o w n c o u n t r i e s i n h o m e o p a t h i c doses). I n s h o r t , w e m a y w e l l
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b o m b a r d a f e w S e r b p o s i t i o n s w i t h s m o k e b o m b s , b u t w e will n o t really i n t e r v e n e
against t h e m s i n c e t h e y are d o i n g basically t h e s a m e w o r k a s w e are. W e w o u l d
m o r e readily b r e a k t h e backs o f t h e v i c t i m s i f w e h a d to, t o settle t h e conflict. T h e
v i c t i m s , w h e n t h e y p u t u p s o m e t o k e n d e f e n c e , are m u c h m o r e a w k w a r d t h a n
t h e i r p e r s e c u t o r s a n d y o u will see t h a t i t w i l l b e t h e B o s n i a n M u s l i m s t h e R a p i d
I n t e r v e n t i o n F o r c e are s o o n forced to l i q u i d a t e a n d n e u t r a l i z e . If a sizeable M u s l i m
offensive w e r e m o u n t e d , t h e n y o u w o u l d see t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l force b e c o m i n g
really effective.
T h i s i s t h e real r e a s o n w h y this w a r i s i n t e r m i n a b l e . I f w e t h i n k a b o u t it, w i t h o u t this d e e p - l e v e l c o l l u s i o n , d e s p i t e all a p p e a r a n c e s (but t h e a p p e a r a n c e s , in t h e i r
a m b i g u i t y , tell t h e i r o w n s t o r y ) , w i t h o u t this o b j e c t i v e alliance ( w i t h o u t i t b e i n g
i n t e n t i o n a l o r d e l i b e r a t e ) , t h e r e i s n o r e a s o n w h y t h e w a r s h o u l d n o t already b e
over. I t i s e x a c t l y t h e s a m e s c e n a r i o a s w i t h S a d d a m H u s s e i n . W e f o u g h t h i m w i t h
t h e full p a n o p l y o f m e d i a a n d t e c h n o l o g i c a l d e p l o y m e n t . B u t h e was n o n e t h e l e s s
a n d r e m a i n s still - o u r objective ally. H e has b e e n reviled, d e n o u n c e d a n d s t i g m a t i z e d i n t h e n a m e o f h u m a n r i g h t s , b u t h e i s n o n e t h e l e s s o u r o b j e c t i v e ally against
Iran, against t h e K u r d s , against t h e S h i ' i t e s . A n d t h a t i s o n e o f t h e reasons w h y t h a t
w a r (the G u l f War) did n o t really take place: S a d d a m n e v e r was o u r real e n e m y . A n d
i t i s t h e s a m e w i t h t h e Serbs, for w h o m i n a w a y w e p r o v i d e cover, d e n o u n c i n g
t h e m a s b e y o n d t h e pale, w h i l e c o n t i n u i n g t o let t h e m d o t h e i r w o r k .
T h e w h o l e p r o b l e m i s t o c o n v i n c e t h e B o s n i a n s t h e y are r e s p o n s i b l e for t h e i r
o w n p r e d i c a m e n t . I f w e c a n n o t d o this b y d i p l o m a c y , a s w e have b e e n t r y i n g t o d o
for t w o years, w e shall have t o d o s o b y force. W e s h o u l d , all t h e s a m e , a t t e m p t t o
see w h a t i s g o i n g o n b e h i n d t h e e n o r m o u s s m o k e s c r e e n , b e h i n d t h e s t e r e o t y p e d
h u m a n i t a r i a n , m i l i t a r y a n d d i p l o m a t i c l a n g u a g e . I n any conflict, y o u h a v e t o d i s t i n g u i s h b e t w e e n w h a t is b e i n g f o u g h t against - t h e specifically political level of t h e
w a r - a n d w h a t is b e i n g sacrificed w h a t , in particular, is b e i n g l i q u i d a t e d a n d

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s w e p t away: this r e m a i n s t h e t h i n g m o s t d e e p l y a t issue, t h e final o b j e c t i v e . I n t h e

A l g e r i a n war, for e x a m p l e , w e f o u g h t against t h e A l g e r i a n army, b u t w h a t was really
sacrificed i n t h e conflict was t h e A l g e r i a n r e v o l u t i o n - a n d this w e d i d w o r k i n g
a l o n g s i d e t h e A l g e r i a n a r m y (and w e c o n t i n u e t o d o so). I n B o s n i a w e are f i g h t i n g
t h e Serbs ( w i t h o u t o v e r d o i n g it) i n t h e n a m e o f a m u l t i c u l t u r a l E u r o p e , b u t w h a t
i s actually b e i n g sacrificed i s precisely t h e o t h e r c u l t u r e , t h e c u l t u r e w h i c h stands
o p p o s e d a t t h e level o f values t o a n u n d i f f e r e n t i a t e d w o r l d o r d e r w i t h n o values.
A n d this w e are d o i n g a t t h e S e r b s ' side.
I m p e r i a l i s m has c h a n g e d . W h a t t h e W e s t n o w w i s h e s t o foist o n t h e w h o l e
w o r l d , in t h e guise of universality, is n o t its c o m p l e t e l y u n h i n g e d - values, b u t its
a b s e n c e o f values. W h e r e v e r s o m e singularity, m i n o r i t y o r specific i d i o m survives
a n d persists; w h e r e v e r t h e r e i s s o m e i r r e d u c i b l e b e l i e f o r passion; a b o v e all, w h e r e
there is s o m e antagonistic view of the world, we have to impose an in-different
o r d e r u p o n i t - a n o r d e r a s indifferent a s w e are t o o u r o w n values. W e g e n e r o u s l y
d i s t r i b u t e t h e r i g h t t o difference, b u t secretly, a n d o n this occasion unyieldingly, w e
are w o r k i n g t o p r o d u c e a bloodless, u n d i f f e r e n t i a t e d w o r l d .
T h i s p a r t i c u l a r t e r r o r i s m is n o t f u n d a m e n t a l i s t . I n d e e d , it is t h e t e r r o r i s m of a
c u l t u r e w i t h o u t f u n d a m e n t s . I t i s t h e i n t e g r i s m o f e m p t i n e s s . W h a t i s a t stake h e r e
i s b e y o n d political f o r m s a n d events. W e are n o l o n g e r s p e a k i n g o f a political front
or r e l a t i o n of forces, b u t of a transpolitical fault line, a n d that fault line t o d a y passes
m a i n l y t h r o u g h Islam. B u t it also r u n s t h r o u g h t h e h e a r t of every so-called civilized,
d e m o c r a t i c c o u n t r y a n d i t c e r t a i n l y r u n s t h r o u g h e v e r y o n e o f us.
3 July

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1995