On this day in 1999, the first NATO airstrikes of Yugoslavia began, initiating a wave of violence that killed 1,500 people, damaging hospitals, schools, cultural monuments, and private businesses alongside military targets. The bombings lasted until June 10th of that year.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) bombing campaign was its first military action taken without the endorsement of the U.N. Security Council. James Byron Bissett, former Canadian ambassador to Yugoslavia, called the campaign a "war crime", and Noam Chomsky referred to it as an act of "terrorism".

Supporters for the campaign claimed the bombing was necessary to stop a genocide of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and to remove Slobodan Milošević from power, although claims made by the Clinton administration along these lines were later found to be highly exaggerated.

Approximately 500 of the people killed were civilians, and the bombs damaged many civilian structures alongside legitimate military targets. Chomsky has argued that the main objective of the NATO intervention was to integrate Yugoslavia into the Western neoliberal social and economic system.

In 2000, Michael Parenti authored "To Kill a Nation: The Attack on Yugoslavia", which argues that the bombing was predicated on capitalist rather than humanitarian interests.

A Review of NATO’s War over Kosovo - Noam Chomsky :chompsky:

Michael Parenti - To Kill A Nation :parenti-hands:

The Srebrenica Precedent :amerikkka:

Megathreads and spaces to hang out:

reminders:

Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):

Aid:

Theory:

  • ilyenkov [she/her, they/them]
    ·
    2 years ago

    I met a comrade on a dating app and I am basically in love already. I'm so excited!!!!!

    Reminder: make all of your controversial political, religious, and philosophical opinions incredibly obvious and explicit on your profile, and include all your weird hobbies and interests, and you will match with the cool people!

      • ilyenkov [she/her, they/them]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Fair lol. I guess probably don't put your wish to redacted the bourgeoisie on there. Make your interest in Marxism obvious and explicit, but maybe in a way you can pretend is only academic. Idk, I guess basically don't hide yourself

    • GaveUp [she/her]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Ya so I did that on a dating match event and I got completely ghosted probably because I listed Marxism-Leninism, Communism, and <long list of all the drugs that I like doing> under interests

      To be clear, I have a lot more interests but you can meet people who like pretentious music, playing sports, art events, nature, etc. anywhere

      • GalaxyBrain [they/them]
        ·
        2 years ago

        That does raise red flags, going in first with a political stance and a list of drugs you like comes off a bit...Hunter S Thompson-y

        • GaveUp [she/her]
          ·
          2 years ago

          Yea to be fair, I was expecting the match algorithm to like, strict word match interests but I guess it either wasn't that advanced or nobody else put any of the same interests I put down

          • GalaxyBrain [they/them]
            ·
            2 years ago

            I don't even know how this works. I figured that was the first things people were reading about you. I usually get my politics and drugs on the table early (or did when I did more drugs) but not as the first thing I'd bring up.

      • bigboopballs [he/him]
        ·
        2 years ago

        To be clear, I have a lot more interests but you can meet people who like pretentious music, playing sports, art events, nature, etc. anywhere

        I can't meet anyone anywhere :sadness:

    • Catradora__Stalinism [comrade/them,she/her]
      ·
      2 years ago

      I haven't told my partner explicitly that im a communist yet, but I have hinted heavily at that by being super left wing

      but I feel like thinking stalin and mao are cool actually is an important thing for ones partner to know

      • ilyenkov [she/her, they/them]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Agreed. Like if liking Stalin and Mao is gonna scare somebody off, I want that to happen right at the start lol.