DEMARCATION: KOSOVA
"Federal institutions, from the Presidency and
National Bank to cultural and sporting bodies contained representatives
from all federal units. Offices were strictly rotational so that every
republic and autonomous province had equal access to positions of power.
While the system was designed to be manifestly fair, it exacerbated the
post-Tito malaise. Federal President and office holders in general had
neither the time nor the authority to … iron out the failings of the Titoist
system….At the same time republican leaderships were wary of moves to expand
the prerogative of the federal center at their expense and were prepared
to use their representatives in the federal institutions to maintain the
status quo. Devolution had turned the LCY from a highly centralized body
into little more than a talking shop for the eight republicans and provincial
Leagues of Communists. …..The more successful Yugoslav enterprises had
begun to expand out of their home republics across the entire country.
This was especially the case in Slovenia, the most economically advanced
republic.. Instead of a single economy, Yugoslavia was fragmenting into
eight mini-states."
Bennett C: "Yugoslavia’s Bloody Collapse"; New
York; 1995; p.74-5.
"Five days before Slovenia was due to declare
independence James Baker (US Secretary of State).. Made an unscheduled
stop in Yugoslavia to make the US position on Yugoslavia matters categorically
clear. During his one-day visit, he met with Yugoslavia; republican leaders
and military chiefs… declaring that the US would not recognize Slovenia
or Croatian ‘under any circumstances’. Baker was effectively ordering Slovenia
and Croatia ‘under any circumstances ‘ to make a humiliating climbdown,
without placing comparable pressure on Serbia and the JNA, or offering
the Northern republics any form of carrot."
Bennett Ibid; p. 154.
Summary:
Milosevic quite coldly and deliberately unleashed racism and chauvinism
in order to ensure Serbian domination of the state. The break up of Yugoslavia
– where neither Slovenia nor Croatia were prepared to accept Serbian revanchist
rule - was a natural sequel to Milosevic’s vicious fascist and racist bullying.
Imperialism – (other than Serbian
"little-country" fascist imperialism) had very little to do with it at
this stage.