Letter: Role reversal helps sort out situation

Oh yes, Slobodan Milosevic, nominally president of Yugoslavia but essentially only the strong man of Serbia, is a vicious and cunning despot. The ethnic Albanians who comprise nearly 90 percent of the population of Kosovo have started a revolution to gain their independence. Naturally, we sympathize.

Milosevic is using tanks and artillery to put down the insurrection, destroying villages in which the Albanians live. He is indiscriminately killing men, women and children in the hateful process of "ethnic cleansing" intended to rid Kosovo of the ethnic Albanians. Like all wars, it's ugly.

The United States, as the head and muscle of NATO, has told Milosevic and the ethnic Albanians to split their differences: 1) agree that the ethnic Albanians will have an as yet undefined degree of autonomy; 2) NATO will send in a multinational force, including a significant contingent of American troops, to keep the peace; and 3) if you, President Milosevic, don't meet our demands, we'll flatten your country with airstrikes.

Milosevic has responded, in effect, "We've ruled Kosovo for more than 600 years and we aren't going to give it up now. Don't tell us how to run our country."

What do we do? Let's scroll forward about 50 years and sketch a scenario, improbable but instructive. Ethnic Hispanics, who since about 2040 have comprised a majority of the population of California, are demanding independence and have seized national guard armories and some federal military bases in that state. The federal government is responding with force. The situation is getting ugly and the world is watching uneasily.

The Pacific Latin American Treaty Organization -- PLATO -- is telling the United States and the rebellious Hispanics to split their differences: 1) agree that the ethnic Hispanics will have an undefined degree of autonomy; 2) PLATO will send in a multinational force to keep the peace; and 3) if you don't meet our demands, we'll flatten your country with airstrikes.

The president responds with outrage, telling PLATO, "The United States has ruled California for 200 years. Moreover, the issue of secession from the union was settled in 1865 at the conclusion of our Civil War. Don't tell us how to run our country."

C. H. McCrea Sr.

archive