Moving From Crisis Reaction to Crisis Response: A Six-Point Non-Violent Alternative to the Bombing Campaign

Abstract

In this paper, the author argues that NATO's decision to bomb Yugoslavia was and is short-sighted. Citing a lack of historical awareness on the part of Western decision makers, he relies heavily on the work of psychodynamics theorist Joseph Montville in proposing that a better understanding of "the mind of Serbia" would lead us to recognize the folly of our strategy. More specifically, the author contends that our bombing is but part of a cycle that is bound to spawn new rounds of aggression. The author also articuIates six key components of an alternative approach. Here, he attempts to address the question of how we might use non-violent means to prevent the loss of life in the short term and, at the same time, begin the task of building a sustainable, long-term peace.