The New Military Humanism: Lessons From Kosovo [Paperback]

Noam Chomsky (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1567511767 | ISBN-13: 978-1567511765 | Publication Date: July 1, 2002 | Edition: 1st PB Edition

Analyzing the NATO bombing, Chomsky challenges the New Humanism: Is it guided by power interests, or by humanitarian concern? Is the resort to force undertaken in the name of principles and values? Or are we witnessing something more crass and familiar?

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Scarcely had the dust settled on NATO's 1999 bombing of Serbia when prolific political commentator Noam Chomsky brought out The New Military Humanism, which raises incisive, unsettling questions about the motives of the United States and England--the two most vocal proponents of Operation Allied Forces--and the efficacy of their handiwork. Chomsky pulls together much damning evidence, including testimony from the military commander who led the attack, to demonstrate that the assault was not intended to bring an end to Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic's "ethnic cleansing" of the disputed territory in Kosovo; it seems very likely, in fact, that President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair knew full well that their actions would ultimately exacerbate the situation. Chomsky also points out that if the United States was genuinely concerned with ending the horrors of genocide, its continued financial and military support of repressive regimes in countries like Turkey and Indonesia is at the very least extremely puzzling. (The New Military Humanism was written and published before the international community decided in September 1999 to intervene in East Timor, which had been subject to Indonesian occupation for over 20 years.) Ultimately, Chomsky suggests, such contradictions exist because what the United States claims to be a "humanitarian" mission is--no matter how glowingly the mass media portrays it--nothing more than American muscle flexing. "The contempt of the world's leading power for the framework of world order," he concludes, "has become so extreme that there is little left to discuss." --Ron Hogan

From Library Journal

The essays in The Politics of Human Rights are reprinted from the third issue of the irregular serial Belgrade Circle Journal (ISSN 0354-635X). The Belgrade Circle is a nongovernmental organization founded in 1992 that, according to its web site, promotes "a free, open, pluralist, democratic, and rational civil society" and looks forward to a new Europe rather than back to old Serbia. A better title for the collection would have been "The Political Theory of Human Rights" as the contributors advocate a legal framework as the best protection for human rights, basing their arguments on the early Western European political philosophers of those rights. Three of the essays are analyses of human rights texts; only the last two, written by the volume editor, consider contemporary Yugoslavia. The publication of such essays in Belgrade may be a subversive activity, but they will hardly seem radical to American readers. Furthermore, the photo of Slobodan Milosevic on the cover misleads the reader to expect the contents to focus on Serbia, which is barely mentioned. Chomsky (MIT), a longtime critic of U.S. foreign policy, contributed one essay to the preceding book as well as writing his own book during the spring 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia. He compares the rhetoric of the U.S. government justifying this intervention to its rhetoric and actions in other parts of the world both recently (the Kurds) and in past decades (several incursions into Central America). In all cases, he depicts the United States as a rogue superpower intent on enforcing its wishes everywhere while flouting international legal conventions and undermining world order in the process. Intense anger and strong passion drip from every page, but the haste of composition has led to numerous nonsense statements, such as "If we had records, we might find that Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun professed humanitarian motives." His arguments would be better served by a thorough revision. Neither volume can be recommended.AMarcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Common Courage Press; 1st PB Edition edition (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567511767
• ISBN-13: 978-1567511765
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #433,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > History > Europe > Serbia

More About the Author

Noam Chomsky is Institute Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston. A member of the American Academy of Science, he has published widely in both linguistics and current affairs. His books include At War with Asia, Towards a New Cold War, Fateful Triangle: The U. S., Israel and the Palestinians, Necessary Illusions, Hegemony or Survival, Deterring Democracy, Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy and Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched, essential info not widely discussed, September 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The New Military Humanism: Lessons From Kosovo (Paperback)

I'll begin by disclosing a personal interest: Prof. Chomsky and I have the same publisher, and I had the honor of voicing the book-on-tape version of this book. But facts are facts, verifiable whatever the source, and the information presented here is well-researched, largely unpublicized, and deeply disturbing.

The mass media's consistent parroting of NATO's shifting versions of the causes and purposes of the war, and their Orwellian convenient forgetting of their own earlier reports as need be, are chronicled in detail. The Balkan war is placed in the context of ongoing US, UK, and NATO policies in other parts of the world (Turkey, for example) to devastating effect. And the final chapters, detailing the reasons for the ongoing expansion of military force and flouting of international law -- and how current NATO policies are actually making the world a more dangerous place -- left me chilled while doing the reading.

This is terrific, important work. I was honored to be associated with it, and I recommend it in the strongest terms.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The picture of Balkan affairs-as they REALY are., March 26, 2000

By 

Skender Kreshniku (Tirane , Albania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Military Humanism: Lessons From Kosovo (Paperback)

Much has been said about that missunderstood part of the world-Balkan,and since late 19/early 20 century,Balkan has been synonimous with something ugly,crude,barbaric and desperately backward.Such fixed stereotypes had left such an "exotic" impression on everybody involved in policy making in this area that this lead to nothing else,but history of troubles,divisions and hatred-although Balkaners themselves had very highly developed sence for coexistence.With such "predispositions",horrible thing happened that claimed thousends of lives-so it is no wonder that nothing will improve without corect diagnosis of real causes,those who operate behind the scene.Initiative is not to be found amoung Balkaners themselves,since they were at best instruments of foreign strategies.Yes,Balkan is "powder-cage",but sparks are from outside.This is brought to light in this wonderfull and unbiased,objective and truthfull work by dr.Chomsky,that incorporates minimum, but crucial aspects of developments that had such tragedy as results.This is done with distinction that is caracteristic of Chomsky,but most important is approach that is instrumental,rather than narative,for only than word becomes deed- a good one!Hence such interest in social issues by linguist-because language is primary tool of action.Therefore,social issues cannot be viewed separately from mutual interdependence with linguistic.I can hardly imagine anybody left unimpressed by authors elaboration of western interest in keeping western Balkan under their umbrella,how do they invented "KLA"-collection of criminal elements from western narco-mafia circles,and fiasco of N.A.T.O. propaganda that derogated(and still derogates) their domestic public,while Balkan has been thoroughly devastated and fragmentated into dosens of states-protectorates,whose existence is at mercy of western financial circles.This book is triumph of common sence reasoning,over hatred and propaganda,and is a monumental contribution towards perception of things as they are-first step to reconciliation in the Balkan,but also reminder to ancient Balkan proverb:

"HEROISM IS THE POWER TO DEFEND YOURSELF FROM OTHERS,HUMANITY IS VIRTUE TO DEFEND OTHERS FROM YOURSELF"

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, November 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The New Military Humanism: Lessons From Kosovo (Paperback)

Unarguable facts are detailed in this work which "wouldn't do to mention" in polite company. The bombing in the FRY "was not undertaken in 'response' to ethnic cleansing and to 'reverse' it, as alleged by leaders." Most importantly, the question of whether the New Humanism is "guided by power interst, or by humanitarian concern" is answered. Those who believe in the doctrine of "intentional ignorance" as the reviewer before me will dismiss the information presented in this book like any commissar. If you want to understand what happened in Kosovo as well as the current ethnic cleansing within and supported by NATO (Turkey), read this book. As all of Chomsky's book, very well written and incredibly informative.