SLAVENKA DRAKULIC
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Slavenka Drakulic:
That is why these conflicts have to be solved as a
joint project ofAmerica, Europe, NATO, and the United Nations. But it
has to be a joint thing, not only the Americans going in. I am sorry if I
sound very disappointingly conservative on that issue, but I do really
think that if America pushes Europe into doing something and they do
something together, fine. Yet in my view this is essentially a European
problem. The Europeans have to solve it because they are going to have
enormous problems in the future if they don't sort this out.
William Phillips:
Why don't the European countries, in your opinion,
want to do anything?
Slavenka Drakulic:
Because they are fighting among themselves. There
is this problem of France and Britain and Germany, and they have their
own conflicts about the war, how to solve it and who is for what kind of
solution.
William Phillips:
Well, they could just stop the slaughter. Why not?
Slavenka Drakulic:
If it would be so easy and simple, they would do it,
probably.
William Phillips:
I'm not sure.
Edith Kurzweil:
I think you're being naive.
Slavenka Drakulic:
It's also very sad and disappointing to see
all
these
big forces fighting among themselves about who should do what and who
should send troops and how much money is needed, while people are
being killed every day. This is the biggest frustration of all. And this is
where you feel you can't do anything about it.
William Phillips:
I don't think that's quite an accurate picture of why
America is not doing as much as it should. Let me start by saying that I'm
struck by your remark that American intellectuals have done very little
about the situation in presenting some some kind of united group attitude
and demanding some kind of action. Now, somebody said that that's
because intellectuals are confused. Well, intellectuals are often confused: it
doesn't seem to prevent them from doing things. For instance, they
protested the Vietnam War, and they were confused at the time; and they
supported World War Two, and they were also confused at that time. So
I don't think confusion is the reason. I think that what has happened here
