Milosevic Is Gone, But What of His Legacy?

After six months of hesitation followed by three days of suspense, Slobodan Milosevic is finally behind bars. That is a figure of speech, because his cell, just like all the other cells for solitary confinement in Belgrade's Central Prison, has no windows, so there are no bars. He is entitled to 10-minute walks with a guard at his side and daily visits by his wife and lawyer. There is no special treatment: His shoelaces and his belt were taken away at the entrance, and he eats prison food served through a hole in the wall.

The real measure of Slobo's humiliation, however, is the lack of response by his followers. When Milosevic's Socialist party called on its members to take to the streets to demand his release, fewer than 200 responded. There were times, not so long ago, when hundreds of thousands chanted his name in ecstasy, and last September more than 2 million voted for him in a tight race with his successor, Vojislav Kostunica. What happened? Did they suddenly change their minds, or were they afraid to come out? Full Story...