Iz arhiva The Economista: Tito na smrtni postelji

The Economist je obeležil okroglo obletnico smrti Josipa Broza s spletno objavo svojega članka izpred tridesetih let. V njem je takratni Economistov dopisnik ugibal o prihodnosti Jugoslavije. Tita  je označil kot velikega zmagovalca druge vojne, njegove naslednike pa kot apartčike brez karizme in političnih korenin. Takratno Jugoslavijo opiše kot enopartijsko diktaturo:

…In theory, there is no reason for this party power elite to worry about the future. Tito leaves behind a set of institutions designed to perpetuate one-party rule. To be sure, the “self-management” system is a glove that softens the party’s grip, and occasionally makes economic decision-making cumbersome; but it has not interfered with the party’s essential control over most aspects of public life…

Odhod Tita vidi  kot nevarnost za dezintegracijo države. Skrbi ga, da bi razpadanje Jugoslavije izkoristila Sovjetska zveza za izničenje svoje izgube iz leta 1948.  Zahodu svetuje da naj podpira komunistično diktaturo, če bo le Jugoslavija ostala nevtralna:

A western policy to deny Yugoslavia to Russia now has to be devised. It should start with a declaration that the west does not want to see the disintegration of Yugoslavia, and that it would like to see the Yugoslavs move further towards pluralism but will accept their staying communist provided they also remain firmly non-aligned (poudaril SR). The policy should include help for Yugoslavia’s economy, which indirectly means help for its internal peace.