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1) Turkey is not an imperialist state in a Marxist sense. If all aggressive states were imperialists, various states (like Saddam Hussein's Iraq, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE etc.) would all be imperialist. This is obviously nonsense. We need a Leninist definition of imperialism.
We have dealt with the definition of imperialist and non-imperialist state in length in various books and pamphlets. They are collected for download here: https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/china-russia-as-imperialist-powers/.
On Turkey's economy and political regime see e.g. a sub-chapter in our latest book on the world situation (https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2018/chapter-v/) as well as our Great Robbery book pp. 222-229, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/great-robbery-of-the-south/.
2) There is no doubt that US is playing with the YPG. For Washington the YPG are useful idiots, nothing more. When they are of no use, they will sell them. This is why the YPG policy of becoming Washington's foot soldiers was not only unprincipled but ridiculous stupid and self-defeating. The YPG pro-imperialist adventure has certainly increased the hatred of the Arabs and the Turks against them.
3) Washington's game at the moment is to let the YPG in Afrin alone (i.e. sell it to Turkey) and to keep them as allies in the east. This strategy is full of contradictions and obstacles and can fail. Turkey is in a relative strong position towards the U.S. and demands also their retreat from Manbij.
4) If Chris Slee denies our characterization of the YPG role as Washington's foot soldier, how would he characterize them? I know that the YPG claims that they are using the US and not the other way round. But someone who possesses a brain can hardly believe that in the relationship between a small guerrilla group and the biggest imperialist power on earth (with thousands of US troops on the ground) it is the small group which dominates the relationship. Does Chris Slee really believe such YPG nonsense? If the YPG claims such idiocy, why should we believe them when they claim that ISIS and HTS are attacking them in Afrin?
5) I am sure comrades have heard that the Syrian government announced that it has reached a deal with the YPG on collaboration in Afrin against Turkey. This is also telling and not an argument in favor of believing YPG claims.
6) How can it be an indication that HTS supports Turkey in attacking Afrin if they accompany Turkish troops when they enter HTS territory in Idlib?! I do not support the opportunism of the Jolani leadership but this doesn't tell you anything about the Afrin operation.
Am 17.02.2018 um 15:21 schrieb Chris Slee:
Turkish imperialism is invading Afrin. Russian imperialism, which controls the airspace, allows Turkish planes to bomb Afrin. US imperialism says it will not intervene, effectively giving the green light to the invasion. The people of Afrin are resisting with no outside support. Yet RKOB claims the YPG, who are playing a major role in the resistance, are "Washington's foot soldiers"! Turkish troops entered Idlib province escorted by HTS troops, Yet RKOB asserts that HTS are not fighting side by side with Turkish soldiers. I wonder how RKOB can be so confident of that, when the defenders of Afrin say the opposite. Chris Slee . ________________________________________ From: Marxism <marxism-boun...@lists.csbs.utah.edu> on behalf of RKOB via Marxism <marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> Sent: Saturday, 17 February 2018 7:28:46 PM To: Chris Slee Subject: [Marxism] Reply on the YPG and the HTS ******************** POSTING RULES & NOTES ******************** #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. ***************************************************************** Look, your reference to Lister’s and other work completely misses the point. What Lister, an adviser to the U.S. Senate, shows is that Turkey (and various FSA factions) have put enormous pressure on the petty-bourgeois Islamist HTS and threaten them. He shows that the Astana process (with the agreement of the Erdoğan regime) threatens the HTS with annihilation. As a result, there are divisions inside the HTS emerging between those (like Jolani) who want to avoid a confrontation with the Turkish army as long as possible and those who take a more radical stand. We have dealt with these divisions inside the HTS more in detail in our latest book (go to the sub-chapter “/The Syrian Revolution: In danger of annihilation/” which is part of chapter V “/Middle East and North Africa: Reactionary Offensive, Wars and Popular Uprisings/”; https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/world-perspectives-2018/). As we said there it is quite possible that the opportunist forces inside the HTS might capitulate to the Turkish army. But you really can not compare all this with the YPG. The YPG leadership has not discussed in the past years if they should avoid a confrontation with U.S. imperialism or not. They have decided to act as Washington’s foot soldiers! Can't you see the difference?! Just compare it: The YPG has waged for years the battles of U.S. imperialism to control Eastern Syria. They fought side on side with the U.S. soldiers. The HTS (until now) has not waged a single battle for the Turkish army. They are not fighting side on side with the Turkish soldiers (contrary to stupid claims of the SDF Quisling you quoted in the first post). The YPG received for its battles in Eastern Syria the unlimited support of the US air force, artillery etc. The HTS (until now) has not received any support of the Turkish air force, artillery etc. The YPG has officially a joint command with the U.S. army. The HTS has (until now) not such a joint command with the Turkish army. But irrespective of all this, comrade, the Green Left Weekly praised and supported the YPG in all those years. Such a “Marxism” is the worst caricature possible! --- Diese E-Mail wurde von Avast Antivirus-Software auf Viren geprüft. https://www.avast.com/antivirus _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/chris_w_slee%40hotmail.com
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