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This article is frankly, quite shit. Association for Investment in Popular Action Committees was set up as the umbrella non-profit for a bunch of Bay Area-related activism, including the Free The Cuban 5 campaign, the Free Palestine Movement, the Northern California chapter of the ISM, and others. The common theme is that Paul Larudee is involved. That isn't a surprise, given that Paul has been a pretty predominant fixture of the Bay Area anti-war organizing scene for decades. Syria Solidarity Movement is just another one of the various organizing initiatives that uses the Association as a fiscal sponsor. Most activist groups don't have the time to start their own 501c3. The article makes it seem as though the Association is some sort of separate shadowy entity, and the title you added to the topic makes it even worse by suggesting that Assad himself is somehow involved. Of course, there is no evidence anywhere that Assad or his regime are actively funding the Association (which would be illegal) and there is nothing in the article that suggests otherwise. Moreover the Association long predates the Syria Solidarity Movement or the armed conflict in Syria. Basically, the article points out that a non-profit affiliated by Paul Larudee is funding various initiatives with which Paul Larudee is associated. Surprise. It's also quite clear that the author of the piece does not have a sense of humor and completely missed the joke: "While obscure, and not to be confused with the “AIPAC” that supports the state of Israel" The rest of the article isn't news. Yes, people involved in Left organizing can have bad politics and some of them believe in conspiracy theories. But that isn't itself an excuse to engage in conspiracism or exaggeration. Amith R. Gupta On Thu, Oct 3, 2019 at 12:24 PM John Reimann via Marxism < marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> wrote: > ******************** 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. > ***************************************************************** > > An interesting and detailed article on which groups on both the right and > the "left" are getting money from Assad and his representatives. It should > surprise nobody as far as those on the right. In reality, it shouldn't > surprise anybody as far as those on the "left", but it might. They range > from former liberal Democratic congressman Dennis Kucinic to Ajamu Baraka. > Paul Larudee (whom I used to know personally) is also big on the list. The > Syria Solidarity Movement figures big time in this list, as one would > expect. > > Although Jeff Mackler did not directly receive any of that money, many of > those endorsing him have. > > > https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2019/09/30/pro-assad-lobby-group-rewards-bloggers-on-both-the-left-and-the-right/?fbclid=IwAR0raK2iu2YxDNHD5jneDkwCzPRIgS8879Xb-YsYN9HX_xXUtp7rJUW89ZE > John Reimann > -- > *“In politics, abstract terms conceal treachery.” *from "The Black > Jacobins" by C. L. R. James > Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook > _________________________________________________________ > Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm > Set your options at: > https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/amithrgupta%40gmail.com _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
