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The White Helmets are a rescue/aid organisation, like the Red Cross/Red
Crescent for example. I think the simplest answer to Mike's question is
that nearly all funds for such organisations around the world come from
imperialist countries, including the US, because that's who had the
money. Socialists have traditionally complained that the amount supplied
by these imperialist states was relatively small, compared to human
need, not that the source of the aid made the aid suspect. Not saying
that Mike is saying that, but of course that is what certain others do
say. It would be interesting to find a list of which other humanitarian
organisations the US funds around the world to see the degree of
cross-over with what any human would want.
Of course, such aid often/usually comes either with strings attached
and/or is used as some other kind of political pressure and/or is
inadequate etc. That's the real world. For example, there was a great
deal to criticise about the US relief effort after the Haiti earthquake;
and the amount was inadequate (although the amount raised for Haiti
within four days of the earthquake was double the total provided to the
White Helmets altogether). But the source of the aid was not in itself a
reason to consider the concrete aid that did reach people a bad thing.
Want a real dilemma? We advocate boycott of Israel; yet "A rescue team
sent by the Israel Defense Forces' Home Front Command established a
field hospital near the United Nations building in Port-au-Prince with
specialised facilities to treat children, the elderly, and women in
labor. It was set up in eight hours and began operations on the evening
of 16 January.[124]." When Bush cut off US funds to reproductive
services around the world that had any connection to abortion, we
condemned the cuts, not the fact of US funding.
I don't see the WH as different to any of these obvious examples. The
real problem is the rise of the politics of "x funds y" so therefore y
is bad, as a substitute for political analysis (again, I'm not talking
about Mike - but that politics is the reason that question is out and
about).
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Sola via Marxism
Sent: Sunday, October 2, 2016 1:36 AM
To: Michael Karadjis
Subject: Re: [Marxism] Fwd: MRZine and the White Helmets
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Louis,
Thanks for your answer.
I was not--by any stretch--"making a stink."
Mike
-- "And you are right. I have no idea who you are and what your politics
are. But when you make a
stink about people rescuing people from bombed out buildings at the very
moment hospitals are being
targeted in East Aleppo, I can put two and two together."
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