> Concerning this slogan,"Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, We Will Die for > Iran," Dennis, I have had extensive discussion with Abbas Goya of > the Worker-Communist Party of Iran. According to Abbas, this is > indeed what people were chanting, and he defends it. I tried to > explain the concept of unconditional support to an anti-imperialist > struggle while not giving political support to its leadership. > Understand that these comrades are quite young and somewhat > inexperienced. I'm not sure how well-read they are: for example, > Abbas claimed that Lenin was "anti-capitalist, not anti- > imperialist." Clearly, he is unaware of the RSDLP's and Bolsheviks' > support to anticolonial struggles going on at the turn of the > 19th-20th century, nor has he read "Imperialism: the Highest Stage > of Capitalism." He takes a rather Luxemburgist position on the > national question, probably unaware of what Luxemburg herself had > to say. > > As is so often the case with youthful revolutionists, their hearts > get way ahead of their heads. They see this great struggle going on > before their eyes, and it is indeed a historic and inspiring thing > to see. However, they are less inclined to take a sober and cool- > headed look at the political pitfalls that could potentially derail > their movement. This is inexperience more than anything. I am > trying to keep a dialogue with him and other WCPI comrades going > and keeping it from degenerating into a flame war. So far it is > working. Whether it will have a positive effect remains to be seen. > > Tom > > > On Sep 21, 2009, at 1:46 PM, Dennis Brasky wrote: > >> >> >> >> Louis Proyect's post of Juan Cole article >> >> http://www.juancole.com/2009/09/ahmadinejad-spews-raving-lunatic- >> anti.html >> >> >> >> Andy Pollack - >> >> I checked Juan Cole's site first thing after reading the Times >> account >> to see if once again Ahmedinejad had been mistranslated. I checked it >> again after Louis posted this link and it's been updated. Cole is >> still furious at him but has modified some of his earlier >> conclusions. >> On a directly related note: the mainstream media is claiming his >> opponents were chanting "Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, We Will Die for >> Iran," >> at the Al Quds Day protests. To chant that at all, and especially on >> Al Quds Day, is so deeply reactionary. And I'm sure some will say, >> with some justification, that it's akin to the way citizens of >> Stalinist states began to resent their regimes' official >> anti-imperialism. But explaining reactionary behavior doesn't make it >> any less so. >> >> Louis Proyect - >> >> This is rather puzzling to me. Of all the issues that divide the >> government and the opposition, support for Gaza and Lebanon would >> appear >> to be the least controversial. Not that Ahmadinejad has offered >> much in >> the way of support for the Palestinians to begin with. Lebanon >> must be a >> reference to Hizbollah but again it is not clear what the chants are >> supposed to mean. Does the mass movement in Iran really get worked up >> over Hizbollah? >> >> AP - >> >> Louis is right, it is puzzling. >> On a related front, see >> http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite? >> cid=1253198161088&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull >> for an account of how archZionist Stewart Appelbaum has broadened out >> his anti-Iran campaign to rope in the NAACP, AFL-CIO, J Street, and >> Americans for Peace Now. >> NYers should steer way clear of Thursday's rally. >> >> >> Mark Lause - >> >> The most obvious explanation is that such stories are planted. It >> certainly >> wouldn't be the first time. >> >> >> LP - >> >> Here's the first couple of paragraphs of the report on the speech >> at an >> official Iranian website http://www.president.ir/en/?ArtID=17832. >> Clearly we are dealing with a first-class schmuck: >> >> President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Friday that the Holocaust >> black >> box should be opened. >> >> Addressing Tehrani Friday prayers worshipers as pre-sermon lecturer, >> President Ahmadinejad said, “Our call over the past four years has >> been >> if the Holocaust claimed by the Zionist regime and its allies is >> true, >> why they (Zionists and westerners) do not allow any research on it?” >> >> President Ahmadinejad said research on everything is free but >> Holocaust >> is the key to a sealed fact and black box. >> >> >> ML - >> >> To clarify, I didn't mean that the stories about Ahmadinejad were >> plants, >> but the stories about what the opposition was chanting. Until we >> see a tape >> of it...I'd be skeptical. As we know, the US particularly tends to >> shape >> these oppositions to something usable...and perceptions of those >> oppsoitions >> in particular to something usable. >> >> >> LP - >> >> This is the explanation I got from the Revolutionary Flower Pot >> blogger >> whose word I trust implicitly. In his latest post at >> http://revolutionaryflowerpot.blogspot.com/, he called attention >> to the >> slogans that had been raised and which he supported: >> >> • "Ey daad az in jenaayat: Ghazeh biyaa hemaayat!" (Woe be upon this >> crime: Gaza come to our support!); >> • "Ahmadi-ye terrorist; farqhe to baa Sharon chist?" (You terrorist >> Ahmadi[nejad]; what's your difference with Sharon?); >> • "Iran shodeh Felesteen; mardom cheraa neshasteen?" (Iran's become >> Palestine; why are people sitting around?); >> • "Na Ghazeh, na Lobnaan; jaanam fadaaye Iran!" (Neither Lebanon nor >> Gaza; I'll give my life for Iran!). >> >> When I asked him if the last slogan could be interpreted as >> reactionary, >> he wrote in reply: >> >> Hi Louis, >> >> When looked at in isolation, I personally find the slogan too >> nationalistic, and not very wise, politically speaking. However, >> in the >> context of all the other slogans that were also raised >> (indicating/declaring openly that the Iranian people and the >> Palestinians are on the same side), I am a bit reassured that the >> real >> sharp point of the slogan, addressed to the coup regime, runs >> something >> like this: >> >> _You, Ahamdinejad-Khamenei coup regime, are saying we the Iranian >> people >> should remain slaves and/or die or at your hands, or die of >> torture in >> your prisons, so that you can pose as a pro-Palestinian bunch. >> But, we >> will die instead for OUR own rights and for our right to be free >> of your >> brutality, which is exactly the same as the Israeli's! >> >> Like everything social, this one too is very multi-sided and >> should not >> be taken in isolation. Anyway ... That's how I see it. >> >> >> >> >
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