[Marxism] A reminder that our bombs are love

[John Passant via Marxism]

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I wrote this poem back in October. From memory it was a response to 
Australia bombing Syria. In light of the British Parliaments’ decision 
to bomb Syria it seems, once more, and with a deep sigh, relevant still.


Our bombs are love

To read the whole poem click here

http://enpassant.com.au/2015/12/04/a-reminder-that-our-bombs-are-love/

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Re: [Marxism] Russia presented 'evidence' of Turkey's oil ties to ISIS — but it has a crucial flaw

[DW via Marxism]

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I think the article is flawed, though it is fascinating.

The underlying assumption, not proven but only assumed, is that ISIS is
smuggling oil to Turkey (and Syria's gov't as well). ISIS does none of
this. They don't smuggle. The drivers as has been shown in numerous other
articles are Turks, Arabs and even Kurds who operate independently. "Owner
operators" so to speak though some seem to be tied to Turkish mafia groups.

These drives enter Syria with the money to purchase the oil. Oil is sold at
the well head, not in some online international market. Everyone, *bar
none*, buys this oil. Assad, Kurdish forces (who have their own set of
small oil refineries to to turn into transport fuel), even local
non-Jihadish forces. Every one. From what I've read now, there is, to put
it politely, no exceptions to this except Kurdish forces in Iraq that don't
need it.

But the money goes to ISIS. Since the Iran-Iraq War Turkey has been an
outlet for these drives to 'smuggle' oil out of the region. Turkey has the
power in a second to shut  this down. These trucks, carrying about 2,000 to
6,000 gallons of oil, have to use roads robust enough to  drive on. If
Turkey wanted to they could stop this and dry up ISIS from their main
steady source of financial support.

DW
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[Marxism] Is it a lie that Assad barrel bombs Syrians?

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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Mr. Stephen Martin,

In today's CounterPunch you describe this as a lie: "Bashir al-Assad 
‘barrel bombed’ and deployed chemical weapons against his own people?"


Aren't you aware that the Baathist amen corner party line is that he has 
barrel bombed his people? John Wight, a semi-literate propagandist 
devoted to Assad, has already explained that barrel bombs are used but 
that this is excusable in the same way that the firebombing of Dresden 
was excusable during WWII.


I would only add that the Syrian dictator's first name is Bashar, not 
Bashir. Your misspelling is excusable. Your denial that barrel bombing 
has been used is not.


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[Marxism] Fwd: The Messenger; Emptying the Skies | Louis Proyect: The Unrepentant Marxist

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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Despite New York City’s image as the metropolis par excellence, at its 
heart is Central Park—the crucial hub of bird migration. I first became 
passionate about birds on New Years Day 1997 when starting off on my jog 
I saw a red-tailed hawk in the upper limbs of a tree. In all my years 
living in the Catskill Mountains, I never saw such a creature. Ever 
since then I have been particularly tuned in to the sights and sounds of 
Central Park’s birds. I have seen snowy egrets taking off from the 
Central Park reservoir looking like they had leapt off a Japanese 
watercolor.


full: http://louisproyect.org/2015/12/04/the-messenger-emptying-the-skies/
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[Marxism] tariq-alis-fanciful-claims/

[O E via Marxism]

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https://workersspatula.wordpress.com/2015/12/04/louis-proyect-rebuts-tariq-alis-fanciful-claims/
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Re: [Marxism] tariq-alis-fanciful-claims/

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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On 12/4/15 4:41 PM, O E via Marxism wrote:

https://workersspatula.wordpress.com/2015/12/04/louis-proyect-rebuts-tariq-alis-fanciful-claims/


Two things must be said about this obscure "satirical" website. It is 
neither very funny as Richard Seymour was the first to point out, nor is 
it very political. On the first offense, they can be forgiven. On the 
second, there is only capital punishment including banishment from Marxmail.

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[Marxism] New on The Irish Revolution

[Philip Ferguson via Marxism]

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A discussion on Connolly, German imperialism, WWI and imperialism.

Hopefully interesting.

Here is Liam O Ruairc, an independent socialist-republican, who was the
IRSP education officer for about ten years:
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2015/12/03/james-connolly-germany-and-the-first-world-war-was-connolly-a-proto-lenin/

Here's my follow-up comments:
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2015/12/05/imperialism-connolly-and-lenin-some-comments/

Here's an excellent piece from Liam about the international significance of
1916:
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2015/11/15/the-global-historical-significance-of-the-1916-rising/

Another piece by Liam looks at two quotes attributed to Connolly:
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2015/11/30/hold-on-to-your-rifles-and-let-no-shot-be-fired-in-ulster-notes-on-two-remarks-attributed-to-connolly/

A short piece on lesbian revolutionaries of the Rising and afterwards:
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2015/11/27/gay-women-and-men-and-1916/

Phil
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[Marxism] This stuff is getting unreal

[Clay Claiborne via Marxism]

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Watching former homeland security official Francis Townsend saying that
suddenly growing his beard longer was a warning sign that should have been
reported to the FBI by co-workers. [Francis - should anyone growing a beard
be reported to the FBI, or just Muslims?]

If a work place shooting is done by Muslims, is it terrorism?

Clay Claiborne, Director
Vietnam: American Holocaust 
Linux Beach Productions
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 581-1536

Read my blogs at the Linux Beach 

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[Marxism] Fwd: Donald Trump 2016 foreign policy: He aligns with Vladimir Putin in accusing Turkey of siding with ISIL - POLITICO

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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Makes perfect sense.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/trump-putin-isil-turkey-216309
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Re: [Marxism] has Jacobin seen the light?

[DW via Marxism]

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Actually, Clay, they did, in 2014. Bombed the shit out of two oil
refineries which lead to black-outs and protests:

http://www.syriadeeply.org/articles/2014/10/6263/power-cuts-lead-shopkeepers-protest-isis-country/

My understanding is that Ragga is something of a septic-tank city with a
sewer system that basically collects the sewage from the "downtown" area...
and discharges out into the dessert east of the city. So there isn't much
to bomb. Power is partially decentralized using diesel run generators
scattered about. It's really a small town, not much to bomb. I suspect the
reason not to do this might be that the bombing of Germany and Japan did
absolutely zip to turn people away from their respective dictatorships. It
also didn't work in Vietnam (though it almost did according to Giap). Just
doesn't work as a rule. If one is going to play Bomber Command (British Air
Force and mass murderers in WWII) then you level the city totally and kill
everyone. That would work. That's doable. I suspect it wouldn't play well
now. The internet is too pervasive and a lot more widespread than it was in
2003.

That's your answer.

DW
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Re: [Marxism] has Jacobin seen the light?

[Dennis Brasky via Marxism]

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Bombing civilian infrastructure is a war crime. This is why Bush and Cheney
should be serving life sentences.

On Fri, Dec 4, 2015 at 8:27 PM, Clay Claiborne via Marxism <
marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> wrote:

>
>
> Along the same lines I criticized Assad & Putin for giving ISIS areas a
> pass in bombing, I found this comment interesting:
>
> https://www.quora.com/Why-doesnt-the-U-S-military-bomb-the-power-stations-and-sanitation-systems-in-Raqqa-the-ISIS-capital-and-make-life-miserable-there
> Why doesn't the U.S. military bomb the power stations and sanitation
> systems in Raqqa (the ISIS capital) and make life miserable there?
> By making life unbearable in the ISIS capital, the civilians would have no
> choice but to flee, and the terrorists would lose their main selling point:
> That they can sustain a viable state and orderly rule.  The US bombed the
> heck out of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.  Why not make life under ISIS
> a hellish nightmare so people think twice before declaring allegiance to a
> rubble caliphate?
>
>
> Our answer might be civilian causalities but I don't think that is their
> reason.
>
>
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Re: [Marxism] has Jacobin seen the light?

[Andrew Pollack via Marxism]

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Great points, Clay.
Obviously I agree on the shameful, reactionary role of the pseudo-Left.
Which makes it all the more important that we support the genuine Left in
the region, no matter how small, i.e. the revolutionary socialists who have
supported every uprising from the start.
And of course that should go hand in hand with material and moral support
to the grassroots forces in the liberated areas - the LCCs, the White
Helmets, the women's and cultural projects, etc. etc.

On Fri, Dec 4, 2015 at 1:30 PM, Clay Claiborne  wrote:

> First, as you've probably already heard, its official ISIS terror has come
> to LA.
>
> Now to this pleasant surprise from Jacobin.
> This is an excellent piece, one of the best I've seen on ISIS.
>
> However, I think there are a couple of connections that need to be made
> that this piece missed. He says:
>
>>
>> This observation points to the undeniable fact that ISIS consciously
>> choreographs itself as an island of stability and peace amid a region of
>> chaos, war, and upheaval. This is important to understanding the pull that
>> ISIS presents to some layers of the population. In a moment of deep crisis,
>> the promise of some level of security is part of what makes ISIS attractive
>> (or, at the very least, a less-worse option).
>>
>
> and later he talks about how the Russians have been targeting non-ISIS
> areas, and of course the Assad regime has long been doing the same thing.
> But he missed the connection between these policies and Daesh's ability to
> provide "islands of stability." Is this because Daesh is so much more
> effective at organizing civil  society than Assad's opposition? Or is it
> just much more difficult to organize civil society with barrel bombs
> raining down on you. I would say that it is really the Assad regime that is
> providing these "islands of stability" not Daesh. Let Assad, and now the
> Russians treat FSA and Daesh controlled areas the same, and then lets see
> were the people go and how many are willing to shelter under ISIS rule. I
> think it every important to show how Assad collaboration has contributed to
> ISIS success.
>
> 2.) he rightfully says:
>
>>
>> Faced with growing left-wing and nationalist political movements in the
>> region, the sponsorship of Islamism was seen as an effective and disarming
>> counterweight. By the 1980s, this policy was applied most systematically
>> through US and Saudi support for Arab Islamist fighters in Afghanistan. It
>> was here that preparations for armed jihad received their first practical
>> boost.
>>
>
> If our principal "weapon" is ideology, then nobody can "disarm" the Left
> but the Left itself, and that is exactly what has happened!
>
> Yes, the imperialists have helped the Islamists position themselves to
> take advantage of the people's discontent, but would this even be possible
> had not the "Left" largely abandoned the people to them?
>
> Take the case of Syria, for example. A revolutionary situation. A people
> in revolt. The 2 local communist parties back the regime. Internationally
> the Left, including Jacobin, has either remained silent or backed the
> regime.
>
> It is far too soon to say why this San Bernardino couple turned to ISIS
> for guidance or whether the sight of the So. Cal Left marching with Assad's
> flag had anything to do with it, so I won't go there - yet. But it is safe
> to say that any young people, Muslim or not, concerned about the tragedy in
> Syria, will be disgusted by the Left and look elsewhere.
>
> The Left, including Jacobin, needs to see their own role in the rise of
> ISIS.
>
> The utopic promise of ISIS will always beat out the banal "lesser of 2
> evils" future being promoted by the opportunist Left.
>
> Clay
>
> Clay Claiborne, Director
> Vietnam: American Holocaust 
> Linux Beach Productions
> Venice, CA 90291
> (310) 581-1536
>
> Read my blogs at the Linux Beach 
> 
>
>
>
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Re: [Marxism] has Jacobin seen the light?

[Clay Claiborne via Marxism]

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First, as you've probably already heard, its official ISIS terror has come
to LA.

Now to this pleasant surprise from Jacobin.
This is an excellent piece, one of the best I've seen on ISIS.

However, I think there are a couple of connections that need to be made
that this piece missed. He says:

>
> This observation points to the undeniable fact that ISIS consciously
> choreographs itself as an island of stability and peace amid a region of
> chaos, war, and upheaval. This is important to understanding the pull that
> ISIS presents to some layers of the population. In a moment of deep crisis,
> the promise of some level of security is part of what makes ISIS attractive
> (or, at the very least, a less-worse option).
>

and later he talks about how the Russians have been targeting non-ISIS
areas, and of course the Assad regime has long been doing the same thing.
But he missed the connection between these policies and Daesh's ability to
provide "islands of stability." Is this because Daesh is so much more
effective at organizing civil  society than Assad's opposition? Or is it
just much more difficult to organize civil society with barrel bombs
raining down on you. I would say that it is really the Assad regime that is
providing these "islands of stability" not Daesh. Let Assad, and now the
Russians treat FSA and Daesh controlled areas the same, and then lets see
were the people go and how many are willing to shelter under ISIS rule. I
think it every important to show how Assad collaboration has contributed to
ISIS success.

2.) he rightfully says:

>
> Faced with growing left-wing and nationalist political movements in the
> region, the sponsorship of Islamism was seen as an effective and disarming
> counterweight. By the 1980s, this policy was applied most systematically
> through US and Saudi support for Arab Islamist fighters in Afghanistan. It
> was here that preparations for armed jihad received their first practical
> boost.
>

If our principal "weapon" is ideology, then nobody can "disarm" the Left
but the Left itself, and that is exactly what has happened!

Yes, the imperialists have helped the Islamists position themselves to take
advantage of the people's discontent, but would this even be possible had
not the "Left" largely abandoned the people to them?

Take the case of Syria, for example. A revolutionary situation. A people in
revolt. The 2 local communist parties back the regime. Internationally the
Left, including Jacobin, has either remained silent or backed the regime.

It is far too soon to say why this San Bernardino couple turned to ISIS for
guidance or whether the sight of the So. Cal Left marching with Assad's
flag had anything to do with it, so I won't go there - yet. But it is safe
to say that any young people, Muslim or not, concerned about the tragedy in
Syria, will be disgusted by the Left and look elsewhere.

The Left, including Jacobin, needs to see their own role in the rise of
ISIS.

The utopic promise of ISIS will always beat out the banal "lesser of 2
evils" future being promoted by the opportunist Left.

Clay

Clay Claiborne, Director
Vietnam: American Holocaust 
Linux Beach Productions
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 581-1536

Read my blogs at the Linux Beach 

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