[Marxism] Why is the US military occupying bases across Africa?

[Dennis Brasky via Marxism]

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The leaked Fitbit data reveals isolated U.S. military bases scattered
throughout several African nations. David Vine breaks down this “lily pad
” deployment strategy. It
not only permits the maximum projection of military power with the least
commitment, it also allows military commanders to publicly depict all such
deployments as “temporary” and to conceal their existence from the
public. Taken in the aggregate, the “temporary” lily pads in Mozambique,
Tanazania, Burundi, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, CAR,
Chad, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Egypt, and
Morocco, among other locations U.S. troops have occupied, signify an
enduring and imperial-scale military presence. This expanding network was a
key reason the military reorganized its world-spanning unified combatant
command system in 2008 to place responsibility for the continent of Africa
under a single United States Africa Command, or AFRICOM.

https://daily.jstor.org/why-is-the-u-s-military-occupying-
bases-across-africa/
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[Marxism] Recommendation for book on Russia?

[Glenn Kissack via Marxism]

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Does anyone have a recommendation for a book on current-day Russia that 
includes class analysis?

I’m interested in information on its class structure, the power of the 
oligarchs and their relationship with Putin, conditions for the Russian working 
class, Russian foreign policy, etc.

Thanks,
Glenn
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[Marxism] "Beating heart of the labor movement": report on 2018 Labor Notes conference

[Philip Ferguson via Marxism]

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An excellent report written by Guy Miller for Redline:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/04/15/the-beating-heart-of-the-labor-movement-report-on-the-2018-labor-notes-conference/
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[Marxism] Exploitation and super-exploitation | John Smith | MR Online

[Kevin Lindemann and Cathy Campo via Marxism]

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https://mronline.org/2018/04/14/exploitation-and-super-exploitation/


Sent from my iPhone
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[Marxism] Leila al-Shami: The 'anti-imperialism' of idiots

[mkaradjis via Marxism]

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Truly excellent piece by Leila al-Shami: The 'anti-imperialism' of
idiots: 
https://leilashami.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/the-anti-imperialism-of-idiots/#more-946
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[Marxism] Pentagon: strikes not “an attempt to depose the Syrian regime” (duh)

[mkaradjis via Marxism]

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So, "another invasion of Iraq", a new "US regime change operation",
"if the US replaces Assad the new ruler will be just as bad" etc, the
endless regurgitation we've had to put up with over the last 24 years
at least now may stop.

So, three targets - genocide air-bases and chemical weapons facilities
- were hit, and US, UK and French leaders all fall over themselves to
declare that "this does not signify a change in policy", the US focus
remains the defeat of ISIS, and "the attacks were not an attempt to
depose the Assad regime". Like, duh.

For anyone actually watching what has been going on in Syria the last
7 years none of this comes as any surprise. No I am not claiming we
have great intelligence, nor powers of clairvoyance. Yes, we can also
get things wrong. But regarding the big picture, I am claiming that an
analysis of basic facts and of *the actual interests* of the western
imperialist powers should be able to tell us that they do not and
never have had any interest in getting rid of Assad. Sure, some may
have preferred a palace coup or some other kind of cosmetic change of
head while keeping the regime overwhelmingly intact, given how
destabilising the figure of Assad himself is. But none of them, least
of all the US, ever wanted to help the revolutionary forces eject the
regime as a whole. Never. NEVER.

And everything that has happened in 7 years confirms this. And yes,
Trump's hit of a single empty airbase after Assad's sarin massacre
last year - empty because he had warned Putin who warned Assad -
likewise confirms this.

Trump was being entirely truthful when he said last week that, having
defeated ISIS, it is time for the US to pack up and go home, having
Assad safely in control. Trump raised not a peep while Assad just
killed 1700 people in 4 weeks in Ghouta and defeated and destroyed the
entire Ghouta Assad-free zone. Assad took this support as
encouragement and decided to yet again test the imperial "red-line" on
the use of chemical weapons - all the "conventional" wmd that Assad
and Putin have used in the Syrian genocide for 7 years are no problem
to Trump and the US.

But "why would Assad use chemical weapons when he had defeated Ghouta,
and risk western retaliation"? ask the conspiracists who think the
Ghouta people gassed themselves, or the CIA, or ISIS, or Turkey or
whoever did it (and of course even the non-conspiracists who know
Assad did it can still reasonably ask why he did).

So let's just think of Assad's cost-benefit analysis. One part of
Ghouta - the town of Douma - was still resisting, refusing to be
"cleansed" off to Idlib like the rest of Ghouta had been. Assad
launches his chemical attack. The next day the militia in Douma signs
the agreement to leave for Idlib. Benefit. Cost? The US hits a couple
more air-bases or chemical facilities. Probably also emptied since
again Trump and Macron told Putin what would be hit. Assad clearly got
a great deal.

Hope the crack-pot "anti-war" movement enjoyed themselves perched on
their street corners yelling out against "regime change", after
ignoring 3.5 years of actual US bombing of Syrian civilians, in its
war against anyone-but-Assad.

US, UK France launched 105 weapons against three targets - Pentagon
Jamie Grierson

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2018/apr/14/syria-donald-trump-announcement-chemical-attack-live?page=with:block-5ad1fd81e4b0db851d627486#block-5ad1fd81e4b0db851d627486

The chief pentagon spokesperson, Dana W White, is giving an update
alongside Lt Gen Kenneth McKenzie, the director of the Joint Staff
(DJS), a senior military adviser to the US president.

White said the attacks were not an attempt to depose the Assad regime
and do not signify a shift in US policy.

She said the airstrikes had been launched to “cripple Syria’s ability
to use chemical weapons in the future” and had “successfully hit every
target”.

She insisted the strikes did not “represent a change in US policy or
an attempt to depose the Syrian regime” and that the US focus was to
defeat the Islamic State terror group.

But, she added: “We cannot allow such grievous violations of international law.”

McKenzie took reporters through the airstrikes, saying 105 weapons
were deployed against targets. He said the strikes will deter use of
chemical weapons in the future.

McKenzie said: “I’d use three words to describe this operation -
precise, overwhelming and effective.”

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[Marxism] [UCE] Oppose US bombing of Syria; oppose ALL bombing of Syria

[David McDonald via Marxism]

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Not me.
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[Marxism] [UCE] Oppose US bombing of Syria; oppose ALL bombing of Syria

[John Reimann via Marxism]

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"Trump has launched his second attack on the Syrian government, this time
by reportedly bombing chemical weapons facilities, including a chemical
research facility. (We say “reportedly” because we don’t know for sure
exactly what the US missiles attacked.)

We have to be clear what the aims as well as the constraints are: The aim is
 *not* to overthrow the Assad regime. US Secretary of “Defense” James
Mattis made this clear. He said

 “Right now this is a one-time shot and I believe it has sent a very strong
message to dissuade him, to deter him from doing it (chemical weapons
attack) again.” So, Mattis, Trump and US imperialism in general have no
objection to Assad’s murderous assault on the people of Syria. They have no
objection to his imprisoning thousands, torturing opponents to death,
bombing hospitals, schools, residential neighborhoods and public markets.
Nor any objection to the ethnic cleansing that is being carried out. No,
all of that is okay. Their problem is that chemical weapons are too much of
a no-no. It’s too embarrassing. Murdering hundreds of thousands is okay,
just don’t embarrass us, is the position of US imperialism.

US imperialism of course supported Assad’s neoliberal economic attacks on
the Syrian workers and peasants, the attacks carried out in the run-up to
the Arab Spring (2011). These were the same “reforms” that enormously
enriched a little clique around Assad"
Read entire article here:
https://oaklandsocialist.com/2018/04/14/oppose-us-bombing-of-syria-oppose-all-bombing-of-syria/

-- 
*“How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone
willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause? Such a fine
sunny day, and I have to go, but what does my death matter, if through us
thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?” *Sophie Scholl,
executed by the Nazis 2/22/1943. She was 21 years old.
Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook
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[Marxism] US attack on Syria?

[mkaradjis via Marxism]

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The US began bombing Syria in Sep 2014, since then has launched
100,000 bombs and missiles, has killed thousands of civilians, has
sent in several thousand special forces embedded with the YPG, has
three airbases in Rojava, has totally obliterated 90% of Raqqa.

So I'm sorry, did something else happen today? There seems to be a lot
of noise about a "US attack on Syria". Are these all old messages from
Sep 2014 being massively re-posted in some Facebook mess-up? Did the
US attack some other country today but everyone got confused that it
was Syria? Someone help me with this.

(I say all this with the understanding that 7 years of the fascist
regime bombing its own people and destroying every city in its
country, killing upwards of 500,000 people and uprooting half its
population, and 3 years of White Russian imperialism coming in and
being to Syria what the US was to Vietnam, are mere trivia and no
concern to the above noise)
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[Marxism] War-besnt Trump ready to go to bat for Radical Islamic terror group | MR Online

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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MROnline is not only a purveyor of Assadist garbage from Mint Press but 
the man or woman they pay to run it is too careless to notice that he or 
she wrote a heading "War-besnt". Besnt? WTF? (My guess is that comrade X 
is a man and likely someone with very little editorial or political savvy.)



https://mronline.org/2018/04/14/war-besnt-trump-ready-to-go-to-bat-for-radical-islamic-terror-group/
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[Marxism] A Syria for All Its People — Two Books on an Unnecessary War

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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On Friday night, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom 
launched strikes against military targets in Syria to punish Bashar 
al-Assad’s regime for a suspected chemical attack near Damascus last 
weekend. The United States and its allies have been bombing Syria since 
2014 as part of a military campaign against the Islamic State, but 
Friday’s attack marked only the second instance since 2011 when the 
United States directly targeted the Syrian government. President Donald 
Trump ordered both U.S. strikes against Assad without congressional 
authorization. Two books on Syria, based on years of in-country 
reporting, capture a key period in modern Syrian history, beginning with 
the 2011 revolution that morphed into a complex, multi-pronged, 
international war.


full: https://theintercept.com/2018/04/14/syria-rania-abouzeid-alia-malek/
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[Marxism] Limited US action against Syria suggests conflict unlikely to escalate | World news | The Guardian

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/14/trumps-attack-on-syria-is-not-without-risk-but-its-not-world-war-three
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[Marxism] Trump's strike didn't stop Assad last year and won't stop him now | Syria | Al Jazeera

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/trump-strike-didn-stop-assad-year-won-stop-180414084818770.html
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[Marxism] New on The Irish Revolution

[Philip Ferguson via Marxism]

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Socialist Workers Network - misremembering the past, promoting reformism
today:
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/socialist-workers-network-and-civil-rights-misremembering-the-past-to-promote-reformism-today/

The Adams legacy:
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/the-adams-legacy/

Remembering rubber and plastic bullet killings by the state:
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/remembering-rubber-and-plastic-bullet-killings/

A note on Marx on Ireland and the British revolution:
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2018/03/19/marx-on-ireland-the-british-revolution/

I also recently put up on the site the full text of Constance markievicz's
1923 pamphlet "What Irish Republicans Stand For":
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2018/02/04/constance-de-markievicz-what-irish-republicans-stand-for/

And in the historical texts field, here is 1916 Cmdt-General Sean
McLoughlin, who subsequently became a key Irish Marxist, on how republicans
could win the civil war:
https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/1916-cmdt-general-sean-mcloughlin-on-how-anti-treaty-forces-could-win-the-civil-war/
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[Marxism] New on Redline blog

[Philip Ferguson via Marxism]

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French public sector workers fighting back:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/french-public-sector-workers-fighting-back/

Rank-and-file articles on the current struggle by health workers in NZ:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/support-the-health-workers-struggle/

Palestine: PFLP says March of Return is "referendum on our rights":
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/04/09/pflp-leader-jamil-mizher-march-of-return-is-a-referendum-on-our-rights/

On the Gaza border:a wanton massacre:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/04/07/on-the-gaza-border-a-wanton-massacre/
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