[Marxism] Colombia: The real and bloody legacy of Betancur

[Philip Ferguson via Marxism]

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by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh

Belisario Betancur, the ex-president of Colombia (1982-1986) died in his
bed on the 7th of December, 2018.  He corpse hadn’t even time to go cold
before he received and avalanche of eulogies from politician, ns and the
press.  El Espectador gave over various pages to him and the magazine
Semana did likewise.  They are all in agreement, the man of peace has died,
but unlike Salvador Allende, the real Man of Peace in Benedetti’s poem, he
did not die under fire from the bullets, warplanes and tanks of the Empire,
but rather he died in peace and will be buried in the midst of a wave of
praise.

The eulogies from the press are not surprising.  Betancur was, after all,
one of them and social etiquette is to speak well of the dead, especially
if he happens to be a president of the country.  You only have to look at
all the liberals praising the recently deceased president of the USA,
George H.W. Bush, the man who brought new vigour to conventional warfare
and also to the death squads in Central America.  Death pardons
everything.  It would seem scientists can discuss whether we are born with
a blank slate, but without a doubt the press and the powerful give a kind
of blank slate to some when they die.  It is hardly surprising.  But, what
has the reformist left in Colombia to say for itself?

There are two tweets that embody a certain vision of Betancur and the issue
of . . .

full at:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/12/11/colombia-the-real-and-bloody-legacy-of-belisario-betancur/
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[Marxism] Fwd: [Critical-Syria] VFP membership vote on Syria position

[John Reimann via Marxism]

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Here is a report on what is happening in Veterans for Peace, which has long
held a pro-Assad position.

-- Forwarded message -
From: Terry Burke and Andy Berman 
Date: Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 10:04 AM
Subject: [Critical-Syria] VFP membership vote on Syria position
To: Critical Syria 


The results are in! For the 2018 Veterans for Peace Convention Resolution
2018-01, asking VFP to demand the *withdrawal of ALL foreign military from
Syria, including the US, Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and all others*, the
national VFP membership voted as follows:

70 Yes

152 No

A total of 222 votes



Looking at the votes on the other resolutions, it is clear that over *VFP
400 members abstained* *from voting on the Syria resolution*.  For example,
the resolution opposing privatization of the Veterans Administration
received a total of 651 votes.



*Analysis:*

 Of the members voting on the Syria resolution, 32% voted in favor of
withdrawal of ALL foreign military.  This is a significant increase from
the 22% for a similar resolution last year.



That, coupled with the 4 members of the VFP Board of Directors who this
year supported it or abstained (there was unanimous board opposition last
year) indicates that *sentiment in VFP is shifting markedly towards a more
conscientious and truthful understanding of the horrendous conflict in
Syria.*



 The traditional VFP stance on Syria, the dogma of seeing it only in terms
of US intervention, refusing to condemn the crimes of Assad and his
patrons, is now seriously questioned by the VFP membership. 152 members
expressed support for that mistaken analysis. *470 refused to do so*.  The
membership is clearly not happy with the current public stance of VFP on
Syria. Is the leadership listening?



Andy Berman

VFP Chapter 27







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-- 
*“In politics, abstract terms conceal treachery.” *from "The Black
Jacobins" by C. L. R. James
Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook
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[Marxism] Wall St. Journal gets worried.

[John Reimann via Marxism]

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From a column

in today's Wall St. Journal. Note, in particular, the last two paragraphs:



*"Voters Rebel in Europe's Big Three*

The past week has seen the leaders of the three most important European
states fighting for their political lives. In London, Prime Minister
Theresa May struggles to hold power as opinion in Parliament moves against
her Brexit agreement. In Paris, a firestorm of public rage has humbled
President Emmanuel Macron and forced him into an undignified retreat before
street protests he previously vowed to ignore. Even Berlin experienced its
share of political drama as Chancellor Angela Merkel officially stepped
down under pressure as leader of the Christian Democratic Union. Her
preferred successor was able to eke out only a narrow win over anti-Merkel
challengers.

The turbulence in these countries, pillars of European and indeed world
order, isn’t just about particular leaders. Their entire political systems
have come under strain. In the U.K., even before the Brexit referendum, the
rise of the Scottish National Party and Jeremy Corbyn’s victory over the
moderate wing of the Labour Party had already transformed the political
system. In France, Mr. Macron came to power as the existing party system
imploded. In Germany, the antiestablishment Left and Alternative for
Germany parties have been steadily gaining strength as centrist parties
falter in the polls.

It’s one thing for political systems to face populist revolts when times
are bad. President-elect Jair Bolsonaro’s victory in Brazil came on the
heels of a deep recession and a massive corruption scandal. Voters turned
against a political establishment that was corrupt and economically inept.
Italy’s populists came to power in a country where, a decade after the
financial crisis, gross domestic product has not yet returned to 2008
levels. Persistent crime and poverty helped elevate a left-wing populist to
the presidency in Mexico.

But that is not what is happening in Europe’s Big Three. The German economy
under Ms. Merkel is the envy of much of the world. Britain’s economy has
also done relatively well, with unemployment low and declining despite
uncertainty from Brexit. And while growth in France is slow, it is real;
average wages as reported by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development rose more than 1% a year between 2007 and 2017. Any material
grievances voters may have are not extreme by historical standards.

The discontent shaking Europe’s governments, and the anger reverberating
through American politics, comes as times are about as good as they get.
The crash of 2008 and the Great Recession are far behind us, and most
countries are at the peak of their business cycles. Conventional political
science suggests this should be a better environment for incumbent
politicians. People normally get cranky when the economy is doing badly but
mellow out as things improve. Now a long period of steady if not
exceptional growth is in the rearview mirror, but voters are in revolt
across much of the West.

There are plenty of good explanations for voter anger. French taxes are
high. Prosperity hasn’t significantly lifted some regions, like rural
France, Northern England and parts of eastern Germany. Often, voters’
perceived grievances have to do with cultural and class issues:
immigration, economic inequality or elite disdain for ordinary people. In
the U.S., strong economic numbers didn’t prevent Democrats from scoring a
significant victory against the GOP because of widespread discomfort with
President Trump’s rhetorical excesses, his controversial policy choices,
and the multiple investigations surrounding his administration.

The real question is what happens to Western politics when the economy next
heads south. Times won’t always be this good, and the next recession will
test the resilience of advanced political systems.

If the German center takes a beating when unemployment is under 4%, what
will happen if it goes back to 6% or 8%? If there are riots in the streets
of Paris as national wages rise, what will happen when they start to fall?
If Britain is this divided with a strong economy, what happens when—Brexit
or no Brexit—the next downturn comes? And, for that matter, what happens in
American politics if the Trump boom turns into a bust? “For if they do
these things in the green tree,” Jesus said in the Gospel of Luke, “what
shall be done in the dry?”

We may get answers to these questions sooner than we would like. Between
trade friction, stock-market volatility and a flattening yield curve, there
are signs that the cur

[Marxism] The Yellow Vests, capitalism and communism | Louis Proyect: The Unrepentant Marxist

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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Three years ago Michael Moore made a documentary titled “Where to Invade 
Next” that posed the question of why can’t Americans enjoy the good life 
most Western Europeans do. Traveling from country to country, he showed 
how the welfare state created by successive social democratic 
governments made for better health care, education, child care, etc. He 
visited a public school in France where he had lunch with sixth graders 
who had no interest in trading their healthy and appetizing free lunch 
for a Big Mac, French fries and a giant Coke.


As I pointed out at the time, this social democratic dream was turning 
into a nightmare, especially for immigrants. It was only a matter of 
time that France would become ground zero for a revolt against a system 
that provided few benefits for those who live in the countryside and 
suburbia. Indeed, my first reaction to the riots is that the white 
people in France were finally expressing the anger that made the 
banlieues erupt in 2005.


If steep taxes are supposedly necessary to support the universal health 
care that Moore supported in “Sicko”, another paean to enlightened 
social democratic governance, it was lost on the average citizen not 
fortunate enough to work as an IT specialist or lawyer in Paris. With 
the closing of rural hospitals, the country’s universal health insurance 
is next to useless. Under Macron, subsidies to the suburbs and 
countryside have been cut sharply. $42 billion at the time of his 
election, they are now $30 billion. The pain this has caused was 
sufficient to spur a wholesale resignation of mayors around the country 
who feel too strapped to do their job.


This was not the first time a protest occurred over gasoline/diesel fuel 
tax hikes. Almost four years ago to the date, “Red Caps” in Brittany 
forced Francois Hollande to cancel a tax targeting commercial trucks. 
Protesters, who saw the tax as harmful to farmers who were already 
having trouble competing with other EU countries, wore red caps. They 
were first worn in a seventeenth century revolt centered in Brittany as 
well. As is the case today, the movement took direct action to remind 
the “socialist” government that it could not neglect those in the 
boondocks. So grievous was their situation that a virtual epidemic of 
suicides had plagued the countryside. A recent survey revealed that a 
French farmer kills himself every two days.


full: 
https://louisproyect.org/2018/12/10/the-yellow-vests-capitalism-and-communism/

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Re: [Marxism] Anti-Zionism Isn’t the Same as Anti-Semitism

[A.R. G via Marxism]

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I note how Palestinians don't play much of a role in her piece. The entire
thing is about the relationship (or lack of one) between Jews and Israel.
The real question isn't whether anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism, the issue is
why such obvious chauvinism has been adopted by Western governments. That
aspect is lacking. Still, given the low bar at the NYT, it's better than
nothing.

On Dec 9, 2018 9:59 PM, "Michael Meeropol via Marxism" <
marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> wrote:

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what a courageous piece of writing by Michelle Goldberg --- it is easier to
oppose Israeli government policy in Israel than in the US!



NY Times Op-Ed, Dec. 8, 2018
> Anti-Zionism Isn’t the Same as Anti-Semitism
> By Michelle Goldberg
>
>
>
> l
>
> In today's NYTimes Week in Review, there is an ad by FLAME asserting that
> anti-Zionism IS racism.   The reason -- by denying Zionism one denies the
> right of the Jewish people to exist!   (again -- Israel = ALL Jews  ---
> really lousy logic but it works for too many!!)In the same section
> there is an very interesting article about the Holocaust Memorial in
Israel
> having to kowtow to right wing dignitaries who practice anti-semitism at
> home and make a grand gesture of respecting Israel and the memory of the
> holocaust -- truly disgusting!
>

Think Goldberg has the much better argument!!!

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[Marxism] Fwd: Race Traitor

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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ALL BACK ISSUES OF RACE TRAITOR NOW ON LINE.

GO TO http://repository.library.csuci.edu/handle/10139/2519

ENTER RACE TRAITOR IN SEARCH BOX

CLICK ON DESIRED ISSUE, THEN CLICK TO DOWNLOAD.
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[Marxism] A Protest Against 'Climate of Fear' at U of Michigan over standing for Palestinian Rights

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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(Informed Comment) – In response to the furor that arose this fall over 
the disciplining of Professor John Cheney-Lippold for declining to write 
a letter of recommendation for a student to do summer study at Tel Aviv 
University, the administration of the university has appointed a faculty 
commission (which is light on humanists) to consider the issues raised, 
and has circulated a questionnaire to solicit reactions of the faculty.


Professor Alan Wald, H. Chandler Davis Collegiate Professor Emeritus in 
English and American Culture, kindly permitted Informed Comment to 
reprint here his response to the questionnaire, in which he questions 
the paternalistic assumption that the university is the custodian of 
faculty conscience in these matters.

– JC

https://www.juancole.com/2018/12/michigan-standing-palestinian.html
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