Re: [Marxism] Bellingcat: "left" and right wing Pro Assad groups receiving money from Assad
POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. * Yes, I definitely agree that Paul and the rest of their decision to do Birthright for Syria is tonedeaf to say the least. I can't agree with that decision, and in the past when I was offered such opportunities to attend similar trips I of course always declined. We don't need to hold water for that murderous thug. But this piece really is a slash-and-burn. I don't think the author realizes how long Paul has been around and exactly how far that reach goes. Genuine grass roots activism is filled with all sorts of people, it is cheap to dig through it and look for people who said this or that. Likewise, the jab about Soros is quite cheap. They didn't quote Paul but they emphasized that Soros is Jewish as if to say that criticizing Soros is intrinsically anti-Semitic. There is no doubt that NGOs and philanthropists have completely derailed the Palestine solidarity movement through NGO-ization. Soros might not be personally responsible but his ilk of liberal donors absolutely have done a number on movement organizing. The concerns Paul has voiced in the past about the co-optation of the BDS movement by people with bad politics is a very real issue, but the article would make you think it's just some sort of anti-Semitic crank nonsense. I also take issue with them going after various people over 9/11 conspiracy theories. It is obvious why people in the Arab and Muslim community have endorsed such theories: They were the ones blamed for 9/11. They may not be correct to believe such theories but to mock them and suggest that they are all nut jobs for having those beliefs really strikes me as arrogant. Amith R. Gupta On Thu, Oct 3, 2019 at 7:58 PM Louis Proyect via Marxism < marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> wrote: > POSTING RULES & NOTES > #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. > #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. > * > > On 10/3/19 7:31 PM, A.R. G via Marxism wrote: > > > > The rest of the article isn't news. Yes, people involved in Left > organizing > > can have bad politics and some of them believe in conspiracy theories. > But > > that isn't itself an excuse to engage in conspiracism or exaggeration. > > The article is timely, however, in light of the filthy public relations > these scumbags are doing for Assad right now after their Potemkin > Village tour of Syria. Pediatric hospitals are being bombed in Idlib and > these people are writing about how great it is that Assad crushed al-Qaeda. > > > > > _ > Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm > Set your options at: > https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/amithrgupta%40gmail.com > _ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] Bellingcat: "left" and right wing Pro Assad groups receiving money from Assad
POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. * On 10/3/19 7:31 PM, A.R. G via Marxism wrote: The rest of the article isn't news. Yes, people involved in Left organizing can have bad politics and some of them believe in conspiracy theories. But that isn't itself an excuse to engage in conspiracism or exaggeration. The article is timely, however, in light of the filthy public relations these scumbags are doing for Assad right now after their Potemkin Village tour of Syria. Pediatric hospitals are being bombed in Idlib and these people are writing about how great it is that Assad crushed al-Qaeda. _ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
Re: [Marxism] Bellingcat: "left" and right wing Pro Assad groups receiving money from Assad
POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. * This article is frankly, quite shit. Association for Investment in Popular Action Committees was set up as the umbrella non-profit for a bunch of Bay Area-related activism, including the Free The Cuban 5 campaign, the Free Palestine Movement, the Northern California chapter of the ISM, and others. The common theme is that Paul Larudee is involved. That isn't a surprise, given that Paul has been a pretty predominant fixture of the Bay Area anti-war organizing scene for decades. Syria Solidarity Movement is just another one of the various organizing initiatives that uses the Association as a fiscal sponsor. Most activist groups don't have the time to start their own 501c3. The article makes it seem as though the Association is some sort of separate shadowy entity, and the title you added to the topic makes it even worse by suggesting that Assad himself is somehow involved. Of course, there is no evidence anywhere that Assad or his regime are actively funding the Association (which would be illegal) and there is nothing in the article that suggests otherwise. Moreover the Association long predates the Syria Solidarity Movement or the armed conflict in Syria. Basically, the article points out that a non-profit affiliated by Paul Larudee is funding various initiatives with which Paul Larudee is associated. Surprise. It's also quite clear that the author of the piece does not have a sense of humor and completely missed the joke: "While obscure, and not to be confused with the “AIPAC” that supports the state of Israel" The rest of the article isn't news. Yes, people involved in Left organizing can have bad politics and some of them believe in conspiracy theories. But that isn't itself an excuse to engage in conspiracism or exaggeration. Amith R. Gupta On Thu, Oct 3, 2019 at 12:24 PM John Reimann via Marxism < marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> wrote: > POSTING RULES & NOTES > #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. > #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. > * > > An interesting and detailed article on which groups on both the right and > the "left" are getting money from Assad and his representatives. It should > surprise nobody as far as those on the right. In reality, it shouldn't > surprise anybody as far as those on the "left", but it might. They range > from former liberal Democratic congressman Dennis Kucinic to Ajamu Baraka. > Paul Larudee (whom I used to know personally) is also big on the list. The > Syria Solidarity Movement figures big time in this list, as one would > expect. > > Although Jeff Mackler did not directly receive any of that money, many of > those endorsing him have. > > > https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2019/09/30/pro-assad-lobby-group-rewards-bloggers-on-both-the-left-and-the-right/?fbclid=IwAR0raK2iu2YxDNHD5jneDkwCzPRIgS8879Xb-YsYN9HX_xXUtp7rJUW89ZE > John Reimann > -- > *“In politics, abstract terms conceal treachery.” *from "The Black > Jacobins" by C. L. R. James > Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook > _ > Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm > Set your options at: > https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/amithrgupta%40gmail.com _ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
[Marxism] Bellingcat: "left" and right wing Pro Assad groups receiving money from Assad
POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. * An interesting and detailed article on which groups on both the right and the "left" are getting money from Assad and his representatives. It should surprise nobody as far as those on the right. In reality, it shouldn't surprise anybody as far as those on the "left", but it might. They range from former liberal Democratic congressman Dennis Kucinic to Ajamu Baraka. Paul Larudee (whom I used to know personally) is also big on the list. The Syria Solidarity Movement figures big time in this list, as one would expect. Although Jeff Mackler did not directly receive any of that money, many of those endorsing him have. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2019/09/30/pro-assad-lobby-group-rewards-bloggers-on-both-the-left-and-the-right/?fbclid=IwAR0raK2iu2YxDNHD5jneDkwCzPRIgS8879Xb-YsYN9HX_xXUtp7rJUW89ZE John Reimann -- *“In politics, abstract terms conceal treachery.” *from "The Black Jacobins" by C. L. R. James Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook _ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com