====================================================================== Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. ======================================================================
At 21:48 24-07-14 -0400, Marv Gandall via Marxism wrote: > >The NATO countries, of course, do not presently have the power to bring the Russian leaders to trial. > >Instead, the US and its allies are trying to bring pressure to bear through their control of the global financial system. The EU today adopted tougher sanctions in line with those adopted earlier by the Obama administration as part of a staged program designed to progressively squeeze the Russian financial system and cripple the economy. > >Do you support these efforts? I think that is a really unfair question, because either answer is wrong. When there is a dispute between capitalists, with no overriding principle involved, then if you support one side you are supporting one group of capitalists. Forcing someone to support one or the other is a trap and a diversion from any valid issues which might be tangentially involved. Because one country (or usually both countries) in a dispute deserves to be punished, doesn't mean you need to endorse some particular sort of action. And of course even our own boycott actions are just tactical, such the BDS campaign against Israel. We don't have to answer every question about "Why pick on Israel when this other country is doing something awful too?" Likewise with economic sanctions which are just a tactic and don't have to be either supported or opposed in every case. But what does become an issue is when they go out of their way NOT to implement sanctions, such as when Reagan came to the aid of South African apartheid by saying that sanctions wouldn't help etc. It's clear why he was against sanctions, and that we surely denounce. But you can't demand from me a list of countries that do or don't deserve sanctions. And although Russia's interference in Ukraine is contrary to the interests and rights of Ukranians, no one has to decide whether sanctions are "right" or "wrong," whatever those terms might mean. The main thing I notice about sanctions against Russia, considering all that has transpired, is that the EU countries in particular are rather reluctant to implement very serious sanctions, because their economic interests (particularly dependence on Russian gas/oil) are at odds with their geopolitical concerns (losing influence in East Europe). That is a more pertinent discussion than whether sanctions will do more harm than good, or which capitalist has the right or moral authority to implement punishments against a different capitalist country. - Jeff > >Besides military assistance to its proxies, I assume doing the right thing in Clays view also includes economic sanctions, US imperialisms weapon of choice for exercising control. I asked Clay about this a couple of days ago - no response as yet - and Louis, Andy, and others who broadly agree with Clays characterization of the civil war within Ukraine as Russian aggression might also want to have a stab at it:
________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
