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Mark L. wrote: "Most of us will defend ANY TARGET OF IMPERIALISM" and Bhaskar writes that, in the view of the ISO, Cuba "deserves defense from US imperialism." But see, that's the point. CLAIMING you "defend something from imperialism" is different from ACTUALLY DOING IT. As I wrote earlier, coming out in the streets with "U.S. Out" signs after the invasion is too late. Cuba (and others including Venezuela and North Korea and Iran) are under attack by imperialism NOW (and, in the case of Cuba, have been for the past 50 years). The time to defend Cuba against imperialism is NOW, and if the only thing your press ever writes about Cuba is negative, not only aren't you defending Cuba, you are acting as an enabler for imperialism in its attempt to prepare American opinion for whatever it chooses to do. And just to correct Mark on a small personal point, he writes: " I have every confidence in the ISO on this...and on Eli's organization as well.." For the record, the only "organization" I'm a part of is the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five. I do work closely with numerous comrades from the PSL here in San Francisco, especially since they're among the few groups actually doing things (like organizing demonstrations) rather than just talking, and I certainly share their basic framework, but I am not a member ("not that there's anything wrong with that"), and I most assuredly do not speak for them. I speak for myself. And to Louis, who insists on labeling ANSWER and March 20 as a "sectarian" event, I note that the series of meetings to pull the demonstration together here in San Francisco were attended by an average of 80 people, representing dozens of organizations (although NOT the ISO), all of whom had precisely the same opportunity to speak, vote, serve on or lead committees, etc., and I have every reason to believe the same situation existed in D.C. and Los Angeles. Eli Stephens Left I on the News http://lefti.blogspot.com _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/210850552/direct/01/ ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com