Marvin Gandall wrote:
(The following is from Doug Henwood's LBO-list. I may have missed Doug also
posting it here. If so, my apologies for duplicating it. But a case can be
made for reading Tariq Ali's comments twice. Ali, the radical British
political commentator and playwright, has IMO succinctly grasped what is
essential from the POV of the left in this particular US election -- what
the so-called Anybody but Bush sentiment represents in the popular
consciousness. Ali describes it as positive -- a point of some contention on
this and other left lists -- and that it offers the potential for further
advance if it is embraced. Note too his understanding that despite Kerry's
electoral opportunism on Iraq, a Democratic administration would not have
invaded Iraq. TA was interviewed on Doug's radio show.)
That's entirely possible. The Democrats were satisfied to keep Iraq
bleeding through a combination of sanctions and highly focused military
strikes from the air. That's the basic difference between the two
parties: Madeline Albright, with her disgusting rhinestone American flag
pin, telling an interviewer that it was worth the lives of hundreds of
thousands of Iraqi children to secure freedom in Iraq; and Condoleeza
Rice telling the same interviewer that freedom must be secured through
occupation.
Frankly, I consider the ABB phenomenon to be almost unparalleled on the
left. To have ostensibly radical personalities like Tariq Ali implicitly
urging a vote for Kerry (he seems to have mastered the Earl Browder art
of obfuscation in not actually saying as much) tells me that we have
reached a turning-point in US politics.
I am ready to build a new movement that uses ABB as a litmus test.
Despite my problems with State Capitalist ideology, I feel much more of
an affinity for Todd Chretien--the California petition coordinator for
Nader-Camejo and ISO member--than I do for Bob McChesney, the long time
MR figure. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass what McChesney thinks about
Cuba if he can't get this Kerry thing right.
--
Marxism list: www.marxmail.org
