Pinochet and bourgeois democratic right

[Chris Burford]

At 08:51 AM 11/27/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Chris Burford:
>>Juan has now posted on marxism-unmoderated a report on the detention of
>>Pinochet which gives further detail, which LP so confidently asserted on
>>19th October, did not exist:
>>
>>"This petition was the court's answer to the extended complaint
>>filed on October 15, 1998, by the Human Rights Secretariat of
>>Izquierda Unida (second largest left hand political party in
>>Spain) as Popular Accusation in the case on the crimes
>>committed by the Argentine military juntas.
>>
>>Once it was confirmed, through Amnesty International London,
>>that Augusto Pinochet was in London and after several days of
>>work, the writing which contained the basis for the Dictator's
>>detention was elaborated. During this preparation period the
>>Human Rights Secretariat of Izquierda Unida, the Salvador
>>Allende Foundation and the Nizkor Team coordinated their
>>work. Only Amnesty International London had knowledge of
>>the work that was been undertaken."
>
>Now this is interesting. If Burford simply posted more information like
>this instead of phrasemongering, he'd be serving a useful purpose. 
>
>Nizkor is a Canadian-based group that is spearheading legal actions against
>holocaust deniers. I have found their information extremely useful in a
>recent debate with a leftist holocaust denier on apst. This character had
>made an amalgam of anti-Zionism and denial of gassing in the death camps.
>He said that the Zionists were exaggerating the extent of Nazi cruelty in
>order to make the case that Israel should have a free rein politically.
>
>When I was invited to join the Nizkor mailing list, I told the moderator
>that I was coming from an anti-Zionist perspective. And as soon as I
>mentioned that it weakens the anti-fascist cause to deny that Israel has
>used the same tactics as the Nazis (collective punishment, torture, etc.),
>I was attacked by the list.
>
>Nizkor was responsible for limiting the publishing activities of holocaust
>deniers in Canada and the US. But judging from what I saw, I wouldn't be
>surprised if at some point they decide to go against left-wingers as well.
>
>Jim Heartfield's admonitions on this question are to be heeded.
>
>As for the rest of Burford's ravings, I would urge him to get a little
>sleep. He is showing signs of obsession.
>
>Louis Proyect
>(http://www.panix.com/~lnp3/marxism.html)

I think the lines of demarcation are now fairly well rehearsed and many
will have skipped this thread, but as events unfolded it has been a
valuable lesson about what lies behind LP's overall political position and
a test of what marxist approach is now relevant in this complex world.
Above another typical opportunist evasion by LP of the main points of his
opponents argument, especially the arguments by Lenin against his
left-revisionist distortions of marxism. Mere Leninist jargon again?

While he may have some interesting points about Nizkor, again this is the
politics of a deliberate failure to think dialectically, to analyse
temporary vacillating allies but to look for a childishly pure solution to
the revolution, rather than the overall balance of forces. Having failed to
accept that he originally tried to dismiss this legal action as the work of
some isolated maverick judge, he deliberately sidesteps the evidence here
that there was substantial work by Amnesty International and Izquierda
Unida plus many others. Why have writs emerged in so many countries?

If LP is now accusing me of obsession, I did not invite him to make
personalised ultra leftist attacks on analyses I had contributed. If he
ignores my posts I may ignore his. If he attacks I will refute.

Is it ravings to quote Lenin that ultra-leftists who will not on principle
see any difference between enemies do not have a *particle* of marxism in
them?  

On the victory of the Pinochet case, what tune is LP's heart beating to?
That of the ultra-left know-it-all who cannot resonate with the victory of
the popular forces. What a travesty of marxism. Marxism as a style accessory. 

I am indeed going to sleep now. But not for ever.

If he wants to slog this out further, I invite him to join me on
marxism-unmoderated, where he can also defend himself from other critics.

Chris Burford

London.