Chechnya - a far off country

[Chris Burford]

At 08:48 05/11/99 +0200, you wrote:
>>Chris Burford wrote
>
>The argument is similar to that about Indonesia and East Timor is it not?
>>The West is magnanimously lending billions of dollars to Russia ostensibly
>>to help liberal democracy but in fact to help the oligarchs. It is already
>>intervening massively in the former Soviet Union. There is no way it cannot
>>intervene.
>>
>>It tacitly supported the suppression of the East Timorese for years. If it
>>does not put pressure on Russia now, it is supporting the crushing of the
>>Chechens.
>>
>I think Chris's position is all the evidence we need that Yoshie is right on
>the left and Chechnya.  "Left" advice merely broadens Western options for
>interfering.
>
>Russell

Yes, if I remember correctly, unlike the South African Communist Party, and
Chomsky, you were not in favour of the west interfering financially to
support the people of East Timor.

You think the people of East Timor should be left to be crushed, like the
people of Chechnya.  

Well the west is interfering whether you like it or not. The question is
which way does it lean. 

The idea that an opinion here broadens the Western options is idealism indeed.

Chris Burford

London