Once More With Feeling

Yoshie Furuhashi furuhashi.1 at osu.edu
Thu Sep 9 09:52:17 PDT 1999


Hi Max:
>The inadequacies of all such interventions do not strengthen
>the case for abstention in the name of anti-imperialism.
>Quite the contrary, I would say the anti-interventionist
>left has no future.

Indeed. Opposing a military invasion is not the same as "anti-interventionism" or "isolationism," however. (Let us avoid using euphemisms such as military intervention and peace-keeping.) Leftists should intervene and focus on pressuring Washington, London, Tokyo, etc. to stop all aids to Indonesia immediately. And if you can't accomplish that much, what's the hope of leftists shaping the direction of a military invasion as you imagine? Nil. Stoping aids will be good for the East Timorese and may be good for the Indonesian Left as well (the latter does exist, which makes the situation different from Iraq and Yugoslavia, where left oppositions have hardly existed).

Can't you move to Rob's position at least, if not quite agreeing with Lou, Carrol, me, etc.?

Yoshie



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