Silliness and Reality, was Re: guns & purses (was

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Wed Oct 18 09:34:46 PDT 2000


Matt Cramer wrote:


>
> Revolutionary wars in the 20th century are not fought on the traditional
> battlefield. If Osama Bin Laden didn't exist the US would have invented
> him. I'm always amazed at how easily people adapt the terrorist meme.
> What's the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter, anyway?

This is superficial. Nothing in the revolutionary history of the last two cenuries has contradicted Plato's argument that no ruling class will ever be overthrown unless divisions appear within the ruling class. In twentieth century capitalism the "world ruling classes" become relevant -- hence the coincidence of major revolutions in the last century with world wars. The Palestinians and their allies must keep up the struggle -- not so much to win it directly as to maintain their human dignity and avoid even worse oppression (potentially genocidal). But Palestine will never be free until major antagonisms develop among the imperial powers and within the ruling classes of the Arab states. As to the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter, Sir John Harrington made that clear over 500 years ago:

Treason doth never prosper, what's the reason?

For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.

Carrol



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