Understanding history is relevant and important. But trying to analyse the current situation in terms of the "the essential nature of Zionism" because of what Herzl and Weitzmann did long ago is not productive. The problem is precisely how to get Israel to stop acting like apartheid S.A. Denouncing Zionism, which not even the PLO does any more, is not helpful. I speak as a nonZionist Jew. --jks
>From: "Forstater, Mathew" <ForstaterM at umkc.edu>
>Reply-To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
>To: "Max Sawicky " <sawicky at bellatlantic.net>
>CC: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
>Subject: RE: zionism
>Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2001 17:12:25 -0500
>
>mbs says: All this pseudo-analysis
>of primordial roots and first causes is like a
>political version of socio-biology, or an
>intellectual-history version of purporting to
>compare the brain sizes of different races.
>
>mbf: I can understand the pragmatic need to directly address the current
>status on the ground, 'try to get it stop behaving like apartheid S.A.',
>but I don't understand why history, and even historical analysis guided
>by theory, must be "pseudo-analysis" "socio-biology" or
>"comparing...brain sizes"?? As far as I'm concerned, the history of the
>region from the spread of Islam and even further back up through the
>rise and fall of the Ottomans is all of relevance to understanding the
>last 125 years. So is the traditional mode(s) of production of the
>indigenous people(s) and certainly the importance of and impact on the
>region of the rise and development of global capitalism. I don't know
>how I would make sense of the situation if I hadn't examined the history
>of Imperialism, nationalism, and class formation in Palestine as part of
>the (Pan-)Arab world. I understand we have a great crisis that demands
>immediate attention and action, but I don't see why that means history
>and theory are 'pseudo-analytical socio-biology'?
>
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