"The Chinese state reaffirmed its essentially socialist character in 1989, when it suppressed a counter-revolutionary movement. The danger from that movement went far beyond the seemingly innocent demonstration of students in Tiananmen Square.
"Remember that shortly after Mikhail Gorbachev went to Tiananmen to encourage that movement, what had been a peaceful standoff erupted into bloody fighting. Gorbachev himself was seen at that time by many socialists and communists, especially in the West, as a proponent of democratic socialism. Today he is one of the most hated people in Russia. He paved the way for the destruction of everything the workers in all the former Soviet republics built up over 70 years. He let the wolf in at the door.
"The most important thing about Tiananmen is that the socialist state drew the line, and said to the counter-revolution, 'You shall not pass.' "
In the Central American wars of the 80s, the phrase "No Pasaran!" was aimed at the contras, armed, violent terrorists whose whole policy (as outlined by Ollie North among others) was to hit "soft targets" -- farms, schools, health centers, etc. It was a phrase that was used during the anti-fascist struggle in the Spanish Civil War. But here it is used to back the slaughter of unarmed dissidents, a slaughter that apparently bothers Yoshie little, if at all; the dissidents mowed down were probably not on "the left" as Yoshie would define it, and thus not important in the grand scheme. No, what's more important is that she, and presumably "we," link arms and chant along with the type of person quoted above, all for the grand cause of an "anti-war" movement that is "left" led. And if you are not in this special fold, well, tough luck.
DP