WWP

[Justin Schwartz]

As you know, I ama  bourgeois liberal democrat in politics, Nathan, so 
you're preaching to the converted here--I'm not suggesting that the Chinese 
dictatorship is no worse than the US system, awful as ours is, and you know 
it. But the pause I hope I gave you is that your lesser-evil defense of 
greater evils is not unlike that of someone who tries to pick and choose 
about which of the Chinese government's policies (many of which are in fact 
commendable and wise) he likes and which he doesn't.  I thought maybe you 
saw there was a problem there--not that you'd agree, but that there might be 
something to worry about. Apparently not: you think that Lou P cannot 
distince himself from support of Chinese repression, despite the very great 
diversity that undoubtably exists in the CCP, as in any one party state, but 
that you can use the fact of diversity in the DP to distance yourself from 
John Breaux, Bill Clinton, et al, because after all, here they dont come for 
you in the night if you squawk, they just ignore you. jks
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Justin Schwartz" <jkschw at hotmail.com>
>
> >Gave you a pause, didn't I, Nathan? Good. I am sure there are people in
>the
> >CCP who are very reasonable, moderate (or radical), civilized, and
> >democratic--Chinese Barbara Lees. jks
>
>No, there are not, since anyone who dissented from fundamental policy like
>Barbara Lee has would have been tossed out of office - as they have been
>systematically over the years- and often in worse times sent to jail or
>killed.
>
>The reason I support lesser-evilism as a strategy in the Dems is precisely
>because of the freedom of progressive Dems to dissent on major areas of
>policy.    It is the advantage of doing politics under bourgeois
>liberalism- you don't have to take regimes in their totality, up or down,
>since there are checks and balances and some alternative dissenting
>political structures. In non-liberal regimes, pretty much all dissent has
>to be done outside the formal political structure.
>
>And unfortunately, in China, even that is largely impossible, since
>independent trade unions, editors or other organized groups are
>systematically jailed and at times killed.
>
>While I will stack up the external murders between East and West, there is
>no comparison between the far worse internal repression of China versus the
>US.
>
>-- Nathan Newman
>
>
>

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