Thomas Seay <entheogens at yahoo.com> Subject: Re:
<<Howabout a complex , well thought out "No US War !" The U.S. military, Bush and U.S. foreign policy are a greater threat to humanity than Saddam. The number one goal in the world is to stop U.S. imperialist war.>>
Charles, your response is not at all encumbered with complexity so why utter the word "complex"?
^^^^^
CB: I assume that you are familiar with the complexities of the argument that U.S. imperialism is the greatest danger to humanity. It would take up a lot of bandwidth to put the whole complex argument in everytime. Surely, being on the left , you have heard the more extended discussion of the rationale for what I am saying. The position is opposition to the U.S., not support for Saddam. For example, in opposing U.S. entry into WWI, one need not simultaneously support Germany. It is known as revolutionary defeatism, in general. Opposition to one's own imperialist nation, especially great power chauvinism. In general, our political "job" is to deal with our government, not try to run other people's countries.
There's more of the complexity for you. However, complexity is not equivalent to intelligent. Some truths are elegant. ^^^^^^^
Your response is, the US is the number one enemy, so let's support on some level anybody who opposes the United States. Have we not seen the result of this logic...of supporting dictators who happen to oppose the US...has it really brought that much liberation for the peoples in those countries? Does it matter too much to the people being trampled on whether the boot belongs to the US or to a home-grown despot?
The idea that we are going to weaken US/West by supporting 3rd World Nationalism seems to me dead in an era of global capitalism.