show trials

[Gordon Fitch]

Dennis Perrin:
>                ... The concept of [Kissinger] standing trial is not a
> marginal one, certainly not internationally. But since you oppose the
> prosecution of
> Pinochet ... 
> ... one can say you are consistently pro-states rights, opposed to the
> concept
> of an international court. You see things in realpolitick terms (very
> Kissinger of you -- indeed, quite reminiscent of the segregationist South's
> argument against the North's attempts to enforce integration), so you oppose
> the idea of war crimes
> trials in a world dominated by the US. If this is the case, then nothing
> humane can happen internationally until the USG falls, is overthrown,
> reverts to isolationism, or subscribes to James Heartfield's politics. Till
> then, the likes of Kissinger, Milosevic, Saddam, Pinochet and Suharto should
> expect no international action to stem their aggression or punish their
> crimes since the US runs the joint, therefore any charge would be false and
> would merely serve Empire.
> 
> In such a sphere we see leftists defend war criminals as an act of
> anti-imperialism. How the Empire controls our every move and thought . . .

I don't see leftists generally defending war criminals; I see
many of them (correctly) identifying much of the activity
around war criminals as an aspect of imperialism.  I suppose
one might then decide that a certain amount of imperialism
was worth getting certain bad guys, although people like
Pinochet and Milosevic seem like rather small fry given the
stuff that goes on.  But I think this the trade is a bad one:
the imperialist who is doing good, or shamming good, is simply
preparing the ground for doing larger evil, and each operation
prepares the way for the next.  The operations in Yugoslavia
and Afghanistan were practice and conditioning for the invasion
of Iraq and whatever will come after that if the latter can
be presented as a success -- one must anticipate a considerable
reign (and rain) of death, terror and destruction, since that
is the stock in trade of imperialism.  The trial of war
criminals, who, you will notice, are always of some lesser
breed, is a puppet show during the intermissions of the real
play.  Perhaps the imperialists will also hand out
refreshments.

-- Gordon