I doubt that the cause of Kurdistan is one that animates you either. I have a number of left-wing Turkish friends and a Syrian-Kurdish friend, so I feel more interest in Kurdish politics than you do, who seem to care more about the fate of WW than the fate of Kurds. This year, I organized two forums concerning the Kurdish question: the showing of _Good Kurds, Bad Kurds_ (@ <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/goodkurdsbadkurds.doc>); and a teach-in on Kurdish cultural politics featuring Yucel Demirer (@ <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/demirer.doc>). What have you done lately for the cause of Kurdistan?
> > Indicting as in anti-war activists and movements, _independently of
>> the US government_, condemning Hussein and other foreign heads of
>> states is one thing; indicting as in _urging the US government_ to
>> use "universal jurisdiction," indict them, kidnap them, try them,
>> kill them, etc., using means ranging from covert actions, wars, to
>> psychological campaigns, is entirely another. The former belongs in
>> an anti-war movement, but the latter doesn't.
>
>The likes of the WW -- with their Free Milosevic! petition, opposition to
>the indictment of Saddam Hussein, and even the odd denial of the massacre
>at Srebrenica -- should not be euphamised as anti-war. That's bullshit.
>They're not against the conflict, they simply take the other side when
>the war comes. They're not against covert actions and extrajudicial
>killings, they simply have a preference for one brand of it over the
>other.
While I have disagreements with WW, I also think it's the right thing to get folks out to the Oct. 26 demonstrations against the war organized by ANSWER. I support a range of anti-war coalitions, organizations, activities, and individuals, not just the ones with whose political lines I am in complete agreement. So does Solidarity, the group of which I am a member. The Solidarity Political Committee has voted to endorse the Oct. 26 demonstrations in D.C. and San Francisco against the war and is encouraging available comrades to attend. Max wrote on his blog that "The bottom line is that in a successful coalition effort, the 'front' becomes the whole, and the group behind the front becomes unimportant. Focus on the group and you're not on point, or you're trying to change the subject" (@ <http://www.maxspeak.org/gm/index.htm>), and I agree with him on that. Max is also quite right that WW and RCP became the main organizers of national anti-war demonstrations "by default." If you agree with him that anti-war organizing needs "new cores," you'd have to join him and others who feel the same way and create the new cores of prominent anti-war activities: "It is said with justice that you need cadres to pull off this kind of thing. So my proposal depends on left and liberal groups with committed members being willing to participate" (@ <http://www.maxspeak.org/gm/index.htm>). If you are not willing to actually do the work of such organizing, no amount of LBO-talk postings railing against WW and RCP will change anything.
BTW, Nathan's comment on Max's blog entry on NION is also quite interesting: "But as you [Max] note, the problem is that saner left groups have dropped the ball on doing the organizing and keeping these groups from dominating the movement" (@ <http://maxspeak.org/gm/archives/00000615.html>). Why have "saner left groups" dropped the ball? That's the question worth asking, if you are serious about countering WW. -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/>