[lbo-talk] Michael Hoover's Notes on the Ba'ath Party

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

At 11:30 PM -0400 4/8/03, Michael Hoover wrote:
>Iraqi Ba'ath (which means revitalization or resurgence) Party came 
>to power via '68 coup, one of a number of governments in region in 
>50s/60s - including Algeria/Eygpt/Libya/Sudan/Syria - denouncing 
>traditional Arab political leadership and advocating variant of 
>'arab socialism'...
>
>Above shared view generally prevalent in third world at time re. 
>european/us imperialism, they espoused continuing struggle against 
>colonialism/neo-colonialism, called for pan-arabism, iniated new 
>policies to alleviate plight of masses...
>
>One of the first matters that Ba'ath gov't addressed was 
>long-standing dispute with Kurds who were granted degree of local 
>autonomy in 1970, followed by entry of several Kurds into gov't 
>cabinet positions in 1973, and eventual granting of autonomy to 
>Kirkuk region in 1974...
>
>Iraqi gov't commitment in '70s to improving life of majority was 
>strong/substantive/successful, in part, no doubt, because of oil 
>revenue generated by being world's second largest oil exporter 
>(gov't nationalized oil fields in 1972)... 
>
>Major expansions were undertaken in education and technical 
>training, industrial development yielded 10% increase per year in 
>industrial-related jobs during 1970s, significant agricultural 
>improvements achieved... 
>
>Above occurred when Saddam Hussein was deputy secretary of party 
>(although he was recognized as 'strong man'), he didn't assume top 
>position until '79...
>
>Saddam Hussein consolidated power amidt nervousness of immediate 
>aftermath of Iranian Revo... 
>
>Iraqi Ba'ath Party was secular to core, leadership was nominally 
>sunni, shia make up 60%+ of iraqi population...
>
>There were uprisings in several predominantly shia cities, Khomeini 
>called Saddam Hussein an atheist and urged overthrow of Iraqi 
>gov't...
>
>Iraqi gov't responded with arrests/executions of iraqi shia 
>political leaders who were accused of collaborating with Iran... 
>
>Saddam Hussein publicly "called out" khomeini, urged arab minority 
>in Iran to revolt, and began mobilizing Iraqi army in state of 
>emergency/readiness...
>
>Iraqi gov't, at one time, was among handful that accepted principle 
>of spontaneous settlement (more commonly known as squatting) in 
>addressing housing issues...
>
>Approach involved relatively low-cost upgrading of 'shanties' with 
>roads, sewer, electricity, water...
>
>Low rents & community links were sustained while infrastructure 
>development created jobs...
>
>Gov't would offer people sites on which to build their own 
>residences (providing construction guidance as well)...
>
>Folks received tenure security and protection against rent inflation...
>
>Education and health facilities were built to service such areas...
>
>Result was string of villages in which residents could 
>preserve/practice culture, maintain/foster mutual help & support...
>
>communities helped cushion people against urban isolation/alienation 
>*and* blocked use of inappropriate western planning/zoning ideas...

I think that information about the Ba'ath Party's approach to 
"spontaneous settlement" is especially interesting, which I'd like to 
share with LBO-talkers.

I'm cc'ing this note to Michael, in case he wants to sub to LBO-talk 
to discuss the history of Iraq and current social structures of it.

An aside to Michael: I also shared your notes about the Ba'ath Party 
with marxmail subscribers.
-- 
Yoshie

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