> The classic Chomsky example to explain this is the
> difference between the massacres in Cambodia and East
> Timor. In the first case, the US was not the
> responsible party, in the other it clearly was.
> Protesting against Pol Pot therefore, would be a
> laudable gesture (insisting upon international action
> even more so) but not as effective as applying
> pressure upon the US Congress to cut-off aid to the
> Indonesian military.
I agree with Chomsky about this and would use a similar argument myself, but let's remember that Chomsky is a left-libertarian who WOULD criticize other regimes if asked. The article from the New Republic is pretty annoying, but it does have some points about the hypocrisy of the American left. It confuses conistent critics of human rights abusers, such as Chomsky, with those leftists who look the other way if atrocities and human rights violations are made by left wing regimes.
Chuck0