[lbo-talk] Chomsky on ending occupation

[andie nachgeborenen]

Since this is directed in the first instance at me, I
want to say that I do not think that US troops should
stay. Out now is a good slogan. But for the reasons
that Yoshie has pointed out, there are important
differences with Vietnam. Although no one could say
what would emerge, because the Vietnamese had formed
organizations capable of administering society, total
chaos was unlikely. It seems clear that this is not
true in Iraq. So it would be wrong, if we were tow
ithdrwa, which we are not going to, to just withdraw
without also making some provision for basic police
and social services until the Iraqis can run these
themselves. Obviously we should not be trying to
provide these ourselves. The UN is the natural
candidate for the job. It'[s not perfect, but what is?
And the rest of the world (or the Iraqis) should not
have to pay for the mess we made there. We should have
to compensate the Iraqis in a no-strings sort of way.
But if there is not a competent administration in
place, any compensation we provided would simply be
stolen by crooks. This is so obvious to me that I am
finding it hard to see the objections you people are
making. The steps are: (1) Contact UN/Arab League,
give them a date they have to take over and a budget,
and the same time as we (2) begin withdrawal. (3)
Coordinate our withdrawal and their insertion, and (4)
begin to pay the new administration compensation. (5)
Complete withdrawal. What's the anti-imperialist
objection? How do the "just out now, nothing else"
crowd deal, in their stories, with the two problems of
bad anarchy and the  waste/theft of reparations? jks

--- Chris Kromm <ckromm at mindspring.com> wrote:
> Noam Chomsky wrote the following in 1968 about the
> possible aftermath of ending a different occupation.
> But I think it describes Iraq perfectly, and is the
> response we must give to all who think U.S. forces
> should stay.
> 
> "Just what might emerge from the shattered debris of
> South Vietnamese
> society, no one can predict with any confidence. It
> is clear, however, that
> under the American occupation, there can be only
> unending tragedy."
> 
> U.S. Out of Iraq!

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