[lbo-talk] Re: Genocide, Holocaust (Chris Doss)

Patrick Bond pbond at sn.apc.org
Sat May 31 08:34:45 PDT 2003


----- Original Message ----- From: "Thiago Oppermann" <thiago_oppermann at bigpond.com>
> > I have no problem with that distinction. By "genocide" I meant the
attempt
> > to _physically annihilate_ a people.
> That's their problem. I am only following the conventional, most
> legalistic and least politicised usage.

Down in these parts (Jo'burg), that's probably not good enough. The politicisation of the word genocide has been of great importance in stiffening moral backbones for the attack on the SA president, health minister and trade minister. The latter two were charged by the Treatment Action Campaign recently with culpable homocide, for their roles in 600 unnecessary deaths each day (they're still denying our 5 million HIV+ population the generic or parallel-imported medicines). Mbeki is regularly derided as genocidal for his AIDS-denialism, including by the former head of the Medical Research Council and the current head of the main physicians' association. From genocide to holocaust, here, is certain, and proceeds apace.

And tomorrow night, Mbeki will be feted at a fancy dinner in Evian as the West's African saviour...



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