> Why should the "mainstream" have come under this influence after
> having been more than happy for decades to support every imaginable
> kind of autocratic repression exercised against the Arab peoples?
>
> You know my answer: American ruling class paralysis before a looming
> crisis in the general position of US imperialism in the world. The
> result will be its demotion, to unknown degree, in global status, with
> equally unknown domestic political-economic repercussions. A new era
> will then begin.
Methinks you might be a little too optimistic here. My impression of history is that "new eras" don't start quite that easily. The US component of the imperialist system might lose a little strength in the near future, but its rival components still don't show many signs of getting their act together. And the imperialist system itself is still in place.
> We should be more concerned about the persistence of a substantial
> core of _mass_ support for the Shub, ~40% it seems. I doubt this is
> "loyal Republican" support. Unlike the queazy ruling class, these are
> not fazed by reports of the massacres and torture of Arabs, since I
> believe that "Kill Arabs" is what this crowd signed on to, and are
> therefore encouraged by such reports to see Bush as a "strong leader".
Also, the fundies and other Christian hard-liners are not undergoing mass conversions -- viz. the posts by "Sunil/Dissident Voice" yesterday. Not very cheery reading.
> Why do you think Kerry lies low on the Middle East? He reads the
> polls, that's why.
He's still in his "Mighty (Ex) Warrior/I Didn't Slink To The Nat. Guard, Like Some Guys With A Yellow Stripe A Mile Wide On Their Backs I Could Mention" mode -- trying to immunize himself against attacks painting him as Dukakis II. Also, he and his advisors probably feel that there is no need to kick Shrub while he's down (I think they're wrong there, but hey, I'm not a presidential campaign advisor). And I continue to predict that as the polls turn against Shrub and his Iraq policy, Sir Kerry the Noble will follow them -- at a respectful, cautious difference.
> This should be of great concern to us. Now, in the future, how is
> this reactionary mass going to respond to America's coming demotion in
> the world order?
They might skulk back to their lairs, grumbling about how evil the world is growing (but it's always an evil world to them). Or they might find a rabble-rousing leader who would make Bush look like a wet dish-rag.
Jon Johanning // jjohanning at igc.org __________________________________ A sympathetic Scot summed it all up very neatly in the remark, 'You should make a point of trying every experience once, excepting incest and folk-dancing.' -- Sir Arnold Bax