[lbo-talk] Ace nails it

[Sheldon]

On Wed, May 27, 2009 at 9:31 PM, Joseph Catron <jncatron at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, May 27, 2009 at 11:51 PM, Sheldon <humanist.observer at gmail.com>wrote:
>
> Are you actually saying that Spain's efforts to
>> put on trial Pinochet is an example of "imperial justice"
>
>
> Yes.
>
>
>> and should
>> be condemned as such?
>
>
> While I will not go as far as Carrol on the question of morality, I am not
> generally in the business of "condemning" things, at least in political
> terms. I simply do my best to call them what they are.
>
> Never mind that Spain had losts its power over its American colonies
>> 175 or so years ago.
>
>
> You mean their colonial relationship formally ended? That's a far cry from
> the loss of all power (economic, military, diplomatic, etc.).
>
>
>> That they were putting on trial an agent of U.S.
>> imperialism, a head of state who gained that status by overthrowing an
>> elected socialist president and murdered thousands of socialists,
>> leftists, workers, and peasants so as to implement neoliberal economic
>> policies?
>
>
> So how is resolving the internal contradictions of a sovereign state an
> ocean away the proper business of the Spanish crown?
>

Joseph,
Well after a few moments of thought, I can see some of the
complexities of the situation and your argument.   However, the issue
of the prosecution of Pinochet was not simply a matter of an "internal
contradiction of a sovereign state" for the reasons I suggested.  I
couldn't give a shit about the interests of the Spanish crown. What I
do care about is socialist internationalism and seeing a little
justice for brothers and sisters, Chilean and other nationalities,
that were murdered by an agent of contemporary U.S. imperialism.  And
if some foreign court sees fit to prosecute my former president
(Bush), then I say go get-em.  No feelings of national sovereignty
offended here.

Sheldon