Libya, for me, was one of these things that was a tremendous eye opener. I saw people that I used to have respect for, that I used to have a lot of respect for, write articles excusing - Im sorry, excusing is too generous a word - *denying* that these quote unquote revolutionaries were systematically carrying out ethnic cleansing against black Libyans, and denying but in the same breath saying, well even if its happening, its still Gaddafis fault. Things of that nature. ... the last three years since the beginning of this travesty that we call the Arab Spring - this rolling regime change operation - since this has come about, several things have happened; one is the Palestinian struggle itself has been shoved to the side; has been marginalized; has been forgotten about, and the other thing that has happened: it has been a real clarifying and edifying moment for me, to see where people stand when it comes down, and when things arent quite so black and white, and arent quite so easy to analyze. Its really easy, for example, to analyze something like Honduras; a right-wing coup opposed by the majority of its citizens; a government completely beholden to the US. Its easy to analyze that and to take a firm stand on that. Its really easy to take a stand for... well actually no. Let me take that back. One would think it would be easy to stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan government, but apparently, not even that. So, let me walk that back. Things like Honduras are easy; things like El Salvador in the 1980s is easy; things like Palestine is easy, right? But it requires a little more of an analysis; a little more effort; a little more,... will or courage, to stand against bourgeois liberal opinion, when its not quite as clear-cut... You need a little bit more of an analysis when it comes to things like Yugoslavia in the 90s; when it comes to things like Libya in 2011, or Syria... To either not talk about it at all, which Ive also noticed ... a whole lot of people not going anywhere near any of these issues at all, with a 10 ft. pole, a hundred pole, you name it. Or, to waffle and say, Well its everybodys fault so I cant really take a stand, but Ill just say this: I side with the people. Ive come across that a lot too. Its not just inadequate; its complicit. Because when you take those kinds of positions, youre seceding the playing field to the strongest player, and by far thats US imperialism. ~ Navid Nasr blogtalkradio/occupydclive/2014/03/12/bulletpoints-wnavid-nasr-3-12-14
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 00:41:55 +0000
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