From: "commie00" <commie00-AT-yahoo.com>
Subject: national question... Re: AUT: Reply to Harald, 7th Iteration
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 15:00:32 -0400


hey tahir

i'm basically with you that there needs to be positions on the "national
question" to some extent... or better put, from my perspective: if we are to
posit internationalist solutions we have to do better than just give a
shallow, blanket internationalism.... we need to be seriously analyzing,
practcing, etc.

and, actually, i think the debates on this list over imperalism and empire
are a good and interesting starting point, since the national question plays
so much a part of this, etc.

however:

> It is quite clear that if imperialism has any reality at all, which it so
obviously does in the present context, then so does the national question.

i don't think the "present context" makes imperialism obvious at all. one of
the problems i've had with these discussions so far is that people who are
trying to defend a notion of imperialism seem to take it as self-evident,
and don't back it up with anything. and since i don't accept imperialism as
a presupposition (and in fact don't think imperialism has had any reality at
all since the 1940s), i've been rather disappointed with the defenses of it.

in fact, a lot of the defenses of theories of imperialism on this list have
struck me as a desire not to have to re-think and re-analyze a lot of what
has been happening since the 1940s in light of "neoliberalism" /
"globalization". and, in fact, i think this unwillingness to re-analyze and
re-think this mess is one of the major reasons "the left" has not had as far
reaching an effect as it could... that is: "the left" is out of sync with
reality and present struggles.

one of the reasons, i think, that the "anti-globalization" movement has been
so large and spread out is because it exists to confront capitalism on a
global scale, and does not (as a movement) seek to lay blame on imperialism
or whatnot.

wow... i'm ranting... to the point:

in what ways does the present context make it obvious that imperialism has
any reality?

what are these imperalist forces composed of? (i.e. who is participating in
imperialism?)

what is the purpose of this imperialism?

etc.

these are the questions i think really needs to be answered before fruitful
discussion on this topic can really go forward.

wheee...



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