Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 10:25:03 +0200 (MET DST)
From: malecki-AT-algonet.se (Robert Malecki)
Subject: Re: Iraq: From a scratch to Gangrene?



>This makes it IMO quite clear what the problem is with expecting Israeli
>workers to become a revolutionary force. I think that the first step to
>take is to see what the role of the zionist state is: Primarily an
>oppressive tool for imperialism. The problem is that Israeli workers are
>much more tied in with the Israeli state than, say, US or European workers
>are. It seems for them to be their guarantee for survival.

I see and the Koran and the Mullahs anti-america stance makes them 
anti-imperialists. And they are not tied to the state?

>I doubt you could find any statistics which could support this.

I do not have the statistics at hand. But it was certainly reported that way 
>from Sweden after the occupation of Kwait and before the Gulf War. Naturally 
these stats could be wrong.

>There are *not* millions of Jewish workers and poor people (in Israel) who
>do not accept this ideology. There are more Jewish workers outside Israel
>who don't accept it than inside. There *are* millions of workers in Israel
>who don't accept it, but they are Arab workers.

In other words jews = Zionism. I just don,t believe that this is true. 

>It is true that almost all Arab countries has oppressed the Palestinians.
>And that all Arab countries oppress their "own" workers. But still Arab
>nationalism has from tile to time fought against imperialism.
>Inconsistently and compromising, yes, but nevertheless. Israeli nationalism
>has never, and will never.

Not true the Israeli,s fought the British Imperialist for Independence.

>
>Yes, we should be for an Israeli defeat.

>The problem with this "class against class" slogan is that it doesn't take
>into account the social reality of neither Israeli nor Arab workers - even
>in Israel itself. In Israel most white, Jewish workers have a much higher
>living standard and job security than Arab workers. This means that Jewish
>and Arab workers will very rarely find themselves fighting together against
>the bosses. Jewish workers will often scab on strikes by Arab workers. So
>while we *wish* they would fight together, this will probably not happen
>until the Israeli state is forced by a deepening crisis to make very severe
>cuts on Jewish workers - or (which I think is much more likely) a socialist
>workers' movement in the Arab countries will show them another way forward.

Does this mean we take sides in a war let,s say between Iran and Israel for 
Iran? Because the living standard is higher in the Israeli society then in 
Iran? Then obviously Lenin was wrong and should have been calling for a 
military victory for backward Russia against the higher living standard in 
Germany.
>
>For such a movement to develop it is necessary to be clear on zionism
>(Israeli nationalism) as well as on Arab nationalism. Israeli nationalism
>can never be a banner under which anybody will fight imperialist (or any
>other) oppression. Arab nationalism has shown from time to time to be the
>banner under which Arab workers have fought against imperialism - the
>Intifadah is just one of the latest examples.

NO? Who did the Israeli,s defeat in the struggle for independence. I think 
they were called the British Imperialists..

No Arab nationalism has time and again let the despots and military clicks 
and mullahs send the boys off as living mine fields. You and i both know 
that when it comes to outside intervention. America, Germany, Great Britain 
or what ever we are for the military defeat of the imperialist forces. But 
to say that the Israeli,s are the policemen of American imperialism i find 
strange. Then why have they avoided using this instrument in the war against 
Iraq. Because they had other Arab forces that wanted to support them. Now 
how is it that these arabs states are more anti-imperialist then Israel? In 
fact this support was given not to stop Israel but Iraq another Arab state, 
And what was the Iran card in relation to all of this? These great 
anti-imperialist fighters. Are you saying that they are more progressive 
then the Zionists? The only real oppressed minorities are the Kurds and the 
Palestineans who have been screwed by everybody in the middle east. But 
saying that it is only the Israeli,s fault i think is wrong.
>
>But Arab nationalism is as much a blind alley as any nationalism. Therefor
>Marxists should have the same attitude as to any other nationalism, which
>is that we will fight with the nationalists against oppression, but we will
>at the same time fight against nationalist ideology. We will fight against
>not only the oppressive aspects of nationalism, but against nationalism as
>a whole. We will do this by ideological arguments and by showing in
>practice that internationalist, revolutionary socialism is a much better
>guide to winning the struggles than nationalism.

Does this last mean you will be standing on the side of the Mullahs against 
the Israeli,s in a war? That if Iran would smash Israel it would be a step 
forward.
Is muslim fundementalism better then Zionism?

Well, i disagree.

As i said i wrote a document one day after the attack on Iraq. That document 
i stand for. But all of those that think that the Israeli,s in principle 
should be driven into the sea because the are clients of the Americans. And 
at the same time are saying that states like Iraq,Iran,Saudi Arabia, Kwait, 
Jordanien play a anti-imperialist role and are not clients of the Americans 
or some other imperialist force. Or imperialist in their own right. 

No i just can,t accepy this. 

Perhaps in the 1949 Arab-Israeli war but not today. Today the Arab countries 
are capitalist and imperialist countries by their own right. Just as the 
Israeli,s. In a imperialist showdown they will be the patrons of one or the 
other major imperialists countries. Not just America, but Germany and 
England. And even some of the most "radical" palestinean and Kurdish leaders 
are playing the same game. Wasn,t one of the Kurdish fractions calling for 
American air strikes on the other side? Isn,t Arafat trying to make a deal 
with the Israeli,s? And who is the anti-imperialist opposition to Arafat the 
Mullahs backed by Iran? 

how you can find some progressive Arab countries in all of this in regards 
to the Palestineans,Kurds, on the one hand and the Israeli,s on the other is 
just impossible for me to understand.

So i will stand on the original document i wrote the day after the attack on 
Iraq. 
which follows:

USA,HANDS OFF IRAK!

NO SUPPORT TO PRO-IRAK OR PRO-IRAN KURDISH NATIONALISTS!

In the final days of the election campaign Bill 
Clinton, being cheered on by the jealous war-drum 
beating Republicans from the wings, has used the 
present round of jockeying of pro-Iran and pro-Irak 
Kurdish Nationalists, in order to collect the 
anti-Saddam votes of the previous Bush 
administration. This synical attack against 
Irak is taking place in the face of growing 
misery, starvation and health deterioration of 
millions of Irakian poor and working class 
people. But also in the light of the lifting 
of the ban on Irakian oil which would have 
lowered the price of oil on the world market,
cutting into the profits of the mega corporations, 
if Irakian oil for food and medicine for the 
starving and sick masses were to be dumped out 
on the market.

Naturally all communists must condemn this synical 
and brutal "clean" attack with the "smart" bombs 
of Imperialist America.

In back of this brutal attack we have two big 
factions of Kurdish Nationalists. The one who 
is getting it support from the Mullahs of Iran 
and the other who is being backed by Saddam 
who,s main contribution to the Kurds was to 
carry out a brutal and genocidal war with 
chemical weapons a few years back. It is also 
said the saddam has even been responsible for 
killing numerous members of the same family 
who the present leader of the one Kurdish 
faction seen on CNN as one of Sadam's new 
Kurdish generals. And its no better with the 
faction that is getting its support from the 
Mullahs in Iran. The blood of many Kurd and 
Iranian workers is on the hands of these 
muslim fundementalists. Not to mention the 
Turkish regime who for years has done 
everything in its power to surpress the 
rightful national demands of the Kurdish 
people.

In this mini "exile" statelett created by the 
allied coalition during the American Imperialist 
led UN war on Irak after their occupation of 
Kwait and directly a product of the hate of 
the Kurds and their right to self-determination 
and land to build a state on by all of the 
countries which border this area Iran,Irak 
and Turkey. All three of these countries are 
using the Kurdish Question in their own 
little expanionist goals, especially the 
Mullahs and Sadam. None of these bordering 
countries have and interest in seeing the 
creation of a Kurdish State! In fact all 
of them through there past actions against 
the Kurdish minorities have proven that. But 
the Kurdish political scene is dominated by 
groups that are cowtowing and being armed by  
these states! None of these Kurdish groups 
have the interests of the Kurdish people 
at heart nor their right to a country and 
self-determination. All of these groups 
appear to be playing into one military 
click, mullah led hands of one of the 
bordering countries who are using this 
question to whip up nationalism and preparation 
for war against each other in a historical dead 
end cycle..

What is needed in these countries and 
amongst the Kurdish people who have no 
country is Communist parties of a Bolshevik 
Leninist model. A party who fights 
independently for poor and working class 
people against the tin pot dictators and 
mullah fundementalists and out side intervention. 
Who puts the slogan of the United Socialist 
states in the region, including a state 
where the Kurds can live and thrive, against 
all of the present regimes in the area. This 
is why communists can give no political support 
what so ever to the present warring Kurdish 
factions being backed by their respective 
clients!

The complete bankruptcy of the present 
leadership of Kurds who capitulate time and 
again to the regimes of the bordering 
countries and some of the fractions who 
call on American imperialism to help them 
deserve no support!

USA,HANDS OFF IRAK!

NO SUPPORT TO PRO-IRAK OR PRO-IRAN KURDISH NATIONALISTS!

LIFT THE BAN ON IRAKIAN OIL!

Only parties in a reforged communist International 
can show the way forward.

Warm Regards
Bob Malecki





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