Re: Fiji (to Lou Paulsen)

["Lou Paulsen" <wwchi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Ferguson <plf13@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>


>It seems
>odd that you have such an aversion to the government democratically elected
>by the Fijians and such a soft spot for the right-wing businessman who
>overthrew it.


I have an aversion to Australia's John Howard, France's Jacques Chirac, and
U.S. Senator John McCain, all of whom want to apply overwhelming imperialist
force to restore the Chaudhry government.  By the way, did you read that
Fraenkel paper about the 'democratic' 1998 election?  The FLP got 38% of the
vote but over 50% of the seats.  PANU and FAP, which were the FLP's partners
in the "People's Coalition" and whose preference lists were directly
responsible for FLP's seats, are now in the Qarase government.

I have written repeatedly that Speight isn't the issue.  You are continually
trying to make me ashamed of being in a bloc with Speight.  I would be a
hundred times more ashamed if I were to support sanctions and were somehow
to end up in a bloc with the imperialist camp.  Furthermore you are
seemingly determined to dismiss the unemployed Fijian youth who backed
Speight from your consideration entirely.

>On NZ TV last night there was an item about Melanesian-Fijians forming
>village guards to protect themselves, and local Indo-Fijians, from
>Speight's gangs.

Phil, I suggest you try to follow the news from the Fiji sites and not just
from NZ television.  This is not news.  Fighting against the "lawlessness"
of Speight is the official policy of the Qarase government, the Fijian
military whom you decry as imperialist thugs, and apparently of the majority
of the Great Council of Chiefs.  But you didn't hear anything to the effect
that these guards were ready to fight on the Chaudhry side in a civil war,
or favored sanctions, did you?  They will be loyal to the Qarase government
against the imperialist blockade and invasion.

Speight is certainly not the issue now, because he is on a prison island
now.  So what difference does it make what Speight's policies were?  Why not
talk about P.M. Qarase, who was sworn in on Friday?  You make a big point
about Speight wanting to keep Indo-Fijians out of government.  But Qarase is
trying in vain to get Indo-Fijians into government.  His official policy is
national reconciliation and stability.

Instead the FLP is apparently involved in a plan to break away the western
portion of Viti Levu and fight a civil war with imperialist assistance, if
indications from the Fiji sites are to be trusted.

It seems to me that EITHER you have lost your class perspective OR Howard,
Chirac, McCain, Blair, and the entire world imperialist class have lost
their class perspective.  And I have a lot of trust in their class
instincts, especially when they are acting in such unison.  They have a lot
of experts working for them.  If strangling Qarase would be such a victory
for the working class, why are the imperialists seemingly so hot to do it?

Lou