Re: MDC and cooption

["Grinker & Assoc." <grinker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: Patrick Bond

> So Russell, surely international solidarity can turn sanctions
> into genuine liberation, if carefully managed.

I doubt it.  You can't fight the enemy with one foot in its camp. There is
in any case no movement on the left with adequate weight to demand
("carefully manage" in your words) anything from imperialism - sanctions
would always be on western terms.

> But for a reality check, how bad, in any event, would sanctions hurt
> Zim? I'm not sure, since there are effectively financial sanctions
> operating now, and no one will send them oil save a very nervous
> Kuwait, and SA is keeping a few lifelines going.

The last point is what's important.  Sitting in SA we need to oppose SA
sanctions (isn't this what we've really been debating all along?). Only
these would bring Mugabe to his knees (as they did in the case of Ian
Smith).  A campaign on the SA left for Mbeki to impose sanctions could give
cover for such action where western demands alone might be politically
untenable for the SA government.  Ironically, Mbeki seems to have a better
position on this issue than some I could name.

> regular missions but not too many people think they'll come in until
> after next year's election. I'm not sure, technically, how further
> sanctions will "wreck" Zim's economy, as you alleged in your last
> post.

SA sanctions would close down Zim in 5 minutes.


Russell