Re: All out on Sunday!!!

[Gary MacLennan <g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I wish the comrades well on Sunday.  This is an absolutely vital moment.
The bourgeoisie are split about this war make no mistake about that. But as
a class they know they cannot take the world forward.  As they peer over
into the abyss  of ecological disaster, deflation, and the end of the oil
based economy all they can come up with is "endless war".
Only such a deep crisis could have placed someone like Bush at the head of
the American War machine.

The far right have shown their hand.  They have been stupid, brutal, crude
and clumsy about it but the liberals have turned in fear and by and large
are going to go along with Bush. Everyone knows there are no weapons of
mass destruction in Iraq. Yet no one knows how to stop the USA.

Blair cannot think of what else to do and now has staked everything on the
"All the way with the USA" tactic. He reminds me of the lines from Macbeth

                 I am in blood
                 Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,
                 Returning were as tedious as go o'er:


A similar situation prevails in Australia where our economy is held up
only  by a housing bubble that the Reserve Bank would love to but dare not
prick. the Australian ruling class have never had a vision of an
independent Australia.  It is true as Phil has pointed out that they have
their own little Imperialist ambitions in this Asia-Pacific region,  but
fundamentally they have always wanted to be part of an imperialist power
bloc. Be it the British Empire or now the American version, they have clung
long and faithfully to imperialism whatever the cost to Australians.

In the media here last nite our Prime Minister made a speech condemning
Iraq's agreement to allow inspectors in.  The debate is now it seems about
the palaces in Iraq. Howard had his little diagram, which he showed the
media, comparing the size of Saddam's place to Buckingham Palace. Richard
Butler the former head of the UN inspector's has also said that the palaces
are where the weapons are. These two are the key to Australia's
contribution and they are deeply sickening symbols of our sycophancy.

The Labor Party does not know what to do.  There is a strong taboo over
foreign policy disagreements.  Everything about the Labor Party inclines
them to go all the way with the USA, but there is no feeling or sentiment
for this war here.  Everyone has more or less gone along with the "war
against terrorism", because it really isn't a war. However the attack on
Iraq will take us into a qualitatively different stage and there is growing
unease about that.

We shall see how all this plays out but I agree with Mark Jones'
apocalyptic pronouncements about the current conjuncture.

regards

Gary



~~~~~~~
PLEASE clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.