Re: [Marxism] James Petras commentary on Iraq

[MOTECK1457@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 4/9/2004 5:10:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, lnp3@xxxxxxxxx
writes:
The "Arabs" resist, while the overstuffed cabbage Sharon is silent. His
once loquacious agents, Wolfowitz, Feith, Abrams and their underlings are
strangely silent. Are they worried that there might be a mass backlash
against those who cooked the data to get the US into a war in which
thousands of US soldiers will die and be maimed - in order to "protect"
Israel's undisputed claim to dominance in the Middle East?
Petras did not need to make this comment to make a strong critique of the war
in Iraq.  It's gratuitous, and it smacks of anti-Semitism. Is Petras an
"agent" of that anti-Zionist torturer of Iraqis otherwise known as Saddam 
Hussein?
Of course not!  Moreover, Petras is playing a very dangerous game in implying
that US soldiers are dying in Iraq on behalf of Israel.   (i.e. - "our good
Christian sons are dying because of the too powerful Jews")  Bush hired
Wolfowtiz.  Wolfowitz did not hire Bush.  The left needs to get that straight.  
Bush
is a wealthy right wing Christian, and he panders to the interests of wealthy,
right wing Christians. His faith based initiatives are an unconstitutional
protection racket for right wing evangelicals. The left needs to get that
straight too.

What does the war in Iraq, which is all about Halliburton and oil revenues,
have to do with Israel?  We do not import oil from Israel.  We import it from
Saudi Arabia, and Bush would have loved to import it from Iraq too. Hell, he
would have loved to take over all of Iraq's oil fields.  Now he's upset that he
can't, and that Cheney and his other crony capitalist friends (most of whom
are right wing Christians) will not have as many millions to rake in this year.
Why does everything that happens in the Middle East get reductively tossed
onto Israel's doorstep?  The occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is bad enough
without this false and simplistic linkage.

Principled criticism of Israel is fine, but it's time for extreme
anti-Zionists to stop playing Whip the Bunny with Israel.  Because the harder 
they whip
that bunny, the harder it will be to build more popular support in Israel and
the U.S.on behalf of justice for the Palestinians.

Moreover, it's just a bit hypocritical for "anti-statist" anti-Zionists to
froth at the mouth about the evils of the Israeli nation state as they wax
romantic about "Patria O Muerte" when it comes out of the mouths of Iraqi
insurgents; some of whom (thankfully not all!) also shout "Death to the Jews!"

Marion
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