RE: [Marxism] Dollars for deaths: military-bureaucraticalienation in Fallujah

["Lil Joe" <joe_radical@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree with David. I also think that we need to be careful
in the language/concepts we employ: referring to the occupation
of Iraq as "incompetent" and "stupid" serves to endorses
Kerry and the Democrats perspective - the need for a more
intelligent occupation strategy and more efficient killing
machine. The reference to the war in Fallujah (and thereby
Iraqi occupation) in terms of "futility" intimates the
perspective of US imperialism.

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of
g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2004 4:59 AM
To: Activists and scholars in Marxist tradition
Subject: Re: [Marxism] Dollars for deaths:
military-bureaucraticalienation in Fallujah



I think the scale of the disaster in Iraq is almost beyond
our comprehension.  The mistake we are making in our analyses
is to undeerstimate the level of incompetence and downright
stupidity that has marked the US intervention.

That is why I think David is wrong in his rational judgement
that the destruction of infrastructure will lead to
rebuuilding by US firms & that will be good for US business.

There is no reconstruction taking place because there is not
enough security for the contractors.

The destruction of Fallujah is looking more and more like an
absolute exercise in futility.  The US military wanted to
show they could be brutal and destroy a city whatever the
cost politically. How that  exercise in brutal terror
advances their aims is beyond me and more importantly them.

Militarily they cannot hold Fallujah, or if they do they
cannot hold Samarra or Mosul.

Politically they have weakened their number one asset - Ayat
Allah Ali Sistani. He has become a figure of hatred for the
Sunnis and so cannot hold Iraq together for the Americans.

Sistani has gambled everything on the January elections. He
desperately needs to deliver a Shiite dominated Govt and he
also needs to ask the Americans to leave. If al-Sadr goes
with the Sunnis against Sistani, then the latter will be
finished as a national figure.


After he struck a deal over Najaf, everyone was saying that
Sistani was the real winner.  Events have moved beyond him
now.

In desperation the Americans are attacking the Sunni clergy
in the AMS. That will only make things much worse. More
cities may get flattened as well.  But nothing can save this
disaster.  No wonder Colin Powell swam away for the ship.
Clever rat that he is.

regards

Gary

regards

Gary





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