RE: [Marxism] The Case For Boycotting Israel and the United States

[<Loupaulsen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Andrew Pollack" <acpollack2@xxxxxxxxx>

> You're right, why boycott Israel and not the US? For that matter, I 
> think the next time I see workers on the picket line, I'll go over and 
> tell them, "Why picket just your company? Why not the banks that finance
it?
> Why not that government that supports it? Why not overthrow the whole 
> ruling class? What the hell's wrong with you guys?" 

This is sarcasm, I suppose.  And yet, you know, this is more and more what
workers on strike actually DO if they want to succeed.  Short of
overthrowing the whole ruling class, that is.  In view of the fact that an
individual plant or company is able to withstand a strike because of the
greater forces that stand behind it, they bring political and economic
pressure on the banks that finance it, the holding company, and so forth.  

(and Ian writes:)
The question of boycotting the US as well could equally well have been
raised during the days when a South African boycott was on the agenda. In
fact, you could make a case for boycotting the whole Western world pretty
easily (but who, whose money would make a difference, would be doing the
boycotting then? Maybe we can ask the Saudis and the Gulf States to boycott
all of us?).

A boycott of Israel is a viable option that could be genuinely effective. 
Saying that this can't be done without a boycott of the US as well is
pie-in-the-sky ultra-leftism.

- -
Sorry, but I can't say you've convinced me yet:

(a) Israel is much more dependent on the U.S., its "great patron" in Charles
Krauthammer's words, than South Africa was during the entire period of
apartheid.

(b) The U.S. is not only much more identified with the whole policy of
Israel on every point, without the slightest hint of criticism, it is
actually behind the current Israeli offensive.

(c) The United States government and corporations are much more hated by the
people of the world now than they were in the 1980's.

(d) Indeed, spontaneous boycott-the-US activity already appeared at the time
of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

(e) Including the United States allows an effective link to be made between
the various fronts of the U.S. war against the Middle East in Iraq,
Palestine, Lebanon, etc.

(f) It is true that the "entire Western (imperialist) world" has been an
accomplice to the US/Israeli policy of genocide and aggression, but I think
that it's reasonable to recognize the leading criminal role of the US.

(g) I didn't say that a boycott of Israel alone "can't be done without a
boycott of the US as well", but you haven't convinced me that it would be
more effective either practically or politically.

Lou





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