Re: [Marxism] Gaza: What is happening?

["Gary MacLennan" <gary.maclennan1@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Jay:

Report on organizing meeting.

Last nite I attended an organising meeting for Saturday's rally.  It was
very large, hearteningly so,  and thus a sign that disgust and anger at
Israel is spreading even among Australians - the most "moderate" people on
this planet.  [Note to subscribers to call someone a "moderate" is an Irish
insult].

It has been a long time since I attended such a meeting.  I had quite
forgotten what the Left are like.  Or maybe that should read I had repressed
the memory of what the Left are like.

One third of the meeting was Arab and they took a leading role in the
organising.  They also represented the voice of sanity.  Much of the other
comrades seemed in thrall to the curse of Zinovievism.  This particular
disease means that when one is confronted by a duality of possibilities one
will always choose the wrong one.  Thus of the dangers of "isolation" or
"co-option by reformists"  the true Zinovievist is always terrified of
co-option.

This fear emerged in the debate on whether to inivite a Federal Labor MP to
speak.  I won't name him at this stage, as he would come under intense
pressure not to attend Saturday's demo.  Many in the meeting, and of course
it was the organized Left in the main, were opposed to allowing him to
speak.

I spoke for his inclusion and in truth we will be very lucky if he comes.
Above all what the Israelis want is our isolation for it mirrors the
isolation of the Palestinians and allows them more space to continue their
slaughter.  So if we can get a Labor MP to speak on a platform at the rally
that will annoy the Zionists more than anything and they will be watching.

Eventually the meeting resolved to ask the MP to speak with the proviso that
no one on the official patform use it to condemn Hamas.  I agree totally
with that caveat.  Of course I have criticisms of Hamas, but at the time of
their killing I will not voice such criticisms.

So we are having a series of vigils and speakout in the City Mall leading up
to Saturday's rally.  I am very hopeful that these will build the rally and
that it will be very big which in the context of Brisbane would mean about
2000.

comradely

Gary




On Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 10:14 AM, Jay Moore <pieinsky@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> For more news, try doing an Arabic-to-English translation in
> translate.google.com of this URL: www.islammemo.cc.  The results are not
> half-bad.  The Al Jazeera English Web site also has a Twitter page.
> Here in Vermont, there have been several vigils in support of the
> Palestinians, with some anti-Zionist Jews taking the lead.
>
> jay
>
> Gary MacLennan wrote:
> > I don't know if Joaquin and Fred have any thoughts about what is
> happening
> > and what is likely to happen in Gaza, but it would be great if they could
> > post on this.  I have been monitoring the tv, Haaretz, Debka.com, Al
> Jazeera
> > and the Palestinian and Hizbollah sites.  There appears to be no
> agreement
> > between Israeli and Palestinian accounts of the fighting except around
> the
> > question of the number of Palestinians killed. The Palestinian side is
> > claiming successes with regard to 2 Israeli soldiers captured, tanks
> > destroyed, helicopter down  and Israeli army casualties. The Israelis are
> > admitting only one death and about 30 injuries.
> >
> > In terms of the PR offensive that Israel launched to garner support for
> > their actions, this has to be regarded as a failure.  The Palestinians
> have
> > won clearly and decisively the PR battle.  There have been massive
> > mobilisations around the world and that surely must be a concern to the
> > Zionists.
> > As I have said repeatedly, the crucial arena for the hearts & minds is
> that
> > of the Arab world.  Here the Palestinians seem to be doing well at least
> at
> > the street level.  But Mubarak and the Kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia
> > still cling on.
> >
> > As for the military situation my own best guess is that the Israelis will
> > continue the killing principally thru bombing and artillery for the short
> to
> > medium term.  They seem reluctant to commit ground troops for they may be
> in
> > a cleft here.  If they do not do battle on the ground they boost Arab
> morale
> > enormously.  If they do engage in street battles then they must win
> > decisively.  They cannot afford another defeat such as they experienced
> in
> > Lebanon.
> >
> > I am going to an organizing meeting tonite to plan next week's rally &
> march
> > and other action to build up support for Palesine.  The Islamic daspora
> is
> > being galvanised by the suffering of the people of Gaza, but publicly
> > Australia remains a loyal US & Israeli ally. It would be good to make a
> dint
> > in that.
> >
> > regards
> >
> > Gary
> > ________________________________________________
> > YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
> > Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Set your options at:
> http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/pieinsky%40igc.org
> >
> >
>
> ________________________________________________
> YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
> Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Set your options at:
> http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/gary.maclennan1%40gmail.com
>
________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40archives.econ.utah.edu