Re: Humanitarian Intervention in Congo

[Hari Kumar <hari.kumar@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Chris:
1) I did not mean to cut your quote - but it just gets very unwieldy
quoting everything! I did give the by-line that your comments could be
tracked on.
In any case I appreciate your own - personal - humanitarian instincts
here. I certainly do not mean to imply that your views advocate for your
personal self anything else.
2) My point is simply, that objectively, allowing the barbarians to come
back in the front door, is to give the thief the key. As to an African
force - well, what good is that if the capitalists are in charge there
also? I regret that there are only three other possibilities other than
simple and understandable moral outrage and perplexity:
i) Work for a working class and peasant party in each metroplitan and
neo-colonial country -
ii) work for a working class and peasant international movement.
Number 2 is particularly important since there is a virtually no or very
small, proletariat in the African countries themselves, as Patrick Bond
recently pointed out here. Echoing unintentionally no doubt,  Stalin's
position to the University of the Toilers of the East.
iii) One other thing that I have heard suggested is an International
brigade of proletarian and peasants (akin to that of the Spanish Civil
War).
However all of these 3 possible alternatives - are to put it mildly a
little bit fantastical at this moment.
Thus - you are in a sense right that an agency of the imperialist might
have to be empowered to move in.
Who should that be?
Well, how well did the august UN do in Rwanda?
One only has to read the views of the Canadian Colonel (forget name.
Ken?? ) sent to Rwanda who bitterly lambasted the UN and the imperialist
chiefs for wilful inactivity to impending massacre - hardly suggest that
this is a real solution.
So - what to do?
Well, I also wring my hands Chris, & I think the only short-term
immediate way is to accept the only possible force "might be" the UN - &
hold the Sec Gen's feet to the fire. Who actually believes that
frigging, sanctimonious Koffi Anan does anything he is not told to do?
Build the national parties and the International movement!
Hari