Re: A Faustian bargain? Iraq for Congo?

[Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>]

At 2003-06-07 12:25 -0400, you wrote:
> The French have been given green light in the DRCongo by the
> graciousness of the UN.
> How come?
> Because, a temporary sop has been thrown to the French in return for
> stopping harping on about the Middle East.
> It is not a minor sop. The DRCongo as Lumumba pointed out to the cost of
> his life, was and is wealthy.
> Chris: My unease over the situation of giving the butchers the keys to
> the deep-freeze - lies in very recent history of the French
> interventions. Take Rwanda 1994:
> http://harikumar.brinkster.net/MLRB/Rwanda.htm


Forgive me if I do have not read in detail the rather long article. If I
take the gist correctly, it suggests the Rwandan Patriotic Front was more
progressive and in that context the French intervention was imperialist and
reactionary.

As for the current intervention force, there will be historical fears. It
is also interesting that UK troops have not yet been explicitly deployed to
this intervention, despite being widely trailed as likely to do so.

Your question about the UN - I do not think we should idealise it, just
because it is the nearest thing to some sort of legal authority. It
consists of capitalist and imperialist states, and other states with
complicated social formations, that have to compromise with the most
powerful capitalist and imperialist states.

I am not suggesting we should be enthusiastic about such initiatives as the
latest in the Congo but a) there is very little that any movement could do
to stop it. b) you have to look at where the overall balance of world
forces points.

The political skirmishing between unilateralists, multilateralists and
multi-polarists is likely to end up with some sort of multilateral
imperialism, with some sort of sense of legal accountability.

Patrick Bond rightly warned against sub-imperialism. Nevertheless I would
still prefer an African peace making intervention force in the Congo. The
overall pattern globally is that national sovereignty is being called
increasingly into question. From a historical materialist point of view
local war lords feeding on tribal divisions are not necessarily
historically progressive.

You have to make an assessment of what global battles can be won at
present. I would have thought the international movement has a chance  of
making the hegemonic powers squirm over the manipulation of the evidence
about Iraq, and make them want to leave that country as an occupying force
sooner rather than later. But probably the progressive forces cannot
prevent a neo-liberal economy being imposed on Iraq.

Chris Burford
London