Why your revolution is no liberation!
MAD Cologne | 12.06.2007 16:33 | G8 Germany 2007 | Analysis | Globalisation | Palestine | World
During the recent weeks and months a spirited debate developed in different German left wing newspapers and groups about the sense or non-sense, the perspectives and the means and goals of the mobilisation against the G8 summit. Different German and Austrian anti-fascist groups started a campaign to criticise a wrong analysis of capitalism widely spread in the anti-globalisation movement. In the context of this campaign several public discussions and lectures were held, a special webpage was set up but above all reader was published that contains a set of basic texts referring to this problem. This reader is available in German and English and will soon also be published in French in order to spread the debate also across other countries. Check it out: www.no-liberation-reader.tk
With this reader, we want to take a stand against the currently predominating analyses, of the anti-globalisation movement, which, articulating themselves as in the broadest sense left-wing and anticapitalist, constantly boisterously trumpet their opinion, that another world was possible. We have serious doubts that this “other” world, was going to be of a better constitution than the current one. This anti-globalisation movement is of course not at all marginalised, but is enjoying broad sympathy, which reaches from the “bourgeois left” right to the so-called centre of society and which is even shared by Neo-Nazis
The anti-globalisation movement is-as its protagonists certainly emphasise when facing criticism-a heterogenous movement, in which many groups and individuals have agreed to a minimum consensus. In the case of the activities against this year’s G8-summit this consensus will consist of the participating heads of government being evil, whereas demonstrators and activists on the other side of the fence are “good”. Within the last couple of years, another consensus has-explicitly and implicitly-been agreed on: An antagonism toward the USA and Israel, as well as a structurally anti-Semitic criticism of capitalism.
The closing statement of the world social forum of Porto Alegre expressed the forum`s solidarity with the “Palestinian people” - not a word about suicide bombings or islamic anti- Semitism. The European Social Forum in Paris willingly offered a platform to the islamist and anti-semite Tariq Ramadan, whilst activists, that criticised the anti-Semitism of the No-Globals in a Flyer, were attacked and expelled from the forum. At an event during the EU-Summit in Copenhagen the Danish group “Global Roots” demanded a boycott of Israel stewards wore shirts with the slogan “Burn Israel Burn” on them. During an ATTAC meeting in Germany the Italian globalisation critic Alfonso de Vito compared Israels policy toward the Palestinians with the eviction of the Warsaw Ghetto. Noam Chomsky who can’ t detect anti-Semitism in Robert Faurrissons statement that the holocaust was a Zionist lie authored a manifesto in summer 2006 which declares Israel guilty of the Hisbollahs attack on Israels North because it was aiming to liquidate the Palestinian state. This silly writ which not only ignores the fact that there is no Palestinian state but also turns a blind eye to Israels withdrawal from the Gaza strip and the subsequent terror offensive of the Palestinians was promptly signed by other idols of the anti-globalisation movement: Naomi Klein, Jose Sarango, Arundhati Roy (amongst others).The latter was recently only notable by a completely amiss analysis of capitalism in which globalisation - equated with imperialism - is understood as a conspiracy of “men in suits”(Americans of course), who “trek the world like locusts”. Not forgetting the messias and head-of-state of the No-Globals, Hugo Chavez, close ally of the Iranian mullah regime which is currently sedously working on the nuclear destruction of Israel and which flaunts its president as the international figurehead of an extermination-anti-Semitism.
Why the hatred for Israel and the Jews? After every attack on a synagogue or another Jewish institution Israels allegedly disproportional military policy is at least considered as the reason for the attack. No assault on a mosque or an African immigrant in Europe has ever been justified with a reference to the policy of Muslim or African states. Why the personalisation of the circumstances of capital? It should be known since Marx that capitalism is not an event staged by handful of “men in suits” but a total social condition. With this cognizance this reader wants to contribute to the formulation of a radical criticism.
The anti-globalisation movement is-as its protagonists certainly emphasise when facing criticism-a heterogenous movement, in which many groups and individuals have agreed to a minimum consensus. In the case of the activities against this year’s G8-summit this consensus will consist of the participating heads of government being evil, whereas demonstrators and activists on the other side of the fence are “good”. Within the last couple of years, another consensus has-explicitly and implicitly-been agreed on: An antagonism toward the USA and Israel, as well as a structurally anti-Semitic criticism of capitalism.
The closing statement of the world social forum of Porto Alegre expressed the forum`s solidarity with the “Palestinian people” - not a word about suicide bombings or islamic anti- Semitism. The European Social Forum in Paris willingly offered a platform to the islamist and anti-semite Tariq Ramadan, whilst activists, that criticised the anti-Semitism of the No-Globals in a Flyer, were attacked and expelled from the forum. At an event during the EU-Summit in Copenhagen the Danish group “Global Roots” demanded a boycott of Israel stewards wore shirts with the slogan “Burn Israel Burn” on them. During an ATTAC meeting in Germany the Italian globalisation critic Alfonso de Vito compared Israels policy toward the Palestinians with the eviction of the Warsaw Ghetto. Noam Chomsky who can’ t detect anti-Semitism in Robert Faurrissons statement that the holocaust was a Zionist lie authored a manifesto in summer 2006 which declares Israel guilty of the Hisbollahs attack on Israels North because it was aiming to liquidate the Palestinian state. This silly writ which not only ignores the fact that there is no Palestinian state but also turns a blind eye to Israels withdrawal from the Gaza strip and the subsequent terror offensive of the Palestinians was promptly signed by other idols of the anti-globalisation movement: Naomi Klein, Jose Sarango, Arundhati Roy (amongst others).The latter was recently only notable by a completely amiss analysis of capitalism in which globalisation - equated with imperialism - is understood as a conspiracy of “men in suits”(Americans of course), who “trek the world like locusts”. Not forgetting the messias and head-of-state of the No-Globals, Hugo Chavez, close ally of the Iranian mullah regime which is currently sedously working on the nuclear destruction of Israel and which flaunts its president as the international figurehead of an extermination-anti-Semitism.
Why the hatred for Israel and the Jews? After every attack on a synagogue or another Jewish institution Israels allegedly disproportional military policy is at least considered as the reason for the attack. No assault on a mosque or an African immigrant in Europe has ever been justified with a reference to the policy of Muslim or African states. Why the personalisation of the circumstances of capital? It should be known since Marx that capitalism is not an event staged by handful of “men in suits” but a total social condition. With this cognizance this reader wants to contribute to the formulation of a radical criticism.
MAD Cologne
e-mail:
post@mad-koeln.de
Additions
more to it
12.06.2007 18:37
Are you the same people who had leaflets at the Reddlitch camp?
I agree with some of this thesis but it is being taken to unreasonable conclusions. The following I can agree with:
1. Capitalism is a social relationship lived out on every level of society, not simply a project of a handful of people at the top.
2. Many leftists, in their apparent need to support one side or the other in any given situation - to have a concrete position rather than acknowledging the complexity of life - are willing to remain silent on the views of certain groups provided those groups can be considered "oppressed."
However. To go from this to suggest that any class analysis (which implicitly acknowledges that capitalism has a heirarchic structure and that those higher up are able to make decisions affecting those below) is sympathetic to fascism, or that any critique of Israel specifically is de facto anti-Semitic, is not only wrong - it runs so close to the "anti-Zionist = Nazi" mantra that many of those you are trying to reach will simply ignore it.
is the Free Tibet movement anti-Chinese simply because those involved do not also criticise the situation in Western Sahara? is the Free West Papua movement anti-Indonesian because it does not campaign on similar struggles? if I support the student movement in Greece am I anti-Greek for not giving equal time to student struggles elsewhere?
any attitude that behaves as though Israel is alone in its behaviour is racist and misguided. however, to be blunt, there's only so many hours in the day. on some level we all prioritise certain campaigns over others in order to be effective and not spread our resources too thin. this is not anti-Semitism. it is common sense.
I agree with some of this thesis but it is being taken to unreasonable conclusions. The following I can agree with:
1. Capitalism is a social relationship lived out on every level of society, not simply a project of a handful of people at the top.
2. Many leftists, in their apparent need to support one side or the other in any given situation - to have a concrete position rather than acknowledging the complexity of life - are willing to remain silent on the views of certain groups provided those groups can be considered "oppressed."
However. To go from this to suggest that any class analysis (which implicitly acknowledges that capitalism has a heirarchic structure and that those higher up are able to make decisions affecting those below) is sympathetic to fascism, or that any critique of Israel specifically is de facto anti-Semitic, is not only wrong - it runs so close to the "anti-Zionist = Nazi" mantra that many of those you are trying to reach will simply ignore it.
is the Free Tibet movement anti-Chinese simply because those involved do not also criticise the situation in Western Sahara? is the Free West Papua movement anti-Indonesian because it does not campaign on similar struggles? if I support the student movement in Greece am I anti-Greek for not giving equal time to student struggles elsewhere?
any attitude that behaves as though Israel is alone in its behaviour is racist and misguided. however, to be blunt, there's only so many hours in the day. on some level we all prioritise certain campaigns over others in order to be effective and not spread our resources too thin. this is not anti-Semitism. it is common sense.
rasputin
Comments
Hide the following 11 comments
"Terror offensive of the Palestinians"
12.06.2007 16:58
"structurally anti-Semitic criticism of capitalism"
"Israels withdrawal from the Gaza strip and the subsequent terror offensive of the Palestinians"
"a completely amiss analysis of capitalism in which globalisation - equated with imperialism"
"the Iranian mullah regime which is currently sedously working on the nuclear destruction of Israel"
"Israels allegedly disproportional military policy"
Sounds like pro-Imperial bullshit to me...
Amazed
It "Sounds like pro-Imperial bullshit to me.." too
12.06.2007 17:50
It quacks like a duck
It must be a duck
Skyver Bill
Eh? How's that?
12.06.2007 17:54
puzzled
I'm not anti-semitic
13.06.2007 21:34
Thes guys are part of the loony anti-deutcsh(?) movement in Germany.
Andy
No Borders No Nations, and that inclides Isra-hell.
Andy
Why your revolution is no liberation! by Fight Anti-semitism
14.06.2007 09:13
But with the intractable nature of the problem, perhaps the only thing that will stop the trouble is an overwhelming Anti Semitic force that will eradicate both Jews and Arabs. That solution is now on the cards with Mass extinction.
That is far more likely to come about because God has died through brain tumors induced by all the contradictory prayers the different Religions (and often the same Religions) have been hammering away with.
Perhaps there will be a New God for the next Creation of Life who will see that a New Society comes into existence that knows and avoids the self exterminating practices of Homo Sap. Homo Co-operator ?
Ilyan
antisemitism
14.06.2007 10:13
anti-semitism doesn´t mean hostility towards semits, its only means hostility towards jews. have a look at the history of antisemitism and you will understand.
a definition found in the net:
"Antisemitism:
This term originated at the end of the 1870s. It was misleading in that hostility was solely directed at Jews and not against all semitic peoples.
Antisemitism i.e. emnity towards Jews, is not restricted to Christian cultures, however, it is within these cultures that it is most evident. Whereas in the West the spread of antisemitism remained relatively restricted, in Germany and in eastern Europe it was widely disseminated.
Following the 1st World War the Jews were made answerable for all social and political crises. The Nazis consciously built upon this conventional antisemitism and additionally used the modern form of antisemitism i.e. racial antisemitism. The attempt by the Nazis to systematically exterminate the "Jews", as defined by the Nuremberg decrees, as contained in their policy of the "Endlösung der Judenfrage"/"Final solution to the Jewish Problem", represented the most extreme form of antisemitism, which however had its origins in the antisemitism of the previous century."
plain
why is israel getting used by criminal loophole enlargers
14.06.2007 15:06
tail wag dogs?
Typical Hasbara Swill Refuted
16.06.2007 14:58
"Within the last couple of years, another consensus has-explicitly and implicitly-been agreed on: An antagonism toward the USA and Israel"
This is not true. Nor is informed criticism of these two allied Neo-Fascist Regimes "antagonistic".
"as well as a structurally anti-Semitic criticism of capitalism."
Another LIE, exposing the intent of the (unidentified) authors of this piece.
"The closing statement of the world social forum of Porto Alegre expressed the forum`s solidarity with the “Palestinian people”
Indeed, as they are an oppressed people who have been abused and ignored for decades. This has little to do with "antiglobalization".
"The European Social Forum in Paris willingly offered a platform to (...) Tariq Ramadan"
You'll have to elaborate and support your allegations. Your dishonesty thus far casts doubt on these statements.
"whilst activists, that criticised the anti-Semitism of the No-Globals in a Flyer, were attacked and expelled from the forum."
That's because they were Zionist Operatives, not "activists", equating criticism and condemnation of Zionist Fascism with "antisemitism", and were there with the sole purpose of disrupting the proceedings.
"At an event during the EU-Summit in Copenhagen the Danish group “Global Roots” demanded a boycott of Israel stewards wore shirts with the slogan “Burn Israel Burn” on them."
That sentence doesn't make sense, but I suggest you support this allegation.
"During an ATTAC meeting in Germany the Italian globalisation critic Alfonso de Vito compared Israels policy toward the Palestinians with the eviction of the Warsaw Ghetto."
And ... ? The comparison is just, right down to the Israelis-only routes the Government has constructed, in order to keep the Israelis from seeing what their Government is doing to the Palestinians in the Territories. The Germans did the same. And Israel's military studied the Germans' handling of the Warsaw Ghetto when determining tactics for the Territories. I don't get your point.
"Noam Chomsky (irrelevant, dishonest passage deleted) authored a manifesto in summer 2006 which declares Israel guilty of the Hisbollahs attack on Israels North because it was aiming to liquidate the Palestinian state."
Indeed, as International Law says this.
The Origin of the Palestine-Israel Conflict
Published by Jews for Justice in the Middle East
As the periodic bloodshed continues in the Middle East, the search for an equitable solution must come to grips with the root cause of the conflict. The conventional wisdom is that, even if both sides are at fault, the Palestinians are irrational "terrorists" who have no point of view worth listening to. Our position, however, is that the Palestinians have a real grievance: their homeland for over a thousand years was taken, without their consent and mostly by force, during creation of the state of Israel. And all subsequent crimes—on both sides—inevitably follow from this original injustice.
"which not only ignores the fact that there is no Palestinian state"
That's kinda his point. And Zionist Extremism aims to ensure there never will be.
"but also turns a blind eye to Israels withdrawal from the Gaza strip"
Because it's irrelevant, and not exactly true. Israel created the world's largest Concentration Camp, nothing more.
"and the subsequent terror offensive of the Palestinians"
The Palestinians, for the most part, held true to a two-year, unilateral cease-fire. This ended when an Israeli artillery unit, no doubt enraged at the sight of Palestinians enjoying a beachfront that only weeks earlier had been for Israelis-only, shelled and killed an entire Palestinian family on a picnic. Israel LIED about the incident, but were exposed by international analyses of the evidence.
"was promptly signed by other idols of the anti-globalisation movement: Naomi Klein, Jose Sarango, Arundhati Roy"
As it should have been, since it was an honest, fact-based treaty, unlike this Propaganda ...
"The latter was recently only notable by a completely amiss analysis of capitalism in which globalisation - equated with imperialism - is understood as a conspiracy of “men in suits”(Americans of course), who “trek the world like locusts”.
What's "amiss" with that analysis? It's true. Read Joseph Stiglitz' "Globalization and its Malcontents", which details how, even if Global Corporatism was not initially intended to harm the poor majority, it continued implementation in light of its documented ill-effects, demonstrates Malicious Intent. Stiglitz, of course, is the former Chief Economist of the IMF, and one of the most respected economists in the world.
"Not forgetting the messias and head-of-state of the No-Globals, Hugo Chavez"
I think you mean "messianic". The Hard Right only hates and maligns this man because he's threatened their interests and conspiracy against Venezuela, and presents a viable alternative to hyper-corporate Capitalist plutocracy.
"Iranian mullah regime which is currently sedously working on the nuclear destruction of Israel"
Do you mean "sediciously"? Remember, Iran is building power stations, because they lack the refining capability to meet its growing energy demands. Also, the implied repetition of the mistranslation which claims its president called for the destruction of Israel, is a LIE.
It's actually the Fascists, supported by the author of this Propaganda, who are plotting death and destruction.
IAEA Head: Iran Attack 'Act of Madness'
"and which flaunts its president as the international figurehead of an extermination-anti-Semitism."
You'll have to elaborate. This doesn't really make any sense.
"Why the hatred for Israel and the Jews?"
WHAT? How did you get here?
These groups criticize and condemn Israel, under the rule of Zionist Extremism, because of their reprehensible, brutal, racist policies towards the Palestinians, because of their Cult-like Ideology, little different than Hitler's, their program of Regional War in the ME, and their Apartheid nature. But this isn't "hatred of Israel", as most Israelis also oppose these policies and beliefs, and are only cowed into acquiescence through fearmongering.
Nothing about Jews ...
"After every attack on a synagogue or another Jewish institution Israels allegedly disproportional military policy is at least considered as the reason for the attack."
Indeed, as no matter how long this goes on, Israel is the Aggressor, and the Palestinians, sadly excercising their right to Resist Israel's brutality.
But this should not trouble you, as the media's pro-Israel bias always ascribes blame to the Palestinians/Arabs.
"No assault on a ..."
Irrelevant drivel. No such comparison can be made.
And you conclusion then fails because it's based upon a flawed, dishonest premise ...
Field Guide to Hasbara ( Propaganda) from the WUJS
Zionism, Irrelevant Within A Generation
Anti convolutes
17.06.2007 21:05
Just because some Academic misused the language does not mean that use is right. There were heated arguments going on between Jews in 1946 over that abuse of language.
One or a hundred partizan bigots putting up a definition on the web does not make it right. For example if you know something as an original source, a participant in the event, and try to put it into a Wikipedia where it is relevant, it gets deleted because there is no Academic reference.
That tract you quote is from people who happily lie. There were Nazis -National Socialists -in Germany until 1934 when Hitler made a massacre of he Socialist leadership and transformed the National Socialist Party into the Hitler Party. Malignant Historians and Politicians refuse to acknowledge that so they are able to discredit Socialism and built their Imperialist Global Fascism.
What they have put is as gross a misrepresentation of reality as saying that Hitler's father was a Jew, and that he made the Holocaust to kick the Jews into creating Israel and celebrate 'Next year in Jerusalem'. The inference that Hitler was a Jew is of course wrong, his mother was not Jewish. She took Jewish money to bring him up.
There is a nice bit of research to be done here - did children from mixed race marriages get sent to the death camps if it was the father who was a Jew? Jews say such children must go through conversion to be Jewish. Exterminating those unconverted would seem to put Hitler on a cattle truck too.
Ilyan
has anyone looked?
24.06.2007 00:12
there is no "reader" it's a redirect to the IDF english language news page.
coyote
@coyote
15.08.2007 18:45
@coyote