Bulletin #716
Subject: HAS ANYONE SEEN THE PARLIAMENTARY ROAD TO SOCIALISM ?
30
September 2016
Grenoble, France
Dear
Colleagues and Friends of CEIMSA,
There is nothing like a televised
US presdiential debate between corporate
party candidates to suck the oxygen out of the air.
Those who survived the first bipartisan national debate last week (and I admit, I could stand seeing only segments of it) must have peered beyond the
motives of the individual candidates into the blatant class interests that they both
necessarily represent in order to have qualified for entry into this corporate
event. Thank god charisma is absent in the personalities of both candidates, but
also absent, unfortunately, are the primary cognitive functions of the human brain, which according
to one of the world’s leading neurologists, Anthony Damasio,
are its capacities for Reason, Memory, and the full array of human Feelings. As a result, we are left
floundering in a stagnent pool of senseless rhetoric and hypocrisy, treading water
until the next vortex of their sheer Will power plunges us into a vacuous discharge of sound and fury, signifying --not 'nothing,' but instead!-- lives wasted, bodies left stranded in a sterile corporate structure,
trapped into complete submission between a rock and a hard place. We’ve been screwed !
Voting is a great responsibility
when we look carefully at the global context; essentially, we who vote are deciding on who lives and who
dies! Both corporate candidates are bound to serve their corporate masters, and
into what region of the planet will their masters send them (to lead us) to inflict the
violence necessary to produce greater capital accumulation --for violence there must be
!
Such a systemic view is not
fashionable today, but nevertheless it is actual; as much as the oxygen we must breath, but of which we are barely conscious.
The theoretical discussion in Ian Roxborough’s 1979 book, Theories of Underdevelopment,
offers a critique of various maps depicting topographical contours in the
underworld of economics. Here we examine the steep climbs of applied ISI
(Import Substitution Industrialization), the deserts of ‘autarchic
development,’ the deep abyss of the so-called ‘Brazilian model,’ and the swamplands
revealed by various ‘dependency theories.’ Roxborough concludes:
There is, then, no simple formula
which will generate economic growth. Policy-makers in the Third World are faced
with a large number of difficult and technically complex choices. But in the
end, these boil down to a limited number of growth models. Each model is
compatible with only a limited range of social and political structures. The
choice of growth model is not a purely economic choice, made in a vacuum; it is
made in a specific political and social context and entails specific social and
political consequences.
. . .
If we define development as an
increase in the capacity for controlled transformation of the social structure,
then almost by definition, a move away from dependency to autarchy is a move in
the direction of development. Whether this move is worthwhile depends on the
cost of the economic growth (weighed against the cost of similar growth if the
economy remained integrated into the world economy.)
. . .
If a Third World country opts to
continue to rely principally on one or two primary exports, and on foreign
capital for technology, it must consider a series of measures to maximize its
advantages and ensure that the economy is not too vulnerable to economic
fluctuations. As the domestic bourgeoisie is usually quite weak; this will
generally mean moves towards an increased role for the state in the running of
the country. Such moves in the direction of statist developmentalism
are bound to alter the balance of class forces and a frequent result will be
the installation of some form of Bonapartist regime. (pp.39-41)
On the question of class struggle, Roxborough observes that,
In underdeveloped countries two sets
of contradictions and two sets of struggles are present: the struggle against
dependency and for national liberation and development; and the class struggle
against the local ruling class. These two struggles correspond to the
historical tasks of two different social classes, the bourgeoisie and the
proletariat. But say this is not to suggest that the two tasks may be solved
independently of each other in the underdeveloped countries. On the contrary,
both sets of contradictions are interwoven in any concrete social formation.
Exactly how they are interwoven, and which contradiction is dominant, depends
of course on the specific character of that social formation.(p.159)
Elsewhere, the author refers to the
histories of Latin American and warns against the false starts of voluntarism, led by a morally pure
'revolutionary vanguard' who are alienated from the working classes
:
What seems
certain is, as Errico Malatesta
said before the rise of fascism in Italy, ‘If we do not go on to the end, we
shall have to pay with bloody tears for the fear we are now causing the
bourgeoisie.’ When the threat of social revolution became serious, the Chilean
bourgeoisie and the Chilean armed forces repeated the actions that the
Brazilian bourgeoisie and armed forces had taken when faced with a similar
threat in 1964; they closed ranks to defend the bourgeois order and drowned in
blood the attempt to change that order.(p.158)
The relationship among the state,
the society and the social classes is historically constituted and any
analysis must take into account the historic formation of the specific
structures and functions that exist on the ground, at the time.
Once the class analysis has reached
a certain level, it is necessary to complete it with an institutional analysis
of the relationship between politics and social classes. There are indeed
determinate relationships between the development of social classes and the
functioning of political institutions, but these relationships are not always
direct and unproblematic. As yet no satisfactory general theory is available .
. . [which] implies the need for
empirical generalization to remain closely grounded in concrete historical
research.(p.163)
The 11 items below offer
CEIMSA readers the opportunity to test these theoretical observations by Roxborough against the social conventions and political
interpretations within the capitalist storm, which is worsening as we speak.
Sincerely,
Francis Feeley
Professor emeritus of American Studies
University Grenoble-Alpes
Director of Research
University of Paris-Nanterre
Center for the Advanced Study of American Institutions and
Social Movements
The University of California-San Diego
a.
Breaking
Through Power : A Civic Mobilization
(September 26-29)
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2906
For more info, including
the full detailed agenda and the speakers’ bios, visit: https://www.breakingthroughpower.org
Past BTP Conferences
(Videos)
@
===========
b.
The
US Presidential Debate and the War Plans of the Ruling Class
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2016/09/28/pers-s28.html
by Patrick Martin
Monday night’s debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald
Trump plumbed new depths in the degradation of American politics.
A billionaire and a multi-millionaire, both
widely hated, traded false promises, platitudes, attack lines and
reactionary bromides
without seriously
addressing any of the pressing issues facing the American people.
===========
c.
Failures
of the Western Left
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article45581.htm
by Andre Vltchek
It is tough to fight any real war. And it takes true guts,
discipline and determination to win it.
===========
d.
He Who Hesitates Is Lost And Russia Hesitated
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article45557.htm
by Paul Craig Roberts
===========
e.
US-Turkey Lurch to World War in Syria
http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2016/09/24/us-turkey-lurch-world-war-syria.html
by Finian Cunningham
|
===========
f.
The
Politics of Bombing: Wholesale, Retail and Improvised
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article45567.htm
by James Petras
Bombs, domestic and foreign, are
defining the nature of politics in the United States, the European Union and
among radical Islamist groups and individuals. The scale and scope of
bomb-politics varies with the practioner.
===========
g.
U.S.
“Operations Room” In Syria Destroyed By Russian Missile Attack
http://www.globalresearch.ca/u-s-coalition-intelligence-operations-room-inside-syria-destroyed-by-russian-missile-attack-thirty-israeli-american-british-turkish-saudi-qatari-intelligence-officials-killed-report/5547099
by Prof Michel Chossudovsky
Thirty
Israeli, American, British, Turkish, Saudi, Qatari Intelligence Officials Killed.
===========
h.
'Hands Dripping with the Blood of the Afghan People':
US Agrees to Pardon and Reward Warlord
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=17314
The
peace deal amounts to a bribe for warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to not commit crimes and terrorism, says Sonali Kolhatkar, host of
"Rising Up With Sonali"
on KPFA.
===========
i.
Putin
Ups the Ante: Ceasefire Sabotage Triggers Major Offensive in Aleppo
by Mike Whitney
“Syria is the summation of
all the errors of a dysfunctional empire collapsing upon itself.
History forgotten. Science ignored. Facts denied.
Propaganda cannot hide that West is supporting and killing Islamists at the
same time in a World War that risks escalating into a nuclear holocaust.”
Vietnam Vet, comments-line, Sic Semper Tyrannis
===========
j.
The Empire Files: How
Palestine Became Colonized
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=17348
From the
early settlements, the Nakba, and to the conquest of
the West Bank, Abby Martin reveals the roots of the so-called
"Israel-Palestine conflict"
===========
k.
From:
"If Americans Knew Team" <contact@ifamericansknew.org>
To:
"FRANCIS FEELEY" <francis.feeley@u-grenoble3.fr>
Sent:
Tuesday, 27 September, 2016 3:20:51 PM
Subject:
Our new website! Timeline and details of every Palestinian and Israeli death
Dear
Francis,
After
months of hard work, we are proud to announce the launch of a new website.
Israel-Palestine Timeline: The human cost of the conflict.
For
the last 15 years, If Americans Knew has provided information on
Israel-Palestine largely left out of U.S. media reporting.
Our
website www.IfAmericansKnew.org
was one of the first sites to focus on
providing clear, factual information on Israel-Palestine to the general
American public – to explain the history, the U.S. connection to the conflict,
and the ongoing reality.
In
particular, we've provided compelling statistics showing the disparities in the
impact of the conflict on Israelis and Palestinians, and our charts and media
analyses have been widely used and cited by students, activists and
academics to educate their communities.
But
we wanted to do more.
While
our charts show the big picture, we wanted to provide an ongoing timeline that
would (1) provide a constantly updated list of everyone killed among both
populations, and (2) provide human details of each tragic death, not only the
ones the U.S. media decide to focus on.
When
Israelis are killed, American media reports frequently provide personal details
of the victims. Palestinian deaths, on the other hand, most often go
unreported, and when they are occasionally mentioned, there is usually very
little information about the victim. [Read below for the latest information on
The New York Times' reporting.]
In
addition, the media almost always state or or suggest
that Palestinian violence shattered a "period of calm," giving
Americans the mistaken impression that it is Palestinians who initiate the
violence.
The
reality, however, is that Palestinians are being killed continuously, and that
it is Israel that consistently initiates the violence. I've periodically
written about this reality (e.g. here and here),
and other researchers have documented it in a detailed study.
Therefore,
we wanted to provide a resource that would provide personal information on all
the human beings who have been killed: their names, pictures, ages, the manner
in which they were killed, the impact their deaths had on their families, and
additional details of the lives that were so abruptly ended.
Now
with this timeline, when media focus on an Israeli who has been tragically
killed, the general public can be referred to this resource and learn of all
the Palestinian men, women, and children who were killed in the days and weeks
before.
We
feel this is critically important if we are to overcome media-induced
misunderstanding of the situation in Palestine.
The
New York Times'
latest distorted reporting
So
far in 2016, at least 98 Palestinians (33 of them
children) and 10 Israelis (1
of them a child) have been killed by someone from
the other side.
However,
a preliminary survey of New York Times' online articles shows that while the
Times covered 140% of Israeli deaths in the headline, first paragraph, or
featured photo caption, it only covered 37% of Palestinian deaths in the same
way. (Some deaths were reported on more than once, which is why the Israeli
number is greater than 100%.)
Additionally,
while every single Israeli victim was featured by the Times, and each one was
named somewhere in the article, only 18 of the 33 featured Palestinian victims
were named. The rest were referred to as "man" or
"teenager." Just 8 of the 33 Palestinian children killed during this
period were named.
Sadly,
this is consistent with our 2004
study that found that the Times reported on 125% of Israeli children’s
deaths and only 18% of Palestinian children’s deaths in headlines or first
paragraphs.
For
the average American, Palestinian suffering at the hands of Israelis is largely
kept out of sight and out of mind, while Israeli suffering is highlighted. We
feel that providing clear, factual information will help to overcome this
distortion. (In addition, of course, our main website provides detailed,
essential information on the overall context, the Nakba,
and the continued occupation of Palestine.)
Please share this resource
In
creating this
website, we hope to impart to Americans the tragic human cost of our
continued military aid to Israel.
We
hope you will check this website frequently, use it as a resource in your
educational efforts, and share it with as many people as possible. It takes all
of us working together to create an informed voting public that will eventually
demand moral and rational U.S. Middle East policies, rather than the
destructive and suicidal ones currently enabled by so many politicians from
both parties.
We
would like to extend our deepest appreciation and respect to the newest member
of our team, Saed Bannoura
of
IMEMC, whose
passion, work and dedication to this project has been invaluable. We could
not have done this without him.
We
would also like to thank all of you who have supported our work over the years.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today to help us
continue our efforts! Your contributions are essential to everything we do and,
truthfully, our resources are getting a bit thin right now. Thank you in
advance for anything you can do.
In
solidarity and gratitude,
Alison
Weir and the If Americans Knew team
Visit
the new website at www.IsraelPalestineTimeline.org
SUPPORT
OUR WORK: DONATE!
_________________
ABOUT
US : If Americans Knew is a nonpartisan educational
organization. We are happy to provide information on Israel-Palestine to
individuals and groups of all religious, ethnic, racial, and political
backgrounds. We support justice, truth, equal rights and respect for all human
beings, and we oppose racism, supremacism, and
discrimination of all forms. Mission Statement
CONTACT
US : To invite Alison Weir to give a presentation on
Israel-Palestine, or to learn more about putting up a billboard in your city,
write here. For general comments or questions, write here. Order
educational materials to distribute from our website. Mailing address:
If Americans Knew, 5694 Mission Center Rd, Suite 602-710, San Diego, CA 92108.
Phone: 202-631-4060