Topic: 'The Tape', plus remarks on American 'passifism'

topic by
John Calvin
12/14/2001 (7:34)

At the risk of over-stating the case, the only way that a civilized people with a true commitment to justice and law could construe the tape of Osama bib-Laden talking about 9/11 as evidence of his own prior complicity in the attack would be to submit it to a Court of Law in which advocates of all concerned parties were perfectly free to bring whatever witness and other material evidences to bear upon the questions before an impartial jury of the accused's peers.

This is the fundamental constitutional process which the Government of the United States is today in the process of totally subverting.This is the process which, with the bombing of Afghanistan, was completely left behind in the dust.
Thus, one is forced to conclude, even if bin-Laden were really guilty ( a material accessry to 9/11, not just 'an inspiration' for it): So What? He had the right idea. More power to him. One even hopes he will attack again soon and kill more of these American who care nothing about law and justice but only lynchings and murder.

Another example of the perversions of the American people and their media was clearly displayed on the pages of my local newspaper this morning. Our town established a 'sister city' relationship with Bethlehem many years ago. We recently recieved an appeal for humanitarian aid from the Mayor of Bethlehem, which our Mayor forwarded to us by means of a press conference at City Hall yesterday.

The article in the Newspaper concludes:

'Others listened (to the Mayor's) words scanning for a political message.
The subject of Palestinian Israeli issues is touchy, said Rabbi Joshua Chasan who was concerned that the Mayor might appear to be taking sides. After the Mayor's announcement, Chasan said he heard only a call for humanitarian aid, not a political stance. 'I think the Mayor is a man of peace and he has great courage to do this' said the Rabbi of Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, which will not take up a collection for Bethlehem'.
'Humanitarian' concern is 'non-poilitical' (i.e. does not include the possibility of any criticism of the government of Israel, not matter what they do).

When push comes to shove this is what the doctrine of passifism produces. One can only hope that when enough blood has been shed, sufficient numbers of people slaughtered and vast portions of the world economy completely shattered,people will grow weary of their passifism and put an end to the war.

reply by
John Calvin
12/14/2001 (7:43)

reply top

For a very interesting discussion of passifism see Leon Trotsky's 'Passifism as the Servant of Imperialism' at http://csf.colorado.edu/mirrors/marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1917/pacifism.htm

One doesn't have TO BE a Marxist-Leninist to recognize the brilliance of this and many other of Trosky's analysis. I am especially impressed by his early work based on his work as a press corresp[ondant in the Balkans (1905-6).