ALB
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In any event, I have posted a reply referring people to this article from the October Socialist Standard which, incidentally, has been translated into Spanish and Italian:
Meanwhile in the north of Syria Turkey, through its proxy gangsters called the “Syrian National Army”, is taking advantage of the situation to implement its agenda of ethnic cleansing Kurds from the western side of the Euphrates:
“The SNA’s main focus of attack then turned to Manbij, which they have just captured after fierce resistance. Since the Kurds liberated the city from ISIS, they worked hard to bring together its different ethnic groups and to incorporate them into their system of local administration. Manbij is home to around 30,000 Kurds, but is not a Kurdish city. It was an important example of the peaceful coexistence that all who care about the future of Syria’s people want to see, and was run by, and defended by, the people of different ethnicities that make up its population. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights report that SNA factions executed dozens of wounded soldiers in a military hospital north of Manbij city after blocking their evacuation, and that they have carried out identity-based killings of Kurds as well as looting and burning Kurdish property. SNA fighters have shared videos of themselves murdering men in the hospital and capturing Manbij women. The future looks grim. The SNA on the ground were supported by Turkish planes and drones.”
So now Israel is waging war against Syria as well, taking advantage of the power vacuum there to destroy the Syrian state’s armed force.
Those who argue that the establishment of a “Jewish colony” and eventually a “Jewish state” in the former Ottoman province of Palestine was a historic mistake are being vindicated. In fact the whole Zionist project was misconceived and its implementation has proved to be a disaster both for the region, and for Jews everywhere by fuelling and feeding anti-semitism.
Some argue that Israel is just another capitalist state like any other and shouldn’t be singled out for special criticism. A case for this can be made out but this does not refute the argument that it should never have been established and that, financed and armed by the USA for its own capitalist economic and strategic reasons, it has proved to be a cancer in the region.
Sounds like they could be a follower of Baron Von Mises who also argued that socialism could only exist on a very small scale.
The Assad regime has fallen and the people of Syria are free to determine their own destiny. Oh yeah? What were the first actions of those capitalist states which were opposed to the Assad regime? Israel took over some more of Syrian territory and bombed Damascus. Turkey bombed a town in the north and the US bombed a few in the east, treating the new government with the same contempt as they did the previous regime. All three states also have troops on the ground in Syria.
And it can be expected that the new regime will be just as much opposed as the previous one to Israel’s occupation and annexation of the Golan heights, especially as the family of the leader of the main rebel group comes from the area (hence his nom de guerre al-golani).
In any event Israel is not taking any chances and has moved to occupy even more of the Golan heights:
Mind you, the killing and destruction is but over yet. One civil war ends but another continues. Manbij was not controlled by the Assad regime but by the Kurdish nationalists. Reference to air power (which the “rebels” don’t possess) shows the direct involvement of Turkey.
That was quick. This week hasn’t been a good one for dictators. In South Korea a would-be dictator was forced to back down by parliamentary and popular resistance. In Syria a decades long brutal dictatorship collapsed within 10 days.
Both illustrate that even under capitalism a determined majority will get its way in the end. No government can maintain its rule in the face of widespread majority resistance. Those who think that a capitalist government would be able to establish and maintain for any length of time a dictatorship in face of the democratically-expressed majority will for socialism should take note.
In the words of Victor Hugo, “No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come”.
Farage’s mob maybe ahead of the Laborite gang in some opinion polls, but according to this they are not putting their votes where their mouth is:
https://vote-2012.proboards.com/thread/19257/local-electoral-year-statistics-summary
Musk must think Britain is part of America where there are no limits on what candidates can receive or spend. Here only electors (those on the electoral roll) or, under certain circumstances, companies or other associations registered in Britain can make donations. Parties are obliged to check that the door is eligible and, if they don’t, and, if it turns out it is not from an eligible donor, they can be fined and the donation forfeited to the state.
That’s a ridiculous allegation. See for instance this article in this month’s Socialist Standard:
Well, in the end “martial law” only existed for a few hours and then only on paper.
The last capitalist government should take note if it considers trying to impose martial law in the event of a socialist victory at the polls. As should those who argue that the last capitalist government will inevitably try. and get away, with this. True, if they did try, it would last for more than a couple of hours but in the end the socialist majority would get its way as no government can maintain itself in power for long in the face of overwhelming popular opposition.
Yes, Aristotle draw a distinction between “economics” and “chrematistics”.
“From Ancient Greek χρῆμα (khrêma, “money”).”
“Chrematistics (from Greek: χρηματιστική), or the study of wealth or a particular theory of wealth as measured in money”
I think we can all agree that that’s inapplicable to socialism.
