Bijou Drains
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“I support the victims of imperialism not its proponents.”
But in another thread you stated you supported the Chinese communist Party and the current Chinese regime, the imperialist force that annexed the de-facto independent country of Tibet. Presumably that was to protect the poor citizens of Tibet from that well know Nazi, the Dalai Lama
TS’s response to any media story which doesn’t fit his pro Putin narrative is to cry “fake news”.
I wonder where he got that technique from?
The point is, TS, the SPGB protest about both sides, not cheerleading one set of gangsters against the other.
The problem isn’t ultimately about NATO, or for that matter Putin’s war machine. The problem is the social system from which war, the system of private property, buying and selling commodities etc. derives. You might try thinking about this, it’s a viewpoint that’s known as Marxism.
From this (Marxist) viewpoint, attempting to alter the effects of the system is futile, the thing to do is to remove it.
To try and explain this to you from your simplistic world view of a movie populated with goodies and baddies, what we’re saying is that there are two sets of baddies and the movie’s shit.
What TS has not said is that in Germany, for instance, the protests have been organised by the German Right wing Populist party, the AFD, often described as being neo Nazi.
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-far-right-demo-protests-russia-sanctions-energy-policy/a-63380291
The same AFD “Neo Nazis” that have arranged visits to the Russian Duma:
German far-right MPs to visit Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine
The links between the ADF are allegedly long standing with some of the racist propaganda such as the “liza Story, used by the ADF being supported by the likes of Sergie Lavrov.
https://theconversation.com/how-russians-have-helped-fuel-the-rise-of-germanys-far-right-105551
The so called struggle by Putin to get rid of the Nazis is clearly a hollow claim.
This does not mean that the US and NATO are without blame in the development of the war.
However this gangster turf war is not in the interest of the workers of the West or of the Eastand suggesting that Socialists should take sides is like Socialists being asked to take sides between Al Capone and Bugs Moran.
My two penny’s worth is that the current situation is a very violent version of the situation that occurred re Brexit. The US capitalist class is not a homogenous entity and different sections have different objectives. As tax is a levy on capital, some sections of the capitalist class prefer spending on some areas of the state, others prefer different types of expenditure and others don’t want to spend anything.
Small capitalists, that generally have home based markets don’t want to be taxed to pay for armaments and war weapons, when it doesn’t favour them (or like the Brexiteers, who don’t see the need for the cost of European regulation when they don’t trade in continental Europe). Other sections of the big capital (and also multinational) Capitalist Class, have a desire for expansion, in this case being Eastern Europe, and see the growing power of China (coupled with their acolytes Russia, Syria, Iran, et al) as a big threat. So spending on defence (aka attack) suits their situation.
The Democrats are currently the Party of Big Capital, the section of capital who are happy to spend on defence, big infrastructure, worker welfare (to a point), and expansion in the East, because it increases their profitability. The Trumpian Republicans and their ilk, are now in the thrall of Small Capital (despite their claims to the contrary), who make their money within the North American markets.
The MAGA movement, generally and ironically, would like a return to the US being a very much North American and South American, protectionist economy (going back to the 1920’s and 30’s. In contrast those who finance the Democrats see the US state as being the collective vehicle (financed by tax on general capital) created to ensure that the US multinationals continue to be top dog (following on the path of the 1940-onwards with the Marshall Plan, etc.)
I also think that this section of the US and European Capitalist Class have been emboldened by the outcome of the Ukrainian War. The big bad wolf in recent years has been the threat of a growing Russian military threat. In reality the Russian Military threat appear to be far less of a threat (in conventional terms) than was previously thought.
In terms of military hardware, for example, much of the recently developed Russian equipment has shown to be less potent than was “originally advertised”. The Russian main battle tank The T-90 has performed far less well than predicted. There are reports of the loss of 29 Russian T-90s (26 T-90A: 12 destroyed, 2 abandoned, 12 captured and 3 T-90M/MS: 1 destroyed, 1 abandoned, 1 captured). Taking into account that these figures may well be inaccurate, this must be balanced with the fact that the Ukrainians have shown several examples of what appear to be captured T-90s.
This compares very poorly to the performance of other main battle tanks such as the Challenger 2, the M1 Abrahms and the French Leclerc. The “hawks” may think that they still have the upper hand, at least in terms of equipment. (The performance of Russian aircraft appears to be similarly underwhelming).
They also may be starting to think that the highly praised Chinese military hardware may of a similar quality (Hence the hawkish response to Chinese expansionist policies).
Of course a similar dynamic is going on within the Russian capitalist class. Those sections of Russia’s Capitalist Class, who made their money in the international trade area will be less than happy that their nice little racket is being disrupted and long for a return to the Vodka Cola years.
The Putin party in contrast, like sharks in the sea, originally sensed the US-Western European alliance at a weak point, following the Afghanistan withdrawal. The knives may well be out as the Putin Party and those billionaires who made their money trading with the west, begin to create common cause.
Of course the Working Class of either side have as much interest in the wellbeing of each side in the debate as the slaves of the American South had in a dispute between the plantation owners who enslaved them.
Looking at the ongoing slaughter of workers, the whole Leninist concept of Imperialism is of course some kind of sick joke, which has the punch line that we should support the Capitalist class of Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Syria, in order to weaken the ruling class of the US, the UK, the EU, Japan, et al.
To quote Shakespeare “a plague o’ both your houses”
I do not wish to cause more difficulty for you Alan, but how is it that TS’s contribution #234305, did not illicit the same response?
I would also appreciate some guidance from you about about how Socialists can call out the rank hypocrisy of war mongers without breaching the posting guidance.
Another attempt to deflect TS, perhaps you could just answer the question, or shall we leave it to the readers of this forum to guess the reason why you applaud the “volunteers” but are reluctant to join them?
TS- “ More than 70,000 Russians have volunteered for the armed forces since September 21st. That’s more than Australia’s total military manpower. The poor Ukrainian Nazis, they don’t stand a chance”
Interesting that TS trumpets the worth of the volunteers for Putin’s “fight against the Ukrainian Nazis”, yet he doesn’t take the chance to join the volunteers himself. As we all know the Russian army are actively seeking overseas volunteers.
Perhaps TS is only interested in fighting “Nazis” from the safety of his bedroom.
Well done TS, you have added casual homophobia, to being a general gobshite, xenophobe and rejoicing in insults to people with learning disabilities (and perhaps being an incel). I would suggest, that this and your ongoing slavish adoration of any dictatorial figure (Putin, Stalin, Lenin, Xi, Kim Jong un, etc) and a good dash of misogyny (which no doubt you have in spades), means that you are the perfect fit for a volunteer for Putin (and his capitalist enterprises). So rather than add another epithet, COWARD, get yourself off to Russia and join the conflict you support.
But perhaps your rhetoric is, as I and those who read your messages know, is just so much horseshit.
Socialist? Your not even a Socialist’s shirt tail.
“TS, the difference between the conflicts you mention and the Russian –”
Bojo’s Brains turns stupid up to 11. Congratulations, you get a participation trophy! I hear they’re doing try-outs for the special Olympics. Give it some thought.”
TS, when it comes to witty repartee you’re not exactly Oscar Wilde, are you? Still, those aren’t required qualifications for cannon fodder.
When you off to the front line?
Think about it bonny lad, if you get yourself over to Russia and sign up you might even find some awestruck Russian to help you lose your virginity!
Although many of the people “planted” in Ulster were from Lowland Scotland, a very high number were Border Reivers (the troublesome folk who never really obeyed the laws or “borders” which the state tried to create between Northern England and Scotland). Elizabeth 1st and James 1st & 6th tried to get rid of them by expelling them over to Ulster, although studies showed that many of them found themselves back in their ancestral lands.
Names that are very common in the Northern Ireland Protestant Population are also common Reiver names (Johnston (and various spellings), Armstrong, Robson, Beatty, Hamilton, Graham, Elliott, Ridley, Charlton, Milburn, etc.). Lots of famous Northumbrians share the same surnames.
In my dialect (Geordie), many words are common to Lowland Scots, Ulster Scots and Northumbrian (including Geordie/Mackem/Pitmatic). Most of them came from old Northumbrian, which gives the lie to the idea of a “Scotish” nation. Most of “Laland Scots” is based on Anglo Saxon late Northumbrian languages.
Language, a bit like culture is constantly evolving and developing. Capitalism uses that difference to divide us rather than allow our differences to be celebrated and understood.
TS, the difference between the conflicts you mention and the Russian – Ukraine conflict is (and this is really important) that the Russians are actively recruiting and asking for support from the likes of yourself.
You actually have the opportunity for you to put your words into action! Here, finally, the opportunity arises where you can show the world that you are more than just a stuffed shirt full of cliches. TS, you can be the epitome of the “New Soviet Man” that Lenin and Stail eulogised. The selfless new man who is willing to sacrifice his life for good causes, as exemplified by lines from the poem “Vladimir Ilyich Lenin” by the Soviet poet Vladimir Mayakovsky:
Who needs a “1”?
The voice of a “1”
is thinner than a squeak.
Who will hear it?
Only the wife…
A “1” is nonsense.
A “1” is zero.You, TS, you can show the world that you are beyond the individual, beyond the “1”, you are part of the collective.
The collective good of the Russian people is calling you. Do what you are imploring the young men of Russia to do, join the Russian military. Can you imagine how proud you with your gun in your hand and your helmet on your head. You, TS, demonstrating to those vile and contemptuous members of the SPGB that you have the courage of your conviction, that you are happy to lay your life down to support the cause you believe in. (The accumulation of vast amounts of capital for the Russian ruling class).
Because if you don’t sign up, I for one will think that you are just another poser, trying to boost his perilously low sense of self esteem by associating with something big and powerful. Your interest in politics being no more that a vain attempt to show to the world that has so far ignored you, that you really are windswept and interesting, despite all of the evidence to the contrary.
Unfortunately TS your another of those bar room rebels. There was plenty of them in left wing circles back in the day. Full of Guinness and rebel songs at closing time, but you never saw them down The Falls Road with an Armalite.
However luck is with you. If you read the article I linked, the Russian state is encouraging volunteers from the Middle East, etc. they don’t seem to be worried about language skills. So show the courage of your convictions and get yourself off to the front line. Or are you, as I suspect, another keyboard warrior who would fill your little pants if you ever came across real trouble.
Either send us a picture of you on the front line or stop pretending to be the hard man.
Hey True Scotsman, if you are so keen on sending workers to the front line to die in the cause of Putin’s “Anti Imperialism”, why don’t you join the fun. Or is it that you’re full of shit!
Mud and rocks, not on my fetish list. Now if you had mentioned……
(ps. I know the origin of the term fetish)
