[Marxism] Kettle of hawks

[Gary MacLennan]

Thanks for posting this Lou.  Over at the Guardian there is a particularly
nasty attack by Sunny Hundal on John Pilger



"What do Ralph Nader, John Pilger and Ayman al-Zawahiri have in common?

Before Barack Obama has even taken office or signed a single bill, all three
have dismissed him as a sellout by using racial slurs. One might be tempted
to say, "at least give the guy a chance," but that would be a futile
exercise.

The activist Ralph Nader <http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/1467> and
documentary filmmaker John
Pilger<http://www.johnpilger.com/page.asp?partid=471>both referred to
him as an "Uncle Tom", while, more recently, al-Qaida No 2
al-Zawahiri<http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hPtm1yvXGJVcqVpQdQfpQLY8L-cwD94I2ABO1>said
Obama was "the direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like
Malcolm X, and lumped Obama together with Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell
as "house slaves". Their implication is the same: as Obama is unlikely to
follow their radical agenda, he must be condemned as a stooge of the white
man.

There would be little point in documenting examples of al-Qaida's own
racism<http://counterterrorismblog.org/2008/11/dr_ayman_alzawahiri_and_the_ri.php>against
black Muslims in favour of Arabs, since it's hardly an organisation
with much credibility on human rights.

But the attitude
of<http://www.newstatesman.com/north-america/2008/11/barack-obama-pilger-texas>far
lefties such as John Pilger is no less pernicious because it
highlights
a patronising attitude towards ethnic minorities. Pilger expects all black
and brown people to be revolutionary brothers and sisters, and if they veer
away from that stereotype, it can only be because they are pawns of a wider
conspiracy....." <guardian.co.uk>

I am greatly encouraged by the criticisms of Obama that you have posted.
They are a definitie sign of hope.  It takes courage for people like Pilger
to stand against the tide of Obamamania, but I have high hopes that the
criticism will break thourgh the web of illusion spun around the President
Elect.

My own gut feeling is that yes we will get to a stage when the criticisms of
Obama will have critical mass. They certqainly seem to be having that effect
even on this list!



Comradely regards

Gary