[Marxism] 2 views on the Iran election

[Craig Brozefsky]

Bhaskar Sunkara <bhaskar.sunkara at gmail.com> writes:

> I thought the claims of fraud weren't credible at first, but I'm convinced
> otherwise now.

I'm sure there was fraud, such is the way elections work in a
democracy.  And no, I don't mean just quaint fraud like in my hometown
of Chicago.  I'm also sure there is a crackdown on dissidents,
communications lockdowns, and other attempts by the state to keep the
situation in hand.

However, I am also sure that US money is going to the opposition, they
have been given support in many forms, including encouragements to
support violent opposition, and that the western media has been
playing a rather old script.  I think the oppostion is grossly
overstating their support as well.

What saddens me most is that so many of my peers seem to have
forgotten the Ukraine, Serbia, and the color revolutions, let alone
the rest of the context in Iran, which now has US military bases on
two borders documented US terrorist organizations operating inside
it, and US agents with suitcases of cash.

Obama has not opened up a new space for the antiwar movement, or the
labor movement, or anyone else.  He has captured it, and robbed it of
any critical distance.  The narrative we are seeing here is not one of
imperialism and resistance to neo-liberalism, but a spectacle of "what
message does this send to Obama" or "How does this effect Obama's plan
for the ME".  They are more than willing to give him a shot, having
given up all initiaitve, and all momentum to the administration.

Perhaps I should have some coffee, which seems to make such thoughts
fade away, but at this point I have written off the U.S. left at all
levels of organization above cell and affinity group networks.  I do
not romanticize about such a breakdown, or see this as a resurgence of
some grass-roots socialist principle.  I see it as a total failure and
abdication of the future.

This is a subjective analysis of course, and I would welcome a rousing
critique of it, or counter-example, or anything of the sort.  I feel
like I'm reliving the breakup and invasion of Yugoslavia at
fast-forward -- not because the material situation is the same, but
because the response of my peers is.  But this time, we should know
the tune being played.

-- 
Sincerely, Craig Brozefsky              <craig at red-bean.com>