[R-G] A reply to Right Wing opportunists (on FTT statement)

[Ivan D. Drury]

Fire This Time, Rightists, and others

from -  http://ivandrury.wordpress.com

It’s been a month and a half since I released my statement about Fire This Time. A number of articles have since been written on right wing blogs, the online ‘youth’ edition of the Macleans magazine, and elsewhere that seem to perceive an opportunity in the release of this statement. Far from illuminated by new information presented by my statement, these writers have leapt upon what they misunderstand as a point of vulnerability, a weakness, through which they can attack the anti-war movement and progressives, and especially revolutionary and Marxist ideas and organization. 

There are a number of problems with the articles and with the writers who have penned them, and no less the publications that have run them. Not least of which is the problem that has the most to do with Us, the progressive community. The very idea that an honest and open discussion of problems in our or any community is a ‘weakness’ is absurd. A willingness to openly discuss problems and mistakes is a sign of confidence and strength in a community or organization. For example to the contrary, it is not necessary to look any further than the governing party in Canada; the Federal Conservatives. Faced with a recent scandal where Prime Minister Stephen Harper was accused of being accessory to the bribing of an independent member of Parliament to change his vote while practically on his deathbed, Harper went silent. Not only did he refuse to discuss the issue in public or in the House of Commons, he threatened to sue those who brought the issue forward.
 Call me simple, but to me this is a clear sign of insecurity in the government. I have limited myself to an example of an inner party scandal; it would be possible to draw much more compelling examples from cases of the legal responsibility of government to the public, such as the assassination of Dudley George in Ontario or the transference of prisoners to be tortured in Afghanistan; and so on.

An even more obvious example could be found in Fire This Time’s zero response to my statement. Faced with the spectre of open criticism and discussion of differences from my statement and the comments and statements of more and more others, have they leapt on the opportunity to explain their side of the story or admit wrongdoings? No, they’ve hidden behind a mask of silence. Unfortunately, what I read in their silence and secrecy is a further organizational ‘tightening up’ where they define their friends and enemies within harder and thinner lines. Yerevani hopes to be able to limit his explanations to selected people who can be manipulated and pressured, and/or who may be willing to give him and FTT the benefit of the doubt because they have a previously existing investment in one of FTT’s front groups. Yerevani’s insistence on controlling which sources of criticism are legitimate (his own) and which are illegitimate (everyone else’s) is a
 mark of FTT’s internal weakness and vulnerability. He is afraid, most of all, of the thoughts of his own cadre. Woe to the ‘friends’ of Yerevani.

I adamantly insist upon the importance of openly and honestly discussing our problems in our progressive community. Even at this very basic level our integrity should stand publicly as an example against Rightists and other reactionaries of how We are different. Let them gloat and point fingers. [...]

//for more see: http://ivandrury.wordpress.com





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