Re: Super-patriotism can harden the heart

> As an American in Europe, the only thing that irks me about anti-American
> feelings is the remembrance that students and intellectuals here were
silent
> and demonstrations were nil while the Russians were brutalizing
Afghanistan
> during their occupation years. The same lack of outrage was evident later
> while the Chechenian capital was reduced to rubble.

Hello, I'm portuguese, so I'd like to answer your comment.
While it is true that students and intelectuals were mostly silent during
Russia's invasion of Afghanistan, at least those more connected to
left-wing, communist movements, it was not the same during the
«anti-terrorist» war against Chechenia. So, your criticism is, however,
partly pertinent.

On the other hand, it must be said, that there have been demonstrations
against imperialist, against neo-colonialist, against war in general, but
none against America or the americans. The policy of the US government, is
the policy of all european countries, since neither one of them, nor all
together, are truly independent. Comments by Madelene Albright and others,
using expressions such as that one, anti-american, are just another way of
mixing things up, so the common american listens "anti-american" (why? what
did we do?) or "anti-globalization" (are they against the Internet?).
We, portuguese, began "globalization" in the sixteenth century, by
dominating all trade in Asia, most of the world's trade, including bilateral
trade between China and Japan for instance; we split the world in two, with
the spanish, and the pope's consent (portuguese half was larger and more
lucrative). So the problem is never America or not America.
I don't know where you live, but pick up one of those panflets, that I'm
certain, some left-wing activists, are distributing in your area, near the
subway, perhaps; if you want to know what are the demonstrations against.

During the destruction of Chechenia, I recall that even most communist
parties, did criticize Russia's actions. Not to mention all the other
"lefts", trotskist, anarchist, greens, etc, etc... Perhaps there were less
demonstrations, that is true. But what is the point of demonstrating, if
even on TV Chechenia war was depicted as a "bad" war? Perhaps in Russia it
would be pertinent to demonstrate; and there were demonstrations near the
Russian embassys.

The same could be said about Afghanistan, that there was no point in
demonstrating... But I give in on this issue: most of the "left" was, at the
time, unable to properly criticize Russia's invasion of Afghanistan,
although it would
criticize - rightly, too - the support from the US to Mujahidins. Ten years,
and a wall, separate the two events. Although most communist parties in
Europe, rejected stalinism, they hadn't completely lost their hope in the
outcome of the Soviet Union. Perestroika, was for many a renewed hope.
Therefore most of the communist parties, at the time, a significant part of
the left - greens, and all other lefts, were against Russia's invasion -
were still identified with the USSR, some more than others, but
nevertheless.

I would summarize what I can think was the cause in the following period,
but I hope somebody else can make a more inteligent conclusion:
Identifying oneself with a political organization, movement, or any other
sort of "club," leads to intelectual dependence, mental laziness, blindness,
and other illnesses. Therefore, I claim, that most of Europe's socialist
left suffered from such intelectual dependence, and would rather believe
soviet propaganda, than believe capitalist propaganda.

I believe that in the last few years, it improved a lot. Therefore, the
different reaction to the happenings in Chechenia. Today there is little
reminiscence of that dependency; even when all the good things that in fact,
despite everything, happened in USSR, are remembered.

> That said, I am still appalled by the suffering that is being inflicted on
> Afghan civilians as a result of U.S. bombing. The TV and press reports I
am
> seeing are not anti-American propaganda; they are real, sincere and
> newsworthy. Americans who take offense at people who express their
sympathy
> for the plight of a million refugees, many facing starvation, forget how
> their hearts were moved by the spectacle of Kosovans not long ago. Their
> blind patriotism can harden the heart (of course one expects this of Brit
> Hume and the right-wing Fox TV network).
>
> LeRoy

It's good that you are appalled, but don't forget all the other places in
the world, where either by military actions or by 16 to 24 hour/day work,
child labour, etc, life is taken from milions of people.

Miguel Ramos