Lebanon and the "Francophonic" Summit

On the board written : "Entrance For the Delegations", notice where the lebanese flag is.

link

MFL

Unions and their role?

Well, probably if we look at Marxism 101, Marx and Engels focused that Trade Unions tend to bind the Proletariat while Capitalism, due to the competition for wages, seperates them. It just bothers me that Unions are inactive and tend to defend Capitalism for a change.

I read a small piece of an article from annahar that said the head of the Printing Union was stressing on the TRIPS agreement (intellectual property) regarding books and anything related to priniting industry. Statistics showed that Lebanon costs the Filming and Music industries a cumulative of 3 billion dollars per year due to piracy and copy rights. The Syndicate leader forgot that not everyone affords those 60$ or 100$ books, and would sound rather silly to wait years and years till the value of the book declines.

Ironic, a Union that defends WTO policies even on the international arena.

MFL

How to tell...?

Sadly, a history is never told as it is, rather it becomes relative to the concerned groups, and becomes more relative in Lebanon as there are different parties and Sect leaders. These sayings are by no means universal in Lebanon, but the majority tend to say them.

"The Palestinians shot at us" ---- means Lebanese Forces, Phalangists, al-Ahhrar, and fanatic Christians in general

"The Christians brought the Israelis at us" --- Shiite, Sunnite, Communist, Syrian Social Nationalist.

"If it weren't for Bashir Gemayel, Christians wouldn't exist in Lebanon" ---- Pro-Christian Lebanese Forces, Phalangists, ...

"It was the Syrians who assasinated Rafiq el Harriri" ----- 14th of March block supporters (Lebanese Forces, Phalangists, Progressive Socialist Party, Future Movement, Democractic Left Movement...etc)

"It was the Israelis who assasinated Rafiq el Harriri" ---- 8th of March block supporters (Hezbollah, AMAL movement, Lebanese Communist Party, Marada, Syrian Social Nationalist Party, Baath party...(

"The WTO is great for Lebanon to establish a strong democractic state" 14th of March block in general, Future Movement and Democractic Left Movement in specific.

"We want a national statistics on the country to see Sect Distribution" 8th of March in General, and Hezbollah and Syrian Social Nationalist Party in specific

"Syria never hurt Lebanon" --- 8th of March block and in specific Hezbollah, AMAL, and Syrian Nationalists

"The International Community is our friend" ---- 14th of March block

"Who cares about Palestine, we want a strong Lebanon" 14th of March Block in general

"We as leftists demand resistance to Israel" ---- Lebanese Communist party
"We as leftists demand resistance to Syria" ----- Democractic Leftist Movement

I can go on till morning saying examples like that, but would like to say few sentences:

"Are you with us or with them" (unknown because everyone says it)
"They are thieves" (unknown because everyone says it)
" We say the truth" (unknown because everyone says it)
" They depend on foreign ties, stick with us" (unknown because everyone says it)

lastly:

"We will do our best to serve the Lebanese citizen" (TOTALLY UNKNOWN!!)
MFL

Threat of Marxism to Zionism in 1919

MFL notes: I republished this post as I had to delete it earlier due to being bombarded with 400 Spam links in less than 12 hours

An Interview in Mr. Balfour's Apartment, 23 Rue Nitot, Paris, on June 24th, 1919, at 4:45 p.m.

Present: Mr. Balfour, Mr. Justice Brandeis *, Lord Eustace Percy, and Mr. Franfurter**

Mr. Balfour expressed great satisfaction that Justice Brandeis came to Europe. He said the Jewish problem (of which the Palestinianquestion is only a fragment but an essential part) is to his mind as perplexing a question as any that confronts the statesmanship of Europe. He is exceeingly distressed by it and harassed by its difficulties. Mr. Balfour rehearsed summarily the pressure on Jews in Eastern Europe and said that the problem was of course complicated by the extraordinary phenomenon that Jews now are not only participating in revolutionary movements but are actually, to a large degree, lleaders in such movements. He stated that a well informed person told him only the other day that Lenin also on his mother's side was a Jew.

Justice Brandeis stated that he had every reason to believe that this is not so and that Lenin on both sides is an upper class Russian. He continued that after all this is a minor matter, that all that Mr. Balfour said was quiet so. He believes that every Jew is potentially an intellectual and an idealist and the problem is one of direction of those qualities.

* Felix Frankfurter, Prof. of Law at Harvard Law School, later Asociate Justice, Supreme Court of US 1939-1962, and President Wilson's Consultant at the Paris Peace COnference in 1919. Lord Eustace Percy (1887-1958), British diplomat, later Conservative Member of the Parliament, 1921-1937.

** Brendeis (1856 - 1941) was Chairman of Provisional Commission for General for General Zionist Affairs, U.S. 1914-1916, and Associate Justuce, Spreme Court of the US, 1916-1939.

Reference: Dr. Walid Khalidi's From Haven to Conquest - Chapter 18

(MFL notes: Zionism is racism... case closed and never wanted Jews to live better anywhere except in their own racist nation.)

Another Naji al-Ali Cartoon: The Power of the Pen

The Title in Arabic called Aqlam: which means pens. This context can represent Israel trying to Shut out Palestinians, but I tend also to regard it in context of Arab bourgeoisie leaders shutting out the masses to preserve their own power.

link

MFL

Israelis settle in for long stay in village of Ghajar

As a beautiful comrade once said: "they are occupying and zionizing lebanon one village at a time" link

For A Reaction, More Reactions will come (released Previously on 27 Sept 2006)

This post is republished for the Spam Attack on the earlier one with 600 ads.

The First Picture also tends to promote hatred towards Islam and increase the "enemy" which replaced the Soviets..., only three times more racist. link .

The Second Picture implies double way for this cartoon link, sort of reminds me how the Nazis used to beat up the Jews.

PS: We need more internationalism People

Some Jokes on Capitalism

Earlier Post republished due to the same problem

Sadly though as funny as they appear, this is the reality of the world and the 100% free market. (except for the Super nations of course) link

Just a favorite Soviet Pic.

Mikhail Cheremnykh and Viktor Deni,"Tov. Lenin ochishchaet zemliu ot nechisti" (Comrade Lenin cleanses the earth of scum), November 1920
link

Marxist From Lebanon

Some Jokes on Capitalism

Gotta love those cartoons as they depict the non-merciful business mind that cares nothing except for money.

MFL

link

Regarding Brammertz's Report on Harriri's Investigation

This is a cartoon placed in annahar newspaper that I seriously liked. It mocks the "finding of new evidence in the investigation" (as the writings say on the top right of the picture), while the letters dropping are the Arabic Alphabet. On the bottom of the picture, it says: Names of the Criminals. (Reference: Annahar Tuesday, 26th September 2006)

(Thanx Anarchy Revolution Is Coming For helping me finding it)

MFL

Nasrallah's Full Speech translation

Anarchy Revolution Is Coming (author of the phenomena blog Blogging the Middle East) has pasted the full speech of Hezbollah's Nasrallah. This is the link

Well done Comrade....

MFL

PS: Speech Dissection coming soon as well

Talking about extreme cases of Privatization

Talking about extreme cases of privatization on the expense of the people!

Hundreds of millions of contracts are being made behind the scenes as more Iraqis are being slaughtered. Keep in mind folks, the war on Iraq is not only 100% for oil, but also to get the corporations with important links to make more money.

Pratap Chatterjee is a wonderful investigator who successfully shed light on what is happening in Iraq in relations to the US corporations over there. Check his book Iraq Inc.

This is a great article written my Chatterjee on www.corpwatch .com (link to article).

MFL

White House Wars

All the talk about Presidential campaigns in the White House reminded me of a nice picture (sort of thought it was inspired by Star Wars), my compliments to the artist:

link

MFL

My First Picture: Naji el Ali

One of my favorite artists, Naji el-Ali who clearly expressed the crisis of the Palestinians, Arab Leaders, US biased attitude, and Israeli brutality. Since today I learnt by mistake to upload my first picture, I decided to upload a picture that clearly depicts the relations between Arab and Zionists Bourgeoisie (in relations to the USA of course).

MFL

Clinton is no longer Mr. Cool

(Video present as Clinton gone Frenzy in the interview)

Well, now capitalists seek to burn each other. Republicans blame the Democrats for 9/11 and so on, just capitalist greed.

Well, here is the link and enjoy seeing Clinton expressing himself a "bit too loud".

MFL

link

Two retired generals blast Rumsfeld on Iraq

“(W)e do not believe that it is appropriate for active duty, or retired, senior military officers to publicly criticize U.S. civilian leadership during war.”

(MFL: really, don't military officers become civilians with the same rights as other US citizens to express their thoughts?)

“Mr. Rumsfeld and his immediate team must be replaced or we will see two more years of extraordinarily bad decision-making,”

(MFL: military wise we saw the blunders, but if you mean politically efficient to protect US soldiers as civilian by-standers die, then that is a different case.)

"Republicans dismiss as politics a forum held by Senate Democrats"

(MFL: Nothing is taken seriously regarding the lives of the Iraqis?)

link

USA learns from Israel in detaining officials

Maduro identified himself as a Venezuela government official, but they nonetheless took him to a room for a more thorough screening, he said. Maduro claims he was kept in the room for 90 minutes.
When a State Department representative showed up, the official asked Maduro to spread his arms and legs for a search, but he refused, Maduro said, adding that the actions violated his international and diplomatic rights.
"We were detained illegally by the U.S. government," Maduro later told reporters. "They are responsible for this."

(link)

Lebanese Forces Do a "Prayer" to the bringers of death

Today was the ritual at the Maronite Church to honor the fallen ones for the Lebanese Forces (and Phalangists). That totally contradicts the concept of the Church. How does a Church honor their "martyres" who were carrying M-16s shooting civilians based on religion?

For starters, they honor Bashir Gemayel who sacrificed himself for the "Lebanese" cause. What the priest didn't mention was that Mr. Bashir Gemayel was part of the decision makers to bring into Lebanon the Syrian Army to enter Lebanon for the first time, and he (along with his father Pierre) were responsible for the 1982 Israeli invasion to Lebanon. The Priest honors Bashir Gemayel who according to the priest fought for the cause.

But what was the cause? Bashir Gemayel had different causes. He wanted a Christian Lebanon by all means, and after he became elected suddenly (suspiciously due to the influences of the American Diplomat Philip Habbib) wanted to be the President of the whole Lebanon. How does a church honor warriors and messengers of death to civilians.

Then the priest speaks about Samir Jaajaa (current head of the fanatic Lebanese Forces) and hails him. A religious priest in a ritual hailing a politician contradicts the very message of the Christian Ideology which is love thy neighbor and enemy. The Church is clearly supporting one faction over the other. Then the priest with all rudeness hails a political faction who has one of the bloodiest history in Lebanon and after wards says: In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Just as we lived during the oppressive reign of the Syrians, we saw the re-writement of history. Again, we see the process again. We sse a ceremony honoring the fallen Lebanese Forces, and we see members of the Durze "Progressive Socialist Party", who gave the Lebanese Forces a nice number of "Martyrs" during the "War of the Mountain" when the Israelis did a sudden pull back and the Druze - Christians slit each other from the areas shared by Christians and Druze. Currently, they stand togather, and the leaders of the PSP clap whenever the name Bashir Gemayel is mentioned.

While the priest is doing the "divine sacrifice" for the honor of the "Lebanese Forces", the ceremony was temprary cut when May Chidiac enters the Church, and everyone stands to clap for her courage. Even the priest sits and claps, while I wonder if a regular Proletariat enters the Church, would people stand and clap for him/her?

This ceremony is cleary nothing but the distortion of history, and push the Lebanese Forces (14th of March block) politically to face the Free Patriotic Movement (8th of March block). Again, as Marx said earlier: Religion is an Opium to the masses, and this is what is taking place. The merge of the Church with Politics is exactly what has taken place. This prayer is nothing but a group gathering to honor fallen warriors who brought blood on innocent by-standers.

To the Priest Roland Abou Jawdi, ever thought of dedicating a prayer to the innocent civilians whose throats were slit even though they had no relations with the war? Those civilians who represent all sects of Lebanon that were cold bloodedly murdered, and never thought to honor them except the bringers of death?

The road to a socialist state is still long, and we should never give up as Marxists to bring forth unity of the Proletariat despite all sects, tendencies, and gender.

I wonder what Jesus Christ, the advocate of peace and love, would do if he entered this ceremony, specially his name popped up as part of the ceremony.

MFL

Nasrallah Returns to the Public Arena

I know plenty read the Daily Star, but problem is Daily Star is Right-winged and mostly pro 14th March rather being objective in its analysis in reporting the events. I decided to translate pieces of the front page of annahar regarding the speech till I am able to get the full of Speech of Nasrallah in order to translate it and put it on my blog for analysis. PS annahar is also a 14th of March block newspaper -- Marxist From Lebanon link

Nasrallah Returns to the Public Arena: No deliverance of Weaponry Under the Shadow of this Government
Seniora, despite the offensive on him: "Focusing on the Dialogue opens Future Horizons

The public appearance for the General Secretary of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, yesterday, was the first since the war broke on July 12th. It was an even which at the same time gathered a huge human crowd with its internal, regional, and international positions which created hesitations on different scales.

One major official of the "14th March forces" that Nasrallah's stands regardning the internal as "pulling ropes and not breaking them." The Prime Minister's mediators welcomed the "process" of dialogue that Nasrallah called for, but did not issue any opinion regarding the details what he spoke off.

Ex-President Amin Gemayel saw the speech as "placing their weaponry in the service of changing the system" while observants noted that the internal orientations of Nasrallah, in the light of his tone his party's media and political capabilities prior the festival, did not worsen things. As for the Arab and International dimensions, the general secretary's speech was heavy. He ignited worries when he said that the Resistence returned arming itself after the military operations stopped, and became much stronger than it was on July 12th, as if indicating that the borders with Syria are still accessible.

As for his talk on the possibility of moving again in the South in case there was nobody to stop Israel, it was percieved as an "alarming indicator" in the face of the army and the temprary UN forces in Lebanon, the UNIFIL.

The observants also noted that his insistance on a "National Unified Government" opens a door for debates regarding the President of the nation Emil Lahaud's status, who can't do any governmental change while his mandate is still on.

The public appearance of Nasrallah and his positions coincided with a heated political clash between AMAL's movement and the Minister of Interior Ahmad Fathat, due to the fact that the minister took a behavioral process on te behalf of the general secretary of the Security Forces' Major General Wafiq Jazbini, who got suspended from work for 20 days. The AMAL MPs doubted the credibility of the minister for taking such a procedure, and the Prime Minister Seniora replied that Fatfat was applying his legal authority due to the fact that the resigned minister Hassan el Sabia'a was outside the country. It was confirmed that there were calls taking place to contain the "tails" of this crisis.

The Festival

Nasrallah was the only speaker in the "Divine Victory Festival", as described by Hezbollah, which the foreign news agencies estimated by the hundreds of thousands, while the organizers of the event said: "First time number of participants in Lebanon" and "in reference to accurate reports, which included the reports of the internal security forces, there was more than one million and a half participant present there.
The festival took place on the Eastern side of the Southern Dahhieh, which is parallel to al-Haddath area, dye to the destruction that followed the previous locations which Hezbollah are accustomed to do their festivals in. There was participations of various political forces that oppose the government, such as "The Free Patriotic Movement, The Marada Movement, The Syrian Social Nationalist Party, ex-PMs Salim el Huss and Omar Karami, ex-minister Suleiman Frangieh, delegates from the behalf of the President and Chairman of the Parlaiment, while the absentees were representatives on the behalf of the government and its president. It was noted that a lot of numbers came from Syria to participate in the festival.

Prime Minister Seniora

In his first comments, plenty sources of the Prime Minister noted that the focus of the general secretary of Hezbollah on the Dialogue topic was "was good, constructive, and opens future horizons." Seniora's sources focused on its comments on Nasrallah's invitation to "compete and debate" within the peaceful means and democracy" which he described as "available and legislated," taking into consideration that Nasrallah attacked politically Seniora indirectly that "tears to not protect anyone" in reference to occasion when Seniora shed tears during the meeting of the Arab Foreign Ministers in Beirut during the war. He also said that: "The current government is not capable to neither protect, build, nor unify Lebanon."

Internal Status

Nasrallah's campaign also handled the 14th of March forces for saying: "The war that occurred on Lebanon was an Iranian war for the Nuclear file and the International Court (regarding Harriri's Assasination)." He described that such a talk is "shameful" as he attacked the head of the "Democractic Meeting" [MFL notes: also leader of the Druz Sect and Progressive 'Socialist' Party] Walid Junblatt without naming him by saying: "A major leader of the leaders of the 14th of February [MFL: 14th of March minus FPM] said that the audience of the resistence do not think." He demanded him to: "apologize... we are not an assimilationist party, nor an assimilating category. My father was not a "Baik" [MFL notes: Baik is a feudal title in Lebanon again in reference to Walid Junblatt], nor my grandfather was a Baik, and my son will never be a Baik." Nasrallah considered that the "resistence is who protected Lebanon from a civil war, or else Israel would have won." He called for the construction of a strong nation which is fair, clean, and dear. He also considered that any talk on the weapons of the resistance or "delivering it to the shadow of this nation, this authority, and this system, the status quo would mean that Lebanon is exposed in front of Israel." He renewed the demand for a "National Unity Government", but he was clear that he is not aiming to eliminate anyone politically.

Israel

As for the topic of Israel, he said: "We are today celebrating in a divine victory which is a major strategic victory...the fact few thousands of your Lebanese resistance children stood 33 days in an open sky and in front the stronger weaponry and strongest air force in the Middle East... this war was a US war in decision, arms, planning, will, and giving the Zionists the grace period to do so... What stopped the war was the Zionists' disabilities. The Americans stopped the war for the sake of Israel and came to sell it to us here in Lebanon.

UNIFIL

As in responce to the German Counsellor Angela Merkel, who said that the German Navi would do its part to "protect the right of Israel to exist", he said that "For all who want to close the sea, sky, the deserts, and the frontiers we say: 'The resistance has over 20,000 missiles, and in few days, as it is out of war, the resistance restored its entire inrastrucitre whether it is military, strategic, or arms... and is much stronger than before July 12th." He also saw that the task of the UNIFIL is to "support the Lebanese Army and not spy on Hezbollah or disarm the weapons of resistence.

As for the role of the army in the South, he wondered: "Will the Lebanese Government transform the Lebanese army to a Complaints and Breach registry Unit? This is shameful on the behalf of the Lebanese Army... Till now we have been patient because we "do not want to record any breaches of the unsacred UN resolution 1701.... but trust well: we will not be patient for long.

Nasrallah also expressed: "Pride in the relationships and friendships of the Islamic Republic of Iran under the leadership his eminence the leader Imam al-Kham'ani, and the relationship with Syria's leadership and people, and with President Bashar el Assad." In return, he attacked "a group of Arab nations that went to the Security Council begging for peace and declinations." He described those nations that do not want to use their oil weaponry as they are worth nothing in the eyes of Israel."

Israeli Comments

"In Jerusalem, a top Israeli official yesterday declared that Nasrallah's declaration of "Historic and Strategic" victory over Israel as "hilarious". While the French Press Agency transmitted from an official who prefered his name to remain secret, that "such a declaration when it comes from a man forced to hide after delivering a speech is pure pethatic. There was a comparison between Nasrallah's threats in proceeding to continue the fight till Palestine is liberated "from the sea to the land" to Iran's Presidet Mahmoud Ahmadinijad when he threated to erase Israel from the map. He also added that Nasrallah speaks by the name of his master President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinijad when he too threatens with the destruction of Israel.

An official speaker in the name of the Foreign ministry of Israel Mark Regev placed the Nasrallah's statements in the "bragging" category. He added: "It is arrogance launched by a man who three weeks ago stated that if his offensive on Israel wouldn't have taken place if he knew the size of the retaliation."

As commenting on Nasrallah's refutal to disarm Hezbollah at this stage, Regev said: "this is taking lightly the International Community because it clearly breaches UN resolution 1701 which states: "the disarment of the Party's weaponry."

(MFL notes: what about your nations breaches on the people of Lebanon taking up this moment in the South of Lebanon and expect Lebanon to be a sitting duck to Israeli terror?)

Nasrallah Speaks in front 1.5 million

Just as Israeli officers were celebrating that if Nasrallah does a public appearance, they will kill him. They wanted to compensate their loss that they will make him live under the ground for ever.

Right now, a festival of estimated 1.5 million audience gathered in destroyed Dahhieh, and Nasrallah speaks in front of them in a demonstration of estimated of 1.5 million demonstrator. Nasrallah celebrates publicly his victory.

Even though the demonstration is meant to tell 14th of March block a message that his size is strong on a national scale, as well as to bring his supporters (such as the Lebanese Communist Party, Syrian Social Nationalist Party....etc), the balance of power is back. Again, Nasrallah proved to USA and Israel that Hezbollah is still alive with bigger support.

Lebanon returns to the balance of power, but with Aoun's support to Nasrallah, it is anticipated that the majority of the Christians as well support him.

This demonstration paved way for new set of analysis and pondering. I will try to get the full speech from the newspaper tomorrow and translate it to English. I am not a supporter of Hezbollah, but I do support whatever happened to the IDF inside Lebanese soil, it would be good to see the army bashed as a lesson for all the breaches they did on Lebanon.

I posted this to see Israeli generals now bang their head on the table because he challenged them and spoke for over an hour, as he was with the audience celebrating the victory over the IDF. I wonder if Bush and his staff now are doing an emergency meeting. What is the next compensation the IDF generals and politicians would promise their people, while as I see and watch Nasrallah speaking live in Dahhieh [Beirut's suburbs] which was totally demolished.

At least the theme of the speech is also demanding reconciliation. Of course, my critique on Nasrallah's speech would come soon.

Some points:

"Hezbollah's weaponry is not only Shiite, but Christian, Durzi, Sunni."

"Lebanon is no longer a tiny spot in the Middle East, but we [as Lebanese] are a super regional power to be calculated by Israel, United States, the West, and anyone else"

"Today Lebanon is undergoing a political split, it will be fire to call it Sectarian. No block shall attack the other as traitor, we shall discuss and solve this split in dialogues and democracy."

"The only solution I see, is the National Unity Government. When I say National Unity Government, I am not canceling anyone, but everyone represented."

"The current Government is not capable of unifyin or protecting Lebanon. We do not want to cancel anyone nor any political force. The building of a strong Lebanon begins with a unified national government. This is not a waste of time or a cliche. This is our project."

"The road to a democractic government is to put a new just electorial system that represents all the sects and political forces."

"They tried to siege Lebanon? The German Councellor said that they are checking for the fact that Israel can protect itself. Let them do what they want. We are prepared for war, what we presented in this last war was only a small percentage of our strength. The resistence has more than than 20,000 missiles."

MFL

Obituary to the Old Man by James Cannon

(MFL note: As we have been with the war and its aftermath in Lebanon, I forgot the important event on Trotsky's death. This is a speech delivered by James Cannon. This is the link. I wanted to post the link only, but personally I love it and pasted the whole thing).

To the memory of the old man (Trotsky Obituary)
August 28, 1940
This speech was delivered to the Leon Trotsky Memorial Meeting Held at the Diplomat Hotel in New York City on August 28, 1940 It was first published in Socialist Appeal, September 7, 1940.

Comrade Trotsky's entire conscious life, from the time he entered the workers' movement in the provincial Russian town of Nikolayev at the age of eighteen up till the moment of his death in Mexico City forty-two years later, was completely dedicated to work and struggle for one central idea. He stood for the emancipation of the workers and all the oppressed people of the world, and the transformation of society from capitalism to socialism by means of a social revolution. In his conception, this liberating social revolution requires for success the leadership of a revolutionary political party of the workers' vanguard.

In his entire conscious life Comrade Trotsky never once diverged from that idea. He never doubted it, and never ceased to struggle for its realization. On his deathbed, in his last message to us, his disciples-his last testament-he proclaimed his confidence in his life-idea: "Tell our friends I am sure of the victory of the Fourth International - go forward!"

The whole world knows about his work and his testament. The cables of the press of the world have carried his last testament and made it known to the world's millions. And in the minds and hearts of all those throughout the world who grieve with us tonight one thought-one question-is uppermost: Will the movement which he created and inspired survive his death? Will his disciples be able to hold their ranks together, will they be able to carry out his testament and realize the emancipation of the oppressed through the victory of the Fourth International?
Without the slightest hesitation we give an affirmative answer to this question. Those enemies who predict a collapse of Trotsky's movement without Trotsky, and those weak-willed friends who fear it, only show that they do not understand Trotsky, what he was, what he signified, and what he left behind. Never has a bereaved family been left such a rich heritage as that which Comrade Trotsky, like a provident father, has left to the family of the Fourth International as trustees for all progressive humanity. A great heritage of ideas he has left to us; ideas which shall chart the struggle toward the great free future of all mankind. The mighty ideas of Trotsky are our program and our banner. They are a clear guide to action in all the complexities of our epoch, and a constant reassurance that we are right and that our victory is inevitable.

Trotsky himself believed that ideas are the greatest power in the world. Their authors may be killed, but ideas, once promulgated, live their own life. If they are correct ideas, they make their way through all obstacles. This was the central, dominating concept of Comrade Trotsky's philosophy. He explained it to us many, many times. He once wrote: "It is not the party that makes the program [the idea]; it is the program that makes the party." In a personal letter to me, he once wrote: "We work with the most correct and powerful ideas in the world, with inadequate numerical forces and material means. But correct ideas, in the long run, always conquer and make available for themselves the necessary material means and forces."
Trotsky, a disciple of Marx, believed with Marx that "an idea, when it permeates the mass, becomes a material force." Believing that, Comrade Trotsky never doubted that his work would live after him. Believing that, he could proclaim on his deathbed his confidence in the future victory of the Fourth International which embodies his ideas. Those who doubt it do not know Trotsky.

Trotsky himself believed that his greatest significance, his greatest value, consisted not in his physical life, not in his epic deeds, which overshadow those of all heroic figures in history in their sweep and their grandeur-but in what he would leave behind him after the assassins had done their work. He knew that his doom was sealed, and he worked against time in order to leave everything possible to us, and through us to mankind. Throughout the eleven years of his last exile he chained himself to his desk like a galley slave and labored, as none of us knows how to labor, with such energy, such persistence and self-discipline, as only men of genius can labor. He worked against time to pour out through his pen the whole rich content of his mighty brain and preserve it in permanent written form for us, and for those who will come after us.

The whole Trotsky, like the whole Marx, is preserved in his books, his articles, and his letters. His voluminous correspondence, which contains some of his brightest thoughts and his most intimate personal feelings and sentiments, must now be collected and published. When that is done, when his letters are published alongside his books, his pamphlets, and his articles, we, and all those who join us in the liberation struggle of humanity, will still have our Old Man to help us.
He knew that the super-Borgia in the Kremlin, Cain-Stalin, who has destroyed the whole generation of the October Revolution, had marked him for assassination and would succeed sooner or later. That is why he worked so urgently. That is why he hastened to write out everything that was in his mind and get it down on paper in permanent form where nobody could destroy it.

Just the other night, I talked at the dinner table with one of the Old Man's faithful secretaries - a young comrade who had served him a long time and knew his personal life, as he lived it in his last years of exile, most intimately. I urged him to write his reminiscences without delay. I said: "We must all write everything we know about Trotsky. Everyone must record his recollections and his impressions. We must not forget that we moved in the orbit of the greatest figure of our time. Millions of people, generations yet to come, will be hungry for every scrap of information, every word, every impression that throws light on him, his ideas, his aims, and his personal life."
He answered: "I can write only about his personal qualities as I observed them; his methods of work, his humaneness, his generosity. But I can't write anything new about his ideas. They are already written. Everything he had to say, everything he had in his brain, is down on paper. He seemed to be determined to scoop down to the bottom of his mind, and take out everything and give it to the world in his writings. Very often, I remember, casual conversation on some subject would come up at the dinner table; an informal discussion would take place, and the Old Man would express some opinions new and fresh. Almost invariably the contributions of the dinner-table conversation would find expression a little later in a book, an article, or a letter."

They killed Trotsky not by one blow; not when this murderer, the agent of Stalin, drove the pickax through the back of his skull. That was only the final blow. They killed him by inches. They killed him many times. They killed him seven times when they killed his seven secretaries. They killed him four times when they killed his four children. They killed him when his old coworkers of the Russian Revolution were killed.

Yet he stood up to his tasks in spite of all that. Growing old and sick, he staggered through all these moral, emotional, and physical blows to complete his testament to humanity while he still had time. He gathered it all together-every thought, every idea, every lesson from his past experience-to lay up a literary treasure for us, a treasure that the moths and the rust cannot eat.

There was a profound difference between Trotsky and other great men of action and transitory political leaders who influenced great masses in their lifetime. The power of such people, almost all of them, was something personal, something incommunicable to others. Their influence did not survive their deaths. Just recall for a moment the great men of our generation or the generation just passed: Clemenceau, Hindenburg, Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Bryan. They had great masses following them and leaning upon them. But now they are dead; and all their influence died with them. Nothing remains but monuments and funeral eulogies. Nothing was distinctive about them but their personalities. They were opportunists, leaders for a day. They left no ideas to guide and inspire men when their bodies became dust, and their personalities became a memory.

Not so with Trotsky. Not so with him. He was different. He was also a great man of action, to be sure. His deeds are incorporated in the greatest revolution in the history of mankind. But, unlike the opportunists and leaders of a day, his deeds were inspired by great ideas, and these ideas still live. He not only made a revolution; he wrote its history and explained the basic laws which govern all revolutions. In his History of the Russian Revolution, which he considered his masterpiece, he gave us a guide for the making of new revolutions, or rather, for extending throughout the world the revolution that began in October 1917.

Trotsky, the great man of ideas, was himself the disciple of a still greater one-Marx. Trotsky did not originate or claim to originate the most fundamental ideas which he expounded. He built on the foundations laid by the great masons of the nineteenth century-Marx and Engels. In addition, he went through the great school of Lenin and learned from him. Trotsky's genius consisted in his complete assimilation of the ideas bequeathed by Marx, Engels, and Lenin. He mastered their method. He developed their ideas in modern conditions, and applied them in masterful fashion in the contemporary struggle of the proletariat. If you would understand Trotsky, you must know that he was a disciple of Marx, an orthodox Marxist. He fought under the banner of Marxism for forty-two years! During the last year of his life he laid everything else aside to fight a great political and theoretical battle in defence of Marxism in the ranks of the Fourth International! His very last article, which was left on his desk in unpolished form, the last article with which he occupied himself, was a defence of Marxism against contemporary revisionists and sceptics. The power of Trotsky, first of all and above all, was the power of Marxism.

Do you want a concrete illustration of the power of Marxist ideas? Just consider this: when Marx died in 1883, Trotsky was but four years old. Lenin was only fourteen. Neither could have known Marx, or anything about him. Yet both became great historical figures because of Marx, because Marx had circulated ideas in the world before they were born. Those ideas were living their own life. They shaped the lives of Lenin and Trotsky. Marx's ideas were with them and guided their every step when they made the greatest revolution in history.

So will the ideas of Trotsky, which are a development of the ideas of Marx, influence us, his disciples, who survive him today. They will shape the lives of far greater disciples who are yet to come, who do not yet know Trotsky's name. Some who are destined to be the greatest Trotskyists are playing in the schoolyards today. They will be nourished on Trotsky's ideas, as he and Lenin were nourished on the ideas of Marx and Engels.

Indeed, our movement in the United States took shape and grew up on his ideas without his physical presence, without even any communication in the first period. Trotsky was exiled and isolated in Alma Ata when we began our struggle for Trotskyism in this country in 1928. We had no contact with him, and for a long time did not know whether he was dead or alive. We didn't even have a collection of his writings. All we had was one single current document - his "Criticism of the Draft Program of the Comintern." That was enough. By the light of that single document we saw our way, began our struggle with supreme confidence, went through the split without faltering, built the framework of a national organization and established our weekly Trotskyist press. Our movement was built firmly from the very beginning and has remained firm because it was built on Trotsky's ideas. It was nearly a year before we were able to establish direct communication with the Old Man.

So with the sections of the Fourth International throughout the world. Only a very few individual comrades have ever met Trotsky face to face. Yet everywhere they knew him. In China, and across the broad oceans to Chile, Argentina, Brazil. In Australia, in practically every country of Europe. In the United States, Canada, Indochina, South Africa. They never saw him, but the ideas of Trotsky welded them all together in one uniform and firm world movement. So it will continue after his physical death. There is no room for doubt.

Trotsky's place in history is already established. He will stand forever on a historical eminence beside the other three great giants of the proletariat: Marx, Engels, and Lenin. It is possible, indeed it is quite probable, that in the historic memory of mankind, his name will evoke the warmest affection, the most heartfelt gratitude of all. Because he fought so long, against such a world of enemies, so honestly, so heroically, and with such selfless devotion!

Future generations of free humanity will look back with insatiable interest on this mad epoch of reaction and bloody violence and social change-this epoch of the death agony of one social system and the birth pangs of another. When they see through the historian's lens how the oppressed masses of the people everywhere were groping, blinded and confused, they will mention with unbounded love the name of the genius who gave us light, the great heart that gave us courage.

Of all the great men of our time, of all the public figures to whom the masses turned for guidance in these troubled terrible times, Trotsky alone explained things to us, he alone gave us light in the darkness. His brain alone unravelled the mysteries and complexities of our epoch. The great brain of Trotsky was what was feared by all his enemies. They couldn't cope with it. They couldn't answer it. In the incredibly horrible method by which they destroyed him there was hidden a deep symbol. They struck at his brain! But the richest products of that brain are still alive. They had already escaped and can never be recaptured and destroyed.

We do not minimize the blow that has been dealt to us, to our movement, and to the world. It is the worst calamity. We have lost something of immeasurable value that can never be regained. We have lost the inspiration of his physical presence, his wise counsel. All that is lost forever. The Russian people have suffered the most terrible blow of all. But by the very fact that the Stalinist camarilla had to kill Trotsky after eleven years, that they had to reach out from Moscow, exert all their energies and plans to destroy the life of Trotsky-that is the greatest testimony that Trotsky still lived in the hearts of the Russian people. They didn't believe the lies. They waited and hoped for his return. His words are still there. His memory is alive in their hearts.

Just a few days before the death of Comrade Trotsky the editors of the Russian Bulletin received a letter from Riga. It had been mailed before the incorporation of Latvia into the Soviet Union. It stated in simple words that Trotsky's "Open Letter to the Workers of the USSR"14 had reached them, and had lifted up their hearts with courage and shown them the way. The letter stated that the message of Trotsky had been memorized, word by word, and would be passed along by word of mouth no matter what might happen. We verily believe that the words of Trotsky will live longer in the Soviet Union than the bloody regime of Stalin. In the coming great day of liberation the message of Trotsky will be the banner of the Russian people.

The whole world knows who killed Comrade Trotsky. The world knows that on his deathbed he accused Stalin and his GPU of the murder. The assassin's statement, prepared in advance of the crime, is the final proof, if more proof is needed, that the murder was a GPU job. It is a mere reiteration of the lies of the Moscow trials; a stupid police-minded attempt, at this late day, to rehabilitate the frame-ups which have been discredited in the eyes of the whole world. The motives for the assassination arose from the world reaction, the fear of revolution, and the traitors' sentiments of hatred and revenge. The English historian Macaulay remarked that apostates in all ages have manifested an exceptional malignity toward those whom they have betrayed. Stalin and his traitor gang were consumed by a mad hatred of the man who reminded them of their yesterday. Trotsky, the symbol of the great revolution, reminded them constantly of the cause they had deserted and betrayed, and they hated him for that. They hated him for all the great and good human qualities which he personified and to which they were completely alien. They were determined, at all cost, to do away with him.

Now I come to a part that is very painful, a thought which, I am sure, is in the minds of all of us. The moment we read of the success of the attack I am sure everyone among us asked: couldn't we have saved him a while longer? If we had tried harder, if we had done more for him - couldn't we have saved him? Dear comrades, let us not reproach ourselves. Comrade Trotsky was doomed and sentenced to death years ago. The betrayers of the revolution knew that the revolution lived in him, the tradition, the hope. All the resources of a powerful state, set in motion by the hatred and revenge of Stalin, were directed to the assassination of a single man without resources and with only a handful of close followers. All of his coworkers were killed; seven of his faithful secretaries; his four children. Yet, in spite of the fact that they marked him for death after his exile from Russia, we saved him for eleven years! Those were the most fruitful years of his whole life. Those were the years when he sat down in full maturity to devote himself to the task of summing up and casting in permanent literary form the results of his experiences and his thoughts.

Their dull police minds cannot know that Trotsky left the best of himself behind. Even in death he frustrated them. Because the thing they wanted most of all to kill-the memory and the hope of revolution-that Trotsky left behind him.

If you reproach yourself or us because this murder machine finally reached Trotsky and struck him down, you must remember that it is very hard to protect anyone from assassins. The assassin who stalks his victim night and day very often breaks through the greatest protections. Even Russian tsars and other rulers, surrounded by all the police powers of great states, could not always escape assassination by small bands of determined terrorists equipped with the most meager resources. This was the case more than once in Russia in the prerevolutionary days. And here, in the case of Trotsky, you had all that in reverse. All the resources were on the side of the assassins. A great state apparatus, converted into a murder machine, against one man and a few devoted disciples. So if they finally broke through, we have only to ask ourselves, did we do all we could to prevent it or postpone it? Yes, we did our best. In all conscience, we must say we did our best.

In the last weeks after the assault of May 24, we once again put on the agenda of our leading committee the question of the protection of Comrade Trotsky. Every comrade agreed that this is our most important task, most important for the masses of the whole world and for the future generations, that above all we do everything in our power to protect the life of our genius, our comrade, who helped and guided us so well. A delegation of party leaders made a visit to Mexico. It turned out to be our last visit. There, on that occasion, in consultation with him, we agreed upon a new campaign to strengthen the guard. We collected money in this country to fortify the house at the cost of thousands of dollars; all our members and sympathizers responded with great sacrifices and generosity.

And still the murder machine broke through. But those who helped even in the smallest degree, either financially or with their physical efforts, like our brave young comrades of the guard, will never be sorry for what they did to protect and help the Old Man.

At the hour Comrade Trotsky was finally struck down, I was returning by train from a special journey to Minneapolis. I had gone there for the purpose of arranging for new and especially qualified comrades to go down and strengthen the guard in Coyoacan. On the way home I sat in the railroad train with a feeling of satisfaction that the task of the trip had been accomplished, reinforcements of the guard had been provided for.

Then, as the train passed through Pennsylvania, about four o'clock in the morning, they brought the early papers with the news that the assassin had broken through the defences and driven a pickax into the brain of Comrade Trotsky. That was the beginning of a terrible day, the saddest day of our lives, when we waited, hour by hour, while the Old Man fought his last fight and struggled vainly with death. But even then, in that hour of terrible grief, when we received the fatal message over the long-distance telephone: "The Old Man is dead"-even then, we didn't permit ourselves to stop for weeping. We plunged immediately into the work to defend his memory and carry out his testament. And we worked harder than ever before, because for the first time we realized with full consciousness that we have to do it all now. We can't lean on the Old Man anymore. What is done now, we must do. That is the spirit in which we have got to work from now on.

The capitalist masters of the world instinctively understood the meaning of the name of Trotsky. The friend of the oppressed, the maker of revolutions, was the incarnation of all that they hated and feared! Even in death they revile him. Their newspapers splash their filth over his name. He was the world's exile in the time of reaction. No door was open to him anywhere except that of the Republic of Mexico. The fact that Trotsky was barred from all capitalist countries is in itself the clearest refutation of all the slanders of the Stalinists, of all their foul accusations that he betrayed the revolution, that he had turned against the workers. They never convinced the capitalist world of that. Not for a moment.

The capitalists - all kinds - fear and hate even his dead body! The doors of our great democracy are open to many political refugees, of course. All sorts of reactionaries; democratic scoundrels who betrayed and deserted their people; monarchists, and even fascists - they have all been welcomed in New York harbor. But not even the dead body of the friend of the oppressed could find asylum here! We shall not forget that! We shall nourish that grievance close to our hearts and in good time we shall take our revenge.

The great and powerful democracy of Roosevelt and Hull wouldn't let us bring his body here for the funeral. But he is here just the same. All of us feel that he is here in this hall tonight - not only in his great ideas, but also, especially tonight, in our memory of him as a man. We have a right to be proud that the best man of our time belonged to us, the greatest brain and strongest and most loyal heart. The class society we live in exalts the rascals, cheats, self-seekers, liars, and oppressors of the people. You can hardly name an intellectual representative of the decaying class society, of high or low degree, who is not a miserable hypocrite and contemptible coward, concerned first of all with his own inconsequential personal affairs and saving his own worthless skin. What a wretched tribe they are. There is no honesty, no inspiration, nothing in the whole of them. They have not a single man that can strike a spark in the heart of youth. Our Old Man was made of better stuff. Our Old Man was made of entirely different stuff. He towered above these pygmies in his moral grandeur.

Comrade Trotsky not only struggled for a new social order based on human solidarity as a future goal; he lived every day of his life according to its higher and nobler standards. They wouldn't let him be a citizen of any country. But, in truth, he was much more than that. He was already, in his mind and in his conduct, a citizen of the communist future of humanity. That memory of him as a man, as a comrade, is more precious than gold and rubies. We can hardly understand a man of that type living among us. We are all caught in the steel net of the class society with its inequalities, its contradictions, its conventionalities, its false values, its lies. The class society poisons and corrupts everything. We are all dwarfed and twisted and blinded by it. We can hardly visualize what human relations will be, we can hardly comprehend what the personality of man will be, in a free society.

Comrade Trotsky gave us an anticipatory picture. In him, in his personality as a man, as a human being, we caught a glimpse of the communist man that is to be. This memory of him as a man, as a comrade, is our greatest assurance that the spirit of man, striving for human solidarity, is unconquerable. In our terrible epoch many things will pass away. Capitalism and all its heroes will pass away. Stalin and Hitler and Roosevelt and Churchill, and all the lies and injustices and hypocrisy they signify, will pass away in blood and fire. But the spirit of the communist man which Comrade Trotsky represented will not pass away.

Destiny has made us, men of common clay, the most immediate disciples of Comrade Trotsky. We now become his heirs, and we are charged with the mission to carry out his testament. He had confidence in us. He assured us with his last words that we are right and that we will prevail. We need only have confidence in ourselves and in the ideas, the tradition, and the memory which he left us as our heritage.

We owe everything to him. We owe to him our political existence, our understanding, our faith in the future. We are not alone. There are others like us in all parts of the world. Always remember that. We are not alone. Trotsky has educated cadres of disciples in more than thirty countries. They are convinced to the marrow of their bones of their right to victory. They will not falter. Neither shall we falter. "I am sure of the victory of the Fourth International!" So said Comrade Trotsky in the last moment of his life. So are we sure.

Trotsky never doubted and we shall never doubt that, armed with his weapons, with his ideas, we shall lead the oppressed masses of the world out of the bloody welter of the war into a new socialist society. That is our testimony here tonight at the grave of Comrade Trotsky.

And here at his grave we testify also that we shall never forget his parting injunction - that we shield and cherish his warrior-wife, the faithful companion of all his struggles and wanderings. "Take care of her," he said, "she has been with me many years. Yes, we shall take care of her. Before everything else, we shall take care of Natalia.

We come now to the last word of farewell to our greatest comrade and teacher, who has now become our most glorious martyr. We do not deny the grief that constricts all our hearts. But ours is not the grief of prostration, the grief that saps the will. It is tempered by rage and hatred and determination. We shall transmute it into fighting energy to carry on the Old Man's fight. Let us say farewell to him in a manner worthy of his disciples, like good soldiers of Trotsky's army. Not crouching in weakness and despair, but standing upright with dry eyes and clenched fists. With the song of struggle and victory on our lips. With the song of confidence in Trotsky's Fourth International, the International Party that shall be the human race!

Quote of the Day

"The conference here today represents a step forward in the direction of a united struggle of the workers against the unbearable burdens of the crisis. The tendency toward such a union of forces in the fight constitutes, from our point of view, the progressive feature of this conference. For it is only when the workers of various organizations and political trends are welded together in a common front that real blows can be directed against the class enemy on the great class issue of unemployment. When this union of forces is lacking, when the comparatively small groups of the workers’ vanguard take the field alone and fight as isolated detachments, the blows fall heaviest on them, the class enemy remains unshaken, and the masses of the workers gain no advantages." (James Cannon - The New York Unemployed Conference 1933)

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Group urges prosecution of 83-year-old Nazi

Intresting combination of contradictions. How come till now she got the attention?

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Where is the Victory again?

Bush said: ""Hezbollah attacked Israel. Hezbollah started the crisis. And Hezbollah suffered a defeat in this crisis."

You sure Mr. President? Don't you think it was the whole Lebanon? check the victory folks

Neo-Cons are lost

The neo-cons are lost in analysis, and they still didn't learn the fact that not everything rotates around them. They suffer from too much Self-Reference Criteria. Link

I thought Judaism, Christianity, and Islam worshiped Same God

•"A perceived victory of the god of the Muslims over the God of Israel. This, itself, will only fuel the conviction that Allah is greater and that Israel is doomed." (as if we are back to the Greek Mythology where the Gods fought). Someone tell them that human lives are more important... wake up from your opium.

this is the link to those Jewish style Qaeda (link)

Just an excuse to bomb Lebanon

Another of the several reasons how Israel wanted to bomb Lebanon, and the war was pre-planned. Israel was desperate for an excuse and knew before hand Hezbollah would attempt to kidnap IDF soldiers.

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MarxistFromLebanon

Israeli Citizenship

(The Declaration of Independance of Israel promised equal rights to Jews and non-Jews of Israel. This is what happened in reality:)

Full and equal rights of citizenship are guaranteed in principle for the Moslem and Christian inhabitants of Palestine, who live in that part of the territory assigned to the 'Jewish state'. Chapter 3, Article 1, of the Partition Resolution stipulates, "Palestinian citizens residing in Palestine outside the City of Jerusalem, as well as Arabs and Jews who, not holding Palestinian citizenship, as well as Arabs and Jews who, not holding Palestinian citizenship, reside in Palestine outside the City of Jerusalem, shal upon recognition of independence, become citizens of the State in which they are resident and enjoy full civil and political rights."

In 1950, the Israeli authorities promulgated The Law of Return. This was followed in 1952 by The Nationality Law.

Under these to laws, the right of entry into Israel is automatically and unconditionally conferred upon a Jew, if whatever nationality, the moment he steps on Israeli soil. The Moslem and Christian Arabs, on the other hand, are not so privileged even wthin their own country. The fact that the Palestine Arab was born in the territory now under Israeli control is insufficient to confer upon him automatic citizenship, notwithstanding the specific stipulation in the United Nations Resolution and the common practices followed in all civilized countries. To become an Israeli citizen, an Arab must be naturalized. This is only possible by proving that he was born in the country; that he lived in Israeli occupoed territory three out of the five years preceding the date of his application for citizenship; that he is entitled to permanent residence; that he is settled or intends to settle permanently in the country; and that he has a sufficient knowledge of the Hebrew language. Even if the Arab met all these requirements, it was still left to the discretion of the Minister of Interior to grant or refuse the application.

Arab members of the Israeli Parliament anda section of the Jewish community considered the law discriminating and urged that provision should be made whereby all individuals who were born in the country should automatically be recognized as Israeli nationals, wheter or not they had a knowledge of Hebrew. The fact that Arabic was also regarded as an official language did not help the Arab resident in acquiring the citizenship of the country in which he was born and lives. Automatic citizenship, the Parlaiment members pointe out, was a natural right of the individual with existing practices all over the world; and was guaranteed in the United Nations Partition Resolution of 1947/ This request was flatly rejected and the law was enacted with all of its iniquities.

After this law was passed, the Minister of the Interior admitted in Parliament that racial discrimination did exist. But he pointed out that this stemmed, not from the Nationality Law, but from the Law of Return, which endowed only Jews with the right of 'return'. The former law, he argued, intende to distinuish between those whose loyalty to Israel was accepted and those who had to prove it.

Whatever the explanations, the fact remains that discrimination exists - be it under one law or another, or for pne reason or another. Whereas an alien is granted a citizenship the moment he steps on Palestine soil, provided he is a Jew, an Arab born in country of Palestinian parents many generations back, can acquire citizenship only by naturalization - and this under certain extraneous conditions.

Commenting on this law, the Hebrew paper Haaretz said that Nationality Law sacrificed an opportunity to establish better rapport between the Arab minority and the State. The demand - the paper continued - that Arabs be required to have some knowledge of Hebrew was unfair; and it supported the grant of automatic citizenship to all Arabs who had Israeli identity cards. The paper concluded by reminding the Israelis of the Jewish struggle for minority rights in other countries.

Derek Tozer, a British correspondent, writing in the American Mercrury, stated "the official policy of the Government (of Israel) is unequivocal. Arabs, like the Kews in Nazi Germany, are officially 'Class-B' citizens - a fact which is recorded on their identity cards."

William Zukerman, Editor of the Jewish Newsletter, said "a more flagrant case of discrimination is hard to find even in the annals of the chauvinistic twentieth century."

That discrimination exists and is not only racial but religious, is irrefutable. Jews throughout the world maintain that theyare ciizens entitled to full rights and equalities in the countries in which they have citizenship. They argue that, religiously, they are Jews who follow the teachings of the Holy Wit. Politically, economically, and socially, they see themselves as being no different from their fellow-citizens of other faiths. Their religion, they maintain, is a matter of conscience. Any attempt at discrimination is labelled as 'anti-semitism'. There is ample proof that Jews in all freedom-loving countries are recognized and accepted as Americans, English French, etc..., 'o the Jewish faith'. It follows with reason, therefore, that the Jews born in te Arab countries are 'Arabs of the Jewish faith' and they are so treated.

The fact that automatic citizenship rights are granted to an Iraqi or Yemenite Arab 'of the Jewish faith' the moment he enters Palestine, but denited to a Palestine Arab 'of the Moslem or Christian faith' who has been born and has lived in the country for generations, is a flagrant case of discrimination. No law similar to the Israeli Nationality Law is known to exist in any other civilized country. While Zionists insist on equality for Jews living outside Israel, they eny similar equality to non-Jews living inside the 'Jewish state'!

(Taken from Sami Hadawi, Bitter Harvest: Palestine 1914-67, Chapter 9: Arabs Under Israeli Rule)

(MFL notes: to the Neo-Cons and "Democracy" believers in Israel: You still believe your Israel is democractic?)

UN official warns of long-term repercussions from war in South

(Taken From Daily Star September 19, 2006, link)

"
GENEVA: The conflict in Southern Lebanon will have serious long-term effects on people's lives, a UN official said in a statement Monday after visiting the region. "The long-term effects of this conflict on peoples livelihoods will be severe," said Jean Ziegler, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, after a visit to Lebanon from September 10-16. Ziegler said the damage to farms and fishing by Israel's 34-day campaign against Hizbullah in Southern Lebanon had affected the lives and resources of thousands of people.
He said he was "disturbed" by the extent of material damage and by large amounts of unexploded ammunition scattered in fields and preventing farmers from working.
Ziegler also gathered information on the damage to irrigation and drinking-water networks and is due to address his recommendations to the second session of the Human Rights Council that is meeting from Monday.

Meanwhile, one of the continuing effects of Israel's of-fensive is the ever-present cluster bombs.

Cluster bombs and other unexploded ordnance in the South are still causing many casualties among residents. According to security sources, these bombs have led to several deaths and injuries in several villages occupied by the Israeli Army between July 12 and August 14.

In a report Monday, the sources also said that precise statistics, following the Israeli offensive between July 12 and August 14, indicated 10 dead: five civilians and five soldiers, who were killed by the explosion of bombs.
The report said 64 people were wounded, many of whom were in critical situation.

The numbers of wounded were as follows: seven women, 21 children, two soldiers in the Lebanese Army, one member of the Internal Security Forces and five Palestinian refugees.

The report said until Israel submits to Lebanon the maps indicating the location of mines and unexploded ordnance, the coming days will most likely bring more casualties despite the efforts deployed by the international forces to remove all hazardous materiel from the South. - With agencies"

(MFL notes: Over 1 million cluster bombs are buried through out Lebanon, and a vast number has been shot in the final 48 hours of the war, no one has bothered to put Israel in an International Court for its war crimes)

A good overview over Marx

This is written by Ernest Mandel, I will be using extensively his writings when tackling revolutionary emancipatory concepts.

For now, I will be satisfied to propose a nice readings as an overview on Marx, or a small outline for his huge archive of writings (Book Name Karl Marx)

link:

Quote of the Day

"Freedom only for the supporters of the government, only for the members of one party -- however numerous they may be -- is no freedom at all. Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently. Not because of any fanatical concept of 'justice' but because all that is instructive, wholesome and purifying in political freedom depends on this essential characteristic, and its effectiveness vanishes when 'freedom' becomes a special privilege." Rosa Luxemburg - The Russian Revolution

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2 "Left-wing" coins still claiming to be the Real Left in Lebanon

Again, Lebanon returns to its severe bi-polar nature. Two camps, and at the same time two reactions. Among those two camps, two left-wing groups biting each other, and in the end they are both reactionary. One that is labeled pro-14th of March, and one is 8th of March. Both sold out on the real causes of why the left emerged into being. The first is a Neo-Con oriented hiding under the banner of the left, and one is a Stalinist Arab Nationalist that sold out on its masses and institutions. The first faction is Elias Attallah's Democractic Leftist Movement, and the second is the Lebanese Communist Party.

The Lebanese Communist Party supports Hezbollah and any resistance to Israel. In a way, that should make it less reactionary than the other, since most of the Internationals through out the world support Hezbollah as a national liberation movement. Yet, the LCP forgot its own struggle when it held fronts against Israel's IDF. They forgot how their first demonstration in the history of Lebanon gathered 7000 comrades in the face of French Imperialism. They forgot that it was their institutions and Unions that upgraded activism to the next level of organization in Lebanon. Now they lag behind, they are stuck on structural outdated forms of activism, without any ideology to guide them, without any goal to build upon except hail Nasrallah, rather they be the core of the struggle. Even though the LCP was despised by all political parties in Lebanon, but in a country such as Lebanon, nobody would love a secular party that would represents the workers of Lebanon. This would mean a disastor for the Sectarian leaders as they won't be able to isolate their sects and remain in power. Part of what ruined the LCP was its rich historical experience, as Arab Nationalism struck to infintrate its Marxist Sciences, and partly the fact it was a pawn for the USSR's foreign policy. The LCP did make a comeback on May Day by gathering 15,000 activists, but it was more for old time's sake gatherings rather for May Day itself and what it symbolizes.

On the other hand, we got the more reactionary movement. A movement with no emancipatory skills from the beginning and no grass root support whatsoever. A last minute patch-work to impose a candidate on the 14th March line-up, formulated by reactionary members (mostly) by ex-LCP who couldn't attain leadership in the face of a reactionary leadership of the LCP. They decided to split and form a last minute movement with no ideology whatsoever. They tend to say any leftist from any school is welcomed, but even in that domain they have nothing to bind them to the left. They are Lebanese nationalists that support the Seniora government in all its perspectives. They got too far in opposing Syria's hegomony that they forgot what is the meaning of the left. They support the Seniora government economically and politically. They forgot all those taxes that Seniora hit the Proletariat when he was the Minister of Finance. They support Lebanon's entry to the WTO.

Both forgot that the real job is to unite the Proletariat of the world into the class struggle. Actually, both became so nationalistic that they either forgot about class struggle or find it not important (LCP) or denounce the very presence of class struggle and call it realistic (DLM). Both became too nationalistic in serving the bourgeoisie elites that one tends to accuse Israel of attrocities towards the Lebanese (LCP) while the other attacks Syria for abolishing freedom of Lebanon's elites (DLM). Both forgot that we are all workers joined by a common cause to lead the workers to their very emancipation in the face of their oppressors, the leaders and figures of the 14th and 8th of March.

One mocks Lenin and Trotsky as not realistic (DLM) and one adopted the speech of the stronger party (LCP). One over focuses the struggle of the Proletariat that forgot the meaning of Marxism and became nationalist (LCP) and one became Syrian phobic and shoved themselves to the free market (DLM). Both leading the Proletariat to give up class struggle, but I got news for both of them, those stalinists (LCP) or Neo-Cons (DLM) who are both obsessed with their personal greed, that class struggle is not dead.

As long as the vision of Marx and Engels, the revolutionary ideas of Lenin, Luxemborg, and Trotsky, the sacrifices of Pandelis, Liebnekht, and Radek, the coverage of history by Reed and Higgins, and every single idea of Communism lives, those two reactionary camps (along with the divided "leftist" forces, are threatened. The ideas of Marx, Trotsky, and Lenin live forever. Eleanor Marx or Natalia Sedove, Che Guevara or Otto Rene Castillo, and every single dedicated Communist thinker, they will remain alive, and enforce the unity against them. The base of the Communist is to be mass-oriented. As Tony Cliff and Lenin once explained, the marxist leads the Proletariat as the marxist learns from the people. With time, the Proletariat would be emancipated to Communism, and till then the Free Market of the DLM and the Arab Nationalism of the LCP will scatter into dust in the face of the revolutionary proletariat. It is time as Hal Draper said, that the Emancipation from below exterminate the false emancipation from above (elites).

Long live the Ever-Going Class Struggle and Revolution
Hasta La Victoria Siempre
Down with the reactionary and their blind hatred
Death to their lies and deception
All hail Class Struggle and the emancipation of the working class

MFL

Quote of the Day

"Nevertheless, comrades might ask, is not the hallmark of socialist internationalism the free, unfettered flow of all people throughout the world? Why should Palestine be different? The short answer is that immigration as part of a concerted plan that will take over the country, expropriating, expelling and exploiting the native masses, is less immigration and more a long drawn out and aggressive invasion. For socialists, the reactionary character of Zionism is defined by its racist ideology, imbued with the spirit of separation and exclusion, the very reverse of socialist solidarity. It was prepared totally itself with every reactionary force that might help its purposes. It lobbied such figures as the Kaiser, the Sultan of Turkey, for twenty years it cosied up to British imperialism, finally snuggling into the embrace of the biggest imperial power of them all, the United States. In the process, it has treated the Arab population as a species of untermensch and has effectively driven a large portion of the Arab masses into the hands of Islamic obscurantists and bigots. It stands in the way of any socialist advance in the Arab world, operating as imperialism’s gendarme in the region, a far more effective force for imperialism than, for example, the feeble Saudi royal family or the Hashemites. If Zionism has had one redeeming feature over the years, it is that it never bothered to conceal its intentions, but it is difficult to commend a man for his honesty in telling you that he is going to beat your brains out, especially if he then delivers the mortal blow."

Taken from The Arrogance of the Long Distant Zionist By Jim Higgins

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Poor Israel and United States are still looking for a Victory

Poor United States and Israel are trying convince their people that the war on Lebanon was a success. The UNIFIL generals all stated once there is trouble, they are all pulling their troops. Israel is still breaking UN 1701 while UNIFIL are just sitting. Someone tells Israel that it was their brutality that gave birth to Hezbollah. The Status Quo in Lebanon currently is back to same situation where Lebanon is in a tie-situation between pro and anti Syrian forces. They didn't accomplish anything. Olmert is still facing difficulties to sell his lies to his people that his government "defeated" Hezbollah.

Amir Peretz when he visited the Golan Heights said that no one can disarm Hezbollah, while Levni explaining three hours why Israel accepted UN 1701 mentioned that no force can disarm Hezbollah (in a very fast pace manner). Back to ground zero in Lebanon.

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MFL

Quote of the Day

"In inner-party politics, these methods lead, as we shall yet see, to this: the party organization substitutes itself for the party, the central committee substitutes itself for the organization, and, finally, a "dictator" substitutes himself for the central committee. " Trotsky

(hello Democractic Leftist Movement and Lebanese Communist Party in Lebanon = c'est toi)

MFL

Any Relations between the Rabbinic Council and the Ku Klux Klan?

Just thought it is disgusting how US gives legitimacy to Israel through "Christian Values" to bomb children while the Rabbinic Council does consider that bombed children as not innocent. What more does the average citizen in the West need to see in order to believe who is the real terrorist?

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MFL

What about the people folks

Over 1200 Lebanese have been killed, and more lebanese (specially children) are being killed due to the thousands of cluster bombs that didn't explode in Lebanon. Funny thing, no one held Israel accountable for its war crimes because it has 'the right to defend itself'. Minimum offensive on Israel is on materialistic issues such as Phosphoric bombs, and the oil spill Israel generated. Now who was the smart person who said that Justice exists in this capitalist world while the rich get richer and the Proletariat suffer due to the elites' greed.

"Homes, gardens and highways across south Lebanon are littered with unexploded cluster bombs dropped by Israel, the U.N. said Friday, and the U.S. State Department has reportedly launched an investigation."

Question, didn't the United States give Israel the time, media blackout, and even laser guided missiles to bomb the hell out of Lebanon. Shame on you US tax payers, at least know where your money partly is going...killing children

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Patriotic Posters

Check out this site
very intresting indeed, I seriously would welcome comments on it.

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Lebanon and Blair

Reading the article after couple of days on Tony Blair's visit, sadly, BBC showed plenty of mistakes.

For starters, it was not few hundreds gathered up to demonstrate against Blair, it had much larger number.

Second, the article failed to mention one important note, which is that PM Seniora told Blair that this is democracy and Lebanon practices freedom of speech, which is practiced by all groups (not sure to what extent though, but situation definitely improved after the Syrians withdrew). Blair in delight replied that this demonstration made him feel at home.

Third, the BBC assumed that the ones angry were only Hezbollah, and neglected the fact that the whole Lebanon was angry from him because till a month passing of Lebanese (and not Shiite) citizens, Blair decided to move as Israel confirmed to Blair and Bush that they are not able to barely scratch Hezbollah. The issue was not Hezbollah, but rather Lebanon.

Fourth, even though there is a division in politics, specially regarding the current president of Lebanon and the Arms of Hezbollah... it is not to the extent of whether welcome Blair with open arms or not. The Lebanese PM said that he would welcome anyone to display the facts. Again, I agree with the fact he should not be welcomed, but since a decision was taken, Seniora tried to limit the damage that even people like Blair should be welcomed as help from all (except Israel) should be welcomed.

The West is bargaining on the division of the Proletariat in Lebanon due to sectarianism. The problem is they are trying to enlarge the gap. Where Israel failed to encourage a split, diplomacy is doing it. Now relations between the 8th and 14th of March are detoriating and the issue to resolve the arms of Hezbollah have been pushed further as all political figures (for once agreeing) that the weaponry issue is solved through national dialogues (although the National Dialogue looks like more of a poker table games due to the fact the table looks round but no real decisions took place).

No matter what attempts taken, bottom line is the workers should be organized to dump their rulers. Sectarianism is dividing the nation, and as Marx said: "Religion is the Opium of the Masses."

The article is found here

Remembering Bush and Freedom (March 13, 2003)

"It is too late for Saddam Hussein to remain in power. It is not too late for the Iraqi military to act with honor and protect your country by permitting the peaceful entry of coalition forces to eliminate weapons of mass destruction. Our forces will give Iraqi military units clear instructions on actions they can take to avoid being attacked and destroyed. I urge every member of the Iraqi military and intelligence services, if war comes, do not fight for a dying regime that is not worth your own life."

For starters: he says: your country. The audience targeted are the US citizens. Hence, he justifies the entrance to Iraq in order to protect US citizens.

Then he says: "protect your country by permitting the peaceful entry of coalition forces to eliminate weapons of mass destruction."

For starters, when invading a country, it is not peaceful. I hate Saddam, but I hate such an invasion more since plenty of people died at the hands of the US and UK invasion. Then we ask for the zillionth time: where are those weapons of mass distruction Mr. Bush?

"Our forces will give Iraqi military units clear instructions on actions they can take to avoid being attacked and destroyed. "

Funny thing, what about the death toll of the US and UK forces over there? Are they teaching the Iraqis anything now in 2006? They were considering a pull-out to protect their own soldiers while leaving Iraq in a state of chaos that is entering a tri-partite civil war.

"I urge every member of the Iraqi military and intelligence services, if war comes, do not fight for a dying regime that is not worth your own life."

Bush forgot that Saddam is a dictator that would force the Iraqis to fight where his loyal subjects would force them to do (after all the Army is made of Rank and File). Second, because of the political void, more citizens are dying, excluding what we heard of people being shot by US forces. The US were desperate to grab photos to cover-up their blunder.

First it was to disarm Saddam from weapons of Mass Destruction, second, he changes the speech that Saddam harbors Qae'eda operatives. Third, he changes again to say: eliminating a dictator and bring democracy where the number of death tolls of the US soldiers alone is on the increase at a very fast pace, what about the civilian by-standers?

Full speech is located over here

MFL

Analysis on the Current Israeli Cabinet

Good analysis on the overall situation, except excluding Nasser's blunders on the Proletariat.

This is the link

MFL

A Dedication from the Workers to their Ruling Class

I do believe this poem reflects my attitude towards both factions of the ruling class in Lebanon, and elsewhere in the world

This is the link

MFL