Too often I notice when a nation in the global south is targeted by the imperialists there are all sorts of people rushing to proclaim "critical support" for the said nation, even if it has no left-wing bent at all or is openly anti-communist. There are two problems with this.

First, all support should be critical support. Uncritical support is anti-Marxist and against the spirit of "ruthless criticism of all things". It breeds dogmatism which is poisonous to critical thinking. There is a reason why Mao railed so hard against dogmatism.

Second, it frames the discussion as to whether the said country is good or not, which is not the point of the political line. We do not support global south countries like Iran just because, especially if they are not socialist. We should not be centring the governments that are affected, but the imperialist actions themselves.

I see discussions about this where people end up talking over one another. After seeing someone proclaim 'critical support', someone else will point out said countries faults and as to why they are worthy of support. The first person will then say that because that country is under attack we should support them. These discussions usually go nowhere because both people are technically right, it's just that they are misunderstanding each other.

This is where my idea of replacing "Critical support to countries affected by US imperialism" with "Unconditional opposition to US imperialism in all its forms" comes in. The second slogan allows a lot more flexibility in thinking, instead of committing to supporting countries, you commit to opposing imperialism and nothing more. Your support for various reactionary anti-imperialist causes starts and ends with their opposition to imperialism. As soon as they stop you stop supporting them. If they do awful things you don't have to support them on that basis as it's not relevant to opposing imperialism.

What do you think?

  • Ketamine_device_tech [none/use name]
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    4 年前

    Unconditional opposition to US imperialism in all its forms

    this cold war tankie geopolitics considers people to not be relevant political subjects, so when they riot they say "The CIA is causing this". In reality, color revolutions make use of the already existing local tensions and conflicts.

    • JoeySteel [comrade/them]
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      4 年前

      color revolutions make use of the already existing local tensions and conflicts.

      There are tensions in every single country though

      considers people to not be relevant political subjects, so when they riot they say “The CIA is causing this”.

      People are political subjects but they also need jobs to work and worry about public opinion (as they might be fired for their job if they enagage in political activity)

      Now imagine going up to groups and saying "I'll pay you $100,000 a year but I want you protesting 9am to 5pm everyday"

      Imagine for instance if FSB from Russia approaches white supremacist groups in US and pays them each $100,000

      They are now freed from A) having to work a job to provide income B) public stigma of being involved in racist groups cos they have a new income that can't be taken away

      (reminder a lot of white nationalists lost their jobs off charlotteville protests)

      So in this instance would you consider "FSB to be causing this" or are the white nationalists now exercising their sole political agency?

      Because the NED poured $29 million into Hong Kong protests. I think it's safe to say the CIA caused the protests in HK

      https://www.mintpressnews.com/hong-kong-protest-united-states-destabilize-china/261712/