Reply #47: 'You consider a western rightwinger worse than someone supportive of the most ridiculously [View All]

disgusting rightwingery in the 3rd world?'

Well, if you mean do I consider current western rightwingers worse than RW dictators and their cohorts abroad, then no. But I think that you are referring not to the dictators themselves, but to those whom you feel are supportive of policies that get or keep them in power.

In that context, I consider that the Iraq war (supported by most Western rightwingers) has led to a great increase in 'ridiculously disgusting rightwingery' in Iraq. Not that Saddam wasn't far RW but what is happening now is worse.

In any case, the Middle East is not what is usually considered 'the 3rd world'.

War, and world economic policies that cause or increase poverty and inequality, are far more important in causing rightwingery and dictatorship in the real developing world than some individual westerner speaking on the wrong side (even assuming that there *is* often a right side with a chance of power). Western countries are no longer directly colonial rulers, though they can have this effect by invasions as in Iraq, actively keeping dictators in power, and bad world economic policies.

And you have complained about people equating Rubin with Geller; I think that your equating almost all Western pro-Palestinian activists with Hamasniks is on the same level. Some are direct, active supporters of Hamas, but most aren't. And I am not a fan of Galloway for lots of reasons, but he really has very little power. You realize that he was defeated by a Labour candidate in the last election? He never had much direct political power and now has none at all.


In any case: I think that people generally have more power at home than abroad. Your first question about politiicans or activists seems to be 'What is their attitude to Israel/Palestine first of all, and then to the Middle East in general?' Mine is 'What is their attitude to poverty and social safety nets, at home and (where they have influence) abroad?' Any politician who has the ideological aim of tearing down welfare states where they exist, or cutting social safety nets elsewhere, is a monster of pure indescribable evil, whatever their attitude to Israel/Palestine! So is anyone who opposes civil rights and supports the persecution of minorities in the countries, generally their own, where they have influence. And also: if supporting policies that may increase the power of Hamas makes someone 'right-wing', surely so must support for the Iraq war, which has led not only to many direct deaths, but to massive civil conflict, and to a great increase in the influence of Islamism in Iraq? While I realize that you don't personally support the Iraq war, I think that you sometimes give a pass to people who do support it, which you would not give to the people whom you think support Hamas.