From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Wed May 7 05:00:14 1997 Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 05:00:11 -0600 (MDT) From: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: REVS@csf.Colorado.EDU Subject: Monthly Reminder Dear REVS members, This is an occasional reminder of some of the listserv commands at your disposal. The commands have been capitalized for emphasis. These commands should be sent to LISTSERV@csf.colorado.edu If you are going to be away and want to postpone messages from REVS send a message to LISTSERV@csf and in the message type: SET REVS MAIL POSTPONE <== postpones one's mail SET REVS MAIL ACK <== unpostpone one's mail To unsubscribe from REVS, please mail LISTSERV the message UNSUB REVS <== two word command Most common mistakes: 1. Punctuation marks near the two words E.g., "unsub revs" rather than unsub revs >unsub revs rather than unsub revs unsub revs. rather than unsub revs unsub rather than unsub revs 2. Trying to unsubscribe from an (internet) .edu address when your subscription is registered under a .bitnet address. To determine the address under which you are subscribed, send listserv@csf the two word request. This request will also give you a list of all subscribers. RECIPIENTS REVS If your efforts to unsub have been frustrated, please write to SPECTOR@NWI.CALUMET.PURDUE.EDU rather than taking your problem to the list. It is helpful to forward a copy the of mail from listserv@csf that shows the source of your problem. If you would like to receive REVS messages in batches or digests instead of message-by-message, send the following command to LISTSERV@csf If you want to return to message-by-message mail, use the command SET REVS MAIL ACK If you want to see an index of the logs of past messages and other files send (to LISTSERV@csf) the command INDEX REVS The list of files returned from the index command are retrievable with the get command. If, for example, you are interested in messages from December 94, you send a message to LISTSERV@csf and in the body of the message type GET REVS DEC94 For friends who would like to subscribe, please have them send the four/five word cmd SUB REVS Firstname Lastname REMEMBER: All of these commands should be sent to LISTSERV@csf.colorado.edu -- Alan Spector spector@nwi.calumet.purdue.edu Wed May 7 05:00:09 MDT 1997 From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Sun May 11 15:39:46 1997 X-NUPop-Charset: English Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 16:41:22 -0600 (CST) From: "Alan Spector" Sender: spector@calumet.purdue.edu Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: psn@csf.colorado.edu, revs@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Nationalism: Enemy of the Working Class Those who made criticisms of the PLO from the Left were sometimes attacked as sectarian or splitting the struggle. But now it is clear that Arafat is mainly interested in carving out a piece of the empire that he can command, rather than providing true liberation for the masses. This is what ALWAYS happens in so-called national liberation struggles. The era of their usefulness as a way to tacticly weaken the imperialists is over, if it ever was useful. Now we are in an era where nationalism, even the nationalism of the oppressed, leads back to capitalism. Those who consider themselves "Marxist" should shed their illusions about the usefulness of nationalism---a pro-capitalist poison when it is in the working class movement. Alan Spector (forwarded message follows) ======================================================================= Reply-to: mer-L@middleeast.org Date: 97-05-08 10:57:40 EDT M I D - E A S T R E A L I T I E S - http://WWW.MiddleEast.Org ******************************************************* FEAR & REPRESSION CONTINUE TO ESCALATE FROM ARAFAT'S "PA" ******************************************************* To receive MER weekly send reply message with words "SEND MER" MER@MiddleEast.Org ------------------------------- PALESTINIANS FACE STILL GROWING REPRESSION AND INTIMIDATION FROM ARAFAT REGIME URGED ON BY US AND ISRAEL MER - 5/6/97 - In recent months what is increasingly an Arafat Police Regime essentially collaborating with the Israeli occupation forces has taken unprecedented steps to create growing fear and repression among Palestinians. * The books and articles of Edward Said and other leading Palestinian writers and political analysts have been banned and confiscated from bookstores. Few if any real voices of independent Palestinians are ever allowed in Palestinian newspapers or magazines, Arafat having brought all of them under his domination and corruption. * Even internationally-recognized human rights personalities such as Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj in Gaza have been arrested and tortured. In El- Sarraj's case an attempt was even made to frame him as a drug pusher! The result is that quite literally everyone has become extremely fearful that should they even speak privately to journalists, or even to other Palestinians, the knock could come at their door anytime. * The recent arrest of the leaders of the Teachers Union for striking for higher wages has still further escalated fear among academics and intellectuals. With what are essentially PA goons and thugs, along with PA car drivers, being paid more than teachers, Arafat is distorting the entire Palestinian society to bring it under the control of his small corrupt and self-serving clique. * The "Palestinian Authorities" cooperation with the Israeli Shabak and Army in the assassination of Yeyha Ayyash ("The Engineer") and the capture or killing of other Hamas activists has created deep fissures within Palestinian society and even within Palestinian families. A low- grade civil war is underway among Palestinians, acting as a kind of social acid eating away at the society's foundations. * And most recently, just within the past few days, a Palestinian lawyer in Gaza has been arrested for the "crime" of submitting an article for publication in a Palestinian legal journal criticizing the PA and wishing that the Palestinians had legal rights as do the Israelis. Referring to the recent Bar-On investigation in Israel, the lawyer, Naim Salameh, wrote in the article that he wondered "when we will see such examples applied in Palestinian Authority territory." It seems Salameh had sent his article to the Gaza Lawyers' Union for publication in their quarterly journal and a union lawyer then showed the article to the person Arafat has designed "PA Attorney-General, Khaled al-Kidra. Al-Kidra then decided to jail Salameh and ordered the article not be published. And in a still further outrage Salaman will tried in a military court on charges of hampering PA security! (Note: Arafat still does not have complete control over the civilian courts). For additional detailed information about the realities of what is known as the "Palestinian Authority" and what we refer to as "the Arafat regime" see the numerous MER items from the past year now available at http://www.MiddleEast.Org. MAB --------------------------------------5/8/97----------------------- MID-EAST REALITIES For latest information go to: http://www.MiddleEast.Org --------------------------------------------------- MER may be freely resent via email as long as it is sent complete without any editing or changes of any kind. Indeed further email distribution is encouraged and appreciated. For any Web or print publication written permission is required -- please contact MER@MiddleEast.Org, phone 202 362-5266 (Ext 638) or fax 202 362-6965. From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Mon May 12 14:01:44 1997 X-NUPop-Charset: English Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 15:03:22 -0600 (CST) From: "Alan Spector" Sender: spector@calumet.purdue.edu Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: revs@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Re: Nationalism: Enemy of the Working Class Samuel Heilman adds some comments to the discussion on the REVS network about the abuses of power by the PLO. However, I'm not sure what he meant by the comment that : "Looks like Arafat and company are > about to blow it, counting on the world to aim all its scrutiny and > criticism on the Israelis." The point of the article that I forwarded was not to show that the anti-Zionists were violent and should make peace with the Israeli government under the Israeli government's terms, but rather that Arafat and the PLO are operating in COLLUSION with the Israeli government, and that this round of human rights abuses can be put at the doorstep of both the PLO AND the Israeli government. In message Mon, 12 May 1997 10:48:07 -0400 (EDT), Samuel Heilman writes: > I am impressed by Alan Spector's remarks. I would add that the racist > and prejudiced "death sentence" on those selling land to Jews -- recently > carried out on a man whose body was thrown on the side of the road -- > suggests that those of us who oppose violence have work to do with regard > to the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinians had a chance to be the > only Arab democracy in the Middle east. Looks like Arafat and company are > about to blow it, counting on the world to aim all its scrutiny and > criticism on the Israelis. > > Samuel Heilman > > > On Sun, 11 May 1997, Alan Spector wrote: > > >> Those who made criticisms of the PLO from the Left were sometimes >> attacked as sectarian or splitting the struggle. But now it is clear >> that Arafat is mainly interested in carving out a piece of the empire >> that he can command, rather than providing true liberation for the >> masses. This is what ALWAYS happens in so-called national liberation >> struggles. The era of their usefulness as a way to tacticly weaken >> the imperialists is over, if it ever was useful. Now we are in an era >> where nationalism, even the nationalism of the oppressed, leads back >> to capitalism. Those who consider themselves "Marxist" should shed >> their illusions about the usefulness of nationalism---a pro-capitalist >> poison when it is in the working class movement. >> >> Alan Spector >> >> (forwarded message follows) >> ======================================================================= >> Reply-to: mer-L@middleeast.org >> Date: 97-05-08 10:57:40 EDT >> >> M I D - E A S T R E A L I T I E S - http://WWW.MiddleEast.Org >> ******************************************************* >> FEAR & REPRESSION CONTINUE TO ESCALATE FROM ARAFAT'S "PA" >> ******************************************************* >> To receive MER weekly send reply message with words "SEND MER" >> MER@MiddleEast.Org >> ------------------------------- >> >> PALESTINIANS FACE STILL GROWING REPRESSION >> AND INTIMIDATION FROM ARAFAT REGIME URGED >> ON BY US AND ISRAEL >> >> >> MER - 5/6/97 - In recent months what is increasingly an Arafat Police >> Regime essentially collaborating with the Israeli occupation forces >> has taken unprecedented steps to create growing fear and repression >> among Palestinians. >> >> * The books and articles of Edward Said and other leading Palestinian >> writers and political analysts have been banned and confiscated from >> bookstores. Few if any real voices of independent Palestinians are >> ever allowed in Palestinian newspapers or magazines, Arafat having >> brought all of them under his domination and corruption. >> >> * Even internationally-recognized human rights personalities such as >> Dr. Eyad El-Sarraj in Gaza have been arrested and tortured. In El- >> Sarraj's case an attempt was even made to frame him as a drug pusher! >> The result is that quite literally everyone has become extremely >> fearful that should they even speak privately to journalists, or even >> to other Palestinians, the knock could come at their door anytime. >> >> * The recent arrest of the leaders of the Teachers Union for striking >> for higher wages has still further escalated fear among academics and >> intellectuals. With what are essentially PA goons and thugs, along >> with PA car drivers, being paid more than teachers, Arafat is >> distorting the entire Palestinian society to bring it under the >> control of his small corrupt and self-serving clique. >> >> * The "Palestinian Authorities" cooperation with the Israeli Shabak >> and Army in the assassination of Yeyha Ayyash ("The Engineer") and the >> capture or killing of other Hamas activists has created deep fissures >> within Palestinian society and even within Palestinian families. A >> low- grade civil war is underway among Palestinians, acting as a kind >> of social acid eating away at the society's foundations. >> >> * And most recently, just within the past few days, a Palestinian >> lawyer in Gaza has been arrested for the "crime" of submitting an >> article for publication in a Palestinian legal journal criticizing the >> PA and wishing that the Palestinians had legal rights as do the >> Israelis. Referring to the recent Bar-On investigation in Israel, the >> lawyer, Naim Salameh, wrote in the article that he wondered "when we >> will see such examples applied in Palestinian Authority territory." >> It seems Salameh had sent his article to the Gaza Lawyers' Union for >> publication in their quarterly journal and a union lawyer then showed >> the article to the person Arafat has designed "PA Attorney-General, >> Khaled al-Kidra. Al-Kidra then decided to jail Salameh and ordered >> the article not be published. And in a still further outrage Salaman >> will tried in a military court on charges of hampering PA security! >> (Note: Arafat still does not have complete control over the civilian >> courts). >> For additional detailed information about the realities of what is >> known as the "Palestinian Authority" and what we refer to as "the >> Arafat regime" see the numerous MER items from the past year now >> available at http://www.MiddleEast.Org. >> MAB >> >> --------------------------------------5/8/97----------------------- >> >> MID-EAST REALITIES >> For latest information go to: http://www.MiddleEast.Org >> --------------------------------------------------- >> MER may be freely resent via email as long as it is sent complete >> without any editing or changes of any kind. Indeed further email >> distribution is encouraged and appreciated. For any Web or print >> publication written permission is required -- please contact >> MER@MiddleEast.Org, phone 202 362-5266 (Ext 638) or fax 202 362-6965. >> >> > From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Mon May 12 14:44:09 1997 X-NUPop-Charset: English Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 15:45:48 -0600 (CST) From: "Alan Spector" Sender: spector@calumet.purdue.edu Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: revs@csf.colorado.edu Samuel Heilman writes: As for "collusion" between Netanyahu's government and Arafat's -- I think that is likely in an Oliver Stone movie but not the real world. Samuel Heilman ================================================================== I would disagree with his assessment. Didn't the racists in South Africa find "friendly" black Africans to work with? That's not Oliver Stone talking. Are they banning Edward Said's books because he is too "pro-Israel?" Netanyahu, like Arafat, is terrified of the grassroots Arab working class opposing the twin oppression of Israeli nationalism and Arab nationalism. The Israeli governments may have minor differences among themselves, but in the main, they are trying to strike a balance of not giving too much support to Arafat (which would create optimism and embolden the grassroots to demand more and possibly push Arafat aside) AND not resorting to too much repression, which would ALSO strengthen the hand of the grassroots movement, especially Hamas, which might also result in Arafat being pushed aside. Unfortunately, the grassroots movement, too, is mainly in the hands of the Hamas, which like Arafat and the Zionists, is only interested in carving out a power base for itself. Welcome to the New World Order, (from Yugoslavia to Rwanda to Armenia to.....) where nationalism is running wild, and grassroots people are being set against each other as pawns in the games of imperialists, would-be imperialists, and their junior partners. Alan Spector From spector@calumet.purdue.edu Mon May 12 17:08:34 1997 X-NUPop-Charset: English Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 18:10:15 -0600 (CST) From: "Alan Spector" Sender: spector@calumet.purdue.edu Reply-To: spector@calumet.purdue.edu To: revs@csf.colorado.edu Mr. Heilman makes a good point. I would never say that each and every act of any Palestinian is endorsed by the Israeli government. But I do believe that the Israeli government is comfortable with Arafat, considering the alternatives. Arafat, in turn, has to maintain a militant posture against Jews in order to keep from losing his base (shrinking that it is) to the more militant elements. I see many parallels with other militant nationalists, who posture against oppression but do little to actually oppose it. Louis Farrakhan in the U.S. is a similar figure. He rails against "white" people, especially Jews. But he gets a lot of support from "white" dominated media and university trustees. I would not be surprised to find out someday that some (not all, but some) members of the ("white") corporate U.S. structure promoted and possibly even funded him. Oppressors sometimes don't mind separatist nationalists because they can divert people away from the real issues of oppression and into token, symbolic issues. An Arafat-run Palestinian state is preferable to most of the Israeli rulers to one run by Hamas or one run by genuine Marxists who reject racism and reach out to Jewish workers. Now, THERE would be a threat to both the Israeli rulers and Arab nationalists! Alan Spector