Tag: Muammar Gaddafi

Reflections on Genocide as the Ultimate Crime

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Reflections on Genocide as the Ultimate Crime

Genocide is a well-defined term in international law – in the 1948 Genocide Convention and Article 6 of the Rome Statute.The most respected international tribunals have separately agreed that proof of the crime of genocide depends on an extremely convincing presentation of factual evidence, including documentation of an intent to destroy in whole or in part national, ethnic, racial or religious group. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Court of Justice – all have endeavoured to provide authoritative tests of “intent,” treating intent as the essential element in the crime of genocide. This jurisprudence is what should be guiding our politicians in reaching prudent conclusions as to whether there exist credible grounds to put forward accusations of genocide, given its inflammatory effects. We should be asking whether the factual situation is clouded, calling for an independent international investigation followed by further action if deemed appropriate, and in nuclear-armed world, we should be extremely careful before making such an accusation.

Related:

*Xinjiang*

Waiting for Catastrophes

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Waiting for Catastrophes

The United States is notionally pulling its troops out of Afghanistan at the same time as it seems to be deepening its commitment to military action against China. Abbas laughs. “If they could not subdue us,” he says, meaning Iraq, “how will they fare against China?” It is true. But we are dealing with callous people who have contempt for world health. If they want a war, they might get a war.

Syria war: Who are the real anti-imperialists?

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Syria war: Who are the real anti-imperialists?

Chomsky today, of course, is not the Chomsky of the 1970s. While he remains an opponent of US imperialism and a critic of some Israeli policies, his position is less than radical on a number of questions.

In the last decade, he has vociferously and actively opposed the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement’s call to boycott Israel, though he supports boycotting Israeli settlement goods. In addition, and this is most relevant today, he has always been an anti-Soviet cold warrior, even at the height of his anti-US imperialism (anti-Sovietism, and today anti-Russianism, has always been endemic to the US liberal and socialist left).

Chomsky’s anti-imperialist political commitments never relied on any explicit or accepted theory of the nature of imperialism as based on capitalist economic exploitation, which is why he often casually accused the Soviets of also being an “empire”. That he is a signatory to a letter that accuses opponents of US and NATO intervention in Syria of being apologists for Assad has clearly transitioned him to the very same position his enemies occupied when they called him an apologist for the Khmer Rouge.

Why do they flee?

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Why do they flee?

It’s not that these people prefer to live in the United States. They’d much rather remain with their families and friends, be able to speak their native language at all times, and avoid the hardships imposed upon them by American police and other right-wingers. But whenever a progressive government comes to power in Latin America or threatens to do so, a government sincerely committed to fighting poverty, the United States helps to suppresses the movement and/or supports the country’s right-wing and military in staging a coup. This has been the case in Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Honduras.

Humanitarian Imperialism

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Humanitarian Imperialism

The point of the language of humanitarian intervention is to try to manufacture consent for regime change, war or sanctions on foreign countries among progressive audiences who would normally be skeptical of such practices. This is done through selective outrage, naked deception and the use of a new language of humanitarian intervention, pulling on the heartstrings of readers to get them to support fundamentally illiberal actions. Once it is no longer politically expedient, interest in the rights of others is dropped and the press turns its attention to the next story, leaving the survivors to pick up the pieces of their lives.