Why "Solidarity" Goes Bad
 

In the 1970s, the International Left won a great victory, when an
international solidarity effort led to the US being forced to withdraw
troops out of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The Left built this
Solidarity Campaign to support the SE Asian region in it's struggle for
self determination.

We knew that if the outside powers were to be thrown out, that a viable
economic entity could be constructed, to feed and sustain life for
people living in those 3 countries. It was the reason that we gave
Solidarity. A constructive good could then come about by victory.

Unfortunately, the International Left demobilized itself, and stopped
doing political work on a large scale, against dismantling the military
in the Imperialist Bloc. One of the main reasons this happened, is
that the S-D currents in the Left actually supported their governments
build up of military power. They saw the "communism" of the Soviet
Bloc as a threat, and wanted "protection". So they allied with the
Right who were looking for outright victory in the Cold War.

What then began to happen, is that small Solidarity groups began to form
around supporting embattled countries- El Salvador, Guatemala,
Nicaragua, Peru, and Colombia, being some examples for us here in the
US. The organized Socialist Left tagged along from time to time.
But what was lacking, was any sustained commitment to an all out
struggle against US imperialism that would move beyond "solidarity"
forms of organizational work.

At least, this was solidarity in support of the self determination of
already formed countries that were fighting to free themselves from
American control. But something began to occur within the Western
European countries and Australia that.WAS ENTIRELY NEW.
"Solidarity" organizations began to form, that were in support of
splitting groups of oppressed nationalities off from already established
countries. And these countries that they focused on, had terrain
that was coveted by the own governments of where these "solidarity"
orgnizations began to spring up.

I want to underline here again, THIS WAS A NEW "LEFT" ACTIVITY. I
do this, because these currents that support this type of activity of
expressing pretend "solidarity", like to cite supposed historical
justification for what they are doing. This is THEIR BIG LIE.

Why do I call it a "pretend solidarity"? The Left currents that
offer their support to East Timor, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Chechnya come
out of genuine Left groups, that are truly, genuinely concerned about
the suffering of these national groupings. But still there is a
pretense of solidarity that is overwhelmingly dominant. Because
this a "solidarity" that leads to a dead end.

How is it real solidarity, to support chipping off nationalities away
from under-the -gun Third World Areas, and into the Imperialist Bloc?
This tendency won't even deny that that is what is being done. It
can't, the truth is too loud. The realities are too evident.

Instead, they resort to sanctimonious posturing, that due to the Holy
Teachings of Marxism, they must do what they must do! They must
support what they label incorrectly as .....uuuuuUNCONDITIONAL support
for self determination.

The great lie to this, is that with their "VICTORIES", we see clearly
that no real self determination has been achieved. This was not the
case with the real victory of the international campaign of Solidaity
with the people of SE Asia.

SE Asia was a viable economic entity in it's own right. But what
are the new "nations" of East Timor, Kosova, Bosnia, and Chechnya?
Has the phony "solidarity" brought about a positive good? The
answer is clearly NO.

And this clearly shows that it was not actually solidarity with anybody,
at least as for as Leftists should see it. The mainstream Right (the
actual governments in the Western Imperialist Bloc) will agree with this
Left "solidarity" current that "solidarty" has brought about positive
change. It has alligned these areas into the imperialist camp!

We who oppose this phony solidarity with Chechnya, East Timor, Kosovo,
Bosnia, etc., often stress the negative effects of defeating the
Indonesians, Russians, or Serbs, within their remaining areas after the
chipoffs occur. But equally true, is that we are opposed to the
horrible destruction left behind in the supposed "victorious", or would
be "victorious' regions.

Even more so, we are opposed to the real lack of self determination,
that was "gained" by Western Bloc "solidarity" groups. What are
the future plans to reconstruct these areas that DSP, ISWoR, or Znet
might propose. The reality is, that nothing is EFFECTVELY
counter-offered to the imperialist plans to move into the regions.

When the Vietnamese and allied forces won, we on the Left knew that
reconstruction would occur based on alliance, either with China or The
Soviet Bloc. But what does the DSP offer wih it's grand "victory"
for the East Timorese? Principally, more "solidarity" support!
How is this small regonal chipoff from Indonesia supposed to support
it's 1,000,000 or less people, and all their lnguistic and cultural
diversity and disarray?

The DSP is now reduced to calling for .....US and Australian capitalist
economic assisstance. Or do the comrades there, believe that
socialism in one country, East Timor, can be built? What is your
plan to feed these people of East Timor? I guess it must be
something like a CALL for your country to set up soup kitchens for The
Aborigines?!

Your "solidarity" has backed these people into a corner, a corner of
total dependence on imperialist forces. Except maybe for as yet, a
rather abstract move to set up a socialist alliance of East Indies
Peoples!

I don't want to pick on DSP alone. So what is the CALL by European
Leftists now for 'solidarity' with Bosnia and Kosovo? Bosnia is
"independent', and this group of the Left supports "independence" for
Kosovo. This group cannot make a CALL for A Socialist Federation in
the Balkans. You have used up your political capital with the Serbs
at this point. By helping paint them as monsters.

It looks like the ol' Call For Soup Kitchens sponsored by England,
Germany, and the US is what your 'solidarity' has come to.

And now many European and Australian socialists want to Call For Soup
Kitchens for Chechnya, too. Maybe Turkey can help out here?

What is the point of your "solidarity" efforts? Are you people out
to show "solidarity", for solidarity's sake? It's not exacty
helping the supposed recipients of your good will. So why keep on?

Oh, the answer is evident. You support UNCONDITIOANLLY........turn
to your Bibles of Marxism......and repeat after me.....SELF
DETERMINATION. Thank you.

Tony Abdo