first of all, your third paragraph echoes what us greybeards, cornelius
and i, were arguing initially, issuing words of caution. sure we can
root for one side, but even if it is the winner, the real question is
what price are you willing to pay for a democratic result to be
vindicated. i for one, grandfather twice over, do not favor do or die
solutions.
gloria is right when she says there has to be some willingness to engage
in force for a democratic solution to come about, or for a progressive
solution to come about. but that has to be weighed against the cost in
lives. i very much agree that if we cannot critique those we like (like
obama, say), then we are not useful in our political claims. your phrase
"morally unpalatable" rings well.
let's imagine that the cambodian genocide was instigated by people who
opposed a corrupt elite ruling class; we can say the same for the
cultural revolution under mao. how many cambodians had to die before we
could concede that the ideals were betrayed by the actions.
etc. old arguments.
secondly, i too, out of curiosity, checked on Gary L Busch, aka Gary K.
Busch. interestingly at one point he was arguing that Trafigura got a
bum rap in cote d'ivoire. amazing, an apologist for the worst corporate
example of neoliberal destruction in terms of the global south. here's
the link for those interested:
http://calumcarr.blogspot.com/2010/05/dr-gary-k-busch-some-background.html
as for his presentation of himself as an oldtime labor activist, etc, he
also advertises himself as an academic. where might that academic
appointment be, i wonder. google is silent on the question
ken
On 4/3/11 3:27 PM, Pablo Idahosa wrote:
> I agree, Ken. I checked this Gary L. Busch guy out. He has an
> interesting webpage that looks to me as if he is a warmed over
> ultra-lefty. So many of these unsubstantiated assertions do sound
> groundless and
> shohttp://calumcarr.blogspot.com/2010/05/dr-gary-k-busch-some-background.htmluld
> be treated with care. However, having skyped a friend of mind in
> Abidjan ( I think all of us can do this to the extent that people
> still have access to the internet under these appalling
> circumstances), at the very least, she confirmed that yesterday she
> heard lots of helicopters flying overhead and lots of shooting. At
> who, she cannot for sure say.
>
> On another matter, why is it we question the outcome of reports
> against those whom we support, or the procedures they are claiming to
> uphold? To be sure, it is always so hard to confirm causalities, and
> typically the number of 800 looks too round and neat. Yes, once it
> comes out of a source, it goes wire-viral, recycled, and everyone
> picks it up, whether someone is, or some people are, there to have
> known or witnessed as close up as is possible. I doubt, though,
> whether the figure, exaggerated or underestimated, is wrong in its
> substance, and it is likely to have been perpetrated by people
> supporting Outrra, who may or may not have been soldiers, though this
> matters not one way or the other whether they soldiers. Once certain
> things are set in motion, in circumstances like these, terrible
> consequences follow.
>
> I do not believe it is morally unpalatable to withhold support for
> those in whose name procedural democracy is invoked, but who are
> willing to see others, innocents, die for it/them. Unwittingly, some
> of us become cheer leaders for belligerents who are not worthy of
> support, even if the procedures they claim to be supporting are.
>
> Pablo
>
> On 03/04/11 7:25 AM, Yona Maro wrote:
>> By Dr. Gary L. Busch 2/4/11
>> Apr 3, 2011 - 10:59:25 AM
>>
>> Much of the news reports represent a wilful misrepresentation of the
>> facts. The United Nations Mil-24 helicopters overflew Gbagbo-army
>> positions in the West of the Ivory Coast and bombed and strafed a
>> corridor into the cities for the rebel army. The point troops of this
>> 'rebel army' were not Ivorians of the Force Nouvelles but Nigerian
>> troops (mainly from the Mobile Police - the "Kill and Go") and
>> Burkinabe Special Forces lent by President Campaore for the attack.
>> These UN helicopters and a strong force of mercenaries entered cities
>> like Daloa and Bondou and began killing large numbers of civilians as
>> the pro-Gbagbo forces withdrew. Later, bands of Liberian adventurers
>> (fighting for neither Ouattara nor Gbagbo) entered the cities to loot
>> and plunder.
>>
>> Hundreds were killedat Daloa and Bondou by the invading forces. There
>> were more than 800 civilians killed in Duekoue the next day by
>> Ouattara's soldiers, even though there were over a thousand UN
>> peacekeepers looking on.
>>
>> This was repeated in the drive for Abidjan where the UN has continued
>> to use its helicopters with deadly effect and the UN Representative,
>> Choi, has given the UN forces the right to 'shoot at will'. Seven
>> pro-Gbagbo forces have been killed by the UN (mainly by Pakistani and
>> Senegalese troops in the UNOCI) and scores of others have been shot
>> at but no one yet knows the total. The French have moved out of their
>> base in Port Bouet and are patrolling Abidjan streets, blocking off
>> main roads and shooting at military and civilian targets. They say
>> they are protecting foreigners who might be targets but it appears
>> they are protecting them before they were endangered.
>>
>> The reason for this military initiative was twofold. April 1 is the
>> day that the cocoa buyers (Noble and others) promised to pay Gbagbo
>> for their cocoa stocks which were locked up in the Ivory Coast. They
>> said they didn't care who was President, they wanted their cocoa.
>> That made it imperative for Ouattara and the rebels to take the Port
>> of San Pedro which is an important cocoa export port. The second
>> reason is that April 1 was the day on which the Ivory Coast would
>> have passed the deadline for paying its regular interest payment on
>> its international debt which had been delayed by Gbagbo since his
>> funds were cut off. To succeed in this the French and the UN decided
>> on a covert (barely concealed) attack on the government of the Ivory
>> Coast.
>>
>> Many of the soldiers loyal to Gbagbo were overwhelmed by the force
>> and mechanisation of the attack and surrendered or took off their
>> uniforms and fled. The battle now rages in Abidjan where the UN and
>> the French continue their assault. However, the civilian population
>> is reorganising itself and taking up arms. It remains to be seen if
>> this UN and French attack will succeed in the face of a large and
>> aroused population. The fat lady has not sung her final aria. Expect
>> many civilian deaths. That is the UN way.
>>
>>
>> Source:Ocnus.net 2011
>>
>>
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>
--
kenneth w. harrow
distinguished professor of english
michigan state university
department of english
east lansing, mi 48824-1036
ph. 517 803 8839
harrow@msu.edu
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