It’s not just in the UK that elements of the far Left are finding solidarity with the Lebanese “resistance”. Consider this declaration from Todd Chretien of the International Socialist Organization, writing at Counterpunch about the inexcusable reluctance of some in the American antiwar movement to line up with Hezbollah:
Basic democratic principles require Americans to oppose our government’s actions and to stand squarely for the right to self-determination by the Arab people. It is not the American anti-war movement’s job to lecture the people of the Middle East on how to conduct their resistance. You do not have to agree with all of Hezbollah’s ideas to support their resistance to Israel. Condemning “both sides” in the Middle East is just like condemning “both sides” in the American Civil War. During the Civil War, with all its complications, one side fought for slavery and the other fought for emancipation. Today in the Middle East, one side fights to rob and pillage, the other seeks self-determination and dignity.
Chretien is, rather breathtakingly, comparing the Jew-hating fascists of Hezbollah to the anti-slavery Union, and democratic, multiracial Israel to the pro-slavery Confederacy. (Perhaps at the next anti-Israel demonstration, we’ll see signs equating Hassan Nasrallah with Abraham Lincoln and Ehud Olmert with Jefferson Davis.) But I think he has the American Civil War analogy mixed up. I can more easily imagine an anti-imperialist 1861 version of Todd Chretien writing something like this:
Basic democratic principles require Northerners to oppose our government’s actions and to stand squarely for the right to self-determination of the Southern people. It is not the North’s job to lecture the people of the South about slavery. You do not have to agree with slavery to support their right to sovereignty and their right to resist Northern aggression.
Chretien happens to be the Green Party candidate for Senator from California this year– a sign of terminal decadence for a once-promising movement.
(Hat tip: Judeosphere.)