I knew I’d get in trouble for writing a post entitled “Who’s afraid of the Muslim Brotherhood”. And so it was that Overland’s editorial overlord, Jeff Sparrow, roped me in to debate Michael Brull on the topic of “Political Islam is not a friend of the Left”. My contribution has just come out in Overland 203. You can follow the […]
31 May
Comments Off on Revenge, apparently a dish only properly served by the United States military
> Pakistani tribesmen offer funeral prayers after 60 people killed in two US missile strikes in 2009 Now, The Australian can be depended on to run some of the most reactionary arguments one is likely to see in the Australian press in its notorious op-ed pages. But as a keen follower of the Egyptian Revolution […]
30 Apr
Comments Off on The moral incoherence of non-violent philosophy and strategy
One of the most stunning results of the Arab revolutions has been the exposure of the mechanisms of coercive control endured by the ordinary people of the region for decades. Far from the West’s backing of authoritarian regimes leading to a benign order, it was always predicated on the most horrific apparatuses of repressive violence. […]
24 Mar
Comments Off on Western military intervention in Libya: There. Is. No. Alternative. Or is there?
> Egypt’s revolution — why has Libya been so different? If there is one thought experiment that liberal supporters of Western military intervention in Libya ruled out of court (even forbade) it was the possibility that there were other social actors and strategies that could seriously affect the outcome of the battle between forces loyal […]
21 Mar
Comments Off on Libya, US intervention & the myth of the tail that wagged the dog
> Fissures emerge: abstentions in the Security Council One of the justifications used by liberal and Left supporters of Western intervention in Libya is that the United States has been dragged, kicking and screaming, into this conflict. It is part of painting a picture that here, if only just this time, the situation of a […]
22 Feb
Comments Off on The changing face of activism (or not)
Members of the April 6 Movement in Egypt Recent events in the Middle East and North Africa have revealed new and surprising forms of political activism and reinforced long standing ones. The mass uprising in Egypt has sparked a wave of protest across the region as populations held down for decades under oppressive regimes […]
16 Feb
Comments Off on So you think you want a revolution?
Photo by Counterfire My latest piece on ABC’s The Drum Unleashed — “What Australia can learn from Egypt’s uprising” — dispelling the mythology around revolutions peddled by Western leaders and mainstream media: The word “revolution” comes loaded with many preconceptions, but the 18 days that brought down the Mubarak regime in Egypt have deeply challenged views […]
14 Feb
Comments Off on The Egyptian Revolution: only the beginning — where to next?
The most indubitable feature of a revolution is the direct interference of the masses in historical events. — Leon Trotsky, History of the Russian Revolution How good was that? Here we’ll let some Egyptian voices speak: First, a statement on Friday from the Revolutionary Socialists of Egypt: Glory to the martyrs! Victory to the revolution! What is happening today […]
09 Feb
Comments Off on Beyond an impasse — Egypt’s masses surge forth again
Photo by Hossam el-Hamalawy From Al-Jazeera’s English-language website: The square has become a mini-utopia in central Cairo. Political opinions aired, gender and sectarian divisions nowhere to be found. People feed and clothe each other here. Medical areas have been set up by doctors joining in with the protesters. The crime and sexual harassment so prevalent […]
07 Feb
Comments Off on The Egyptian revolution and the working class
Photo by Hossam el-Hamalawy It’s worth reading in full an interview on Saturday night, Cairo time, with Egyptian blogger and journalist Hossam el-Hamalawy, on the excellent Occupied Cairo blog. But on the question of class polarisation and independent workers’ action he has this to say: The uprising up until now contained elements from all Egyptian society, whether […]
08 Jun
Comments Off on Islamism, secularism & Left strategy: A debate at Overland Journal & blog