Four Things the Left Should Learn from Kobane

Uncategorized 1 Minute

historythree's avatarThe Disorder Of Things

The Kurdish town of Kobanê has recently become the centre of a geopolitical conflagration that may well change the course of Middle Eastern politics. After months of silence over the threat faced by Kurds from ISIS, the world is now finally watching, even if the ‘international community’ remains conspicuously quiet. However, many Western responses, be it from scholars, journos or activists, have somewhat predictably retracted into recycled critiques of US and UK imperialism, often at the expense of missing what is truly exceptional and noteworthy in recent developments. So, in the style of contemporary leftist listicles, here are four things we can and should learn from events in and around Kobanê.

1. It’s Time to Question the West’s Fixation on ISIS

If Barack Obama, David Cameron and Recep Tayyip Erdogan are to be believed, the ‘savagery’ of ‘fundamentalism’ is the primary focus of NATO involvement in Syria. Notably, many left…

View original post 1,066 more words

Unknown's avatar

Published by auntyuta

Auntie, Sister. Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Mother and Wife of German Descent I've lived in Australia since 1959 together with my husband Peter. We have four children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. I started blogging because I wanted to publish some of my childhood memories. I am blogging now also some of my other memories. I like to publish some photos too as well as a little bit of a diary from the present time. Occasionally I publish a story with a bit of fiction in it. Peter, my husband, is publishing some of his stories under berlioz1935.wordpress.com

Published

10 thoughts on “Four Things the Left Should Learn from Kobane”

  1. ” . . . . Notably, many left critics have reproduced this very same fixation on ISIS when discussing Western interests. However, for an almighty imperialist organisation supposedly hell bent on stopping ‘Islamic extremism’, NATO have been curiously ineffective. In fact, the US has been indirectly responsible for arming ISIS and altogether incompetent and/or reluctant in arming the decidedly secular Kurdish resistance. US and UK air strikes have been fleeting, and at best symbolic, making little impact on the advance of ISIS. Moreover, Turkey has repeatedly turned a blind eye to ISIS’s use of its territories and borders for training activities and supply lines, respectively. . . . .”

    So NATO have been curiously ineffective, and US and UK air strikes have been fleeting and at best symbolic, making little impact on the advance of ISIS.

    http://newprioritiescampaign.org/

    The above link is to an antiwar movement who say to the above post:

    “OCTOBER 7, 2014 AT 9:34 PM
    This is a very important cautionary note to which the left and broader antiwar movement should pay heed. What is lacking, however, is a clearer exposition of what the movement should do concretely, what strategy should be pursued instead.”

    Reply

  2. Einen schönen Mittwoch liebe Ute ja ist alles so schlimm was in unserer Welt spaziert,man muss so etwas doch Einhalt gebieten aber leicht gesagt wie schnell kann da ein großer Brand entstehen denn keiner woher sehen kann.Liebe Grüße an dich und bleibe gesund und nunder.Liebe Grüße von mir Gislinde

    Reply

  4. Yes, the reluctance for Turkey to get involved in fighting Isis in Kobane is that ,’like Isis, the Kurds too want their own proclaimed state or territory, part of which lies in Turkey. It is all so complicated with hundreds of years of fighting between different groups and tribes.
    The Turks, the US and Isis are all united in that all of them want to get rid of Assad in Syria.

    So what to do? Just go for a walk and contemplate our own problems with Abbott and refugees, try and stay calm when seeing again a sneering Morrison on TV.

    Reply

Leave a reply to auntyuta Cancel reply