ProfessorSharpandtheAlbertEinstein Organization

NewsandViewsfromCanada
(ArticlewrittenforNorthstarCompass:http://www.northstarcompass.org/)

DonCurrie,EditorFocusOnSocialism,ChairCPS,MemberofEditorialBoard,Northstar Compass
January4,2012

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NewsreportsarrivinginCanadafromtheformersocialiststatesofEasternEuropeindicate thegrowthofstatesponsoredfascismintheformofdraconiananticommunistlegislation. Communists and their supporters are routinely jailed for their views. The reactionary right wing forces promoting anticommunist legislation in EUNATO countries are amply supportedbyUSgovernmentfundingviasuchconduitsastheNationalEndowmentFunda CIA front for subversive activities. So blatant is their involvement that well informed and well intentioned forces reject such gross interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Thereareothersthatdosimilarworkbutmoresophisticatedandmorecleverlymaskedin the garb of disinterested promoters of democracy, freedom and ostensibly oppose totalitarianismanddictatorship.OneoftheseistheAlbertEinsteinOrganization(AEO)and itsprincipalspokespersononeProfessorGeneSharp.Hisprincipalwork,FromDictatorship toDemocracy,AConceptualFrameworkforLiberation 1 iscitedbypromotersintheUSAas afactorintheOrange,Greenandothercolorfulwesternsponsoredcounterrevolutionary events. Professor Sharps work is touted as the universal model for events in Burma, Ukraine,Russia,PolandandthesocalledArabspring. ProfessorSharpsinfluenceisexaggerated.Whatisnoteworthyhoweveristhatitservesto promotetheideaamongthegulliblethattheideasoffreedom,democracyandopposition todictatorshiparesynonymouswiththeaimsofthepowerelitesoftheUSA. It is important to be aware of such organizations and to critically expose their theses and connectionsintheglobalimperialistassaultonrealsocialism.Oneoftheprincipaltargetsof the AEO is the legacy of socialism in the USSR and in particular the role of Stalin in the buildingofsocialism. ThisobserverdoesnotclaimtohavedoneanexhaustiveexposureofProfessorSharpbut offersthefollowingasaheadsuptoourreadersandtoencourageothersthatcandothis workmuchbetter,toexposeitfurther. A quick read of Professor Sharps principal work, and there is an updated version, will immediatelycausethereadertowonderhowsuchbanalthinkingcangainsuchnotorietyin

1 http://www.aeinstein.org/organizations/org/FDTD.pdf

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US academia as serious research. Its counterpart in Canada exists among an array of right wingthinktanksbothonandoffcampus. Not being a scholar this observer nonetheless insists on the right to challenge Professor Sharpsthesessinceheclaimstospeakforallwhoseekjusticeandliberation. ProfessorSharphidesunderthemantleofsuchgreatandcrediblenonviolentmassleaders as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King and Albert Einstein and presents a shallow versionoftheirideasandaccomplishmentsoftheirwork.AmongthoselaudedbyProfessor SharparetheDalaiLama,VaclavHavel,LechWalesaandthosedisparagedincludeCheand Stalinamongothers. FirstsomecommentsaboutMahatmaGandhiandtheIndianLiberationMovement:Iamnot anexpertandhave apartisanviewofthoseeventswhicharefardifferentthanProfessor Sharps. Gandhi employed the methods of mass nonviolent resistance against a real oppressor Britishimperialism,notbecausehewasmotivatedbysomedivineuniversalrevelation.Mass nonviolenceactivismwasamethodofstruggleadoptedbyoneofthemovementsofIndian anticolonialstrugglebasedontherealpoliticalconditionsprevailinginthatcountryatthat time.Inmyopinionitiswrongandunsupportabletoassertsuchamethodofantiimperialist strugglehassomeuniversalapplication.Sometimesitworksandothertimesothermethods work.Peoplefightingforprogresspreferapeacefulpathbutitisrarelyopentothem. British imperialism installed colonial power and exploited the Indian people ruthlessly for more than two centuries backed up by real military power both as an invading and as an occupying imperial power. Indian independence and the movement Gandhi led in alliance with other major political forces including a mass influential Communist party were precededbyalongandbitterandviolentstruggleofthepeopleontheAsiansubcontinent against British and other imperial powers that had wielded colonial power with brutal militaryforceforseveralcenturies.TheBritishelitesgotveryrichbyrobbingandexploiting the Indian people which accounts even to this day for Britains status as a major rentier imperialiststate. The victory of that struggle attributed to nonviolence is a misreading of Indian liberation. Liberation was preceded by revolutions in Russia and China that contrary to the shills of westernpropagandagreatlyinspiredthepeopleoftheIndiansubcontinentandaboutwhich Indira Gandhi and her father Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhi himself made reference to on
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many occasions. All of these figures paid tribute to Lenin as an inspiration to the Indian massesintheirstruggleforemancipation. ThevictoryoftheIndianpeopleagainsttheBritishcolonialpowerwasfinallymadepossible bythemilitarydefeatoftheaxispowersinWW2averyviolenteventandnecessarilysobut its consequence permitted the Indian people to liberate themselves relatively peacefully (therewerequitebloodyepisodesaswell)andestablishacapitalistdemocracywithsome reformaspectstoit.ThecaseoftheroleofIndianininternationalaffairstodayisbeyondthe scopeofthiscommentary. BothGandhiandMartinLutherKingmadegreatcontributionstohumanfreedombecause themovementstheyledwerefirstofallmassincharacterwithidentifiableconcretepolitical goals and with openly proclaimed concrete programs of demands for the oppressed majoritythattherulingelitescouldnotignore.Therewasmuchviolencecommittedagainst the movement in the USA including the assassination of activists and Martin Luther King himself in spite of their proclaimed nonviolence. In the case of the USA racist economic oppression was the root issue and was taken up by a determined people that chose non violencebecausetherewassomescopeintheUSsystemoflimiteddemocracyforsucha movementtoarisethewayitdid.Themovementproduceditisowntheory,strategyand tacticsandwasmovingfromcivilrightstoeconomicrightswhenitwassidetracked.While winningsomeformalrecognitionofcivilrightstheeconomicbattlegoeson. OnewonderswhyProfessorSharpdoesnotanalyzethelessonsofthatstruggleinhisown countrybecauseitisarisingoncemoreinanotherform,theOccupyWallStreetmovement. TheapplicationofnonviolentactivisminIndiaandtheUSAwasduetoobjectiveconditions that permitted some scope for its success. That is a benefit of having a modicum of democracy.Butwhatarepeoplestodowhereitdoesntexist?Mr.Sharpglossesoverthat realitypreferringtodispensesomeuniversaldogmathatfitsall. Professor Sharp evades a factual discussion of what are the concrete identifiable goals of themanyforceshelaudsinhispiece.Amanofhisgreatlearningshouldbeabletodiscuss at least in a cursory way what the contending forces in all of the countries he mentions stand for. His analysis is devoid of any notion of the existence of contending classes. He preferstoevadethatandspeakintheabstractofagenericuniversalfreedom,democracy, dictatorshipandtotalitarianismwithoutconcretedetailsofwhatisbeingadvocatedandby whomandinwhatinterest.Thatisasignofatruephilistine.ThePopedoesitmuchbetter.

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Today there are contending forces in all countries with separate agendas of self interest posingasdefendersofdemocracyandappealingtotheinternationalcommunityforhelp. One is called upon to probe the real agendas of such forces at work and not accept generalizations about demands for democracy and freedom at face value. Many are open advocatesofUSimperialismandothersarecovertpromotersoffeudaloppression. Forexamplewearesupposedtobestruckdumbwheneverthecorporatecontrolledmass media tells us we must support a cause because it has the support of the international community. What is the international community? Professor Sharp claims to know it well butfailstodefinewhatitis. The international community is anything the corporate controlled media says it is. In one caseitistheUNandwhenthatdoesntpermitthetypeofregimechangeinterventionthat issoughtafterthenitbecomesanallianceofthewillingoratanothertimeNATOandthen NATOandtheUN.AtonetimesomeNATOmembersareinontheaggressionandothers out and some UN members are in and at other times some members out. This floating international community is nothing but contrivances of the most powerful G7 NATO statestryingtomanagetheworldbymilitaryforce. Today oil, fresh water, natural resources, markets, the labour of others, is the imperialist prize.WhenAlQaedaortheTalibanareallegedtobeattackingtheUSAitistheenemy.But whenthesesameforcesleaveAfghanistanandgotoLibyaundercoverofNATObombers, landedfromUSmilitaryships,armedwithNATOweaponsandassumepositionsofpolitical powerbyrawmilitaryforcesuchasthesocallednewLibyanTransitionalgovernmentthey areliberators. ThefactthatonceinpowertheymaybegintoadvocateforSharialawaccompaniedbythe suppressionofthemostelementaryrightsofwomenisofnoaccount.ThepeopleofLibya demonstratedinallmajorcitiesthatistrue.Whatwasnotreportedinthewesternpresswas thatthelargestofthesedemonstrationswereproGadaffiandwereexamplesofnonviolent activism.UNResolution1973wassupposedtopreventciviliandeaths.Itbecamethefigleaf for NATO regime change in which all those who could have prevented bloodshed by non violentactivismwereneverallowedtodosobecauseofviolentNATOintervention. What does Professor Sharp have to say about that type of state violence and what non violentactivismcanpreventit?Ratherdifficulttostopalaserguidedbombdroppedfrom 40,000feetbyaCanadianCF18fighterjetdirectedtotargetbyaUSreconnaissanceorsea

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based communication system. This is 2012 not Calcutta in 1947. Professor Sharp evades discussing how to apply nonviolent activism on the battlefront of NATO warfare in the spaceage. Professor Sharp avoids any discussion of such uncomfortable truths. The NATO Libyan scenarioisnowbeingplayedoutinSyriaandinterventionisplannedbytheinternational community,thistimebyTurkeytakingtheleadasamemberofNATO.Turkeyhasitsown internalproblemsandwantsacausetojustifytheseizureofabigpieceofSyria.Israel,the USclientstateintheMiddleEast(whichreceivesabout$1billionamonthinlargesse)seeks a big piece of Lebanon and to further consolidate its grip on the Golan Heights. All Israeli regional policy is aimed at a Greater Israel at the expense of Arab nations it borders, the PalestiniansinparticularthoseinGazaandtojustifyfurtherJewishsettlementbuilding. The Palestinians and Hezbollah in Lebanon are not sleeping and they will resist such a changeinbalanceofforcesintheirregion.WhatdoesMr.Sharpproposethoseopposedto US policy in the Middle East do? Presumably they have no justifiable case and should just nonviolentlysurrender.Thatisnotreality. AUSNATOEUinvasionofLibya,IranandSyriahasbeenonthePentagonplanningtablefor manyyears.CredibleanalystsnotbamboozledbyFoxNews,arewarningthatamajorwar maystartsoonunlessitcanbestopped.ThistimeRussiaandChinamaycastthevetointhe UN. This observer hopes they do as tens of thousands of innocent victims of war will be spared and a peaceful resolution might be possible. The numbers killed in the NATO bombing of Libya are deliberately being suppressed. The destruction of that country is staggering. Prior to NATO intervention the Libyan government used its oil revenues to provide free health care, free education, each young couple who got married received affordable housing. Women were not subjected to Sharia restrictions and Libya was largely a secular state.TheLibyanGovernmentaccessedaquiferstodevelopagricultureinLibyaandshared that technology with other North African states, hence the numbers of black Africans in Libya as workers and students. Many of these innocent youth, under the cover of NATO werelinedupandshotbyliberatorsarmedwithNATOweaponrywhoclaimedtheywere mercenaries when even CNN on the scene at the time knew they were migrant workers, manytryingtogetoutandgohome.HowwouldProfessorSharpproposetheseinnocent victimsofNATOterrorusenonviolencetodefendthemselves?

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Some websites report that there are at least 7000 of these unfortunate victims of real violence in Transitional government jails and their fate is precarious. At the same time we daily get lurid reports on the corporate controlled media and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) of alleged Syrian government violence. Most of these socalled journalists make their reports about Syria based on Downing Street and Pentagon news releases from the safety of Washington, LondonandTelAviv. InIsraeloverthesummermonthsanduntilrecentlytherehasbeenarelativelynonviolent occupymovementinvolvinghundredsofthousandsinTelAvivandothermajorIsraelitowns and cities demanding redress to onerous economic conditions. Where is Professor Sharps supportforthatmanifestation?Thereisamediablackoutinthewestaboutsuchevents. ThetruthabouteventsunfoldinginEgyptisunderreportedandtheMubarakmilitaryisstill incontrolofthegovernmentofthatcountryinspiteofmassiveandwidespreadrelatively peaceful protest. The only violence comes from the army. No NATO intervention there to savecivilians.EgyptisfertilegroundforProfessorSharptotryouthisnonviolenttheoriesif hecanavoidbeingshotbyEgyptianmilitarystillunderthecommandofMubarakgenerals. Saudi Arabia is another country awaiting Professor Sharp. There women have no civil or electoral rights but Professor Sharp gives the Saudi princes a pass when the question of achievingnonviolentdemocracyisdiscussed. Martin Luther King and Gandhi were assassinated in spite of their self proclaimed and courageouspersonalnonviolentleadership.TodaytheUSAmilitarydoesnthavetoresort tocrudemethodsofassassinationofitsallegedenemiesitcandoitwithajoystick,viewing amonitorinthesafetyofamilitarybasesomewhereintheUSA.Howwillthosekilledinthis waydefendthemselvesbynonviolence?Theycantevenseewhotobenonviolentagainst. Professor Sharps premise is that the USA has the type of freedom, democracy, and state ruleostensiblycompletelydevoidofdictatorshipthateveryoneelseintheworldmusthave whethertheywantitornot. Mr.Sharphassomeexplainingtodo.Helistsotherstates,countriesandregimeshedeems tobewithoutquestionasbeinglegitimatetargetsforhisnonviolenttheoriesandtacticsof liberation,allexcepttheUSA.WhatisonetoconcludeotherthanProfessorSharpconsiders theUSAandbyimplicationalltheG7NATOstatesthatareitsalliestobetheuniversalglobal model.ProfessorSharphassimplycreatedanabstractuniversalimageofidealsthatdont

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exist anywhere and never will because the people themselves will ultimately decide how theywanttoliveinspiteofallofMr.Sharpsnostrumsandarequitecapableofwritingtheir ownconstitutions,lawsandwithouthishelp. Under former President George W. Bush, via the Patriot Act, most of the real formal freedoms of the US Bill of Rights and the Constitution were effectively annulled. To my knowledge that is still the case. Now US President Barak Obama has signed into law The National Defense Authorization Act permitting the US government to arrest anyone anywhereintheworldandtransportthemtotheUSAforprosecutionbymilitarytribunals. 2 3 TheviolentsinisterintentofthislegislationisopposedbytheUSCivilLibertiesAssociation andhasbeenthoroughlyexposedbyProfessorMichelChossudovskyofGlobalResearch. 4 Forapeacefulcountry,heldupbyProfessorSharpasanonviolentmodelfortheworld,he hasnothingtosayaboutthefactthatonapercapitabasistheUSAhasmorepeopleinjails than most other developed countries. The USA has the most ramified system of police suppressionofanyG20state.ViolenceandpornographyintheUSAispromotedinallofits mediaandcultureforthesimplereasonitmakesbillionsofdollarsforitsmediaempires.The threestrikesyoureoutdraconianprisonsystemintheUSAisthemodelnowpromoted bytheHarperGovernmentinamassiveprisonbuildingbillthatcriminalizestheyouthata timewhenallcrimeindicesinCanadaareactuallyfalling.ProfessorSharphasalottodoin hisowncountryaswedoinCanadabeforepresumingtotellothercountrieshowtoachieve freedombynonviolence. To state such banal views in the name of Einstein is a travesty. Albert Einstein was an implacable antifascist and was a socialist. He was of course more than that, a great humanitarian and advocate of nuclear disarmament and real peace arising out of international agreements that had the support of all enlightened people. Einstein was a scientistandnotapacifist.Hewouldcertainlyhavepreferrednonviolencebutunderstood theneedduringtheSecondWorldWartodefeatHitlermilitarily.Ihavehisbiographyinmy libraryandhavereaditandrefertoitoften.Einsteinbelievedinpeacearisingfromnuclear disarmament about which our learned Professor Sharp has nothing to say. Einstein didnt endorsethepoliticalsystemintheUSAnorintheUSSRbutneitherdidherepudiatethemas doesProfessorSharpthelatter.AlbertEinsteinbecausehewasascientistandnotasophist

2 3

http://www.aclu.org http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=28441 4 http://www.globalresearch.ca/

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realizedandacceptedthatsuchmodernsocietiesarehistoricallyevolvedinrealtermsand willfurtherevolveinrealtermsasMr.Sharpssophistryfadesandisforgotten. Dictatorship,freedom,totalitarianism,democracyarepowerfulwordsbuttriteandwithout meaningunlessthereisaconcretedefinitionastowhatthesetermsmeaninpracticeforthe peopleconcernedandtowhatrealexistingsituationtheyareapplied.Societymustliveinan organized way. It cannot exist in chaos. Professor Sharp fails miserably to tell us what his nonviolent activism will do to provide the billions that are starving with food and shelter andmedicinesandeducationwhenallofthatisinthecontrolofpowerfulstatemonopoly capitalist states and their right wing governments. Professor Sharp would have us plead withthispowertoceasebeingviolent,topleadwiththemwiththemnonviolentlytoplease stop being profiteers? Professor Sharp has nothing to say about the type of organized societythatpeoplemightaspiretowithhisnonviolentactivism.Willtheyeatbetter? ProfessorSharpandhisinstitutepromotetheUSAasauniversalmodelforallhumankind. Whatheisconfidentof,boundlesslyconfidentwemightadd,isthateveryoneagreeswith him.Wewouldsayheisshortabout6.5billionwhohavenotheardofhimandwillnotwait tostruggleforprogressorhisexplanationabouthedeclarestheymustdotobetrulyfreeof imperialism. Professor Sharp lacks credibility in the extreme except with gullible and selfinterested supporters hoping to be rewarded by imperialist largesse. Professor Sharp talks about his greatidealsintheabstractandhisexamplesofthesuccessofhistheorizingareallasserted notproven.Heisforcedtosaythathecanwithconcretenesspointtotheviolentcrimesof Nazismbecausehecouldverifysuchatrocitiesassuchandasmanyofusreadingtheselines sawthemduringandintheaftermathofWW2.Allofhisassertionsabouttheallegedcrimes of communism he has derived he admits from reading accounts. Apparently there was nothinginhisreadingabouttheexploitsoftheRedArmythatliberatedEuropeandsaved NorthAmericafromthescourgeofNazism. Professor Sharp is deep into the demonization and equating of communism with Nazism one of the most gross forms of historical revisionism. More than 20 million Soviet citizens along with the western allies gave their lives to liberate Europe and defeat Hitler. Non violent activism wasnt an option in that conflict. Professor Sharp doesnt discuss such examplesofunavoidableviolencenorcommentonwhowasresponsibleforitandwhether itwasnecessaryornot.Nordoeshecommentonthefactthatwarispoliticsbyothermeans

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andtheUSAdidntgetintoWW2untilitwasalmostoverandemergedfromitwithminimal lossesandbecamethedominantmilitaryandmostviolentpowerintheworld. WhentheManhattanProjectwasinfullswingtheUSgeneralinchargetoldthescientists whothoughttheywereproducingaweapontodefeatHitlerthatitwasbeingdevelopedto beusedagainsttheUSSR.ThattomysurprisewasrevealedonarecentCBCdocumentary. EvenChurchillassertedthatJapanwasalreadydefeatedbeforethedroppingoftheatomic bombsonHiroshimaandNagasaki.RussiaenteredthewaragainstJapanasitpromisedits allies and in six weeks defeated the Kwan Toon Japanese army and surrender talks were alreadyunderwaywhenTrumanorderedthebombstobedropped.Thatterribleactwasthe firstuseofweaponsofmassdestructionagainstciviliansandawarcrimethatonedaywill be prosecuted. Professor Sharp is mute on his countrys use of the nuclear weapon nor discusseshownonviolentactivismwouldhavesaveditsvictims.Ifhewasconsistentwith his doctrine of nonviolent activism he would be applying it in practice to help mobilize publicopinionintheUSAtosupportworldwidenucleardisarmament.Ifhewoulddothat hewouldgainsomecredibilityintheeyesofallpeoplewhowantpeace. TodaytheUSAandNATOretainthedoctrineofthefirststrikeuseofnuclearweaponsthe ultimateinaviolentact.CanadaisasignatorytothatNATOdoctrine.Thisobserverreceived adayorsoagoadocumentreleasedbyWikileaksprovidingthewordingofastatementof agreement between NATO and UN secretariats. Now the USA has even ensnared the UN into its doctrines of nuclear weaponry and Ban Ki Moon is now in clear violation of his mandateasUNSecretaryGeneralthatprohibitstheUNofengaginginwaralliances.Heis discreditedandshouldresign. We in Canada read Prime Minister Harpers statement in his most recent meeting with PresidentObamathattheenemiesoftheUSAcannotbefriendsofCanada.Onemustask, where does that leave CubanCanadian, VenezuelaCanadian, North KoreaCanadian relations and for that matter, RussiaCanadian relations, ChinaCanadian relations and now with US relations breaking down with Pakistan, PakistanCanadian relations. All of these countries to my knowledge bear no hostile intent against Canada but are now all our enemiesaccordingtoPrimeMinisterHarperandagainstwhichwemustbepreparedtogo to war if necessary. Prime Minister Harper claims he has the right to say such a thingon behalfofallCanadiansproclaimingwearenowthereforeenemieswithmostofthenonG7 NATO states of the world since most of the world is not in support of recent USNATO actions. Canada has never been as discredited in the eyes of world public opinion as it is sincetheadventoftheHarperConservativeGovernment.
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SuchrhetoricistypicalofourPrimeMinisterandisacrudeattempttojustifyparticipationin any future NATO war and for an unprecedented build up at taxpayer expense of the Canadianarmedforcestodefendusfromwhom?PerhapsProfessorSharpshouldcometo Canada and address Parliament with his nonviolent message. The Harper Canadian governmentisneedofit. We ask Professor Sharp. Do people who disapprove of US diktat over their lives have the right to resist in any manner they choose or are they only allowed to use the nonviolent activist methods prescribed by Professor Sharp? And just how are they to use such non violent methods while the USA maintains almost 1000 military bases around the world, deploys major nuclear equipped fleets in all major oceans, spends one half of its federal budget on armaments, and funds enumerable politically biased NGOs on all continents presumingtotellotherpeopleofothercountrieshowtoconducttheiraffairs.AndtheUS government does that while it fails to provide its own people with a decent health care system,affordablehousing,jobswithalivingwageandpermits1%ofitselitesofwealthand privilegetowantonlybreakthelawwhilesuchfinanciersfleecetheUScitizenrywithsuch schemesasthesubprimescam.WhatiswrongwiththatpictureProfessorSharp? ThebiggestdictatorshipintheworldbarnoneisahandfulofUSfinancecapitalistsofthe USA and the EU demanding freedom for itself above all else in this world. The USA has backedmurderousdictatorshipsoneverycontinentintheworldsinceWW2andstilldoes.It is a very long list and people have a long memory. The USA has fomented most of the regionalwarssinceWW2andisplanningaswespeak,tocarryanotheragainstIranandSyria and possibly North Korea, and if it does that, with the help of its client state Israel, the regionalwarsnowunderwayinIraqandAfghanistanwilllookliketeaparties.Asthisisbeing written Iran is carrying out maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz close to its own territorial watersandtheUSAsaysithasnorighttodothatasitmaintainsahugenavalandmilitary presenceallovertheregion.OnecanonlyimaginewhatwouldhappenifIransentaflotilla andcarriedoutmaneuversintheGulfofMexico. Perhaps Professor Sharp should get in a dinghy and go to the Strait of Hormuz and stand betweenthetwoprotagonistsandreadhisthesis.Thatwillstoptheimpendingdisaster.If things continue to deteriorate and most serious analysts predict they will, because the people of North America are still sleep walking or in tacit support out of a perceived self interest from foreign wars, there will be more war and fairly soon. Such a war will be
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accompanied, and that is already happening in the case of Syria and Iran, with a massive propagandabarrageallegingthatitisnecessarytokillpeopleinforeigncountriessowecan liveathomeinNorthAmericainsafetyandnonviolence. Suchawarisunlikelytobestoppedbyanytheoryofactivenonviolencehoweverperfect.It isirresponsibletoassertsuchanideainthenameoffreedomanddemocracyatsuchatime ofgraveperiltoourplanet.Anuclearwaranywherewillhaverepercussionsforusalland thecorporatecontrolledmediaandtheirwellpaidshillscoverthatupandsodoesProfessor Sharp. TheUSAisheadingintoanotherPresidentialelectionandeverytimeitdoesintoasocalled exerciseinelectoraldemocracytheextremerightwingbeginstobeatthedrumsofwar.The USpowerelitesdidthatin1951inKorea,againinVietNamandCambodiainthe1960s,again in the Gulf War 1990, in the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, then on to Iraq and Afghanistanin2001andLibyalastyearandnowpossiblyIranandSyria. FinallyProfessorSharpneedstoberemindedtoberemindedaboutdictatorshipssupported by the USA since the one that seems to preoccupy him the most is the alleged Stalin dictatorship.TheRussianpeoplearequitecapableofsortingthatoutwithoutMr.Sharps help. The dictatorships that should be preoccupying Professor Sharp is the dictatorship of financecapitaloverallaspectsofhiscountrysdevelopment. Dictatorship when it has western backing is somehow benign but when it does not have western approval even when it is demonstrable popular with the people, it is intrinsically evil.WherewasthesuccessofnonviolenceinendingthedictatorshipsinSouthandCentral America? The people there were forced to resort to arms and did so against oppressors armed by the USA. Where was the success of nonviolence during the Spanish Civil War when the west claimed to be neutral while it allowed the fascist condor legions and the GoeringsLuftwaffetoobliterateGuernicawhichPicassomemorializedinhisgreatpainting. Where the victory of nonviolence for the victims of the Nazi death camps where millions werepiteouslymurderedmenwomenandchildrenevenastheyyearnedtolive. WeonthelefthavehadenoughinourlifetimeofProfessorslikeMr.Sharp.Thisobserver prefers those professors that stand with the people and their struggle for peace and socialism in all of its forms, peaceful and nonpeaceful. The USA and now sadly our own government has no nonviolent peace policy. The G7 NATO states only have a violent war

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policyandifourbeautifulplanetistosurviveweneedtooustsuchhatefulgovernmentsand theirpowerfulfinancialbackersandsoon.

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