What's incredible about it beyond putting the boot into Chomsky and an attempt to reduce the debate into 'you're either with us or against us', and the use of the word 'principle' when in fact he seems to be expressing a belief in adherence to an ideology ? The whole thing reeks of demonization somewhat akin to the accusations of being 'unamerican' simply for having the temerity to question the decision making of the president. That sort of black and white thinking might sit well in an article, but it serves little purpose in the real world where it's more important to evaluate matters on the ground in a rational manner.
I haven't read the Chomsky piece but it seems like the author offers a succinct explanation for Chomsky's POV (He's a Westerner, can only affect Western policy, so is only concerned with Western politics). The author then spends the rest of the article arguing from his own somewhat Utopia POV. Chomsky isn't perfect and harping on that imperfection seems to be a bit of an intellectual oddity, especially considering that the author is concerned with the consequences of Russia's imperialism. Here the author condemns Chomsky's double standard on imperialism while seemingly trumpeting the US' own imperialism with the excuse that it's okay for the US to create puppet states because the US is doing so in it's own interests as "World Police".
Most damning, however, is the shaming of a Left institute for not being ideologically pure enough for him. So what? Because the Congo Crisis has been more devastating than the Syrian Crisis the Syrian's protesting/fighting against their own government should hang it up and instead protest the Congo? Russian's protesting the bloodless Crimean Crisis should stop and instead focus their energy on, say, Israel/Palestine aggression? That's an oddly authoritarian, specific, and disciplined method of operation from someone attempting to make the opposite arguement.
Though this is an important quote:
Today, the fact that Western-backed Saudi Arabia is a better place to live than, say, communist, North Korea is an irrelevance both to Saudis and North Koreans.
Which is absolutely true.
Some other "issues". The author cites "universal values" but should understand that humanism is not exactly compatible with Marxism. The author reinforces the concept that history is made on the relative micro level by the people that experience it (the above quote, the end of the article), so to assume that values are universal is a direct contradiction of the two ideas.
When comparing the West to Stalin/Mao is the best the author can come up with is the US' modern prison/police society? That's a terrible white wash of
why people like Stalin and Mao were brought into popular power. Western powers are despised by many because of horrible incidents like the Belgian holocaust in Africa, which has the highest, most deliberate, death toll of any massacre. Or the Japanese occupation of China and Indochina. Forced starvation of India. US supported Jewish pogroms in Western Russia. Or the etc etc etc etc etc etc
ad nauseum. Point being, The West and Capitalism aren't restricted to The US and UK, but include everyone involved.
Also, Isolationism is not Right Wing and it's hilarious to see the author insinuate otherwise because chauvinism certainly
is and there's nothing more chauvinistic than playing World Police.
Polemics aside, I ultimately agree with the, I suppose, overall sentiment of the article. I thought long and hard last night about the situation and while I ideologically oppose fascist and fascist leaning bourgeoisie governments, an important Marxist theory and Maoist quote applies here more importantly than ever:
Support a state's National Bourgeoisie over Imperialist powers and "It is right to rebel". If the Ukrainians do not in turn route the fascist elements of their government, which is a possibility, then should a foreign entity really involve itself in Ukraine's affairs.
Medvedev's Russia was a slightly better place. September 24th 2011 was an error of judgment on Putin's part and the political crisis of Dec 2011-Aug 2012 is the proof of that.
