The Iraq War catastrophe happened thanks to a coalition of right-wingers, but ultimately the Iraq War broke the Left. Many leftists today are unable to think about foreign policy or about the Middle East beyond the prism of the Iraq War, as if history stopped in 2003.
Leftism is supposed to be about support for the crushed and the weak as they struggle against oppressive power. The Iraq War broke certain segments of the Left so thoroughly that they can't even *see* Syria's crushed or their struggle.
We're stuck with a kind of Leftism that has so lost its way and its moral compass that they see Assad, Putin, and Khamenei (a fascist, an imperialist, and a theocrat) as the *good* guys - and the native Syrians who struggle against them as the *foreign* agents.
I'll be the last guy to defend the Iraq War - it was that war and the "clash of civilizations" narrative that accompanied it that once radicalized me, and its memory continues t be traumatic at a very personal level. But the history of the Middle East didn't end in 2003.
Every argument with these so-called Leftists ends with "but Iraq War!" - and you can immediately see that their own politics takes precedence over our lives, our struggles, our dreams, our agency, our sacrifices, and our pain. They don't even see us. It's all about the Iraq War.
In this past thread, I explored the intersection of leftism and statism, and how some leftists fail to see the world in terms of societies, only states. There are "bad" states (mainly the US); and any state that pushes against the US becomes a "good guy".
Believe it or not, it's actually possible (and not that hard) to oppose dictatorship, terrorism, and foreign intervention all at once, without picking a choosing sides. In fact, not only is that possible, it's perhaps the only morally tenable position.
Also, foreign intervention:
1. Isn't only military - it includes political & economic support, weapons sales, etc to dictatorships
2. Isn't only American - the Russian and the Iranian regimes are also imperialists (extensive evidence to that would need another thread)
1. Isn't only military - it includes political & economic support, weapons sales, etc to dictatorships
2. Isn't only American - the Russian and the Iranian regimes are also imperialists (extensive evidence to that would need another thread)
If was really the @SusanSarandon episode that made me write this thread. You wanna be non-interventionist - fine, but at least be consistent in your demands for "no intervention". More importantly, be clear about your values - are you pro-human rights or just knee-jerk anti-US?
I should close by saying that, of course, not all Leftists display this kinda behavior or way of thinking. That goes without saying. But influential voices that identify with the Left do, and it's deeply problematic and has real world (not just theoretical) consequences.
And if I would just add one more note - the reason why it's so hurtful when Leftists display this kind of behavior is that they *should* be our allies. They *should* understand. They *should* be the ones offering us solidarity. A lot of the anger has to do with disappointment.
