Ethical foreign policy

This is a better copy to a previous posting. The last one was not suitably 
formatted.

Washington uses "ethical foreign policy" as a strategy to undermine its 
opponents. Using
this strategy it can under the ideological cover of ethics  invade other 
territories. It
is this ethical imperialism that gives Washington the pretext for 
attacking, bombing and
invading Serbia and thereby engaging in a modern colonialism. Washington 
must resort to
this kind of ideological deception because it needs to conceal from the 
working class it
real actions. In the absence of any such concealment there is always the 
danger of the
working class both within and without the US challenging its actions. The 
fear of the
working class underlines American imperialism's actions. Consequently 
secrecy and
deception is a necessity in its attempt to protect and enhance the 
conditions necessary
for the perpetuation of the accelerated accumulation of capital.

Ethical foreign policy is the means by which Washington acts out its 
imperialism. Under
this policy it can attack, invade and colonise other countries that it 
seeks to exploit or
control for purposes of global strategic concerns. Today imperialist 
foreign policy must
be hidden behind a web of deceit.

Washington and London are forever informing the public that there are 
"morally bad" and
good countries. The bad countries are Russia, China, Serbia, North Korea, 
Afghanistan,
Libya, Iraq etc. What is ignored is that there are other "morally wayward" 
countries too,
However these countries are not on the black list because they serve 
Washington's
imperialist interests --countries such as Indonesia and Colombia. Indeed 
Washington
actively supports these countries both strategically and militarily.

The West mobilise public opinion against a particular "bad" country through 
its mass media
which provides the popular basis for its active intervention. Such a 
mobilisation may be
undertaken for many months. Consequently all views that don't fit in with 
the  official
view are marginalized and even submerged in the mass media hysteria that is 
generated by
the bourgeoisie. This is why we only here dissenting views after the event 
has taken
place, been completed and consolidated. Criticism post facto is not then a 
challenge and
yet serves the ideological function of presenting the illusion that we live 
in a world in
which freedom of expression exists. Currently it is being done in relation 
to Russia over
Chechnya albeit in a modified form. However it is being done in a modified 
form because
the West is not so sure how they can fully exploit this war for their own 
gain. However by
partially whipping up antagonism they are positioning themselves while 
menacing Russia as
a way of both asserting influence and menacing it. It is also a means of 
exploiting
Chechnya as a means of mobilising antagonism against Russia over the long 
term -since it
can take years to achieve this. It is also designed to obscure from the 
masses in the West
the essence of the situation in the CIS. It is also a way of signalling to 
Russia what
they can do if Russia goes any further in its policy of consolidating or 
extending the
CIS.

This ethical strategy also ideologically reinforces Western capitalism by 
reinforcing
belief in Western society as a good society despite its shortcomings. By 
attacking
"morally depraved" societies it reinforces its own legitimacy. It also 
distracts the
masses  from the inherent limitations of Western capitalism. It gives the 
Western masses
something to let steam off  about -it becomes a substitute for authentic 
radicalism
thereby precluding the emergence of revolutionary movements. It can also 
serve to maintain
the working class in an inert state. It also has the added effect of 
presenting the
imperialist bourgeoisie as being a crusading force for justice. In this way 
it creates a
cross class alliance led by the bourgeoisie. What more could the 
bourgeoisie ask for.
It creates too a culture  that is ideologically overwhelming. The visceral 
feeling is
created that there is just no basis for a radically different alternative. 
Consequently
one does not even try to present an ideological challenge. The assumptions 
underlying this
imperialist ideology become so pervasive that they become natural givens.

The real situation becomes invisible. Delusion is substituted for reality. 
This has been
all the more effective because old traditional bourgeois ideology have been 
replaced by
this new one. Consciousness lags behind reality. Consequently it takes time 
for the
character of this new ideology to be consciously recognised. Instead the 
Quixotic exercise
of fighting the old ideological giants is engaged in -the unawareness that 
substance has
been metamorphosed into shadow. This in itself is another bourgeois 
ideology that entails
lefties and even radical liberals engaging in a harmless Quixotic exercise.

This ideology of the imperialist ethic spreads out in all directions while 
deepening its
grip on the Western masses so much so that it is metamorphosed into a 
culture of the
ethic. Consequently certain languages and conceptualisations become 
invisible dropping out
of the frame. The culture creates the universal impression that western 
democracy is the
ethical norm -the universal  criterion as to what is just. This culture 
extends itself
into all places. This moralistic conception of global conditions serves the 
ideological
purpose of hiding in a web of deceit and lies the real nature of global 
conditions.
Consequently this ideology lulls the working class into accepting and 
tolerating political
and economic developments that it would challenge if it had a clear vision 
of the
conditions -if it new the facts. This ideology is a screen behind which the 
bourgeoisie
can freely advance their class interests and the continued oppression of 
the working
class. Its oppressions assumes a hidden form. However it needs this 
ideological veil of
secrecy if it is to effectively serve its own class interests. Without this 
veil of
secrecy the working class would not let the capitalist class freely exploit 
it. It would
challenge it.

As I said already to effect this uniform and universal ideology the 
capitalist class
frequently need to modify practical and institutional conditions in order 
to provide a
material support that can sustain this ideology. Under these conditions the 
device used to
deceive the masses rendering them inert transcends the mere ideological 
level. The
ideology, so to speak, is transformed into a hegemonic form. This is a form 
that includes
both the ideological and material conditions that sustain the inability  of 
the masses to
see what is going on. Examples of such phenomenal forms are schools and 
universities.
The bourgeoisie to effect this universal web of deceit requires a docile 
mass media
including the press, radio and television. These forms must be subordinated 
to the
interests of the bourgeoisie. Consequently they must play a decisive role 
in deceiving the
working class. Their role is pivotal in creating a web of deceit that 
prevent the masses
from comprehending what is really going on. If the masses were to 
comprehend the real
state of affairs they would become more awakened and thereby mobilise 
against capitalism.
In fact a multitude of diverse institutions are employed to maintain this 
web of deceit:
the print media, television, radio, cinema, video, universities, the state, 
schools,
literature etc. There is in existence a massively enormous ideological 
apparatus that
presses down on the working class to prevent it from shaking off this veil 
of secrecy to
gain a grasp of the real fact and thereby oppose the system. Under these 
conditions the
working class is lulled into a state of inertia whereby it is unawakened as 
to what is
really going on. Consequently the working class lack even the critical 
tools whereby it
can an insight as to what is really going on. The working class is thereby 
ideologically
disarmed. This renders the working class incapable of engaging in 
resistance against the
system. It renders the working class passive.
At the same time the material conditions prevailing at a specific point in 
time determine
the specific character of this web of deceit. Because of the changing 
objective
circumstances ideology does not remain static. Particular conditions 
require particular
ideological forms. Particular conditions too can render the working class 
more vulnerable
to ideological deception. Economic and political conditions of a specific 
kind can prompt
the working class into action that challenges the bourgeoisie. Other 
conditions can render
the working class less responsive to challenging or even questioning the 
status quo.
Consequently the position is not a simple that can be reduced to the level 
of ideological
deceit. Nonetheless the bourgeoisie need a permanent web of deceit to 
render the masses
acquiescent. Capitalist society is inherently a deceptive society. By its 
very objective
nature its appearance contradicts its essence. Furthermore and linked into 
to this it
actively and systematically engages in the activity of lying. To survive it 
must lie. If
it did not lie it would cease to exist. Consequently the lying culture 
created by
capitalist conditions encourages lying among the working class. The working 
class must
resist the culture of lies. Capitalism is sustained by the lie. Capitalism 
is anti-truth.
The working class must struggle against the culture of the lie. It must 
fight against the
lie. The more oppressed elements within the working class will tend to be 
more dominated
by the lie. Consequently they will tend to be the less truthful layer 
within the working
class. This being so they are the layer less responsive to the truth which 
makes them more
difficult to argue with and win over to revolutionary communist politics.
Given that the lie rather than the truth is the norm seeking to advance the 
truth is a
very onerous task. It is very difficult to win workers to the truth in a 
culture of lies
from which truth is absent -especially under conditions that don't render 
the need for
truth all that more urgent.

Now imperialist class interests are hidden behind the screen of ethical 
foreign policy.
Intervention in East Timor by the West in the form of Australian forces  
reinforces this
illusion of the imperialist crusaders of natural justice. What is ignored 
is the interests
that such intervention serve beyond the screen of a false morality.

This same type of ethical ideology is used to obstruct support for workers 
when they
engage in direct action either in the form of strike action or political 
rallies. These
actions are presented as morally wrong. Again  action taken by the 
bourgeoisie against
workers engaging in direct action is hidden under a web of deceit. If the 
workers see the
real situation they may awaken and challenge the actions of the bourgeoisie.

Hostage takers such as the Burmese Army of God are presented to the public 
as the source
of oppression and brutality against the masses. What is ignored is that 
this sorry
organisation has its source in the Burmese oppressive state which has 
engaged in a much
more systematic savagery against the Burmese citizenry in a way that 
renders the Army of
God look like a lamb. Yet public opinion is mobilised against these hostage 
takers while
the savage acts of the Burmese state are continued  beyond the margins of 
public
attention.

When it is politically opportune these guerrilla organisations can be 
brought in from the
cold and rendered respectable. The treatment given to the Provos is such an 
example. The
imperialist bourgeoisie can manipulate its mass media in such a way that 
"terrorists" are
rendered respectable and its leaders presented as peaceniks when formerly 
their image was
that of demonic figures. Imperialism manipulates and mobilises public 
opinion to suit its
interests. The masses are viewed as a passive blob to be preserved in a 
state of inertia
and that can be shaped this way or that by the institutions of the 
imperialist
bourgeoisie. Again imperialism must conceal its real intentions under a web 
of deceit and
lies.


Warm regards
George Pennefather

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