Rev Int Movement

I would like to make this respectful response to the posting
about the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement:

I do not know a lot about other groups that the RIM supports,
but I do know that this organization has in the past (and apparently
continues to) supported the Communist Party of Peru (also known
as the Shining Path).  Readers of WSN may already know that
the Shining Path has distinguished itself as a particularly violent,
sectarian party.  The Shining Path, in fact, systematically
killed leftist organizers (such as Maria Elena Moyano) who were
courageously struggling to better the conditions of life for
impoverished peoples in Peru.  The Peruvian government, of course,
also killed many peasants and leftist activists.  But this, in my mind,
does not excuse the actions of the Shining Path -- which ended
up setting back by decades the political agenda of the left in
Peru (both by killing many key progressive leaders, and by
causing wide portions of the Peruvian population to reject
leftist projects).

Again, I do not know what other RIM-associated parties are
engaged in.  I simply wanted to express my concern about
one of its affiliates, which has engaged in particularly brutal
practices.  Those who wish to bring about progressive change
in the world (even those who believe in the occasional need
for violent revolution) should nevertheless strongly condemn
movements of the left which utilize violence in an indiscriminate
manner.

Respectfully,

Bruce Podobnik
podobnik@lclark.edu