Nonviolent Imperialism: Major Revision
March 10, 2008
A revision to Michael Barker’s earlier article.
On March 8, 2008, I wrote that Professor Stephen Zunes was correct to point out that Stephen Gowans was mistaken to claim that “the governments Zunes really seems to be concerned about (Zimbabwe, Iran, Belarus and Myanmar) are hostile to the idea of opening their doors to unrestricted U.S. investment and exports” (Point 5).
My statement was incorrect, because in Zunes’ first article “Nonviolent Action and Pro-Democracy Struggles”, it is very clear that he is primarily concerned with four counties in particular, that is, Zimbabwe, Iran, Belarus and Myanmar. These are all countries in which the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and its democracy manipulating cohorts are highly active. Moreover, judging by NED’s project database, over the past five years the NED has funnelled over $13 million to the following groups working within (and also outside of) these four countries.
Zimbabwe ($1.5 million in 2004, 2005 and 2006 only; in 2006 groups obtained $1 million) Groups funded include: American Center for International Labor Solidarity, Centre for Policy Studies, Crisis Coalition, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Federation of African Media Women – Zimbabwe (FAMWZ), International Republican Institute, Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI), Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-ZIM), National Constitution Assembly, National Democratic Institute, Zimbabwe Community Development Trust (ZCDT), Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, and ZimRights.
Iran ($1.4 million) Groups funded include: Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation, American Center for International Labor Solidarity, Center for the International Private Enterprise, Civic Education and Human Rights, Institute of World Affairs, International Republican Institute, Iran Teachers’ Association, National Iranian-American Council, Vital Voices Global Partnership, and the Women’s Learning Partnership. For further discussion of the NED’s work in Iran, see here.
Belarus ($2.9 million in 2004 and 2005 only) Groups receiving funding are not listed. For further discussion of the NED’s work in Belarus, see here.
Myanmar ($7.7 million – in 2004, 2005, and 2006 only) Groups receiving funding are not listed. For further discussion of the NED’s work in Myanmar, see here.
Needless to say these NED grants represent the tip of the iceberg of the ‘democratic’ monies following into these counties, as their grants topped up by better funded ‘aid’ agencies, like the US Agency for International Development: indeed, total official overseas development aid provided by the United States for 2005 came to $27.6 billion.
Michael Barker is a British citizen based in Australia. Most of his other articles can be found here.
March 16, 2008 at 8:50 pm
[...] of hope for Zimbabwe. Never mind that it is funded by the US National Endowment for Democracy (3) – an organization that does overtly what the CIA used to do covertly. Plenty of civil society [...]
March 17, 2008 at 5:18 pm
This is a total fabrication. Anyone who has bothered to review my collected writings will show that 99% of my hundreds of critical commentaries over the years which focus upon a particular government are in regard to the U.S. government and U.S.-backed regimes. I have never written any articles about Zimbabwe, Belarus, and Myanmar and virtually every article about Iran I have ever written has focused upon my opposition to U.S. intervention, so they idea that I am “primarily concerned” about these countries is a complete lie.
I have also consistently opposed U.S. efforts to undermine, subvert, overthrow these or any other governments.
I do support, however, the right of people to challenge and, if necessary, overthrow repressive corrupt regimes that fail to meet the political or economic rights of their people, such as the popular uprisings against such regimes as Somoza, Marcos, Pinochet, Milosevic, Traore, Suharto, and others. These regimes were overthrown as a result of popular struggle, not as a result of the limited support the opposition may have received in some form from the United States, the Soviet Union, or any other foreign government.
My colleagues and I have been active in supporting the struggles of Palestinians, Sahrawis, West Papuans, Egyptians, Azerbaijanis, Maldivians, and others struggling for their freedom through offering workshops on the history and dynamics of strategic nonviolent struggle. A number of people have speculated that efforts by Gowans, Barker and others to discredit me may be part of a broader Bush administration disinformation campaign to undermine the solidarity work of me and my colleagues, trying to confuse people into thinking that our workshops offered to progressive activists in these and other countries are somehow part of the sinister interventionist agenda of the U.S. government. Though I have no direct evidence to support such speculation, such false charges against me and my colleagues are already having an impact: a number of scheduled participants at a recent workshop canceled when they heard false rumors that we were funded by or otherwise linked to the U.S. government.
Hopefully, readers of this web site, instead of falling for this disinformation campaign, will check out my web site: http://www.stephenzunes.org to see where I’m actually coming from politically.
March 29, 2008 at 12:42 am
[...] Rethinking ‘Opposing Imperialism’ (Response to Stephen Zunes), Green Left Weekly, March 9, 2008. Nonviolent Imperialism: Zunes on Gowans, The Fanonite, March 8, 2008. (Major Revision) [...]
April 30, 2008 at 12:27 am
Stephen Zunes,
Let me see if I can follow this. The efforts of myself, Michael Barker and others to expose your links to the US ruling class through its corporate foundations and wealthy individuals who have assumed a leadership role on its behalf (including Michael Milken’s former right hand-man, Freedom House supremo and Council of Foreign Relations member Peter Ackerman) is part of a Bush administration disinformation campaign to discredit you? The logic escapes me. Since I have no links to the US ruling class, its corporate foundations or its leaders, and you do in spades, it is to difficult to see how I can be part of a Bush administration disinformation campaign. This strikes me as part of a Zunes’ disinformation campaign.
As to “a number of scheduled participants at a recent workshop” canceling when they discovered your less than reputable connections, I am encouraged to hear there remain principled people in the world.
Steve Gowans
May 1, 2008 at 5:27 am
If it’s government disinformation Stephen Zunes is worried about, maybe he should get his Senator to investigate the subversive disinformation put out by “State Department Socialists”. For someone so skilled in talking out of both sides of his mouth, he’ll find plenty of interesting examples of word usage in their Orwellian lexicon.