A lot of erstwhile socialists writing “Marxist-Leninist” defenses of Assad’s dictatorship & bombing of civilians are now writing retrospectives on the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution–Tariq Ali among them.

They’re probably no better on the Russian revolution before the internet than they are on the Syrian revolution but who wants to plow through their crap to find out? After reading their essays explaining that Syria is a nation oppressed by US imperialism which they demonstrate with quotes from Lenin & not a peep about Syrian politics, the better part of judgement is to use their essays for toilet paper.