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On 2/8/15 3:47 PM, James Creegan via Marxism wrote:
This essay by the newly appointed Syriza economics minister is thoroughly
confused in its exposition of Marx. It is, however, remarkably frank
politically. It states that the socialist goal, while desirable, is
impossible in our lifetime. Further, a continuing capitalist crisis in
Europe can only redound to the advantage of the far right. Ergo: the only
realistic goal is the restabilization of capitalism and the European Union,
detestable though they may be. This in turn can only be accomplished by
right-left, cross-class alliances, and by trying to convince the capitalist
class, or elements thereof, that an economic strategy superior to their
current austerity dogmas is the only way to save the existing order. There
is never any mention of class struggle.
These are not merely the musings of an academic. The essay is a pretty
forthright statement of the politics of perhaps the most important member
of the Syriza government, apart from Tsipras himself. What do people think?
(Hope this post arrives in acceptable form)
James, congratulations on getting up to snuff typographically. The
politics of course are another question.
Has there been the slightest indication at any point that the Syriza
leadership is left-Keynesian? For that matter, Hugo Chavez has said
pretty much the same thing even though Michael Lebowitz took exception
to that.
What we are dealing with is leftwing governments in Latin American and
now in Greece, with Spain and possibly Ireland and Portugal in the
wings, that do not have the rrrevolutionary program of sects like the
CPGB, the British SWP or Creegan's old pals in the Spartacist League.
It is the easiest thing in the world to draw up a revolutionary program.
All you need is a basic knowledge of Marxism and a computer. Here, watch
me do it in five minutes:
The Proyectist League demands:
1. Nationalize the banks
2. Resolve unemployment by guaranteeing 40 hours pay for 30 hours of work.
3. Arm the workers to protect against fascist bands.
4. Withdraw from the EU and return to the drachma.
5. Make Leon Trotsky's birthday a national holiday.
Just checked my watch. Only 4 minutes and 11 seconds. Pretty fucking good.
This in essence is how the Trotskyist movement has functioned since its
birth. It is to the mass movement, with a few exceptions like Hugo
Blanco in Peru, what Roger Ebert was to film--its critic.
When I was in the SWP in the 60s, we used to blame our small numbers and
lack of influence on Stalinism. When Stalinism pretty much disappeared,
we had nobody to blame but ourselves.
Most people with political savvy came around to understanding that
revolutions are not made by "exposing" the traitors like Alex Tsipras.
They are made by leading struggles and winning *millions* of people to
your side. That's what the July 26th Movement did in Cuba and what the
FSLN tried to do in Nicaragua. The FSLN failed because its triumph
occurred just around the time the Soviet Union was embracing capitalism.
It is likely that Cuba would not have gotten as far as it did without
Soviet help.
For sectarians and ultraleftists, the relationship of class forces does
not exist. If I sat down with Gary Kasparov and was playing white, with
only a pawn taken while he was playing black with nothing but a king and
three pawns, I could beat him. This is analogous to the situation that a
country like Greece is dealing with but that does not matter to the
sectarian Platonic idealists who think because they have the idea of
October 1917 in their brain that by simply expressing it like saying
"Hocus-Pocus, alakazam", it will happen.
Politics is not about what you say; it is about what you do. Creegan is
not happy that Syriza is not living up to his favorite sect's ideals.
Maybe if the CPGB could learn how to lead millions of people in
struggle, we could take its critiques more seriously. Right now they
deserve about the same thing the Spart got from the audience at the
Syriza meeting the other night--peals of laughter.
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