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Major wings of the socialist left are in an ideological crisis similar to
that of the 1930s and '40s. Back then, the ideas of the Soviet bureaucracy
- as expressed by Stalin - pretty much dominated the socialist movement.
Now, it's facing a similar crisis, and a major aspect of those ideas again
dominates. That is the idea that in the ex-colonial world, the only
consideration is the role of US imperialism. The role of the working class
in the ex-colonial world, and therefore their experiences, doesn't matter.
That was the position of Stalinism, and it's being adopted by so much of
the left.
All too much of the "socialist" left takes it a step further: Their
position is to support Russian imperialism. That's why they support Assad.
It's good that Green Left Weekly doesn't go that far, but they apparently
have accepted the first step, more or less negating the role and experience
of the Venezuelan working class. At least if the article on Venezuela that
Chris Slee sent is any measure. Totally absent from the article is the
slightest hint of criticism of the military-based rule of Maduro. In fact,
the article goes so far as to imply that the military is an agent of the
working class. ("Citizen militia [is] ready to back up the army..." they
write.)
In the first place, except in the case of a working class revolutionary
overthrow of the capitalist state and the establishment of a working class
rule through workers' councils, the military can never be an agent of the
working class. Some will denounce this as abstract theoretical dogma, but
theory does play a role; it is important. And if the theory is correct, it
will explain the concrete situation. The situation in Venezuela is proof of
that. The military tops have vastly enriched themselves through their
control over major industry, including the PDVSA. They are part and parcel
of the bolibourgeoisie. As for the rank and file, Maduro is using special
privilege - the monthly food parcels - to maintain their loyalty. Maduro
has cracked down on the working class, repressing union organizing. His
agents have aligned with the old landlords in the rural areas, attacking
peasant groups. His government in repressing freedom of speech, such as in
the case of the disappearance for 8 hours of journalist Luis Carlos Diaz.
(It was subsequently revealed that he had been arrested.)
None of this means support for Guaido and for US intervention (of any
sort). But there is an alternative - that of the action of the Venezuelan
working class, acting as its own independent force through its own
independent organizations. This is what's been lost sight of time and time
again, and with it the actual experiences of the masses of people. That's
what the Green Left Weekly's article also ignores. The most recent and most
blatant example of this is Code Pink's shameful trip to Iran where they
helped provide cover for that criminal regime. It is unfortunate that Green
Left Weekly has added to this confusion.
John Reimann
--
*“In politics, abstract terms conceal treachery.” *from "The Black
Jacobins" by C. L. R. James
Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook
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