> On Nov 25, 2025, at 12:08, Marv Gandall via groups.io > <[email protected]> wrote: > > the bourgeoisie will not allow the gradual and nonviolent introduction of > almost all of these measures which fundamentally challenge its power and > property.
Agreed. Tom posted a reference to a Jacobin article on Gorz's book, STRATEGY FOR LABOR, which considers the distinction between reformist and non-reformist reforms, https://archive.org/details/strategyforlabor00gorz/mode/2up?q=transition. The book does not mention Trotsky's Transitional Program, which seems to be an odd omission to me. According to Trotsky "It is necessary to help the masses in the process of the daily struggle to find the bridge between present demand and the socialist program of the revolution. This bridge should include a system of transitional demands, stemming from today’s conditions and from today’s consciousness of wide layers of the working class and unalterably leading to one final conclusion: the conquest of power by the proletariat. Classical Social Democracy, functioning in an epoch of progressive capitalism, divided its program into two parts independent of each other: the minimum program which limited itself to reforms within the framework of bourgeois society, and the maximum program which promised substitution of socialism for capitalism in the indefinite future. Between the minimum and the maximum program no bridge existed. And indeed Social Democracy has no need of such a bridge, since the word socialism is used only for holiday speechifying." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Transitional_Program) Steve's demands could be transitional and prioritized to strategically reduce the power of capital as a defensive measure, such as creating social ownership of the fossil fuel industry to meet climate emission goals. Social ownership would certainly require governance by industry workers with the consent of the population, which might be local, regional, national or international. AS another example, Medicare for All would need a transformed medical industry in order for it to be affordable and led by councils of workers and students, physicians, janitors, patients and the public. All of this begs the question of what sort of political organizations are needed to lead the transition. And this leads us to the critique of the varieties of Leninism and other organizational theories, which is a long discussion by itself. Mark -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#39491): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/39491 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/116410536/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
