On Tue, Nov 25, 2025 at 02:23 PM, Mark Baugher wrote: > > 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...
The notion of a transition to socialism, particularly in Trotsky’s case but also in the heady 60’s when Gorz wrote, was premised on the belief that the period was pre-revolutionary and that in the course of struggling for “transitional demands" or "non-reformist reforms" the working class would quickly come to recognize the need to overthrow capitalism to realize them. This echoed Trotsky’s theory of permanent revolution, and his transitional program was fashioned on the eve of world war II which he believed would culminate in world revolution. The fatal shortcoming of the theory is that in periods of reaction the bourgeoisie is able to ignore these demands or, at best, can coopt and modify the least threatening of them to suit the needs of the system. In themselves, Steven's demands to repeal anti-union laws and legislate a 20 hour work week with guaranteed jobs and income for all, to restrict the pay and authority of legislators, to publicly fund an expanded network of workers’ coops, etc. are all worthwhile and necessary, but we should not delude ourselves into thinking they are presently " 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", as Trotsky conceived of them and Gorz would have concurred. So to advocate that they are "for later" is IMO to unwittingly fall into the trap of social democratic "Sunday speechifying" about socialism at some future date which we all rightfully scorned. If the tide turns and we enter into another pre-revolutionary crisis, I believe we would see the revival and growth of Lenin's organizational model but I agree this warrants a longer discussion. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#39492): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/39492 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]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
