On Wed, 15 Jan 1997, Robert Malecki wrote:
> Shawgi writes;
> >A study of the conditions as they prevail on the world scale shows
> >that the main content of the present counter-revolution is the all-
> >sided pressure to "liquidate" i.e. get rid of, whatever positive
> >achievements have been made by modern society. This attack takes
> >the form of the anti-social offensive and is, essentially, all-
> >sided wrecking activity on the part of imperialism and the
> >bourgeoisie to undermine and destroy whatever positive achievements
> >have been made by humankind during the twentieth century.
>
> The above is at best very one side.In fact it has no political context what
> so ever!
"This is one-sided"? Why? Because it doesn't address everything under
the sun in a few lines. This accusation can made of any paragraph taken
out of context, even one packed with as much information as this one.
And, even if it is one-sided, this does not automatically make it false.
Besides, what investigator doesn't know that analysis and inquiry must
always be all-sided and based on concrete conditions, that everything has
numerous aspects, some basic and others secondary?
Now, the anti-social offensive, launched by the world bourgeoisie and
reaction, is successful insofar as the world bourgeoisie and reaction are
*politically* supreme, control the State machinery and marginalize the broad
masses of the people. This is why the pro-social program cannot develop
fully unless the producing masses, the propertyless, secure State power,
unless the vast majority law down the fundamental law of the land.
Nothing will change unless the working class has supreme political
decision-making power, unless the toiling masses have a say in governance
and the direction of society. At this time sovereignty does not lie with
all the memebers of the polity. The U.S. electorate, like the Canadian
electorate, is extremely dissatisfied with the set-up of the
super-wealthy. They are disgusted with the political process,
politicians and politics. Hence the need for the creation of a new
electoral system and political process, one which will lead to the
concrete empowerment of the citizenry.
> The present offensive must be seen in the counter-revolution that took place
> in the Soviet Union and eastern block countries. Not having to deal with the
> former Soviet Union and eastern block countries under Stalinist leadership
> the international bougeoisie has gone to attack to take back many of the
> reforms that the existence of the soviet union and East Block countries were
> responsible for. I mean this pie in the sky shit and the many reforms after
> the second world war was in fact just a sop in order to prevent the
> expansion of Soviet rule--even in a bureaucratic bizarr way that the
> Stalinists tried to introduce "planned economies" on the point of the guns
> of the victorious Red Army.
This does not speak to the point.
> And in reply to the rest of this letter I would like to argue that the
> general crisis that the left has been thrown into with the demise of
> Stalinism and the desertion of Social Democracy into the arms of the
> bougeoisie is that a regroupment of forces is neccessary who can break with
> the politics of the Stalinists and Mensheviks in order to create and
> organisation Internationally that can lead the working class forward in its
> daily struggles.Naturally the condition for this is that the left break with
> the politics of Stalinism and reformism. Because what we have today in fact
> is a cloning of just those kind of politics.
Nor does this speak to the point.
> PS; In another letter Shawgi tells us that it is the working class itself
> that must make the revolution. OK I am for that on the basis of its position
> in society connected to the Marxist analisis. But that is NOT enough! A
> combat party is neccessary in order to lead and be the historical memory
> bank of the working class.
See previous and future posts. Check PEN-L archives. If you like I can
forward you some material on the necessity for an authentic working class
party, what its character should be, etc.
At any rate, yes, the advanced elements of the working class must point
the way forward. An authentic Communist party must be miltant,
enthusiastic, a stranger to frustration, etc. Above all, an authentic
Communist party must ideologize, politicize and organize the broad masses
of the people. A genuine Communist party must bring the people to power,
the exact opposite aim of bourgeois parties, which seek only to come to
power themselves. The vanguard of the working class and working people must
create the subjective conditions for revolution, especially at this time
when revolution is in retreat and the objective conditions are screaming for
deep-going social, as well as political, transformation.
In order for the transition from capitalism to Communism to take place
successfully, the proletariat must at once expand democracy and suppress all
enemies of the people, the exploiters of yesterdaty. This is why, for
example, the standing army must be dissolved and replaced by a peoples' army,
by the self-acting armed organization of the population.
Socialism is an extremely unique and special tranistory historical
period. The resistance of the capitalists will still exist under
socialism, as may commodity production depending on the ratio of class
forces. Further, all "bourgeois rights" do not disappear under socialism.
But, the exploitation of persons by persons will end (has ended) under
socialism. Only Communism renders the State, the organ of suppression,
absolutely unneccesary. Only under Communism will antagonisms between
large sections of the population cease to exist. Under socialism the
working class and people will enthusiastically suppress all that is Old
and give rise to the New.
> Bob Malecki>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shawgi Tell
University at Buffalo
Graduate School of Education
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
