I am sorry that my initial question on market socialism made Justin Schwartz leave the mail group. I didn't want that.
I have to say I found the discussion on the subject interesting and I may get back with a few more questions when I get through all the posts. The arguments over *reform* versus *revolutionary* debates always seem so artificial and arbitrary. If we are serious about a dialectical approach to politics and the main question of seizing state power - then we must consider two cases, the case before seizing state power and the case after doing so. In some instances, a third, more complicated scenario of transitional power arrangements arise. In honesty, I have over-simplified as a dialectical worldview would prevent such arbitrary stepwise conceptions - but let us simplify to these three cases. The reformist/revolutionary question in anticipation of the acquisition of state power must be viewed in terms of strategic rather than objective terms (at least partially - noting the importance of propagandistic work). If reformist tactics become an objective of struggle, then that's a non-runner for me. Where they are a strategic compromise taken by a movement focussed on revolutionary objectives then they are acceptible. The difficulty is when such a strategic compromise is the most that can be achieved in a particular instance - that is when a compromise is a good deal. IMO, the Kautsky-Lenin disputes arose over differences on the readiness of the working class to seize power (a strategic decision); however, it assumed a greater importance because of Kautsky's reformist objectives -he seemed to 'long-finger' genuine revolutionary demands for a future, unspecified period - effectively, the equivalent of adopting reformist objectives. Key to determining whether a tactical decision is appropriate is the impact which that decision will have on building a movement capable of seizing state power - particularly in this time where the working class is so weak in political terms. Discussion of 'reformist' measures such as the Toibin tax need to occur within this strategic overview - and that's from someone who thinks Toibin is a poor deal to spend your efforts at promoting. Sé _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
