In a message dated 7/29/02 1:49:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
> Of course, in politics, the main body of "experts"
> >is the revolutionary party guiding society.
> >
>
>
> Gaak. That is exactly where there and can be no expertise, just politics.
> When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?
It is a popular bourgeois myth that there is no place for expertise in
politics. Actually, there is room for knowledge, wisdom, a scientific
approach, and expertise everywhere, and certainly in politics.
It is a plain and simple fact that some people have broader knowledge about
society than others, and how to go about leading people to satisfy their
needs and interests. In the Communist Manifesto Marx and Engels say that
"The Communists, therefore, are on the one hand, practically, the most
advanced and resolute section of the working-class parties of every country,
that section which pushes forward all others; on the other hand,
theoretically, they have over the great mass of the proletariat the advantage
of clearly understanding the line of march, the conditions, and the ultimate
general results of the proletarian movement."
In short, relative to the rest of the proletariat, "the Communists" are (in
general) more knowledgeable, i.e. "experts". And among the Communists
themselves, there are some with more expertise than others. Any rational
political movement will seek to put those with more knowledge and ability at
their head. That is why the proletariat and the masses as a whole need a
revolutionary party to be created from their midst. And that is why that
revolutionary party itself needs to select its best members as leaders.
Lenin once remarked that these things are the ABC's of politics, but there
are many in this world--especially aloof and sarcastic intellectuals--who,
despite their education and academic degrees and all the books they read, are
anything but politically literate. When it comes right down to it, they
really don't know a damned thing. Even the most basic points of political
wisdom are beyond them.
"It is common knowledge that the masses are divided into classes;... that as
a rule and in most cases--at least in present-day civilized
countries--classes are led by political parties; that political parties, as a
general rule, are run by more or less stable groups composed of the most
authoritative, influential and experienced members, who are elected to the
most responsible positions, and are called leaders. All this is elementary.
All this is clear and simple."
--V. I. Lenin, "'Left-Wing' Communism--An Infantile Disorder" (May
1920), LCW 31:41.
It is of course true that there is not always a democratic revolutionary
communist party in existence, at every place and every time, but then it is
the responsibility of those who genuinely care about the welfare of the
people to bring it into existence and work to keep it on a revolutionary
course.
--Scott Harrison
