> this is the basic principle of the "socialism from below" tendency on the
left. It goes against the Marxist-Leninist tendency and the
social-democratic tendency, in which "condescending saviors" are relied
upon.
In explaining simply about the meaning of a so-called "vanguard party",
Ernest Mandel once touched upon this theme as follows, with splendid
rhetoric:
"It is not by accident that when Marx was called [by his daughter] to answer
the question in the drawing room game "What is your main life dictum?" he
gave as the answer, "De omnibus est dubitandum" ("You have to doubt
everything" [or, you must be able to have your doubts about everything, or
it must be possible to put anything into question anew] - JB). This is
really the opposite attitude of the one which is so often stupidly and
foolishly attributed to Marx, that he was building a new religion without
God. The spirit to doubt everything and to put into question everything that
you yourself have said is the very opposite of religion and of dogma.
Marxists believe that there are no eternal truths, and no people who know
everything. The second stanza of our common anthem, The Internationale,
starts with the wonderful words, in French:
Il n'y a pas de sauveur suprème
Ni Dieu, ni César, ni tribun,
Producteur sauvons - nous nous mêmes
Decrétons le salut commun.
(translation: there isn't some kind of supreme saviour
a God, a Ceasar, or a tribune
who will come to the rescue - we ourselves
must decide upon our common salvation - JB)
In German it is even clearer:
Es rettet uns Kein hoh' res Wesen,
Kein Gott, Kein Kaiser, Kein Tribun
Uns aus dem Elend zu erlosen,
Konnen wir nur selber tun.
(translation : No supreme being will be able to save us
Neither a God, a Ceasar nor a tribune
To get ourselves out of the mess
Is something we can only accomplish ourselves - JB)
Only the whole mass of the producers can emancipate themselves. There is no
God, no Caesar, no unfailing Central Committee, no unfailing Chairman, no
unfailing General Secretary or First Secretary who can substitute for the
collective efforts of the class."
- from Ernest Mandel, "Vanguard Parties" (
http://www.geocities.com/youth4sa/theory.html and other sites)
The popgroup The Beatles (who were they ?) had another inspiration about
this however, must have been about 1967, and wrote this relatively modest,
innnocent song:
What would you think, if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up, and walk out on me.
Lend me your ears, and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.
I get by, with a little help from my friends,
I get high, with a little help from my friends,
Going to try, with a little help from my friends.
What do I do, when my love is away.
(Does it worry you, to be alone ?)
How do I feel by the end of the day
(Are you sad, because you're on your own ?)
No, I get by with a little help from my friends,
Do you need anybody ?
I need somebody to love.
Could it be anybody ?
I want somebody to love.
(Would you believe in a love at first sight ?)
Yes I'm certain, that it happens all the time.
(What do you see, when you turn out the light ?)
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine.
Oh I get by, with a little help from my friends,
Do you need anybody,
I just need somebody to love,
Could it be anybody,
I want somebody to love.
I get by with a little help from my friends,
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends,
With a little help from my friends.
But this is of course almost a half century ago, and meantime, the Dutch
rock band "Het Goede Doel" (The Good Cause) penned this number, which
relativises the goodnatured, generous, genuine but slight innocent (if not
naive) love call by the Beatles (translated ad lib by yours truly):
Friendship
As a child I had a friend, with whom I did everything -
When he began to fight, I fought together with him...
If I jumped into the water, yes, he jumped in after me !
A more beautiful friendship could not be imagined, believe me !
Until... uhh, he shifted to another city ?!
I believe I received a card from him....
There comes a time in your life, when you draw this conclusion:
Friendship is an illusion,
Friendship is a dream,
It's a packet of scrap metal, with a thin layer of chrome
I had a girlfriend subsequently, with whom I did everything together, I
swear it !
When she began to kiss, then I would really respond to her, and make love
with her !
If I began to cry, then she would come to me, and stand beside me -
That is, until the moment that she spontaneously forgot my name ?!?
And ach, it turned out, she had another boyfriend anyhow...
So there comes a time in your life when you draw the conclusion:
Friendship is an illusion,
Friendship is a dream,
A packet of scrap metal, with a thin layer of chrome on it.
If there's money at stake...
If it is about women....
If everything in the world that you hold dear, is being contested....
Who can you trust then ???
So once there is a time in your life, when you are shocked into the
conclusion:
Friendship is just an illusion -
Friendship is a phantasmagora;
Just a hunk of scrap metal, with a thin layer of chrome !
Friendship !? (One time you must draw the conclusion)
Will last forever !!! (that Friendship is an illusion)
That is true for me, I swear it, I mean it !!! (Friendship is then a dream,
A bit of scrap metal, with a thin layer of chrome)
Jurriaan
