Re: M-TH: Cliffite ISO/SWP squabble, What's going on?
Lo All, The state caps have been throwing around a lot of "Stalinists" stuff lately, but I must admit that the letter by the ISO is really interesting. The only thing appearing to be lacking in the letter is the call by members to turn in anyone who is a suspect.. In fact it appears that they treat their memberrship as a herd of cattle rather then and organization of professional communists capable of thinking for themselves. Not all adhereants of the State Capitalist thesis are cliffites tha knowest! Gonna be real interesting to watch and organization built on capituation to cold war anti communism with its line of state capitalism trying to find a new line as inter imperialist rivalry grows. I think they are much more affected by the end of their capacity to acts as paracites on teh Labour party, which haas availed itself of the post-col-war era to shift itself to the right, etc. Well that something else which for years previously was and adaption to their *own* bourgeoisie against the deformed and degenerated workewrs states is now becoming a conflict for them of which way to go. Such adaption, I should think, was more a reflection of their shift-in-the-winds reformism, rather than any reflection of the State Cpaitalist thesis, which does not necessitate taking sides in imperialist rivalries - and, incidently, by teh state cap. thesis, any bugger siding with the USSR was just siding with another bourgeoisie, anyhow, so I think someone round here has a severe case of pots and kettles... Cliffism and the state capitalist theory is dead along with its Social Democratic counter parts. In fact the destruction of the SU which was the starting point of the state capitalist break with revoluitionary marxism in the last world war will now at best be national organizations becoming the leftwing social patriots of their *own* countries and the real fight probably won't even be between let's say the American ISO and the British SWP. It will be with there German/Japanese sections most likely.. Now, this I resent - there is nothing implcit in the state capitalist thesis which necessitates supporting one bourgeoisie over another. Try being concise in your venoem, it makes for more entertainment my dear. Yours for Socialism, Bill Martin (SPGB).
M-TH: Cliffite ISO/SWP squabble, What's going on?
1. Cliffite ISO/SWP squabble, What's going on? 2. ISO liberals' "test of war" in the SWP/B tradition. (David Stevens)--- Well since the entire internal squabble between the ISO/SWP was made public on the net the leadership appears to have become increasingly forced to reserve tactics of the Moscow Trials in order to try and keep the membership in line. The most recent letter from the ISO steering committee that was sent out shows the classical signs of and organization in deep theoretical crisis along split lines. Comrades:Several of us received this communication from Katherine D. inthe name of the ISO Steering Committee. The state caps have been throwing around a lot of "Stalinists" stuff lately, but I must admit that the letter by the ISO is really interesting. The only thing appearing to be lacking in the letter is the call by members to turn in anyone who is a suspect.. In fact it appears that they treat their memberrship as a herd of cattle rather then and organization of professional communists capable of thinking for themselves. Another interesting equation this week as they acted under pressure of Sverdlov is that each day it became clear that the ISO/SWP answer to all of this is some sort of sectarian, cop/agent provacatrur, Spartacist or Jim Paris/MWG operation all naturally put on the same level. However I don't think the classical manuver historically always used by these opportunist will help them one bit. The problem is much deeper then that even if the state cap goon squad would like to get there hands on both Sverdlov and his computer. Anyhow the real issue here is the deep differences and appetites now coming to the surface in the Cliffite constellation. Not only has the bourgeois cry of the death of communism affected the far left, but these reformist cretins who historically sided with there *own* bourgeoisie when things heated up. And this from the beginning of WW2 with Schactman till post WW2 cliffism.. On top of this there great theoretical guru Tony Cliff just went off and dropped dead. Anyhow.. Gonna be real interesting to watch and organization built on capituation to cold war anti communism with its line of state capitalism trying to find a new line as inter imperialist rivalry grows. In fact one can make the prediction or reflect that the girations of the SWP/ISO reflects there own historical opportunism to line up with there own Trade union/bureaucracy/ bourgeoisie in that appetites of the two organizations as inter-imperialist rivalry heats up lean towards creating and atmosphere of protectionism and social patriotism rather then a united front against communism which was how things worked the last decades and the "left" and especially the state caps adapted to with their *own* special brand of revisionist ideology. So the state cap ideology which was the center mantle opiece of this tendency internationally and kept it "united" is now coming apart at the seams because this bankrupt theoy can hardly be used now and has to be replaced by something else. Well that something else which for years previously was and adaption to their *own* bourgeoisie against the deformed and degenerated workewrs states is now becoming a conflict for them of which way to go. The new left ridiculous version of "globalism" or the more social patriotic line of the European Social Democracy. And there is real pressure on these opportunists who want to chase at the winds. Because the Seattle stuff and the flag waving stuff of not in the least the British around Rover of late but also the tendency amongst European bourgeoisie to opose globalism knowing that this in fact is a keyword for American dominance which they hardly are interested in.. Anyhow this orgy of reformist opportunism now beginning to shake the Cliffites is certainly and unconcious vindication of the fact that things have really changed and and analisis of the new period based on revolutionary marxism certainly is gonna be real important. However the Cliffites broke with revolutionary msarxism a long time ago under pressure of imperialist war coming up with " a plague on both your houses line" which is hardly viable in the next period. It might have worked against the degenerated and deformed workers statesas and opportunist way of keeping some sort of fake left credentials but as inter imperialist rivalry once afgain befgins tro heat up minus the ex deformed and degenerated workers states the only path open for reformists is siding with there *own* bourgeoisie anbd trade union bureacracy. For marxists the job will be to expose these fakers and politically destroy them. The destruction of the former SU not only closed the door for Social Democracy in the forseeable future but there state capitalkist wannabes allso .. And this is really what is at
