[Marxism-Thaxis] Morales Election is victory for Bolivian people: reply to left critics of new president
** SOCIALIST VOICE Marxist Perspectives for the Workers' Movement #68 February 25, 2006 ** MORALES ELECTION IS A VICTORY FOR THE BOLIVIAN PEOPLE A Reply to Left Critics of Bolivia's New President By Fred Feldman === Introduction by Ian Angus and John Riddell What attitude should Marxists adopt towards the new Bolivian government headed by radical peasant and indigenous leader Evo Morales? Morales and the movement he leads have set as their goal the "refounding" of the Bolivian nation. The noted Latin American journalist Eduardo Galeano has written an eloquent explanation of this goal: see "The Second Founding of Bolivia," at http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/galeano170206.html. Many groups in the international left have been sharply critical of Morales and the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) he leads. For example, Gerry Foley, a leader of the U.S.-based group Socialist Action, writes that "popular illusions in Mora¬les and a party like MAS in the Bolivian situation can only be a step backward, and have to be combated. ... It is essential for revolutionists to combat illusions in Morales and similar parliamentary solu¬tions and to support the fight to make a government directly representing the working people a reality."(Socialist Action, January 2006) In Bolivia itself, Jaime Solares, a leader of the Central Obrero Boliviano (COB), a union federation, has denounced Morales as "a traitor to the working class," and the COB remained neutral in the election. Just one week after the election, Solares issued an Open Letter demanding immediate nationalization of the oil industry and by implication threatening direct action against the government if Morales doesn't adopt their timetable. The following article by Fred Feldman responds to these and similar criticisms. = It is a serious error to place ourselves in opposition to the general course of a popular movement to "refound the nation" because of theoretical considerations such as permanent revolution, "State and Revolution," "two-stage revolution," the evils of "populism," concerns about electoralism, demands for workers councils, general references to the laws of capitalism, and so on. And that is what we are dealing with in the Bolivian election and its consequences -- a popular movement to "refound the nation" that has now elected one of its leaders as president. What has come under fire from much of the left is not just or even primarily Morales but rather this course of the masses. Of course, he is not "betraying," because he is authentically representing the popular worker-peasant- indigenous movement that used him to take the presidency of the bourgeois state for itself. Uncertain outcome How will the contradiction between the mass movement and the presidency, on one side, and the bourgeoisie plus its state play out? Will the contradiction deepen as measures opposed by the imperialists or native capital are carried out? Or will it be resolved in favor of the maintenance and consolidation of a bourgeois government and state? The outcome is not foreordained. As Venezuela has been showing, the fact that the masses don't start by destroying the army and the state machine doesn't doom the process. And we are talking about a process, not gigantic historical stages. ** Will it lead to further democratic gains for the workers, peasants, and indigenous? ** Will it lead to comparable developments in other countries of the region? ** Will it lead to more collaboration and unity against the imperialist main enemy of the peoples of Latin America? ** Will it lead to socialism? Will the process stall and retreat? ** Will the presidency be reabsorbed in the bourgeois state or will the state be dismantled and constructed on a new foundation in the process? ** Will a coup or invasion be attempted? How will divisions in the military, which must surely be developing, play out? ** Will antagonism against the imperialists heighten or will the imperialists be conciliated? Will Morales and the movement he leads advance or retreat? How will divisions within the movement play out? All of these are possibilities, I believe. But there is a lot to go through to get there, and the process is just beginning. But none of this will be resolved by the demands of Solares and Foley and other left critics that the process that has begun to be replaced by a different one. A victory to be utilized The election of Morales must to be recognized as a gain to be utilized in deepening the struggle. The opportunity to use the presidency of the nation to advance the struggle must be welcomed, not feared or rejected. Marx said the working people cannot simply take hold of the state and wield it for its own purposes, and he was right. But he never opposed running for office, including executive
Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] People's History of Science
Charles, I did not thank you for that reference in order to initiate a debate, but becasues I was genuinely grateful. And we have been through this before. [I forgot that whatever replies I made to you would go across the e-mail list, so no wonder you thought I wanted a debate.] As I said to you in an earlier e-mail, the reason I have posted all this material on the web is to save me having to make the same points over and over. Now, you can read my Essays, or just ignore them. That is up to you. But, I try not to debate this stuff with dialecticians, since I am sick of making the same points that I have been making with comrades who accept this doctrine now for over 25 years. And you lot all say the same things. I can almost put the words in your mouth for you. In contrast, there is precious little in my Essays that is not original to me, whether it is right or wrong. However, I do not recognise the political disaster area called 'communism' as a success, not since at least 1924, or thereabouts. In fact, it has been a curse on Marxism, for reasons I will let you guess. As a Trotskyist (and one associated with the UK/SWP -- although they would disown my anti-dialectical ideas), you would hardly expect any other judgement. "No non-dialectical theories have come anywhere near the level of success that dialectical materialism has." Well I rather think bourgeois ideology in general is more successful, especially if dialectical materialism apes its thought-forms (you can find evidence for this at my site). Practically 100% of the planet is governed by their market, their fragmentary 'democracy', their oligarchic system -- now largely aped by most communist parties. If truth were tested in practice we'd all be bourgeois, as indeed communist parties have become over the years. If that is a success, then the word has changed its meaning since last I looked. If you still think communism can be chalked up as a success, that is your affair, but it will mean that we are so far apart politically that successful communication between us will be impossible. However, my criticisms of dialectical materialism are independent of whether or not communism/Marxism has been a success or not (I merely use that tag-line as a controversial clutcher), since I do not accept practice as a criterion of truth -- I just use it to embarrass those who do. Why this is so is also explained at my site. Dialectics does not hold up as a theory, whatever disasters (or otherwise) it has helped inflict on Marxism. I have made my case for this (or at least one third of it so far) at my site. As I say, you can read what I have to say, or ignore it. I am sure the class-struggle will proceed the same whatever you decide to do. RL - Original Message - From: "Charles Brown" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Forum for the discussion of theoretical issues raised by Karl Marx andthe thinkers he inspired'" Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 6:12 PM Subject: [Marxism-Thaxis] People's History of Science Rosa Lichtenstein You can find it in extensive detail at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rosa.l/ RL ^ CB; What about the fact that Marxism has not been a failure in practice, but a pretty big success compared to all other theories ? That seems a main weakness in your argument. Marxism has been a success, not failure. There are giant Communist Parties still, and there were bigger ones before. No non-dialectical theories have come anywhere near the level of success that dialectical materialism has. ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
[Marxism-Thaxis] People's History of Science
Rosa Lichtenstein You can find it in extensive detail at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rosa.l/ RL ^ CB; What about the fact that Marxism has not been a failure in practice, but a pretty big success compared to all other theories ? That seems a main weakness in your argument. Marxism has been a success, not failure. There are giant Communist Parties still, and there were bigger ones before. No non-dialectical theories have come anywhere near the level of success that dialectical materialism has. ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
[Marxism-Thaxis] People's History of Science
You can find it in extensive detail at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rosa.l/ RL ^ CB: Do you want to debate your thesis ? Is it ok to post some of your polemic to this list ? ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] People's History of Science
You can find it in extensive detail at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rosa.l/ RL - Original Message - From: "Charles Brown" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Forum for the discussion of theoretical issues raised by Karl Marx andthe thinkers he inspired'" Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 12:03 PM Subject: [Marxism-Thaxis] People's History of Science Charles, Thanks fot that! Just what I needed to plug a tiny hole in my anti-dialectic thesis. Rosa L ^^^ Rosa, What is that thesis again ? Charles ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
[Marxism-Thaxis] People's History of Science
Charles, Thanks fot that! Just what I needed to plug a tiny hole in my anti-dialectic thesis. Rosa L ^^^ Rosa, What is that thesis again ? Charles ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
