On 2002.04.16 06:24 AM, "Devine, James" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> In leftist theory, "democratic centralism" refers to the organization of the > revolutionary political party. The theory says that when a party's > membership decides on a policy (a line, a program) it is binding on members > of that party, including its leadership. Though they may disagree with it at > party forums, they should not do so openly, when non-party people are > around. > > Though there are likely organizations in Venezuela that are organized in a > "democratic centralist" way, the mass demonstrations in favor of Chavez > don't fit that description unless they are simply as part of a party. It > looks to me instead that there's a lot of "spontaneity" going on. That is, > people were demonstrating in favor of Chavez because they liked him, not > because they belonged to a party-type organization. The Bolivarist > organization did not simply orchestrate the anti-coup movements. (Of course, > if my facts are wrong, I'd like to be told.) > > BTW, in practice, most "democratic centralist" organizations end up not > being democratic. The rank and file end up being manipulated by the central > committee or its leader, i.e., end up being passive followers rather than > active, democratic, participants. > > Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] & http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Charles Brown [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] >> Sent: Monday, April 15, 2002 1:08 PM >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Subject: [PEN-L:24943] Bureaucracy (speculative rant alert) > ... >> G'day Charles, >> >>> Sorry, Rob, Leninist democratic centralism is alive and well in >>> Venezuela , where all power resides with the masses and >> their elected >>> representatives in the CENTER ! Viva Bolivarian Bolshevism ! >> >> Either we're talking about different 'democratic centralisms' or we're >> watching different Venezuelas. Or both. >> >> ^^^^^ >> >> CB: I'm talking about V.I. Lenin, leader of the Bolsheviks >> and the Russian Revolution in 1917, and his theory of >> democratic centralism, which is very well demonstrated by the >> overwhelming majority of the masses of people in Venezuela >> since 1998 and their authentic representatives in the Party >> led by President Chavez. What are you talking about ? >> >> ^^^^^^^ >> >> >>> So much for bloody , middle class, fake democracy. >>> >> >> Er, at least I tried to attach an argument to my speculative rant ... >> >> ^^^^^^^ >> >> CB: The evidence for my argument is all over the world news >> for the last few days, and specifics of the argument should >> occur to you without my spelling out for you , but here it >> is. The middle class mass that demonstrated and gave a >> pretext for the coup by the Venezuelan oligarchy, represented >> a minority of the whole population, and thus democracy in >> this situation was represented by Chavez and his >> organizations. The masses in the streets backed up their >> center. About as vivid an example of democratic centralism as >> there ever was. >> >> Of course, the masses have to have a republican structure , >> i.e. it is not direct democracy, in their struggle with the >> bourgeoisie. They have to have leaders because the struggle >> with the bourgeois requires strategy and tactics, in analogy >> to a military conflict. The class struggle has aspects that >> are like war ( Should be obvious from the whole history of >> the 20th Century). It is democracy with a socalled center: >> democratic centralism. This term was originated by Lenin, >> and Venezuela's governing Party is good example of its >> practice since 1998. >> > I don't know detail of Venezuela's coup and return Chavez. But Important is non-party mass demonstration, which often go ahead of party action. In 1917, Anti-war, anti-poverty demonstration mount to reach top in August, when Lenin did not prepare or decide uprising. After these demonstrations,Lenin returned to Russia and decide uprising. So real historical process is never determined from one party's program or action. Party and mass action dialectically intensify each other and in final stage, part of party apparatus(probably military) and part of non-party mass attack and destroy enemy's central power. Regards MIYACHI TATSUO Psychiatric Department Komaki municipal hosipital 1-20.JOHBUHSHI KOMAKI CITY AICHI PREF. 486-0044 TEL:0568-76-4131 FAX 0568-76-4145 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
