File spoon-archives/aut-op-sy.archive/aut-op-sy_1997/97-04-23.075, message 32


Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 21:30:56 GMT
From: graemi2006-AT-rmplc.co.uk (graeme imray)
Subject: German Revolution, GIK etc etc.


Just before we all get thoroughly confused !

=46irstly, just like Bob at Subversion, I do not know what 'bolos' are,
having only heard of them from Steve when I mentioned putting out some of
the German stuff. I look forward to checking it out [when I get the time]

Now as to 'the GIK document' and further to my last posting - there are in
fact TWO.

=46istly the GIK published the work known as the 'Grundprinzipien . . .' in
1930. This text is quite long. I have recently acquired, second hand a copy
in English, published by the 'Movement for Workers Councils', 21 Eastlake
Road, London, SE5 9QJ in 1990 by someone called Mike Baker. The book is
almost twice the length of the German original since Mike Baker included
copious footnotes, forwards, postcripts, notes and comments. If someone is
sitting on lots of copies - then they should be 'in circulation'. Over a
year ago I wrote to the publishing address but so far received no reply.
ISBN number is 0 9516131 0 3 if any one wants to have a go ordering it.

In 1931 the GIK published a much shorter work entitled the 'Theoretical
=46oundations' to the Grundprinzipien. This is the text that Bob now has at
Subversion and I have sent it privately to two or three others. It arrived
through my letter box anonymously [via the ACF ?]translated by 'P J Ankers'
and I typed it in myself, not knowing of the 1990 book which I only
obtained last Spring. So far as I can gather the version I have circulated
and the one in the book are one and the same. I would guess that this is
the "Erg=E4nzungsheft" that Ragnar refers to.

Now the pamphlet originally put out by Canne-Meijer which Workers Voice
republished in 1974 without knowing who had written it, I updated for
publication in the early 1990s. I had at that time no access to the GIK's
work. But I think I can account for the possible running together of
Canne-Meijer's and Hennaut's work [if that is what it is]. The edition now
on Subversion's website is one where I merely added a forward to the
original [1974 and earlier] introduction.

Now I know that Canne-Meijer was a comrade of the main author of the GIK
text Jan Appel, and the pamphlet 'Origins . . .did contain a section
reviewing the GIK's proposals. Whether part of it was written by 'Hennaut'
I do not know - but in 1935 'Bilan' published a review by 'Hennaut' of the
GIK text, which I translated for my own benefit. This review was almost
entirely uncritical of the GIK text, instead reviewing the GIK's thesis and
simply making it known to a Francophone audience.

I would guess therefore [but I do not know] that this would account for a
far longer and much more critical review of the GIK's work by someone
called 'Mitchell' in Bilan Nos 19, 20 and 21 of 1936. Again I have
attempted to translate this for my own benefit, but the language is much
denser and beyond my self taught ability. Hennaut I believe did not stay a
member of the Bordighists, but I do not know his subsequent 'formation' as
the French say. I hope this clears up the question that Dave-AT-skatta asked.

Confused ?


Well I hope not, but so much of my own political development is tied in
with these documents, and now here I am after 25 years engaged in
correspondence all over the world about the ideas contained within them. I
am glad to see a discussion of them hopefully take off. It is just a pity
that the old Workers Voice from the 70s is not still around.

Gra




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