Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 10:00:20 +1000
From: pmargin-AT-xchange.anarki.net (Profit Margin)
Subject: Re: AUT: why gramsci


Dear Bob,

it seems to be stretching it to interpret the Hot Autumn of 1969 and its
aftermath as the return of the Ordine Nuovo experience.

The central break between the two, as far as I can see, lies in the
practical questioning of the organisation and nature of work which emerged
with such vehemence in the Italy of the late 60s and 70s. This was summed
nicely by one worker who told Potere Operaio in 1973 that unlike in the
20s, this time FIAT was most definitely not being occupied for a "work-in".

Now I wouldn't be surprised of the worker mentioned above was a member of
Potop and the question a bit of stage managing. But I also don't doubt that
such sentiments, consistent with the workerists' theorising of "the refusal
of work" during the sixties, were widespread within a whole range of layers
of the Italian working class at the time.

I think we will search long and hard yet never find anything approaching
"the refusal of work" (a central tenet of autonomist thought/practice,
after all) in Gramsci. Quite the opposite, as Rutigliano once argued in
_Telos_ 31 (sorry, I don't have the exact reference details here). Then
again, as I'm sure Mauro will attest, there is little if any connection
between autonomist thought/practice and the tradition associated with
Bordiga. In any case, I'm interested to hear a more detailed argument on
this, from you and others.

A section of my PhD looks at how the workerists of the early sixties
developed their critique of Ordine Nuovo - I will post it when I have
cleaned up the scanned version (perhaps before the next millenium).

BTW, Dave Graham has scanned the Potere Operaio article in question, which
once appeared in a Red Notes pamphlet I have long since lost - maybe one
day it can go in the list archive.

Steve

P.S. Have you seen the special issue of _Revolutionary History_ (vol 5/no
4, Spring 1995) entitled "Through War, Fascism and Revolution: Trotskyism
and Left Communism in Italy"? That offers one of the few discussions in
English of which I am aware of some of the issues you raise about the
Resistance period as a point of connection (but also rupture) between the
20s and the 60s/70s. It also alludes to some of the issues touched on by
Jerry, e.g. Gramsci's less than admirable role in the "bolshevisation" of
the Italian party. I might finally mention my "Missed Opportunities-New
Left Readings of the Italian Resistance", which appears in A. Davidson & S.
Wright (eds.) (1998) _"Never Give In": The Italian Resistance and
Politics_, Peter Lang, New York.




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