Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 11:16:43 +1000 (EST)
From: billbartlett-AT-vision.net.au (Bill Bartlett)
Subject: Re: AUT: Neo-conservatism and workers


Ilan Shalif wrote:

>George Pennefather wrote:
>
>> I am not a stalinist nor a Leninist nor a trotskyist. For me these were
>> left-counter revolutionaries. However I am a revolutionary communist
>> who is convinced that a revolutionary communist party is needed if there
>> is to be a successful communist revolution.
>
>Any one who support the above principle is only discerned from
>the others by "split hair" technique.
>
>Ideologically - they are all of the same authoritarian spectrum.

I'm not so sure. Depends what is meant by the term "Democratic Centralism".
It is a practical question, some social issues need to be settled by
society as a whole, because they concern society as a whole. If that is
what is meant by democratic centralism then it seems quite appropriate.

On the other hand of course there are many decisions best left to local
processes. The general principle to be followed is that all decisions are
best left to those who are affected by those decisions. If that is
everyone, then everyone should be consulted. If it is only a few, then only
those few should make the decision.

As for your implied assertion that all left political parties must
necessarily be authoritarian and Leninist, I would be interested to hear
why that is so in your opinion.

[...]

>For the working class the centralism needed is zero.

So how are decisions effecting everyone to be made? Having local
organisations of workers make decisions that effect millions of other
people who have no say in the decisions is just another form of
dictatorship it seems to me.

Bill Bartlett
Bracknell tas




     --- from list aut-op-sy-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---