Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 08:09:30 +0100 (MET)
Subject: M-G: Re: M-I: Re: The former Soviet Union: what went wrong?


>At 2:02 PM 1/11/97, MA&NG Jones wrote:
>
>>How will it happen?
>>
>>It will happen amid a general and catastrophic crisis
>>of capitalist commodity production or it will not
>>happen at all.

Doug replied:
>
>We've been promised this crisis for over 120 years, and it ain't happened.

and in another letter Doug again..

"Are we supposed to wait until 2097, 2197, whatever, for that terminal
crisis? Are we supposed to wait until 2097, 2197, whatever, for that terminal
crisis? What in the meanwhile are we to do about cruelty, suffering, and
idiocy today?

First you say there has not been a crisis for 120 years.

Then you say are we surpose to wait for the "terminal crisis? and then 
contradict yourself and cry " What in the meanwhile are we to do about 
cruelty, suffering, and
idiocy today?"

Now, Lenin was fairly clear that August 1914 was in fact a fairly terminal 
crisis.

Events leading up to the outbreak of the second world war was just one 
crisis after another from the crash in 29-to events in Spain and Germany 
just to give some examples of how this "crisis" that Doug keeps claiming 
never happened actually did and does and will continue to happen. I think 
the period we are talking about is called Imperialism, the highest stage of 
capitalism.

I mean if this is not true Doug. You know this periodical redevision of the 
spoils in one way or another in the form of crisises which certainly proved 
to be terminal for millions upon millions of people. Then what are you 
talking about? 

As far as today and the "crisis". Obviously all this activity going on from 
Scandinavia, to the French Lorry drivers, to the Germans and done of to the 
far east Korea, not to mention the present bank and stock market crisis in 
Japan. Going on to the former east European countries and the former Soviet 
Union where things are not so rosy either. This in itself appears to say 
that the relative class peace over a rather short period of time in history 
(1945 to 1990) in the major industrial countries is beginning to leak in the 
seams.

In fact the only period where the system was not in cris was a short period 
of time 
of 30 to 40 years (detante and the cold war where their were basically only 
two opposing forces and actors) after the second world war. And this 
particular period was full of small wars and big wars and "liberation" 
movements in the third world. Not to mention the tremendous military and 
political defeat imposed on the Americans in Vietnam. Today there is an 
entirely different situation. Both Japan and Germany are major actors, not 
to mention China and despite the general situation in the former Soviet 
Union it stills has those 800 millions Ruskies who are armed to the teeth 
(including nuclear weapons)..

But what I really want to know is why Doug and others are using this stuff 
as if it never happened, nor will happen as a stick to beat the Trotskyists 
among others with? I really do not understand how Doug can stand their and 
repeat this shit time and again. 

And the Keynes quote is great. Because in fact this whole post war period 
where the reformists used this stuff as a model is quickly being dismantled. 
This in itself reflecting how deep the crisis actually is! And it will not 
be enough to stop the fundemental contradictions of the system. I think we 
are once again heading for a major confrontation in one way or another. A 
new redevision of the spoils.

But if all these *real* events are or were not part of the crisis of the 
system (Doug claims that it never has happened) then what was and is it Doug?

And as far as the workers movement. The crisis has been the crisis of 
leadership!

Bob Malecki 







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