File spoon-archives/marxism-general.archive/marxism-general_1997/97-03-11.171, message 48


Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 00:22:51 -0500
From: Vladimir Bilenkin <achekhov-AT-unity.ncsu.edu>
Subject: M-G: Albania: Revolution or Ignorance?


Some comrades on this list  have been too quick to announce
a revolution in Albania and to offer the rebels a correct political
line and meticulously tailored slogans. Yet, there is no indication
whatsoever that what we have in Albania is an anti-capitalist 
revolution or has any chance to become such. I found the proclamations,
"analyses," and slogans on Albania that have been coming from European
trotskyist organizations an example of wishful thinking, to put it mildly.
What is immediately obvious from reading the reports by LCMRCI and the 
IEB of Social Appeal is that they do not have any independent sources
of information in Albania and no political connection with the insurgency
whatsoever. Yet the LCMRCI calls the Albanian insurgents 

 "For a revolution based in workers council and militias!"

This is a very serious slogan. The revolution based on and led by workers
councils is the highest form of revolution imaginable, and one can add, the
one that so far exists only in our imagination.  Yet the LCMRCI admits that 
even if the rebels move radically to the left they will most certainly put
at their helm some of the former stalinist leaders. But if this is so, the
above slogan is nothing but pure rhetoric and dangerous nonsense. Unless we
think, of course, that our slogans do not have to relate to concrete social-
political situation. And the situation in Albania shows no sign of a socialist
revolution, let alone a revolution led by workers councils.  Not only both
reports fail to produce any evidence that such councils exist in Albania, but
LCMRCI tacitly acknowledges that *so far* the rebellion remains within strictly
bourgeois demands.  

Reading the IEB materials, I was amazed by their gross twisting of facts in
order to produce a "revolution" on paper. They write re Western coverage of the
events:

<<The mass movement and the arming of the people are played
down for the simple reason that the revolution is against
Capitalism. However Berisha's accusations of a Left wing
conspiricy has been echoed in the Western Press without
making the slightest attempt to show that the allegations
are an absolute lie>>.

They claim that it is a revolution "against Capitalism."  Yet it is
unique in history since there has been no Left "conspiracy" in it!!
Anybody has ever heard about anti-capitalist revolutions without
left political organizations? They also claim that 
<<...the leading political forces supporting the
revolution inside Albania include an association of former
political prisoners from the time of Enver Hoxha. Who
believe that Berisha and Capitalism are far worse than
Hoxha>>.

Remarkably, but also somewhat insultingly for our intelligence, they publish
the Prisoners' appeal to Western democracies that contain the following:

<<The communist rule
of Sali Berisha, the former secretary of the Albanian
Workers Party, is not only subjecting us to physical
terror, using every method of violence, but is obliging us
to appeal to you for the security of our lives. We who came
out alive from the communist prisons now declare publicly
that the neocommunists are trying to take our lives, which
does not worry us if we give these lives in the service of
the nation. We declare that we are defenseless in this
situation of civil war to which the state is reducing
Albania>>. 

This is something very different from saying that "Berisha and 
Capitalism (sic) are far worse than Hoxha."

The Prisoners' appeal is an anti-communist document that presents
a thinly veiled invitation for political and perhaps military 
intervention by the NATO.  What kind of heated imagination could
read it as anti-capitalist statement?!

Ironically, while IEB is inventing a socialist revolution without left
organization, the LCMRCI claims some mysterious role in it:

<<The Albanian “red” uprising doesn’t
have an ethnic symbol and is directed straight against one of the most
pro-western and anti-Communist models. The extreme left has to be proud to
be associated with that uprising and we need to avoid the conciliatory
policies of the former nomenclature>>.

But every word in their analysis and demands contradicts this claim. Just
one example. 

<<In the last two months of mass demonstrations and during the insurrection
the workers and poor created new organs to control the distribution of food
and basic goods and to defend themselves. It is indispensable to maintain,
democratise, expand and centralise them. So, they should be the basis for a
new workers council regime.>>

If indeed, the "workers and poor created new organs" for all this, 
why do they need to be democratised? And even less clear is why to 
"centralise" them? What will happen with "centralised" organs, who 
will control them?  Albanian Bolsheviks? They do not exist presently.
As I have said, the LCMRCI believes that the Stalinist remnants 
are waiting on the wings to take leadership of the rebellion and
they mention no other left force in the country who could present
an alternative to them. It follows that the proposed "centralised" 
organs can fall only under the control of Hoxa's heirs.  

I could list many more absurdities from these two reports of international
trotskyist organizations.  They show the apalling lack of any touch with 
reality and the irresponsible use of words and concepts that constitute
the heart of revolutionary theory.  I just want to hope that this 
ignorance and irresponsibility are exceptions and limited to the small
and little-known Albania.

Vladimir


     --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---


   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005