Date: Tue, 8 Jul 1997 10:03:26 -0400
From: malecki-AT-algonet.se (Robert Malecki)
Subject: M-G: The tragic case of Vlad!


Vlad's latest tragic presentation on the situation in Russia is quite 
interesting both for its political bankruptcy but also in that he exposes 
some interesting turn of events in Russia but also in the west in regards to 
the present anti-party trend that is fairly wide spread both in youth 
circles but also many layers of the Industrial proletariat.

Taking the last first. The fact of the matter is there is a real anti-party 
trend which he describes well but also capitulates to politically amongst 
numerous layers of the proletariat but also the youth in Russia today. This 
can be well understood after years of Stalinist bureaucratic rule and know 
capitalist counter-revolution represented in the new trends and parties that 
exist in Russia connected to a desperation of the former USSR 
disintergrating, mass layoffs and those who do work can even get paid! Not 
to mention the dismantling of the gains of the October revolution through 
capitalist counter-revolution that is taking place.

In the west we see this trend also both in the youth but also layers of the 
industrial proletariat. Much of this anti party trend has to do with mass 
unemployment, lumpenisation and the fact that many youth under the age of 25 
have never had a real job! 

However this does not change the fundementals either in the west or the east 
that it will be political trends whether anti-party or pro party including 
fascist parties and hopefully revolutionary marxists parties which will 
determine the outcome of the struggle. My guess despite Vlad's worship these 
days of the anti-party trends is that it will be just parties in connection 
to program and tactics which will be decisive in the outcome of the future 
and in who's favor the outcome will be.

Now Vlad tells us of a new trend which sees the "Soviets" of the 1905 
revolution as the guiding light to the future. But he nelglects to use his 
"Marxist" intelligence in order to check up on just why the 1905 revolution 
failed despite the Soviets. The truth being that despite these "Soviets" 
which ultimately are the organisational expression and fighting stance of 
the proletariat in pre-revolutionary situations and revolutionary situations 
it is in reality only and organisational form and unless these Soviets are 
given a revolutionary political, programatical, and tactical stance which 
can take them to victory in smashing the state and building a transitional 
society under the dictatorship of the proletariat then the Soviets albeit 
how democratically organised will not mean dip shit in the long run.

In order to do this one must have a party or political trend that can give 
these Soviets this kind of political expression and trajectory. This is the 
fundemental reason why 1905 revolution failed and any future 1905 
revolutions will fail. Or perhaps Vlad can tell us another way forward ton 
victory in the interests of poor and working class people.

I think that Vlad's new found love for "Soviets" in the 1905 version is in 
fact and attempt by him to liquidate not only the party as the instrument of 
proletarian revolution but also revolution! In fact it is also and easy way 
out rather then facing the fundemental neccessity of regroupment in Russia 
of a Trotskyist party with its programatic and tactical contents and 
naturally our history. Vlad slufs off the fact that this youth organisation 
still has great illusions in Stalin and Stalinism and at best have turned to 
vulgar "Soviet" romantism and the line of mass struggle or being part of it 
is where the real action is. Unfortunately without one bit of revolutionary 
theory, program or tactics so that these "Soviets" might have a chance of 
winning and their example being spread from Portugal to the Ural mountains..

Sorry Vlad that this is the way you want to go because you do not want to 
face the fundemental question of the neccessity of building a Revolutionary 
Marxist trend internationally which can really make a difference. You are 
using the western left and its belly gazing as and excuse to capitulate in 
Russia on all the fundementals that you are well aware of but to cowardly to 
fight for today but sometime in the disatant future at best. Oh how I wish I 
could speak Russian so I could go to this site and start talking to these 
people. 

I am quite sure I would be able to make a lot of political enemies! But also 
the possibility that there is some human material there which we can attract 
to a Revolutionary Marxist perspective. Obviously you will not be doing this 
because your new turn is to worship things as they are as being more 
militant and revolutionary then the politics of the Bolshevik Party, the 
first four congreeses of the third international, the history of the left 
opposition and the founding documents of the FI and what all this means in 
regard to success or failure in the future. 

In fact you are saying here that workers and youth should ignore history and 
the revolutionary lessons that must be learned. Just go out there and 
organise your local Soviet democratically and everything will be just fine! 
It sounds like the hollywood song of World War two "I am singin in the rain" 
which became very popular propaganda as the Japanese occupied the Bataan 
peninsula and Correquidor.


You are at best these days tragically turning to what we once said on 
Albania of "Soviets without electricity!" in your case also a touch of the 
"movement" is everything the goal nothing. And I thought that it was me that 
in ways has a real "workerist" deviation but your new line is pathetic!

And even more tragic is the fact that you are much more intelligent in your 
presentation which unfortunately is a cowardly retreat from any kind of 
political line in order to worship this new group as is with all of its 
Stalinist bagage but even more so in glorifying Soviets of the 1905 model 
which when push comes to shove were defeated because there was no 
revolutionary party.

Well unfortunately you are not alone. In fact you are just the Russian 
expression of the left in crisis after the downfall of Stalinism and the 
leap to the right by the Social Democracy. With your line however you just 
become part of the problem rather then part of the solution.

For the reforging of a Communist International!

Warm regards
Bob Malecki
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