Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 00:40:55 -0500 From: malecki-AT-algonet.se (Robert Malecki) Subject: M-G: COCKROACH! #97 (Abortion Rights!) COCKROACH! #97 (Abortion Rights!) A EZINE FOR POOR AND WORKING CLASS PEOPLE. WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS. It is time that the poor and working class people have a voice on the Internet. Contributions can be sent to <malecki-AT-algonet.se> Subscribtions are free at <malecki-AT-algonet.se> Now on line! Check out the Home of COCKROACH! http://www.algonet.se/~malecki ------------------------------------------------ 1. Abortion rights! 2. The tragic case of Vlad! 3. Summing up the State Capitalist debate! ------------------------------------------------------- Abortion Rights! >Come to think of it, I think this debate shows how we must take each >country/region as a concrete case. I am now remembering the National >Security Council plan that was leaked or stolen or whatever. The National >Security Council had this grand worry that overpopulation was a serious >problem for Turkey, which it may well be, but the data is not conclusive. >Anyway, guess where the number of children per family is highest? The >southeast, the Kurdish areas. This got published in leftist journals, for a >while, there was a fear, and a real possibility, of widepread semi-forced >abortions in the "region", as the Kurdish lands have come to be called. It >never came to be, but the report was damn serious. > >Btw, anyone married can get an abortion for almost free (last I knew) in the >mother-child clinics, though their scope does not extend to all of Turkey. >Else, it is a cheap procedure in state hospitals, a bit more expensive but >definitely affordable in private clinics and doctors. Becoming a >gynecologist requires the highest grades in the medical school exams, any >doctor who wants to earn serious money wants to become one. Most >gynecologists performs dozens and dozens and dozens in a day. A doctor >friend of mine was shocked to learn his gynecologist colleague in his >hospital was about to by a yacht. > >I am now beginning to understand why I always watched the great abortion >fight in the States in semi-amazement. The cultural, political (and >economic, there is real money involved) landscape is so different here, >viewing abortion as a "technical" question can lead to all sorts of >domination and exploitation of women, whereas it seems to have the opposite >effect in the USA. > >Zeynep In a lopsided way at least Zeynep trys to put the abortion question into the framework of Hugh's pedogogical approach of sex-money-power and politics. In the first paragraph she rightfully brings up the question of using birth control (abortion) as a political weapon against minorities. Although she says that this report was never put into effect. However in India I am quite sure Rahul can present us with some fairly interesting horror stories of how abortion is used as a political weapon in this context. However I thing that we should look at this in a longer historical perspective. Although the abortion debate has been quite big in many countries especially during the late post war historical cycle where without a big imperialist war the population at least among poor and working class people is kept to acceptabal levels. The baby boom and the discussion around abortion as well as how abortion is used depends a lot on the economic and political state of a given country or continent. For example abortion as a discussion in Africa where millions upon millions of starched bones and shallow graves from wars and drouts not leaving aside the now huge Aids problem this continent is faced with makes the disscussion on abortion seem quite absurd. Another example is China where "culture" makes it acceptable to either abort unwanted girl babies because if you only are allowed one child it has to be a boy to carry on the line. This is just another form of bizaar religous mystisism which has some very far reaching negative effects for at least Chinese women to say the least. But only a few decades ago abortion was hardly the question. In fact being good mothers and family's in raising cannon fodder for the next war was the key issue. In fact Stalin's line of being a good mother for the "Socialist fatherland" comes to mind. Where in the United States women were basically thrown out of the industries as the victorious warring men who still were alive came back home. This will most likely be the case after the next big war also! Unless the are a chain of victorious social revolutions. In her second paragraph Zeynep also takes up the money question albeit in a very lopsided way. In fact the money question is also linked to the technical question. Thus she admits that state hospital abortions are cheap, but I assume risky, thus the thriving private market in abortion clinics for those who can pay. And her doctor friends can think about buying a new Mercedes or whatever. And historically in countries where abortion was or is illegal it is and instrument mainly directed against poor and working class women. For example here in Sweden until abortion was made legal and in the nearest hospital. It was only the well off who had money to take the boat over to the then Stalinist led Poland and check in for a few days in order to get the abortion. Where as poor and working class women were either forced to raise 7 or 8 kids or go to the nearest quack with a knitting needle. Naturally this was also before the introduction of the P-pill. Finally I think Zeynep and all others that do not see the good sides in the real technical part of all this should thing again. In fact there are both very good ways technically to give abortions to women who want them and there are technical very bad ways to do this. However I smell a lot of morals involved in the attacks on Cox for his technical approach to the matter which I think a bit one sided but in a certain sense correct. The point being the the technical end of all this must be in demanding the right to free abortions on demand for women at the nearest hospital connected to a high technical quality, but also perhaps instructions on how to use other forms of birth control, not to mention a broad sexual education program in the schools let say starting with the fifth grade of elememtry school! I mean if it is technically possible to put a spaceship on mars and sent pictures back. Well then I am quite sure that abortions technically and even repeated abortions technically do not have to endanger women's health. And naturally it certainly should not be treated as a luxury but elementry health care..Sort of like influensa. And to round it all off in the context of Hugh's pedogogical approach. Women can screw as much as they want too without worrying about the prospects of unwanted pregnancy. Although this is mainly connected to some rather simple other economical and political factors of a modern industrial society both in the transitional sense of the dictatorship of the proletariat and a future communist society. Because much of this debate on abortion is in fact a luxury in many parts of the world where having babies is the best insurance policy of both survival and the parents being taken care of in there older days.. Of course there is another solution in late capitalist/imperialist society both for those who are for abortion and those who are against. One could join the Islamic and Christiasn fundementalist revival or become a Chatholic nun! Although I think I would reserve the last for Gary on the Irish question! Sorry Gary just joking. Warm Regards Bob Malecki -------------------------------------------------------- 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 -------------------------------------------------------- Summing up the State Capitalist debate! Well, despite the hundreds of Kb involved in the latest round of debate between the state caps and Andy the most interesting part of the whole debate has been left out! Dave was into this stuff the other day in regards to the latest round between Andy and Hugh. Which by the way Hugh,s latest this morning was just great. Anyhow Dave quite rightly mentioned that what is vital in the whole debate over the state capitalist theory is the fundemental political stance that their position has put them in historically. At best this position can be summed up as a plague on both of your houses which ultimately in regards to Revolutionary Marxism is back handed support to imperialism in every confrontation that has taken place between imperialism and the deformed and degenerated workers state since the beginning of world war two. As Trotsky put it in the Shactman fight the state capitalist theory fundementally developed in a petty bourgeois click who under the pressur of the inpending war and Revolutionary Marxist responsibility of defending the gains of October despite the Stalinists liquidated marxist theory in order to come up with a line defence of the Soviet Union against imperialism in a time of war. And the post war clone versions of the state cap theory have straddled the fence at best on defensism or blantly wound up on the side of imperialism in the confrontations between the deformed and degenerated workers states. Thia aspect! The concrete political stance of the state cap organisations has been hardly discussed at all and is the fundemental organisational, programatical and tactical link in the struggle to build a world party of Socialist revolution. The debate that Andy and Hugh are having in a sense is linked to this debate but in a mirrored fashion. It will be quite interesting to see what Andy's position is going to become out of his stance on this stuff. However Andy draws no organisational, programatical and tactical conclusions that the state cap position leads too nor has he drwn the conclusions that his arguements against the state caps lead to when it comes to class struggle and a confrontation between imperialism and the once deformed workers states and the degenerated workers states. Trotsky and in fact the state caps unlike Andy drew the organisational, programatical and tactical conclusions of this debate. And in fact in the final analisis put the state caps and the Trotskyists historically on the opposite side of the barricades. The Trotskyists with the position of "unconditional military defense of the deformed and degenerated workers states and the state caps at best a plague on both your houses or a blantant support of the imperialists against these states. So I guess if summing up needs to be done and I think that Zeynep is partially right about the debate being almost dried up and a tendency of both sides just repeating themselves. I hope that the various components Andy, the state caps put the summing up of the debate in its rightful organisational, programatical and tactical perspective. You already have my version in this letter. With the latest round between Hugh and Andy it will be quite interesting to see where Andy draws his conclusions in this regard if he dare to draw these conclusions at all. I assume the state caps who have been pushing their line so hard here on M-I also present a historical and present organisational, political and tactical stance to class struggle war and revolution. Because in the final analisis theory is a guide to action! Which means that all this theory has to have its practical implementation in the class struggle. When doing this the debate will not only be widened but open up the entire debate to whole new perspectives and the ability of poor and working class people seeing though all the ideological smoke painted up here by the various components. Hopefully Bob Malecki ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check Out My HomePage where you can, Read or download the book! Ha Ha Ha McNamara, Vietnam-My Bellybutton is my Crystalball! And Now the International Communist League Page! Or Get The Latest Issue of, COCKROACH, a zine for poor and working-class people http://www.algonet.se/~malecki Back issues of Cockroach and my book at http://www.kmf.org/malecki/ -------------------------------------------------------- --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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