Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 14:20:25 -0700 (MST)
From: R Lyon <rlyon-AT-gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>
Subject: Re: M-G: Rolf - no workers organizations in Swededn huh?


B.S Rolf.  I think that Bob and I essentially agree - work in mass
organizations is a geared to eventually creating a mass movement of the
workers that will split them from the "top" - but for now - the majority of
workers will be in the mass social democratic parties - and if not now they
will return in a crisis - which is a period of many gains for the marxists
who in an organized fashion work in the mass organizations of the working
class.  Of course we don't tailcoat the reformists we keep our own
independent orgaanization  but we also work in the mass parties.  But Rolf -
work on your own can essentially do nothing, but frustrate you - and I have
read Lenin and Trotsky and Marx on this question.  Not Mao as he had nothing
to do with the working class - as he at first relyed on the peasantry - then
the bourgeousie - then the workers - in order to create the current
totalitarian state.  Marx and Engels worked in the mass democratic parties
to gain a voice in the labour movement - Lenin and Trotsky in the second
international social democratic parties (as well as in trade unions even
reactionary ones) and the marxists later worked in the Communist Parties
when they had a mass base - now - in the absence of a mass communist
movement we must work where the workers are - in the workers movement.  What
is communism if workers can not here and if it not indubitable tied to
working class movement - anything else is sectarian.  As Trotsky once said
that the sectarian acts as a school teacher - expectingt he masses to follow
their teaching - yet having in reality nothing to with them - we can not be
separated from the workers movement - that's why I believe in the phrase
"the marxist voice of the labour movement" because that's what my
international affiliates are.


Comradely


Rob



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