Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 11:08:55 -0700 (MST)
From: R Lyon <rlyon-AT-gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>
Subject: Re: M-G: Re: M-TH: World war II, the Soviet Union and Stalin (fwd)




---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 15:02:06 -0700 (MST)
From: R Lyon <rlyon-AT-gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>
To: marxism-general-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
Cc: marxism-thaxis-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
Subject: Re: M-G: Re: M-TH: World war II, the Soviet Union and Stalin

You talk about Trostkyism and being an "existential outside observer" (or
something to that extent).  What "Trotskyist" organization did you belong
to?  Trotskyism cannot be blanketed - as you all know - everyone on this
list  who claims to be a "Trotskyist" is loyal to their own organization and
ideas - all claiming to be Trotskyist - if you were hanging out with idiots
calling you names just becuase of your clothes - I would wonder what kind of
TRotskyist they were - many Trotskyists capitualted to Stalinism/Maoism in
the sixties, so I don't think they were Trotskyist (The Fourth
International), and many capitualted to Castro as well - as some do still
today.  
I always wonder what these "existential" observers hope to achieve as
socialists - saying that what happened in the USSR "had to be".  How will
socialism every "work" so to speak if we all think that totalitarian
stalinism is the only way it can be achieved and set up.  Doesn't this
negate evrything that Marx and Lenin talked about - or hoped to achieve.
Hugh is 100% correct when he says that it didn't have to happen, that Left
Opposition had a very good program, and were right to continue the struggle
for socialism.  Joining the hippies wouldn't have worked - sure the hiipies
talked a radical game - but they were to busy smoking pot and loving
everyone.  They wouldn't submit to any sort of socialist leadership - and
were not prepared to take the anti bourgeious revolt into a conscientious
class revolt of the working class for socialism as against the capitalist
class.  The hippies ultimatelt died off - leaving us some very important
lessons - that the working class must be the revolting layer of society -
not "petty bourgeous" university kids - I myself am a university kid - but
have learned from the lessons of the 60's generation - that the struggle
must be placed with the workers as the leaders.
Existential observers can hope for nothing (if that what's you really are is
an existentialist) - existentialism left Camus being opposed to revolt in
itself, left Orwell nearly at that stage, left Auden a christian, and left
Sarte with a fundamental contradiction in his philosophy that eventually
made him reject existentialism.  These observers feel contempt for the
stupidity of the masses - and feel they can't achieve anything on their own,
that Stalinism is the logical outcome when you put the "ignorant" masses
directly on to the political platform - but here we see the process of
doublethink - " I believe in socialism and freedom - but the workers are
stupid so the only way to achieve it is by Stalinism/totalitariansim" - but
once the totalitarian regime takes off it inevitably attempts to create the
Universe of the book 1984 - the creation of a totalitarian "Utopia" where
there is no individuality, where there is "democracy" because no one argues
etc...  We should also be looking at this - the nature of totalitariasm -
the rise of Stalinism out of the class struggle - and how things like this
can be fought.  The trotskyists on this list have read how to fight fascism,
and Stalinism - but I suppose one thing I look at is how do we go about
revolution with the Stalinists breathing down our necks - we failed in the
late 40's, and in China etc... that's because there were very few
Trotskyists or any sort of marxists left - but that is still the situation
today - just something to think about.


Aufwiedersehen, and comradely greetings

ROB




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