File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1996/96-11-22.061, message 36


Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 19:54:56 -0500 (EST)
From: Siddharth Chatterjee <siddhart-AT-mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject: Re: M-I: Soft on Stalinism?




On Mon, 18 Nov 1996, Carrol Cox wrote:

>     "Stalinist" is a label which we should stop applying to others, period,
> and when anyone applies it to him/herself, we should ignore the label and
> examine the concrete theories and practices which it seems, in each case,
> to be a *mere* name (puff of air in the radical nominalist sense).
> 

It is curious but the word "Stalinist" is hurled with equal ferocity
by the right wing,Trotskyists, and 'left' intellectuals (e.g., Christopher
Hitchens) alike. This word is used to conjure up images of monstrousnes
similar to the word "communist" and "anti-semitic". Propaganda words
like these have been widely used in the past by the bourgeoise and the
media (e.g., describing the Sandinista govt. as 'Marxist-Leninist',
Bolsheviks 'eating babies', 'authoritarian-totalitarian' regimes) to
denigrate the enemy of the moment and score public relations points.
One is supposed to cringe and try to hide when such words are used by
one's opponent.

Since we are on the subject, here is a final parting shot. Mahatma Gandhi,
apparently, was once asked what he thought of Western Civilization. After
some deliberation, Gandhi replied that "it would be a good idea".
Similarly, Noam Chomsky began one of his seminars on Free Market Democracy
by saying that "it would be a good idea". To complete the Holy Trinity,
"Maleckian Trotskyism (and other current versions)..... would be a good
idea".


   



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