File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/97-02-08.012, message 87


Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 22:27:13 GMT
From: hariette-AT-easynet.co.uk (Hariette Spierings)
Subject: Re: M-I: "The Flaming Path" 


>If I am not mistaken, I believe I read a post to this list by Adolfo
>reporting on a speech he gave to the "Stalin Society of London"  during which
>he flamed at great length the MRTA as being imperialist agents, Wall Street
>stooges, etc. at the very moment when they control the Japanese embassy in
>defiance of Fujimoto, Clinton and the like.   Whatever one thinks of the
>MRTA, Adolfo's characterizations, particularly at this moment, are totally
>inappropriate.
>
>I must say, though, if I had been given a little more notice and had
>unlimited funds, I would be tempted to fly over to London to attend the
>meeting.  I have had many experiences over 45 years of activity on the left,
>including working with the leadership of the CPUSA even, yet I have never
>attended a meeting of a "Stalin Society."   I can only imagine the scene:
> dark oak panels in a little library on a back street of London, foggy night,
>hall dimly lit, red banners with hammers and sickles on the walls,   a large
>painting of Uncle Joe. smoking his pipe , arm around a plump peasant lass,  a
>collection of Miss Marple types sitting on stiff upright chairs, knitting, as
>Adolfo expounds on the revisionism on the MRTA.  Great stuff for a novel!
>


This is a really interesting demonstration of a deeply prejudiced person who
has not stop to think things thru but is reacting in the very manner that
the psycho-warriors of imperialism would want him to.

He assumes as gospel thruth what the imperialist media and the posturings of
the different actors of this "MRTA melodrama" are feeding him without even
needing a glass of water to swallow the concoction!  With leftists like
this, no wonder the reactionary right is running rings all around them!
They never bother to study or analyse a political situation from a concrete
point of view.  It is all jerky sentimentalism and imagery for them!  

If the 1933 Hitler was today to re-appear dressed up as a third world
guerilla fighter, they will swallow line hook and sinker his professed
"socialism" (albeit showing a bit of concern about the "national" bit, but
not too much since the same "national" ideology, dressed up as the "Deep
Roots of our Peruvian Tupac Amarist Past" is tolerated without even the
batting of an eye).  They will praise as "anti-imperialism" all of 1933-39
Hitler's frothings and railings against Germany's rival imperialists.  In
fact, if I do not remember wrongly, quite a few Labourites, pacifists, and
assorted "leftists" in Britain did precisely that at that time!   Even the
Bristish leader of the Blackshirts, Mosley, had his own roots in the Labour
Party, and moreover, had a reputation as a bit of a "militant" himself!.
History is there, and some people ignore it at their peril. 

However, is it true that the MRTA is holding the Japanese embassy in
defiance of Clinton and Fujimori? (Note: people like TIM could actually
bother to study the situation in Peru before opening their mouths and even
mis-spelling the dictators' name for everyone to gauge their ignorance).

Is what Tim says true?.  No, it is not.  The MRTA, far from "defying"
Clinton or Fujimori, has been given the green light to hold on to the
embassy and their hostages on the understanding that they are working
towards a peace agreement with IMPERIALISM and with the FUJIMORI REGIME. 

The first thing they did after taking over the embassy was to expalin to the
US diplomats the had captured their aims - serving imperialism and reaction
- and inmediately released them as a firm token of their willingness to play
their part in whatever outcome the US imperialist considered would suit
their counter-revolutionary and anti-People's War plans.  In fact, they
began to transmit anti-communist propaganda - perfectly in line with Clinton
and Fujimori - from day one.  That, however, wholly escapes Tim, since with
the superficial glance he has given at the situation in Peru, by the
standards of the "woolie left", he is already an expert!.

Anti-communism, counter-revolution, further US intervention in Peru
(scalation of their military role) is exactly the content of Clinton's
endorsement of "Fujimori's handling of the situation" vis a vis the MRTA
group holed up inside the Japanese embassy.  Tim speaks for the "wooly
left", a collection of sentimental wafflers who do not understand politics
>from a class position at all. His reaction, like that of other similar
ingenues, is to be expected.  

People like this know nothing of the political and military role of the MRTA
in the context of the revolution, its origins, its ideology, etc.  It does
not matter to him, it is only the appeareance what matters to him, the
rhetoric, not the substance. These are the same kind of people who during
the civil war in Russia would have stood for the Kronstatd
counter-revolutionary rebellion just because it bespoke Soviet slogans. They
would have found it hard to find out why the Bolsheviks were fighting
AGAINST the mensheviks and the Makhnos, etc., who also spoke of socialism,
revolution, and such like, in order to attack the proletariat, its Party and
its leadership, V.I. Lenin who they, like the MRTA in Peru today, also
accussed of "irrational violence and attacking the people themselves",
"having betrayed the revolution", etc..

It is innevitable that such reactions - which is precisely what imperialism
is seeking to elicit to build up public opinion in favour of their "peace
agreement" plot - would occur given the state of utter disarray and
social-democratic infection among the Western Left.  It is on the existance
of these instant "left-wing experts" that imperialism is banking its
strategy today. 

And people like Tim, oblige.  They are, thanks to their philistinism and
ignorant First World arrogance, mere putty in the hands of those they would
otherwise like to oppose, Clinton and Fujimori.

I am, however, not bothered overmuch by them.  Events will prove beyond any
doubt that what we say corresponds to facts and to the class interests of
the proletariat. My criticism is not mainly directed against the "woolies"
in the left.  They have already their own problems, and it would take more
Marxist education that can possibly be given in a life time to bring them
even to the threshold of a serious political understanding of a concrete
situation. People like this, think like they talk:  In generalities,
abstraction and suppositions they would dearly love to be real. 

It cannot be helped. It is because of their subjective desire to see
revolution just round the corner in romantic and exotic places since things
proceed at such a snail pace in their countries, that they tend to confuse
counter-revolution with revolution, pro-imperialism with anti-imperialism,
and so on in such a cavalier manner.  After all, it is not really their
struggle, and they do not have to bear the consequences, since they have no
other position on this but that of the outside observer who can shoot his
mouth with all the irresponsible gall that may best please him.  What they
do not lead, it is not for them to defend even at the cost of short term
impopularity.  It is all the same for them, and what they hate the most -
and thus the reason of their outbursts - is to be so sorely dissapointed and
to have their pink bubbles pricked, precisely just after they have held
forth about it for hours with their buddies in the pub!

My concern is rather with people who otherwise uphold COMMUNIST principles
in a serious and respectable manner, those among that category who could
have in this particular instance been hoodwinked into behaving as mere
"Militant Tims" and giving THEIR COMMUNIST platform to the
counter-revolutionary anti-communist and pro-imperialist action of the MRTA
and its slanders against the revolution in Peru and its leadership.   

Finally, for Tim's information, the Stalin Society is not a collection of
old duffers or Mrs. Marples - he must be thinking of the old revisionists of
the CPGB.  

There is now - alongside older comrades whose experience and knowledge we
cherish too as it always is (and has been so since the Manifesto) within the
PROLETARIAN movement - a vibrant young generation (they publish the magazine
Red Youth, and their average age is around 19, or even younger - I have
already transcribed some articles from that publication in the former M1 list). 

These young comrades are now taking their place in this trench of combat
alongside some elders like myself (53) and continuing with the
anti-revisionist work of the 60s generation.  One of their number, was
elected on that day to the Executive Committee by a very high number of
ballots. He is only 20 years old.  The Executive Committe as a whole,
probably averages around 45, and the Chairman is a relatively young man in
his late 30s. or early 40s). There are more women than men in the executive). 
  
In the last two years, the Stalin Society has grown by leaps and bounds and
more than doubled its original membership.  At the London meeting there were
more than 80 members in attendance on the day of my report, plus a few dozen
observers, of which several became new members, although still with no right
to vote. (Only those who have been members during the previous year are
entitled to vote).   

Sorry to dissapoint Tim about the Victorian gas-lit oak-panelling too!.  The
Stalin Society actually meets in the rather modern King's Cross Community
Center, 51 Argyle St, WC1, in the very heart of London, and not in any side
street pub.  Not that such a thing would be a bad thing, Lenin too haunted
the old pubs of London and many bolshevik meetings took place in scenarios
such as Tim's floppy hatted imagination portrayed.  

If any one in this list ever wants to attend these meetings and see for
themselves: Regular meetings do take place the first Sunday of every month.
There are generally extremely interesting and well presented reports,
lectures, debates, etc.  Sometimes, there are celebrations too, with
revolutionary music and participation by Turkish, Peruvian, Kurdish,
Chilean, Indian, Caribbean and other ethnic minorities who have in London a
strong communist or sympathising presence and which render the Society very
much support.

Tim could not be wrong on everything: The plain white painted walls of this
hall are indeed covered on these occasions with red flags and revolutionary
posters, as they should, whatever the delicate pinkos of the woolie left may
say about the proletarian taste for art-deco! 


Adolfo



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