From: Zeynep Tufekcioglu <zeynept-AT-turk.net>
Subject: Re: M-I: Why don't we all wait...
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 11:33:22 +0200



>The people who are making attacks that cannot be answered are doing it
>because they know that they cannot be answered. They are not going to
>listen to your appeals Zeynep. They are not friends of yours, or the
>Turkish revolution, or any revolution. Will you stand up to them and
>fight back?
>
> 
>Comradely,
>
>Richard.                     
>      New Worker Online http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/2853
>

I'm not exactly sure whom I'm to stand up to and fight.

I believe that this is also from you;

>These are difficult questions for the list moderators, and I do not envy
>their impossible positions, but sometimes standing for justice comes
>before standing for the rules.

Anyway, stupid me thought I was fighting against the bourgeoisie for a new
world of freedom, free from oppression and exploitation.

I also think there are certain time-honored friends and enemies of the
revolution. Well proven.

Honesty and dedication to the point of being able to put one's ego aside
helps, for one. Being able to grasp the difference between those committing
the Crime of Difference of Opinion and real Counter-revolutionaries and
enemies of the revolution also helps. Is that too subtle? Standing up for
the simplest of all principles, such as not condoning death-talk in any form
against any person that declares himself/herself on the side of the working
class, and who is not proven to be otherwise (I mean *really* proven, not
imagined) would also help, I suppose. Recognising honest criticism is the
best gift to the revolution, and being able to look from the swamp of one's
ego would probably be beneficiary too. 

Anyone who has a real stake in a revolution, what I call a friend of the
revolution, must feel the pain of watching too many organisations or people
flatter themselves all the way to defeat. It personally pains me to see too
many honest and serious revolutionaries repeat the mantras of the past into
trance, and I see anything that might remotely shake them out of it as a
very welcome event. That, of course, requires listening to criticism, and of
course, allowing the disagreeable act of letting those that disagree with
you talk. Which, surprisingly, is very difficult if everyone in disagreement
is branded as not being a friend of the revolution. I guess that simple
principle also deserves standing up and fighting for.

I don't and can't even begin to comprehend how anyone who has his/her heart
first with the revolution of the working people, then with his/her
organisation does not recognise that sectarianism, being closed to
criticism, nurturing the false, criminal belief that an organisation that is
engaged in a real war must be handled with kid-gloves and be allowed to
excuse and substitute everything with the simple fact that they are waging a
right war against the enemy does not see that is what is killing the
revolution, both before and after.

The idea is not to feel good and congratulate each other all the time. We
should feel bad and criticise each other, and create an environment allowing
that criticism. I'd keep the congratulations a few and far between. Not
while capital rules most every square meter of the planet anyhow. 

The only injustice I'm afraid of is doing injustice to the revolution. Do
you think the rules which try to ensure that an environment for free, if not
always intelligent or proper, discussion are there because some of us are
nice boys and girls? That the attempt at condemning death-talk and "justice"
contradict?

Where the hell is the spirit of Lenin asking for Menshevik Martov's health
in his own death bed? What happened to the breed of revolutionaries like
Mahir Cayan, who died trying in the events after trying to arrange a
jailbreak for his comrade Deniz Gezmis, who had incidentally broke away from
their joint organisation with Mahir to form his own, an event that witnessed
all parties calling each other most every name you can think of.

The most serious injustice is done when organisations lose the real picture.
That is why it is more important to ruthlessly criticise organisations. Even
more so than criticising each other. It is an absolute must, and it is not a
weakness against the bourgeoisie to do so and some of the criticism will be
wrong, misplaced, undue. Better to have some wrong and misplaced criticism
than too few well-placed and due criticism. Your criteria treating people
and organisations is standing on its head. People can be ignored and
forgiven more readily than organisations. With an attitude like yours, we'll
play in the sand for a long time.

And the real enemies of the revolution rejoice no less for closing the epoch
that was supposed to be the epoch of transition to socialism with
reiterating their power, while we happily squabble and make excuses of each
other.

Zeynep




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