From: "Rosser Jr, John Barkley" <rosserjb-AT-jmu.edu>
Subject: M-I: Albania
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 17:02:38 -0500 ()


     The current uprising in Albania raises a number of 
important issues for this list, as well as an opportunity 
to get off the unpleasant "Stalinism" dime we have been on 
(and which I confess to having aggravated, intend to stop).
     1)  I think the hopes of the Trotskyists on this list 
are likely to be frustrated.  One reason is that the 
Socialist Party of Albania is deeply rooted in its 
Hoxha-Stalinist past.  On the one hand, the Trotskyist 
analysis of the problems associated with Albania's past 
policies leading to extreme poverty are accurate.  On the 
other, hand there is an opportunity here for a party that 
declares at least a passing affection for Stalin to show 
that it can develop a modern, relevant, non-oppressive form 
of socialism, if it can come to power.  I note here that 
there are various Communist and Socialist parties in the 
Third World that admire Stalin of which the above can be 
said, notably some of those in India.
     2)  An aspect of the current upheaval that must be 
noted is the regional/clan/ethnic aspect.  Although largely 
sharing language and religious heritage, the northerners 
are Gegs and the southerners are Tosks, who have a long 
mutual history of rivalry and conflict.  Hoxha was from the 
south and that remains the base of the Socialist Party and 
of his supporters.  Berisha and most of his supporters are 
Gegs from the north.
     3)  A more confusing irony is that the southerners 
have actually profited more and gained more from the recent 
move to capitalism, despite the corrupt and undemocratic 
regime being run by northerners.  Much of these gains indeed
has come from smuggling and similar kinds of activities.  
With their higher incomes the southerners had more money to 
sink into the corrupt and ridiculous pyramid financial 
schemes, and thus ended up losing more.  Much of the 
driving force of this rebellion is a simple "we want our 
money back."  If Berisha were to pay everybody off, it would
probably end the rebellion, although he would upset the IMF 
then and might trigger a hyperinflation if he did so.
     4)  The Berisha regime is not only corrupt and 
undemocratic, but amazingly incompetent.  It fully deserves 
to be overthrown.
     5)  The ultimate Balkan constrast remains 
between Albania and Slovenia.  Longtime list members will 
remember what I think lies behind this contrast and its 
implications for what a revived and competent socialist 
movement in Albania will advocate and implement if it comes 
to power.
     Aside to Adolfo:
     I am disappointed that you refuse to directly discuss 
matters with me.  I take your refusal to do so as prima 
facie evidence that I have you dead to rights.  Your 
continuing efforts to make false accusations and engage in 
idiotic namecalling on other lists while playing Mr. High 
Minded on this list simply confirms this fact.  Case closed.
Barkley Rosser

-- 
Rosser Jr, John Barkley
rosserjb-AT-jmu.edu




     --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
#############################
Notice:

This message was found in a dead-letter box and appears to be for you.
If you have already gotten a copy of this message, we beg your tolerance.

The Unix Systems Group



     --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---