File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1997/97-03-31.182, message 70


From: m-14970-AT-mailbox.swipnet.se
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 11:09:12 +0200
Subject: M-I: A blast from the past -- the defeated Stalinist in a lucid moment


While I'm digging around in the annals, I might as well remind everybody of
something Adolf-O said almost a year ago on marxism1 (3 April 96), in a
posting entitled "A new co-moderator. Welcome!":



>Then we will come to you, if you don't mind Mr. Rodwell.  You see, with
>Master Proyect we will apply Leninism, as we had already done.  We will
>apply also Maoism.  But with you, we will have to apply pure and undiluted
>primigenial Marxism.  Quite a jump that one my friend.  For the very rose,
>eh? Hic salta, and all that?
>
>We will come to that, if you are patient and stick around while we the ugly
>and base creatures of intelectual labour raise ourselves to your level and
>make you budge.  A bit like an attempt to making you spit the "proletarian
>silver spoon", Mr. Rodwell.
>
>I recognise in you the only worthy Marxist theoretician to debate as an
>opponent in both lists.  All the others have already shown, either to have
>our understanding, or to be our enemies, while you have shown to be both our
>enemy and to have a form of our understanding and even our method.
>
>Proyect's case is a political issue, the theoretical issues with him were
>already resolved before and now stand clear.  With you, I think the issue is
>a properly a philosophical one, and since you won't commit yourself to a
>firm criticism on questions of method, but only claim that with have our
>theory upside down (assuming yours to have the grasp of the right "end of
>the stick"), such philosophical battles can only take place at the end, like
>Armaggedon, isn't it Mr. Rodwell.
>
>I think we will get to that, if not here, then in Marxism 3, however I have
>the feeling that it will be here, in Marxism 1 that things will have to be
>resolved in the end.
>
>[snip]
>
>M3= SYNTHESIS?  What do you think Mr. Rodwell?
>
>Adolfo Olaechea


Prophetic, eh? Even down to the ridiculous list reshufflings, as if
institutional organization could remove or settle political differences.

But he only saw the superficial personal side of things. He grotesquely
underestimated Bob M and failed to envisage the arrival of Dave B (or PO).
He failed to see that he was faced with the real Marxist tradition, from
Marx and Engels through Lenin and Trotsky as the fusion of ideas and
organized action. But he was right about the "worthy opponent" bit. It's
Trotskyism (allied with revolutionary Marxism represented by Vladimir B,
Zeynep T and some of the state caps) that has stood up to his vile
Stalinist distortions of our theory and history and finally left his
Stalinism no option but to turn tail and run. Armaggedon no less.


Cheers,

Hugh



PS Here's another blast from the past -- Vlad's post of 23 Sep 96 entitled
"The Rotten Block Must  and Will Be Smashed!":


>Recent theats indicate beyond any doubt that we have another little
>rotten block  on our hands. And not for the first time on this list.
>
>In the context of Proyect's provocation against Malecki, lumpen-stalinists
>from US smell blood and join with the bourgeois wing of the
>metropolitan left against Trotsky and his revolutionary followers.
>Most unfortunately, they have been joined by Oleachea.  Again.
>This block must be smashed, routed (no prisoners taken), dispersed
>and exposed for what it is: the propagandist tool on the service of
>the most reactionary forces of capitalist restoration in Eurasia.
>
>What is the objective goal of this unholy alliance?  The same as that
>of the protofascist regimes of capitalist restoration in Eastern Europe
>and FSU. Their objective goal is to deceive the struggling masses that
>Stalin was "Lenin today," to demoralise, disorient them, and to prevent
>the formation of new revolutionary vanguard in Russia and elsewhere.
>Their objective goal is to smear the leader of the
>international proletariat as the alleged predecessor of Kain-Stalin,
>the gravedigger of October, the executioner of the proletarian vanguard
>around the world! Ever the lackeys of reaction, they mask their
>their scheme by attacking Trotsky, but their real aim is Lenin, and
>the fundamental ideals of of October.
>
>This is why this rotten block must be smashed, and it will be smashed!
>
>DOWN WITH THE LACKEYS OF EURASIAN REACTION!
>
>LONG LIVE THE MEMORY OF LENIN AND TROTSKY - THE GREAT LEADERS
>
>OF OCTOBER AND INTERNATIONAL PROLETARIAT!
>
>
>Vladimir Bilenkin



Anyone interested can also dig out Vlad's posts of 6 Oct 96 "Against the
Rotten Block" or 8 Oct 96  "The Sickness at the Heart of Marxism-Leninism?!
OR Its Falsification?" for more examples of what some of the important
struggles on the list are about.

z




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