Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 10:31:14 +0100
From: Lew <Lew-AT-dialogues.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: M-I: state capitalism


In article <Pine.SUN.3.95L.970607062539.20138B-
100000-AT-ciao.cc.columbia.edu>, Louis N Proyect <lnp3-AT-columbia.edu> writes

>I got involved in a discussion about this topic last year when Adam Rose,
>a Tony Cliff state capitalist, was on the list. I found that he, like most
>people of this persuasion, preferred to deal in abstractions, an
>unfortunate aspect of the current thread. I said that there was something
>qualitatively different between societies based on the Soviet model and a
>myriad of other societies that are nominally "socialist". Capitalism was
>uprooted in Cuba, for example, while in Algeria it persisted. In order to
>drive this point home, I wrote a detailed analysis of both countries so as
>to illustrate the differences. I find this approach more useful than
>quoting Marx, Engels or Lenin.

In a discussion of the validity or otherwise of state capitalism it
would be very difficult to do so without quoting Marx, Engels or Lenin.
And in such a theory informed method of analysis as Marxism is,
clarification at the theoretical level ("abstractions") is vital before
we can say anything about concrete issues. There are indeed qualitative
differences between societies that are nominally "socialist", but that
was not what the discussion was about. Nevertheless, perhaps you could
briefly explain how "Capitalism was uprooted in Cuba"?

-- 
Lew


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