Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 11:04:15 +0200 From: Robert Malecki <malecki-AT-algonet.se> Subject: Re: M-I: Twilight of the labor movement Workers' Voice wrote: > Louis R Godena wrote: > > > > But that is not what concerns me this morning. Rather, it is this > feeling > > that fundamental criticism of the fetishization of the working class > on the > > Left is somehow tantamount to disloyalty toward Marxism. > > Well, it wasn't the Left -- or even Marx -- that decided that the > working class "is the only really revolutionary class". That was > history. But I'm gathering he's equating the organized labor movement > > with the whole of the working class, instead of being a Marxist and > seeing organized labor as a part -- a vital part -- of the working > class. > > > It is true that, > > politically, I disagree to various extents with just about everyone > on > > marxism-international. This is fine with me. Marxism-international > is not > > the workers movement, nor is the Communist Party, nor the AFL-CIO, > nor the > > myriad of organizations, large or ridiculous, where three or more > gather in > > Marx's name. (The "new" AFL reminds me a lot of Zhygonov's Russian > > Communist Party, similar to the old, but ultimately a caricature of > its > > former self, "first as tragedy, then as farce.") > > > > Neither is Lou Godena, whose petty-bourgeois conceptions of the > working > class have led him to throw his hands in the air and cry "enough!" > (See > below.) I do, however, agree that M-I is not the whole of the > workers' > movement, and neither is the AFL-CIO. > > > And, anyway, the workers movement itself, having fulfilled its > historic > > role over the past 150 years, is now a spent force. > > New Left rubbish, anyone? So much for Marxism! > > > It is time to move on > > to other things, which the world is now doing very nicely. > > What, pray tell, is the *world* moving on to? > > > I am much > > excited by the re-functioning of Communist and Workers parties > occurring > > throughout Europe and Asia, though I am impatient for many of them > to emerge > > from the shadow of a triumphalist capitalism. But that will come, > in time. > > > > Uhh ... these so-called "Communist and Workers parties" have "emerged > from the shadow of triumphalist capitalism" ... as partners! All of > the > "Communist" parties in Eastern Europe and the former USSR have exposed > > their yellow underbellies, crawling before the Second International > for > admission. In China, the CCP is the caretaker of an emerging > capitalist > system. Everywhere else, these rotten sects and cults have been too > busy sucking up to imperialist-backed "liberation fighters" like > Laurent > Kabila. Or, worse, telling the working class to vote for bourgeois > parties. Not exactly something to be "excited" about. > > > I do not mean to ramble. Following are my reasons, briefly stated, > why I do > > feel that the labor movement *as it is currently constituted* is > doomed to > > failure in this country. This does not necessarily mean the end of > the > > socialist project --far from it-- but it does demand a basic > refunctioning > > of what we're about. > > > > 1) The absence, or near-absence, of absolute poverty among the > American > > working class. > > > > I've heard this before: the "worse is better" approach. Not only do > genuine Marxists condemn this as a fatalist outlook, but history has > thoroughly refuted this gutter ideology. The mass struggles in the > mid-1930s and late-1960s occured in a period of relative economic > equilibrium and recovery. Such periods of recovery provide the > working > class an opportunity to test its illusions and, thus, have them > shattered. This was the case even during the New Deal in the U.S. > The > formation of the CIO was met with even greater resistance by the > bosses > than the KoL and the AFL. > > > 2) The congenital inability of the working class to develop into a > culture > > of a ruling class. > > > > I'm guessing by this you mean the inability of the working class, > under > the present conditions, to develop into the class for itself, and > desire > to take power. If that's what you mean, then we agree. But, somehow, > I > think you mean something different. > > > 3) The failure of the labor movement, and its concomitant Left > parties, to > > concentrate on issues that resonate within American social > traditions. > > > > Can you be specific? What the hell do you mean by "American social > traditions"? Are you asking Marxists to wave Old Glory and march in > the > July 4 parade? > > Our organization, for example, does alot of work around issues > relevant > and vital to the working class in the U.S.: fighting to maintain > public > education, strike support work, antiracist/antifascist work, etc. > These > resonate farther among the working class than any "Fourth of July > Barbecue" would. > > > 4) The overweening presence of sclerotic, antiquated and corrupt > union > > infrastructures. > > > > But what do you do about it? Throw up your hands and cry "enough!"? > Or, do you fight. Someone once said "the point is to change it." > Changing the situation -- especially *how* you change it -- is the > key. > > > 5) The absence of a competent, credible *lumpenintelligentsia* > providing > > both the theory of revolution and a practical guide to action. > > > > #&(% this! The working class does need some "lumpenintelligentsia" to > > lead it around by the nose! This is the same, typical petty-bourgeois > > garbage that has degraded and degenerated the Left to the point it is > today. The working class has the ability to learn and understand > Marxism, and apply it to their day-to-day conditions and struggles. > We > (the working class) don't need anything "provided" to us! We don't > need > any "condescending saviors"! > > > 6) The innate conservatism of middle-class workers and, especially, > their > > obstinate willingness to play the employer's game. No matter what. > > > > It's amazing how Godena can say one thing I agree with one minute, and > > make a thoroughly anti-working-class, petty-bourgeois statement the > next. This political schitzophrenia is dizzying. > > > 7) The American radical tradition, which is almost wholly > individualistic, > > rather than collectivist. > > > > Off the top of my head, this is how I percieve the problem of moving > the > > working class towards socialism. If anyone cares to argue these > points (or > > their equivalent), fine. In the meantime, please refrain from > attributing > > to me views that are decidedly not my own. > > > > It's easier to argue against your views. They are a congenital defect > > of the Left today: a petty-bourgeois conception leads to great > expectations, which leads to catastrophic consequences, and eventually > > giving up on the sliver of Marxism which was surrounded by > middle-class > hogwash. > > I may not have been on the earth as long as you, Lou, but I've seen my > > share of class struggle and class battles. Even though you do not > explicitly say that the "Western proletariat" is dead, that is the > implication, and the logical extension of your positions. This is > shown > in your use of "working class" and "organized labor" as synonyms. > > I'm sure this will bring a sharp response from you. That's OK. I > expect it. But, to be honest, there is nothing you can say to > convince > me. Your petty-bourgeois conceptions of "socialism" have no use to a > working-class Bolshevik like me. > > > Louis Godena > > > > Odo Ital > -- > \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\XXXXXXXXXX||||||||||XXXXXXXXXX/////////////// > \ Workers' Voice (U.S.) P.O. Box 44593 / > \ Detroit MI 48244-0593 UNITED STATES / > > (313) 535-7161 Fax: (313) 535-4212 < > / workersvoice-AT-labornet.org workersvoice-AT-earthlink.net \ > / http://www.geocities.com/~workersvoice/ \ > / Voz Obrera: http://www.geocities.com/~workersvoice/vozo/ \ > ///////////////XXXXXXXXXX||||||||||XXXXXXXXXX\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ > > --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > --- Nice piece--Oda Ital! I will put it in a future issue of Cockroach! Bob Malecki --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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