Date: Sun, 3 Aug 1997 11:40:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: Scott McLemee <mclemee-AT-igc.apc.org>
Subject: Re: M-I: Invention of Marxism-Leninism, part 5


On Sun, 3 Aug 1997, Louis N Proyect wrote:

> The other day I was talking with Scott McLemee over the phone about the
> fairly unimpressive performance of the Comintern with respect to the
> German revolution. He speculated that if Lenin had not made it back to
> Russia in 1917, there probably would not have been a Bolshevik revolution.

That sounds like either (a) Lenin worship or (b) some variant on the idea 
that October was not a social revolution but a coup.  I'm not inclined to 
the former (at least not so much any more).  And the latter is just 
historical garbage.  But without the reorientation provided by "The Tasks 
of the Proletariat in Our Revolution" (a.k.a. "The April Theses"), is it 
likely that the Bolsheviks could have navigated through the following six 
months?

But before Louis agrees too quickly on this, let me quote a passage 
from later in the document (following the strictly "domestic" Russian 
analysis):  "It is we who must found, and right now, without delay, a *new* 
revolutionary, proletarian International, or rahter, we must not fear to 
acknowledge that this new International is *already established* and 
operating."  Just before this, Lenin explicitly downplays the importance 
of maintaining connections with "the Zimmerwald 'Kautskyites.'"  
Deepening the split from the Second International is already Lenin's 
highest priority even before the Third has been launched!   


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