From: "Ben Seattle" <icd-AT-communism.org>
Subject: M-I: Ben replies to Carrol Cox -- on concision and practicality
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 22:29:05 -0800


Carrol,

I have noticed that on occasion you make remarks
which I consider to be deeply thoughtful.  For example:

Carrol Cox -- Jan 18
==============
> In his arguments for a "Leninist" as opposed to a 
> "Marxist-Leninist" party, Lou P has argued that even 
> a revolutionary party should allow a wide degree of
> latitude in theory providing discipline was maintained 
> in practice. (Actually, Louis has to develop this idea 
> a bit more, because in his attempts to formulate his 
> vision positively he never confronted the question of 
> how such a party could avoid becoming a 
> social-democratic party.) 

I do not believe that anyone could put together such a
statement without giving a fair amount of thought to the
kinds of questions which are decisive in creating a 
communist movement today.

But then we have the following:

Carrol Cox -- Jan 20
==============
> Ben Seattle writes:
>
> > Carrol is setting up a straw man and I am completely 
> > confident that he is capable of better than this.
>
> I have no disagreement. Until someone gets practical 
> (to begin with in rather fewer than 140 lines) I see no 
> reason to be "better than this."  It provoked some 
> interesting replies, which is all that it was designed
> to do. Ben's response, however, is too long winded.

As I see it, I am attempting to put my views on the table
in a calm and relatively concise manner.  More than this,
I am trying to take up those issues which are most
decisive in the creation of a genuine communist movement.
For example, my "Party of the Future" series is focused 
on the answer to the question you ask of Louis Proyect.

But you say that I am too long-winded and impractical
and that this justifies your deliberately distortion of my 
views and your ridicule of the idea that the development 
of the self-motion of this forum has any connection at all
to the working class organizing itself for the overthrow of 
bourgeois rule.

Supposedly this was for the sake of "provoking some 
interesting replies".

My conclusion ?

Like many people on this forum, I think you have a serious 
side and a side which is not so serious.  Like many people,
I think there are times when, more than anything, you would
like to strike a blow against oppression and reaction--and 
other times when it is difficult to see any connection between
what we say and do today--and the victory of the proletariat
tomorrow.

I would like to see more of your serious side.  I know you 
have it in you.

Ben Seattle ----//-// 21.Jan.98



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