Date: Tue, 25 Mar 1997 11:19:34 +0000
Subject: Re: M-TH: Re: "Against Capitalism"


Thanks, Chris, for the kind words. As regards the  question of Stalinism
etc, I am afraid that I am just about to go away for about ten days, but I
will try to  reply properly when I return. 
Briefly, I think the point made to me that my concept of Stalinism is all
embracing and hence explains little is important. In my view, Stalinism
became part of the nature of the epoch itself ie it not only helps to
explains the behaviour of Communist Parties but also to understand the
nature of accumulation in the same period. That, no doubt, extends the
concept even further and opens me up to even harsher criticism. 
Stalinism as a concept is the doctrine  of socialism in one country. That of
course means that some humanist and decent people are Stalinists as well as
various others who are best not described here. The doctrine is necessarily
nationalist and hence leads to the support of nationalist movements, as
against proletarian movements, particularly in the third world. As a
practice it involves the support of a privileged social group, however
defined, who rule in the name of the proletariat in a part of the world.
Communist Parties were refashioned in Stalin's image from 1923-4 onwards.
They usually had a representative of the NKVD delegated to them. They
generally followed the line propounded by the ruling group in the USSR. They
were internally undemocratic and, at certain critical times, did not
hesitate  to victimise smaller groups or parties to their left. The
behaviour of these Communist Parties is explicable following from these
initial definitions. The necessary conflicts arising within them and within
the minds of the people belonging to them, between loyalty to the party and
to the class struggle, often led to a degeneracy within the party itself, of
different kinds. 
The problem, as I understand it, arises over the situation in the last
twenty or so years when the Stalinist parties began to fragment with the
disintegration of the Soviet Union, which was a process occurring for years
before the actual demise of the Soviet Union. In this period, we find
eurocommunist parties and former communist parties which have abandoned
their lipservice to  Marxism. These parties are best understood as Stalinist
parties in evolution to social democracy or liberalism. Nonetheless their
Stalinist past still plays a critical role in their rejection of Marxism.
Similarly various non-Trotskyist left wing groups evolved out of Stalinism
but maintained their support of the Soviet Union or China or alternatively
rejected those countries as capitalist and supported a semi-anarchist,
anarcho-Marxist or anarchist position. In this context, I am not arguing
their incorrectness but that they are only really understood in terms of
their evolution from Stalinism. 
As regards the Trotskyist groups, it is not difficult to argue that in
fighting Stalinism many fell victim to it. In supporting the workers' state
viewpoint many ended up partly or sometimes largely justifying it. The US
SWP, for instance, has ended up supporting Cuba, which is certainly
Stalinist in terms of the definition given above. Because the whole epoch
was Stalinist, it was very difficult to stand outside and against it both
practically and intellectually.  Under conditions of intense pressure these
groups became deformed and introduced practices more common in Stalinist
parties. 
In a sense, we are all deformed and altered by Stalinism and necessarily so.
Most of the Marxist textbooks, with which we were brought up and which were
written in the period are strongly influenced by Stalinism. 
That is my not so brief, off the cuff, and no doubt inadequate reply.
As regards, the reply to Schweikart, I will put either part of it or a
summary in my reply next time, when I come back.
Best wishes,
Hillel Ticktin
Hillel Ticktin
Reader in Russian and East European Studies
Chairman of the Centre for Russian & East European Studies
University of Glasgow
29 Bute Gardens
Glasgow G12 8RS
Scotland
UK



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