Date: Sun, 26 Nov 1995 01:45:50 -0500 (EST)
From: ROSSERJB-AT-VAX1.ACS.JMU.EDU
Subject: Re: 100 Years of (Mis)Understanding


To Jim J. again:
     Well, I suppose the Central Committee of the
Cuban Communist Party elected Fidel at some point,
and, gosh, maybe he has even been "re-elected" from
time to time.  But who elected them?  I imagine that
at some level those people are/were officially "elected"
in elections in which there were no opponents and those
who wished to vote "no" could go over to a special booth
in front of the registrars to do so.  Uh huh.
     Back in the good old USSR, during such "elections"
(which everyone was required to participate in, by gum)
all the good "yes" voters (a regular amazing 99+%!!!)
did their duty under (here I go again) a statue of Lenin
while the "no" voters went over somewhere else.  Those
voting "yes" got free goodies, too.  Wowie zowie.  
     There is a very important point here that people on
this list really need to get through their thick skulls.
1989 was NOT an accident.  Why did it happen?  A major
reason was exactly this sort of ludicrous nonsense parading
itself as "peoples' democracy."  Well, people get fed up with
such baloney after awhile and overthrow it.  Again, if people
on this list are going to go along with self-appointed purgers
like Louis Proyect who sneer at democracy then any serious
workers' movement based on Marx in this world will remain a
marginal joke only for those who enjoy their sects.
     Jim, shall I hook you up with 'Barney Ross' and his
Nth International! ?  I think you'd make a good candidate.
Barkley Rosser


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