Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 21:09:05 -0500
From: UticaRose-AT-aol.com
Subject: Re: Gramsci and Stalinism


In a message dated 95-11-26 21:18:38 EST, Leo Casey wrote:

> Unless someone
>thinks Marxism in the hands of a Gramsci is the intellectual equivalent of a
>crystal ball, it is really hard for me to see how he can accused of being an
>apologist for Stalinism. And that is pretty much where I am prepared to
leave
>that issue.

Gramsci was, I thought, a "scientific socialist" who believed that marxism
was useful precisely for its predictive purposes.

It is NOT a crystal ball to look out over Moscow in the mid-20s, see the
remnants of proletarian power using a police state to extract surplus value
from the peasants and observe the final shards of party democracy being swept
up before the onslaught within the party. You may chose to "leave the issue"
with your uncritical admiration for the leader of a stalinist party who has
been firmly installed in the pantheon of marxist saints but that leaves too
many questions which are apparently too hard to face.

Lighten up a little Leo. Just because someone disagrees with you, dont feel
so put upon. As I recall, I simply agreed that Gramsci was a stalinist and
then got several posts zapped in my direction from you. You wont answer any
of my questions about Gramsci's consciousness of Bolshevik party practices -
that is your prerogative. Just stop the nonsense about how I am demanding
something from Gramsci which his own politics require. Responsibility.
Instead of viewing Gramsci as heroic, I tend to view him as tragic, very
similar to Luxemburg. 


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