From: concrete-AT-netcom.com (Bradley Mayer)
Subject: Re: On Trotsky
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 05:53:41 -0800 (PST)


H. Rodwell said:

>This is the classic bourgeois (and petty-bourgeois left) empiricist
>argument against socialism. 'Aint no socialism nowhere - it's illusion from
>start to finish.' Trouble is, socialism exists as a goal and won't go away
>because it represents the deepest class interests of the proletariat. Same
>thing with Trotskyism. Despite claims to the contrary by many here in the
>list (like Louis G and Louis P for instance), Trotskyism is a genuinely
>revolutionary movement that represents the deepest class interests of the
>proletariat. 

While this is an excellent defense of Trotskyism, there is a small 
tactical problem in grouping L. Proyect with L. Godena.  Louis Proyect 
and the sharp-witted J. Levy (I believe) both have bad experiences with the 
U.S. SWP - not surprising to me from what I know of what is today a 
hopelessly irrelevant sect.  I am in profound disagreement with L. 
Proyect's interpretation of Trotskyism (Louis once described himself as 
an "extreme Pabloist" in this regard); his view of a sui-generis 
sectarianism tracable to the 30's is too much Hegelian idealism for me.  
While we can't blame everything on historical conditions, when those 
conditions suddenly change - as they have most recently - we should seize 
the chance to shake off the old patterns, organizational patterns which, 
if we are truthful to ourselves as revolutionaries, have been less than 
successful.  

That is what I mean when I say, be careful who gets tossed in the same 
bag. In fact, L. Proyect led the polemic against the maoists on China, 
and defended Carlos against absurd "agent provocateur" charges levied by 
the other Louis, the resident Ceausescu on this l*st.  So, cut him a 
little slack - but not too much!

		Comradely,
			-Brad Mayer


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