Date: 19 Mar 96 02:27:55 EST
From: "Chris, London" <100423.2040-AT-compuserve.com>
To: marxismlist a <marxism-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu>
Subject: Terrorism and communism


As Rahul points out, trading insults is a no-win game.
Those who are unwise enough to break their self-discipline on 
this point, have their share of responsibility for the 
consequences, which do indeed include the departure of other
subscribers. (The total numbers seem to have dipped by
10-20 to about 330 - at present)

However, some of the issues raised by the supporters of the PCP
are among the most serious facing marxists. Even though they
tend to adopt a contemptuous tone to the majority of the 
l'st, because they cannot be censored it is in everyones' 
interests that insults are minimised, and the content of the 
arguments are addressed, if any reply is to be given at all.

Adolfo picked up my challenge on the question of terrorism
and I want to confront his reply. We are really facing 
the connection between theory and practice on this issue.

The international bourgeoisie has recently raised the standard of 
strengthening international to fight 
terrorism, whether it is by individuals, political movements,
or what Mrs Thatcher calls rogue states led by megalomaniacs
(by which she meant certain Islamic states led by national bourgeois
elements, rather than Britain under her leadership).

The link between theory and practice is even closer to home.
We know from exchanges on this l'st that
supporters of the PCP could be deported back to Peru, and in Peru,
as a matter of principle an organisation like Amnesty International
will not give them "prisoner of conscience" status, because it will 
define their activities as supporting "terrorism". There they 
are highly likely to be tortured by middle rank police who are 
convinced they are dealing with terrorists.

At the same time, again linking theory and practice, I can only
read the recent posting by PCP supporters about "Father Courage"
as part of a trial procedure leading to subsequent assassination. 
To an indefinable but real degree the response to that post may 
help influence whether Azcueta lives or dies.

If the PCP thinks it is in its interests to execute Michael Azcueta,
I find it chilling to realise that in practice there is probably 
little to stop them doing it if they are really determined.
We are not just playing mind games on this l'st.
 

The surprise for me in analysing the NACLA reports on Villa, 
(and I am glad Carlos thought my comments addressed some relevant 
questions) was not that the PCP had executed a prominent leftist
but that they had executed only one. If it was right to 
execute Moyano, why were they not capable of executing more?
(I hope Carlos now understands why I felt it necessary to 
check out exactly how strong the evidence was, including 
what was the latest date for a verifiable report of an 
execution of a leftist leader by the PCP).


Now Adolfo crosses swords with me, without insults, but all the more
seriously for that. I welcome it.

>>>>>>>
The point is not whether "individual or excitative" terrorism is or not
approved by Marxism.  It clearly is not a Marxist method.

What should be discussed is why are the imperialists using this bogey in
order to suppress the revolution, in order to attack the revolution, and
even more pertinent, why are they getting away with this fraud?

Is it not because the phoney left has handed them the arguments in a silver
platter?  Is it not because their left wing mouthpieces of imperialism are
not being driven away from our revolutionary forums in shame as agents of
the class enemy, and instead are listened to with respect and time is wasted
in hearing their fabricated evidence with respect, as if they were divinely
appointed judges over the justice of the people's cause?

That is what should be debated, and also the means of how to counter-attack
and drive the reactionaries and imperialists from the moral high ground the
phoney lefts have conceded to them without a fight.
<<<<

It is to be welcomed that Adolfo clearly supports the Leninist
criticism of individualist and excitatory terrorism. Nevertheless 
not just for humanitarian reasons (after all people are dying in 
Peru and other countries from oppression and exploitation all the time)
his comments merit serious challenge (and by that I do not mean abusive 
challenge).

If Azcueta is killed or if he retires to Spain permanently, he will
be replaced by another representative of the class forces that brought him
to power. A serious marxist analysis of the situation in Peru, and 
I accept that this is the PCP's intention [I do not comment here on the 
outcome] will surely give only a *relative* role to the contribution of 
an individual. The important thing for the PCP's strategy is surely
the discrediting of Azcueta and the stripping from him of political support.
Once that job is done, what is achieved by executing him? If that
job has not been done yet, why will it be aided by executing him?

It is quite clear even from the Amnesty International sources which the
PCP regards as hopelessly biassed, that the Fujimori regime and its American
and other international bankers, think they can tolerate continued 
widespread use of torture and death squads. They just need another 
public case to fax around the international press desks. 

Luis Quispe
has said that the enemies of the PCP are far ahead in the international 
propaganda race. What are you PCP supporters going to do about it?

While Adolfo may be inspired by late Maoist idealist ideas over-
emphasising the role of "two-line" struggle, his style if that of 
Lenin's polemical denunciations against revisionism. This has been 
a major theme of 20th century marxism, and I must point out to Rahul, 
not stupid at all. But its place needs to be re-evaluated.

And one of the *materialist* lessons of the later twentieth century
with the new means of culture and communications, illustrated 
rather vividly in this whole Peru thread, is that Jack Nicholson
communicates to more people, including people in the intelligentsia, 
faster now, than Lenin. Shocking and disgraceful, but true.


Adolfo can therefore continue to wage polemical war at night to 
feed articles to this very time consuming l'st to attempt to shame
all those who are not fully convinced of the PCP's approach to 
abjure their revisionist tendencies. 

Or he could perhaps be doing 
something more productive of his time, for the sake of the people of 
Peru, and the struggle against imperialism. And I do not doubt he
regards himself as a materialist, and knows he has only one life to lead.

Adolfo may sincerely believe that despite the PCP's use of executions
presumably to induce fear in those in power who cooperate with the regime,
this has nothing to do with any perception that the PCP may be 
trying to induce not just fear but terror. But others, and particularly
the enemies of the PCP may see it differently. Sad but true, perhaps.

And just as no one can be censored on this l'st, no one is forced
to read either. Adolfo, is going to be gambling a lot of time, in the hope
that perhaps one or two hundred people can be shaken out of this
l'st by the loss of the culture they had come to expect, and the l'st can
be dominated by his own version of marxism.

For his sake, and more important the people of Peru, and the people
whose aims might be furthered by the existence of a wide-ranging marxism
l'st, I am not prepared to withold a polite, I hope totally non-abusive,
challenge to Adolfo and Luis, to clarify their views. 

I would ask what responsibility they take for what they say is the 
bogey of terrorism hung around the neck of the PCP.


Chris

PS Thanks too to Jorn, for his post also dealing seriously with
this same important theme. Whatever political persuasion of
marxist people hold, on this l'st we have to protect ourselves
>from being misrepresented on this extremely hot subject. 




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