Date: Sat, 27 Apr 1996 11:11:43 +0200 (MET DST)
To: marxism-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU
From: malecki-AT-algonet.se (Robert Malecki)
Subject: The crisis of the "left"...


Dear list,

For days now i have basically been arguing with the two wings of maoism. But
it is not just the maoists who are in trouble it is the whole left!

If the PCP and its followers are the "left" expression today of the maoist
current and M=E5rtens and company the right wing lunatic fringe. One should be
honest and take up some of the other "left" groups and parties claiming to
be the real Communists.

The Stalinists that followed the line of the Russian Cp and Stalin hardly
exist today.What exists are the "Euro-Communists" which to me expresses
itself as some sort of "left wing" appendage to the traditional Social
Democracy. It can have different slants in different countrires but this is
the main political thrust of this trend. In Sweden the Euro-Communists have
taken on a feminist and enviormental face looking to recruit from this
milj=F6. The reasons being that many of these activists that earlier in life
where "pro vietnam axctivists" are in these movrements today.
So the Euro-comminist tend to orientate their political demands towards
these groups. Although they are also beginning to realise that something is
beginning to happen in the workers movement. What with all the cuts and
layoffs and skandals coming from the social democracy which has thrown its
arms into the bourgeois camp after the fall of the Soviet Union. However the
Euro-Communist are opportunists and chase anything that moves trying to
appear as radical. But historically there ideology has turned towards some
sort of "democratic socialism" and parlimentry legality. If the situation
was like it is in Peru they woundn.t even exist for a day or two...

The various so called "Trotskyist" groups. First we have the militant group
which first tried to do an entry into the social democracy where the real
workers are-got thrown out-and today are running independent campaigns using
forged ballot tickets with two top real Social Democrats and their names
under. Getting elected under false pretences and mindless activism around
single issues appears to be what they mean by "Trotskyism".

The USec, mandels grouping which started out as the Revolutionary Marxist
group, then Communist workers party to being the the socialist party today.
There politics over the years have moved from left center towards the right.
>From at one time trying to build a united front for the working class on
real revolutionary grounds they have also slid to being critical supporters
of anything that moves both here in Sweden and Internationally. they have
had a basic cosmic type of analisis which claimed that everything from
Alotoyay Khomeini to the greens has some sort of anti-capitalist and anti
imperialist dynamic. In fact they overgiven Lenin and Trotsky for tailing
the various movements from the left while accusing anybody defending
Leninisn and Trotsky as sectarian crazies that do not understand the
dynamics going on.

The SWP there American partner for a long time who gave great leaders like
Cannon to the communist movement has disintergrated and today with Jack
Barnes are chasing the Cubans..

The various state cap groups many evolving from the USec are calling
everybody the enemy and the state to help crush crooked trade union
bureacrats and the unions!

Then there are the Sparts who i have sympathy with. They at least have
always upheld a line which for me is a communist proletarian line. But they
do not get a free ticket either. All will have to be proven in battles that
are approaching.

The left is in a crisis because of its former leaders! Those that go around
today paying lip service to one or the other are mostly petty bougeois
intellectuals. Historically this might be neccessary. But it also means that
instead of defending the interests of the only revolutionary class they are
defending the criminal politics of the former leaders.

Some say Stalin was great! Others Mao! All claim to be Leninist and
marxist.But for the working class i rewally don,t think that is very fucking
important. It is what these trends do!!!! in relation to that class that is
the real point.

There is also a left and a right in the left today. And there are various
positions that find the selves in between in relation to the proletariat the
only revolutionary class.

As i see it at present. The RCP people like Luis are the most left wing
expression of the "mao" line. They confuse the only revolutionary class with
the people and this leads to all sorts of strange constellations like
"peoples" war-"liberaton" front and multi class formations that are alien to
the proletariat. But they did pick up the gun and try to fight in a
desperate situation! That is a good point.

The right wing are M=E5rtens and people like him who have completely
capitulated to their own bougeoisie while screaming their fake slogans of
solidarity. Tjhis according to them is real "mao" politics.

The so called Trotskyist have also degenerated after years of being out in
the cold. The SWP has moved from Trotkyism to chasing the Cuban model. The
Usec is chasing everything that moves claiming some sort of dynamic will
make it all work out for the best. At best they were cheerleading polish
solidarity and the Chatholic Church to the fundemantalists in Iran with this
theroy. Today it is workerist activism coupled to being errand boys to the
trade union bureaucracy.

The Sparts are still trying to form a vanguard party by politcal
interventions into these groupings trying to find cadre that can build a new
international based on Leninisn and Trotsky.

So there we have it today. The proletariat is without a leadership. The
Bolshevik party of Lenin has been drawn through the mud by a lot of people
both conciously and unconciously. And unless we find away to unite the most
revolutionary elements in and International Vanguard we are in for big trouble.

By the way i left out the anarchists. They also must start thinking about
whats going on in a more serious matter. Your love of the "oppressed
workers" will not solve its problems.

Forward to the creation of a new vanguard which will lead the proletariat,
the only revolutionary class to power. Forward to a new Communist
International based on Leninism and the dictatorship of the proletariat.
That is my goal..What is yours...?

malecki from exile




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