Sun, 23 Mar 1997 07:04:56 +0100 COCKROACH! #47 A EZINE FOR POOR AND WORKING CLASS PEOPLE. WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS. It is time that the poor and working class people have a voice on the Internet. Contributions can be sent to Subscribtions are free at Now on line! Check out the Home of COCKROACH! http://www.algonet.se/~malecki How often this zine will appear depends on you! -------------------------------------------------------- 1. 1917 YEAR OF TWO REVOLUTIONS (Part 1) 2. Academic Marxism? (Part 2) 3. Bordigists! Sheep in Wolves Clothing... 4. Reply to the Chinese Socialists! 5. Mensheviking? -------------------------------------------------------- 1917 YEAR OF TWO REVOLUTIONS Dear Cockroach readers, I have some unfortunate news for you. In the issues to come there will be a number of blank spaces in Cockroach. A serious principled question has put one of our contributors to future issues of Cockroach in a situation where the redaction of Cockroach no longer can take responsibility for the words he has written connected to a principled revolution praxis. Thus he has sided with two Maoists who have been expelled from M-I for issuing deaths threats and threats of violence against political opponents in the workers movement. This step by our contributor puts him outside the principled bounds of which Cockroach adheres too of "Workers Democracy" and opposing violence and death threats in the workers movement. Thus giving political support to the two Maoists who think it is OK to make death threats and threats of violence of political opponents on Internet our contributor has proven that he has put himself on the wrong side of the barricades. So instead of and article (one a series in ten parts) by our so called "Marxist" the place in Cockroach will be left (empty) only with the title of the article and this letter. Naturally, if the person in question takes back his political support of these Stalinist vermin who argue with death threats and threats of violence against their political opponents then he will be welcome once again to contribute to Cockroach. Warm Regards Bob Malecki -------------------------------------------------------- Bordigists! Sheep in Wolves Clothing... David writes; >The simplest refutation of the Trotkyist position on the Soviet Union >being socialist, is the fact that Western capitalism is obviously a more >advanced stage of social development than Soviet "socialism". A >"socialism" that is inferior to capitalism aint socialism. With the >demise of the old Soviet state capitalism, we are now seeing the messy >transition to this more advanced western form of capitalism. David the above is just and empirical crock of bullshit. In the first place "Socialism" does not exist anywhere nor has its. What we have had is a number of different transitional societies where capitalist relations were overthrown. We have had a "healthy" workers state, The Russian October Revolution with was dominated by the dictatorship of the Proletariat in the Soviets and led by the Bolshevik Party and Lenin. But this "healthy" workers state came in backward Russia and because of the degeneration and destruction of the Russian CP and the Third International under Stalin changed that. Then we have had the various "deformed" workers states in numerous countries which also overthrew capitalism albeit without the working class. But never the less transitional states. Just the idea of transitional states being "better" or "worse" then capitalist states is just ridiculous and actually exposes you as a very base opportunist. As if one can judge the two systems which according to you "Western capitalism is obviously a more advanced stage of Social development". Just that line tells tons about our ultra leftists here. As if one can compare two societies by the number of yuppie telephones or something. These people are hardly Communists in fact renegades from anything about Communism when they start telling people that the Soviet Union even with the Stalinists leaped from the middle ages and a feudal peasant society to being the other super power in the world. And they did this in the mist of two world wars that destroyed not only a huge percent of the population but industry and territory as well! But for our ultra leftists they compare Russia in this case with America who in both wars was never even near wear the bombs were falling or occupied. I just can’t wait to hear what these people have to say if for example Turkey, or the Philippines were to overthrow Capitalism with some sort of transitional regime which hardly could be "better" then ant western country.. The ultra leftists have once again exposed themselves. They are saying quite clearly obviously we are on the side of western imperialism because they think them superior! It is just this kind of drastic reactionary fake leftist bullshit that makes the ultra lefts in fact ultra rights and here they even admit it! Bob Malecki --------------------------------------------------------- Reply to the Chinese Socialists! Dear lists, I received a very interesting letter from some Chinese Socialists asking about Sweden among other things. As their have been some very dramatic turns in the policies of the Swedish Social Democracy regarding the "welfare" state its former base the trade unions and the working class which I write about continually--I have entirely neglected Swedish foreign policy and its unprecedented new found friends the Americans. Not to mention the Social Democratic prime minister's recent visit to China and the incredible bootlicking operation he did there. So while replying to the Chinese Socialists I sent it to the lists who could in fact find this very interesting. Bob Malecki You wrote; > >Excellent point. >How's life in Sweden? First I would like to know what the Chinese Socialist Party is? Sounds very interesting. Do you have a discussion group? Do you send out material? I would certainly like to take part in that. Also I will put you on my mailing list for a newspaper "Cockroach" which I try to get out once a week on the net. You asked about Sweden. I wrote a long article about Sweden which describes the dismantling of the welfare state. If your interested I will send it to you. However in regards to the latest in Sweden versus China and the visit by the Swedish prime minister to China recently where he did everything but lick the boots of the Chinese leadership I have a bit more to say. What is interesting about this visit is that the Swedish Social Democracy has taken a very dramatic turn in its foreign policy. Thus from being a country who's relations with America were at best chilly (since the Vietnam war) has leaped into the arms of the Americans. Thus deserting a long period of solidarity with third world countries. Especially in Africa and Latin America but also is shown in its new found policies to the Chinese leadership. This new found friendship derives from the fall of the former Soviet Union and the historical fear of all and anything that has to do with the Soviet Union while at the same time that Sweden has been the major imperialist country in this part of the world and sees its chance to once again get into the countries on its eastern border-the Baltic States and Poland! Thus the Swedish imperialists now see a chance to get into the Baltic States and Poland. However not having the military might to back up their new investments in these countries they have dropped any pretentions about solidarity with the third world, which in reality was in fact a very profitable business for Sweden under the preceding period, and turned towards a new policy of helping themselves to building up capitalist relations in the former eastern European countries like the Baltic States and Poland which border the Baltic sea and are in fact Sweden border countries to the east. The development in Poland and the Baltic states has created a situation of cheap labor, in fact almost slave labor in these countries while at the same time opens the door to driving down wages and dismantling the "welfare" state here in Sweden! The military muscle to back this up comes from its incredibly quick and new found friendship with the Americans. Things like having a top American diplomat taking over the Baltic council is just one of the signs of the new times. In fact the Swedes have been lying very low on the turbulence around the Americans attempt to oust the present United Nations chairman. A goodwill gesture by the way to the Americans. And their are rumors that Clinton might be planning a state visit to Sweden in the near future in return for the new attitude the Swedes are showing. So in fact all the turbulence around the prime ministers visit to China is just a side show for the unprecedented new turn that the Swedes have made in a few short years. All that stuff about International solidarity especially with the third world is just being thrown out of the window. (In fact much of that solidarity had to do with Swedish companies getting a lot of money from the state in order to produce that solidarity) This more then anything else shows that it is not any longer the third world alone that interests imperialism. But a redevision of the former Soviet Union and Eastern block countries! The Swedish workers appear to be very naive about what is really going on here. Especially about this new turn in foreign policy. While raging about the dramatic cuts in living standards and the Social reforms and mass unemployment this can be understandable. However the left has been quite silent on this issue also. Although there was a great outcry, mainly from the conservative opposition who called for a vote of confidence in the government for the bootlicking operation done in China by the prime minister. However all of this motion is just a show for the galleries. In fact the conservative opposition got not only some great publicity on this stuff as being defenders of Chinese democracy. The capitalists that support these parties got a lot of Chinese contracts because of the prime ministers bootlicking. The only thing the Social democrats got was shit thrown in their faces! Anyhow to sum up this discussion. What is vital here is the fact that Sweden is and always has been a greedy little imperialist country. Despite its so called neutrality (which only really meant that they could sell to both sides) a decisive turn has taken place here. The Swedes have broken with a long tradition of "neutrality" to throw themselves into the arms of the Americans. And it is the Social Democracy that is leading the way by throwing itself to the Democratic Party and Clinton and are on their knees inviting them in to Sweden. This fundamental change has to do with the disintegration of the former Soviet Union and the Eastern European states which is the "prize" in a redivision of spoils in favor of various imperialists vying to get a piece of this cake. The greed of Swedish imperialism has turned its eyes and hands to the East. Foremost the Baltic States and Poland. The circus around China in fact is a conscious policy both by the Americans and the Swedes at present of not rocking the Chinese boat! Because we are busy fighting over who gets what in the former Soviet Union. It has nothing to do with democracy or the Chinese people. It is greed andimperialist struggle to devide up the cake that is motivating this stuff. In fact China's turn will come if the imperialists are not stopped. Because the one billion Chinese are certainly and ascentive both for the market but driving down the cost of labor in other countries. Imperialism is certainly not interested in Chinese Democracy. So I am afraid the only road forward for smashing the Stalinist bureaucracy in China lies in the hands of the revolutionary Internationalists who understand the fairly simple fact that only by smashing imperialism on the one hand and ousting the Chinese Stalinists through a political revolution is the only road forward in the interests of the Chinese and International poor and working class people. That would be *real* democracy. Proletarian democracy! Not the present twists and turns of both Chinese Stalinism and imperialism. The first a political caste who exploit the working class, the second a predatory system which historically has drowned poor and working class people in blood fir their own interests. Warm Regards and hoping to hear from you again. Bob Malecki ------------------------------------------------------- Mensheviking? Jon Flanders: writes > > Adam says Lou P's a Menshevik. DR says Adam and Lou P are both >Mensheviks. Next someone else will come along and say DR is a Menshevik.>Around it goes and where it will end nobody knows. > > Could we have a moratorium on this sort of thing? How does slapping a >label on someone advance the discussion? Jon, I doubt that in fact this stuff about neo-Stalinism and calling people Mensheviks is in fact just name calling. It is linked very much to both theory, practice and program in the discussions on this list . Just as those who are called Trotskyists who never built anything represent a definite political trend. Naturally there are various colors to these names and trends with the present turmoil that exists in the workers movement at present after the fall of Stalinism and the desertion of the Social Democracy to the bourgeoisie as well as colors to the various trends claiming to be Trotskyist. It is not just a slump for example (or a highly interesting discussion) that certain spokesman on this list are trying to write off the working class. Where others see trade unions as counter-revolutionary. And others stand for this or that on the broad versus narrow party stuff. Or others that fundamentally are trying to liquidate the politics of Trotsky in the name of Trotsky.. In fact all of this wallowing around in the muck is a product of a long domination of the Social Democracy and the Stalinists in the Labor movement Internationally and naturally the relative isolation of the Bolshevik-Leninists and Trotskyist forces. And thus with Stalinism collapsing and the Social Democracy deserting even formal reformism to the side of the bougeoisie has its reflections on the left who in many cases have been tailing or supporting these two fundamental ideologies in one way or another in decades. Just as the "Trotskyist" forces have been effected by all of these historical events. To think that this has to do with "labeling" is both empirical and a denial that basically their are only three to five general political trends in the International workers movement. The Mensheviks, the Stalinists, (including the Mao variant) The Trotskyists, the Anarchists etc.. Much of the name calling is in fact in regards to the fundamental programmatic positions that the various trends take and is directly connected to the historical discussions and practices that have been going on for decades. Or don’t you think that these trends exist or existed? I mean Menshevism,Stalinism and Trotskyism existed and exist as a real part of the International Labor Movement. To claim that we are trying to create something new on this list is not true. And if it is could you please explain to me what exactly that "new" is. In fact what I have seen here is a lot of defense of the old from everybody. Just depending on which particular trend the individual is representing. Because fundamentally everything that is said on these lists can be linked to the various historical trends. I think that the party question, the which class question, the which program and tactic question facing the International proletariat has not really changed fundamentally since 1917. If it has then could you please present us with what this new is. One of the biggest snowjobs going on here on this list is those that are claiming that the name calling is irrelevant to the discussions. In fact it comes from those who on all of the fundamental political questions are trying either to cover up some of the more horrible crimes of the Menshevik or Stalinist leaderships. Or under the guise of creating something "New" are in fact just putting forth the same old Menshevik and Neo-Stalinist garbage of the old out and calling it "New". In fact the only reason for this debate is that the Mensheviks and Neo-Stalinists who programmatically and tactically and ideologically defend those politics do not want the label. Because it is pretty difficult to call yourself a "Menshevik" or a Stalinist" these days. However a few years back the "Stalinists" were marching around with pictures of old Joe. The problem we have here on the list is that the fundamental political line of the people being called Menshevik or neo-Stalinists are people who in fact defend just those kinds of politics! But it would be much more easier to for example build a popular front without being labeled the names of the predecessors of just these kind of suicidal tactics for theworkers movement-the Mensheviks and the Stalinists represented. It would be much easier to build a "broad" party of the whole class without being called a Menshevik who Lenin denounced. It would be much easier for the Stalinists and Mensheviks to bury their sordid past and betrayals of the International working class just by repeating the lie about those horrible sects, those horrible Bolshevik Leninists, those horrible Vanguard creeps, those horrible etc. etc. etc. Who actually have nothing to do with reality etc.. I certainly do not demand that the Mensheviks and Neo Stalinists on this list stop calling those who represent a Bolshevik Leninist Trotsyist position all these horrible names. Nor do I expect them to agree with both the programatical and tactical conclusions that we have for the building of parties and the program for mobilizing workers in a struggle for power. But do not try and run a snow job on us that Menshevism, Stalinism, Trotskyism or whatever is dead politically thus no need for name calling. The name calling in fact reflects fundamental political,programatical tactical and ideological positions on all sides. Positions which are very real and will have consequences if and when they are practiced.. Because I believe the Menshevik and neo-Stalinist positions are based on both organizational, tactical. and programmatic conclusions which will not lead the workers forward but backward to new betrayals. And that these positions have their historical roots in just Menshevik and Stalinist politics. But in order to do this operation they want to dump the names that their politics represent! I think that helping the horse to change its spots which you in fact are doing under the guise of "name calling" just doesn’t get us their and is a bit empirical at best. When I say that Louis G. is a neo Stalin Menshevik it is just because he is trying to write of the working class and in its place put something else which if it isn’t the working class can only be some sort or "people's front" or "anti-imperialist" front which is fundamentally a Menshevik-Stalinist political and programatical position that has and will have consequences. I think that Louis P and the "broadie" argument is also a combination of Menshevik and neo Stalinist organizational conclusions directly related to the tactics of these trends historical predecessors. He claims that the "trotskyists sects" never built anything" and I say that every thing that the Mensheviks and Stalinists built has led to disaster! So his claim about the "Trotskyist sects" is just a big joke if one were to take a look at the complete disintegration of the reformist and Stalinist parties. In fact your position which I assume is a position (not as a moderator of this list) is in fact the position of trying to make this list one big happy family of "comrades". Well, the question of the leadership of the Proletariat Internationally is not a question of being nice guys and girls. It is a serious and deadly discussion who’s outcome will determine the victory or the defeat of the Proletariat. When it comes to concrete struggles I think that the lists should act in solidarity in support of those struggles. (Korea, Turkey, the U.S. whatever) but to join the campaign going on by the Mensheviks and Neo-Stalinists on this list to stop calling them by the names of the politics that they represent in the real world is just ridiculous. This discussion must be brutal and with no holds barred here on the lists. We are not or should not be interested in building a little cozy corner in cyber-space where leftists can agree to disagree with each other in a warm and "comradely" fashion. In fact it is like saying STOP CLASS STRUGGLE and let us all be friends! A fucking utopia Jon! You are calling for the support of a petty bougeois utopia! Which naturally does not mean I accuse you personally of being petty bougeois. Today as the International bougeoisie goes to attack all across the line. Where Inter-imperialist rivalry is once again turning towards a new confrontation. Where the precarious position of the banks, insurance, and fond systems could collapse over and night (Japan) sending the middle class quickly towards militarization or fascist solutions. Where imperialism is doing everything to crush the remnants of the deformed and degenerated workers states. (Jugoslavia,Bulgaria and the Soviet Union), Where mass confrontations between a International Proletariat and its deadly enemies over reforms in the so called welfare systems are being dismantled as the former leaderships of the workers movement have disintegrated or jumped into the camp of the bougeoisie. And you are saying now "lets be all comrades". Look John it was the political victories of both reformism and Stalinism that has got the International proletariat into the dangerous position that they find themselves. Those "victories" have led to the situation the International Proletariat finds themselves in. In fact one thing the Trotskyists certainly can not be blamed for. Just as it was the destruction of the Trotskyist cadre and the liquidationist line of the fake Trotskyists after the second world war has led to and incredible ideological crisis amongst those claiming to be Trotskyis. In fact all of the trends are doing all kinds of hat tricks to find a way out. So to call for a "moratorium" is more like denying reality and trying to cover up and stop discussions. The we are not getting anywhere is false to the core. The problem is that all of the various trends and the politics they represent are trying to get somewhere! It is in fact the leadership of the International Workers movement that is beginning to reform after the gigantic happenings of late,Or do you think the proletariat did it by themselves? So in reality I see you above letter as a bad attempt to confuse the debate. In fact playing into the hands of the Mensheviks and neo-Stalinists who would just love to stop being called by their rightful names. The last think these people want is a serious discussion about Proletarian independence Vs the popular front. The United Front in action with the right to fully criticize and put forth solutions Vs Unity in action around a minimum program. Or discussions around anything for that matter. At best they want to continue along the old line as if nothing has happened. Just a little correction in course. They are saying don’t call us Mensheviks or neo-Stalinists. I mean that fundamentally their political line represents those trends with exactly those names! The Menshevik-neo Stalinist ghost is not really a ghost but has a reality in political,programatical and tactical positions which stem from the history of the workers movement. Just as the Bolshevik Leninist Trotsyist positions do. To deny this is to deny reality. And to try and smooth over this stuff and building a cozy family who agrees politely to disagree (without name calling) is in fact fundamentally the same thing the Mensheviks one time accused Lenin of doing with words like "Economist" and Bersteinians" or what ever. They use to call the Leninists all kinds of horrible names like "splitters".. Ending up I would say that let the name calling continue as long as it is linked too a political criticism of what a particular individual tries to present here. Because their is hardly nothing "new" politically being presented here but has its roots in the histories of the various trends that have in fact received these names. Or have these theories being presented by people here come from outer space or something? A "moratorium" as Jon suggests implies that one would in fact paint over what these names represent politically. Naturally if one is accuse somebody of being a certain name it should be backed up with revelant arguments which I think the Bolshevik Leninist trend does try to do. Dave,s criticism of the Adam's SWP fits into this category. Just as Adam in his defense tries to motivate his positions when he accuses Louis G or P. of being Mensheviks. And it is certainly not the "Trotskyists who never built anything" that are whining about name calling. It is in fact the Menshevik and neo-stalinists that time and again raise this question in order to throw mashed potatoes in the faces of people in order to cover up the fact that their politics as presented to the list do in fact deserve the name. I mean more concretely that writing off the working class and the "broadie" solution to the party question are in fact classical Menshevik and neo-Stalinist political lines. Just as the Popular Front and Stage Theory of Revolution are political lines which one can put a definite name on..Naturally the opposition has the right to call me a horrible "Trotskyist sectoide" or whatever. I can live with that. So let us stop the whining about name calling and discuss the issues confronting the working class Internationally. PS: Does anybody have anything to say about the Japanese Banks and the Stockmarket? I believe this could be one way which could quickly solve the problems of erasing all the post war reforms the working class had gained. Thus not excluding it as a real possibility to stop the many slow and drawn out battles that are developing in this area around the world.. Warm Regards Bob Malecki ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------- ----------- Check Out My HomePage where you can, Read the book! Ha Ha Ha McNamara, Vietnam-My Bellybutton is my Crystalball! Or Get The Latest Issue of, COCKROACH, a zine for poor and working-class people http://www.algonet.se/~malecki --------------------------------------------------------