>>> Chuck0 <chuck at tao.ca> 12/06/99 01:05PM >>>
> Marxists also congratulated the rebellers in Detroit in 1967, Watts in 1965 , Los Angeles in 199? ., where people who were even more anarchistic than anarchists, in the sense that they were completely unorganized, just did it.
Which might provide some helpful hints to anybody who still believes in vanguardism.
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Charles: Not so fast. The rebellions I list did not in the long run lead to an overthrow of the system. One could easily interpret these facts to say what was lacking for getting all of the way to the prize of revolution was MORE vanguardism, more organization to cultivate these spontaneous struggles. These historically events do not at all disprove the need for vanguardism, leadeship, organization , etc. In fact, one might even say that the people in Seattle were a vanguard.
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> Marx and Lenin congratulated the fighters of the Paris Commune in 1870., too, where there were many anarchists.
>
> Spontaneous struggle has long been recognized by Marxists as a normal and necessary dimension of mass struggle. It is an expected stage in the development of a movement.
>
Except when certain authoritarian Marxists (Stalin/Lenin) decided that spontaneous struggle was getting in the way of their plans.
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Charles: Perhaps, you are a little jealous that Leninism completed many revolutions much more than anarchist theories or forms of organziation have.
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> However, notice , though cheered by Seattle, we are still a long way from bringing down the transnational bourgeoisie. And all the other explosions I mention above, inspiring as they were, did not result in actually bringing down the system, let alone building a new one to replace it. It is not jealously to soberly point this out, but concern that we build on this spontaneity the fuller consciousness and organization necessary to carry things through to an effective revolution.
The revolution didn't start last week, but it was a big morale boost for everybody fighting against capitalism.
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Charles: I agree very much it was a morale booster ( although hopefully the rev did _start_ last week) but it didn't disprove Leninism , need for a Party. I still hold Russia October 1917 or Saigon 1975 up in comparison with Seattle 1999. Lets not get carried away.
> By the way, Communists were some of the biggest defenders of Sacco and Vanzetti.
Yup.
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