One of the problems we actually face now (in contrast to the problem conjured up by anti-Leninist imagination) is that many leftists in rich English-speaking countries are only loosely assembled in a highly decentralized network ("network" might be too strong a word to use) of organizations (of various and sometimes conflicting political persuasions), most of which are neither democratic nor efficient (but not because they are Leninist). Even at the current low point of left mass movements, the _number_ of leftists is not insignificant, but we still don't have any political power to speak of.
I think that it is this condition of frustrating impotence that gave birth to a troubling development we have seen: a tendency on the part of some leftists to imagine that it is a humanitarian thing to ask the armed forces of rich countries to correct human rights abuses, to stop civil wars, & to keep peace in poor countries. This is basically a wish for a civilizing mission, though put in a new bottle of human rights discourse. While we all make fun of Thomas Friedman, some of our own ranks are acting as adjuncts to his plan. And given the Australian DSP's call, it's not just 'cruise-missile liberals' who are yearning for vicarious power on the backs of professional soldiers. (Well, compare that to the days of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.)
Yoshie