Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 11:40:23 -0800 (PST) From: Thomas Seay <entheogens at yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Yoshie's Options: Stalinism or Vanguardism
- --->So if you are accusing me of using the word "stalinist" rather sloppily, then I agree with your criticism. If, on the other hand, you are suggesting that the concept of "vanguardism" (and self-deception about the atrocities that went on in the so-called socialist bloc) is not still alive and polluting the atmosphere, then I beg to differ with you.
Tahir: Me too. But "vanguardism" doesn't nearly get to naming the whole problem. The correct term I believe is "marxism-leninism", which refers to a mechanistic understanding of Marx that was deeply rooted in the 2nd International, based on the thought of people like Kautsky and Lenin. This already extremely limited notion of marxism was further vulgarised and codified by Stalin as "marxism-leninism". This is far from dead and has been expounded vigorously, if not intelligently, on this and other lists very recently. "Vanguardism" as a criticial notion leaves the most objectionable parts of Leninism out of the critique. Why be critical of vanguardism and accept far worse aspects of Leninism, as we find it today, such as the debased notion of socialism (a kind of paternalistic and authoritarian welfare state) and the ridiculous notions of "anti-imperialism", where any rightwing mumbo jumbo can be interpreted as "progressive" as long as it is overtly anti-american or something.
You are right that we need to pull outselves out of the muck.
Tahir: I think this should be done by ridiculing false options rather than giving them any credence.