Marxism-Leninism

[Carrol Cox]

What is Vanguardism? After pausing to think this question over, my
tentative response is that "Vanguardism" is something that exists only
in the imaginations of "anti=vanguardists." What is 'a' vanguard? What
is the oppsing "ism"? Do anti-vanguardists (whatever _that_ is) believe
that some day everyone will wake up and say, on to the barricades
simultaneously?

Why don't millions of people read lbo-talk? Don't say it is because of
this that or the other deficiency of lbo-talk, because that could only
explain why people _stoppeed_ reading it, not why they never read it to
begin with.

Also, "Marxism-Leninism" is shorthand for the ruling theories of the
third international in the 1930s, and has nothing necessarily to do with
Lenin or even "leninism" -- a phrase that does not, incidentally,
necessarily describe the assumptions of those who admire and learn from
Lenin. A little nominalism would be appropriate here.

Carrol

Gordon Fitch wrote:
> 
> >>                     "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
> 
> Thomas Seay:
> > Agreed!  Once again, I had chosen the wrong
> > term...thanks for making it clearer.  You're right...I
> > failed by first labelling it Stalinism, then just
> > vanguardism.  The correct word would be to go to the
> > root and call it Leninism.
> 
> What elements of Leninism do you see as outside of
> vanguardism, the party _Fuehrerprinzip_ so to speak?
> It seems to me to be the pervasive fault, whether it
> shows up in the Cheka or "state capitalism".
> 
> -- Gordon