Lenin on character of Soviet state

Tahir Wood twood at uwc.ac.za
Mon Sep 9 01:49:40 PDT 2002


Date: Sat, 07 Sep 2002 08:21:29 -0500 From: Carrol Cox <cbcox at ilstu.edu> Subject: Re: Lenin on character of Soviet state

Always happy to reply to you Carrol, and glad you still find time to read my posts (I never fail to read yours). More below:


> "Well how well has the theory stood up there? Have the Chinese, Russian,
> Cuban, Vietnamese, etc. revolutions taken the world closer to communism?"

Did the struggles of the Levellers take the world closer to communism?

Tahir: No, and I'm not one to try to revive "Levellism", are you?

Did Babeuf's abortive insurrection take the world closer to communism?

Tahir: Guess not.

Did the Chartist Movement take the world closer to communism? Did Altgeld's pardon of the Haymarket 'Anarchists' take the world closer to communism.

Tahir: Oh now I get the drift. Let me turn the question around. Did any of these movements take us further away from communism (i.e. down the wrong road?) Your refusal to critique any notions of bolshevism is your most enduring characteristic Carrol.

Tahir's question is childish. It also shows utter contempt for people,

Tahir: Actually Carrol you habitually express contempt for those who are not part of the same movement as you. What is it that you exhibit towards victims of Kronstadt, the gulags and Tiennamen (sp) square, if it is not contempt, by your utter refusal to engage critically with the history of this movement?

and such maliciousness certainly does not carry us closer to anything. It is contemputous of people because ir reduces centuries of human struggle and bloodshed to a schoolroom story problem in arithmetic. There exists a clear and simple roadmap in Tahir's head (and nowhere else)

Tahir: Show me one fucking occasion when I have expressed something like that. What you don't like is the fact that I critique the roadmap in your head, which I will certainly continue doing.

and the tears and agonies of humans are reduced to mechanical steps along that road to a mechanical destination, which also exists only in Tahir's head. It is sickening.

Tahir: You're just seeing me through the frame which was created for you about a hundred years ago. You've never shown the slightest interest in engaging with the leftwing tradition of communism or anything outside of the official version. You never will have to because you got the "correct" position a long time ago, didn't you?

People struggle. Usually we lose. We start over again and struggle some more. The map in Tahir's head is useless once it gets out in the world.

Tahir: I am very much in the world pal. And you will not speak to me on behalf of entire humanity. We've had enough of that.

Pah!!! Carrol

Tahir: The only time you can ever bring yourself to engage with any of my posts is when you reply in this third person manner but in such a highly personalised way as to be thoroughly dishonest Answer some of the points; otherwise you've go nothing useful to say. Epithets won't strengthen your case.



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