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The <i>Theory of Capitalist Development </i>was the first Marxist work I
read. I remember being impressed by the first part of the work and then
puzzled and perturbed by the second part. Ditto even more for <i>Monopoly
Capital</i> (the Frankfurt school goes to Moscow). How could Sweezy have
read Trotsky's <i>History of the Russian Revolution</i> and then sign the
infamous 1937 statement to American progressives defending the Moscow
trials? I am more inclined to be critical of fellow travellers than CP
members like Dobb or Ronald Meek who were at least consistent. Irving
Howe's critique of Sweezy in 'Authoritarians of the Left" still
stacks up fairly well as do Joseph Starobin's comments in <i>American
Communism in Crisis.<br>
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Dr Geoff Robinson<br>
Lecturer Australian Studies & Politics<br>
Faculty of Arts<br>
Deakin University<br>
Warrnambool<br>
VIC 3280<br>
Ph: 03 5563 3512<br>
Fax: 03 5563 3534<br>
Mobile: 0407 731 963</html>