[lbo-talk] Why Richard Hofstadter Is Still Worth Reading but Notfor the Reasons the Critics Have in Mind

Wojtek Sokolowski sokol at jhu.edu
Wed Oct 11 13:48:34 PDT 2006


Seth:

Some doctrinaire American Marxists like Daniel DeLeon - who had never seen a farm in his life - denounced them because they refused to sign on to his program of socialization of all means of production, including collective farming. At the farmer-labor congresses, the populists would try to replace "all" MoP with "socialization of the MoP where practicable." Then DeLeon would storm out. The populists were for nationalizing the railroads, banks, telegraphs, grain elevators, and all industry.

[WS:] It is easy to nationalize other people's property, isn't it? This reminds me of an old joke from the Soviet era. A Russian peasant comes to the Party office and declares his willingness to join the Party. The commissar wants to put his loyalty to a test and asks "Are you willing to make sacrifices for the Party?" "Certainly" replies the peasant. "So if the Party needs your horse" the commissar continues, "would you give it to the Party?" "Of course" replies the peasant. "And if the Party asked for your cow?" "I would give it too." And your pig?" "I would give the pig too." "How about your chicken?" "No way!" shouts the peasant. The nonplussed commissar asks "I do not understand. You are willing to give all those valuable farm animals to the Party, but not the chicken. Why?" "Because the chicken is all that I have" replies the peasant.

Wojtek



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