Intangible writes: For the record, I am all in favour of Waistline's freedom to opine endlessly on how U.S. imperialism is not imperialism on account of it’s American and America is always an exception and blah-blah-blah, on how Obama does not represent ever more bloodthirsty impositions on global humanity, on how silly it is to see in him "only" a "black face on U.S. imperialism" and so on and so forth.
Response. Simply produce the evidence where I have ever written American imperialism is not imperialism. In actual fact American financial- industrial imperialism arose on a curve of history 50 years in front of Lenin’s celebrated imperialism (on the basis of the financing of the Civil War) and some of us American communists are familiar with our own history. The fact of the matter is that the Obama candidacy has stirred the soul of an America seeking policy change, in a way unlike anything in the post Jim Crow era. This is a good thing because communist can take our vision of the collectivists’ society to an every larger section of people. I am aware than many Maoists and so-called Marxist Leninist are scared to speak openly of communism and actually speak against communist doctrine in favor of preserving commodity exchange in the realm of socially necessary means of life. Here is the issue I consistently write about in virtually everything I write. There is a level of dishonest involved in attributing something to a writer that cannot be substantiated by producing a quote or material to verify ones claim. Intangible claims I have written to the affect that American Imperialism is not imperialism. Simply, produce the evidence to substantiate your charge. Intangible writes: It does not follow that this list need be subject any further to such blatantly pro-imperialist exceptionalism and cheerleading. Marxist-Leninists, first and foremost, are revolutionaries who stand are for the destruction of U.S. imperialism and all reaction by the masses of workers and oppressed. Waistline's entire take on Obama is slam-dunk evidence that he's no Marxist-Leninist. He may think he is. He may want to be. But I suggest he join some McCain blogsite instead, where his analyses could temporarily monger a certain amount of confusion. Response: Again no evidence to substantiate any claim. Just literary hooliganism. Here is what some of what was written in part 1 that our Intangible is responding to. “Let’s be clear. Presidential elections are important. Bush W. captured political authority on the basis of illegally disqualifying 80,000 to 100,000 black voters in Florida and a concerted push in several states to deny blacks and younger voters the right to vote. That a mass of white voters in our country serve as the basis of the Obama candidacy - (and its promise of change), is extremely significant. Under such conditions it is not going to be easy - if possible, to isolate the African Americans in the electoral arena, as was the case in a previous period of our history. The Obama candidacy and their electoral work make such isolation increasingly impossible because his organization brought new groupings of a cross section of America into the electoral arena. Slowly but inexorably a spontaneous mass consciousness and movement is emerging in America that is not yet conscious of itself as a class.” I am suggesting and stating openly that active participation by communist in electoral politics and especially presidential elections in America is extremely important no matter what the state of our forces. A section of the American people - a small but active section, is openly debating the need for revolution or what I call the Third Edition of the American Revolution: Proletarian Revolution. The American peoples are more revolutionary than meets the eye. Today communist can put forth their vision of communism, American style and it will not be a repeat of Sovietism or the era of socialism based on industrialism. This list should tackle the hard question and leave the fluff to the ideologues. I am aware than many of the ideological Marxist-Leninists formed their ideas on the basis of books and not a study of real history or real experience in a complex of arenas that define the must talked about class struggle. The electoral arena is simply another arena some communist have worked within in neighborhood associations, trade unions, civic organizations, city council forms and even parents associations seeking better public schools. Those communist not familiar with such work might consider “asking someone.” Intangible writes: “Waistline's thinking is that, in today's conditions, if you vote for Obama your are progressive or helping something progressive. It's like people back in the 1970s who used to say that if you "assimilate Marxism-Leninism" you become Marxist-Leninist. There is nothing at all political in this. It is the purest mysticism. In itself it leads nowhere, while to "combat" it with counter-arguments will also not advance the movement of the working class towards a definite goal, viz., socialism and communism. Waistline's view is that everything reactionary said or done by Obama proves only that he's a bourgeois politician, not something backward, reactionary or especially threatening, so if communists just focus on educating the as-yet-unawakened masses to their potential they can take over Obama's presidency from within. I think what we have here is Browderism reborn in conditions where the CPUSA is pretty much long gone. Response: There is no need to waste time on what the writer thinks I think. If you take part in the Democratic primary elections, a vote of Obama is the best bet. If you do not take part in the primary elections or elections in general, then your forum is to develop communist propaganda and a vision of the future in a way that impacts our working class and drives it is the spontaneous direction of learning how to take a class stance on behalf of itself. Senator Obama is not just a bourgeois politician. Comrade Intangible, it might be worth noting that we American communist have lived under capitalism a very long time and this includes bourgeois politics. In fact we were founded as a bourgeois - capitalist, country and ushered in the epoch of national colonial revolutions that would run its course for the next 200 years. Those communist who have spent a lifetime studying and mastering our own history might have something to say, as we smile at the electoral victory in Nepal. The Obama candidacy and Obama the man, is striving to represent on the world scale the new reality of capitalist imperialism in the form of the domination of the non-banking financial architecture, which demands abolition of and realigning the old polarities within imperialism that arose on the basis of financial-industrial capital. Apparently, Comrade Intangible, you cannot understand this shift. You will understand things is the next decade or two. To win the political struggle against his sectarian opponents, the masses have to be drawn into the electoral arena. 90% of the work of communists - for all time, is educational . . . Period. The subjective aspects of the unfolding revolution in the productive forces is extremely important. Intangible further writes: “Waistline: your line was that of the former leader of the CPUSA who converted the Party into an educational association with exactly the identical mission you have described or suggested. Here's a little M-L tip for Waistline: U.S. imperialism exists. It controls the state machinery of the United States plus quite a few other countries. The bourgeois politicians control nothing. They implement orders from the executive committee of the monopoly bourgeoisie who actually own these state machines. Engels defined the state as "special bodies of armed, men, prisons, etc." Response: I remain deeply aware that American imperialism exists and so does the overwhelming majority of the peoples of America who are opposed to the war against the people of Iraq. Comrade Intangible, niggas in America have always been put in jail and need no long lecture on the state as “special bodies of armed men, prisons, etc.” I have lived my entire life 15 seconds for jail and simply do not care. I live in Florida and if you are not familiar with American history it is impossible to understand what this means. There is of course the theoretical side of this discussion where we have profound disagreements, with my point of view being strictly Marxist. Comrade, imperialism does not control the state machinery but rather our historically evolved bourgeoisie . See, slavery in America was a brutal form of capitalism as described by Karl Marx. The Slave power controlled the state rather than a nebulous imperialism, which has existed for many thousands of years. See, the state that is the state of the United States of North America has always been the basic organ of violence in the hands of our imperialist bourgeoisie, as a class. To be specific the Anglo American capitalist. This state is the enemy of the people of the world and the hangman of revolution. The task of American communists is to overthrown the class rule or basis of this state and usher in an era of peace and prosperity/posterity. That is to say, to fight in real time for an American that can achieve and realize our most noble visions of collectivism, justice and fair play. You are not suggesting that you know how we can do this better? If so then you must at least present a concrete analysis of political and social events as they are unfolding in America. Comrade, America is the most powerful country in the history of humanity. But . . . America is peculiar and was always governed by ideological groups, whose ideas far outstripped the membership of the people in the various ideological groups. This means that we communists must learn to match of ideology and political with the exact moment and the way the peoples of America think things out. None other than Chairman Mao excelled at this political/ideological formulation. His call for “New Democracy” in China was nothing less than brilliant because it rallied the people of China to the cause of the CPC in the context of the Soviet victory of German led European fascism. I am not suggesting that American communist call for “New Democracy.” I suggest and advocate for economic communism right now today and apparently this is our unspoken disagreement. Intangible writes in conclusion: “This bourgeoisie have long since privatised prisons in U.S. civilian life, and when there's any functional obstacle in the existing machinery, like the ordinary lines of command in the U.S. military, they invent their parallel military forces like Blackwater. Regards” Response: Comrade, what on earth are you talking about? For the past few months I have written about the presidential election in real time. What are you writing about? Some theory fiction in your head? What you write makes no sense to this election process and today maneuver of Senator Clinton. You do know that her “troops” put forth her candidacy as Obama’s Vice president? This is going to get nasty and the splitting of the Democratic and Republican Party’s are the prelude to class politics in real time. We live in interesting ans exciting times. WL. **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4?&NCID=aolfod00030000000002) _______________________________________________ Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list Marxist-Leninist-List@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list
