At the end of a well-argued posting, Louis Proyect wrote: > Albania, Zaire, etc. are imperfect and semicloaked manifestations of the >>proletarian revolution. This is strange. Where in the world are "etc."? Why talk of "Zaire" when the "rebels" (whose overwhelming mass support is now evident) call for the liberation of (Lumumba's) Congo, not (Mobutu's) "Zaire?" And why does a blind and desperate popular uprising in the smallest and most backward country of the Balkans belong in the same sentence with a victorious popular revolution in the largest and potentially most productive country of Africa? And what can "imperfect and semicloaked manifestations of the proletarian revolution" possibly signify? Is "the proletarian revolution" some God that chooses to manifest itself now here now there, in this or that disguise? The Congolese revolution is a political revolution aimed at establishing democracy in tens of thousands of villages and repairing the ruin that the CIA's golden boy, Joseph Mobutu, inflicted on every aspect of the Congolese infrastructure. It faces enormous tasks and has enormous progressive potentialities. All the imperialists will seek to subvert it in all sorts of ways, military intervention being the least likely. The Congolese revolution is just beginning with the overthrow of Mobutu. It will last a long, long, time and will be decisive for all of Africa. Beyond that, we can know very little yet. Theoretical pronouncements and slogans are grossly premature for us. Our ability to study and respond will test the quality and utility of these lists. As yet little indeed has been posted, but (give the devil his due!) Rolf Martens has so far made a real contribution. I hope we see a lot more from many more contributors, and soon. Shane Mage
