----- Original Message ----- From: "Li'l Joe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Black-Left" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "BRC-Discuss" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 12:51 AM Subject: [BLACK-LEFT] Gus Hall > > Gus Hall, A Personal Acknowledgement and > Commemoration > > How does one measure greatness? For me the > measure of a man or woman in terms of > "greatness" is by their commitment to humanity, > and to the Truth as he or she understands it. > This commitment to Humanity is the ability of > he or she to transcend ethnicity and nationality, > and from whatever the class background from > which the individual emerged is able to make > common cause with the most downtrodden and > exploited of society, and the world. --"The > philosophers have interpreted the world in > various ways, the point is to change it!" > > Gus Hall, in my opinion was such a man. > > My personal feelings for Gus Hall, from when > I was a child to those of a self-righteous > young adult, to finally, recently in my "gray > in gray", -- has run the gamut from fear and > suspension to contempt and suspicion, to > finally arrive at understanding and respect. > > Growing up in the poorest neighborhoods of > the slums of Los Angeles and Compton, none > the less I was socialized in the anti-communist > and anti-Soviet culture of the America of the > 1950s, and so feared the Soviet Union, and > thought that every American Communist was a > Russian spy. > > I don't know how much this personally influenced > me when as a teenager I became what at the time > I thought to be a revolutionary Black nationalist, > who are also anti-communist. When I did come > to read the works of the Communists -- Marx, > Lenin, Stalin and Mao, at this stage I became > a self-style "Maoist". > > As a "Maoist", I rejected the Communist Party > of the Soviet Union as "Revisionist", and so > rejected its American comrades of the Communist > Party USA as "revisionist". This was of course > ridiculous since the comrades from the CP, and > in particular the Che/Lamumba Club and Committee > for Defense of the Bill of Rights, were the most > disciplined and active members in the Black > Liberation Movement in Los Angeles. > > CPUSA practice in both the anti-Vietnam > War movement as well as in the Black Liberation > Movement refuted Maoist unfounded accusations > of "revisionism". The real problem, which was > a problem and cannot be ignored, was the concept > and politics of "popular front" as a strategy. > > > Moving further to the left in search of a > consistent revolutionary theory I came into > contact with Trotskyism, which offered a more > consistent analysis of the Soviet Union and > Stalinism, including Maoism, which I assimilated. > > As when I was an anti-Communist kid in the projects, > as well as a Maoist, so as a Trotskyist, though for > very different reasons, I none the less in each > case looked upon the Soviet Union and the CPUSA > with fear, and then contempt, but always with > suspicion. > > I was wrong to have done so. > > After having experienced first hand in the latter > 1970s and the Reagan 1980s the full power of the > bourgeois state in repressing the Black liberation > movement, I began to understand what the Socialist > Workers Party as well as the Communist Party USA > went through in the 1950s. I cannot but respect > both parties for their courage and determination. > > To Gus Hall and the generation that held the torch > and passed it to my generation, even as we denounced > you as "revisionist", and "Stalinist", I beg your > forgiveness even as I recognize your contributions. > > This does not mean that I agree with all you have > stood for, but that I recognize the legitimacy of > the Communist Party in the working class movement, > and that our differences ought to be fought out > with the respect due to comrades fighting the > same class enemy. > > Notwithstanding our differences with the Communist > Party, Gus Hall's legacy ought to be respected. > > > > ===== > > Li'l Joe > > > __________________________________________________ > > How to subscribe to BLACK-LEFT > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
