I have mixed feelings about commenting on the most recent spasm of
Stalinophilia on the British-based Socialist Unity blog from Andy Newman
since there is so little interest on the left along these lines. But
since some young people who read this blog might have trouble
understanding why there is nostalgia in some circles on the left for the
individual who did more than any other to discredit socialism, I suppose
it is worth discussing—like a psychiatrist might discuss some unusual
symptom, such as a belief that sticking your arms with hatpins will ward
off evil demons, etc.
In some sense there is a precedent for this. After all, the Fabians had
a mad crush on Stalin even though their own politics were akin to
Newman’s Labour Party gradualism. The Webbs were foremost among this
current in the 1930s. But unlike the official CP, they took another
angle. As CLR James pointed out in an appendix to “World Revolution
1917-1936: The Rise and Fall of the Communist International“, “The Webbs
end with an argument that the Stalinists do not use, for obvious
reasons. They say that the world revolution was a proved failure, and
therefore it was the only thing left to do, this building of Stalin’s
Socialism.”
I would call your attention to an article on Socialist Unity titled “The
Heritage of Trotskyism – May the Fourth be with You” that relies heavily
on Sovietologist J. Arch Getty for its analysis. A word or two about
Getty might be useful. He is one of a group of “revisionist” scholars
who have emerged over the past several decades who attempt to make
Stalin more acceptable. His goal is to debunk many of the claims of
people like Robert Conquest who have a vested ideological interest in
maximizing the number of victims of the 1930s terror campaign. Getty,
whose politics appear to be conventionally liberal, is to be commended
for searching for the truth but as a political guide, he is utterly useless.
read full article:
http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/putting-the-russian-questions-on-the-back-burner/
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