The trouble with this contribution from Frank Talk is that it walks away from the strong lights of the political stage, towards the endless darkness of conspiracy.
What is "predictable", to use Frank's chosen word, and what was indeed predicted by Lenin among others, is that the trade union movement will, by itself, only produce a reformist political movement and not a revolutionary one. It is not that it "can be" so, as Frank Talk puts it, but that it is always going to be so. In "What is to be Done?" Lenin called this problem "economism". It is to escape from "economism" that Lenin proposes a generalist party of revolutionaries to educate, organise and mobilise the masses. Without such a party of revolutionaries there is no possibility of anything other than the reformist kind of socialism, which is a kind of bourgeois state with a temporarily modified appearance, and which is what is nowadays referred to as "social democracy". Communists have to graduate from conspiracy theory to something else. Not that conspiracies do not exist. "Personal agendas" and "darlings of the Imperialists" and all the rest can be found if you look for them. The problem is that eliminating all of the conspiracies, even if it was possible, would not eliminate the much larger problem, which is that we proceed from a mass consciousness that is reformist and bourgeois. We proceed from a bourgeois society. We communists are the ones who encourage the formation of reformist organisations of the working classes and of other self-defined masses, even when they do not spontaneously appear. We do not expect them to be spontaneously communist. It is no use to blame a trade union movement for being reformist, and especially useless to do so when there is no dedicated revolutionary party present, as in Zimbabwe. Both Frank and Mlilo seem to think that the communists could, by being honest and pure of mind, and by having a smart "analysis", naturally lead the masses. This is as mistake. More than a state of mind, leadership is a piece of work. Cleverness and will-power are not enough. Educating, organising and mobilising is hard, grinding work. Also, from the start, you must love the masses, who in Zimbabwe are not only workers but also peasants, because at the start they are not your converts, and you are not a missionary, but you are hopefully a revolutionary who wants freedom (the free development of each that is the condition for the free development of all). You can't love the masses and want them to be free if you think of them as fools or sellouts (if, in other words, you cannot trust them). This is why conspiracy theory is a handicap for communists. Not because there are no conspirators, but because the existence or otherwise of conspirators is beside the main revolutionary point. Hunting for conspirators is a diversion, Frank, and by the way, the reason Cde Mlilo is here at all is because he walked into our Communist University session one day in the SACP boardroom in COSATU House and introduced himself. He sought us, and when he found us, we welcomed him, as we had welcomed the other MDC crowd before him, and as we would have welcomed Zanu-PF as well if they had come (but during six years to date, Zanu-PF never did come, or even send a message). The Communist University is not for perfect communists but for ordinary people who are imperfect in all sorts of ways, and where we are all of us, without any exceptions, students. Domza Student. 2009/12/8 frank talk <[email protected]> > Cde Nqobi > > I'm further prompted to inquire why did you guys fail to engage with > relevant stakeholders but instead opted to form a social democratic > political organisation as you put it whose funding bloodline remains a > contested secrecy. Doesn't this means you harboured your *own* political > ambitions and that infact you *aided* in getting things worse so that you > may emerge as messiahs - a very predictable stratety. > > Is it not questionable Cde Nqobi that your then trade union movement > leadership decided to form a political organisation whose politics is based > on social democracy - a decision which was a compromise to the working > class you were leading but okay to your personal agendas and Voila! what did > we get at the end - a darling of the imperialists. And now you're calling > for the SACP to form a Communist Party in Zimbabwe. Obviously this is a > calculated move to confine any "Red Gevaar" in the near future in which MDC > ruling elites will be in the reigns, again the assistance by SA > communists would lend credence to that organisation and ensure that it is > being spearheaded by a cabal which put its own interests under the disguise > of social democracy before those of communism. Remember that trade > unionism can be very parallel to reformism. Which then says the MDC is > either "project gone wrong" or sell-outs, hence the failure to > attract well-timed support from established African > governments and liberation movements except from the likes of Raila Odinga's > Orange Party. > > In conclusion, my sympathies are not aligned with ZANU-PF but with the > genuine working class of Zimbabwe who are the victims of all this > meanderings in the power struggles of the ruling elites and would-be ruling > elites. Hence I reject your foney attempts to coerce unwitting young > Marxists to be tangled in Zimbabwe's political web. > > Scholars of Marx I find it very wanting that this call should be > exclusively made by Cde Nqobi whilst those we have come to view as the voice > of the voiceless in that part of the land are silent both in action and > speech. > > I pause > > Talk Frank > > --- On *Tue, 8/12/09, Nqobizitha Mlilo M <[email protected]>* wrote: > > > From: Nqobizitha Mlilo M <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [YCLSA Discussion] The Changing Times Online > To: [email protected] > Date: Tuesday, 8 December, 2009, 11:15 > > cde Samuel > > I am not sure how else you want me to respond to the question. > > I am saying the Lancaster agreement was a compromise of the liberation > movement and the MDC accepts that it had to be done given the balance > of forces. However in so far as the agreement speaks to the land > issue, immediately after the 10 years the land issue should have been > attended to, and this is what the trade union movement led by Morgan > Tsvangirai was saying and by extention the MDC. Are you clarified? > > On 12/8/09, Samuel Somcuba > <[email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>> > wrote: > > Cde Mlilo please don't use Dick n Duck tactics, what is the position of > > MDC in regard to Lancaster House agreement? > > > > > > Samuel Somcuba > > Pre-adjudicator > > Small Business Amnesty > > Tel :( 011)449-8500 > > Fax : 086 544 3060 > > Email > > :[email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > > > 'the only things that stand between a person and what they want in life > > are the will to try it, and faith to believe its possible" > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: > > [email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > [mailto:yclsa-eom-forum+ > > <yclsa-eom-forum%2B>[email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>] > On Behalf Of Nqobizitha > > Mlilo M > > Sent: 08 December 2009 10:51 AM > > To: > > [email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: [YCLSA Discussion] The Changing Times Online > > > > cde Talk Frank and Mzukisi > > > > The MDC is a social democratic party. It was formed from the ranks of > > the trade union, student, social and broad civic society movements. > > Its politics therefore is influenced by the working people of > > Zimbabwe. > > > > The consultative meeting that gave birth to the MDC was led by the > > trade union movement under the theme National Working People's > > convention. > > > > You can read more about this on www.mdc.co.zw > > > > On the land question. The MDC has always raised the issue of land and > > has sort to say the issues is not merely political issue but an > > economic issue. The land reform process must benefit the ordinary > > people and not the military and government officials as has happened. > > > > On the Lancastor agreement, it was a compromise position of the > > liberation movement. However immediately after the end of that period > > there was no evidence that there was going to be land reform and the > > trade union movement raised this issue. Remember this was trade union > > movement led by Morgan Tsvangirai. So the land question was an issue > > that was within the thinking of the MDC even during the trade union > > movement. > > > > ZANU PF raised the issue on the eve of the 2000 election as a > > political survival tool when it was clear they would be voted out. > > > > In brief my leader this is the story. I really invite you to go > > through the website of the MDC www.mdc.co.zw and we can engage. > > > > The solution is a revolution in Zimbabwe led by a workers party. The > > MDC must retain its broad church social democratic character but the > > SACP has a duty to assist in the setting up of the Communist Party of > > Zimbabwe. Thats the solution > > > > Amandla > > > > On 12/7/09, frank talk > > <[email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>> > wrote: > >> Cde Nqobi > >> > >> I would like to know what is the political ideology of the MDC and > > your > >> position to the Lancaster House Agreement? > >> > >> Talk Frank > >> > >> --- On Sat, 5/12/09, Nqobizitha Mlilo M > >> <[email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>> > wrote: > >> > >> > >> From: Nqobizitha Mlilo M > >> <[email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > > > >> Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] The Changing Times Online > >> To: > >> [email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > >> Date: Saturday, 5 December, 2009, 9:36 > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> Please Find attached The Changing Times Online; A publication of the > >> Movement for Democratic Change > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> For more information please call MDC (Zimbabwe) Hon. Mr. Nelson > > Chamisa > >> 0912940489 National Spokesperson or Mr. Luke Tamborinyoka 0912104416 > > or > >> [email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > or Nqobizitha Mlilo (Zimbabwe) 00263913294724 or > > (South > >> Africa) 0835274650 or 0731539555 or > >> [email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]>or > >> [email protected]<http://uk.mc234.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]> > >> > >> "At each point in our proud history we have looked forward not > > backwards, we > >> have stood for hope not fear, we have believed in love not hate, and > > we have > >> never lost touch with our democratic values or sight of our democratic > >> goals." ~ His Execellency, Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, > > Mr > >> Morgan Richard Tsvangirai > >> > >> -- > >> You are subscribed. 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