Date: 27 Oct 96 10:46:42 EST
Subject: Re: M-TH: stalinists


It is clearly extremely important to sort out whether or not "stalinism was a
consequence of the leninist view of marxism" or not. If it was, forget the idea
of a revolutionary party, workers councils replacing the state etc etc.
	Well, I don't think it was. My two main arguments are

1) social formations such as stalinism are not caused by the theories of
political organisations, but by class forces. Stalinism was the political
crystallisation of a new type of capitalism, state capitalism, whcih left all
that is essential about capitalism in place (accumulation as the motor of the
economy, not democratic decisionmaking) at the same time as getting rid of some
secondary characteritiscs  (legally private posession of th means of production)

2) If stalinism had been the natural consequence of leninism, there would have
been no need for the purges. The  vast majority of the leaders of the Russians
revolution of 1917 were killed by Stalin. Why would he need to do this if
stalinism wasthe natural consequence of Lenin's marxism... it could all have
been set up calmly without purges and faction fights.


This is the most important question in twentieth century politics, because if
workers taking poer naturally leads to horrible dictatorship, then we are only
left with capitalism of barbarism, neither of which appeal to me. 

John mullen
Socialisme International
France



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