Re: Bordiga and stalinism

["Marcus Strom" <MSTROM@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Date:          Thu, 7 Dec 95 09:10:12 GMT
> From:          Adam Rose <adam@xxxxxxxx>

Adam commented on the following exchange:

> > At 14.43 06/12/95 GMT+10, Marcus wrote:
> >
> >
> > >And yet I disagree with the below. If the party is the 'free
> > >association of militants', then any member should be able to fight in
> > >the party for a position shouldn't they.
> >
> > Mauro jr:
> > free association means that the action of associate to it is free, not 
> > obliged.
> > >It is practice which will
> > >sort people out, not a bureaucratic rule. Any opportunist can agree
> > >with anything to their hearts content - as long as it gets them where
> > >they want to go. The difference in a communist party is that if they
> > >aren't being communists in practice, then they will stick out like
> > >sore thumbs.
> > >Some people who want to leave politics find the big difference to
> > >debate out to leave. We should not give them the excuse.
> >
> >                         Agreed
> > >Rule 21 gives them the excuse. They should be excluded on their political
> > >practice, not their bureaucratic adherence to some rule.
> >
>

Adam's comment:
> I think this discussion has become completely ahistorical.
>
> The 21 conditions were specifically designed for a situation when the Russian
> Revolution had enourmous prestige. Mass centrist parties were queing up to 
> join
> the third international. Under these circumstances, the main danger was that
> the revolutionary members of these parties would bring their centrist leaders
> with them.
>
> The 21 conditions were a historically specific mechanism to try to keep them 
> out,
> not some revolutionary catechism valid for all time.
>
> There is a debate to be had about democratic centralism, ( although ultimately
> these questions are decided in practise not in discussion ) but it shouldn't 
> be
> based on "for or against the 21st condition" !
>

Adam...

.... I just wanted to agree with you! It hasn't happened that often
so it's good to take the opportunity.

Marcus


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