Stalinism and Standards of Intellecutal Discourse

["Chris, London" <100423.2040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Briefly in response to Leo, IMO we have a very long way
to go on this list, really to understand concretely how the horrors came
about, to look non-marxists in the eye and say it will never happen again.
That is why I am against dumping everything on the name of Stalin.
I agree there has to be a name, but why cannot it be called "the Purges".

I agree that the Short History of the CPSUB is a grossly distorted
historical text.

Little is achieved by trials of Stalin by fascists or anti-Communists, and
by blanket denunciation of Stalin by Trotskyists, even though the death of
Trotsky was particularly repulsive.

The British Trotskyist Hillel Tictin has extended the meaning of "Stalinism"
so wide as to cover the whole systematic apparatus, methods, and approach of
the official Communist Parties. That is very different from what Leo is
describing, even though Trotskyists have suffered at the hands of both
phenomena.

One service to the standards Leo is calling for would be if he or someone
else would summarise the half a dozen main accusations in RA Medvedev's
"Let History Judge", preferably in their socio-political context, but
outside it, if that is not possible.

If in the eyes of many on this list, Shawgi will at best be Devil's advocate,
that at least could be a useful role. Whether he would wish to come in or not
would be up to him.

Chris B,

London.






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