Korean War (Re: On Trotsky)

[Jørn Andersen <ccc6639@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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One good thing about the ongoing debate on "Stalin vs. Trotsky" is that =
the Stalinists (unlike the time before the final collapse of the =
Stalinist regimes in 1989) are on the defensive.=20
But when you're on the defensive, you can always try a counter-attack.
=20
>----------
>Godenas@xxxxxxx[SMTP:Godenas@xxxxxxx]
>15. februar 1996 19:45
>Re: On Trotsky

tries to "outline the Trotskyist path like this:"
>1)Adventurism=20
...
>2)Opportunism=20
...
>3)Despair
...
>4) reaction and support for reaction (starting with Trotsky himself and =
the people
>he surrounded himself with on his western itinerary, but on down =
through Tony
>Cliff supporting the US during the Korean War, the ISO, SWP's "state =
department"
...
>                                                  Louis Godena=20


While the first 3 points are totally un-argued - and are ridiculous =
compared to the history of the catastrophes of Stalinist politics - =
point 4 refers to one concrete example.
The example is just as ridiculous as the first 3, because it's a lie.

Tony Cliff and the "Socialist Review Group" (forerunners for the SWP =
(UK), ISO (US) and parties in the IS-tendency) did NOT support the US =
during the Korean War. Nor did they support the USSR. And I think it is =
this last point that really troubles Godena.

What Tony Cliff did was to take the stand of Lenins during the World War =
I. Both were wars between rivalling imperialist powers - in the latest =
case between the two super powers, US & USSR, that after WW2 had divided =
the world between them.
In such a war socialists shouldn't take sides but argue against the war =
and argue for workers on either side to take on their own rulers. So for =
socialists in the western - US- hemisphere to support the US would be =
ridiculous and disastrous.
Cliffs and Lenins opposition to the two wars respectively was not not =
pacifist, but based on class: Victory or defeat for neither of the =
warring powers would aid the international working class.

Problem with stalinists is that they saw the war as a war between a =
progressive and a reactionary power. As has been argued elsewhere, also =
on this list, there was nothing progressive about the USSR after the =
Stalinist counter-revolution in the late 20's. Neither was there anyhing =
progressive about the regimes that duplicated Stalins USSR - including =
Kim Il-Sungs North Korea.

That the Stalinists couldn't use their position to raise any substantial =
opposition to the war shouldn't surprise anybody: Workers in the West =
might oppose the war from a class position, but not if it involved =
support to a violently oppressive dictatorship like Stalins. Worse =
though: The Stalinist position left workers in the Russian empire to =
side with their own oppressors.

I'm sorry to admit, that some trotskyists followed the stalinists in =
their support for Stalins USSR, but sure Tony Cliff did not. But =
twisting this fact to saying that Cliff supported the US in the war is =
just one more Stalinist lie.

Like the other lies they are now being revealed as part of the death =
agony of stalinism.

Stalinism is dead in an historic perspective - but the dead body still =
stinks. Lets cover the grave as fast as possible.

Neither Washington nor Moscow but International Socialism!

Jorn Andersen
ccc6639@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

IS
Denmark

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