Bolshevism vs Menshevism?

[Jon Flanders <72763.2240@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 >> Lenin was simply interested in getting rid of dead wood, people who
 were not carrying their load. Those who simply "advised" were not
 needed. Lenin sought to place genuine contributors at the helm of the
 major newspaper of Russian Social Democracy. <<Louis Proyect

 Jon Flanders:

  Doesn't this attitude of Lenin's reflect the different concepts of a party
that the two sides held? Lenin wanted to get away from the "circle mentality"
which among other things, could be said to foster sentimental attachment to
old heroes, ignoring their present role.

  The Menshevik concept, as I understand it, would count a worker on a strike
led by the Russian Social Democracy as a party member , whether or not the
worker actively participated in building the organisation. While Lenin did not
require the sort of litmus test for membership that most vanguard parties lay
down today, he wanted workers who were active proponents of marxism, not
simply those who were *led* by a marxist trade union leadership.

  Perhaps you have done this already, but another historical break point needs
to be considered, namely, the formation of the Third International, and the 21
points that parties wishing membership were required to adopt.

  Of course I think it would be more germane to study the fusion of the July
26th movement with the Cuban CP. It must have been quite an experience for the
Cuban "vanguard" to come to terms with Fidel and Che. You really have to have
some respect(at least I do) for people like Carlos Rafael Rodriguez, who could
respond positively and creatively to a development that "wasn't in the books."

  E-mail from: Jonathan E. Flanders, 05-Jun-1996




     --- from list marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---