Re: An Open Letter to the CPC Party Central- The SocialistState

[David Walters <dwalters@xxxxxxx>]

Hi Carrol,
 I understand what you are talking about. As an activist in US
anti-Globalization efforts, it's a constant issue...and lot more murky than,
say, in the 70s when the Steelworkers were in their open 'buy American
steel' campaigns.

Two issues are the above mentioned "Trade with China" issue (and related
ones like China joining the WTO, which independent labor activists in China,
oppose, incidentally, room for another debate on this one) and

Mexican truckers and the campaign to restrict their driving in the US by
Teamsters.

On the label "Stalinist". I understand and indeed respect why on this list,
which is composted of...dear I say it...both "Trotskyist" and "Stalinist"
advocates, the label is vorboden and becomes flag for flaming. I don't think
"Trotskyist" has quite the same connotation, however.

In describing China as a country ruled by a "Stalinist" party, I was using
it as a descriptive label, but still, let's facing, it's "Flame On!" if it's
used. We would have to have a specially moderated thread here to discuss the
issue of the CPC and it's relation to, not only "Stalinism" but also Maoism
and even Socialism in general.

A good thread, however, is over the role of China and globalization.  For
example:

1. Labor rights in China: the same, worse or better than Indonesia?
2. China and the WTO, is it a good thing or a bad thing?
3. China as an example for socialists, does it really differ than Russia
today?

I think we could, later, discuss this, and do so without...the "Labels" :)

Comradely,
David Walters
>
> David Walters wrote:
>>
>> Carrol,
>> I responded previously to you about the use of the term "Stalinist
>> bureaucracy" and agreed it could, and would, end a serious discussion about
>> China.
>
> In general I tend to run for cover when the label "Stalinist" appears.
> It just names too many different things, and hence tends to clog up
> discussion. The view of present-day China I mostly share is that offered
> by William Hinton, and by a prescient remark of Mao's that if China ever
> changed its color it would become an enemy of the world's people.
>
> But attacks on China in the U.S. tend to be both racist and
> anti-communist. (And the latter is so independently of whether China is
> in fact communist any longer.) The liberal and AFL-CIO campaign against
> PNTR, for example, was absolutely disgusting from a number of angles,
> including the fact that it was racist and red-baiting.
>
> And however repressive the present Chinese state may be, it is
> distorting to label it "Stalinist." I'm not sure whether it is even very
> useful to apply the label "Stalinist" to Stalin or the USSR of the
> 1930s. It really is an utter blank.
>
> Carrol