John Percy on the Marxism list: hangout for "anti-Leninists"

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

The idea of a revolutionary socialist party, or one taking any cues from
the Bolshevik experience, is also hotly contested in the milieu, the
"party" of former members of parties, reformed Leninists who've seen the
error of their ways. Many people pass through revolutionary parties, here
and around the world. The revolution is a great devourer of people, that's
a fact, and this can be intense in difficult objective situations in which
we are pushing uphill. Some comrades tire out, some have bad experiences,
and some get other priorities in their lives. Most move on, some adapt to
the prevailing political orthodoxy, but some still haven't settled with
their past in the revolutionary party and for a while can spend a good part
of their political activity attacking their own past by attacking those
still actively building a party.

The Marxism List based in the US has many people with this sort of
background and outlook, who have espoused or developed a description of
their perspective as "anti-Zinovievist", although I haven't seen any
attempt by them to clearly distinguish themselves from anti-Leninism.
Really, that's what they are, even if they feel better hiding behind Zinoviev.

In both these milieus in Australia, it seems at the moment that the DSP is
the main demon, the target of many polemics about our supposed
sectarianism. In a way, that's a backhanded compliment, emphasising the
fact that we are the organisation that has not only survived, but grown.
(Real examples of the extreme sectarian practices, incredible perversions
of Leninism, such as the Socialist Labor League, of which some of these
fierce anti-Leninists once were members, have collapsed and don't draw
their fire.)

full: http://www.dsp.org.au/links/back/issue23/Percy.htm

Louis Proyect, Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org