[Marxism] Re: Materialism and the decay of small Marxist groups

[Nick Fredman <srcsra@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Philip wrote:

>I agree with Louis.  In very small left groups the
socio/psycho-pathology of leaderships are more important than "the
social and political context", which is more relevant in affecting
groups with serious social bases of support.

Louis and now Phil have misinterpreted my comments on a materialist
analysis of small socialist groups to be all about structure and not at
all about agency. For Philip's benefit I'll paste my reply to Louis'
comments Philip posted - I'd be genuinely surprised if any rational
Marxist who sees any point in building a socialist group would greatly
disagree with this:

I'd agree with your [Louis'] main thrust about mass parties coming from
mass
movements and the need to not stick to rigid models, but I think the
difference is over the role of small socialist groups in the here and
now.

At the risk of being pedantic I'd point out small group and even
individual psychology are also materialist, social-political
questions questions. Small socialist groups have been (to greatly
varying extents) as you describe because of historical origins and
political contexts, i.e. isolation from the working class and the
mass movement (or the lack of any mass movement). This is as you say
different from the sectarianism and bureaucratism displayed by many
mass left parties which derive from material privilege.

I repeat all small left groups are affected such problems, including
the DSP. But in the spirit of Engel's slogan "freedom is the
recognition of necessity", if we recognise this we can actually do
something about it. That's the other side of the "materialist" nature
of small left groups - they can make an intervention into the
material world in a good way that can hopefully keep them healthy, or
in a bad way that can exacerbate the underlying problems and lead to
degeneration. But while small and relatively isolated they'll never
escape the potential dangers of sectarianism.

I agree with nearly all of the DSP's hefty program, but what really
attracted me to them in the late 80s was a clear recognition that
what was needed was something a lot more, that was built on the basis
of something quite different from the DSP's very detailed program -
however necessary and useful it was for the DSP to develop as it had
to that point. There hasn't been a general upsurge that would make it
easier but recently there has been some struggles and some openings.
Hopefully in Socialist Alliance by bringing together some union
militants, some migrant and Indigenous activists and maybe even other
revolutionary groups we're making a start towards a bigger party that
will have a general revolutionary perspective and practice, without
having to come to agreement on all the historical and theoretical
positions of the existing tendencies (however useful these may be to
have around and be discussed).


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