Re: [Marxism] Supporting the resistance?

["Shane Brinton" <comradebrinton@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't like to be the dogmatic bastard that constantly quotes Marx and Lenin, 
but, in this situation, I think it might be appropriate. Mr. Katz seems 
determined that he is right because his line is sooooo "Marxist," and 
apparently we're all defenders of the reactionary "clerico-bourgeoisie."

Barney Katz wrote:

"If socialists in the North choose to engage in the struggle for socialism by 
using Iraq as their political terrain I believe they have a responsibility to 
first, ascertain the class character and political aims of the various factions 
that comprise the resistance in Iraq, and then to give their support to those 
which have some chance of objectively making progress towards socialism. I 
disagree that the overwhelming priority is to demand the withdrawal of US 
troops and their allies. If the reactionary, clerico-bourgeoisie of Political 
Islam were to seize power by stepping into the vaccuum caused by a sudden US 
withdrawal, an enormously backward step will have been taken."

Lenin Responds:

>>"During a reactionary war a revolutionary class cannot but desire the defeat 
>>of its government."<<

>>"A revolution in wartime means civil war; the conversion of a war between 
>>governments into a civil war is, on the one hand, facilitated by military 
>>reverses ("defeats") of governments; on the other hand, one cannot actually 
>>strive for such a conversion without thereby facilitating defeat."<<

>>"To repudiate the defeat slogan means allowing one?s revolutionary ardour to 
>>degenerate into an empty phrase, or sheer hypocrisy."<<

>>"Those who accept the "neither victory-nor-defeat" slogan can only be 
>>hypocritically in favour of the class struggle, of "disrupting the class 
>>truce?; in practice, such people are renouncing an independent proletarian 
>>policy because they subordinate the proletariat of all belligerent countries 
>>to the absolutely bourgeois task of safeguarding the imperialist governments 
>>against defeat. The only policy of actual, not verbal disruption of the 
>>"class truce", of acceptance of the class struggle, is for the proletariat to 
>>take advantage of the difficulties experienced by its government and its 
>>bourgeoisie in order to overthrow them. This, however, cannot be achieved or 
>>striven for, without desiring the defeat of one?s own government and without 
>>contributing to that defeat."<<

So... a civil war or revolution may not be right around the corner, but we 
still need to utilize the the situation.

Defeat is exactly what we need to be calling for! It seems that the Iraqi 
resistance is an important part of this.

sorry dude... Lenin wins.

For more: http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1915/jul/26.htm

---------------------------------------

ALSO: 

BK wrote:

"Some of these organisations include the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions 
(whose president and secretary have, in separate incidents, been kidnapped, 
tortured, threatened and released by "resistance" fighters; another of the 
IFTU's activists was not so lucky: Hadi Saleh was kidnapped, tortured, 
strangled and riddled with bullets)"

How does this prove anything? I'm against these sorts of actions too! It has 
nothing to do with legitimate resistance. Others that support the resistance, 
but are against these sorts of actions, can sign an online petition at: 
http://home.igc.org/~jlandy/cpd/



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