Re: [Marxism] Dios los Cría... (was Re: ISO and Cuba)

["acpollack2@xxxxxxxx" <acpollack2@xxxxxxxx>]

First, Joaquín quotes too selectively from Katz; the latter has two big
sections on Venezuela and makes clear (if in somewhat academic
phrasing) that the Bolivarian process is on a DIFFERENT road
from that of countries led by center-left (i.e. popular front or worse)
governments. (Katz is at 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxismhttp://www.isreview.org/issues/41/katz.shtml)

Second, the US SWP got the Cuban revolution precisely right. Did they reserve 
judgment as to whether Castro and his team would go all the way?
Yes -- but only until they did, and once they did go all the way they
were the foremost propagandists on their behalf, promoting to all who'd
listen how new and different this leadership was (and even BEFORE that
the SWP was building Hands Off Cuba committees, both out of simple
anti-imperialist duty, but with special enthusiasm because they could
see that this leadership about which they were reserving judgment just might be 
the big breakthrough revolutionaries were waiting for.

In that context the Trotskyists were exactly right to encourage in a
comradely way precisely the combination of national and class tasks that
Joaquín sees correctly as intermingled.

Finally, re the quote:

"The main danger to the Cuban revolution is in its own leadership." The
Militant [SWP USA], Jan 18, 1960.

Note the latter does not say "its leadership" but "in" its own
leadership. And Joaquín knows full well that one of the turning points
in the ealry revolution was precisely when Castro told the Stalinists IN
the leadership that corruption, bureaucratism, foot-dragging, in general
stalling the revolution would not be tolerated (the Escalante affair).

Andy

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