RE: [Marxism] Re: Hitchens and Orwell

["Jack Cade" <jack.cade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think the reason is that Orwell is an icon and saint to both
the bourgeoisie (who see him as anti-communist) and Trotskyists
(who see him as anti-Stalinist). Whatever say a word of criticism
against him and the 'pooh-poohing' soon begins. Hitchens, having
begun as a Trotskyist and ended up as a bourgeois publicist and
apologist, brings both together.

Frances Stonor Saunders in her book 'The Cultural Cold War: The
CIA and the World of Arts and Letters', published five years ago,
was one of the first to give the details of Orwell's infamous
list. She must have been amazed at the outcry.

Another reason is that, like the Bible, plenty of people on the
left, like to stand by Orwell, without having read what he
actually wrote or understood where he was coming from. Most
ordinary people view 'Animal Farm' and '1984' as anti-socialist
propaganda. Animal Farm being a particularly crude example. To
attack this trash is not to defend Stalin. To see it just as
'anti-Stalinist' is a fatal error in my view.

Take the case of 'On the Waterfront' (1954): Elia Kazan
(Director) and Budd Schulberg (writer) concocted it to say that
their informing and turning states evidence was justified. At
least one of the actors (Lee J Cobb/Johnny Friendly) was with
them in this. Kazan and Schulberg admitted what they were up to
are are seen for what they were yet with Orwell, despite the
clear and unequivocal evidence, and his history as a colonial
copper, 'Saint George' rides on unblemished.

To describe Orwell merely as an 'anti-Stalinist' is a bit coy.
Orwell was much more than that: he was an anti-communist.
'Stalinist' is really just a term of abuse applied to CP members
that is senselessly even applied to communists who opposed and
oppose him and all his works. There are actual 'Stalinists' of
course, such as the recidivist, so-called 'anti-revisionist' CPs;
subscribers to the 'Stalin Society' and so forth.

I see Orwell as both a test, that many do not pass, and a
trolling provocation. So I will say no more on this subject.

Jack Cade

> I have no idea why it is necessary to open up a polemic about 
> Stalinists 
> and the Spanish Civil War using Orwell as a peg. I am giving
serious 
> thought to starting a mailing list on Yahoo called 
> "Stalin-Trotsky debate" 
> just so that Marxmail subscribers can find the proper outlet 
> for their odd 
> proclivity for reopening old wounds. 



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