[Marxism] Re: Gowans fires back on Zimbabwe

[Greg McDonald <sabocat59@xxxxxxx>]

Louis Proyect wrote:


"Furthermore, there is no discussion whatsoever from Stephen Gowans  
or Greg Elich about the class composition of Zimbabwean society in  
general. The plain truth is that a Black bourgeoisie has emerged  
under Mugabe's rule through a kind of crony capitalist regime. It is  
hostile to working class interests and socialism, no matter the lip- 
service that Mugabe paid to Marxism 25 years ago.

Finally, we can never forget that Marxists support democracy. This  
does not mean bourgeois democracy, but it means permitting workers to  
speak out. Does anybody think that Mugabe is jailing working-class  
opponents because they are getting Soros's money? If you go back and  
study Zimbabwean history, you will see that Mugabe has *always* used  
violence against his political opponents. Perhaps the only thing that  
is consistent about his rule is the desire to maintain it."

Points well-taken, Louis. This debate, although far from academic,  
calls to mind the critique of Gunder-Frank's original development of  
underdevelopment thesis: to whit, G.F. glossed over internal class  
dynamics of the satellite countries in his analysis of the global  
dynamics of imperialism.

Dave Walters reinforces your criticism in his point on Mugabe's so- 
called land reform.

All the same, I have a hard time supporting a fellow worker's call to  
give solidarity to a union taking money from the US government as  
part of a campaign to destabilize Mugabe's regime, especially when  
the call comes from a fellow wob. I find it unpalatable, to say the  
least. Mugabe is roughing up and jailing opponents, not because they  
are protesting official negligence in reference to workplace  
grievances or lack of real land reform, but because they are trying  
to overthrow him, in connivance with imperialism. However hostile  
Mugabe might be to working class interests, it could not begin to  
compare with some sub-junior partner of anglo-american imperialism.  
It seems to me the best stance would be to let those folks work  
things out on their own and protest any involvement of Bush or Blair  
in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe.

OBU,
Greg

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