Re: Time for agile leftists to shift and support Gore.

[Chris Burford <cburford@xxxxxxxxxx>]

At 19:46 06/12/00 -0500, Louis Proyect wrote:

> >"For the good of the cause, the proletariat will always support not only
> >the vacillating petty bourgeoisie but even the big bourgeoisie"
> >
> >- according to another self-styled communist -  one who proposed a change
> >in the name of their party from Social Democratic to Communist, in 1917.
> >
> >He made the remark in the same year. And led a successful revolution.
> >
> >Chris Burford
>
> The only problem is that Lenin openly repudiated this formulation not long
> after it was written. In a report to the Central Committee of the Bolshevik
> Party, he explained the change in his thinking:
>
> "Comrades, the traitorous Kautsky uses our words against us and questions
> why we repudiate the big bourgeoisie in 1918, when previously we announced
> our willingness to extend a hand for the 'good of the cause.'

It is indeed difficult to refer to Lenin if we cannot quote him accurately
or consider his arguments carefully .

The passage quoted does not repudiate the previous formulation. It refers
to repudiating the big bourgeoisie. There is a difference. The formula
stands. The point is that it is related to context.

If that is the only problem, the matter is now resolved.

The passage I quoted came from "On Slogans" July 1917.

It would be helpful if Louis Proyect could give the title and date of the
article he is quoting since we may have a variety of editions.

Chris Burford

London