Re: "Socialist command type economy in Iraq"????

[Hari Kumar <hari.kumar@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Patrick:
Thanks very much indeed for your note, I would very much appreciate that
off-list mail. As perhaps a poor swop, I will offer you (once I have
transcribed/scanned the 1979 document) the 100-odd page, textual
analysis of "Ujjama-socialism" that we (Alliance ML) would contend,
shows how the weak but ambitious national bourgeoisie of Tanzania
attempted to build state owned enterprises that offered a hope for
development. Until that is, the imperialists broke up the party.
Given the age of our analysis, I should apologise for the referencing as
being perhaps out-dated, but I think that it does give the flavour for
this particular discussion
"A new privilege class ( a state employed 'labour aristocracy'..) had
begun to consolidate itself by 1967... PArty and government were coming
to serve primarily as instruments for consolidating the predominance of
this class, aprticualrly at the national level" (J.S.Saul: "Background
to the Tanzanian Elections 1970"; In: L.Cliffe & J.S.Saul (Eds):
"Socialism in Tanzania"; Volume 1; Nairobi; 1975; p.282);
"Almost the only way in which Africans could get the capital to become
landlords or capitalists was by virtue of their office or their
seniority in the public service.... In general it was the
post-independence accession to power which allowed Africans to enter the
capitalists system as owners or employers instead of as workers";
(J.K.Nyere: Intro to "Freedom & Socialism"; Dar Es Salaam; 1976;
p.28-9).
"In 1964 the assets fo these state econmci enterprises were as follows:
(in millions of shillings:)
Sphere; Enterprises with state majority interest    Enterprises with
state minority interest; Total
Mining             241
0                                                            241
Electricity         231
0                                                            231
Agriculture     56
0                                                            56
etc......
>From (W.E.Clark: "Socialist Development & Public Investment in Tanzania:
1964-7"; Toronto; 1978; p.102).
[Note I do not if tables will come across OK on eM exchange of this
type.].
Anyway - you get my drift.

Perhaps I could also - since we have been segueing into Africa on this
strand - ask you for a Mist - if not a ML-ist view of current crises in
Congo? Gerard Prunier's "The Rwandan Crisis", 1995; NY; is very useful
indeed as a mine of information, but lacks something. Any suggestions?
As an aside, Chris Burford's earlier suggestion on PEN-L, that
progressives should support some sort of intervention (whether UN or
support of local tribal militas - I forget the phrasing exactly) touches
me with some alarm. Thanks in advance.
H