Is it Clear to Say?
Well it has been some time since Fukuyama declared that history has ended. If this is the end of History, and we are to see the last man, how unsatisfying. There are literally people starving in the tens of millions and we have enough to feed the whole world over and over again, yet we can't allow the Market to make prices cheaper...it would cause Market chaos. We are on the verge on ecological disaster; however the Capitalist world is more addicted to the Petroleum based economy than ever. I see the oppression and exploitation of my fellow neighbors, and the mental shackles that have been placed on my whole generation. If this was the best of all worlds we could possibly hope for, I wonder what the worst was. Well am I clear to say now? I don't believe that is the best we are afforded, not in the least! There is something still out there, in my opinion, it is in the blood of those who toil, of those who have not in this society. It screams in their sweat, it is anger in those tears. After 30 years since the death of the "great helmsman" Chairman Mao, after 39 years since the death of the young revolutionary named Che in the mountains of Bolivia, after 89 Years sine the Bolsheviks stormed the palace in St.Petersburg, and yes after 158 years since these words were first said, there is still the spectre of Communism which haunts the Capitalist World. We look to the top of the world, and there the red flags waves and invites others to join in to rid ourselves of our Monsters. In Nepal, a small mountain country, our brothers fight to rid themselves of a genocidal and fascist monarchy. They offer all those who fight for Democracy, the olive branch, but for the Monarchy they only offer the bullet. They have been fighting this People's War for the past ten years. I salute them for their epic People's War. Long Live CPN (M)! Long Live Pracanda Path! In the Phillipines, our brothers and sisters fight against Fascism and US Imperialism, they strive to liberate the Filipino people from the comprador bourgeoisie and Imperialism. CPP is a leader in a coalition with our revolutionary parties in what is known as the National Democratic Front, and it also leads the New People's Army. They work tirelessly in accordance to Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and fight for the Proletariat and Peasantry, the have nots of society. They have been fighting their People's War for the last 37 years! And they have yet to relent. Long Live the CPP! Long Live Jose Maria Sison! The world over is fighting against US Imperialism. What end of History do you see? They are still fighting for Communism! Whether it is in the island of the Phillpines, the mountains of Nepal, the jungles of India, the villages in China, or the streets of New York. We are not dead yet, and lets put the Bourgeoisie on warning, we have just begun!
We must keep the fight alive. I am currently listening to "Street Fighting Man" by the Rolling Stones, it plays in so much. We must fight for communism.
but...
Che was not a communist. Che was an armed revisionist, his idea of socialism was not the masses of people ruling, but rather the rule of revolutionary vanguard. RCP has a good pamphlet on it, Burn Down the Cain Feilds....
Posted by Carl Miller | 8:02 AM
I have to disagree Comrade. Che was indeed one of the most genuine Revolutionary Communist. We should uphold Communists for their revolutionaries legacies, and critique them for their short comings. To do anything else is Sectarianism. We should uphold Che, in the same way we should uphold Stalin, Kim Il Sung, Ho Chi Minh, and other great revolutionaries. Che's focoism was indeed incorrect; however Che was certainly an anti-revisionist and stood with Revolutionary Communists against Social-Imperialism of the USSR. Che has inspired generations of revolutionaries, and the masses understand his legacy, and we should understand why the masses uphold Che... It is because he loved the people and wanted to liberate the people.
I disagree with much of the RCP polemics against Cuba. RCP is right in one sense, that Cuba is not Socialist..it the most technical of senses; however Cuba is a Dictatorship of the Proletariat, and upholds Proletarian Internationalism, unlike any other nation (and I dare to say more so than even China under Mao). It is just not possible for Cuba at this stage to become a full socialist nation. Cuba can't industrialize, Cuba can't develop a complete indepedent economy. Autarky is impossible.
Cuba undegoes a policy similar to NEP. It is impossible at this stage for Cuba to be economically indepedent. Cuba however has been a supporter of Revolutionary Internationalism and has not allowed itself to be completely ingrossed in the Neo-Liberal market. I think the RCP needs a new look into Cuba.
Posted by ShineThePath | 7:06 PM
Hi ShineThePath! I am excited to see your new blog, and in passing read your comments about Cuba, much of which I agree with. I am glad to see you are still around and posting the revolutionary word.
A big shout out from Portland!
Posted by celticfire | 9:07 PM
Che was a revolutionary, and he did criticize revisionism in the Soviet Union. It is not wrong to uphold that.
However, the focoism is a dead-end path. Furthermore, Cuba's role in providing "international assistance" in, for example, Ethiopia, was not a good thing. In the Ethiopian example, Cuba was abetting a chauvinist government's attacks against the Eritrean nation struggling for independence. Che cannot be blamed for this, but Fidel Castro certainly can.
Posted by Klement | 9:44 AM
I agree that Focoism is indeed a dead end path. Even Castro had recently admitted that the revolution in Cuba they had could only be implied to Cuban conditions.
I think we shoudld definately criticize Cuba on its role in support of the Ethopian revisionist state. We should also criticize their silence in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Czechslovakia. There is indeed a lot to criticize!
But this is also true of China and its role it played in giving ideological support to the Revisionist Soviets in their invasion of Hungary in 1956. Their lack of a role in the Sukharto coup in Indonesia, and their role in support of the Pinochet coup in Chile.
China's foriegn policy was opportunist if we analyze it in the concrete. We must give harsh criticism of the Chinese leadership, and Mao, for this.
Posted by ShineThePath | 1:03 PM
Don't have much in terms of substance to add. I agree that we must up-hold Che as a true revolutionary and acknowledge his criticism of the USSR at Algiers and elsewhere as cutting edge.
Setting me apart from many who have posted, I for one do uphold Cuba as a socialist country. Not necessarily a model, and with significant problems (not the least of which has to do with one dude running things for 40 decades). But given what they have faced as a people, and especially after hearing descriptions from folks who have personally been there, the progress that socialism has made there is truly remarkable (highest life expectancy rate in Latin America, lower infant morality rate than any major US city, constitution guarantees on social goods like housing, food, security, etc.).
Finally, and the actual reason for my comment, ShinethePath you talk about our "brothers" in Nepal. This is probably just short-hand, but "comrades" or "sisters and brothers" would have been much more appropriate.
The struggle against patriarchy, including sexist constructs that frame our language in daily conversation, must be a central part of our work as revolutionaries. We, especially men doing this work, have to be much sharper with this stuff; it’s our responsibility as men to root out sexism in our movement and organizations, not that of the sisters. We need them at the front of the column in leadership, not in the kitchen or leading the never ending struggle to convince us to change.
Posted by Nelson H. | 5:41 AM
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