Our readers speak out the Soviet bureaucrats?

Scan page 19

and the Russian Orthodox police-state forms of rule now. contradictory elements: (1) Church can find themselves "The process of capitalist temporarily allied with ele- August coup sought to do. Russia, disavowed him. At That is, after all, what the bases himself, Democratic restoration is supported by all ments of the military and That is why I refer to this facfactions of the decaying Stalin- various groups on the left. It's tion as "neo-Stalinist." The that point, a spectrum of reacno more alarming than the fact demonstrations I have called grouped in the Narodnoye neo-Stalinists seem to repre- that Patrick Buchanan spoke "neo-Stalinist" have essentially Soglasie (People's Understandthe same program as the coup, ing bloc lett Democratic Both these statements don t Iraq. That didn t make the anti- and openly defend the would-be Russia and began supporting stand up to scrutiny First, the intervention movement rightist Junta.

Many statements by leaders of "Russian unity."

The support of national and supporters of these demontalist restoration, civil war, rights of smaller nations with- strations ( have cited a number convergence that these forces starvation, and foreign inter- in the Soviet boundaries by of them) show that they are turned up in the neo-Stalinist vention comes from Yeltsin, Gerry Foley is an admirable not opposed to the economic demonstrations, here is a fun program of Gorbachev and damental resonance between right. ly, he seems to have been Yeltsin. It is true that anticapi- the retrograde Russian chauvinThese elements admire the lulled into believing that these talist and anti-market-reform ism of these groups and the "democracies" of the West, struggles are occurring in a Slogans have started Showing chauvinism that the Stalinist such as the U.S., Germany, void, where outside interests up in these demonstrations. bureaucracy tomented more and and Japan. They want to vend alism is frozen in time and But in context, they have to be more as its pretenses of Marxseen as cynical attempts to ism faded. The last stage of exploit the reaction against this was the program of *miliYeltsin's anti-working-class tary-patriotic" education under The "neo-Stalinists," on the confining their efforts to Casmasses see them, since they land that these forces are conmilitary threat. Why does strike at a moment's notice, have not turned out for these cerned with. On the contrary, Gerry Foley denigrate this con- just as it did against Iraq. To actions. After all, before just the opposite is true, since cern? Plus, they are not for think that the "neo-Stalinists Yeltsin gained power, be made they are backing an armed capitalist restoration, though thus still seem to represent the similar concessions to the feel- rebellion against Moldavia by some elements support expand- most immediate threat of ings of the people. ing capitalist incentives, as the repression" inside the Soviet Gary Abdo is very wrong in resent the Slavic population of Stalinists did and are doing Union is a serious misjudg- his comparison between the the republic, and they propose China. ment of the present situation. neo-Stalinists' program and to support similar operations that of the Bolsheviks. Only based on the Russian minonthrough democratic organiza- ties living among other Monmouth, Ore. ton can the working people peoples oppressed by StalinThe terms "left" and "right" inists propose is precisely the ple who do want "bread, peace, pushed is leading to starvation. are imprecise-especially in biggest obstacle to that Repression is a tool of the for the neo-Stalinist demonfragmentation of the Soviet Union and East Burope--and privileged, and as such the strations because, among other Union is leading to racial and that is why I did not use them. imperialists and the bureaucra- things, they know that what national civil wat, plus I did not write that all factions cy have a common interest in their organizers propose is war destruction of national securi- in the bureaucracy were the it 1y. same, There is an important Abdo seems to have torgot- mer USSR who have begun to This fear of total collapse is difference, one that cold lead ten that the imperialists exercise their right to selfspread across almost all of the to a civil war, but it is not supported Gorbachev last determination —a right that political spectrum, and over restoring capitalism. It is spring when he was in a bloc was central to the Bolsheviks' accounts tor why anti-semites over whether or not to restore with the neo-Stalinists against For forums, classes and other activities, contact the Socialist Action

French

Dear editors, I was quite impressed with your coverage of the French elections. I felt it was markedly superior to the scant coverage of the bourgeois press, or even of the progressive press.

Your paper was the only place I could find any coverage of Lutte Ouvriere or the Ligue Communiste Revolutionaire and their role in the elections.

The only request I could make is that you provide more coverage of Socialist Action's electoral efforts, as well as your relationship to various electoral efforts in progress.

Chad Anderson, Champaign, III. wing as the left. But it's difficult to see much better in an evaluation of Soviet politics that sees "no fundamental dif. ference" between the various elements of the Stalinist bureaucracy.

This was exactly the analysis offered by Gerry Foley in his article Is Another Coup on the Horizon in the former Soviet Union?" in the March issue of Socialist Action.

In the final paragraph, he offers us an astonishing conclusion, with two seemingly ist bureaucracy." (2) "The sent the most immediate threat of repression."

primary danger of not just repression but, yes, also capiGorbachev, and others on the out Soviet industry to foreign capital and see no military threat from capitalism abroad whatsoever.

other hand, do see a foreign Far from being demagoguery, there is almost a refrain of land, bread and peace in the appeals of the "neo-Stalare at a minimum and imperibuilding a defense of the Soviet Union now, instead of Gerry Foley replies: research project I am doing for a class in urban bealth policy, I recently re-read Mark Harris's "The business of health: A critical diagnosis" (Socialist Action, July 1990), Hayden Perry's "Medical insurance profiteers undermine national healthcare" (July 1991), along with the recent article by Chris Beiler, "Healthcare in America-right OI privilege?" (March 1992).

These articles not only provide an excellent explanation of what's wrong with the system, they also point the way forward to the kind That is apparently how the remove the dangers be cites, And the iron hand the neo-StalBaltimore P.O. Box 16005 Baltimore, MD 21218 Boston P.O. Box 1046 GMF Boston, MA 02205 (617) 497-0230 Chicago P.O. Box 578428 Chicago, IL 60657 Cloveland P.O. Box 6151 Cleveland, OH 44101 (216) 429-2167 Dotrolt P.O. Box 1613 Detroit, MI 48231 Kansas City P.O. Box 32543 Westport Station, Yeltsin, and that on his trip to the USSR in August Bush called on the national movements to accept subordination In pursuing his program of capitalist restoration, Yeltsin will have to try to repress the masses, as 1 and other writers have repeatedly written. But Yeltsin built his support on the basis of opposition to the repressive wing of the bureaucracy, he now still finds himself without an effective means for repressing the masses-as shown concretely by his failure to repress the independence movement in Chechen-Ingushetia.

On that question, the political movement on which he tionary procapitalist forces the neo-Stalinists in the name It was no accident or chance It is not "bread, peace, and neo-Stalinists claiming to repThe great masses of the peoand land" have not turned out against the peoples of the forLos Angolos P.O. Box 862014 Los Angeles, CA 90086 (213) 660-2891 Minneapolis P.O. Box 14087 Dinkeytown Station Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 430-1476 Now York P.O. Box 20209 Ca. Fin.

----- pull-quotes -----

to Moscow. branch in your areal