fwd...letter to a publication, from john manning...

[John Manning is a veteran communist and trade unionist]

Sobeslav, Czech Republic, October 13, 2000

Dear Monthly Review,

My copy of Number 4 of Vol. 52, for September, reached me here yesterday

and I have now read it cover to cover, since I was much distressed by
the
title and beginning of the lead editorial, "SOCIALISM: A TIME TO
RETREAT?".
(The issue as a whole is high level and everyone, particularly if with
health problems, should read Richard Levin's "Is Capitalism a Disease?"
It
helps to know what you are fighting.

As for the editorial, living in the "new territories", outside the
continental boundaries of the empire, I continually fail to appreciate
the
extent to which the overwhelming blanket of big business propaganda
affects
everyone living inside USA and remain amazed that, in ten years of
trying,
I have been unable to get any U.S. socialist-inclined publication to
print
a word on, or even consider, the road to socialism opened up after the
Soviet collapse by the completely unshaken advance of the communists of
Japan.

The only opening was momentary and not on the Left. The Boston GLOBE ran
a
quite-factual article on page 21 of its Sunday, June 18 issue, when it
appeared certain the left alliance led by the communists would actually
displace the ruling Rightist parties in the July elections.

Your editorial accepts Perry Anderson's finding that the socialist
movement
is "no longer alive", though it cites Singer's historical analysis in
"WHOSE MILLENNIUM?" that socialism can not and should not be given up.
But
it leaves out Daniel Singer's great contribution to last year's
Socialist
Scholars Conference that "WHAT WE NEED IS A PROJECT WITH VISION!"

Not only is there movement in the outside world but - - the "PROJECT
WITH
VISION" HAS APPEARED!! - and is arousing the people in droves.. And it
had
to be started by a non-Left, democratic source with decades-long
credentials of honest public service, Ralph Nader.

The movement has real similarity to the successful movement in Japan in
its
objectrive to wrest control of the government from the big companies and

return it to the people. In Japan the movement is led by communists and
stretches through Social Dems and Democrats to Liberals. In the U,.S.
the
movement is new, and nearly all official bodies still remain in the
official structure. Beyond the independent and active, the big source of

strength is the majority who had given up voting. The CPUSA dismisses
Nader
as "bourgeois" and endorses Gore!

The Japanese, considering Marx's prediction that socialism would come
first
in an advanced capitalist country, decided to undertake it. They further

decided that the first strategic objective must be, not socialism, but
people's sovereignty and democratic control, the move to socialism to be

left to when the people's majority would be ready to move on it. This,
with
total honesty and democracy, has proved capable of mobilizing millions,
and
making alliances reaching far into those who consider themselves
"conservatives", while arousing the horror and boycott of
rule-of-the-book
socialists.

The Nader objective is democratic control, pure and simple. It will be
an
enormous step, sufficient for the present. What is important is that
those
who have learned from Marx should realize the importance of the
democratic
movement and take active part, in order to be there when capital says,
"If
you force democracy, you'll put us out of business", to be able to say,
"Well, then, the people will run it."

The failed Soviet experience showed that the technical running of it is
no
great problem - IF - the people themselves control, with no commissar
over
their head. The long struggle (and it won't be short), for democratic
control will necessarily mobilize the people, and from telling managers
and
governors and senators what they have to do, they will learn
responsibilities of government and constitute the "millions" Lenin
visualized as running the society of producers.

This is not to red-bait the Nader movement. It is a democratic movement,

pure and simple. That is revolutionary enough! It is the socialists who
can't yet understand it.

Come out into the SUN! ! !

Meszaros "Beyond Capital", which you printed in 1995, explained clearly
what was wrong with the Soviet Union - that capital still ruled and that

you can't get there that way. He also showed that capitalism was going
nowhere. The road for the socialist offensive which he showed and the
Japanese have proved, is wide open.

As for Nader being bourgeios and the Japanese friends being communists -

it's not the name, it's what you do!

In this movement everyone who believes in people and in living can join!

Let's get with it!

John Manning, Czech Republic
(Legal and voting address, Berkeley, CA.)