tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post1782164199147350729..comments2024-02-28T19:17:34.325-08:00Comments on Democracy and Class Struggle: Joshua Moufawad-Paul review of Heavy Radicals - The FBI’s Secret War on America’s Maoists: The Revolutionary Union / Revolutionary Communist Party 1968-1980Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-79829901689147501572015-06-16T13:27:25.084-07:002015-06-16T13:27:25.084-07:00I was fortunate to be separated involuntarily from...I was fortunate to be separated involuntarily from the circus at the end of 1976. By then the two tendencies were already at each others' throats. The problem, as is always the case in the USA, was the inability to find a social base for revolution. <br /><br />The inner struggle was concealed from the rank-and-file but you would get glimmers of it. As long as the antagonistic viewpoints wereAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-18298039276011129802015-06-12T08:29:49.329-07:002015-06-12T08:29:49.329-07:00Mike Ely responds to JMP's comment Part 4
So ...Mike Ely responds to JMP's comment Part 4<br /><br />So let's be precise: At the time of the coup, Leibel was pro-Huaist. When Hua was discarded by the real power in china, Leibel (and his organization) became pro-Deng. Now (to be nuanced) it was a big problem for them when the Chinese government started openly dismantling socialism, denouncing Mao, reversing verdicts. All over the world,Mike Elyhttp://kasamaproject.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-24963774904806434142015-06-12T08:28:59.861-07:002015-06-12T08:28:59.861-07:00Mike Ely responds to JMP's comment Part 3
JMP...Mike Ely responds to JMP's comment Part 3<br /><br />JMP writes: "Finally, my comments about Bergman's "nuanced" line is also, since this is a review, based on the material: the book claims his position was initially more nuanced, and not the way in which it was characterized (and cites evidence in this regard) as "pro-Deng", but became decidedly less nuanced as Mike Elyhttp://kasamaproject.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-9227638635951427492015-06-12T08:27:11.523-07:002015-06-12T08:27:11.523-07:00Mike Ely responds to JMP Part 2
With that in mind...Mike Ely responds to JMP Part 2<br /><br />With that in mind, let me respond to a few particular points you made in response:<br /><br />JMP writes "@Mike: a review is limited by the book and the truncated form caused by word strictures."<br /><br />I suspect that you will recognize that it is not true. My review of Heavy Radicals will not be limited by the book -- and quite often Mike Elyhttp://kasamaproject.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-75025873807369613922015-06-12T08:24:51.573-07:002015-06-12T08:24:51.573-07:00In another venue, JMP responded to my comments. An...In another venue, JMP responded to my comments. And I answered him. It is a friendly and constructive exchange, that I would like to share here. I quote most of his comment (embedded in my response). And will give it in parts, since Nick's system has length limits.:<br /><br />http://marxandphilosophy.org.uk/reviewofbooks/reviews/2015/1859#jfe541352b<br /><br />* * * * * * * * *<br /><br />Mike Elyhttp://kasamaproject.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-53057419989509200212015-06-10T12:32:54.755-07:002015-06-10T12:32:54.755-07:00Thanks Mike for as always valued contribution abou...Thanks Mike for as always valued contribution about events of which you have detailed personal knowledgenickglaishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14880536147559732867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-47267739304737262592015-06-10T11:27:52.365-07:002015-06-10T11:27:52.365-07:00Part 6
There was an element of promoting Avakian ...Part 6<br /><br />There was an element of promoting Avakian as the preeminent leader of the RCP -- but this was not a fabrication, it was an actual fact. <br /><br />It is factually wrong to say (some have written and Joshua repeats) that "consolidate Avakian position as party chair" -- he had been the chairman of the RU's central committee, and has been "consolidated" as Mike Elyhttp://kasamaproject.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-55323037217473030822015-06-10T11:26:56.117-07:002015-06-10T11:26:56.117-07:00Part 5:
4) A lot of the discussion of the RU/RCP ...Part 5:<br /><br />4) A lot of the discussion of the RU/RCP get minor details and facts wrong. That is perhaps understandable in any history, and it is perhaps not particularly distorting if the overall narrative is accurate.<br /><br />Let me just give an example of these minor details that crop up in the review above: <br /><br />"Hinton was himself a member of the RU/RCP-USA." <br />Mike Elyhttp://kasamaproject.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-10482662743106369692015-06-10T11:23:59.314-07:002015-06-10T11:23:59.314-07:00Part 3:
In the midst of my overall support for Le...Part 3:<br /><br />In the midst of my overall support for Leonard and Gallagher, it is perhaps inevitable that I would find various points to contest. It is hard to see your own personal experience converted into "history" -- and there will always be a part of you that complains at various points "Oooooh, that's not quite how it was."<br /><br />Some points to raise:<br />Mike Elyhttp://kasamaproject.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-71176943647249647352015-06-10T11:21:41.297-07:002015-06-10T11:21:41.297-07:00PART 2:
The Revolutionary Union (RU) started as a...<br />PART 2:<br /><br />The Revolutionary Union (RU) started as a gathering point for many of the most determined revolutionaries to emerge from the 1960s -- and its main source of recruits were the many different communist forces gathering around the Black Panther Party. And in a way that is worth noting, there were two rather different conceptions of revolutionary politics contending among Mike Elyhttp://kasamaproject.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-53168016712244021972015-06-10T11:20:30.569-07:002015-06-10T11:20:30.569-07:00PART 1:
I was delighted to see the publication o...PART 1: <br /><br />I was delighted to see the publication of this book, and after a close read I believe it makes a genuine contribution. And i welcome this review by Joshua Moufawad-Paul -- which seeks to engage issues raised by the book.<br /><br />There is value simply in putting the New Communist Movement of the 1970s, and the RU/RCP in particular into a process of summation and discussion. Mike elyhttp://kasamaproject.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5544356010661157280.post-39529685736472730472015-06-09T17:30:06.428-07:002015-06-09T17:30:06.428-07:00The RCP USA has not degenerated. Bob Avakian's...The RCP USA has not degenerated. Bob Avakian's New Synthesis of Communism has evaluated correctly all these trends and come up with the New Synthesis. Its time that JMP and Nick Glais started taking up the New Synthesis of Communism. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com