Barry, Democratic Centralism is as much of an oxymoron as Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party. :
: 'Second mistake: The Central Committee surrendered its power too soon, to make way for the Commune.'
: ---Marx, letter to Kugelmann 12 April 1871.
Is this advocating a repressive state? Is it advocating abrogations of human rights? Obviously not!
I know the Spartacist League well, I try and involve their local representative in a debate whenevr I see him. They're pretty ludicrosu. They don't like Allende, they don't like the Sandinistas, they don't like Zaimbabwe, they don't like the CPI(M), they don't like Swedish social democracy, they don't like the SACP, they don't like Eurocommunism. They don't like, oin short, any communist movement that has ever gained the boraad support of the people.
Look at the quote below.It's saying that workers who choose to follow religion, social democracy, etcetera should not be able to lead teh workers? Why no, if the workers support them? People should be able to decide whether they want to be religious! They know whatis best for tehm, not you or I! To argue otehrwise is condescending. If they want to spend a portion of their hard earned income paying to support preiests, who are Y)U or I to say that taht's not in their best interest? Only THEY know what is in their interest. Communism and Socialism are about EMPOWERING such people so that THEY THEMSELVES (not bosses, aristocrats, or businessmen) can make their own decsiiomns about what goods they want to pursue, and may nbe able to pursue and acheive their goals. Socialism means self-reliation/
The r5eason we have to get ridof capitalism is because right now, capitalism places workers in an economic poisition where they cannot liev a free, fulfilling, adequate life, and because it prevents them form being free and equal to everyone in society in terms of exercising human r9ights. But if yoiur democratic centralism proposes to prevent teh workers from being free., just as they are unfree right now, then it is no advance over capitalism.
If society as a whole is in favor of socialism, then workers, just like everyone else, should n0ot be allowed to become capitalists and lord it over their fellows. But they should certainly be able to cast a vote and opinion for whatevre system they like, to follow whatever religious or political direction they choose, and to live the life that they choose. Socialism can only be put into place if teh majority of tehm want it. This freedom is precisely teh great davantage that socialism has over capitalism.
Barry, are you going to rstrict people's religious freedom? Are you going to prevent peopel from choosing to be religiously devout if tehy so coose? How can you justify that, if so? Who are you to say taht workers who devote most of tehri income to teh church are not acting in their own best interest?Only THEY can say that.
