[Marxism] : xxxx re ISO, SWP, and Cuba (a ketter to xxx)

[Eli Stephens]

Joaquin wrote:

"In relation to Cuba specifically, I think what is appropriate, in addition
to what everyone on the left says (opposition to the blockade, free the five
and so on) is a political stance (tone) of solidarity with the struggle of
the Cuban people and their conquests (throwing the imperialists out of their
country and as a result having made great strides in fields like education
and health care). In know, on this latter point, it would be very hard for
the ISO comrades to swallow, but such is life. However, I would not go any
further than that."

He also says, and I agree,

"I think the program of a POLITICAL organization in the U.S. (and not only)
should be focused on those things the group can ACT on."

However, one thing to understand (and, from that first paragraph, I believe he 
does) is that "action" in the context of the United States (or other imperialist 
countries) very often comes in the form of EDUCATION (speaking, writing, etc.). 
So how much one "acts" on that "political stance (tone) of solidarity with the 
struggle of the Cuban people and their conquests" depends on some actual actions 
(e.g., helping with the work of the Pastors for Peace Caravans) but a lot more 
so on what one has to say and write.

And there, while groups (speaking of the U.S. only) such as the PSL, WW, and SWP 
have considerable accomplishments, what I documented in detail in that earlier 
post (http://archives.econ.utah.edu/archives/marxism/2007w01/msg00146.htm) is 
that the ISO has been an almost total failure; Gary Marx last night on C-SPAN 
had more positive things to say about Cuba than the ISO has had to say in its 
entire history.

I think what Joaquin misses, however, is that this FLOWS OUT OF their stance 
towards the Cuban leadership, whose overthrow they call for. After all, you can 
hardly celebrate Cuban doctors in Pakistan, just to pick one seemingly innocuous 
example, when those doctors were sent there not because of some mass movement of 
the Cuban people, but because of the initiative of the Cuban leadership. And if 
you don't accept that that leadership actually represents the Cuban people, then 
you can hardly celebrate such an action. If you DID celebrate the action, you 
might be committing the "sin" of building support not just for the Cuban people, 
but for the Cuban REVOLUTION, and the Cuban revolution's LEADERSHIP. And you're 
hardly going to do that when you're writing such things as, "It’s up to Cuban 
workers to wrestle power away from the Castro clique."


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