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Letters to the Editor:

Misconceptions

How often are we going to be told that Marxism is out-of-date 
although Richard Titelius (Guardian letters 12/11/03) 
limits this assertion to Lenin, Stalin and, for good measure, 
Trotsky. Is the reality of the class struggle out of date or the 
fact that labour is exploited by capital? Does evolution no 
longer apply in nature, are the principles of dialectical 
materialism no longer relevant?

If one is to make a sweeping claim it should be backed up with 
facts, not the sort of all encompassing and generalised statement 
that Richard has made.

There are several fundamental misconceptions in his letter. One 
is that the campaigns waged at the time of the Vietnam War were 
"against the system". That may have been true of some but the 
overwhelming number who demonstrated at that time were not 
"against the system" but against the dirty war.

When the war ended so did the protests on that issue although the 
actions taken became part of the long struggle against war that 
found a further manifestation in the recent huge actions against 
the war in Iraq.

When one starts off on the wrong foot it inevitably leads to 
mistakes and even disappointments when the false assumptions do 
not bear fruit. So, Richard claims that "the revolts quietly 
slipped away by the beginning of 1973".

The author also seems to be suffering from the false idea that 
Marxism separates the need to expropriate the means of production 
from struggle in other areas. We are told: "The idea that not 
only the means of production must be expropriated from capital, 
but also our hearts, minds and souls and, in this way allow the 
ideas, thoughts and feelings for a different world to be born". 
He attributes this to Adorno.

But this is not a new idea at all. Nor is the accusation that 
Marxism regarded the economic element as the only factor by which 
to understand the world.

Engels wrote in 1890: "According to the materialist conception of 
history, the ultimately determining element in history is the 
production and reproduction of real life. More than this neither 
Marx nor I have ever asserted. Hence if somebody twists this into 
saying that the economic element is the only determining one, he 
transforms that proposition into a meaningless, abstract, 
senseless phrase. The economic situation is the basis, but the 
various elements of the superstructure; political forms of class 
struggle and its results and even the reflexes of all these 
actual struggles in the brains of the participants, political, 
juristic, philosophical theories also exercise their influence 
upon the course of the historical struggle and in so many cases 
preponderate in determining their form." (emphasis added).

This analysis did not come from Adorno (who was a representative 
of the long forgotten "New Left" of the 1960s) but half a century 
earlier from Marx and Engels who are neither forgotten nor out of 
date.

Peter Symon
Sydney

I am writing to seek the assistance of your readers in 
obtaining copies of the TV series The Unknown War, 
narrated by the late Burt Lancaster.

The series was made by the USSR's Central Documentary Studios and 
there were 20 episodes.

The series showed the destruction, sacrifice and heroism of the 
Soviet people and the Red Army in the struggle against Fascism. 
We have four episodes which we are happy to loan to other 
comrades. Is there anybody out there who has knowledge as to 
where additional copies are available, (preferably the whole set 
but any would do)?

Please contact me at the CEPU Communications Division,
71 Cromwell St Collingwood Victoria. 3066. Tel 03 9419 0000.

Burt Blackburne

A couple of issues back, The Guardian printed a report 
on the outstanding growth of China. But what are the facts as to 
the assistance this increasingly rich country gives to Cuba?

Is it a case similar to the Saudi's relationship with the 
Palestinians, where there is a very similar culture but very 
little of the Saudi wealth goes through to the Palestinians?

One would hope China, a country that trades extensively with the 
USA would be working to provide diplomatic and other pressure for 
the US to lift embargo's from this gallant island of idealism 
that is Cuba?

Or is it a case of "I'm alright Jack"?

Bob Newey
Melbourne, Vic