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From: janw@inmet.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Orphaned Response
Message-ID: <7800765@inmet.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Nov-85 17:12:00 EST
Article-I.D.: inmet.7800765
Posted: Wed Nov 27 17:12:00 1985
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Nf-From: inmet!janw    Nov 27 17:12:00 1985


[Brian Mahoney ucla-cs@decwrl]

>I know I might be getting a little picky here but when has there been
>a Communist agrian revolution.  This in itself is a contridiction.  Marx
>was fiercely anti-peasent he felt they were to conservative and stupid
>to be of any good.  People neither China nor the Soviet Union no matter
>what they say are communist.  Both governments act in much the same way
>as the governments that were overthrown.  I am only attacking terms
>here.  Please be careful.

I think your statement concerns substance, not just terms, and on
*substance* you right. It is that 20th century Communists are not
true followers of Marx.  He *did* fiercely (the word fits the old
guy  well)  believe  in progress and that the maximum progress of
capitalism would lead to his kind of socialism.   He  had  little
use for underdeveloped countries, or peasants.

As for who has the best title to the word "Communist",
it is a long story.  The name had fallen into disuse
when Lenin revived it. I just use the usual names.
E.g., Republicans are no more or less republican than are 
Democrats. But if you come up with a good name for people
like Mao and Castro, I am open to suggestions.

I do not agree, though, that the Soviet and  Chinese  governments
act  much like the ones they replaced. Again, it is a long story.
And much of the past creeps back in strange ways.  But the system
of  government  and just everyday life has changed dramatically -
and not only over the years, but very soon. Then they kept
changing.

		Jan Wasilewsky