Speaking of the pseudo-left's attitude toward the Soviet Union in the '80s and '90s, one should mention also Tariq Ali's preface to his 1988 book, Revolution from Above. Ali wrote, "Revolution From Above argues that Gorbachev represents a progressive, reformist current within the Soviet elite, whose programme, if successful, would represent an enormous gain for socialists and democrats on a world scale. The scale of Gorbachev’s operation is, in fact, reminiscent of the efforts of an American President of the nineteenth century: Abraham Lincoln." He then went on to dedicate his book to "Boris Yeltsin, a leading member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, whose political courage has made him an important symbol throughout the country." Two years later, Ali published a satire called Redemption, which criticized Trotskyists' inability to deal with the destruction of the Soviet Union. David North wrote about him, "The unconcealed support of the Pabloite leaders for the two central architects of the final destruction of the Soviet Union-Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin-provided an irrefutable historical confirmation of the reactionary character of Pabloism and the legitimacy of the struggle, spanning decades, waged by the International Committee against this pernicious petty-bourgeois political agency of imperialism." (From "Preface to the Turkish edition of The Heritage We Defend.)
The organizations he's referring to -- 1:39-1:52. Key sections -- 30:34-31:28; 38:27-38:55; 48:33-58:51. Apart from the explanation going back to Lenin's analysis of the 'labor aristocracy' (today often referred to as the 'professional-managerial class'), of how a portion of the wealth generated by monopoly capitalism goes into creating more and more positions to be performed by such white-collar careerists (who thus have a material stake in perpetuating that system [Edit:] As the speaker goes into at 17:22-19:31), we also need to consider the extent to which the creation and promotion of fake-left organizations and 'alternative media' outlets have been, and are, the result of deliberate state policies, carried out through various intelligence 'services' and the fronts they set up. We know of examples going back to the Congress for Cultural Freedom in the 1950s, and the revelations in 'Ramparts' magazine in 1967 -- and such state propaganda operations seem to have really intensified in the period since circa 2011, perhaps extending into the organizations that Beams is pointing to here.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
A brilliant lecture, which I had the privilege of seeing live in Belmore.
Long live the Socialist Equality Party and the ICFI!
Great Video really important for the struggle ahead.
a great speech from comrade Nick Beams
Quite an important lecture
Speaking of the pseudo-left's attitude toward the Soviet Union in the '80s and '90s, one should mention also Tariq Ali's preface to his 1988 book, Revolution from Above.
Ali wrote, "Revolution From Above argues that Gorbachev represents a progressive, reformist current within the Soviet elite, whose programme, if successful, would represent an enormous gain for socialists and democrats on a world scale. The scale of Gorbachev’s operation is, in fact, reminiscent of the efforts of an American President of the nineteenth century: Abraham Lincoln."
He then went on to dedicate his book to "Boris Yeltsin, a leading member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, whose political courage has made him an important symbol throughout the country."
Two years later, Ali published a satire called Redemption, which criticized Trotskyists' inability to deal with the destruction of the Soviet Union.
David North wrote about him, "The unconcealed support of the Pabloite leaders for the two central architects of the final destruction of the Soviet Union-Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin-provided an irrefutable historical confirmation of the reactionary character of Pabloism and the legitimacy of the struggle, spanning decades, waged by the International Committee against this pernicious petty-bourgeois political agency of imperialism." (From "Preface to the Turkish edition of The Heritage We Defend.)
The organizations he's referring to -- 1:39-1:52.
Key sections -- 30:34-31:28; 38:27-38:55; 48:33-58:51.
Apart from the explanation going back to Lenin's analysis of the 'labor aristocracy' (today often referred to as the 'professional-managerial class'), of how a portion of the wealth generated by monopoly capitalism goes into creating more and more positions to be performed by such white-collar careerists (who thus have a material stake in perpetuating that system [Edit:] As the speaker goes into at 17:22-19:31), we also need to consider the extent to which the creation and promotion of fake-left organizations and 'alternative media' outlets have been, and are, the result of deliberate state policies, carried out through various intelligence 'services' and the fronts they set up. We know of examples going back to the Congress for Cultural Freedom in the 1950s, and the revelations in 'Ramparts' magazine in 1967 -- and such state propaganda operations seem to have really intensified in the period since circa 2011, perhaps extending into the organizations that Beams is pointing to here.
(34:20-34:32) Point of geography -- Greece is not in 'western Europe.' Just sayin'.