As a democratic socialist appreciative of the best of Marxism as well as the best of " liberalism " ( read Chris Hedges " The Death of the Liberal Class " ) I am perturbed by the dismal failures of " Vanguard party " socialism . It does contain the seeds of totalitarianism .
In recent years it became all too clear to me that the once remarkable American based Socialist Workers Party and its rival Socialist Equality Party have both degenerated into daffy personality cults. Their members - an always dwindling number - very much like the " Clears " in the Church of Scientology ".
Just last week I was e-mailed a crypto threat from an SEP goon: IF Great Leader David North approves, he will smash my " Catholic, anti-Semite , fascist " face .
I doubt if David North ( the same named David Green is the capitalist owner of a NON-UNION printing company ) will " approve" . But what kind of " Marxist " writers are on North's " Trotskyist " payroll ? This self-appointed VANGUARD party clearly has no roots in the working class which absolutely includes ORGANIZED LABOR .
I think the biggest error of the generic Left is this palpable hostility to Christianity , to Catholicism in particular. Millions of the world's religious people viewed as second class citizens by socialist EQUALITY parties ? The biggest mistake of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia was to declare their STATE " officially atheist ". How could " Catholic " Europe react to that ?
And most of Orwell's " proles " do not have the slightest interest in Karl Marx's " dictatorship of the proletariat ". In general Christians do not daydream about bloody violent revenge on all class enemies. Go to Christ's Gospels on that .
Yet , " if there is hope it lies in the proles " .
In recent years it became all too clear to me that the once remarkable American based Socialist Workers Party and its rival Socialist Equality Party have both degenerated into daffy personality cults. Their members - an always dwindling number - very much like the " Clears " in the Church of Scientology ".
Just last week I was e-mailed a crypto threat from an SEP goon: IF Great Leader David North approves, he will smash my " Catholic, anti-Semite , fascist " face .
I doubt if David North ( the same named David Green is the capitalist owner of a NON-UNION printing company ) will " approve" . But what kind of " Marxist " writers are on North's " Trotskyist " payroll ? This self-appointed VANGUARD party clearly has no roots in the working class which absolutely includes ORGANIZED LABOR .
I think the biggest error of the generic Left is this palpable hostility to Christianity , to Catholicism in particular. Millions of the world's religious people viewed as second class citizens by socialist EQUALITY parties ? The biggest mistake of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia was to declare their STATE " officially atheist ". How could " Catholic " Europe react to that ?
And most of Orwell's " proles " do not have the slightest interest in Karl Marx's " dictatorship of the proletariat ". In general Christians do not daydream about bloody violent revenge on all class enemies. Go to Christ's Gospels on that .
Yet , " if there is hope it lies in the proles " .