Arrigo Cervetto

[Zanthorus]

I heard of this guy ages ago (I think he used to be on the MIA's Left Communism subject archive under the bit about parliamentary participation) but for some reason my memory was jogged only recently to attempt to find out more about him. From his MIA biography (http://www.marxists.org/glossary/people/c/e.htm#arrigo-cervetto) it would seem that he had quite an interesting political development. Started off as a Stalinist/Partisan supporter, later was a Leninist yet also a member of the Italian Anarchist Federation, in the 50's was a writer for a couple of papers and then finally founded the Lotta Comunista group in Italy. Seems that he had some positions similar to the Communist Left - a 'state capitalist' analysis of the USSR and the rejection of parliamentary politics. It also seems he took some inspiration from Bordiga but criticised his inactivity. It says that he tried to combine Trotsky's 'subjectivism' and Bordiga's 'obectivism', whatever that means.

From the MIA piece it isn't exactly clear what his position on natlib struggles was besides having some theory of 'unitary imperialism' (Not exactly sure what this means either). The article seems fairly clear on the point that Cervetto supported the traditional Leninist conception of work in the trade-unions, and from a quick skim over the work of his translated on MIA as 'Class Struggles and the Revolutionary Pary', this would appear to be the case. One thing that also bothers me is that the MIA article would appear to be saying that Cervetto saw the need for the development of a revolutionary 'Leninist' party in Italy, and saw Lotta Comunista as being that party. In other words, it would appear that he believed that the formation of the party was possible through the voluntaristic activity of militants within the national borders of Italy. For me and I'm sure other members and sympathisers of the Communist Left, that's a fairly big mistake.

I'd be interested in any clarifications anyone could give on the politics of Cervetto and Lotta Comunista. I'd also be interested in knowing the opinions of the ICC or the ICT (I'd be particularly interested in knowing what the relationship between Battaglia and Lotta is like) on Cervetto and his group.

And one last thing, I did a quick google search on Lotta and found some 'Communist Party of Labour' article on 'Lotta Comunista's Anti-Leninism'. I also saw the same group mentioned on Lotta's wiki page. Any ideas what's going on there?

[Gorilla]

From the MIA piece it isn't exactly clear what his position on natlib struggles was besides having some theory of 'unitary imperialism' (Not exactly sure what this means either).

I think it's explained by this quote [my notes in brackets]:


“There aren’t two kinds of imperialism [i.e. Western and Soviet - Gorilla], different in degree and nature, for the working class to choose. Imperialism does exist as a unitary manifestation of a society divided into classes and States: one single block, though shaken and agitated by tearing inner contradictions. Therefore, the only choice the world proletariat is faced with is whether to side with imperialism [i.e. NATO/East Bloc] or with anti-imperialism [i.e. against both]”.


I think the key is the phrase “The indivisible imperialism, true aggressor in Korea” - i.e. not Soviet imperialist aggression or US imperialist aggression, but US/Soviet aggression, a single phenomenon united in contradiction. I don't know how if at all this is applicable to natlib in general, but it's very relevant to debates in Italy and the Italian Communist movement over whether to stay part of NATO, go for neutrality, or inch closer to the Warsaw pact. This was a major preoccupation and a major destabilizing factor in domestic politics.

A good example of unitary imperialism, personified as it were, might be Licio Gelli (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licio_Gelli), the CIA/KGB double agent at the center of reactionary corruption in the first republic.

[Broletariat]

I think it's explained by this quote [my notes in brackets]:



I think the key is the phrase “The indivisible imperialism, true aggressor in Korea” - i.e. not Soviet imperialist aggression or US imperialist aggression, but US/Soviet aggression, a single phenomenon united in contradiction. I don't know how if at all this is applicable to natlib in general, but it's very relevant to debates in Italy and the Italian Communist movement over whether to stay part of NATO, go for neutrality, or inch closer to the Warsaw pact. This was a major preoccupation and a major destabilizing factor in domestic politics.

A good example of unitary imperialism, personified as it were, might be Licio Gelli (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licio_Gelli), the CIA/KGB double agent at the center of reactionary corruption in the first republic.

This quote seems to mirror everything I've seen Left Comms say about natlib struggles. A rejection of siding with any member of the bourgeoisie and pushing for an independent worker's movement instead.

[Gorilla]

This quote seems to mirror everything I've seen Left Comms say about natlib struggles. A rejection of siding with any member of the bourgeoisie and pushing for an independent worker's movement instead.

He might say that, or might not. In the quotes above he is referring to combined US/Soviet, i.e. external, imperialism. It seems like he implies that only the working class is capable of resisting this unitary imperialism, but he does definitely imply that it ought to be resisted. To my mind that's a different line from ICC's.

[Leo]

The ICC comrades in Italy published a polemic on Cervetto and Lotta Comunista which has been translated into English, might be interesting:

http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/2009/11/lotta1
http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/2010/lotta2
http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/2010/01/lotta2

[28350]

And one last thing, I did a quick google search on Lotta and found some 'Communist Party of Labour' article on 'Lotta Comunista's Anti-Leninism'. I also saw the same group mentioned on Lotta's wiki page. Any ideas what's going on there?

From what I can tell from their website, the Communist Party of Labor is Trotskyist.