The function of the Marxist programme (German)

[Q]

A little old (from November 2010), but I just saw this video in which Gesine Lötzsch, at a conference of Die Linke about their programme, explains the function of a Marxist programme pretty well (she especially deals with its function in the first 6 or 7 minutes, then she moves on to more practical examples). I'll share it here:

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I don't know a lot about this figure, who is she?

[Q]

She has weak points too by the way. One example that stands out for me is her analogy between politics and a football game, she asks: "Why do so many people like football? Because it has clear rules and fans will shout at the arbiter if he's biased. In politics this is not the case, politicians are biased and pull no red cards when casino capitalists fail at their game. We need to be clear in our rules and explain people how the transformation to socialism is bound by clear rules and founded in the constitution". (- paraphrased between 17 and 20 minutes)

So, classical reformism I think, but maybe I'm misunderstanding. My understanding of German isn't half as good as my English.

[Wanted Man]

She is the joint chair of Die Linke. She is apparently rather controversial because she campaigns for the rights of people who worked for the DDR government and associates with former Stasi members.

In January this year, she participated in a discussion organised by junge Welt with an article called "Ways to Communism". The theme of the discussion itself was "Which way to communism, please? Left reformism or revolutionary strategy - ways out of capitalism". She wrote (my adaptation of crappy Google which doesn't seem to understand German, it might still have some mistakes):


"We can only find out the road to communism when we get on our way and try them out, whether in opposition or in government. In any case, there will not be a single way, but a great many different ways that lead to the goal. For too long have we stood together, fighting over the correct path at the crossroads instead of trying out a variety of ways. For too long have we walked on paths, although we suspect or even know that they do not lead to the goal. But we do not turn around out of fear of those who are still discussing at the fork and who might receive us with scornful laughter. We must learn to leave dead ends and not try to praise them as a way to communism. No matter which path leads to communism, all agree that it is a very long and will be rocky. Why, actually?"

She was attacked (http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,737780,00.html) in the usual red-baiting style for being a closet communist, and, worse, failing to first denounce Stalinism (a deadly sin, of course). This failure to do so is contrary to the usual line of the top members of the party: that "endless crimes were commited in the name of communism", that the victims of "Stalinism" or even "communist tyranny" are to be mourned, and to distance themselves from the Communist Platform within the party.

Lötzsch herself then denied (http://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2011-01/linke-loetzsch-kommunismus) being a communist, saying: "Die Linke is left-socialist. We are not and will not become a communist party, and I will also not join the Communist Platform." The idea behind participating in the discussion was simply to "also win for Die Linke those people who consider us too adjusted". She further said (http://die-linke.de/nc/die_linke/nachrichten/detail/artikel/die-herren-vom-spiegel-verlieren-voellig-die-fassung/): "I support left-wing reform and democratic socialism according to the ideas of Rosa Luxemburg."

[Rjevan]

Wanted Man beat me to it. :p

Lötzsch was a member of the SED and later the PDS and has received much criticism for this DDR past, her soft line on former Stasi members and most famous for said article. I posted about it some time ago: http://www.revleft.com/vb/gysi-die-linke-t147798/index.html

Let's say that Lötzsch has some interesting approaches (especially in contrast to clowns like Ernst) but nevertheless you're right, she's a reformist.

[Wanted Man]

Awesome, thanks for the summary.

Do you think people like Gesine can be considered allies who are simply intimidated by the enormous witch hunt that is called as soon as you fail to fall on your knees and beg for forgiveness for "Stalinism"?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

"I support left-wing reform and democratic socialism according to the ideas of Rosa Luxemburg."

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0873483030.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[Rjevan]

Do you think people like Gesine can be considered allies who are simply intimidated by the enormous witch hunt that is called as soon as you fail to fall on your knees and beg for forgiveness for "Stalinism"?
I'm not sure about her and how much her retreat was due to the indeed "enormous witch hunt" but she deserves credits for being far more open to "the radical left" than is acceptable for the mainstream both in German politics and within Die Linke.

This article isn't extraordinary from a communist position but the hysterical uproar it provoked from many of her "comrades" shows how extraordinary it is for Die Linke to even mention communism as a goal and praise Luxemburg in the way Lötzsch did. Attending the Berlin discussion and other "lefter than Die Linke"-events shows that maybe she would be willing to work with us to a certain extent.

By the way, it seems like "philosopher" (:lol:) Michael Brie, an arch-reformist and anti-communist Linke member, drafted the article but of course his version was full of anti-Bolshevism, condemnations of "Stalinism" and, as Spiegel triumphs (http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,738750,00.html): "There was not a word about communism in his draft".

Kudos to Gesine Lötzsch for replacing his anti-communist rants with mentions of communsim!

[Wanted Man]

Thanks again!

Maybe a bit off-topic, but I think this does show the need for communists to state their aims openly, and to make the idea of communism "discussable" in public no matter what, without reservations and without having to beg for forgiveness for any crimes first.

Of course, there is the contrary view (http://www.revleft.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2086345&postcount=16) as well. Maybe the new edition of the Communist Manifesto can read: "The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims."

[Die Neue Zeit]

Wanted Man beat me to it. :p

Lötzsch was a member of the SED and later the PDS and has received much criticism for this DDR past, her soft line on former Stasi members and most famous for said article. I posted about it some time ago: http://www.revleft.com/vb/gysi-die-linke-t147798/index.html

Let's say that Lötzsch has some interesting approaches (especially in contrast to clowns like Ernst) but nevertheless you're right, she's a reformist.

She is for some merger between leftist ideas and political liberalism. Unlike Oskar Lafontaine, she's a coalitionist.

At the very minimum, if there's a taboo on "communist," then there should be openness about Marxism, class strugglism, etc. and also about participatory socialism, proletocracy, etc.