Ever wondered why the AWL goes on about Stalinism so much? Thought Stalinism was dead?
Guardian columnist Seumas Milne wrote (Feb 16):
“For all its brutalities and failures, communism in the Soviet Union, eastern Europe and elsewhere delivered rapid industrialisation, mass education, job security and huge advances in social and gender equality.
“The particular form of society created by 20th-century communist parties will never be replicated. But there are lessons to be learned from its successes as well as its failures.”
Now The Independent (Feb 18) reports that a "Stalin museum" is to open at the end of March in Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad.
All this 50 years after the Hungarian uprising, Khrushchev’s speech denouncing Stalin and the beginning of the decline of Communist Parties.
Given the effects of neoliberalism, it is little wonder there is widespread disillusionment with capitalism. But a revival of Stalinism would be a disaster for the left, poisoning the well of radicalism among young people as it did for decades.
We should continue to denounce Stalinism in the name of workers’ liberty, consistent democracy and the Third Camp.