Re: centrist victory in Russia

Boris Stremlin is right to reject the interpretation of the Russian
parliamentary elections as a victory of "centrists."  In fact, it is
interesting that the US news media have  recently decided to
discard the terms "democratic" and "reformers" and have began to use
the term "centrist" to refer to the ruling Yeltsin-Putin forces and their
financial backers.  I think this indicates that the US ruling class 
understands that the interlude of a strongly pro-US regime in Russia 
is basically over.  Kosovo and Chechnya, two fronts in the war over 
control of Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia, have marked the 
end of a decade of aggressive US expansion and abject Soviet/Russian 
retreat.

A long-term confrontation between the US and Russia over control of
the energy resources of the Causasus region and pipeline routes for
bringing them to market is developing.  Both sides have demonstrated
their readiness to destroy cities and the lives of millions of
workers in imperialist wars.

Boris Stremlin also wrote:

"It seems like Russia is in a similar situation as in the 20's, when
the Stalinist center made the necessary alliances to destroy its more
principled opposition on both sides as it consolidated absolute
power."

I disagree.  Stalin sought to preserve socialism against the 
Trotsky/Bukharin/Zinoviev blocs who were advocating strategies that 
would lead to the restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union.  
Although Stalin made many mistakes, he represented not the "center" 
but the left at that time.

In contrast, the "centrist" Yeltsin/Putin forces, as well as those to 
their right and those to their left (i.e., the "Communist" Party) are 
today all pro-capitalist and pro-imperialist parties.

The success of the Russian government in mobilizing popular support 
for the Chechen war is--to use a historical analogy that is, of 
course, imperfect--a signal that the Weimar period is ending in 
Russia, and some form of "national socialism" or "national communism' 
(that is, fascism) lies ahead.

Not only must we have no illusions about the liberals and the left in 
Russia today.  The liberals in the US are also the principle 
promoters of imperialist wars.  Just as Lenin and Stalin had to build 
a new workers' movement after 1914 when the social democrats revealed 
themselves as social chauvinists and imperialists, workers must do no less 
today and in the future.  And, maybe this time, when workers seize 
power, they will have learned how to keep it.

Steve Rosenthal