Reclaiming Marx the need for a debate on the current capitalist crisis

I am increasingly hoping we get a debate on the current cause for the capitalist crisis. I think within the CWI the debate is needed as there is some confusion over how we understand the current crisis. There has been a statement put out late last week in regards to Bruce Wallace of the Scottish section of the CWI. I’ve been told this statements puts the record straight I think it does anything but that. The statement is full of inaccuracies and smears on comrade Bruce sadly. The CWI seem to want to have the debate on the cause of the crisis but on their terms and seem confident they have the right ideas which I am still unconvinced of. My regional full timer the other day tried to explain the CWI’s position and what they see as the cause but I was left feeling less than convinced by the ideas I was being told. In the CWI statement they statee : ‘’We are confident that a calm and thorough debate will show that the political approach of the CWI leadership is correct on these issues. And that the position of Bruce Wallace is a one-sided, dogmatic interpretation of Marxism and is therefore false.’’ If the CWI are so confident I am not sure still till this day why Bruce has been banned from attending the CWI school this summer in Belgium. He wished to debate the crisis and for me someone who attended last years school I would have thought this would be a excellent opportunity to debate the ideas of marx and if we have the right analysis or not. I see no problem withallowing Bruce to go and debating with others there. Even the sects have picked up on this debate now in the weekly worker the CPGB line up with the CWI in attacking Bruce sadly. Bruce explains what debate should be all about here “‘’Debate is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than deductive reasoning, which only examines whether a conclusion is a consequence of premises, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn’t the case, or rhetoric, which is a technique of persuasion. Though logical consistency, factual accuracy and some degree of emotional appeal to the audience are important elements of the art of persuasion, in debating, one side often prevails over the other side by presenting a superior “context” and/or framework of the issue, which is far more subtle and strategic. The outcome of a debate depends upon consensus or some formal way of reaching a resolution, rather than the objective facts as such. In a formal debating contest, there are rules for participants to discuss and decide on differences, within a framework defining how they will interact. Debating is commonly carried out in many assemblies of various types to discuss matters and to make resolutions about action to be taken, often by a vote. Deliberative bodies such as parliaments, legislative assemblies, and meetings of all sorts engage in debates.’’ This form of debate is more in keeping with bourgeois notions of democracy. In the Marxist movement the actual method of reaching correct conclusions in relation to the waging of the class war is ‘’polemic’’. Polemic is different from debate as it is a clash of completely opposed ideas. A polemic is a contentious argument that is intended to establish the truth of a specific understanding and the falsity of the contrary position. Polemics are mostly seen in arguments about very controversial topics. The art or practice of such argumentation is called polemics. A person who often writes polemics, or who speaks polemically, is a polemicist or a polemic. The word is derived from the Greek πολεμικός (polemikos), meaning “warlike, hostile”, which comes from πόλεμος (polemos), “war”.” I would like to see this debate properly take place comrades have told me there are more important things to focus on but what could be more important than understanding the current crisis and knowing how to react best to it ? I think many have criticised Bruce and his blog for its so called tone and having a go at other comrades in the party whilst I can understand Bruce’s frustration in the lack of a debate it hink talking on the tone and his so called behaviour is a red herring and miss’s the politics which is what this has got to be allabout. I’ve never met Bruce but I’ve never had a problem with him personally I find him a well read good thinking Marxist who has stayed loay l to the CWI. I think we should value good well read Marxists like Bruce who can offer us insight into marx and help others learn in the process. I certainly don’t think his tone is rude or anything like that it’s a question of how you interpret his blog I find it a mine of information and I’ve learnt much from it already. The CWI accuse Bruce of a one sided dogmatic approach but this is the same approach of Marx so I am not sure what they mean by that Bruce is simply returning marx from the grave to help us today with the current crisis and to help us understand the system in which to over throw it. Marx didn’t call the law for the tendancy for the rate of profit to fall the most important political economic law for nothing I think we should take marx’s works very seriously afterall we claim marx to be right so lets look again at his works especially capital. ‘’This law, and it is the most important law of political economy, is that the rate of profit has a tendency to fall with the progress of capitalist production.’’ Grundrisse The MOST IMPORTANT LAW! ‘’So where does this tendency for the general rate of profit to fall come from? Before this question is answered, one may point out that it has caused a great deal of anxiety to bourgeois political economy. The whole of the Ricardian and Malthusian school is a cry of woe over the day of judgement this process would inevitably bring about, since capitalist production is the production of profit, hence loses its stimulus, the soul which animates it, with the fall in this profit.’’ Grundrisse Comrades must have the right to raise disagreements at anytime the party itself doesn’t have the right to say when is right and when isn’t to raise concerns. Surely the summer when there is traditionally a quieter time could be a good opportunity to discuss this and the nature of the capitalist crisis. Those who have confidence in their ideas surely have nothing to fear lets have this debate out in the open for all members to learn from. ‘’It is ridiculous to say that Bruce Wallace must first raise such a debate in the Scottish Section before it can be discussed elsewhere. This is not a Scottish issue, it’s an International issue of our analysis of the current crisis and where it is sorely lacking in Marxist terms. We should, as an organisation internationally welcome the discussion and grow from it, rather than dodging the issue and hoping it will go away. If we cannot discuss Marxist analysis of the economic crisis openly and confidently before the membership and the wider working class then frankly what can we do?’’ With thanks to bruce Wallace and his excellent blog which you can read at http://69.195.124.91/~brucieba/