Alf Heben aufheben writes:
Aufheben #11 (2003) is now available. Contents:
'Picket and pot-banger together': Class re-composition
in Argentina?
Reports on the Argentinian movements over the last 12
months have been scattered between the issue of the
national debt and the IMF, the struggles of the middle
classes, the 'piqueteros' unemployed movement, and the
generalized 'rejection of politics'. How do all these
aspects fit together - do the various struggles in
Argentina constitute a proletarian attack against
capital? Is the 'rejection of politics' a radical
advance for the movement, or an expression of
sectional fragmentation? We suggest that the
'neo-liberal' attack has resulted in a massification
of the class in which the middle classes are being
absorbed into the proletariat. This is happening in
specific conditions of a country on the periphery of
capital, where an immediately social mobilization
around the neighbourhood is possible. We examine the
history of Argentina to explain the origins of the
current situation.
Review article: From operaismo to 'autonomist Marxism'
Italy's 'Hot Autumn' of 1969 and 'Movement of 1977'
were two of the high points of late 20th century
revolutionary struggle. The recent publication of two
books on workerism and autonomia testify to the
continued interest in the theoretical developments
surrounding these events. Steve Wright's Storming
Heaven presents a critical history of Italian
workerism; and Harry Cleaver's Reading 'Capital'
Politically has been influential as an account of an
'autonomist' tradition. The review of these two books
gives us the opportunity for a critical reappraisal of
the contributions of workerism. We suggest that
Cleaver reproduces some of autonomia's problems as
well as its useful theoretical tools. These problems
include the inadequacy of the concept of autonomy for
a class analysis; the absence of a critique of
leftism; ambiguity over the 'law of value'; and an
inability or unwillingness to theorize retreat. We
also argue that Cleaver's 'political' reading of
Capital lacks the analytic rigour needed to make the
connections between the categories of Capital and the
class struggle.
Intakes: Communist Theory — Beyond the ultra-left?
Last century (a few years ago), the French group
Thorie Communiste (TC) translated and published our
articles on 'decadence' (from Aufheben issues 2 - 4),
accompanied by a critique. We publish that critique
here, plus a short presentation by TC on their
theoretical positions. TC write in quite a difficult
style but they deal with important issues. While we
are not in full agreement with either TC's overall
perspective or all their criticisms of our text, we
find what they are saying challenging. If they are on
the right track, then they have moved beyond the
impasse of revolutionary theory as represented by the
'ultra-left'. Since some of the political tendencies
that TC allude to will be quite obscure to many
non-French readers, for this issue we have written an
introduction, with some thoughts about the relation
between communism, the workers' movement and the
ultra-left, and the French debates on this from which
TC emerge.
Review: Change the World Without Taking Power by John
Holloway
In a marked departure from his previous work, John
Holloway has written a new book aimed at the
anti-capitalist/anti-globalisation activist. This book
presents a useful and accessible critique of both the
objectivism of traditional Marxism and of
state-orientated politics of social change that were
dominant through much of the twentieth century.
However, we conclude that in attempting to overcome
the reified and positive conceptions of class Holloway
goes too far and risks dissolving class analysis into
an amorphous humanism.
Aufheben #11 is £3, including postage (Sterling or
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Aufheben
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