S LIBERAL HELPERS

39Why should such a religious hatred of Trotsky be thus state political outlooks and practice, which causes theso peculiar to Stalinists? Why do so few Trotskyists, anti- distinct, acute syndromes peculiar to the CP. The CPer isTrotskyists, and others outside the CP fail to experience usually more susceptible to self-consciousness, hencethat particular feeling or know of its decisive role within more vulnerable to, more threatened by addresses to hisCP ranks? Not only do Labor Committee recruits from reason. He must repress this fact, "to live with himself asCPs universally report this phenomenon, but once one a CPer," and force himself, with "fanatical discipline,"has discovered the fact, CP literature readily affirms the into Ego-state politics, become a devout adherent ofhegemonic pervasiveness of that syndrome, political whorishness. Hence his fear of Lucifer.The special impotence of the CPs is the key to this, the It is widely characteristic of CPers that their deepesteffect of that special quality of impotence on the new superstitious hatred of Trotskyists is cathexized to therecruit, words "outsiders" and "intellectuals." "Outsider" has aIs this not the same, essentially, as Trotskyist im- double meaning. It identifies the "outsider" within thepotence? Why attribute any special qualities to it CPer himself, the self-consciousness which is the hatedtherefore? It is not the same. Mass-based Communist outsider to his own witch-dominated Ego. It also reflectsParties have been repeatedly in a position to undertake the notion of "outsider" originating in infantile motherthe seizure of power in the advanced capitalist sector dependency, showing thus the bourgeois-ideological(Germany, 1923; France, Italy, etc., 1944-46) and have content of CPUSA daily practice (paro,'hialism, modernturned away from such manifest opportunities each Jeffersonism, etc.). "Intellectual" is the word whichtime. The same trait is reflected in a far greater number often brings up the CPers' fiercest hatred, not acandvariety of the lesser openings representing major cidentaUy: it reflects the hostility of the obsessed Ego toopportunities for building toward the critical juncture of the CPers' non-self-consciousness, rage against thosestate power. Unlike the Trotskyist groups, which who would attempt to awaken his own reason toexcept in Ceylon -- never enjoyed so much as a distant domination of his own mind.perspective of left hegemony in any country, theCommunist Parties have a trait of constantly sabotaging The latter phenomenon is more generally endemicmajor historic opportunities repeatedly presented to outside the CPUSA in a common hostility toward thosethem: almost an obsession with political abortion of this who demand self-conscious thinking. Usually, the realsort. motives of the philistine leftist are crudely disguised by aThe new CP recruit, especially the cadres drawn from fallacy of composition. The pseudo-intellectuality ofthe working-class organizers of mass upsurges, enter the ordinary classroom life, itself a reflection of Ego-stateparty with a commonly fierce devotion to quickly domination, is cited as if the moral indifferentism ofchanging the world. There they soon encounter pervasive "kosher" scholars were the taint of actual intellectu_/1qualities which destroy their revolutionary commitment, life. Two things are to be recognized in regarding aThe new recruit expects fiery intellectual passion in CP related syndrome as "special" to Stalinists. Firstly, as weleaders; he meets philistine cynicism and boorishness m have noted, the CPer who was recruited from laborthe Babbitt-smell of bureaucratic functionaries. He organizers of a revolutionary disposition joined the partyexpects revolutionary theory, sweeping strategic con- as an individual of relatively unusual heightening of selfceptions,a scientific ruthlessness of precision respecting consciousness, thus distinct from the ordinary working:tactics. He finds the same "realpolitiking" squatness of class philistine whose adolescent and adult life is one ofintellect and moral outlook otherwise typical of a union unrelieved banality. Secondly, respecting the widespreadofficial. The banal stink of "practicality" (realpolitiking) philistinism of the left generally, the Stalinist Proletkultis like the moral climate of an ill-kept outhouse. On one tendency is qualitatively more vicious, in the tei_ms welevel he quickly realizes that "this bunch of clowns can't have already identified this point.lead a revolution." Yet he believes that that miserable More broadly, the CPers' essentially superstitiousorganization is the only socialist force relevant enough to hatred of Trotskyists is reflected in such expressions as,bukld a socialist influence in his country. He corn- "They are ... slimy ... somehow alien ... not right .... "promises, remaining in the CP, he makes a disastrous Contrary to the cited commonplace Trotskyist myth, themoral compromise within himself. Hence, the typical CPer has no explicit motive whatsoever for his "Trotpattern:the longer a formerly revolutionary recruit baiting." It is entirely an irrational feeling; that it is noremains in the CP, the more successfully he advances more than a linear sort of emotion (hence an infantilewithin it, the more morally benumbed he becomes, emotion) the CPer reflects by giving an "infinite"It is the discrepancy between a once-aroused self- referent for his attitude: "They are capable of anything"consciousness and a "disciplined" enforcement of Ego- -- generalized "evil." Therefore, he demands that his