(From editorial “Mussolini Unabridged,” The Proletariat, labelled Vol. 1 No. 1 1974 but actually Vol. 2, 1975, published by the Ethiopian Students’ Union in Holland)
Friday, October 28, 2016
Quote of the Day: Fascism
(From editorial “Mussolini Unabridged,” The Proletariat, labelled Vol. 1 No. 1 1974 but actually Vol. 2, 1975, published by the Ethiopian Students’ Union in Holland)
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Dear the blogger,
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this. Is there any possibility to read these papers? I am not sure if many people know why the EPRP characterised the Dergue as a fascist. What I remember was there were some elements within the party who had different views in defining the nature of the government. For example, some characterised the Dergue as Bonapartist and others as state capitalists. Regardless of these differences, however, the Dergue was a political entity which did not have popular legitimacy to lead Ethiopia, very brutal and undemocratic. I would say those who fought against the regime unreservedly had high moral ground than those who supported the junta.
Hello Ayanaw!
ReplyDeleteThis whole article is indeed very interesting. I will try and make the entire article available as soon as I have time to re-type it. This is one of the few articles that attempts to explain the characterization of the Derg as "fascist." I'm sure you have read many places where the EPRP used this term but it usually just sounds like an insult rather than a defined political explanation. It's one of the subjects I'm very interested in with my research. Of course, it came to be quite divisive inside the EPRP, as it seems to have been one of the differences that came between Berhane Meskel and the rest of the EPRP leadership. Calling the Derg "fascist" allowed for little possibility of reconciliation. Whether that reconciliation was desirable is another question.
ISH
That would be great. I wonder if you came across the paper circulated within the part in response to BM's thesis. The title of the paper was ' Ye shumbash tenasahi dinfata' or 'shumbash liquidator' (perhaps both). These papers were in defence of the positions held by the party on major issues, including the characterisation of the dergue, the position of EPRP on the land question, the urban armed struggle etc. I also remember that there was a discussion paper on Fascism produced by one of the student association ( perhaps the student association in North America). regard
ReplyDelete.
Are these responses to Berhane Meskel's "On the Mass Line"? No I haven't come across them but they sound like essential reading. I only have "On the Mass Line" in original Amharic (PDF). I wish I could read it in English since I don't read Amharic. It seems like a really important document. I do have an article "On Some Points of the Armed Struggle Waged by the People under the Leadership of EPRP" from Abyot (Europe), February 1978, that seems to be a factional polemic against Berhane Meskel, but does not mention him or his writing by name. Have you read "On the Mass Line"?
ReplyDeleteIs it possible for you to send me on the mass line?
ReplyDeleteRegards
Hello again Ayanaw. Yes, I can send you the pdf. Leave your email address in a comment marked "do not publish". Any help you can provide in translating even a few paragraphs into English would be helpful to me.
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