Current Events

?!

Dear HTG, I'm not a representative of Tabari, nor a supporter of the Tudeh party. My initial and still current point is that one's degree of intellectuality is not assessed by his/her pain treshold in torture chambers, but rather by the extent of impact his/her body of work exerts! For instance, Elia Kazan was one of the infamous squealers of the McCarthy era whose body of work is still considered among the most valuable on stage and screen!

Dear RB, As I mentioned above, I believe this discussion has started off on a wrong track. A discussion that started on the role of the intellectuals in the revolution, has turned into a trial session for Taberi. Whereas, the original purpose of the discussion seems to have been (based on the video clips above) a self-congratulatory attempt at vindicating those who try to shift the onus of culpability for people's discontent with Shah's dictatorship to the itellectuals of the time rather than the dictatorship itself! 

Gramsci on Civil Society

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Gramsci#State...

Gramsci rejects the state-worship that results from identifying political society with civil society, as was done by the Jacobins and Fascists. He believes the proletariat's historical task is to create a 'regulated society' and defines the 'withering away of the state' as the full development of civil society's ability to regulate itself.

گرامشی و کار روشنفکری

گرامشی معتقد است که هر عنصری از یک جنبش که یکی از فعالیت های مدیریت
کردن، آموزش دادن، جهت دهی کردن و منظم کردن را بر عهده داشته باشد می
تواند به عنوان یک روشنفکر شناخته شود. بر این اساس، روشنفکری نقشی بسیار
ویژه و خاص نیست و هر جنبشی که در جوامع بشری شکل می گیرد، روشنفکران خود
را نیز در خود خواهد زایید و روشنفکران نیز در سایه ی همان جنبش بالیده و
سپس استقلال خواهند یافت. در نگاه گرامشی، روشنفکران در هر نهضت اجتماعی،
از دل آن نهضت برمی خیزند تا بتوانند ضمن آگاهی بخشی به اعضای آن نهضت،
اهداف نهضت را به درستی تعیین نموده و با همگون ساختن جنبش ها، آنها را به
سوی هدفشان رهنمون نمایند

روشنفکری و تقابل با لنین

همانطور که پیش از این نیز در باب گرامشی
دانسته ایم، رویکرد وی نسبت به انقلاب اکتبر از آغاز منفی و توام با مخالفت
بود (ر.ک به مقاله ی انقلاب علیه سرمایه نوشته ی آنتونیو گرامشی در همین وب گاه بخش نخست، بخش دوم) او در نگاه به مسئله ی روشنفکران و نقش و عملکرد آنان نیز با لنین همداستان نبود
لنین در نگاه به روشنفکران بر این باور بود که روشنفکران باید در راستای
تشکیل یک حزب انقلابی، در کنار دهقانان و کارگران قرار بگیرند و بدون فاصله
ی طبقاتی در کنار یکدیگر در رستاخیز پرولتری علیه بورژوازی شرکت کنند. در
واقع نگاه لنین در این زمینه بیش از آنکه معطوف به نوعی حزب از نوع انقلابی
باشد، به حرکتی پیشدارانه و سردمدارانه است که در راستای توسعه ی آگاهی
توده ای صورت می پذیرد
گرامشی با وجودیکه به اتحاد روشنفکران با کارگران معتقد بود، در ادامه ی
امر با صف بندی مدنظر لنین در تضاد قرار می گرفت. در نگاه گرامشی، طبقه ی
کارگر در خلال برقراری ارتباط با طبقه روشنفکر[که گرامشی آنان را روشنفکران سنتی یا کلاسیک می خواند]  می بایست خود نیز دست به پرورش روشنفکر از میانِ خود بزنند. گرامشی این دست روشنفکران را، روشنفکر ارگانیک  می خواند

روشنفکر ارگانیک

گرامشی روشنفکران ارگانیک را متخصص در امور فنی
و تکنیکی می شناسد و آنها را دارای مهارتهای بالایی در امور یدی می داند.
اما در این زمینه، تخصص بسنده نخواهد بود چرا که هدف، تشکیل نیروی کار قوی و
کارآمد نیست، بل هدف ایجاد خط بندیِ مناسبی برای هدایت، مدیریت، جهت دهی و
آموزش افراد است. بنابراین، روشنفکر ارگانیک علاوه بر داشتن توانایی های
تکنیکی باید گرایش به دخالت در امور اجتماعی و سیاسی داشته باشد و به دنبال
در اختیار گرفتن هژمونی در محیط کاری خود باشد. با وجود الزاماتی که از
مجرای مناسبات تولیدی بر یک روشنفکر ارگانیک اعمال می شود، این گونه
روشنفکران دارای آزادی عمل و استقلال کمتری خواهند بود، گرامشی برای
روشنفکران ارگانیک، نقش بسیار مهمتری نسبت به روشنفکران کلاسیک قائل است

روشنفکر کلاسیک

روشنفکر کلاسیک یا سنتی در نگاه گرامشی به سه
دسته تقسیم بندی می شود: فلاسفه، شاعران و نویسندگان، هنرمندان. گرامشی این
افراد را معمولا در حاشیه ی مناسبات سیاسی و اجتماعی رصد می کند ولی معتقد
است که روشنفکران کلاسیک دارای آزادی عمل بیشتری نسبت به روشنفکران
ارگانیک هستند. این دست افراد، عموما در مواجهه با رخدادهای اجتماعی دچار
نوع خاصی از رخوت هستند و معمولا به دلیل سطح بالاتر بینش نسبت به توده ی
مردم و مطالبات متفاوت نسبت به توده ها، در کنار فقدان عملگرایی در این قشر
روشنفکران، همراهی کمتری میان این قشر و توده ها مشاهده می شود

توازن کارِ روشنفکری

گرامشی، سهم اصلی تحولات اجتماعی را بر عهده ی
روشنفکران ارگانیک می پندارد، چرا که آنها فاصله ی کمتری با توده ها دارند و
با بهره گیری از این فاصله ی کمتر، توانایی بیشتری در شکل دهیِ هماهنگی و
جهت دهی به آنها دارند. در عین حال، گرامشی این دو جناح را به دو رو با
یکدیگر مرتبط می پندارد: نخست، گذار انفعالی  به این معنی که هر روشنفکر
کلاسیک روزی یک روشنفکر ارگانیک در دل جنبش یا طبقه ای بوده است که از میان
آن برخاسته است. اما با مرور زمان به دلایل متفاوتی چون کسب سویه ی
انتقادی نسبت به آن جنبش یا طبقه، تضادهای درونی با آن، و یا حتی بر اثر
ایجابهای سرمایه داری از آن جدا شده و امروز به صورت یک روشنفکر
کلاسیک مستقل فعالیت می کند. دومین رابطه ای که میان این دو جناح وجود
دارد، گذار فاعلی است یعنی اینکه  ممکنست بر اساس نیازهای جامعه در  برهه ی
زمانی خاصی، روشنفکران کلاسیک این نیاز را در یابند که می توانند با حضور
یافتن در کسوت نخستین خود، گام مثبتی در جهت اهداف روشنفکری در میان توده
ها بردارند

فهم نظریات گرامشی در باب روشنفکری، بر ایجاد
هژمونی مستحکم  بسیار تاثیرگذار است. در نگاه گرامشی، عمده ترین نقش در
پیکار سیاسی علیه بورژوازی، با هژمونی طبقه ی روشنفکر صورت می گیرد. عقیده
ای که بعدها در صور جدیدتر مارکسیسم غربی نیز نمود عینی یافت

You really need to educate yourself

Read Antonio Gramsci on Civil Society, and you'll see how  obtuse your  "three liner" is.

Modern Liberal Democracy

"Sudden popularity of the notion of civil society in both East and West not only to the brutality and squalor of communist practice, but also to the dead end reached by Marxist theory ..... "

Thanks  

: ) 

Blackbeard's impalements

 crocodiles swallow clocks and ligature

not enough aligators for Long John Silver mutiny

never nothing, no Neverland

eeeewwwwaaaeeeew 

Educate yourself

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're simply too ignorant of the extent and depth of the issues and debates within Iranian students movement. Suffice it to say  that their debates and discussions in the past few years,  covers from Critical Theory, to Iranian History and Politics to International Relations,...Needless to say their critiques of each of these different debates is obviously the most interesting part of their discourse.

Then again the level of conversation and discourse in here is so low and pathetic that talking about  theoretical contributions of Iranian students would be like singing Ave Maria for the deaf.

//www.socialist-students.com/

It's "under-developed" not undeveoped. In the age of internet, our students ( Iranian students' movement) constitutes one of the most developed movements in the world. Seek and thou shall find.

Zero

Oh no ...... it is not even zero it is absolute zero .....  LOL

Come on for god sakes ..... we have leftists in this country too but that is different from communism , Marxism  , whatever ideology that youth of undeveloped countries had during the cold war ..  

Are you suggesting that today's youth in Iran are following the same old path?  

Arj: When Tabari was singing praise for Khomeini, was that the

little Vali Faghieh inside him, his 'literary taste,' or orders from Kianory and KGB?

SK: You could belittle Iranian students as much as you like, it just shows how much understanding of them, and familiarity with them you have: ZERO. As far as  intellectulas in today's Iran in concerned, these students are on the front line of intellect.

Hezb Tudeh in its worst days was a head and a shoulder above Shia clergy or monarchy. And this is not necessarily to give any credit to Tudeh per se, but merely to point out how backward, under-developed, conservative and traditional our dominant culture was and is. The future as always remains up for grabs.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig5FroooXNk&feature...

By the way .....

Hooshang ,  I am agree with you and your observations of Hezbeh Toudeh.  

Trial, what trial?

Arj, you have me at a loss! Who suggested that anyone is under trial here? We are just having a discussion, my dear fellow.

As regards to your question, i.e. why it should be that discussions on Iranian intellectuals should only be limited to Tudeh members, my response is that it isn't. There are discussions about all kinds of intellectuals all over the place on this website. Just to give an example, there are more than one discussion on the prominent Jebhe Melli members currently going on elsewhere on the site. It just so happens that this discussion has moved on to Tudeh members.  

Oh Really?

Can't wait for you to join them?   : )

Woody Allen Bananas - Funny Montage Scene

  0:52Add toBananasby MingoBlue31,929 views

Oh really?

SK wrote: "Today's young generation in Iran do not
give a damn about any of these type of ideologies anymore ..... from
political Islam to marxism, Communism and etc  ..  they are dead with no hope of resurrection....."

Not sure which country and which 'young generation'  you've been watching for the past five years, but in Iran and in every major and minor campus: every 16th of Azar, every March 8th, and every May1st, in the past five years  it has been  the Left students  who protest and organize demonstrations, nation-wide.

Shanhnameh  akharesh khoshe.

//iranian.com/main/news/2011/07/19-1

Trial!

Dear RB,

As far as I know, no one is under trial for, or representing the Tudeh Party in here. Ergo, had "...questioning the motives, actions and political standpoints of the "intellectuals" under discussion..." been based on their points of view rather than political associations, it would be a totally fair game. But the tolerance (or lackthereof!) of a 75 year old man in the IRI torture chambers has nothing to do with intellectuality! It seems that intellectualism has been confused with political activism here! And furthermore, political activism with guerilla warfare!

Moreover, as I stated before, why does the discussion about Iranian intellectuals have to be limited to the Tudeh party?! Are all intellectuals in Iran related to the Tudeh party, or are the majority from other political stripes? Or better yet, aren't there intellectuals with no political affiliations in Iran?!

والّله چی‌ بگم خانم؟

شما حتما حق دارین. اما فقط میتونم بگم که در مورد اینکه اعضای حزب توده
همه از اقشار مرفه جامع بودند، میدونم که صد در صد اشتباه می‌کنید. اینکه
بسیاری از روشنفکران اون زمان، جذب این ایدئولوژی شدند، تقریبا یک امر
واضحه، و احتیاجی به روشنگری شما نداره. همیشه در هر جامعه ای، قشر مرفه
جامعه از فرهنگ بالاتری بر خودار هست چون توانایی اون رو داره که دانش خویش
رو از طریق خواندن مطالب افزایش بده. این هیچ نکته ابهامی نیست، که فقط در
مورد حزب توده کشف شده باشه. اما من شخصاً افرادی رو میشناسم، که در
خانواده‌های کارگری بزرگ شده بودند، و تحت تعلیم پدر کارگر  خودشون به حزب
گرویده بودند. افرادی که در سطح‌های بالای دانشگاهی تحصیل میکردند، اما
واقعا به نان شبشون محتاج بودند......و با تمام وجود عاشق طبری و حزب توده
بودند.

بله، حتما اشتباه میکردند، و برین واش شده بودند.......

به هر حال این یک قدرت بسیار ممتازیه که بتونه اینهمه از افراد جامعه رو
در ظرف مدت کم، به این شدت برین واش کنه. بازم دمشون گرم، چون هنوز تا به
امروز، هیچ حزب و سازمانی در ایران نتونسته چنین کاری رو بکنه و به چنان
قدرتی‌ برسه که حزب توده رسیده بود.

همونطور که خودتون هم در آخر کامنتتون یاد آوری کردید.

Souri

I have read and heard enough to know that what was going on in his mind.. My father used to attend every single gathering of him back then; during the early days when it was being held in Sari ... That was long before I was born and during the time that my father was in high school. You could have easily found a few books and articles in our house. Tabri with full support of Russia was major figure in brainwashing the youth of the time especially those residing in the northern part of Iran. 

His writings and lectures were something but great in deceiving the intellectuals, the kids from rich family but not really poor masses whom those words were actually addressed to .......   

Anyway, I judge people by their actions not their fancy words .(by the way, I am no fan of his ideology) ..... still , Talk is cheap .... 

and we each are entitled to our point of views ....  we all had fallen for certain ideology when we were young but none of us are living based on those anymore. Why should then we blindly support them?

Today's young generation in Iran do not give a damn about any of these type of ideologies anymore ..... from political Islam to marxism, Communism and etc  ..  they are dead with no hope of resurrection.....

Arj

While I have no "intellectual" pretensions of any kind myself, what I picked up from your first comment here (among other things) was that we should not generalise about others and their motives. And that's fair comment.

However, I do find myself thinking that you engaged in a bit of generalisation yourself in placing a conceptual Khamenei et al in "each and ever one of us", in your following comment!

I really do not see much wrong in questioning the motives, actions and political standpoints of the "intellectuals" under discussion. And I certainly don't understand and have much time for some of the rather emotional outbursts dressed up as a kind of retort by those who seem to take it as an affront for anyone to dare question their "intellectual heroes" (and I don't mean you, btw) .

On second thoughts, maybe there does lie a Supreme Leader in us. 

Don't worry dear Arj

I have been through this, already. Since years that I am familiar with the comments pages at IC, I know that I may like one comment from someone and dislike another of his/her comment in another subject (or even the same subject)

This is nothing new, nor upsetting for me.

I could say even, this is my life, given my background and where I come from.

When I see/hear something which seems very wise and analytical, with impartiality, I can do nothing but showing my admiration and gratitude.

Maybe because I am very honest ? Or courageouse? Who knows ?

Just kidding :)

Thanks

Dear Souri, don't rush to any judgement! You may not like my future postings -- or you may, who knows! :) Nonetheless, thank you for your kind words... They're really humbling!

Unfortunately, there lies a Supreme Leader (Vali-e Faghih) in each and every one of us whose insatiable lust for self-gratification drives us to resort to witch hunt and mob mentality! A mentality that demands nothing less than an apology for simply reading and admiring one's literary works on a guilty-by-association basis!   

Souri jan thank you so much for the attention you've paid me!

For me you're always an icon of intellectual integrity and far sightedness. Your thoughtful, pensive comments are always a notch above the rest.

As far as you beloved cropse aka Tudeh, no one needs to 'dig' any trash. It's all been trash from begining to the end.

Both of you 'defenders' of the truth, have yet to say a single word about hundreds and thousands of documents posted here from Tudeh itself, about thier treachery.

You simply have no defense, but not to worry, your intellectual rigor makes up for your lack of honesty and courage.

You are a lost case Hooshang...

I don't spend too much time to discuss with you. You are like Daee jon Napoleon Vs the British, when it comes to Toudeh party.

You live in the past and always digging into the past, always looking for a piece of trash from any organization which comes online (and they grow like mushrooms nowadays)  to prove you are right about Toudeh and the past! This debate (like many others) had nothing to do with Toudeh party.

I leave you where you are stuck (means behind your keyborad) with all your courage and honesty ! Wish you a very happy searching for more trash against Toudeh party.

We, at the contrary, we look twoards the future.

Cowards are the ones without the courage to face their

mistakes, admit to their wrong doings, and actign rude.

Madam the historical records are at your finger tips. And they all indicate Tudeh had a part in every turn of this nightmare called Islamic Republic. How do you respond? By being even more insulting. It's never too late to restart with a clean slate: all it needs is a little courage and a lot of honesty, or a lot of courage and a little honesty. Alas you lack both.

so unfair, what a coward

.

بخوانید و قضاوت کنید

اسناد و مدارک از حزب توده، به زبان خود حزب توده، در مورد: احزاب سیاسی، وقایع  تاریخی، جمهوری اسلامی،.. //www.golshan.com/asnaad/toodeh/toodeh.html

Eloquent and smart, dear ARJ

Your comment is one of the most eloquent and intelligent ones that I have ever read at IC, since years!

Thank you!

It shows a great degree of analytical  mind and a sense of impartialiy combined
with wisdom!
I am forever grateful to you for clarifying the description of "intellectual" and "political activist" in term of Iranian culture, once and in the best way!

And will keep your comment in my personal book, with your permission.

SK

Have you ever read one of Tabari's books?

How many ?

And which one?

Forget about his political backgroung and whose puppet he was, just tell me what do you know about the man's knowledge?

He was a great writer, philosopher, mathematician and historian. You can't deny that!

Can someone please define

Can someone please define the word intellectual in relation to any revolution? Do you think there would have been much differences if some other gangs were in power today?  That is why we should seek no more overnight changes of any kind but rather a gradual reformist movement ......

I suggest you ,  the little intellectuals of IC who even dare to upgrade a Russian agent to an Iranian hero  to watch the famous Woody Allen movie Banana Republic it is a satire of how revolutionaries once in power do exactly what they fought against before.
That movie ,I have seen 3 times, is funny and chilllingly true (to certain) degree.  it was made way  B4 IRI.

It supposed to make fun of all revolutionaries Fidel Castro mainly.

Yes you can extend it to all revolutions that now practice same values they revolted against.  like: French Revolution, Russian revolution and unfortunately the Islamic Revolution.  

The only revolution u can single out for the movie is the Cuban.  otherwise, it is true of all the same. 

No Grudges, No score settlings..

Just pointing out some facts in support of a certain point of view on what the role of an intellectual should be in a country such as Iran, for that intellectual and his/her line of thought to have some relevance to real world and the lives of real people. A realistic point of view which acknowledges the general bankruptcy of "intellectuals" amongst Iranian public as a whole, and suggests certain reasons and remedies for that. You can disagree or dismiss an argument with counter arguments. You can not brush it aside by "intellectual genereralisations" such as "grudge and score settling"! 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."

Grudge

Intellectualism in Iran was not invented or monopolized by the Tudeh party, communists or or even leftists of any sort for that matter. History of Iran is filled with intellectuals of no political affiliations as well as political activists! Yet typically, it's only a matter of time for an Iranian forum to turn any discussion on Iranian intelligetia into political bickering and score settling!

That there have been activists, patriots, ordinary, average folks in addition to those accused of treason and treachery in every group or faction across the Iranian political spectrum, is only common knowledge! Hence, slapping an entire political current with stereotypical brands can only stem from unresolved, refractory stigmas! Tudeh party being no exception, is not the only representative of Iran's political left whose history predates the advent of the Tudeh party in Iran -- i.e. from the leaders of constitutional revolution such as Haydar Amoghlu and Mirza Kuchak Khan to scholars like Dr. Arani!

Moreover, being a member of Tudeh party (or any political organisation) does not automatically tantamount to one's exposure to preconceptions! Prejugding the likes of Tabari, Kasraei or Beh Azin due to their political affiliations is in effect denying a part of Iranian literary heritage and reflective of a culture of grudge and resentment!

I admire her

Ms. Amirshahi was a famous writer even more than 30 years ago but as another commentator noted, she was not known for her political ideas.