Kobe vs. Shaq revisited

Earlier we used the feud between basketball superstars Kobe 
Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal to illustrate the principles of 
democratic centralism. Developments in this earthshaking 
debate force us to comment further. According to some 
sports-radio blabbermouths, Kobe understands the principles 
behind coach Phil Jackson's strategy, which calls for him to 
pass the ball more and gives Shaq the leading role. But Kobe 
nevertheless finds criticisms that he has deviated from 
Jackson's plan insulting and offensive, given that he works 
so hard -- he was in great physical shape at the beginning 
of the season, he can shoot free throws, etc. 

Kobe's alleged  attitude is similar to what we Maoists call "subjectivism", 
"selfish departmentalism," or "inner-Party sectarianism." 
MIM has had to struggle against this problem in the past. 
Comrades will be criticized for mistakes in one area only to 
respond that they've worked harder than those making the 
criticisms in another. Or comrades approach discussions of 
party strategy from the perspective of their particular 
project, and not the party as a whole. MIM's struggle 
against its "anarchist wind" involved exactly this 
question.(1) Hard work is indispensable to revolution and 
party-building. That is why MIM requires that party leaders 
be monomaniacal when it comes to serving the international 
proletariat. But there is nothing about hard work per se 
that guarantees a correct perspective. MIM does not doubt 
that evil geniuses like Bill Clinton or Dick Cheney bust 
their asses. So do running dogs like Green-turned-militarist 
Joschka Fischer. In fact, we recognize that there is a 
danger that full-time party workers with tons of energy 
could out-organize the rest of the party and then use the 
party for private  interests. That is why MIM opened its 
party congress to Honorary Comrades, people who agree with 
our cardinal principles but do not live under the same 
stringent discipline as full part members. 

On the topic of 
placing one's own department (or position) ahead of the 
interests of the whole party (or team), Mao was pretty 
blunt. "Some comrades see only the interests of the part and 
not the whole; they always put undue stress on that part of 
the work for which they themselves are responsible and 
always wish to subordinate the interests of the whole to the 
interests of their own part. They do not understand the 
Party's system of democratic centralism; they do not realize 
that the Communist Party not only needs democracy but needs 
centralization even more. ... "Those who assert this kind of 
'independence' are usually wedded to the doctrine of 'me 
first' and are generally wrong on the question of the 
relationship between the individual and the Party. Although 
in words they profess respect for the Party, in practice 
they put themselves first and the Party second. What are 
these people after? They are after fame and position and 
want to be in the limelight."(2) So Kobe needs to stick to 
coach Jackson's system, regardless of whether he worked 
harder than Shaq during the off season (which is likely, 
judging from Shaq's play in the first half of the season), 
and regardless of whether he is a better guard than Shaq is 
a center.

Notes: 1. MIM Theory 8, pp. 45-61. 2. Mao Zedong, "Rectify 
the party's style of work," Selected Works v. 3, pp. 34-45.