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LetterFrom Guy DebordTo Andre FrankinSaturday, 4 February
[1961]
Dear Andre
Yesterday I was at a meeting of S. ouB.[1] Someone gave a
reading of amagnificent letter from Liege[Belgium]. And at the end
of it wasyour signature. I then said: "But he isa situationist,"
and the enthusiasm [inthe room] was reinforced.
[Paul] Cardan[2] has said that hewould respond to you himself.
And I
have given him your report of 6January [1961].
Next Saturday in Brussels, there willbe (at the house, I
believe, of thefamous [Robert] Dehoux) a meeting tolay down the
bases for the assemblyyou proposed. I suppose that you willbe
there?
Among those participating:
1) coming from Paris, me and five orsix militants from S. ou
B.
2) The Dehoux circle, and thus [thesituationist] Attila
Kotanyi.
3) Representatives from an extremistgroup distributed throughout
Belgium,which was constituted during thestrike and has initiated
contact with S.ou B.
I believe that the moment can bedecisive for the constitution of
a reallyavant-garde organization, and that itsinternational liaison
(which alsoreaches England and Italy) can freeitself from the
habits inherited from S.ou B.
I believe that it would be necessary tomake this concrete by two
actions:
A) A global title for the journal of thisinternational grouping
(which can not
be the extension of its already very
awkward name [Pouvoir OuvrierBelgique]).
B) The adoption of a clearlyrevolutionary attitude in culture,
this
being understood in the largest senseof the word, as we have
worked for awhile to define it.
Since Canjuers [Daniel Blanchard] isunfortunately still in
Guinea, the"situationist current" [in S. ou B.] onwhich we might
count is indifferent toKotanyi, you and I (there will probablybe in
attendance a young studentfrom S. ou B. who is veryspontaneously
open to these
necessities). On the other hand,Dehoux is the retarded
element.Nevertheless, owing to the facts thatthe fate of this group
will be playedout in Belgium, and the day after thisimpressive
strike, we have moreweight than Paris does.
Write me quickly (before Wednesday,if possible).
Fraternally,Guy
P.S. I believe that the SI mightpossibly publish your piece in
the nearfuture. We will speak of this subjectagain.
[1] Socialisme ou Barbarie.
[2] One of the pseudonyms ofCornelius Castoriadis, who in
1949founded the group and journalSocialisme ou Barbarie, which
marked
his break with Trotskyism.
(Published in Guy Debord,Correspondance, Volume 2, 1960-1964.
Footnotes by Alice Debord.Translated from the French by NOTBORED!
April 2005.)
http://www.notbored.org/debord.htmlhttp://www.notbored.org/debord-4Feb61.html#_edn1http://www.notbored.org/debord-4Feb61.html#_edn2http://www.notbored.org/blanchard.htmlhttp://www.notbored.org/debord-4Feb61.html#_ednref1http://www.notbored.org/debord-4Feb61.html#_ednref2http://www.notbored.org/cornelius-castoriadis.htmlhttp://www.notbored.org/debord.htmlhttp://www.notbored.org/debord-4Feb61.html#_edn1http://www.notbored.org/debord-4Feb61.html#_edn2http://www.notbored.org/blanchard.htmlhttp://www.notbored.org/debord-4Feb61.html#_ednref1http://www.notbored.org/debord-4Feb61.html#_ednref2http://www.notbored.org/cornelius-castoriadis.html
