File spoon-archives/marxism-general.archive/marxism-general_1997/97-02-20.225, message 5


Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 07:56:21 +0100 (MET)
From: malecki-AT-algonet.se (Robert Malecki)
Subject: M-G: COCKROACH! #37 (part 2)


Open Letter to the WRP!

NOBODY GETS A FREE TICKET!

The WRP sent me Cliff Slaughters book "A New Party For Socialism" and this 
years issues of a trade union paper and organisation that I assume they are 
responsible for as and initiative for "trotskyist" forces to break out of 
their historical isolation. Thank you by the way for sending this material! 
And by all means feel free to keep me informed about your activities.

Well, naturally as a worker and all the twists and turns that all of those 
who claim to be "Trotskyists" I was extremely curious to see what these 
people stood for. Naturally I did not realise that they are or were a 
segment of the "Healyites" who historically with their deal with Ghaddaffi 
and a fairly long history of violence against other "Trotskyist" groups had 
taken a course that had broken with anything that Trotsky represented. 
However, I was willing to read
Cliff's book and take a look at their press because I wanted to see what 
these people are saying today.

One of the interesting things that I liked about Slaughters book was that he 
was saying that the "Trotskyists" must in the next period break out of their 
historical isolation and in the process build a new revolutionary 
International. Naturally nobody can be against that because this has been 
the task of the Fourth International since its creation and even more so 
with the destruction of the Fourth International by Pabloism and the demise 
of the Socialist Workers
Party in America who during the Vietnam era turned into an outspoken 
reformist party who's main task was trying to block with the Democratic 
Party liberals who were against the war. And we all know that the SWP today 
has turned its attentions towards the Cuban CP thus
trying to outdo the Pabloites of the United Secretariat who at one time 
worshipped the tactics of Guerrilla warfare. And the United Secretariat has 
turned towards the broad movement is
everything and are trying to build a 9 and 1/2 International along with the 
left wing Social Democrats, neo Stalinists and Stalinists where the movement 
is everything the goal nothing.
A complete liquidation as always of building a revolutionary Party and a 
Revolutionary International. In fact if we look closely in the closet all of 
the so called "Trotskyists" have some skeletons in the closet. 

But back to Slaughters book! Basically he is saying something and trying to 
take and initiative to move things along: That is good! But the point is 
where is he going? And why is he moving. I say this not to be cynical but 
because Nobody gets a free ticket especially those
claiming to be Trotskyists. Because their are a lot of people claiming the 
name but have done some pretty incredible things in order to help in the 
destruction of the Fourth International.  

However, if I remember correctly Healy did belong to the anti-Pabloite 
tendency later on breaking off and heading into what one could say a 
direction which certainly did not move towards the reconstruction of the 
Fourth International on a principled basis and program but
into the arms of none other them Khaddaffi.

However what the leadership did in Healy's organisation yesterday should not 
be and excuse to ignore them nor those who have split from this 
organisation. Or is it that they threw the Healites out! Because if we were 
to judge all of the so called "Trotskyist" organisations by
what they did instead of what they are going to do, then it is not just the 
Healyites that should be condemned!

So, what is the WRP saying;

We have to construct a revolutionary party and a revolutionary 
International. OK, I am for that! Then they say that this party must be 
build not from the outside, nor by consciousness raising sessions, nor small 
vanguard groups from the outside. Well this is both right and wrong!

In fact Lenin's thesis on "trade union consciousness" or the "economical" 
struggle as being the best that the working class can raise themselves to is 
true! In other words "revolutionary" consciousness must be introduced by a 
Vanguard  party and leadership. So my first question to the WRP. Is this 
true or not? My personal position is that it is true! That a vanguard party
will be the tool that will be the transmission belt to the entire class. 
Naturally I agree that the party must be build in both the defensive 
struggles and united front struggles of the whole
class and its mass organisations like the trade unions. But the key must be 
the party and not the otherway around. Or is it I missed something and 
things have changed on the very basis
ABC of Trotskyism. The present crisis is a crisis of leadership!

And I think that it is true that with the downfall of Stalinism and the 
desertion of the Social Democrats to the bougeois camp has certainly left 
the workers movement in a shambles. And
I also believe that Trotskyist Parties not "Socialist Parties" must be built 
in the course of this vacuum created and that this is the first time in a 
very long time that the "Trotskyists" have
and opportunity to become mass parties of revolution and if not that the 
chance to be heard as never before!  Thus a small group can influence 
millions in the coming struggles.

But how do we get there! Is it by building front organisations like your 
trade union initiative! Yes! possibly! But not the only way nor can it 
replace the elementary struggle to reforge the
Fourth International which was destroyed by people who in the final analysis 
liquidated Trotskyism in one way or another under the pressure of the 
Stalinist and Social Democratic
hegemony in the workers movement after the second world war. So what I think 
has to come is not building a trade union International and solidarity 
movement as a condition of building the party but exactly the opposite! A 
party that gets back to the very foundations of Trotsky! 

This unfortunately is very difficult for me to say! Because as a poor and 
working class guy I have a tendency to want to get where the action is! 
However, action there is plenty of now
and always has been. And in the future this activity will certainly grow and 
Trotskyist cadre will have to intervene on a daily basis. In fact your 
initiative could be one way of doing things. But all the action in the world 
can not replace the vital task of recruiting cadre to a vanguard party both 
through the daily struggles, but also in splitting other organisations into 
those who want to make a revolution and those who don't!

But if you people want workers to believe you it has to be by fighting to 
build a *real* Trotskyist organisation which fundamentally breaks with all 
or most of the trends that came out of the second world war and who 
recognises their mistakes! Only by going back to the
fundamentals. The Bolshevik Party under Lenin and Trotsky, The first Four 
Congresses of the Third International, The history of the Left Opposition, 
and the founding documents of the Fourth International, not excluding Cannon 
and his struggle to build the American Party.

Finally what we have today unfortunately is a huge crisis of all those who 
claim to be Trotskyist! What is needed is clarity,clarity, clarity! Against 
Pabloite liquidationism which the USec represents because they are heading 
down the road of programatically compromising
with the reformists and neo-Stalinists politics.But also all of those 
organisations who claim to be against Pabloite liquidationism and in fact 
have also done some pretty incredible hat tricks
since the second World war. 

I sent the following which I think is a basis for discussing perhaps not 
trade union unity in order to build a party. But a principled position that 
all of those claiming to be Trotskyist must take seriously I believe. 
Because this is one class conscious worker who certainly will not work with 
anybody who can not defend the politics of Trotskyism. And see that those 
politics are fundamentally correct today as a basis for building the future 
Communist
International.

THE TRANSITIONAL PROGRAM..

After Hugh's post on the transitional program I felt almost forced to do  a 
close reading of it once again. it has been awhile since the last time.  
What is so incredible is how relative it is to today's situation. As a  
working class kid it was the Transitional program which first attracted  me 
to the Trotskyists. It was the answer I needed after being raised in  a 
ghetto with working class parents. I was raised on picket lines and  the 
McCarthy era. Later on used a a piece of meat in imperialist colonial  
warfare both in Cuba and Vietnam. When I first began to wake up it was  
hardly the Trotskyists I turned too, but direct action, some very 
adventurist  action, directed at taking on imperialism single handily! Well, 
it did not 
work and I wound up in exile first in Europe and later Scandinavia. Here I  
came into contact with the Transitional Program. A little book (60 pages)  
which for the first time showed me a way out of the dead end.

Only to find out through futher studies the Stalinists had sabotaged any  
kind of Bolshevik politics in the workers movement over a whole historical  
period leading up to today. But I knew that if there was a way out this  was 
it. Unfortunately at this time there were very few workers at least  in 
Europe who adhered to any kind of Trotskyism. In fact it was mostly  
students and intellectuals in the post war revival around Vietnam and  May 
of 68. Naturally this unbalance has caused a lot of problems and  splits in 
the Trotskist movement. It is much easier for a student to  theorise and 
split here and then there then for a working class kid.  In fact it has been 
very difficult trying to find a way through the maze  of intellectuals 
claiming the banner. But what kept me hanging on was  that little book the 
Transitional Program and Trotskys and Lenin's writings..

In fact if all of those who claim the Trotskyist mantel were to take 
this document (The transitional Program) as a starting point for and 
International regroupment it would be a great leap forward in preparation  
for come what must!

The post war Trotskyists groups have also been effected by much of what  has 
happened. There has been some pretty horrible opportunism, out right  
betrayal, splits and all the rest. One of the main reasons I believe is  the 
tremendous pressure put on these groups both by events, but also the  
domination of the Social Democrats and the Stalinists in the Labour  
movement. And not in the least the physical liquidation of Trotskyist  cadre 
during this historical period. 

Many still are sitting in their trenches, others who make the claim of 
being Trotskyist and who are opportunist to the core and even others 
who have become old and inbittered or just given up.No group or 
individual has been left unscarred by all of this.

Therefore I claim that no group or tendency can claim the mantel without a 
serious International conference taking place for a discussion of the very 
basics.


In the Trotskyist world there is also a tendency of not seeing what the  
enormous events in the past years really mean. A tendency of despair, a 
tendency of trying to find new slick formulas and a tendency to completely 
disregard events that open up a real opportunity for the future.  The most 
vital is the complete disintegration of the Stalinists and the jump by the 
Social Democracy in to the camp of the bourgeoisie!


Naturally we have left overs from the Stalinist parties, not in the 
least the Maoists of the ultra left period, but also of the right period. 
However without state power and Moscow or Peking to hold them up they are 
dead in the workers movement. There ideas stem from many of the dead end 
tactics of the now dead Stalinism.

All the various groups and tendencies of Stalinism are in a shambles. 
The Euro-Communists are becoming Social Democrats. The State Capitalists are 
trying to reorientate their fundamental counter revolutionary betrayal of 
any kind of Bolshevik politics. The Anarchists are in a shambles. The Social 
Democrats are leaping into the arms of the bourgeois.

Today more then ever in the Transitional program and the basic documents of 
the of the Trotskyist left opposition up until its founding lie the 
seed of a revolutionary regroupment Internationally under the banner of a 
reforged Communist International.

All of the present tendencies and groups who do not take this opportunity to 
go back to the very basics and founding documents of the Fourth 
International, but continue on their merry way as if nothing has happened 
the last few years in regards to the Stalinist and Social Democratic 
traitors of the International Proletariat and do not realise that The 
transitional program (in its entirety) makes a good ground for an 
International regroupment of forces claiming the 
Trotskyist banner would be criminal. In fact more than criminal, a 
direct betrayal of those in back of us who fought and died for these 
documents in one of the blackest periods of history.But also a direct 
betrayal of the International Proletariat that has been beheaded of 
its Social Democratic and Stalinists leadership in later years and a 
Revolutionary leadership far longer!

The International Proletariat has no leadership today! Into this space 
that has opened up would be a good place for a reforged International 
leadership of Trotskist forces based on the fundamental documents of 
the movement we derived from!

But it should be based on those documents in their entirety and a 
leadership and a cadre who are prepared to fight for that program in 
forming a mass revolutionary vanguard. It can not be a halfway house 
for those who advocate just parts of the Transitional Program, nor ultra 
leftists who deny that the program does not go far enough! But a cadre who 
are prepared to move forward on the concrete basics and the 
Transitional program in its ENTIRETY. That I'm afraid is the only 
road forward! That I  am prepared to work for. All else is just bullshit!

For the first time since the consolidation of the Stalinists as a 
counter revolutionary force in the Labour movement, their power is 
broken! Smashed and disintegrated by its own rotten politics and 
imperialist pressure. The Social Democrats after this Spectacular 
event have taken gigantic leaps into the arms of the bourgeoisie both 
on the National level and International level. 

For the first time the path is laid wide open for the intervention 
of the basic politics of the Fourth International. If we miss this 
chance we are heading for a new and unprecedented period of barbary! 
But this time we can not blame the Stalinists and the Social Democrats. The 
blame must be put squarely on the shoulders of those who claim the mantel of 
Trotskyism!

Finally without a serious International Conference an attempt of 
regroupment by all parties and groups on the basic fundamentals and 
Transitional Program of Trotsky and the Left Opposition the Proletariat 
should turn their backs to all of those claiming the mantle, because none of 
you deserve the right of their history. Besides it is only these documents 
that can lay a basis for real unity and possibility of moving  Forward to 
the reforging of the Fourth International.

Bob Malecki

PS: Naturally I would like you to keep me informed about you work!

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