Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 23:04:57 -0600
Subject: M-G: Revolutionary Regroupment or Sectarianism?


Dear Bob,
I still maintain that entrism is still a principle that Trotskyists must
uphold.  The arguments against entrism are essentially idealistic.  You
appear to be just looking at the situation now and just at what people
are saying.  Labour leaders have always been bankrupt, the membership
has generally been old hacks EXCEPT IN MOMENTS OF HEIGHTENED STRUGGLE. 
We are in the social democracy for the perspective of what will happen
in a period of heightened struggle(which is incidently just starting)
when NEW people will enter the parties with the view to change things. 
Thats the genuine meaning of the dialectic of marxist analysis rather
than just using marxist phraseology.  We must look at processes and
analyse the economic and class forces at work and not just what people
say they stand for.  The role the "sects" play in relation to the
movement is generally damaging.  The main point is though is that you
have to apply a very long term and at the same time practical and very
dialectical attitude to work in the mass organizations.  We are there
for the future and we can't tell workers what to do, but MUST BE THERE
WITH THEM.  If we wnat to be there when they stand up for a struggle, we
have to be there now.  It is that plain and simple.  It doesn't matter
how degenerate and right wing the party is, because by being there it
gives you a position in the eyes of the active layer of the working
class.  You can go on to a picket line and say you are bringing
greetings from the LP or NDP, sounds better tha "I am from Sect
NO.2456".  Our goal is to further the class struggle, and the
consciousness of the working class.  New people will come to the
reformist parties, and they won't be the bourgeois rich people!  The
next time these parties fill up it will be after mass upheavals, and
mass strike movements.  The time for the vanguard party is in a pre
revolutionary situation!  Not now!

For critical support of mass social democratic organizations and the
support of the principle of entrism!

P.S.  History is full of examples that show entrism to bear fruit!  The
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party being the best example!

Comradely

Rob Lyon


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