Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 18:00:06 -0500
From: "Workers' Voice" <workersvoice-AT-EarthLink.NET>
Subject: M-G: Statement of the IWC on the LCMRCI


Recently, a member of the Communist Workers Group, New Zealand section of
the Liaison Committee of Militants for a Revolutionary Communist
International (LCMRCI) posted a short piece on one of the "Marxism" mailing
lists, calling the U.S. section of the IWC (Workers' Voice) a "whacky
cultish band of thugs."

The section immediately wrote a letter to the LCMRCI, demanding a public
apology and retraction of the statement.  They wrote back, essentially
stating that they rejected the statement made by one of their members, and
that discipline was being handled internally.

For the IWC, and its U.S. section, this was acceptable, and we were willing
to put it behind us and move forward in building the "Committee for a
Trotskyist International" regroupment project on the basis we agreed. 
Workers' Voice drafted a letter of acceptance which we hoped would allow us
to move on.

However, this was not what the LCMRCI had in mind.  John Stone, writing in
their name, launched a public attack on the IWC's U.S. section.  The
statement, posted to the same mailing list where their comrade,
"Poundcake," wrote his vile slander of Workers' Voice, was a long diatribe
of slander, misrepresentation and crystallised confusion.  

In addition, the public statement denies any responsibility that the LCMRCI
has for the actions of their comrade in New Zealand.  On the contrary, they
accuse the U.S. section of committing "slander" against them and the groups
they wish to bring into the CTI project. This shows a complete lack of
understanding, and a complete failure of political method.  

When one cannot see the difference between a political characteri- sation
-- "Organisation ABC is right-centrist" -- and slander -- "Workers' Voice
is a whacky cultish band of thugs" -- then it is clear that there is a
failure on the part of these comrades to understand the difference between
truth and slander, the political and the personal.

While we are happy to continue to debate differences with the LCMRCI, we
wish to do so in order to develop the Marxist method used to arrive at
these points.  We do not wish to obsess on them, much like the LCMRCI
obsesses on their former comrades of the LRCI.

The IWC will be publishing its critique of the positions of the LCMRCI on
the British Labour Party and civil war in Congo/Zaire in the next issue of
our journal, International Trotskyist.  Anyone interested in our position
on Bosnia can write to us:  <iwc-trotskyist-AT-geocities.com>.

We do feel it is important, however, to tackle one of the LCMRCI's
statements in this letter.  Specifically, we need to address the question
of regroupment and the CTI project.

Over five months ago, Workers' Voice reached agreement with the LCMRCI on a
programatic basis for international regroupment of left-moving Trotskyist
forces around the "Committee for a Trotskyist International."

However, the LCMRCI, particularly its British section, failed or refused to
proceed with regroupment on the agreed basis.  Instead, the LCMRCI engaged
in loose, unclear discussions with a number of organisations, including
groups who did not want to pursue regroupment with organisations like
Workers' Voice (WIL-LTT) or do not appear to be in agreement with
regroupment in general (RIL-ITC).

Now, belatedly, we have received a very long polemic from the LCMRCI
repeating differences with the IWC on Congo/Zaire, British "New Labour,"
Bosnia and other issues.  We are happy to continue to debate differences,
but we prefer to develop points rather than become obsessively
repetitious.  We have also restated our readiness to proceed with the
regroupment process on the principled, programmatic basis we previously
agreed to.

We responded to the LCMRCI, stating:  "Whatever groups we are talking to,
we must determine if they are potential CTI partners or affiliates based on
clear political positions [of agreement]."  There would also have to be
evidence of comittment to the regroupment process from all organisations
wishing to take part.

The reply of the LCMRCI fell far short of comittment to the Trotskyist
method of principled, programatic regroupment.  Instead, they have proposed
a vague discussion process without any clear programatic guidlines.  The
LCMRCI wrote "we would like to organise an international conference and an
international discussion bulletin with left currents [such?] as LTT, ITC,
BCFI and others."(???!!)

We cannot accept this confused, eclectic method of regroupment.

If the LCMRCI wishes to reopen the debate on the programmatic basis of
regroupment, or want to amend or develop the 14 points agreed for the CTI,
to include other groups and tendencies committed to Trotskyist regroupment,
then we are prepared to discuss the possibilities for principled
regroupment.  We look forward to the specific programmatic proposals of the
LCMRCI.

Finally, the LCMRCI recently removed an obstacle to the CTI project when
they accepted responsibility and formally apologised to Workers' Voice for
the unsubstantiated allegation from one of the leading LCMRCI comrades that
they were a bunch of "cultish thugs."  But the LCMRCI has now retracted
this apology and inconsistently denied responsibility.  We must insist that
the truth about responsibility, and the apology is reinstated if comradely
relationships are to be restored.

Greensleeves and Paris;
for the IEC of the IWC
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