Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 06:26:30 +0200 From: Robert Malecki <malecki-AT-algonet.se> Subject: M-I: Reply to PO/Lcmcri.. The Lcmcri writes; >We don't think that Bolivia is Germany or Banzer is a >Hitler. The Bolivian ADN is not a Nazi squadist party. It >is a far right party with many similarities with Le Pen. >At the time that we wrote our document we were demanding >the international left to make a united action against >Banzer. If the masses in Bolivia and elsewhere could made >actions against him, it could had created problems around >the four parties which made a block behind him or put >Banzer and the USA in a difficult position. So it wasn't a joke! You really do have this position! Amazing..The above paragraph shows once again that the Lcmcri only pays lip service to the tactic of the Proletarian United Front but in reality are fighting not for and independent mobilisation of workers in Bolivia or elsewhere but in fact and anti imperialist front! In the above paragraoh it is posed quite clearly! They say; " If the masses in Bolivia and elsewhere could made actions against him, it could had created problems around the four parties which made a block behind him or put Banzer and the USA in a difficult position." So at best this formulation can mean putting pressure on the four parties that support Banzer and to top it off they throw in that it might make things difficult for the Americans! How quaint but this is popular front tactics and anti-imperialist strategy in all your rhetoric and that is why I wrote the original letter critising this kind of stuff. It has nothing at all with Trotskyism.. But a lot to do with neo-Stalinist popular-anti imperialist front rhetoric! >No other organisation until now denounced in the internet >the fact that the former dictator Banzer won the >elections and, even worst, nobody called for a campaign >to try to avoid that nomination. One day later after our >message, Bob Malecki produced an e-mail which he probably >sent as always to 20 lists and newsgroups. In that paper >asked if our message is >suppose to be a joke?" Why should the left try to help you build some sort of anti imperialist anti Banzer front to put pressure on this popular front in power? You are not talking about a campaign to defend workers organisations or anything else but the classical popular front strategy of uniting everybody to fight the right in this case Banzer and quite openly admit that you want to pressure the other parties in this coalition..And this was the reason for the original letter... >He said that it was not possible to make a united front >against the former dictator because it was necessary to >make a united front against the union leadership! This is a lie and a slander by the Lcmcri. Here is what the Malecki/Cockroach article said on this matter word for word; "In Bolivia and in France it is hardly a united left to fight the right that is needed because in France that is exactly what we have already and in Bolivia the PO are begging for a popular front with these kinds of arguments of uniting the "left" to condemn Banzer. In fact the PO article points out that it is not only Banzer who has a rotten political history and that even some of the major trade union leaders are prepared to sell out to Banzer." and "It would be much better to build a united front in the Bolivian trade unions to oust the present leaders who are prepared to deal with anybody who sits in the presidential palace connected to fighting for a Trotskyist Party in Bolivia and Internationally that can really change things! Not this "Unite the left to fight the right" garbage which just about any Stalinist or reformist organization could agree with and in fact would include just about everybody except Banzer himself. Down with this fake left kind of propaganda. Down with popular fronts and anti-imperialist fronts..both in France and Bolivia!" Now here is how the Lcmcri make my quote; >He characterised our positions as a "classical neo->Stalinist and reformist kind of manuvre","a clasical >ezample of fake left "unity" mongering" >.."the PO are begging for a popular front with these >kinds of >arguments of uniting the "left" to condemn Banzer. In >fact the PO article >points out that it is not only Banzer who has a rotten >political history and that even some of the major trade >union leaders are prepared to sell out to >Banzer. *It would be much better to build a united front >in the Bolivian trade unions to oust the present >leaders*" Notice they stop in the middle of a sentence taking the arguement completely out of context and then write! >Poder Obrero Bolivia is fighting in the class struggle >against a former dictator who would be elected President. >Malecki, who spent all his political life behind a PC, >doesn't show any respect to people which are struggling. Is this true? Has Malecki spent most of his life in front of a PC? Anyone who thinks that this kind of slander should be called the truth I suggest go to my homepage where you will not only find out that I have been living in exile over 25 years for political activities direct against the United States and their war in Vietnam. You will also find a book there which fairly well describes Malecki's background. Let us see if the PO/Lcmcri are telling the truth on this manner.In fact until recently the Lcmcri were accusing me of being the equivalent to the infamous "icepick" Aldolfo who's main fame to claim is his Stalinist steel boots with threats of violence and everybody being and agent of Fujimora who don't suppport his line on Gonzalo's PCP in Peru! So obviously the PO/Lcmcri now have changed tact and are using new slanders to replace political arguements. >Malecki thinks that it is a joke to ask for a united >front against Banzer. For him any common action against >Banzer and the fascists is a popular front. In fact, for >him every joint activity is the same of a bourgeois-led >counter-revolutionary front. Oh no I don't. But Malecki and Cockroach are against the LCMCRI and PO's ideas of what a united front is! In fact you are fighting for something which is hardly supportable in fact at best as you claim in your reply above to put pressure on the other four parties in the Banzer coalition and the Americans. The classical popular front connected to the anti-imperialist "Yankee" front. That is what is really going on here. But also the classical Menshevik broad family of the "left" being revolutionaries if they join in your popular-anti imperialist front ambitions... >A popular front is an inter-class block with and behind >the bourgeoisie. It is an strategic front in which the >mass workers organisations adopts a capitalist programme. >A united front is a tactic agreement to defend workers >interests against the common enemy. For malecki >everything is the same. He simply doesn't care about the >REAL world outside his computer room. The PO/Lcmcri are not try to defend the working class. You are trying to put pressure on some of the components of the new Banzer regime connected to anti American Imperialist rhetoric. And quite blazenly admit it! And once again the slander about Malecki sitting in front of the computer. I really thing that all the people who are reading this on numerous lists please go to my homepage and see if this organisation is telling the truth about this stuff. I have nothing to hide and it is all there at my homepage. >For him the main enemy is not Banzer and the far right >but the union leadership. One of the most important >unions in Bolivia is led by Vilma Plata, a so-call >trotskyist from the POR who was arrested some days ago. >The COB leader is "Huracan" Ramirez, a miner leader who >is advocating an insurrection against the system and who >was against the last general strike (the four in the last >four years). These union leaders are militant reformists >or centrists. many union leaders are more linked with the >bourgeoisie. And now after admitting that they are trying to pressure some of the parties in the new popular front in Bolivia connected to anti American imperialist front rhetoric they try and turn it around claiming that Malecki wants to smash the unions. How quaint but not true. Read my quote again above. It quite explicitly says to build a united front in the trade unions to oust those leaders that support the new regime! I find nothing wrong in principle with this type of united front. And if it is true that there are "Trotskyist" leaders in the unions all their efforts should be in exposing those trade union bureaucrats who are supporting this new government. Connected to a program that leads towards real workers power.. >Of course, the Bolivian bureaucracy is an opponent and a >revolutionary party needs to replace them. However, they >are not trying to physically smash the unions or to put >more capitalists attacks. They could disarm the >resistance of the masses but they are not the ones which >are organising the attacks. No! And nobody has called for physically smashing the unions! Trotskyists on principle defend the mass organisations of the proletariat. But we do not defend the reformist and Stalinist traders who lead them and support this new government. That is the whole point. So work in the unions is building and fighting for demands that move things forward, expose the bureacrats and lead to revolutionaries winning the unions to there program and struggle for power. This must be done unfortunately by getting rid of the present leadership. In fact your fake left front only creates illusions by saying everybody who is against Banzer is a friend and allie of the working class. But this is not the issue here. The real issue as I said in my first letter is; "In fact I find it quite disgusting that it is the so called "Trotskyists" who are trying time and again to pump life into the broad fake left kind of rotten block solutions to the problems facing poor and working class people. In fact what is needed is a real Bolshevik Leninist alternative in order to fill the vacuum that now exists after the demise of Stalinism. The PO article seems to me to be nothing other then a transmission belt for Menshevik and neo-Stalinist political solutions to the question of party building and tactics. I think that we have had quite enough decades of this kind of opportunism which has led to defeat after defeat after defeat. In fact there is no difference in the PO article and political thrust of most of the present day Pabloite organizations Internationally." "The ultimate weakness of PO is quite clear. When the pressure is on they are prepared to liquidate the party and program for fake unity that will not take the Bolivian working or the working class internationally one step forward but in fact backward into all kinds of "unite the left to fight the right" political opportunism." In a nutshell at best you are calling for putting pressure on four of the parties supporting Banzer connected to some anti-American Imperialist rhetoric. This has nothing to do with Bolshevik Leninist politics.. >The line of Malecki is so extremely sectarian and stupid >that he could only work for creating even more confusion >and helping the far right. What he wants? If he would be >in Bolivia he would be against any united left against >the far right but for a front against the union leaders >(which is a front against ALL the left, because all of >that have positions in the unions). Are you saying that fighting for a revolutionary line inside the unions connected to exposing and ousting the present leaders that support the new Banzer regime in the unions is "sectarian". How quaint. And yes I am against a family of "revolutionaries" who fight the "right" because it always means popular fronts/anti imperialist united fronts in the final analisis. We do not need a "united" left against the right we need a Bolshevik Leninist organisation in Bolivia as elsewhere. >Malecki attacked us as "Mensheviks", "Neo-Stalinists", >and other non senses. Some months ago he sent hundreds of >e-mails accusing our group of being cop-lovers and later >he confessed that he agrees with our position on the >police. Notice the slanders and lies out of any kind of political context! Well, for people interested this discussion started off on the elections in Britain and quickly led to a discussion on many things including the Lcmcri line of building communist cells in the police and military! After which they claimed that this was not there line! Not to mention the Lcmcri seeing the Argentinean general Galteri as part of and "Andean" revolution. But don't take my word for it. The entire exchange of over (250KB) I have on a diskette and upon request can send to any and everyone to read. You can certainly judge for yourselfs who is doing and saying what politically. >He doesn't have a clue of what is happening in the real >world. In a way he is showing how sectarian and stupid >could be the Spartacists. In 1974 the Spartacists said >that the Pinochet's coup and the overthrow of Allende >could had a good aspect because it could discredit >reformism and it also could clean the terrain for a >development of a revolutionary party. Pinochet destroyed >the workers movement and the revolutionary groups were >weakened. The Spart group in Chile was completely >demoralised and finally left this current. More slanders against the Spartacist now International Communist League.However I must honestly admit that at this particular point in time I was a member of the USec here in Sweden. But the Lcmcri is using the same method here against the ICL as they do Malecki. So naturally these kinds of political arguements without proof are just slanders. Cheap shots in order to cover up their own real opportunism on popular and anti-imperialist fronts! The PO/Lcmcri people must really be getting desperate to resort to these kind of polemics! >Malecki supported Jarusleski's coup against the Polish >workers. He doesn't want to defend the Argentina semi->colony against US-UK military attack. In Britain he >supported the Spartacist position which is to only >support the SLP (the only party which stood candidates >which OPENLY vindicating Stalin's terror against Trotsky) >against Labour, the so-call trotskyist candidates and >even against the SLP's left. I suggest that anybody interested get the very long exchange. I will gladly send it to you...And judge for youselves exactly who was saying what and why.But the PO/Lcmcri Stalinphobia pushing it to block with the new Labor Party of Tony Blair who is taking the party out of the Labor movement is very clear. In Bolivia the PO/Lcmcri want to unite the "left" to fight the right and in Britain they want to unite the right to fight the left split from Tony Blair's new Labor. Wow. Everything the Spartacist said about you people is true! >In Bolivia Bob is against a united front against Banzer, >but in Zaire he called for a united front with and behind >Kabila with the aim of making a popular and democratic> >revolution. His international. the Spartacists, are on >the other side of the barricades, calling for the defeat >of Kabila and Mobutu. The Spartacist don't call him a >traitor and Malecki doesn't call them as sectarian who >are not defending his "popular revolution." Nevertheless, >both are quite good labeling the rest of the left with >the worst insults. Another lie and slander! I did nothing of the sort. And in fact it is quite interesting that you raise this question in this way. Because obviously you are calling for a united front with Kabila! Amazing. The "new" Lcmcri position on Zaire! What a bunch of fakers. Some of your leading Comrades actually had a fairly correct position on Zaire and the only critisim i had of there line was that they did not see South Africa as the key to revolution in this part of the world. And after this discussion the leading comrades agreed about this stuff. Is the Lcmcri now doing a pancake number on Zaire and supporting the line of the neo-Stalinists? Because the formulation that PO makes above says that you are critically supporting Kabila! It makes sense though because it is this kind of anti imperialist united fronts that PO/Lcmcri are into in Latin America and now you are extending this to the Kabila regime. Here is what Malecki really said on Zaire which is diametrically against the new line that PO/Lcmcri have presented us with. In fact without even knowing the Spartacist position I from the very beginning make it very clear about NOT supporting Kabila. In fact I thought this was the Lcmcri position. I was wrong! The PO/Lcmcri are now saying that Malecki and the Spartacists are on "the other side of the barricades" because we call for the defeat of both Kabila and Mobutu! So obviously the Lcmcri are supporting both Kabila and Mobutu! Amazing. In fact quit incredible! Anybody that takes this organisation serious after this pancake operation need really to see a doctor. I suggest contacting the nearest branch of the Spartacist/International Communist League.. But for Communist/Revolutionaries Internationalists the problem is approached out of a perspective of both local/national and international goggles because we know from history that this is the only way to go. Every isolated military revolt or even deformed revolution China/Cuba/Vietnam/Korea in "backward" countries shows us that unless we know where we are going historically and have a party,tactics and program in order to take us there then all the blood and gore in history will have not helped one bit. Despite the crowing of the crowd on M-I these days. Another thing that bothers me is how these neo-Stalinists look at the recent "nationalisation" of the railway as the revolutionary credentials of Kabila. In fact calling on nationalisation when the movement on the ground controls 2/3's of the territory means dip shit. Any words at this point can be used by anybody to control and head off this movement in order to control it. I notice that the list Neo-Stalinists were not quite as loud talking about the almost daily visits of the multi-nationals to Kabila who are already claiming business as usual. However! There are and have been two distinct positions on this list in regards to events in Zaire. The Neo-Stalinist crowd who quite clearly see Kabila as a new leader and movement to support. Then there are the various "Trotskyists" on the list who basically say that the struggle must be based on the the movement of the masses on the ground, their democratic aspirations and goals, not in the least connected to the "Land" question and connected to a revolutionary Internationalist analisis where in this part of the world it is South Africa that is the key. Not saying by the way that these kinds of struggles could go much futher then the leaders intend them to which in a sense could be a catalist in getting things going in South Africa where the social power of the black proletariat could really mean a revolutionary change in this area of the world and with far going International consequences. Already today the signals are pretty clear that this Kabila character despite everything is and emperor with new clothes. It is the throne change of the deadly sick and cancer ridden body of Mobotu. Because of the misery, poverty and general backwardness of Zaire and the surroundings, lack of and organised and sizeable proletariat, it will be the land question which will be decisive and who controls that land. So naturally any convening of a constituit assembly, which in this case I doubt, because Kabila has no interests in doing this, must take up this vital question. By the way the land question if handled correctly can and will put and end to new rounds of tribal and ethnic bloodbaths. A general collectivisation and state ownership of all land with a program of individual lotts and collective lots to all who live in the area above and beyond tribal or ethnic background is the programatic key to the future spreading of the revolution and making sure that it is not beheaded by some new emperor in the same clothes or a whole new series of potential emperors in these endless rounds of ethnic and tribal conflict. And a temporary end to the endless rounds of ethnic and tribal conflict can be replaced by a nationalisation of all land and redestribution of the land. This is why the land question in Zaire is fundemental in presenting transitional demands! The other key question is that all of the resources in the form of natural resources on the ground mining,oil whatever must be nationalised and in the hands of the armed population. Regional Soviets in the form of militias and towns-village people must be armed to make sure the nationalisations of the resources being wripped by the multi-nationals is in their hands. A popular program of distribution of land to all who will work it must be put forth. Connected to a nationalisation and arming of the entire population with a; A program to link up with the powerful South African Miners Unions as other unions and the black proletariat their in instructing and helping to create and education of the population of Zaire in how to mine and make use of these resourses. The slogan should be that the colonialist have always wripped us off now it is are turn too take over,learn and run the operation in the form of Soviets. That is the short version. But the most important part must be naturally for warning the population in Zaire who know what Mobotu is and was that the Kabila forces are not used in order to carry out a thone change for the dying Mobutu. And pointing out that top meetings with people like Mandela will solve nothing. Better to link up with the powerful trade unions of South Africa and carry out a program of education on how to develop the nationalised resources in this country to benefit the millions upon millions who live in this part of the world.. Finally South Africa is the key. Unless South Africa and its mighty millions of black proletarians are drawn into the struggle in Southern Africa well then we are going to see round after round after round of these kinds of struggles from time to time as the contending imperialist countries try to find new "Bonapartes" who they can make a deal with. It is impossible on the African continent to rule at this point with a classical colonial occupation along the lines of Britain in India. Much better to make a deal with a section of the population and its leaders in order to hold things under control. The only way to break this dead end cycle is the development of a Pan/African Bolshevik/Leninist tendency in a future revolutionary International which sees as its task the liberation of the African masses from the imperialist/colonialists and there black political henchman. The human material already exists in the form of the South African Proletariat which in this part of the world is the vanguard of any long going revolutionary change worth mentioning. Although Nigeria and its Proletariat and the development of proletariats in other African countries is working in a favorable direction. VICTORY TO THE POPULAR AND DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION IN ZAIRE!! GOOD RIDDANCE TO MOBUTU'S REGIME! NO TO AND EMPEROR WITH NEW CLOTHES IN THE FORM OF KABILA! FOR POPULAR DEMOCRATIC CONTROL OF THE REVOLUTIONARY FORCES AND THE NEW REVOLUTIONARY REGIME! FOR AND ARMING OF THE ENTIRE POPULATION IN DEFENSE OF THE REVOLUTION. NOT JUST THE RAILWAYS! NATIONALIZATION OF THE PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES OF ZAIRE UNDER DEMOCRATIC AND POPULAR CONTROL! NATIONALISATION OF ALL THE LAND! A PROGRAM FOR REDISTRIBUTION OF THE LAND IN BOTH COLLECTIVE AND INDIVIDUAL LOTS TO ALL IN THE AREA IRREGARDLESS OF ETHNIC OR TRIBAL BACKGROUND! A CALL FOR A CONSTITUIT ASSEMBLY TO CARRY OUT THE ABOVE THROUGHOUT THE REGION: NO OUTSIDE INTERVENTION TO SAVE ZAIRE! IMPERIALISTS GET OUT! FOR THE CREATION OF A PAN_AFRICAN BOLSHEVIK/LENINIST PARTY IN A REFORGED TROTSKYIST FOURTH INTERNATIONAL! FOR A SOCIALIST FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA! > >Bob is NOT a serious person. With his e-mails he is >discrediting himself. Our European comrades were right. >It is not worth taking him seriously. After PO/Lcmcri make a bunch of false accusations, take political arguements completely out o context and to top it off openly admit that what they are really after in the "United Front" of the "Left" is to put pressure on four of the parties taking part in the Banzer government connect to anti-imperialist front rhetoric they claim Malecki should not be taken seriously. Not only that they also now have done a 180 degree turn on Zaire and now support both Kabila and Mobutu. Amazing! Well my friends please read and judge for yourselves! Both this letter but also the long exchange earlier with the PO/Lcmcri on many of the major questions facing the International workers movement. Or for serious militants in the Lcmcri who are really serious about building a revolutionary Trotskyist International it will unfortunately have to go over the dead political bodies of the present centrist leadership who change political lines on major international questions like Zaire as if they change underwear! The Spartacists and the ICL I suggest would be good starters for anybody in this swamp who wants to find a way too Trotskyism.. Bob Malecki and Cockroach -------------------------------------------------------- Check Out My HomePage where you can, Read the book! Ha Ha Ha McNamara, Vietnam-My Bellybutton is my Crystalball! Or Get The Latest Issue of, COCKROACH, a zine for poor and working-class people http://www.algonet.se/~malecki Back issues of Cockroach and my book at http://www.kmf.org/malecki/ -------------------------------------------------------- --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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