W(JRKERS 'AMIIIAR' soC!: No.83S @~il~c'701 29 October 2004 Elections 2004
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The Bush cabal that occupies the White same-sex marriage, favored restrictions House is fanatical, arrogant and believes on abortion and imposed limits on embry it is doing the work of God. One would onic stem cell research. He has promoted think the U.S. were some kind of theo vouchers for religious schools and shifted cratic state given all the heavy emphasis money for sex education and reproductive on religion, Newspaper articles detail health programs to those that instead pro how God supposedly told evangelist Pat mote abstinence." The Bush administra Robertson that the Iraq war would entail tion is certainly a pack of crazed woman heavy casualties. Bush supporters testify hating, anti-black, anti-gay bigots. that they believe that through Bush, "God It is understandable that many would is in the White House." There is an open see Kerry as some kind of "lesser evil" disdain for facts and reality. A New York to the Bush gang-it's not so much that Times Magazine (17 October) article by people are voting for Kerry but that Ron Suskind describes how a senior Bush they're voting against Bush. But from the advisor told Suskind that "guys like me standpoint of the interests of the working were 'in what we call the reality-based class, black people and the oppressed. community: which he defined as people the capitalist Democratic Party of John who 'believe that solutions emerge from Forbes Kerry (who if elected will be the your judicious study of discernible real third-richest president in history) is no ity: I nodded and murmured something alternative .. Kerry just wants to better about enlightenment principles and empiri and more rationally (for the capitalists) cism. He cut me off. 'That's not the way the administer American imperialism abroad world really works anymore' ." and repression at home to further the Suskind points out that Bush does not exploitation of working people for capi have to claim that he is ordained by God; talist profit. Although basing their elec others do it for him. He quotes zealous toral support on different sectors of the Bush supporter Hardy Billington declar population-which can often be very ing, "God gave us this president to be the hostile to each other-both Republicans man to protect the nation at this time." and Democrats at bottom are. as Gore "We may be that generation that Vidal puts it, "two right wings" of one sees Armageddon." Ronald Reagan infa party, the "Property Party." mously remarked. Though Reagan was Kerry wants to "win" in Iraq, project probably thinking of a nuclear showdown ing that troops may stay four more years. with the Soviet Union, today many relig He supports Israel's concentration-camp ious fundamentalist leaders are predicat walls going up around Palestinian com ing their positions on the Near East, par munities. He wants to wage a more ticularly Israel/Palestine, on a desire for effective "war on terror" at home, which an apocalyptic battle of titanic propor would mean more repression of immi tions in the region. This has led to an grants, black people and labor. And. unholy alliance between the Zionist neo whatever his personal beliefs, he has not cons and the largely Protestant funda shied away from pandering to the relig mentalist right in the U.S. The two groups New York City: Local 1199 SEIU home health aides strike rally in June, ious vote. The New York Times (25 Octo have drawn together in spite of the demanding better wages and health coverage (top). Some 2,000 people march ber) notes: "Mr. Kerry demonstrated a anti-Semitism of the bible-thumpers-Pat across Brooklyn Bridge in May in support of legalizing gay marriage. wide liturgical reach, quoting from Mat Robertson, for example, an ardent sup thew, James, John, Luke, the Ten Com porter of Israel, assigns Jews a role in his These Christian fundamentalists want hot buttons of American religious mania mandments and 'Amazing Grace' before imagined conspiracy spelled out in his to see Armageddon, even if it means and sexual hysteria. recalling for cheering Jews in Boca book The New World Order that reminds nuclear war in the Near East; they want to The fanatical religiosity of the Bush Raton how he once shouted 'the Israeli one of the lies in the anti-Semitic screed see the "Second Coming" and the end of administration, its war-crazed policies, people lives' in Hebrew atop Masada." The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. the world. And they know to play on the its supreme imperial arrogance and its It is a measure of how loathsome the deep religiosity that pervades thi, cpun attacks on the rights of labor and black Bush regime is that Kerry-a man people have produced a sharp polariza who voted for the war in Iraq, a man who 44 try, where, according to a recent Gallup Poll, some 42 percent of Americans tion in this country. "When it comes to wants to increase American troop strength describe themselves as "born again'~ or policy," the New York Times (26 October) by 40,000 men, a man who voted for the evangelical Christians. It is not an acci noted, Bush "has done more than any USA-Patriot Act-is seen as an alterna dent that gay marriage is blown up into president in recent history to advance the tive. The problem, though, is fundamen some huge supposed threat to civilization agenda of Christian social conservatives. tally not one of individual candidates but 7111.252741181'03011117 as we know it, pushing the ever-popular On domestic issues, he has opposed continued on page 10 • Letter
The Bush administration has undeni Bush and Hitler? ably been exceptional in the extent to which it has succeeded in shredding 27 September 2004 crazed petty bourgeoisie and lumpen bourgeois-democratic rights and rolling WV, proletariat, whipped into a frenzy to phys back gains of the working class and all. Do me a little favor. Come up with an ically destroy the mass organizations of the oppressed. But the fact is that this article, analysis, on just why the coming the working class. Normally, the bour regime's assaults on democratic free presidential election is not like the elec geoisie keeps the fascists in reserve as a doms, and its "war without end" against tion in Germany which ended in Hitler's last resort, but it turns to them when the "terrorism," have been carried out within victory, not analogous. repressive organs of the state are inca the framework of bourgeois democracy. Cuz damn near every "anybody but pable of containing explosive class con The way to fight the continued eviscera Bush" person I talk to is convinced it is flict in periods of capitalist crisis. In this Indymedia tion of such rights was demonstrated in analogous, like the Democratic Party is country, the face of fascism is seen in the Antiwar protest in San Francisco, Oakland on 9 February 2002, when the analogous to the German Social Demo Ku Klux Klan, the white-supremacist January 2003. Partisan Defense Committee and the Bay crats of that time, with that German CP militias and their ilk. Area Labor Black League for Social refusing (by Stalin's orders) to bloc with The Spartacist League has a long his- unlike the German Social Democratic Defense initiated a united-front protest . tory of organizing working-class-centered Party, part of the workers movement. the Social Democrats, even calling 'em Moreover, Trotsky's point in Germany against the USA-Patriot and Maritime social fascists, as they today call or mobilizations against the fascists where was not electoral support to the Social Security Acts. This demonstration brought imply Bush as fascist. and when they have raised their head. Democrats, which implies an endorse together the struggles of immigrants, So get on with that article, critique! And at every step, we have had to mobi ment of their political program. He blacks and organized labor in opposition argued for a fighting united front-a ]' II then fling it in the faces of those lize against sabotage by the capitalist to the government's anti-immigrant hys Democratic Party and its supporters on series of actions-between Communist '"anybody but Bush" folk, those having a and Social Democratic workers organ teria. Meanwhile, the same Democratic helluva time making distinctions, like be the left. In New York City, where we ini izations to defeat the fascists, in the pols who sought to undercut working tween current USA and Germany of '32. tiated a mobilization on 23 October 1999 course of which the Communists could class mobilization against the fascists in And just now recalling-ya did go against the KKK that brought out thou make clear to the Social Democratic the streets of NYC in 1999 lifted not a sands of people, AI Sharpton and other ranks that only the Communists had the into this seeming analogy a few years program that could make the necessary finger as political dissent was criminal back, though in just a sentence or two: Democratic politicians filed court papers socialist revolution." ized during the Republican National This time make it-okay?-afull-length seeking to allow the Klan to mobilize for The fight against the fascists is not a Convention this summer. Working people writeup. race-terror in the name of defending their matter that can be addressed through are betrayed by those who retail the S.C. right to "free speech." elections; it requires the independent lie that democratic rights can be defended In our response to a similar letter from WV Replies: mobilization of the power of the working by voting for the Democrats, the party S.c. about a year ago, printed in WV No. class and all the oppressed. This was made which, in the aftermath of September I I, Bad as he is, George W. Bush is not 816 (26 December 2003), we wrote: the harbinger of American fascism. Fas crystal clear in the 1932 elections in Ger voted overwhelmingly for the USA "Contrary to what S.c. implies, the many that S.c. refers to. In the various Patriot Act. John Kerry has promised cism is a mobilization-not in the halls Republican Party is not a fascist party; of Congress but in the streets-of the nor is the capitalist Democratic Party, elections that took place that year, the that he will "finish the job" in Iraq and Nazis never came close to winning a that he will be more aggressive than Bush majority. But the powerful German pro in pursuing the "war against terror," letariat was disoriented and demobilized which we have repeatedly pointed out is For New October Revolutions! by the craven refusal of its leaders to in reality a war against workers, blacks mobilize to smash the fascists in the and immigrants. November 7 (October 25 in the old Rus st;eets. In November 1932, the last "free" The Bush gang has been so heavy sian calendar) marks the 87th anniversary of election in the Weimar Republic, the handed and provocative-not only against the Russian Revolution, led by the Bolshevik Communists and Social Democrats com the oppressed in this country and against Party of Lenin and Trotsky. Despite its bined to poll almost 1.5 million votes weak countries like Iraq but also against degeneration at the hands of the Stalinist more than the Nazis. However, the capi the European capitalist powers-that bureaucracy, which ultimately resulted. in talist rulers, who called the shots, had even a significant chunk of the ruling capitalist restoration in 1991 -92, the Bolshe decided that stability could not be class in this country is ready for a vik Revolution was a world-historic victory achieved without bringing the Nazis into change. But while Kerry talks about tin for working people and the oppressed inter the government. In January 1933, Presi kering with Bush's tax cuts for the super nationally. We print below excerpts from an dent von Hindenburg appointed Hitler as rich, he and his party are just as firmly TROTSKY article by American Communist leader John LENIN chancellor, setting the stage for the Nazi committed to the rule of those same Reed on Bolshevism, first printed in 1919 in fuhrer to assume dictatorial powers two super-rich. This is why today we call to Workers' World, a newspaper aligned with Reed's Communist Labor Party. months later. Ironically, Hindenburg had break with the capitalist parties and build Bolshevism is the Social Revolution to which Socialists have looked forward for more been elected the previous year with the a workers party to fight for a workers than half a century. It is the inevitable struggle which must accompany the transition of support of the Social Democrats, who revolution, which alone can provide society from Capitalism to Socialism. It is the final battle of the workers of the world touted him as a "lesser evil" against Hitler. workers democracy.• for power to end forever the tyranny of class rule, and the misery of exploitation .... In Socialism the working class for the first time based its aspiration to freedom on scientific fact. Bolshevism is Socialism put into practice. Today the workers are becom ing conscious of their power and ability to win the world for Labor. They always had the power, and sometimes the wish. But they lacked the will and the knowledge of the way. Bolshevism is the will and the way .... Bolshevism is practical. It does not assume that the capital class is going to be legis lated out of power without a fight. Power is based on private ownership. In order to secure power the workers must control capitalist property, and abolish ownership. This they can only do by the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. ... The Socialist Commonwealth is not born without fearful birth-pangs-the Proletar This week, leftist attorney Lynne ian Dictatorship. Russia today is not a Socialist Commonwealth-nor does it pretend to Stewart takes the stand in her own be. There is a Proletarian Dictatorship, engaged in conducting the final struggle of the defense against the government's sin working class against the capitalist class-not, however, its own capitalist class, for ister terrorism smear, which could send that has been conquered, but International Capitalism. Until International Capitalism is her to prison for up to 40 years. We overthrown,. Proletarian Dictatorship will not, cannot end .... urge our readers to help pack the Bolshevism is Socialism arrived at the point of social revolution-at the dictatorship courthouse in a show of solidar of the proletariat foretold by Karl Marx. ity with Lynne Stewart and her co -"John Reed on Bolshevism," Workers'World, 5 September 1919 defendants Mohammed Yousry and Ahmed Abdel Sattar. The trial re sumed at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Octo ber 25, in United States District Court, 40 Foley Square in New York City, AP courtroom 110. implied association, as "terrorists." As the attorney for sheik Omar The prosecution of Lynne Stewart, !~!!!l!J!ll/:!f!!!.~!!.1!.. ~ Abdel Rahman, a reactionary Egyp her translator and her paralegal is a DIRECTOR OF PARTY PUBLICATIONS: Alison Spencer EDITOR: Alan Wilde tian cleric imprisoned for life on frame-up that threatens everyone. If EDITOR. YOUNG SPARTACUS PAGES: Michael Davisson charges stemming from the 1993 attorneys can't provide legal defense CIRCULATION MANAGER: Jeff Thomas bombing of the World Trade Center, for the accused without being accused EDITORIAL BOARD: Rosemary Palenque (managing editor), Susan Fuller (production manager), Lynne Stewart, and her co-defendants, of the crimes themselves, then every Bruce Andre, Jon Brule, Helen Cantor, Paul Cone, George Foster, Kathleen Harris, Walter Jennings, are themselves now charged with aid one's right to legal defense from James Robertson, Joseph Seymour ing and abetting terrorism. In the per government prosecution is threatened. The Spartacist League is the U.S. Section of the International Communist League manent shadow of the heinous 2001 (Fourth Internationalist). Workers Vanguard has covered this Workers Vanguard (ISSN 0276-0746) published biweekly, except skipping three alternate issues in June, July and destruction of the World Trade Center case and its broader implications (see August (beginning with omitting the second issue in June) and with a 3-week interval in December, by the Spartacist Pub in lower Manhattan, the prosecution WV No. 829, 9 July for our latest arti lishing Co., 299 Broadway, Suite 318, New York, NY 10007. Telephone: (212) 732-7862 (Editorial), (212) 732-7861 (BUSiness). Address all correspondence to: Box 1377, GPO, New York, NY 10116. E-mail address:[email protected]. has outrageously been allowed to cle) and will cover Stewart's defense Domestic subscriptions: $10.00/22 issues. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY. POSTMASTER: Send address present even Osama bin Laden as in upcoming issues of the paper. changes to Workers Vangt,lard, Box 1377, GPO, New York, NY 10116. Opinions expressed in signed articles or letters do not necessarily express the editorial viewpoint. a "witness," showing the jury old vid Come to the courthouse! Make a The closing.date for news in this issue is 26 October. eotapes of bin Laden which have donation to the Lynne Stewart nothing to dQ with Stewart, Yousry Defense Committee, 350 Broadway, or Sattar, yet tar them, by lyingly Suite 700, New York, NY 10013. No. 835 29 October 2004
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On 3 November 1979, in broad state whose forces he1ped to orches daylight, nine carloads of Klansmen trate the killings in the first place. and Nazis drove up to a black hous "Reconciliation" with the. forces of ing project in Greensboro, North Greensboro Massacre: racist reaction and with the capi Carolina, where an anti-Klan rally talist rulers who keep the fascist was gathering. With cool delibera bands in reserve to unleash against tion, the killers took out their weap the working class in times of social ons, aimed, fired and drove off. Five We Will Not Forget! crisis can only serve to politically union officials and organizers and disarm and demobilize workers and civil rights activists-supporters of the oppressed in the face of fascist the Communist Workers Party-lay terror. dying in pools of blood. Ten others We honor the Greensboro mar were wounded or maimed for life. tyrs-Cesar Cauce, Michael Nathan, The Greensboro Massacre was the Bill Sampson, Sandi Smith and bloodiest fascist attack in the U.S. in James Waller-as well as the many decades. others who were wounded that Greensboro was a conspiracy of November day. They take their place the fascists and their capitalist state among a proud roster of fighters for patrons. From the outset, the fascists the working people and oppressed were aided and abetted by the gov before them, whose memory must be ernment, from the Bureau of Alco seared into the consciousness of the hol, Tobacco and Firearms agent who working class. helped train the killers and plot the Citing the executions of the Hay assassinations, to the "former" FBI market martyrs in 18'87 and of Joe informer who rode shotgun in the Hill in 1915 and the brutal 1919 motorcade of death and the Greens attack and subsequent frame-ups of boro cop who brought up the rear. Industrial Workers of the World mem When the two-minute fusillade bers in Centralia, Washington on the ended, the cops moved in to arrest one hand and the greatest victory for the survivors for "rioting." the international working class, the Signe Waller, widow of Greens Greensboro Daily News Russian Revolution of 7 November boro martyr Jim Waller, recounted, 1979: Five supporters of the Communist Workers Party, including union organizers, 1917, on the other, James Cannon, "The FBI had men going around the were shot and killed by Klan and Nazi terrorists, abetted by cops and Feds. then secretary of the International textile mills and showil)g people pic Labor Defense and later founder of tures, asking for their identification. Many of the pictures when KKK and fascist provocations have been threat American Trotskyism, wrote in "The Red Month of were of people who were later killed in the Greensboro ened, we have repeatedly brought out core battalions of November" (Labor Defender, November 1927): Massacre, and one of them was Jim's" (The Carolinian black and labor militants who understand we can't ignore "A red stream runs through the month of November, mark Online, 18 October). Two successive all-white juries the fascists and Klan-we must stop them. ing in its course many struggles of the working class of acquitted the killers of all charges, affirming once again In recent years, efforts to commemorate the Greens this country, here with defeat there with victory, always with the meaning of "justice" in this racist capitalist country. boro Massacre have been directed toward establishing a inspiring record of working class courage, exemplary in its Carried out during the Democratic Carter administra noble devotion to the cause of the oppressed, magnificent "Truth and Reconciliation Commission," which was. incidents of solidarity and self-sacrifice, instructive mile tion, the Greensboro Massacre was the opening shot of empanelled in June, and on November 13 a march "for stones along the difficult road to liberation. It is a record what would be the Reagan years' war on labor and Justice, Democracy and Reconciliation" will be held in to sharpen the hatred of labor to jailors and assassins, to blacks. When the Klan announced it would "celebrate" Greensboro. The commission is modeled on the South increase the respect and pride we have for our fighters." this massacre on November 10 in Detroit, the Spartacist African commission, which has served to whitewash the We remember and honor the Greensboro martyrs League initiated a labor/black mobilization that drew crimes of apartheid-era butchers and to assure a peaceful by fighting for the freedom of imprisoned victims over 500, many of them black auto workers, who made transition to neo-apartheid rule under the ANC (African of capitalist state repression, like death row political sure that the Klan did not ride in the Motor City. In organ National Congress), which continues the superexploita prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. We honor them by fight izing the protest we had to overcome opposition from the tion and oppression of the black and other non-white ing to build a revolutionary workers party that will fight union and black misleaders and face down a ban on anti masses. to put the working class in power through a socialist Klan marches ordered by black Democratic mayor Cole The Greensboro Massacre was racist murder. The revolution that will make sure there will be no more man Young. In city after city over the following years, truth is that no justice can come from the same capitalist Greensboros .•
Editorial Note Army Reservists Refuse "Suicide Mission"
fend the peoples of Iraq against U.S. u.s. Out of Iraq!-- attack!" and call for the immediate, un conditional withdrawal of all U.S. troops On October 13, 18 reservists of the not surprising. Though the American mil from Iraq. Not one person, not one penny 343rd Quartermaster Company refused to itary is volunteer, its ranks are made for the imperialist military! Insofar as the drive their trucks, bearing jet fuel of ques up largely of working-class, black and Iraqi forces on the ground aim their tionable quality, from the Tallil air base in minority youth who join overwhelmingly attacks against the occupation forces, we the relatively secure Shi'ite south of Iraq for economic incentives (what is known stand for their military defense against into the current inferno of resistance as the "economic draft"). And within that U.S. imperialism, no matter how reac around Baghdad. Their reasons were both context, black soldiers have historically tionary the politics of these Iraqi forces mundane and compelling. Assigned to been saddled with some of the most dan may be. Every blow inflicted against the drive decrepit vehicles without a sem gerous, and dirty, work. For the capitalist occupation forces is in the interest of blance of armoring and denied other mil rulers, whether in pursuit of imperialism workers and the oppressed around the itary support or even radios to communi abroad or profits at home, the lives of world, as well as being in the interests of cate should they encounter difficulties, black working people are utterly expend those soldiers who despise the predatory the 18, led in their resistance by a 24-year able. At the same time, with a stretched and imperialist cause for which they have Arm/veteran, Staff Sgt. Michael Butler, military where reservists in their forties been mobilized in. Iraq. saw their mission as a potential death are called up for duty, and where those At the same time, we do not groove on march. For months, members of the com whose tours of duty have expired are the deaths of American soldiers. Whatever pany had complained to their officers, the forced to remain in Iraq (what the mili the political sympathies of the reservists rs "chain of command," about these con tary euphemistically calls "stop-loss"), who disobeyed their orders, their act rep Mildred McHugh joins other military ditions. That mattered not. The view of there is palpable resentment among the resented a cry of the cannon fodder refus families at June press conference assorted experts polled by the ever-so troops. The New York Times (24 October) ing to be the cannon fodder. And it is his in support of Michael Moore film objective New York Times (17 October) as quoted a lance corporal saying, "The torically the refusal to die that has sparked Fahrenheit 9/11. to whether soldiers can justly disobey funny thing that we laugh at sometimes is some of the most heroic resistance by sol such an order was encapsulated most suc that the terrorists and us want the same diers to their imperialist militaries. U.S.-now stands as the candidate who, cinctly by Eugene R. Fidell, a teacher of thing. We don't want to be here and they The ongoing bloody military offensives more vigorously than Bush, would "finish military justice at the Harvard Law don't want us here." It is because they against rebellious cities in Iraq are in the the job" in Iraq. The situation requires the School: "The short answer to the question want their loved ones back home tBat mil service of suppressing an anti-occupation forging of a working-class party in the is no." The "chain of command" is much itary families have been prominent in struggle that is just and defensive. For his U.S. to marshal the forces of all those like the one in the tank of a toilet: once antiwar demonstrations in the U.S. part, Kerry, who opposed the Vietnam War opposed to injustice, exploitation and pulled, the fundamental motion is down. We have a side in the current occupa many years ago-at a time when signifi oppression to overturn the bloodsoaked The fact that two of the targeted lead tion, as we did during the war-against cant sections of both parties acknowl imperialist order. Defeat U.S. imperialism ers of the 18 reservists are black men is bloody U.S. imperialism. We say, "De- edged it had become a losing war for the through workers revolution!. 29 OCTOBER 2004 3 London: Anarchist Protests Enrage SocialD~mocrats Uproar at European Social Forum
LONDON, October 24-The European even this labour apologist for imperialist Britain due to the racist immigration pol selves to be more than equal to the Social Forum (ESF) came to London last occupation has the right to be heard-and icies of the Labour government. bureaucratism and thuggery of the SWP weekend, bringing in over 20,000 people, to be vigorously challenged-as proletar In his first campaign for the mayor's whom they so despise. As soon as our overwhelmingly from continental Europe. ian revolutionary internationalist oppo seat in London, Livingstone backed a comrades set up a literature table outside But those who bought into the standard nents of the imperialist occupiers, our massive police assault on young May the Wombles' alternative event, "Beyond ESF promise that "another world is sympathies lie with the protesters. At the Day 2000 "anti-capitalist" protesters who ESF," at a North London campus, the possible" found themselves trapped in same time we can't help but note that had suitably and irreverently decorated a organisers shut it down, grabbing our "Ken's World." That is Ken Livingstone, there were no protests against the Brit statue of imperialist butcher Winston papers and telling us to get "that Sparta New Labour's Mayor of London. This ish trade-union tops like Dave Prentis Churchill. This didn't stop the likes of the cist shit" out of here. They howled anti event was bankrolled, orchestrated and of Unison, who also spoke at the ESF. SWP, Workers Power and the Socialist communist abuse and, with no sense of tightly controlled by the Mayor's office Prentis was among the union bureaucrats Party from campaigning for Livingstone, irony, condemned us as "authoritarian" with the able assistance of supporters of who invited the IFTU to the Labour and who has subsequently vastly augmented while hounding us out of the grounds of Socialist Action who are highly paid a public campus. Nonetheless we defend executives in his administration and the them against the forces of the capitalist unpaid services of the Socialist Workers state and the scurrilous charges being Party (SWP). This "anti-capitalist" shin hurled by the SWP. dig was so tame that it was endorsed by Blood Line in Genoa the labour statesmen and House of Lords hopefuls of the Trades Union Congress In the aftermath of the ESF, Alex (TUC). At the recent Labour Party con Callinicos in Socialist Worker despicably ference the TUC tops were instrumental revived the slander campaign against the in defeating a motion calling for with anarchists that blamed them for the drawal of British troops from Iraq. police-state violence that led to the mur Amidst the ongoing carnage in Iraq der of protester Carlo Giuliani in Genoa under the savage occupation by ,U.S. and in 2001. He writes: "There was a down British imperialist forces, a plenary ses side to the ESF. There were a few ugly sion on the opening ~ay of the ESF fea incidents that marked the re-emergence tured a stooge of the imperialists' stooge of the anarchist Black Block whose thug government, Sobhi AI-Mashadani, repre gish behaviour during the Genoa pro senting the Iraq Federation of Trade tests of July 200 I played so disastrously Unions (IFTU). The IFTU achieved noto into the hands of the police" (Socialist riety at the Labour Party conference as a Worker, 23 October). As exposed in a 19 shill for Tony Blair and British impe October statement by the Italian COBAS rialism. Invited by British trade-union unions, marshals at the October 17 ESF bureaucrats, IFTU representative Abdul London, October 17: Some 75,000 march in opposition to imperialist occu- demonstration sponsored by the SWP lah Muhsin's intervention was key to pation of Iraq. . dominated Stop the War Coalition called defeating the motion calling for early the cops on anarchists and others who withdrawal of British troops from Iraq. In TUC conferences. These labour lieuten the notoriously racist London police wanted to inform the crowd that anar an (undated) open letter to "trade union ants of capitalism were the real shills for force. During the mayoral election cam chists had been arrested on the way to the delegates at the Labour Party confer British imperialism-and hardly for the paign this summer, the SWP's Lindsey march. From their vantage point at the ence," Muhsin argued that "the multi first time: It was their votes that saved German stood as a candidate for the front of the march, representatives of the national force is there to help our democ Blair from embarrassment at the Labour Respect Coalition, and once again called COBAS unions wrote: racy" and opposed the call for the early Party conference by defeating the motion for second preference votes to Living "The closing rally for the European withdrawal of troops, saying it "would be opposing the occupation. stone. Back in the days when he waS Social Forum in London has been deeply bad for my country, bad for the emerging known as "Red" Ken, Livingstone played marred by the intolerable behaviour of A Very British Coup footsie with Gerry Healy's Workers Rev the British Organising Committee, and in progressive forces, a terrible blow for free particular by the forces that dominate it: trade unionism, and would play into the The following night a grouP. of 150- olutionary Party, which played a central the Socialist Workers Party, Socialist hands of extremists and terrorists." 200 anarchists staged their own "palace role in the anti-Communist witchhunt Action (the group behind London's Now the IFTU was being trotted out at coup" at Alexandra Palace, the citadel of of miners union leader Arthur S cargill , Mayor Ken Livingstone) and some trade the ESF for a session calling to "End the Livingstone's ESF. Marching into a meet feeding former prime minister Margaret unions. Several hundred young people Thatcher's efforts to smash the militant coming from the 'autonomous spaces' ... occupation of Iraq"! Small wonder that ing where Livingstone was scheduled to were coming to the demonstration when enraged Iraqi exiles and others kicked up speak, the anarchists got on the platform, miners union on the eve of its heroic the police attacked them making four a storm of protest against AI-Mashadani. hoisted banners reading "Ken's Party War 1984-85 strike. Today a lighter shade of arrests (two Italians and two Greeks). As Iraqi novelist Haifa Zangana, who had Party" and "Another World Is for Sale." red, Livingstone has been welcomed back "Despite the insistent requests from encouraged people to protest, argued: "If Various anarchist speakers addressed the into the fold of Blair's New Labour Party the Italian delegation at the head of the as its Mayor of London, from which seat march to demand their liberation, the he is the trade union secretary he should assembled for about half an hour, protest British Committee did not say a word. have been elected by the workers but he ing about harassment by Livingstone's he aimed to bust a strike by London "At the end of the march, when trying to has been appointed by the government. cops and the FBI seizure of Indymedia Underground subway workers this sum give news of these events from the stage, He is part of the puppetry" ([London] servers in Britain and elsewhere (see WV mer, calling on RMT members to cross we discovered that access to this was Guardian, 18 October). No. 834, 15 October). A statement was their own picket lines. restricted to the British Committee .... In the aftermath, the TUC issued a pub also read out by Babels Co-ordinators, Presumably having been tipped off "At this point the young people pre viously surrounded by police were try lic statement condemning "the attempts an organisation of voluntary interpreters, about the protest, Livingstone didn't ing to access the stage, upsetting the of a few to prevent the views of Iraqi which protested that some of their fellow show his face at the Alexandra Palace stewards of the rally, who called the trade unionists from being heard." While interpreters were barred from entering meeting. Incensed that the anarchists had police provoking further arrests, bringing rained on Livingstone's and their parade, the total to a number of nine." " leading SWPer Weyman Bennett, who continued on page J J chaired the meeting, tried to violence-bait This pamphlet presents a compre and race-bait the anarchists. But even the hensive historical analysis of the ori bourgeois Guardian-which had special gins of anarchism and the views of its status as "media partner of the ESF" and WO~RS~qS leading figures through the 1871 Paris thus was hardly sympathetic to the pro ..laIteur. ....·s ...... 1eft Commune and the split in the First test-noted (18 October) that "Saturday Fir Iree abonlon on delland! International. Later articles discuss the night's storming of the stage by several pre-World War I period and the impact ~~~~ ;!:.~~~ §"i'~~ hundred people denouncing mayor of of the war, the 1917 October Revo ~ggf;~ §?~~~ ~'~' jlaH>· itT J lution and the founding of the Com London Ken Livingstone for hijacking munist International on the anarchist the event reflected genuine anger about and syndicalist movements. the way the event had been organised." The first article addresses radical After their half-hour political protest the youth today who. in an ideological anarchists led a walkout from the ESF climate conditioned by the so-called and the meeting continued. "death of communism." are drawn For our part, we have to give the anar to all variants of anarchism. Green chists an "A" for audacity for protesting radicalism and left liberalism. The Livingstone and trying to lead a walkout pamphlet is dedicated to the fight from the bureaucratic reformist circus of to win a new generation to revolu the ESF. At the same time we have to Marxist newspaper of the tionary Marxism, the communism point out that they are hardly an alterna Spartacist League/Britain which animated Lenin and Trotsky's tive politically, and certainly not to the £311 year Bolshevik Party. "authoritarianism" they claim to disdain. International rate: $10-Airmail $2 (56 pClfles) On the contrary, when it comes to anti Order from/make checks payable to; Spartacist Publications Make checks payable: Spartacist Publishing Co., Box 1377 GPO, New York, NY 10116 communist exclusion, the anarchist group PO Box 1041, London NW5 aEU, England ing known as the Wombles proved them- 4 WORKERS VANGUARD High School Students Drive Military Recruiters Off Campus
uniform so it was not immediately clear tary entourage stormed out, and the place cation. He concluded by saying that it is who the colonel was when he got up went up in cheers! Jesse Sharkey, a necessary to build a revolutionary workers to speak; once it became apparent, the teacher at the school and a writer for the Chicago party that can lead the socialist revolution. ... boos began. SYCers shouted, "Military International Socialist Organization's We in the Spartacist League and SYC off campus!", "ROTC off campus!" and (ISO) Socialist Worker, later wrote on fight for the working class to break from This article is based on a report by a . , booed as he tried to speak. One parent got Savesenn.org: "I personally appealed to all parties of capital. NION and the ISO, Spartacist comrade on an October 5 up and shouted something that no one Alderman Smith and David Pickens that both of whom had members in atten meeting at Senn High School, a heavily' could hear, but the whole audience knew I would help restore order in the meet dance, proved during the antiwar move immigrant and minority public school on he was going after the military so they ing if they would take community ques ment that they do just the opposite. All Chicago's North Side. broke out into loud applause. tions and comments." But most of the the antiwar protest organizers (Inter It's not every day you get to drive the Realizing his attempts to "talk sense" parents and studenrs were less inclined to national ANSWER, NION, United for military off campus!· Around 800 stu to the crowd were going nowhere, Colo compromise. Peace and Justice-a coalition which dents, parents, teachers and other activists nel Mills decided to show a Navy promo Sharkey started chairing an open mike. includes both the'ISO and NION) worked poured into the auditorium of Senn High tional video. As soon as it started we Many of the students and parents spoke to tum the demonstrations into platforms School, where Colonel Rick Mills, alder man Mary Ann Smith and Chicago Pub lic Schools (CPS) Deputy CEO David Pickens were trying to sell a proposal to tum part of Senn into a naval academy. They encountered more than they bar gained for when the angry audience drove the military out of the meeting. There are already two high schools that are military academies around the city the most notable one being the predomi nantly black Bronzeville~ on Chicago's South Side, whose signature is strict dis cipline, with students parading around in military uniform. As in many other cities, there are also Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) programs in many of the high schools. The auditorium was filled with indig nant students, parents, some youth from the Revolutionary Communist Party-built Not In Our Name (NION) and our com rades from the Chicago SYC and Sparta lndymedia photos cist League. Many people were standing Hundreds of outraged students and activists pack Senn High School up holding protest signs in different lan auditorium; protesting planned takeover of part of school by Navy. guages (a reflection of the diversity of the high school). A group of youth marched began chanting "Tum it offl", which was passionately against the plan. The com for the liberal wing of the Democratic through the auditorium holding their taken 'up by people around us. Soon the ments were largely focused on saving Party-the party of Hiroshirfia, Nagasaki signs up high. While most signs were auditorium was filled with the chant: "We Senn, but many speakers also tied in and the escalatiqn of the Vietnam War. calling to "Save Senn" and "Protect say no!" They were forced to stop the broader remarks against the occupation Democratic "doves," the Green Party and Diversity," there were signs against the video temporarily. Somehow the princi and the military. When we got our tum, independent capitalist PQliticians like occupation of Iraq and the "Renaissance pal managed to quiet everyone down. SYC member Tim Valentine began by Ralph Nader-the ISO's candidate of 20 I 0" plan, a program designed to close They turned the video back on, and we saying that we are opposed to the militar choice in 2000 and 2004-talk peace down the I 00 "worst performing" schools started chanting again. Soon the entire ization of Senn, and that the audience only fo get antiwar youth off the streets in the city (i.e., poor and predominantly audience was iuan uproar; we all joined should commend· themselves for driving and into the voting booth. black) and replace them with union in chanting "We say no!" Some people in off the military. He argued that you can't After the auditorium was pretty much busting charter schools (see "Charter the front stood up and turned their backs rely on the Democrats to stop the militar cleared out, a comrade peeked into the Schools: An Attack on Public Education," to the video and signaled for everyone to ization of Senn, and that it is Democratic auditorium and saw a small crowd of Workers Vangllard No. 825, 30 April). do the same. Within minutes, still chant mayor Richard Daley pushing the attack angry, primarily minority, youth and, 10 The CPS official was first to speak, ing, everyone's back was turned. ~n public education. He called for free and behold, the colonel in the middle receiving catcalls and scattered shouts The alderman was fuming, the video quality educationfor all and spoke about he had crept back in and was now in a until the principal calmed everyone was stopped and the official meeting the need for the working class in Chicago heated discussion. One young woman down;t~'~fl1iHtary guys didn't come in broke down. The colonel and his mili- to take up the 'fight to defend public edu- angrily denounced the colonel and told him to f--- himself; the other youth burst into cheers. Outside, we continued to sell our paper and distribute the SYC Ten Point Program, talking with youth and 'UNITE HERE Strike Support Rally Endorsers parents about how these attacks take place in the context of the American rul~ 26 October 2004 Labor Black League for Social Defense, Oakland ing class'!; increasing imperialist aggres To the editors of Young Spartacus: L. Paz, Department Chair, Philippine Studies Department, sion internationally and the "war on ter CCSF* In the otherwise very fine article in WV No. 834 about our ror" at home. As was shown by th~se work building the united-front rally on October 7 at City Col PEACE, Philipinos for Education Arts Culture and hundreds of angry parents, teachers and lege of San Francisco (CCSF) for victory to the UNITE HERE Empowerment, CCSF - students who sent the colonelimd com hotel workers strike, there was one regrettable omission. Maxwell Raynard, President, Anarchist College, CCSF* pany packing, many people have less While the article described the types of groups that endorsed Revolution Youth than no desire to kill or be killed for the rally, it did not list them all by name. This is the list of Arjuna Sayyed, Vice President of Cultural Affairs, U.S. imperialist interests. U.S. military: endorsers in full: Associated Students Council of CCSF* hands off Senn High School! The Sparta Adam Fetterman, Vice President of Finance, Associated Spartacus Youth Club cus Youth Clubs fight for free,quality, Students CouncH of CCSF* Darren Villegas, Treasurer, La Raza Unida, CCSF ' integrated public education for all! Alan Fisher, Executive Board Member, American Federation Women United, CCSF Defeat the racist assaults on affirmative of Teachers, Local 2121 * *Organizationai affiliation for identification purposes only. action-no to cutbacks! Kick military Chr,is Kendrick, Treasurer, Anarchist Library, CCSF* Comradely, . recruiters off high school and college La Raza Unida, CCSF ' Spartacus Youth Club at CCSF campuses! Down with the U.S. colonial occupation of Iraq! • 29 OCTOBER 2004 5 The Struggle Against Parliamentarism, Sectarianism Communist Policy in Bourgeois Elections
We print below a slightly edited denied any possibility of ever working as educational presentation given by com ULEFT» COllUNISt a legal party. Second, the CPA and CLP rade Mary Ann Clemens to the Bay Area A. I.f •• ,it .. 1), •• ,-4 ... refused on principle to work inside the Spartacus Youth Club on 21 October reactionary trade unions and instead 2003. Though delivered at the time of called for forming ideologically untainted the California gubernatorial recall elec~ ., NICOLAI I.£IfIN "red" unions (a policy known as "dual tion last autumn, the material comrade unionism"). Their line on trade unions Clemens presented is quite relevant to was pretty much "Destroy the AFL!" The the upcoming general elections and y American Federation of Labor's program beyond. The presentation fleshes out our was "partnership" between the capitalists own use of the tactic of critical support and the workers. Now, the AFL's base in California last fall. At the time, we " •• h ••• 4 .,. "TNt TOH.(..'" was among the skilled crafts. As a rule, it wrote in WV No. 810 (26 September did not try to organize the unskilled in 2003): mass industrial unions, and many of the "We originally decided to abstain on the AFL's unions discriminated against black recall because we want neither to sup workers. port a capitalist politician, -in this case the Democratic governor, nor to implic Third, the CPA and CLP refused to itly support a capitalist (likely Republi fight for partial demands in the course of can) replacement. The SWP's election the struggle for s~cialism and regarded platform, which presents, in however that as trimming their program. And last crude a way, aworking-class line, allows us to make concrete and clear-cut our but not least, they were bitterly antipar P.A.Otsup Iiamentarist-they wouldn't be caught . opposition to Davis while at the same Lenin wrote "Left-Wing" Communism: An Infantile Disorder for Second time expressing our opposition to the dead in the same room with a member of Republicans' attempted electoral coup." Comintern Congress (1920) to guide interventions into mass reformist workers parties-including use of electoral tactics-to split them, win Congress, much less think of running for workers to communism. legislative office. These politics were * * * quite similar to those of Amadeo Bordiga, In preparing this class, in view of the bourgeoisie paid back these struggles in lish-the membership were Lithuanians, a left-winger in the Italian SP who became an early leader of the Italian party's attitude and our change in position kind, wjth massive repression. As a result Ukrainians, Letts (Latvians); Estonian~.- . CornmunistPal'ty: and.who~~~ on the California recall election, it of the "Palmer raids," a centerpiece of the Poles, Russians, etc., who had grown up important role at the Second World Con- occurred to me that we are dealing with American ruling class' "red scare," the in the clandestine conditions of heavy gress of the Communist International. much more than the lessons of Lenin's government imprisoned large numbers of handed repression in the tsarist empire. The stilI separate organizations selected "Left-Wing" Communism: An Infantile militant leftists and labor activists and j The other leading figure was the radical Fraina and Reed as delegates to the Sec Disorder. This book, and our recent expe deported numerous foreign-born leftists journalist John Reed, and James P. Can ond Congress. FirstReed and then Fraina rience, raise the question of the ABCs: under the infamous "criminal syndical non, the future American Trotskyist took off on the months-long, dangerous What is communist work? What is our ism" laws. The bosses played the race leader, soon joined him. Reed's organ trip to Moscow. In the meantime, the job about? These questions were fought card for all it was worth, too. The year ization was the Communist Labor Party struggle for the fusion of these two Amer out in the newly formed Communist 1919 saw the Chicago anti-black pogrom, (CLP). The problem was that they had ican groups and against their ultraleft pol International (Comintern) and its devel as well as many others across the coun split from the SP too soon, cutting thefn itics raged at the urging of Lenin and the oping 'member parties. So I thQught it try. In Chicago, the backdrop was a bit selves off from a layer of socialists, Communist International. The Comintern would be helpful to start by giving a brief terly fought organizing drive in the meat many of whom could have been won had to win this fight if a Communist Party idea of where the American party came packing industry, during which the bosses over to communism by a resolute politi was to be built id the U.S. James P. Can from. used racism as a wedge between black cal struggle within the Socialist Party. non was the first of the American leaders and white workers. who began to get it. He gave a powerful 1919 There was tumult in the socialist Sterile Ultraleftism speech against dual unionism at a U.S. 1919 was a busy year in the inter movement in 1919. A major realignment They were for class· struggle, all right, convention in May 1920. And at that con national workers movement. It was the of the left was taking place around this but the politics of both of these young vention, the CLP and a split from the CPA height of the wave of post-World War I time all over Europe. In the U.S., the left communist groups can be characteri£ed fused to form the United Communist international labor radicalism, inspired wing split precipitously from the Ameri as sterile ultraleftism. They had been Party. This is a month before the Second by the Russian October Revolution. can Socialist Party (SP). In this country, much influenced by two Dutch social Congress and a month before Lenin pub The "Spartacus" uprising of revolution LOUIS Fraina was one of the two main democratic "left-wingers," Anton Panne lished "Left-Wing" Communism. ary workers took place in Germany; the figures in the American left-wing social koek and Hermann Gorter, and by Dan short-lived Hungarian Soviet Republic ist milieu. He founded the Communist tel De Leon of the American Socialist The Second Congress of was founded and crushed. The Commu Party of America (CPA). Seven foreign Labor Party. the Communist International nist International was founded. Amid the language federations from the SP domi So what did the CPA and CLP do? In wave of strikes that swept through the nated his organization. The workers in response to the vicious assaults of the News of the fights going ~njp tl;le lJ.S. didn't reach Moscow until the Congress U.S. was the Seattle general strike. The this organization didn'tspeak much Eng- Palmer raids, they ~ent underground and was in full swing. So Reed and Fraina both hit town in a fighting mood, each operating with an agenda to "get the fran chise" from the ~omintern as the official U.S. section. Reed was hot to wage battle against the Comintern's position in favor of working in the reactionary trade unions. He argued with the Comintern leadership and proposed from the floor of the Congress a change in the agenda, so the discussion on pariiamentarism would come before that on the trade unions and shop committees. He also wanted English added as an official language for this point. His motion was defeated on the floor, but, in fact, the agenda was reor ganized pretty much as de proposed. As for the reports, the Comintern leadership requested that Reed prepare a report on the Negro question in the U.S. Fraina got 1919 strike wave in U.S., inspired by Russian Revolution, was answered by severe state repression, racist reaction. Left: the assignment to make the report on the IWW militants deported following Palmer Raids. Race riots in Chicago helped break union organizing drive (right). trade-union question. 6 WORKERS VANGUARD Bourgeois historians like Theodore aCD always bought into the myth of universal Draper like to portray the whole debate ::;: pro-war enthusiasm in the European with Reed as an emotional power strug '"CD population at the outbreak of World S:;y gle. But the discussion on the American ([) War I, and exaggerated the extent of the black question that the Comintern leader u; hysterical social-patriotism and social ship insistently organized with Reed as chauvinism. The tops of the European reporter was also a historic moment in the Socialist parties and the trade unions developnient of American Communism. linked arms with the bourgeoisie in this The Bolsheviks struggled with the Amer orgy after 4 August 1914. The skilled John Reed, ican Communist~ to make a complete 1917, shortly workers, who constituted an important break from the indifference to black before going to part of the base of the German SPD, were oppression and eVen outright racism of Russia to report most prone to the SPD leaders' logic that significant e:ements of the Socialist Party. on unfolding "we are defending our national borders as They taught the Americans that the workers the borders in which to build German struggle to address the black question was revolution. socialism," etc. But the pro-war outpour the key to the American revolution. The ing did not include the broad industrial Comintern leadership exhibited great working class. In the 1990s, a couple of skill in using the American delegates as books came out examining working-class resource~ in the struggles over the great physically incapable of...serving in the class" was supposed to encompass all response in Germany to the outbreak of questions before them. They changed the army. So in this epoch it was possible to political tendencies of the proletariat, the war. The newspaper reports and pho agenda of the American delegates, guided fight for major, lasting reforms. This including reformism. Between 1905 and tographs of big pro-war demonstrations the trade-union discussion carefully and is where, for example, fights origi 1914, the European workers organiza in the major cities, the proletarian con gave Reed quite a different and unique nated, later waged by the German social tions fractured and regrouped within their centrations, show only the upper classes responsibility. The international leader ists, against child labor, for protective parties into three main camps. In the and reactionary students! The workers ship saw to it that he gave the Congress legislation for women, for disability insur- right-wing camp were those who had remained tense but subdued, since their and the American Communist movement . ance, for a shorter workday, universal suf become servants of the capitalist system, leaders, including the left-wingers in the best he had to offer. frage, etc. and on the left, there were those, looking the Socialist parties, were in disarray. Bolshevik leader Nikolai Bukharin's But gradually, the Socialist Party appa to the 1905 Revolution in Russia, who Without leadership, the workers eventu report at the Second Congress of the ratuses, with a large fraction of their had become instruments of the class ally became demoralized. (See Jeffrey Comintern, the "Theses on the Commu leading cadre respectably sitting in par struggle. And in the middle was the "cen Verhey, The Spirit of 1914: The Myth of nist Parties and Parliamentarism" and the liaments and with intimate ties to the pro ter;' led by people like Karl Kautsky, who Enthusiasm and the Rhetoric of Unity in intervention of the Bulgarian delegate, capitalist trade-union tops, grew together acted as a barrier between the base and World War I Germany [PhD thesis, Uni Shablin, are well worth reading. Bukha with state agencies. Daniel De Leon, for revolutionary Marxism. The Social Dem versity of California at Berkeley, 1991 ].) rin, in explaining the theses: counter all his sectarian politics, was a great ocratic parliamentary fractions reflected But even after the Socialist leaderships' poses the previous epoch, the rise of political leader of his time, and he that polarization. betrayal and the mass slaughter of the industrial capitalism'in Europe in the last commanded considerable respect from Splitting the Socialist parties wasn't so war, the Socialist parties retained impor- decades of the 19th century, to the new Lenin-De Leon coined the term we use epoch of imperialism. Bukharin explains today, "labor lieutenants of the capitalist the process of bureaucratization of the class," to characterize the trade-union Socialist parties toward the end of the bureaucrats. Bukharin puts it like this: Dtr J;aupdtlnd "tbl 1m tl9tlltn [and! last epoch. The parties focused increas "What the reformists refer to as a grow ingly on getting more and more votes ing over into socialism was the working fiaI.!ntIOIll_.... W_ ....'It£;otllno1 ... ;,)tIk~II8 ...t ...,.bt.,'-I-...... s."... ",tooel .... "'...-._.iIl ...... Nr~ ....' .""·I"~U"' ...loII6".blt.IIt ... ult .. l· .'I~"h. tkI*ItII .. __u.) oIl ! ""'4111"" Il''''''~'''' ..... and putting more socialist delegates in class and the workers' organizations 1r"lIoRhootfo,.lItTtt~""'1!cat""lIoboIo .... ~n_ ... ..-... " ...... , q.""m.""' .... _""'" .... ~ .. ""'"_1) .. f;f,""""'n."U".n~n.a-.c.... 5oIcrriotI.'""" ...... ,.. ~I!I""'''- ...... parliament, to force through more and growing over into the bourgeois state ...... II
...... el bI". _ ~ 1111._", ___ 6 ••••• dard of the working class. in Lenin's Time-Proceedings and Docu 1h ... ~ .. kll''''''''' ..utr .. ""• .,...... \dI 29 OCTOBER 2004 7 rural life; otherwise you risk turning into nothing but windbags." Parliamentarism ... -v.I. Lenin, "Leji-Wing" (continued from page 7) Communism: An Infantile Disorder, 1920, Collected that must be used as a multiplier to make Works Vol. 31 (1966) the revolutionary program known and respected. Parliament is for us a forum The Task of Communists to be used as Karl Liebknecht did, to pose On the question of "dual unions" and every question from the standpoint of the refusal of many ultralefts to work in the interests of the working class and the reactionary trade unions, Lenin oppressed, so that our program reaches pointed to the source of their error. They millions. When you read "Left-Wing" equated the pro-capitalist tops of the Communism and documents such as unions with their base-which consisted the "Organizational Resolution" ("Guide then as now ~f various strata of workers lines on the Organizational Structure of whom the communists are obligated to Communist Parties, on the Methods and reach. Content of Their Work," adopted by the The central task of the communists, Third Congress of the Comintern, 1921, from which the need for a vanguard parly Prometheus Research Series No. ] [1988]), arises, is to bring communist conscious there is a big emphasis on the combina Party leaders at Second Comintern Congress, 1920. From left: Serrati, ness into the class from the outside. Of tion of iJ1egal and legal work. You have to Trotsky, Paul Levi of Germany, Comintern president Zinoviev. itself, without this intervention of the remember that for the Bolsheviks, work party, the subjective .fac,tQ~,.i)l history, ing under conditions of illegality, their The "Organizational Resolution" from known as the "Left Abstentionist Opposi the working class cannot attain socialist participation in the Duma (the Russian the Third Congress of the Comintern tion." Bordiga performed a very useful consciousness spontaneously, but at most parliament) was the main arena of legal • states: function at the Congress, giving a minor develops trade-union consciousness work where members of the Bolsheviks "For a communist party there is no time ity report on parliamentarism. His argu which is still bourgeois consciousness. could be publicly identified with the when the party organization cannot be ments served as a good foil for the discus That means that their consciousne~s is lim party. politically active. The organizational sion on ultraleftism. ite<;l to negotiating the terms of wage slav The Bolsheviks recognized that the exploitation of every political and eco ery as opposed to the consciousness of the nomic situation, and of every change in Bordiga's reaction to the Bolsheviks' tsarist Duma was an impotent talk shop. these situations, must be developed into position on parliamentarism, understand need to overturn wage slavery. Because of As the Comintern theses put it, "Under organizational strategy and tactics." able since the reformists were stilt in the the vastly differing conditions under which present-day conditions of unbridled impe - "Guidelines on the party, was, "What? More of the same? its members work, the consciousness of Organizational Structure of rialism ... parliament has been transformed No way!" This was just a knee-jerk reac the working class is very heterogeneous. into a tool of lies, deceit, violence, and Communist Parties, on the Methods and Content of tion to the shameful betrayal of the pre The layers in the working class range from enervating drivel" whose reforms have Their Work," Prometheus war right Social Democrats, and to bour the, most politically advanced elements in lost all significance for the working Research Series No. I geois ideology that paints "political the industrial proletariat to backward lay masses. Nevertheless, Lenin explains that Communists have a compass, the revo activity" as existing in parliament and ers among whom religious obscurantism, the Bolsheviks almost always participated lutionary program, and the leadership in nowhere else. He did not have the Bol racism and male chauvinism are rampant. in some way in the Duma elections whatever task, be it in the trade unions, sheviks' conception of the party, which This is because the bourgeoisie has a throughout the years before the proletar be it in running candidates for parlia he regarded more or less as a product of monopoly of social institutions to transmit ian revolution. In September-November ment, must be guided by that program: Russian exceptionalism. He did not its ideology to the entire population,'and it 1917, they took part in the elections to "The art of communist organization con understand how consciousness is formed pounds the entire population daily, hourly the capitalist government's Constituent sists in making use of everything and and changes in class society. For him, everyone in the proletarian class struggle, Assembly-on the eve of the October the revolution must first destroy parlia Revolution. Rarely during these years distributing party work suitably among Socialist Worker all party members and using the member ment. Then, so to speak, the Communist 24 September 2004 such as in the events that culminated in ship to continually draw ever wider revolutionaries, kind of courageous adven the outbreak of the unsuccessful 1905 masses of the proletariat into the revolu turers, march through the factories with Revolution-was the tactic of boycott tionary movement, while at the same the red flag, calling for the proletarian correct. In 1906, the Bolsheviks ab time keeping the leadership of the entire .;'".'r!t.",_ revolution to,.galvaniz~. tp.e,II!'!..§~.~!o.F, stained, and Lenin fought for the party to movement firmly in hand, not by virtue of power but by virtue of authority, i.e., the final struggle. But real events,real recognize this as an error. A formative by virtue of energy, greater experience, class and social struggles and real partic struggle took place in 1907-09 against the greater versatility, greater ability." ipation in such fights change conscious ultraleft Bolsheviks, known as the Boy The resolution closes with an admonition ness among the working class. cotters, over participating in the elections for every cadre to keep sight of our his So at the Congress Bordiga wa:> sub at a time when it was crucial to use the toric goals: jected to h(!.rd political criticism when he Duma as an agitational platform while the "The communist organizer regards every objected that it was impossible to say party retrenched in a reactionary period. single party member and every revolu anything in the Italian Chamber of Depu tionary worker from the outset as he will The Bolsheviks always worked out a posi ties, that' work there was impossible and tion on the Duma elections, developed the be in his future historic role as soldier in our combat organization at the time of traitorous by definition. Bordiga main tactics for participating, ran candidates, ISO crosses class line, s,!pports cap the revolution. Accordingly, he guides tained that parliamentary democracy is italist politicians Ralph Nader and called conferences, demonstrations and him in advance into that nucleus and obsolete, etc., etc. Bukharin said: Peter Camejo. on and on. that work which best corresponds to "Comrade Bordiga says it is technically The objective situation before the his future position and type of weapon. impossible to make use of parliament, His work today must also be useful in through the medfa, the schools, religious party in every election is obviously dif but he must prove that. No one will say itself, necessary for today's struggle, not institutions, sports. And above all, the rul ferent. The point is, there was no recipe that under tsarism we had better condi merely a drill which the practical worker tions in our Duma than exist today in the ing class uses the family to pass on subser for the Bolsheviks then, and there are no today does not understand. This same Italian Chamber of Deputies. No one has vience to authority, obedience, etc. recipes for us now. We have to figure it work, however, is also in part training tried to speak in the Italian chamber in out, each time. This is of course true in for the important demands of tomorrow's the necessary way. Why then do you final struggle." "Compromises" and Our general, not only in working out how to assert, a priori, that it is impossible? Try it first-create some scandals; let them Reformist Opponents intervene in a bourgeois election cam The Italian Party at the arrest you; have a political trial in the Young communists should study care paign. And this raises the ABCs of Second World Congress grand style. You have done none of that. fully the section on compromises in communist work. Making the commit This tactic must be developed to an ever Lenin's "Left-Wing" Communism. The ment to join.,the movement and become , The Italian party badly needed sorting higher degree. And I maintain that this is possible." International Socialist Organization (ISO) a Bolshevik means that in addition to out. The leadership under Giacinto Ser - The Communist International obscenely baits us with it, using the book learning the history of the workers move rati, who had led the party into the Comin in Lenin's Time-Proceedings to justify their support of bourgeois ment, you must learn to struggle with tern, was refusing to break with the and Documents of the Second forces and politicians like Ralph Nader. . Congress today's reality constantly and form an reformist right' wing. (In fact, Serrati Lenin points out thatunder-capitalist opinion as a communist. To do that you remained adamant and when the CP split The Dutch left had also long main imperialism, from the heterogeneity of must inform yourself. Read the papers the next year, he went with the reformists.) tained that parliamentarism was "politi consciousness arises the bourgeois papers. Listen ,to the news In additipn, they had an ultraleft opposi cally obsolete." Lenin made a simple, "the absolute necessity for the Commu from NPR and BBC, from the point of tion led by Bordiga that he had nallled the realistic distinction: bourgeois parliamen nist Party, the vanguard of the proletariat, view of a communist. "Communist-Abstentionist" faction, also tary democracy is in fact "historically its class-conscious section, to resort to obsolete." But in terms -of social and changes of tack, to conciliation and com promises with the various groups of political reality, it is far from obsolete as proletarians, with the various parties of long as millions of workers are.voting for the workers and small masters. It is bourgeois candidates. As long as that is entirely a matter of knowing how to ap true, ply these tactics in order to raise-not ..... participation in' parliamentary elec lower-the general level of proletarian tions and in the struggle on the parlia class-consciousness, revolutionary spirit, mentary rostrum is obligatory on the and ability to fight and win." party of the revolutionary proletariat spe Now, the "changes of tack, concilia cifically for the purpose of educating the tions and compromises" Lenin is talking Defend, Extend the Gains of the 1949 Revolution! backward strata of its own class, and for about here are with "the various groups of For a China of Workers and Peasants Councils in a Socialist Asia! the purpose of awakening and enlighten ing the undeveloped, downtrodden and proletarians." Lenin's point is that centrist Thursday, Nov. 4, 6:30 p.m. For more information: ignorant rural masses. Whilst you lack and occasionally even reformist parties call (617) 666-9453 the strength to do away with bourgeois vacillate between the proletariat and the Boston.University College of Arts or e-mail: [email protected] parliaments and every other type of reac" bourgeoisie. The effect of our tactics, and Sciences, Room 222 tionary institution, you must work within such as our use of critical support in the 725 Commonwealth Ave. them because it- is there that you will (BUEast/Central on Green Line B) BOSTON still find workers who are duped by the California recall campaign last autumn, is priests and stultified by the conditions of to drive the wedge in precisely when an 8 WORKERS VANGUARD organization on the left turns (in its pub port the American Communist Party's let making the same political points. But licly stated program) toward the workers, candidate, Earl Browder. After the Hitler the SWP delegation showed no positive --by Ellis and to combat those that are on their Stalin pact was signed, the American reaction to any of these suggestions. knees before the bourgeoisie. Communist Party (CP), like the Stalinists Trotsky asked a rhetorical question In the recall election, with the excep internationally, had dropped the social and answered it: "Why this lack of initia tion of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), patriotic line of their Popular Front tive? ... It is a photograph of our adapta the ISO and all the other "left" groups period. Instead of looking for alliances tion to the Rooseveltians." He went over oriented to the ruling class. They sup with a wing of the bourgeoisie against to a direct attack against the SWP's ported candidates committed to the fascists or "reactionaries" in general, orientation to the "progressives": reform of capitalism, to pressure the cap they adopted an antiwar, anti-imperialist "We are in a bloc with so-called progres italists and their state to be nice to the stance. That offered the Trotskyists an sives-not only fakers, but honest rank workers and oppressed-the capitalist opening to drive a wedge into the contra and file. Yes, they are honest and pro Green Party's Peter Camejo (an ex-fake dictions of the Stalinist tops' politics. gressive but from time to time they vote Trotskyist), c.T. Weber (Peace and Free for Roosevelt-Dnce in four years. This Trotsky patiently explained how the is decisive. You propose a trade union dom Party), etc., etc. We pointed out that International Left Opposition [precursor policy, not a Bolshevik policy. Bolshevik their fanning illusions in such forces in no of the Trotskyist Fourth International] policies begin outside the trade unions. way represents the independent interests was not politically closer to the Socialist You are afraid to become compromised in the eyes of the Rooseveltian trade of the working class, raising the class parties in 1933 than to the CPs in 1940, consciousness of the youth and working qnionists .... The danger.. .is adaptation to but that the Trotskyists had then entered the pro-Rooseveltian trade unionists. You class and their ability to fight, but instead the reformist SPs in a. maneuver called don't give any answer to the elections, lowers it. By giving critical support to the the "French Turn," designed to win away not even the beginning of an answer. But we must have a policy." SWP's candidate, Joel Britton, we sought their left-wing elements. (That maneuver 194D elections: CP dropped support to draw toward us youth and workers was so successful in the U.S. that it gut Cannon asked at the conclusion of for Roosevelt and ran Earl Browder whose heart was with the proletariat. ted the SP for good.) Trotsky asked: the discussion: "There has not been an on antiwar ticket, as shown in car Of course we know the SWP will turn Since the CP won't let the SWP enter it,. approach to the Stalinists in years. Could toon from its paper. around and plead with the bourgeoisie to why not conduct a similar maneuver from it be possible?" The light was beginning '. make nicey-nice tomorrow, but what they the outside? to dawn, but we know that they didn't to the right particularly after the Hitler wrote in their program for the recall elec Trotsky hammered the SWP for not make the approach. Stalin pact, when defense of the Soviet tions, what they claimed to stand on, drew exploiting the CP's contradictions, asking There was a lot at stake. Trotsky was Union wasn't so popular with petty a crude class line, so that we could say, the delegation what kind of policy they trying to get the SWP leadership to see bourgeois intellectuals anymore. What that's good, we can support that-not that wanted-negative or dynamic politics: that their orientation to the Rooseveltian Trotsky is fighting about with the major we expect them to put their money where "If you are an independent party you "progressives" in the trade unions was ity was that they had some of the same their mouth is. And in so doing, we could must have politics, a line in relation to determining the politics of the party, and political problems as the minority-they go into action. intervene, counterpose our this campaign. If you had an independent that the pro-progressive policy was para couldn't deal with the Communist Party. own consistently working-class revolu candidate I would be for him, but where lyzing the party. Their policy of adapting to the "progres tionary program. sives" in the unions disarmed them in the Cannon noted in The First Ten Years of struggle against the Shachtmanites. If they Americlln Communism that antiparlia had pulled off a maneuver like Trotsky mentarism along the lines of the Euro was suggesting, it would have had an pean ultralefts was present in a weaker enormous impact not only on the Stalin form in the first program of the Commu ist workers, but would have dealt a seri nist Party in the U.S. But "that hodge ous blow to Shachtman's credibility with podge of ultra-radicalism was practically the more serious youth as well. wiped out of the American movement in If we are doing our job, we always 1920-21 by Lenin." The American lead have to look for the contradictions: where ers were broken from the influence of De we can drive in a wedge to put forth our Leon and the Dutch uItralefts primarily program positively. We are obligated to by Lelli.u'.&-"Left-Wing" Communism and develop tactics that are a lever to move as -bytlle Comintern theses and resolutions much weight as possible in terms of con of the Second World Congress. sciousness, first of the most advanced, then of more backward layers of the The American SWP in 1940 working class and oppressed. The Com One of the readings for this class was intern Organizational Resolution talks the discussion printed in the Writings of about layers of workers taking up Com Leon Trotsky (/939-40) between the munist slogans and carrying them on to SWP leadership and Trotsky. The fight, others. There are significant examples in though on one level about electoral tac our history of just that happening: at our tics, revealed adaptations to the anti anti-Klan mobilizations when the bus Communist Rooseveltian trade unionists, WV Photo drivers or longshoremen take bundles of whom the SWP encountered in the Spartacist-initiated S,DDD-strong labor/black mobilization stopped Klan our leaflets to hand out, and certainly dur course of their trade-union work. provocation in Washington, D.C., November 1982. Leading exemplary actions ing the incipient proletarian political rev Trotsky pounded the SWP's inex shows that our program can win victories for workers, oppressed. olution in East Germany in 1989-90. cusable abstention from the presidential Even if the scale is smaller today and is he? It is either complete abstention elections dominated by Roosevelt: So what was going on here? You have we are at the stage of party building from the campaign because of technical to keep in mind that in 1939, the year where we are accumulating the cadre to "I sec there is no campaign in the Social reasons, or you must choose between ist Appeal for a workers' candidate. Why Browder and Norman Thomas [the SP's before, the fight against then-SWP lead man the necessary party posts for much haven't you proposed a congress of trade candidate]. We can accept abstention .... ers Max Shachtman and Martin Abern larger struggles in the future, the program unions, a convention to nominate a candi We can proclaim that everyone is a faker. had erupted. The resulting split, in which is the same. The injunction to work out date for the presidency? If he were inde That is one thing, but events confirming pendent we would support him. We can they took out a viable chunk of the effective Leninist tactics, to intervene in our proclamation is another. Shall we youth, was in May, a month before these every politically charged situation, every not remain completely indifferent. We follow negative or dynamic politics? ... can very well insist in unions where we We must have our own politics. Imagine discussions with Trotsky took place. The social or class struggle, no matter how have influence that Roosevelt is not our the effect on the Stalinist rank and Shachtman-Abern minority had lunged partial, is the same .• candidate and the workers must have file .... " their own candidate. We should demand a nationwide congress connected with the But no matter what Trotsky suggested, independent labor party." the SWP leaders, shocked at the thought ·.'t.;s····· ...... ii.SPA,.:rICIST .•. LIAIIUE/U.~.·~ Trotsky pointed out that it was princi of politically going after the Stalinists, .... '-')'" .~. al:UlreCI,ry··8I1d.NIt'leDtff",s pled and could be tactically smart to sup- reacted with "but...but": The "peculiar" Stalinist movement was hated by labor Web site: www.icl-fLorg • E-mail address:[email protected] militants. Giving them critical support National Office: Box 1377 GPO, New York, NY 10116 (212) 732-7860 would "discredit the Trotskyists in the labor movement." The Stalinists would Boston Los Angeles Oakland only "betray again." "The CP is not a gen Box 390840, Central Sta. Box 29574, Los Feliz Sta. Box 29497 Cambridge, MA 02139 Los Angeles, CA 90029 Oakland, CA 94604 uine workers' party." Cannon argued that (617) 666-9453 (213) 380-8239 (510) 839-0851 "the progressives will hate us if we sup Public Office: Sat. 2-5 p.m. Public Office: port the Stalinists," showing where the Chicago 3806 Beverly Blvd., Room 215 Sat. 1-5 p.m. SWP's trade-union policy was oriented. Box 6441 , Main PO 1634 Telegraph Trotsky presented one tactical possibil Chicago, IL 60680 New York 3rd Floor ity after another, to try to get the SWP (312) 563-0441 Box 3381 , Church St. Sta. leaders to see the great flexibility avail PubliC Office: New York, NY 10008 San Francisco able to them: They could publish a mani Sat. 2-5 p.m. (212) 267-1025 Box 77494 San FranCiSCO festo directed at the Stalinist workers, but 222 S. Morgan °ubHc Office: i (Buzzer 23) 3;]t. 1-4 p.m. CA 94107 there was so far not "even one ~ingle word from you on policy in regard to the 299 Broadway, Suite 318 presidential election." The members of the party could write letters to the editor. TROTSKYIST LEAGUE OF CANADA/UaUE TROTSKYSTE DU CARADA of the SWP supporters' trade-union news Spartacist Pamphlet, $2 (56 pages) paper in Minneapolis, the Northwest Toronto Vancouver Order from/make checks payable to: Organizer. Trying one last time, Trotsky Box 7198, Station A Box 2717, Main P.O. Toronto, ON M5W 1X8 Vancouver, BC V6B 3X2 Spartacist Publishing Co. said, OK, abandon voting for Browder; Box 1377 GPO, New York, NY 10116 (416) 593-4138 (604) 687-0353 abandon a manifesto and produce a leaf- 29 OCTOBER 2004 9 the basis of the evangelical vote. The fact that Bill Clinton associated Elections ... with blacks and actually had black friends (continued from page 1 ) has endeared him to many black people a measure of the deep racial divide in this of a capitalist system based on exploita country. But the very selection of the tion and profit. On the question of relig Clinton/Gore ticket in 1992-two white ion, for example, we fight for the strict Southerners-was designed to win back separation of church and state; religion the White House through a campaign of should be a private matter and we oppose appealing to the Southern, white racist any -intrusion by the government into peo vote. This was symbolized during the ple's personal lives; we call for free abor 1992 campaign by Clinton flying back to tion on demand; we defend the right of Arkansas to oversee the execution of a gay people to marry. But under capitalism brain-damaged black man, Ricky Ray religion serves a purpose for the rulers; it Rector. is a means to enforce social conservatism Clinton promised to "end welfare as and defend the existing status quo. we know it"-and, in fact, accomplish It is said that whom the gods would Lethal weapons: Mel ing what his Republican predecessors destroy, they first make mad; and here Gibson's hit movie The could not do, actually did it. Clinton pre Bush has a considerable head start. Bush Passion of the Christ and sided over a vast expansion of the death and his cohorts have simply proposed that two-ton Ten Command penalty and prison system, creating a "America the Good" will dominate planet ments monument in huge national grid of cages for an Earth. This is quite mad and dangerous Alabama state judicial unprecedented growth in the dispropor even as a fantasy. But to be sure, the building reflect ominous tionately black and minority prison popu motor force that drives such aspirations is rise of religious reaction. lation. The U.S. today has more people not insanity but the raison d' etre of the in prison, as a percent of total popUla imperialist system, which is based on the that the biggest "cultural" phenomenon militants in Greensboro, North Carolina, tion, than any other country. In Iraq Clin drive to control the world's markets al}d in the U.S. in 2004 was Mel Gibson's were gunned down in broad daylight in ton's policies killed far more men, sources of raw materials and cheap labor. film-with all its anti-Semitic overtones 1979 by a group of Klansmen and Nazis women and children during the United This drive has intensified exponentially -which earned over $370 million in the led by an "informer" for the Feds. Nations-sponsored starvation "sanctions" with the capitalist counterrevolution in box office and sold over four million cop Coming to power just after the defeat blockade and bloody bombing cam the Soviet degenerated workers state ies in its first day out on DVD. of U.S. imperialism by the heroic Viet paigns than Bush's invasion and occupa in 1991-92-a historic defeat for the In a recent book titled, What's the Mat namese workers and peasants, the Car tion so far. world's proletariat. The Messianic and ter with Kansas? How Conservatives ter administration kicked off a "moral" Both parties have shifted to the right, oddly demented policies of the Bush Won the Heart oj America (Metropolitan rearmament campaign-an onslaught of bringing reactionary social layers to regime represent the logic of a capitalist Books, 2004), liberal Thomas Frank domestic social reaction and anti political ascendancy. The fundamentalist class drunk on one success after another attempts to grapple with the resurgence of Communist "human rights" campaign Christian right is today mainstream, and since the end of the Cold War. The U.S. is far-right religious fundamentalism as a against the Soviet degenerated workers provides a cover for the fascist fringe not only an imperialist power; it is the major political force and with the appar state. These policies reflected a consen that terrorizes black people and guns world's most powerful imperialist power. ently baffling lack of even elementary sus within the American ruling class, down abortion doctors. As a political There is an irreconcilable antagonism class consciousness among many blue which sought to overcome widespread force, Christian fundamentalism repre between the interests of the property- collar workers. While he reverses cause public mistrust of the government follow sents backwardness and social reaction. and effect, tending to see ideology as ing the Watergate events that forced the It's anti-science, anti-evolution and pro determining the lack of class struggle, resignation of Republican president Rich creationism. It's for prayer in public and thinks the Democrats can be a solu ard Nixon in 1974, and to refurbish the schools and the subjugation of women tion, his "heartland" scream of outrage tarnished credentials and military might and children in the family: the antithesis still captures something of the reaction of U.S. imperialism after Vietnam. of the values of the Enlightenment of the ary mess we're in today: The religious right provided the shock 17th and 18th centuries. "The country seems more like a pano troops for the right-wing backlash against With the collapse of the Soviet Union rama of madness and delusion worthy the limited gains made by women and in 1991-92, religious reaction in the U.S. of Hieronymous Bosch: of sturdy blue black people in the 1960s and early grew, along with increasing attacks on collar patriots reciting the Pledge while they strangle their own life chances; '70s-what the likes of the clerical Cath the rights of workers, minorities and of small farmers proudly voting them olic reactionary Patrick Buchanan call the women. The removal of the USSR as the selves off the land; of devoted family "Culture War." The religious ngnf "mobi main enemy of U.S. imperialism has also men carefully seeing to it that their chil lized not only against the gains but meant that U.S. imperialism had to find dren will never be able to afford college or proper health care; of working-class against the defiance of the racist status a new enemy, which eventually, particu guys in Midwestern cities cheering as quo shown by those who struggled. larly following the September II attacks, they deliver up a landslide for a candi With the election of Reagan, both became Islamic fundamentalism. The date whose policies will end their way of the assaults on black rights and the Cold very fact that the line drawn in interna life, will transform their region into a War against the Soviet Union intensified. 'rust belt,' will strike people like them tional politics is currently defined by a blows from which they will never Reagan expanded the clandestine CIA war against Islamic fundamentalism has recover." operation launched by Carter to fund served to galvanize Christian funda Earlier on, Frank complained: Islamic reactionaries in Afghanistan, mentalism in the U.S. Bruce Bartlett, a "The trick never ages; the illusion never turning it into the biggest covert opera domestic policy adviser to Ronald Rea wears off. Vote to stop abortion; receive a tion by the CIA in American history. At gan and a treasury official for Bush Sr., rollback in capital gains taxes. Vote to home, Reagan's assaults on labor were told Suskind in the Times Magazine arti make our country strong again; receive exemplified by the 1981 smashing of the deindustrialization. Vote to screw those cle that the Christian fundamentalist politically correct college professors; PATCO air traffic controllers union Bush "is so clear-eyed about Al Qaeda receive electricity deregulation. Vote to using plans drawn up by the Carter and the Islamic fundamentalist enemy" get government off our backs; receive administration. The fostering of relig because he has a "Messianic idea of conglomeration and monopoly every ious reaction during the 1980s was so what he thinks God has told him to do." where from media to meatpacking. Vote to stand tall against terrorists; receive great that by the 1988 elections, Bush Bartlett continued, "He understands them, Spartacists raise fight for women's Social Security privatization. Vote to Sr., who was not an evangelical Chris because he's just like them." Indeed, Al rights at San Francisco antiwar pro strike a blow against elitism; receive a tian, won the White House largely on Qaeda is Osama bin Laden's own "faith test, March 2004. social order in which wealth is more con centrated than ever before in our life times, in which workers have been ' owning b~sses who exploit workers to stripped of power and CEOs are rewarded obtain profits, and the workers them in a manner beyond imagining." This pamphlet reprints presentations selves, who own nothing but their labor Marxism and Religion What Frank describes may be more given by SL Central Committee mem power and who create the wealth of soci intense today, but this is how the capital ber Josepb Seymour on the origins of ety. Workers need their own party, which ist politicians always work-they lie, will fight not only for the interests of cheat and steal. Marxism in the French Enlightenment ...... I and in left Hegelianism. ' labor but for the rights of black people, Frank cites a pamphlet, Is It a SinJor a women, gays and all the exploited and Christian to Be a Registered Democrat Also included are "150 Years of oppressed; a workers party that will fight Voter in America Today? by a Wichita, the Communist Manifesto" and to overturn capitalism, creating a work Kansas, Christian and Republican ideo "Marxism and Religion." ers government and a society based on logue. In fact, the growth of religion in production for human needs. mainstream politics in recent decades did In the retrograde climate of post EnJightenmefit. not begin with the Republicans. It began Soviet reaction, the struggle to What's the Matter reassert the validity of the program Rationalism with Kansas? with the Democratic Carter administra tion. And, like every rightward shift in and purpose of revolutionary Marx AND THE In our review of Fahrenheit 9/l I (WV this country, it was tied to a rise in racist ism is crucial for our fight for new No. 829, 9 July), we noted that Michael reaction against black people. October Revolutions. ~. Origins Moore's "populist outlook leads him to The nomination of "born-again" Bap ignore the Bush administration's close tist Carter to head the Democratic Party $2 (48 pages) ':.~~l:;tql Marxism ties to the Christian right, to take notice of ticket in the 1976 elections was not acci which would mean acknowledging that dental. Carter openly proclaimed the vir Make checks payable/mail to: Bush really has a popular base. The box tues of "ethnic purity." Busing for school Spartacist Publishing Co. office figures of The Passion oj the integration, having been defeated on the Box 1377 GPO Christ, remember, are real." It is a meas streets of Boston in 1974-75, was killed New York, NY10116 ure of the deep religiosity of this country in city after city. Five leftist anti-racist 10 WORKERS VANGUARD based" initiative, as well as a Franken sas? With not much of a leftist move stein's monster that turned on its erst ment in the U.S., the religious right has while masters. created a thoroughly bogus "class" argu ment against thy "liberal elites." "Class" For a Workers Party! gets posed in the eyes of many in thrall In the U.S., black people are always a to the toxic communion of tne religious central target of the very same forces right not as bosses versus workers, but as that mobilize in opposition to abortion the godly regular folks against the deca rights, gay marriage and any expression dent, left-of-center, latte-drinking heath of social liberalization. This underlines ens who haunt art galleries in New York that it is in the interest of black people to and Los Angeles. fight for the rights of gays, women and The rise of religiosity in this country, all the oppressed. parti~larly among working people, is Because they are victims of unrelent directly related to the fact that most peo ing racial oppression, many black people ple in the U.S. can scarcely perceive a sympathize with the struggles of other way to fight against the oppression and oppressed sectors of the population. But exploitation they suffer. (Frank, for exam religiosity among black people also leaves ple, notes that McPherson, Nebraska, the them open to backward views on issues poorest county in the country, is solidly like abortion and gay marriage. A recent Republican.) As we wrote in "Marxism survey, for example, noted that support and Religion" (reprinted in the Spartacist for Bush has increased among older, pamphlet, Enlightenment Rationalism more conservative black people. In our and the Origins ()l Marxism), modern o article, "For the Right to Gay Marriage!" o religion is "a means both of oppression 0- (WV No. 821, 5 March), we quoted a iii' and of escape for the oppressed." Noting black Baptist minister who said, "If the I that "Man makes religion, religion does !:.o K.K.K. opposes gay marriage, I would :::J not make man," Karl Marx explained: ride with them." But as we wrote in 6 "Religious suffering is at one and the '"c same time the expression ot reid suffer response, the minister "might saddle up, 1il" Left: Outside historic ing and a protest against real suffering. but it will be a short ride-the first target :::J" 1925 Tennessee trial Religion is the sigh of the oppressed of this motley collection of nativist, anti where Clarence Darrow creature, the heart of a heartless world labor fascists is black people." (above) defended John and the soul of soulless conditions. It is From the days of slavery to the pres Scopes fOf defying the opium of the people. "The abolition of religion as the illusory ent, the oppression of black people has state law against teaching evolution. happiness of the people is the demand been a fundamental feature of American Tennessee ban for their real happiness. To call on them capitalism. Black people are both segre was not overturned to give up their illusions about their con gated at the bottom of American society dition is to call on them to give up a con until 1968, as social dition that requires illusions." and integrated into the economy. If it is struggles for black -Tritique of Hegel's Philosophy to fight for its own emancipation, the equality and against of Right" ( I 844) multiracial proletariat must take up the Vietnam War We need to fight for a world of such struggle for black freedom. The working swept U.S. material abundance that people won't class will transcend its divisions only need religion to make up for what they through class and social struggle. Only lack. And that is only possible through by the common struggle of the multira the overthrow of the capitalist order and cial working class under the leadership the forging of a new socialist society that of a revolutionary workers party will a will open a new period of human devel socialist revolution be made. corral the labor movement behind capi won't kick them around too much once opment and lay the basis for the expan The working class needs such a party; talist politicians, particularly Democrats, he gets into office. A workers party will sion of human freedom in all spheres. but the primary obstacle to working-class and the black politicians and preachers, be forged only through class and social All the more necessary then, if humanity unity in the U.S. has been the deep racial who also do their utmost for the Demo struggle independent of the capitalist is to have any kind of future, to fight for divide fosterecl by the American ruling crats. At bottom, their message is deeply parties. what we want in this world. And the class, which has served to retard the demoralizing: the best that workers, The absence of such struggle helps starting point for that is a break with the political consciousness of the working women and black people can do is vote account for the reinarkable phenome Detmrcratic Party and a tIght to buIld a class. In this, the bourgeoisie is aided by once every four years for some cynical non that Thomas Frank eloquently docu workers party that will fight for socialist the AFL-CIO tops, who do their best to capitalist politician and then hope he ments in What's the Matter with Kan- revolution .• young radicals in administering the bud call for building "autonomous zones" ESF to win youth and others to a prole Social Forum ... get of the capitalist state. Now they have somehow free of capitalist exploitation tarian, revolutionary internationalist per ( continued from page 4) a minister in Lula's popular-front gov buys into the myth that the oppressed spective. We recognise that the funda ernment that is administering budgets on can find liberation within the confines of mental conflict in society is the conflict between capital and labour. Because of We demand: Drop all the charges! behalf of the IMF and the World Bank bourgeois "democracy," i.e., the dictator ship of the bourgeoisie. Rejecting what its central role in production, the work Despicable as the behaviour of the while viciously attacking peasants in the they view as the "Leninist tyranny" of ing class is not just another "social British Labourite left is, they hardly have countryside as well as blacks and ghetto a unitary revolutionary programme and movement" but has the social power to a monopoly on appealing to or alibi poor in the cities. On the eve of the war against Iraq the party seeking to mobilise the social bring down the capitalist exploiters and ing the forces of the capitalist state. In power of the proletariat for the conquest their whole -system of racism, national the aftermath of Genoa everyone from Florence ESF issued a resolution promot of state power, the anarchists are impotent oppression and women's oppression as Susan George of ATTAC to Rifonda ing the most grotesque illusions in the "peace-loving" credentials of their "own" in the face of the highly organised, ruth well as imperialist war. The proletariat zione Comunista to Alain Krivine of lessly efficient forces of the bourgeois has the power and the class interest to the French Ligue Communiste Revolu imperialist bourgeoisies. It appealed to "all citizens of Europe and to all their rep state. The end result simply paves the create a society based on collectivised tionnaire howled against the anarchists, way for a return to the "politics of the property and a rational, planned econ blaming the victims for the murderous resentatixes. Together let us stop the war It possible" espoused by the very social omy, a workers state leading to a class violence of the capitalist state. As our on Iraq." called on "all the European democratic sellouts the Wombles claim less communist society and the withering comrades of the Lega Trotskista d'Italia heads of state to publicly stand against .away of the state. To achieve this we are wrote in a protest statement, "Berlusconi this war, whether it has UN backing or to reject. not, and to demand that George Bush The Spartacist League/Britain and the dedicated to building an international and the G-8: Imperialist Butchers!": abandon his war plans" (Weekly Worker, Spartacus Youth Group intervened at this Leninist-Trotskyist party.• "With such statements these miserable misleaders prove their loyalty to the cap 12 September 2002). italist cl$SCf,'iind its police assassins and While there was plenty of bellyaching expose their attacks on 'globalisation' as over how the London ESF was tightly rooted in social-chauvinist, reformist sup controlled by Livingstone's office, amidst port to their 'own' bourgeoisies. Their 'movement' aims not to overthrow capi cries of "he who pays the piper calls the talism but to mask its monstrous reality." tune," the fact of the matter is that all of -reprinted in Workers Vanguard these gatherings have been bankrolled by Marxist Working-Class Biweekly of the Spartacist League No. 762, 3 August 2001 various capitalist agencies and institu Indeed, from their inception in Porto tions (including by the Chirac govern $10/22 issues of Workers Vanguard 0 New 0 Renewal Alegre, Brazil in 2001 the entire purpose ment in Paris last year). (includes English-language Spartacist and Black History and the Class Struggle) of these social forums has been to take The Wombles got the number of the international rates: $25/22 issues-Airmail $10/22 issues-Seamail radical youth off the streets and to corral ESF in their call for "Beyond ESF," o $2/6 introductory issues of Workers Vanguard (includes English-language Spartacist) them behind the "democratic alternative" which says that these social forums sim of promoting the electoral fortunes of ply "parallel the development of capitalist o $2/4 issues of Espartaco (en espanol) (includes Spanish-language Spartacist) out-of-power parliamentary reformists. institutions of governance" and "merely Name ______~ ______The most notable beneficiary of this was asks for 'capitalism with a human face'." Lula's Workers Party in Brazil, which is But while posturing as a genuine anti Address now in government viciously attacking capitalist alternative they reflect all the Apt. # _____ the workers and peasants. The renegades prejudices of Cold War anti-commun~rrr, City ______State Zip ----- of the United Secretariat of the Fourth chanting in unison with bourgeois demo Phone ( __ ) ______E-mail ______International organised the first World crats that "absolute power corrupts abso 835 Social Forum where they held mock "par lutely" and that state power was the orig Make checks payable/mail to: Spartacist Publishing Co_, Box 1377 GPO, New York, NY 10116 ticipatory budgets," designed to school inal sin of the Russian Revolution. Their 29 OCTOBER 2004 11 WfJlINEIiS ,/lII'fI/l1I1) .. Thomas Menino blamed "knuckleheads" and "punks" who, they claimed, had Police Terrorize Red Sox Celebrations forced the cops' hand. This is a contempt ible lie. Additionally. Mayor Menino has capitalized on Snelgrove's death to push puritanical measures down the throats of Boston's residents. Though stymied in his attempt to have alcohol banned in the Fenway Park area entirely during the Boston Cops Student World Series by bar owners worried Kill about ruinous losses in revenue, area bars On October 21, the Boston cops will now have a complement of cops in gunned down Victoria Snelgrove, a 21- them. TV crews will be banned from the year-old Emerson College student major bars, supposedly for encouraging rowdi ing in broadcast journalism. Her "crime"? ness. Those who cannot find a seat in a Nothing. Even the cops admit that. Snel bar fairly immediately will not be allowed grove had watched the local team defeat to wait outside and will be herded out of the Yankees in the game that would carry the area entirely. In short, the city has the Red Sox to the World Series; and had· used lethal cop repression as a pretext for afterward joined the 80,000 or so revelers more cop repression. in Kenmore Square with a friend. Meanwhile, Boston University's Dean In response to typical post-game row of Students, Kenneth Elmore, e-mailed diness, the Boston police surged into the the student body on October 22, omi crowd, escalating the situation danger nously warning them in anticipation of ously. A scuffle developed near where AP the World Series: "In addition to any Snelgrove was standing. A cop opened criminal prosecution, Boston University fire with "less than lethal" pepper-spray students involved in any illegal or inap balls. The "less than lethal" projectile Riot officer aims pepper propriate behavior will be subject to Uni hit Snelgrove in, the eye, wounding her ball gun, like one that versity judicial sanctions, including Uni fatally. killed Victoria Snelgrove, versity expulsion." at Red Sox fans in Boston cops bought the weapon that As any resident of the ghettos and bar Boston's Kenmore rios in the U.S. knows, the cops kill. killed Snelgrove as part of their prep Square, October 21. arations for the Democratic National They act as enforcers for a system Convention protests, where they main marked by the exploitation of }Vorking tained a repressive atmosphere aimed at people and the oppression of black squelching protest. The cops also pur Throughout the Democratic and Repub drove his motor scooter into a mass people, immigrants and others. Vic chased a IOY2-foot-tall tank-like armored lican convention protests, the cops in of protesters. Holiday's bail was report toria Snelgrove is not the first victim vehicle capable of holding 30 riot Boston and New York City carried out edly upped from $50,000 to $250,000 of the killers in blue, nor will she be cops. Using weapons similar to those a massive repressive operation, arrest recently, based in part on the fact that the last. At an October 24 protest against wielded by the Boston police in Kenmore ing over 1,800 people for simply exer political literature was found in his home. the police killing of Snelgrove in Bos Square, in April 2003 the Oakland police cising their First Amendment rights. Drop the charges against Holiday! Free ton, the Spartacist League carl'ied a sign opened fire on antiwar protesters and Particularly egregious is the case of him now! . reading "Workers Revolution Will Sweep trade unionists on the Oakland_-docks, black youth Jamal Holiday. While most In Boston, the cops and their bosses Away Police Terror-We Will Not For wounding many of the protesters, some of the demonstrators arrested during in City Hall are using an obscene action get Victoria Snelgrove!" It is through seriously. Now the Boston police have the protests against the Republican Na by the cops to justify further repression. the struggle to replace the racist, capital withdrawn these guns in favor of guns tional Convention are now free, Holiday After pro forma expressions of regret ist system with a just, socialist soci that fire the pepper-spray balls at a lower remains in jail, charged with assaulting over Snelgrove's death, Police Commis ety that the police can be relegated to a velocity. a plainclothes cop who provocatively sioner Kathleen M. O'Toole and Mayor barbaric past.. Court Shafts US Airways Workers OCTOBER 24-0n October 15, a U.S. send thousands of unemployed black built and struggles were won in defiance ditto Northwest. Airline workers have bankruptcy court ordered US Airways youth to prison are used to bust up picket of the capitalist government and the moved their families several times just to workers to take a whopping 21 percent lines, frame up militants, deport immi bosses' laws. Every victory for black keep ajob, at ever lower wages. and thou pay cut, a freeze or elimination of medical grant workers and escort scabs. rights, for wemen' s rights, for union sands work second jobs just to put food on benefits, reduction or suspension of pen Every modem industrial economy needs rights, has been won through hard class the table and avoid home foreclosures. sions, and to work longer hours and allow a functional airline industry. Without the and social struggle, not by crawling to the The companies whine that rising fuel outsourcing of critical heavy base main aid of the civilian airlines, domestic and . Democrats or beseeching the courts. prices drive up costs, but you won't see tenance work to cheaper, i.e., non-union international trade and production can't A union leadership worth its salt the courts ordering the profit-bloated oil labor. The Joeadership of ALPA, the union move rapidly, and not even the U.S. gov • would counter the offensive by the com companies to make up the deficit, or representing the pilots, then quickly ernment could move its troops or military panies and the capitalist state by mobi ordering the company CEOs to cut their rammed through their own deal with cargo for its bloody occupation of Iraq. lizing joint actions by all airline workers wages or drop their golden parachutes' US Airways, agreeing to an 18 percent Airline workers have tremendous poten and coordinating international labor soli And it's not just the airlines-last month pay cut. One airline worker told Workers tial social power, precisely because of darity. To fight outsourcing of jobs to retired coal miners and their dependents Vanguard that bankruptcy has become their centrality to the economy. But this non-union labor, ·and to combat the non in West Virginia were robbed of their the companies' preferred form of union power has been sapped by the "labor union carriers that drive down the wages pensions and health plans with a stroke busting. By hiding behind the judge in lieutenants of the capitalist class" running of all workers, it's crucial to organize the of ajudge's pen. his black robes, the bosses deflect mount the unions, who hogtie their own mem unorganized and fight for equal pay at Enough! This anti-union otfensive is ing anger from the CEOs to the courts, bers by promoting illusions in the agen union wages for equal work! Airline also a clear and present danger to the and by implication to the union tops who cies of the capitalist class enemy, includ workers need a single industry-wide entire public and an indictment of the bow to the courts. ing the courts, and especially the union of all workers, from baggage han irrationality of the profit-driven capitalist The courts are the cover for the repres Democratic Party. In this election year, the dlersto pilots, to facilitate industry-wide system. Who wants to board an airplane sive force of the capitalist state. Laws AFL-CIO brass from John Sweeney on strike action to defend and extend union maintained by non-union, often unli protecting private property, laws effec down have squandered union funds to put gains. censed labor, flown and staffed by sleep tively prohibiting union strike action Democrat John Kerry in the White House. Five years after the deregulation of the deprived pilots and flight attendants? (such as Taft-Hartley, Railway Labor In 1997, the AFL-CIO and pilots' union airline industry, Continental in 1983 pio And the U.S. air traffic control system is Act) and court orders vitiating decades bureaucracy immediately acquiesced to neered bankruptcy as the road to profit, overstretched and antiquated. This is a of hard-won union gains are enforced by President Bill Clinton's invocation of the using Chapter II to void union contracts. major public air disaster in the making. the police, the prison system, and ulti Railway Labor Act against striking Amer US Airways has now gone this route It is desperately necessary to forge a new mately the army. Above all, the courts ican Airlines pilots. twice in two years; American has used the class-struggle leadership of the unions, are used to repress those who challenge Labor has powerful weapons in its threat of bankruptcy to wrench conces and to forge a multiracial revolutionary the rights of capitalist property and the unity and collectivity, and for these to be sions; United has been in bankruptcy for workers party to sweep away the cap exploitation-of labor, or otherwise get in used effectively requires conscious organ two years and is .maneuvering for a sec italist system and establish a rational, the way of the functioning of the capital ization independent of the capitalist par ond round of cuts; Delta says it may planned, egalitarian socialist economy, ist system. The same cops and courts that ties and capitalist courts. The unions were declare bankruptcy to slash labor costs; where those who labor rule .• 12 29 OCTOBER 2004