A Political Assassination

The following statement was issued l\1ay 17, 1966, by the Political Committee of the Socialist Workers Party: A young socialist antiwar fighter, Leo Bernard, was slain yesterday in the Detroit headquarters of the Socialist Workers Party by an ultra-reactionary gun­ man. The other Wayne State University students, .Jan Garrett and Walter Graham, are in the hospital, critically wounded. This shocking, tragic and ominous deed is not an isolated act. It follows the bombing of the W. E. B. DuBois Club offices in San Francisco and the bomb­ ing of the headquarters of the Berkeley Vietnam Day Committee. The pattern is one of terroristic intimidation against the American antiwar, anti-racist, radical youth and socialist forces. The Detroit victims were members of the Socialist Workers Party or the Young Socialist Alliance, both energetic participants in the protest movements against the U. S. intervention in Vietnam and in the Freedom Now struggleofthe Negro people. This murderous assault was politically motivated. It was a product of the witchhunt atmosphere that has been stirred up and intensified by the "dirty" war LEO BERNARD in Vietnam. From the White House on down to the October 24, 1938-May 16, 1966 .John Birchers and the Ku Klux Klan, the country is being incessantly incited against the "communist men­ ace." Today's glorified "hero" is the killer in the green beret in Southeast Asia. This bloody blow at the antiwar and socialist forces is a terroristic attempt to curb dissent. It is tragic confirmation of the recent warning by Senator Ful­ increasingly prone to violence. Over TV and radio, bright that the war hysteria whipped up by all the in the press and comic books, violence is shown and reactionary forces, beginning with the Pentagon, men­ glorified day and night. The supreme madness of this aces freedom of speech and the hard-won liberties of system is the stockpiling of nuclear weapons capable the American people. of wiping out the entire human race. And .Johnson's Taking the official propaganda as a cue and a policy of escalating the war in Vietnam has made this license, the Detroit murderer armed himself and set possibility very real. out to kill some "communists." The Socialist Workers Party, as the most intransigent This super-patriotic supporter of Washington's opponent of U. S. imperialism, mourns the martyred foreign policy of intervening against "communism" in Leo Bernard. But it pledges to fight all the more reso­ places like Vietnam and Santo Domingo, is like many lutely to advance the socialist cause for which he died. others also a rabid white supremacist. In March he The best way to honor Leo Bernard is to stand firm applied for admission to Verwoerd's South Africa, and close ranks against all assaults by the forces of saying he was "armed and prepared to fight against reaction. the Communists." Unlike the mercenaries hired by the Defend the right of all Americans to speak out! CIA to crush the freedom fighters in the Congo, he Build a bigger, stronger antiwar movement! was turned down and so took to hunting for victims Forward to a socialist America in a socialist world- closer to home. a society cleansed of violence where peace, justice, American capitalism and its rulers are becoming equality and an end to poverty can be realized!

90 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW

The Trotskyist Slanders Cannot Tarnish The Cuban Revolution

BY BLAS ROCA

In this issue of the International The Militant, the American socialist Leninism and the Leninist thesis of Socialist Review we are publishing weekly which Roca attacks in the the possibility of the triumph of soc­ two important documents in the de­ first article. The article is reprinted ialism in one country, historic exper­ velopment of the polemic which was from World Outlook, Volume 4, ience defeated all its major theses and initiated by Fidel Castro in his No. 17, May 27, 1966. reduced it to small groups isolated closing speech to the Tricontinental from the masses, whose principal Conference, January 15, 1966. In function remained limited to combat­ that speech, Castro attacked "Trot­ ing the Soviet Union and the Com­ skyism" in terms reminiscent of the The vigorous and illuminating de­ munist parties. frame-up charges in the infamous nunciation of the anti-Cuban propa­ The Yankee imperialists have Moscow trials of the thrities. ganda of the Trotskyists which Com­ found in the Trotskyists very active The first document is an attempt paflero Fidel Castro made in his auxiliary forces in their efforts to to defend Fidel Castro by Bias Roca. speech closing the Tricontinental destroy in the eyes of the Latin­ Roca was the secretary general of Conference, was indispensable. American peoples the prestige of the the Cuban Communist Party in the Not of course because of any sig­ Cuban Revolution by utilizing slan­ thirties in the heyday of Stalinism nificance ascribable to the Trotsky­ ders and confusionist propaganda. and the secretary general in the con­ ists in themselves, but because of the These efforts are part of the imper­ tinuation of that party in the form relation their propagandistic cam­ ialist campaign against Cuba: They of the Partido Socialista Popular. paign has to the action Yankee im­ complement the attacks by military Today Blas Roca is a member of perialism is developing against the means, the actions of infiltrated a­ the newly organized Communist Cuban Revolution and because ofthe gents - sabotage, crime, espionage­ Party of Cuba. damage which, under the circum­ the economic blockade, the breaking Roca's article has been translated stances created by the differences of diplomatic relations by the Latin­ from the text published in the May 1 involving various socialist states in American countries, etc. issue of the Mexico City semimonthly the international Communist move­ On the one hand, directly and in magazine Politica which carried it ment, their confusionist campaign the name of its widely known agen­ under the name "The Trotskyist could cause in some incipient sector cies, the Yankee imperialists carry Slanders Cannot Tarnish the Cuban of the rising revolutionary move­ out an intense campaign in Latin Revolution. " ment in Latin America. America to convince the bourgeois The second document is an an­ Trotskyism is, in itself, in its poli­ and petty-bourgeois sectors that swer to Roca's article by Joseph tics and its theory, a corpse. Extend­ Cuba, and not the United States, Hansen. Hansen is the editor of ed internationally in opposition to constitutes a danger to the independ-

SUMMER 1966 91 ence of their countries; that Cuba, ed in internal quarrels between men When Yankee imperialism seeks to and not the United States, is the in­ and factions fighting for power, that destroy the prestige and authority of terventionist power in the continent; Cuba has been converted into a sat­ the Cuban Revolution in the eyes that Cuba and not the conditions of ellite of the Soviet Union, that Cuba's of the Latin-American peoples, it national humiliation, underdevelop­ actions are determined by Soviet does not do so with the sole aim of ment, backwardness, unhealthy con­ pressure, etc. weakening and isolating Cuba in ditions, lack of culture, reactionary preparation for a military attack. It coups d'etat, repression and persecu­ does it also to weaken the resistance tion, conditions created, reinforced Indirect Sabotage of any Latin-American country to or maintained through the interven­ its claims to domination and impo-' tion and domination of North Amer­ sition of its will in order to weaken ican neocolonialism, is the cause of While the direct North American the revolutionary movement for na­ the uprisings, guerrillas, protests propaganda "justifies" its interven­ tional and social liberation in all and struggles of the Latin-American tion in Santo Domingo with the pre­ the Latin-American countries, to peoples. tended danger of a coup by "Com­ weaken the faith of their peoples in On the other hand, through chan­ munists trained in Cuba," the indi­ revolution, in the final outcome of nels that are not easily identifiable rect propanganda by way of the their combats and sacrifices. as imperialist and groups that em­ Trotskyists accuses Cuba ofnothav­ The Trotskyists and other elements ploy a super-revolutionary langu­ ing given active solidarity to the Do­ of like stripe, while they speak an age, they carry out a campaign to minican revolution. While the OAS ultra-revolutionary language, in­ confuse the intellectual, student, condemns Cuba "for sending arms stead of conducting a struggle in worker and peasant sectors, spread­ to the Venezuelan guerrillas," sup­ honest defense of the revolution, col­ ing among them slanders such as posedly revolutionary propaganda laborate with imperialism in the cam­ that the Cuban Revolution is a fail­ is circulated throughout the conti­ paign to undermine its prestige and ure, that it is not socialist, that it is nent accusing Cuba of "turning its authority in the eyes of the masses. not granting the aid or solidarity due back to the Latin-American revolu­ the Latin-American peoples, that its tion." leaders have been "purged" by tor­ This is the dual aspect of the prop­ tuous means, that it is being consum- aganda war which the Yankee im­ Imperialist Agents perialists are developing against Cu­ ba. In this war, Johnson, Rusk, Mc­ All this is one more proof that, as ... Published Quarterly by •• the International Socialist Namara, the CIA, the counterrevo­ Compaflero Fidel said, Trotskyism Review Publishing Asso- lutionary groups and grouplets are became a vulgar instrument of im­ • ciation, 873 Broadway, perialism and reaction. With cita­ 1IiIJNew York, N.Y., 10003. Second Class postage given the task, with the help of the paid at New York, N. Y. AP and the UPI, of presenting Cuba tions from declarations and writings as a revolutionary danger to the of Trotskyist individuals and publi­ Editor, Tom Kerry; Managing Editor, DickRoberts; continent which must be smashed; cations he showed convincingly that Associate Editor, George Novack; BusinessMana· ger, Karolyn Kerry; Book Review Editor, Arthur while the Trotskyists and other pseu­ the campaign they are conducting is Maglin do-revolutionary elements under­ that of agents of imperialism. take the dirty task of promulgating Well, are the individuals and pub­ that the revolutionary power in Cuba lications Trotskyist as was said in is not revolutionary nor undertaking the speech of the first secretary of Table of Contents its duties of solidarity with the peo­ our party before the delegates of the ples, etc.; that is, the task of promul­ First Conference of Solidarity of the Leo Bernard ...... 90 Roca Slanders Trotskyism ... 91 gating those things that help the im­ Peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin Hansen Answers Roca ...... 96 perialists in their effort to destroy America? Alexander Case ...... 107 the prestige and authority of the Strange as it may seem, it is nec­ African Unity ...... 109 Cuban Revolution. The firm and un­ essary to answer this question, since Nkrumah's Downfall ...... 115 Hoffa and the Teamsters ... 121 conditional defense of the anti-im­ Trotskyism is a medley of such con­ perialist and socialist revolution, tri­ fusion, of groups and subgroups, umphant in Cuba, is a duty for every that some Trotskyists deny that honest revolutionary, whatever his other Trotskyists are Trotskyists. Vol. 27 - No. :3- Whole No. 176 party affiliation. This, for example, is what The Mili­ This defense must be mounted tant, the newspaper of the North whether it involves a military attack, American Trotskyists does, when it an economic attack or an ideological tries to puncture the denunciation of

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 year (four issuesJS1.50; and political attack of the enemies Trotskyism made by Compaflero 2 years (eight issuesl 53. Add 50 cents per year of the Revolution. This defense is Fidel Castro through the very simple lor Canada, Latin America and overseas; single not only a duty of solidarity, but in device of claiming that the Trotsky­ copy 50 cents, bundles 35 cents a copy lor live the direct interest of the movement copies or more, domestic or foreign. ists cited by him are not Trotsky­ for the revolution, for the sovereign­ ists. According to this newpaper, ty and independence of every coun­ neither the review Marcha of Monte­ try, for progress and socialism. video, nor Il Nuovo Mondo of

92 INTERNATI01\,TAL SOCIALIST REVIEW Rome, nor the A1onth/y Review of work of provocation, confusionism sent social struggles and preparation New York are Trotskyist, so that it and conspiracy in favor of the ag­ of the atomic war which imperialism considers that "the proofs cited by gressive plans of North American is preparing, systematic defamation Castro to prove his assertions imperialism. of the Cuban Revolution is carried (against the Trotskyists) are flimsy." In the mimeographed newspaper on. The Newsletter, on the other hand, which was printed in Cuba by an says that the review Mareha is an organized Trotskyist group after the organ of the Posadas group, al­ triumph of the Revolution with the Congress of Architects though it considers the latter not to assistance of Posadas and Adolfo be genuinely Trotskyist. Gilly - the latter was in Cuba in The article or report refers to the Independently of what The News­ 1963 advising this Trotskyist position which the Trotskyists had letter, organ of the English Trotsky­ group - the direct and open attacks to take at the Seventh International ists, says, the allegation of The Mili­ on the Cuban Revolution and its Congress of Architects held in Cuba tant is pure sophistry, since in the leadership became general begin­ from September 29 to October 3 in first place, Compaiiero Fidel did not ning in 1963. For example, in num­ that year. The fundamental point in say that the reviews mentioned were ber 34 of the said newspaper, cor­ this position seems to be to object Trotskyist, but that they had publish­ responding to the first part of Sep­ to constructing homes or to subord­ ed articles and reports of known tember 1963, in an editorial entit­ inate constructing homes due to the Trotskyists and, in the second place, led: Cuba must support the Chinese fact that "when war comes it will it is more than evident that the said line of world revolution, it is braz­ destroy them" as can be seen in this publications systematically diffuse enly asserted: "There is an enormous confused paragraph which we have Trotskyist propaganda. contradiction between the critical and transcribed as follows: The English Trotskyists as well alert revolutionary consciousness of "N 0 congress of architecture can as the North Americans deny that the masses and the 'sea wave' which be posed without posing the war. It Felipe Albaguante is Trotskyist. On the leadership of the Revolutionary is insanity. It is an effort that is go­ J. Posadas, who is the head of the Government has been following be­ ing to ask the Cuban population and Latin-American Bureau of the tween these pressures, from the inter­ the rest of Latin America and the Fourth International (Trotskyist) national to the economic line." world to do something that is going The Newsletter says the following: And in num ber 43, corresponding to be knocked down a few years "The Posadas group, in particular, to the first part of February 1964, later." The position, however, is the is 'Trotskyist' only in name. In they likewise posed editorially things least of it. What is important is that Great Britain, its most prominent like this: "In spite of the conciliatory throughout the whole article or re­ leader when the group was founded and counterrevolutionary line of port, slanders are inserted as base­ has openly supported the right-wing peaceful coexistence with imperial­ less as this one which, by way of ex­ witch-hunt against Young Socialists ism which the Fidel Castro leader­ ample, we have transcribed as fol­ and councillors, while calling for ship has posed, the masses continue lows: world revolution! (such political pressing against this line and go "The congresses which they (the chameleons, it seems can only be much beyond it." Cubans) hold are genuinely shame­ found in Posadas' menagerie.)" And ful. For example, many youth are The Militant itself, although it ac­ attracted to them with women and cuses Posadas and his groups of Coi ncidental Attacks dances. It was this way in '60. The holding to stupidities like nuclear meetings are simply an excuse. They war being inevitable and that the In other words, as before, at the will do the same with the architects atomic bombing of Moscow will same time as the United States was and teachers." signify the rebirth of the world pro­ giving a new impulsion to its ag­ And as always, these attacks of letariat, asserts that "to say that gressive policy against Cuba, with Trotskyist propaganda coincide they constitute a vulgar instrument the piratical action of seizing the with the intensification of the attacks of imperialism and reaction is, how­ four Cuban fishing boats and de­ of the imperialists, who in the month ever, a slander." taining their crews, the Trotskyists of September 1963 had, with their What the Trotskyist groups - in­ carried out their counterrevolution­ pirate planes, dropped bombs on the cluding those of Thc A1ilitant and ary mission of trying, with their Brazil sugar mill and near the city Thc Nell~s/etter- are spreading with slanders, to undermine the prestige of Santa Clara, and the month be­ respect to the Cuban Revolution are and authority of the Cuban Revolu­ fore, in August, with their pirate slanders, and very obvious ones. tion. launches, had machine-gunned Pu­ And that these slanders serve only In the newspaper Frente Obrero, erto de Casilda and the sulfametal the Yankee imperialists in their prop­ organ of the Partido Obrero Rcpo/u­ plant in Santa Lucia. aganda war against Cuba there is cionario (Trotskyist) of Uruguay, We could multiply the quotations not the slightest doubt. And this corresponding to September 11, and show, with them, how on the labor did not begin now, but from 1963, in a long, extremely confused basis of slanders and sophistry, the the time they became convinced that and at times incomprehensible article Trotskyists have oriented their prop­ they could not infiltrate into the or report by J. Posadas entitled The aganda, from the beginning, to pit Cuban Revolution, as they tried, in discllssions 011 architecture in Cuba, the masses against the leadership of order to carry out from within their based on the development of the pre- our socialist state, to pit Che against

SUMMER 1966 9a Fidel, to sow division and disunity tacks consists in organizing politi­ tion, but united the people in the among the revolutionary forces cal and military attacks against the practical struggle to overthrow Ba­ united firmly in our country under revolutionary power. This explains tista's tyranny and to destroy his the guidance of Compaflero Fidel the coincidence between the most mercenary army which served to Castro. This is the campaign which brazen attacks of Trotskyist propa­ support him and which was the in­ they are continuing today, to the ganda with the piratical aggressions strument of neocolonialism and all profit of imperialism, as vulgar in­ of the Yankee imperialists against the reactionary social forces. struments of imperialism and re­ Cuba. That is, the propaganda The Trotskyists like to say that action, since more than ever this ex­ attacks against Cuba is the "defense" the measures of socialist transforma­ pression arouses the ire of the Trot­ of Cuba carried out by the Trotsky­ tion were taken in Cuba under the skyists of The Militant and The ists. The Yankee imperialists and pressure of the masses; what they Newsletter. The Newsletter, the or­ their mercenaries likewise say that are not eveR capable of understand­ gan of the English Trotskyists, which their crimes against the people of ing is that the revolutionary lea(ler­ denies that Posadas or Albaguante Cuba have the objective of "freeing ship under the guidance of Compafl­ are Trotskyists, hurls epithets and them" from the Communist tyranny. ero Fidel Castro prepared each step slanders against the Cuban Revolu­ In cynicism, the Trotskyists do not and took it in consonance with the tion not less venomous and false concede an inch to the imperialists. same state of consciousness which than theirs. They go to the extreme The Newsletter and The Militant they had created in the masses. In of brazenly calling for the overthrow defend Adolfo Malvagni Gilly and 1959 the proclamation of socialism of the revolutionary power in Cuba. are enraged, like him, over what would have divided the country; in With the typical phraseology of Compaflero Fidel Castro said con­ April 1961 the masses unanimously Trotskyism, they call Compaflero cerning Yon Sosa and the labor of supported the declaration of Com­ Fidel Castro "head of a capitalist the Trotskyists in Guatemala. It paflero Fidel Castro on the socialist state machine" and "prime minister seems strange that they should de­ character of our revolution and car­ of a Bonapartist government." fend Gilly, a coreligionist and sub­ ried it to victory, with their blood, "So long as the Cuban state," they ordinate of J. Posadas, while they on the beaches of Playa Giron. write, "rests on capitalist founda­ denigrate him and his group, con­ In Guatemala, on infiltrating into tions, our opposition to Castro will sidered by The Newsletter to be a Yon Sosa' s movement, the Trotsky­ remain fundamental and implaca­ "menagerie" and by The Militant as ist elements, if with regard to pro­ ble. We shall support every attempt, upholding "stupidities." But this is gr am they do something like put successful or abortive, to replace the in perfect harmony with the funda­ the cart before the horse, politically Bonapartist dictatorship of Castro mental confusionist and provocative they promote disunity and antagon­ with the power of the working class, role of Trotskyism. isms among the revolutionary forces with democratically elected Soviets Nevertheless, The Militant is com­ and isolate the guerrilla fighters, im­ led by a revolutionary Trotskyist pelled to confess that: "A compli­ posing the program of the Fourth party." cating factor in the Guatemalan sit­ International on them. This is clear. The slander of the uation is the role of representatives revolution, the denial of the socialist of the Posadas group. This is a split­ character of the Cuban state, is fol­ off from the Fourth International, Fidel's Denunciation lowed by the proclamation that they the world party of socialist revolu­ will support every attempt to over­ tion founded by Leon Trotsky. The "What the Fourth International turn the revolutionary government. Posadas group calls itself 'Trotsky­ thus committed," said Compaflero The bit about replacing it with Sovi­ ist' and even makes out that it con­ Fidel, "was a true crime against the ets led by a Trotskyist party is a stitutes the 'Fourth International' revolutionary movement, to isolate laughable excuse. The whole world ... Posadas happens to have a few it from the rest of the people, to iso­ knows that the only attempts - frus­ followers in both Cuba and Guate­ late it from the masses, by corrupting trated by the heroism and the will of mala whose ultraleft stupidities do it with stupidities, the discredited the Cuban people closely united isolate them from the masses." Pre­ and repugnant and nauseating thing around their revolutionary govern­ cisely this is the crime of the Trot­ that is Trotskyism today within the ment - to replace the socialist power skyist who infiltrated the guerrilla field of politics." In replies attempted in Cuba are those of the Yankee im­ front of Yon Sosa in Guatemala. by the Trotskyists to the denuncia­ perialists. "This does not," they add, tion by Compaflero Fidel of their "in any way, cut across the princi­ venomous activity, they once more pled defense of Cuba from imperial­ Proclai m Revol ution repeat the slanderous speculations ist attack. On the contrary, the best on the absence from Cuba of Com­ defence we can provide to Cuba is to With ultraleft slogans and calls for paflero Ernesto Che Guevara. This assist the Cuban workers to defend the immediate realization of the so­ is logical if one keeps in mind the themselves militarily and politically cialist revolution, they isolate this interest of the Yankee imperialists from the attacks of their own ruling movement from the masses, they cut in the question. The Yankee imper­ class." their road of development. With no ialists were, naturally, the first to This is even clearer ... and more little frequency they point to socialist speculate over the absence of Com­ repugnant. The principled "defense" Cuba; but in 1958 the Rebel Army paflero Guevara from Cuba. They, of Cuba against the imperialist at- did not proclaim the socialist revolu- above all, wanted to know where he

94 INTERNATIOlvAL SOCIALIST REVIEW was to be found. No sooner did they wouldn't they have responded in the But neither will they prosper there kill him in Santo Domingo, than same way to a new letter? for very long. The practical results they had him traveling through The Newsletter, with greater cyni­ of their tricks will show the masses Central America, gravely ill in a cism, repeats the slanders. "Gue~ and honest revolutionaries what they hospital bed or they put him in the vara," it says, "was killed or incar­ really are. heart of the Peruvian jungles. cerated in a special prison in Cuba There is no slander, whether from or, and this seems more likely, he the imperialists or from the Trotsky­ was exiled and his wife and children ists or anyone else that can change Rumors about Che held as hostages in case he decided the facts or destroy the prestige of a to do something rash -like speaking Revolution like the one in Cuba, At the same time, as was already to the press or writing his memoirs. made by dint of heroism and car­ their custom, they made up and That Castro's fear of Guevera is ried forward to its ultimate and nec­ spread all kinds of macabre stories real," it adds "was demonstrated re­ essary consequences. of their own pure invention: Castro cently when the Cuban government The dignity, the firmness and the had killed Guevara; Che was a pris­ decided to disarm the militia on the honesty of the leadership of the Cu­ oner or proscribed; there was a divi­ flimsy pretext that the guns were not ban Revolution stand above any sion among the Cuban leaders a­ being maintained properly." miserable slanderer. Faithfulness to round the Chinese-Soviet differences; The slanders of The Newsleter are proletarian internationalism, unlim­ the Soviet Union had demanded repeated by Gilly: "The vertiginous ited solidarity with the peoples strug­ Guevara's retirement, etc., etc. The political evolution ofthe Cuban lead­ gling against imperialism, repeated letter from Compailero Ernesto Che ership in recent months," he writes, a thousand and onetimes,havebeen Guevara to Fidel, written at the time "confirms the opinion that it is true proved by Cuba under all circum­ of his leaving Cuba and read by that they have either assassinated stances and before all the revolu­ the latter on presenting to the people Guevara or that they are restraining tionaries. the recently constituted Central Com­ him by some means or other from National sovereignty, seized in a mittee of the Communist Party, the expressing himself politically." revolutionary way from the Yankee first of October last year, was a For them the Tricontinental Con­ neocolonialists who pre-empted it, crushing blow to all the tales woven ference was prepared bureaucrati­ has been maintained in a dignified by imperlialism. cally, it was only a rostrum for way by Cuba, as the very reason for For the genuine revolutionaries, Cheddi Jagan and Allende or it was its struggle, as a banner for the the words that Fidel said on the sub­ a failure. In all their slanders against peoples still subjugated, as the be­ ject on that occasion, and the moving Cuba their innate hatred for the ginning of relations in the rising and profoundly revolutionary letter Soviet Union stands out. world of the new society without from Che, were definitive: They ex­ exploiters or exploited, in which plained the absence of the stout and countries, holding equal rights, are beloved comandante of our revolu­ Help for Imperialists related fraternally with mutual re­ tionary war until it became necessary spect and mutual collaboration. and possible to explain it. For the All the Trotskyist slanders now be­ There is no slander against the re­ Yankee imperialists and for the Trot­ ing repeated have as one of their ality of our socialist revolution, skyists no. They needed to continue aims to discover, for the benefit of which stands at the very doors of the tales about "the mysterious dis­ the North American imperialists, the Yankee imperialism, of the reality appearance," in order to continue the place where Compailero Ernesto Che of our successes and advances in the campaign to discredit the Cuban Guevara is and, therefore, the con­ construction of socialism, of the re­ Revolution. crete revolutionary activities which ality of the unity of our people It is by no means accidental that he is carrying on in accordance with around the working class and the the declarations of the Trotskyist his unshakable revolutionary voca­ unbreakable confidence which it has elements and newspapers which tion and his conviction as an anti­ in our successes and advances in the Fidel mentioned in his speech, were imperialist and socialist combatant. Central Committee and in its chief made after the first of October; that Along with this is the aim of serving, and guide, Compailero Fidel Castro. is, when the letter from Chewas fully once more, the imperialist campaign There is no slander that can tarnish known throughout the world. The to discredit the Cuban Revolution. the revolutionary call of the Second Militant. in replying now, dwells on Today this is one of their principal Declaration of Havana nor diminish the theme and holds that what Castro tasks inasmuch as Cuba represents the revolutionary importance of the ought to have done in face of the the example, stimulous and support resolutions of the First Conference Trotskyist slanders is send a mes­ of peoples orienting toward a revolu­ of Solidarity of the Peoples of Asia, sage to Che so that he, in a letter, tion against imperialism and its lack­ Africa and Latin America. might quash the rumor of his death. eys, servants and puppets. In one word, there is no slander But in view of the facts, of what use Of course, their slanders will not that can extinguish in the eyes of the would it have been'? If before, with get very far. Their tricks and divi­ masses of Latin America the burning the last letter from Che, read by sionist intrigues can cause damage flame of the inspiring example of the Fidel himself, the slanders and mali­ in countries like Guatemala and con­ Cuban Revolution, victorious in face cious speculations of these elements fuse sectors like those under the com­ of all the aggressions, attacks and not only did not cease but multiplied, mand of Marco Antonio Yon Sosa. difficulties.

SUMMER 1966 95 Stalinism or Trotskyism in the Cuban Revolution?

BY JOSEPH HANSEN

Why did BIas Roca feel impelled their aims and intentions. This ap­ they recalled that "the accusation has to take up the cudgel against Trot­ pears to have been the case with no foundation whatever, as anyone skyism? He says that Trotskyism, "in that section of Fidel Castro's J anu­ who has seriously studied the history its politics and theory," is a "corpse." ary 15 speech which was directed of the communist movement since Wasn't Trotskyism reduced to that against the "Trotskyites" and intend­ the October Revolution must know"; state by the late Stalin himself de­ ed to consign them to oblivion. that it was "precisely this accusation cades ago; not just once, but re­ By employing old Stalinist sland­ which provided the rationalization peatedly, and not just polemically, ers, long ago exposed as frame-ups, for the Soviet purge trials of the but with frame-up trials, deporta­ by lumping opposites together - the 1930's"; that if "anything has been tions and executions? Didn't both method of amalgam typical of Sta­ proved - and not least by the Soviet Khrushchev and Mao in their po­ linism - by eschewing reasoned polit­ government itself - it is that the trials lemics finish the dead dog once a­ ical argument, Fidel Castro's attack were a shameless frame-up"; and that gain? Finally, wasn't the cadaver led to an outcome utterly unexpected Fidel Castro "should not deceive disposed of so effectively by Fidel by the advisers who supplied the himself that he can sway any but Castro in his speech of .January 15 prime minister with the material he cowards and sycophants by mere that any hope of its ever being res­ used in his speech. Three things denunciation." urrected was ended once and for all? happened: 2) Through the wide publicity it What an unexpected sight, then, 1) The slanderous charge that afforded and the sympathy it evoked only three months after Castro's "Trotskyism became ... a vulgar in­ for the slandered movement - un­ speech against Trotskyism, to see strument of imperialism and reac­ doubtedly the most maligned in all the Earl Browder of Cuba rushing tion" was not accepted. The days of history- Castro's attack had the un­ to the rescue of the prime minister, the Stalin cult are gone. The de-Sta­ anticipated effect of stimulating in­ as if unexpected weaknesses had sud­ linization process has destroyed for­ terest in the cause of Trotskyism denly been exposed in the .January ever the atmosphere when such vile and attracting further attention to its 15 speech - or unexpected life in the accusations need only be asserted authentic ideas. overkilled corpse! from on high to be believed. Castro's 3) In the resulting discussion, the Karl Marx, and Hegel before him, attack, on the contrary, provoked key issues involved in the attack be­ taught that what men propose- even shock and dismay and led to wide­ gan to emerge. They happen to be the most powerful and authorita­ spread protests. The editors of the of vital concern to every revolution­ tive - often fails to be realized and in­ .Honthly ReL'iew only voiced the gen­ ary socialist and colonial freedom deed, can end in just the opposite of eral reaction in radical circles when fighter: a) What is the nature of the

9(; INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW Fidel Castro addresses workers at cooperative in Pinar del Rio. 1960.

revolution now on the agenda in contribution in detail. name of Posadas. The connection of many countries, particularly Latin The basic content of BIas Roca's members of this group with the America? Must it first go through a article in the May 1 issue of Politica M R - 13 guerrilla movement in Gua­ bourgeois-democratic stage under merely re-echoes the central theme of temala was used to brand the move­ bourgeois leadership? Or can a vict­ Castro's attack: Trotskyism is "a ment as "infiltrated" by "Trotskyites" ory be projected under the leader­ vulgar instrument of imperialism whom Castro dubbed "agents of im­ ship of a revolutionary-socialist par­ and reaction" - which itself was an perialism" under the general slander­ ty that frankly espouses from the echo of the standard Stalinist sland­ ous charge levelled against Trotsky­ very beginning the need to pose so­ ers. He repeats the very phrase in­ ism as such. Then independent cialist tasks? b) What is the role of sistently, as if mere repetition a num­ journals, or journals of organiza­ proletarian democratic norms in the ber of times by someone as au­ tions having no connection with revolutionary process, including free thoritative as BIas Roca would make Trotskyism, were wnalga mated with discussion and the exclusion of such up for Castro's unaccountable fail­ the fake Posadas "Fourth Interna­ abominations as slandering or muz­ ure to make it stick. tional" either because they raised zling oppositional views? Are these There are, however, some instruc­ questions about Guevara's leaving norms utopian, or are they really tive differences between the two at­ the Cuban political scene or because applicable and, in fact, a vital nec­ tacks. While, in Castro's speech, the they published articles by Adolfo essity? target was the Fourth International, Gilly, a revolutionary-socialist These issues lie at the heart of the you would never know that the ref­ journalist, whose views on some dispute and constitute its main in­ erences were to a fake "Fourth Inter­ points demonstrably coincide with terest. We will consider them in the national" set up by one J. Posadas. those of Posadas. In brief, Castro's process of analyzing BIas Roca's Castro did not even mention the attacks read a great deal like simi-

SUMMER 1966 97

lar attacks made by BIas Roca him­ coat of demagogy to paint things joke! Everyone in this medley claims self as far back as 1961. (See, forin­ and dazzle the eye. to be a Communist, whatever they stance, BIas Roca's book The Cuban This is a small-scale replica of the call each other. I repeat what I said Revolution or the pamphlet I wrote in pattern Stalin followed in his notor­ about the Cuban leaders no matter 1962, Trotskyism and the Cuban ious series of frame-up trials from how much you squirm, and as proof Revolution - An Answer to Hoy.) 1936 to 1938. When glaring contra­ I have scrupulously copied down In contrast to Castro's original dictions exposed the falsifications of the following stupidities from Hsin­ presentation of "Trotskyism" as a his political police in a given frame­ hua on the united front." single movement, the nature of which up, Stalin made up for it by staging The truth is that BIas Roca belongs could be judged from statements ju­ a bigger and more imposing show diciously selected from the writings trial. To use such methods in an ef­ to the Stalinist school which con­ of the unnamed Posadas, or the state­ fort to forestall Castro from rectify­ siders any critical opposition to the ments of a creature of the UPI like ing a serious error - due, we may monolithic line handed down from Felipe Albaguante, who was exposed suppose, to bad advice-really in­ the unchallengeable leader to be a in 1963 by the United Secretariat of jures the prestige and authority of reflection of imperialist pressure, if the Fourth International, BIas Roca the Cuban Revolution; that is, if Bias not a direct plot fomented by such now presents "Trotskysism" as "a Roca can get away with it. agencies as the CIA. That the revolu­ medley of such confusion, of groups Now that he admits it involves tion should really be a "school of un­ and subgroups, that some Trotsky­ something broader than the tiny fettered thought" is inconceivable to ists deny that other Trotskyists are Posadas group, BIas Roca seeks to such ossified bureaucrats, for in a Trotskyists." As a result, for the first ridicule the Trotskyist movement revolutionary party this involves the time to my knowledge, BIas Roca by saying that in it such confusion right to form tendencies and factions; deigns to identify Posadas as the reigns "that some Trotskyists deny and in a workers state it means the author of some of the quotations that other Trotskyists are Trotsky­ right of the proletariat to form a mul­ which he finds so useful. He refers ists." The argument only makes its tiple party system so long as the var­ to a genuinely Trotskyist newspaper, author look ridiculous. Ultra-reac­ ious parties remain basically loyal to The Militant, for the first time, al­ tionaries likewise sneer at some Com­ the revolution and its conquests. though in a very peculiar manner, munists denying that other Com­ Democratic centralism means de­ as we shall see. And, ranging far and munists are Communists; and they mocracy in reaching decisions as wide, he brings in The News/etter, point to the polemics, which are not well as centralism in carrying them the newspaper of the Socialist La­ always models of comradeliness, be­ out. bour League in Britain. tween the Khrushchevists, Maoists, The purpose of this procedure To rise to the level of the great Titoists and ... Fidelistas. tasks it faces, a revolutionary party soon becomes obvious. Responding What would an independent-mind­ to the emergency, BIas Roca is pick­ before and after coming to power ed revolutionist, who knows the posi­ requires the free play of thought, ing up the pieces of Castro's January tions of the leaders ofthe Cuban Rev­ 15 attack on Trotskyism and trying not only because this is the best way olution, say if someone argued like to build a better structure by using to develop and lift the intellectual BIas Roca and cooly told an audi­ level of its members and leaders, more boards, stronger glue, sturdier ence that the Cuban leaders were mortar to plaster cracks and a thick but because it is the most efficient "imperialist agents," the proof being way of exploring all possible polit­ the evident confusion and mutual ical variants and of reaching solid recriminations because of different decisions that truly reflect reality and THE MILITANT positions taken on crucial issues by thereby enable the revolutionary the Communist capitals - such as party to intervene in the national Belgrade's friendly attitude toward and international class struggle most the Betancourt-Leoni government in effectively. This view is not peculiar A hard-hitting weekly socialist contrast to Havana's hostility, Mos­ to Trotskyism; it is as old as scien­ newspaper. Coverage of the cow's class-collaborationist attitude tific socialism and constituted the es­ Vietnam War and the interna­ toward U.S. imperialism in contrast sence of Lenin's method of party tional anti-war movements, the to Peking's intransigence, and Pe­ building. Colonial Revolution. king's sectarian rejection of a united That serious differences appeared front in defense of the Vietnamese in the world Communist movement Revolution in contrast to the appeals after the decades of Stalinist mono­ ONLY $1.00 of all the others for a common front? lithism was in itself a progressive The revolutionist would shout that development. Arising fundamentally INTRODUCTORY SUB this is utter nonsense and that the from the victory of the Soviet Union Cubans have their own positions­ over German imperialism, the post­ very good positions as can be deter­ war advance of the colonial revolu­ Militant Publishing Association, mined by reading their declarations tion, and a balance of world forces 873 B'Way, New York, N. Y., and judging their actions. To which favoring the socialist camp, these 10003. the orator would respond in the differences have helped pavetheway crushing style of BIas Roca: "What a for a resurgence of revolutionary

INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW Marxism. What is bad is the absence ment, and on splitting he cast aside honest. I say this not as an epithet, of provisions, customs and institu­ all restraint. He advanced the idea but as an easily proved statement of tions to carry the discussion of the that nuclear war and revolution are fact. The very article in the February differences forward to a democratic synonomous; i.e., a nuclear war will 5 Newsletter from which BIas Roca conclusion. And that lack reflects the finish capitalism but not socialism, quoted ends up with an attack on the continued existence of narrow, self­ it is therefore to be welcomed, and in Socialist IVorkers Party for its posi­ serving bureaucratic interests that fact ought to be initiated in a pre­ tion in relation to the Cuban Revolu­ deliberately block a normal resolu­ emptive strike by the Soviet Union. tion and Fidel Castro. tion of the differences through the Among the various tendencies of the process of free discussion. world Communist movement, Posa­ Omitted Pabloites The Trotskyist movement did not das expresses affinity with Mao's remain unaffected by the advance of thought, which, as he indicates with the colonial revolution, by the com­ satisfaction from time to time, often BIas Roca could have brought in mencement of de-Stalinization, by the corresponds with his own "brilliant" the conflicting position of still an­ differences revolving around the analyses. Apparently he is convinced other group which claims to repre­ Sino-Soviet conflict, and by other that Mao reads his speeches and sent the Fourth International: a re­ events. In fact the differential con­ reports. The Posadas group could cent minor split-off headed by Mi­ sequences of these developments can be dismissed as a rather bizarre chael Raptis (Pablo). Apparently easily be found in the positions ad­ cult were it not for the fact that it this did not fit in with the immediate vocated by the various tendencies has a few followers in Cuba, has con­ job at hand. Up to now this group claiming adherence to Trotskyism. tacts with the Guatemalan guerril­ has not developed views on Cuba differering distinctly from those of A first-rate example of this was the la movement, claims to be the Fourth the Fourth International. Its differ­ impact of the Cuban Revolution. International, and thus serves BIas ences are in other areas. It considers The overwhelming majority of the Roca as a convenient club with the de-Stalinization process to be Trotskyists throughout the world which to beat the "corpse" of Trot­ irreversible and synonomous with considered this to be the opening of skyism. democratization. In the Sino-Soviet the socialist revolution in the Western The Healy group, reflecting British conflict it favors Moscow over Peking Hemisphere. The appearance of a insularity, took the position that the and leans most strongly in the di­ new leadership, generated in the very Cuban Revolution has not reached rection of Titoism. The sharpest dif­ process of a revolution, untainted the phase of a workers state, that ferences with this group occurred ov­ by Stalinism and imbued with revo­ Cuba remains capitalist, and that Castro is just a demagogue if not er party-building methods, particu­ lutionary determination, was hailed larly the observance of democratic with immense enthusiasm. In the worse. * In this respect, the quota­ tions selected by BIas Roca were ac­ centralism. United States, the Socialist Workers Let us now consider BIas Roca's Party took up the cause ofthe Cuban curate enough reflections of Healyite views. It happens, however, that argumentation on how the Trotsky­ Revolution as its own and its candi­ ists allegedly serve as "very active dates put defense of revolutionary Healy's position, clearly a prime example of ultraleft sectarian think­ auxiliary forces" in the effort of the Cuba as the first foreign-policy plank Yankee imperialists "to destroy the in their national election platform in ing, was thoroughly debated by the world Trotskyist movement and prestige and authority" of the Cuban 1960 and 1964. The Fourth Inter­ Revolution. He seeks to prove this national as a whole responded in the overwhelmingly rejected as not in consonance with the reality. by citing published statements by same enthusiastic way. This com­ Posadas selected to coincide with the mon estimate provided one of the In presenting Healy's nonsense about Cuba as the position of the timing of various piratical forays fo­ main grounds for the healing in 1963 mented or engineered by the State De­ of a major split in the world Trot­ Fourth International or The A1ili­ tallt, BIas Roca is deliberately dis- partment or the CIA. Posadas co­ skyist movement that had lasted al­ ordinates his statements, if we are to most ten years. * The "theorettcians" of the Socialist Lahour believe BIas Roca, so that they ap­ Two groupings, each of them rep­ League consider that their ahysmal ignor­ pear in published form "as always" resenting small minorities, stood in ance of Latin-American politics endows them to "coincide with the intensification of with a special right to pontificate on the opposition and came to consider Cuban Revolution. Naturally this oIlers the attacks of the imperialists ... " their differences to be so great as to sport to Bias Roca, who chortles over such Doesn't this sound like the red­ transcend their duty to adhere to the boners as their informing the British public baiting formulas of a comic book? principles of democratic centralism. that the independent weekly Marcha ofMon­ Must we really submit this kind of tevideo is an "organ of the ultraleft Posadas One of these engaged in a split group." For those hardy souls who try to argument to serious analysis? (Posadas of the Latin-American Bu­ keep up with The Newsletter this is but 1) What about the declarations reau) and the other rejected parti­ another sad instance of the notorious un­ made by Posadas between piratical reliability of this publication in handling cipation in the reunification of the such pedestrian things as facts. But what forays? Did they fluctuate markedly world Trotskyist movement (Healy should we say then of The Worker, the voice in the direction of a friendly tone? of the Socialist Labour League). of the American Communist Party, which, If they did not, if Posadas main­ Posadas, an energetic organizer, in its January 23, 1966, issue, printed a tained a uniformly critical position, dispatch from its Havana correspondent had been developing rather eccentric listing Marcha as a "Spanish Trotskyite then his declarations were not timed positions of his own inside the move- weekly? " to coincide with the piratical for-

SLIMMER 1966 99 ays - and BIas Roca' s case falls to influenced by The Newsletter? We the easier, one would imagine, be­ the ground. will go further. Can he name a single cause there is absolutely no question 2) If Posadas' purpose was to un­ person in all of Latin America who about who represents Trotskyism in dermine the prestige and authority considers himself a p artisan of The the United States - it is the Socialist of the Cuban Revolution, why did Newsletter? The truth is that the Workers Party. he make such self-destructive declar­ position of The Newsletter on the Did BIas Roca fail to search here ations? The very quotations care­ Cuban Revolution is in such utter for evidence? We doubt it. He or his fully selected by BIas Roca are deva­ contradiction to the reality that the American co-thinkers combed the stating - to Posadas. Read the sen­ Healy group stands in absolute iso­ pages of The Militant and The Inter­ tences transcribed by BIas Roca from lation. Its position on Cuba doesn't national Socialist Reoiew. and the the article or report by Posadas on play the dirty game of imperialism, public declarations of the American the discussions on architecture: "No as BIas Roca maintains; it only Trotskyists and their pamphlets and congress of architecture can be posed plays into the hands of BIas Roca. books, looking for something that without the war. It is insanity." And Even the half dozen admirers of the could be used in the attack against so forth and so on. Even BIas Roca Socialist Labour League to be found Trotskyism. is compelled to admit that the long in the United States consider that text is "extremely confused and at Healy is completely wrong on this times incomprehensible." He is com­ subject. They sedulously seek other Unimpeachable Record pletely correct. The utterances of reasons for praising him. Posadas damage only the prestige We thus come to a key question. The truth is that among the radi­ and authority of the author. Is this the best that BIas Roca can cal groupings in the United States, The alternatives are inescapable: do in trying to bolster and shore up the record of the Socialist Workers Either Posadas appears bizarre to the contention that Trotskyism is a Party is unimpeachable and out­ all who read such declarations, or "vulgar instrument of imperialism standing; so outstanding, in fact, the intellectual level of the Cuban and reaction"? The answer is yes. that BIas Roca himself has been very cadres (and the cadres of the Latin­ That's the best he can do. cautious about attacking it even American revolution as a whole) Two omissions from BIas Roca's when pinned down on the subject. is so incredibly low that they can list are truly telling. The first is the For instance, in June of 1962, BIas be swept off their feet by extremely Fourth International. He does not of­ Roca did a smear job on Trotskyism confused and at times incomprehen­ fer a single quotation from the gen­ in Hoy, utilizing quotations from Po­ sible nonsense. Does BIas Roca hold uine publications of the Fourth In­ sadas (whom he did not name as to the latter alternative? ternational. In all its declarations­ the source) in the way now familiar Personally, it pleased me to see and there are many of them-he to us. But only a few months be­ BIas Roca quoting so extensively could not find a single phrase that fore that, in its April 16, 1962 is­ from Posadas while at the same time lent itself to his work! The reason sue, the National Guardian printed clearly indicating who the author is simple. The Fourth International an exclusive interview in which BIas was. One could only wish that BIas espoused the cause of the Cuban Roca was asked if he welcomed to Roca would be more honest about Revolution from the very beginning, the ranks of Cuba's friends and par­ indicating that this is a small sect has energetically participated in its tisans in the U. S. "people of any and not the voice of the Fourth In­ defense, and has pointed again and orientation, for example Trotsky­ ternational. again to the Cuban Revolution as ists ... " Is BIas Roca more fortunate with one more mighty verification of the BIas Roca equivocated somewhat his quotations from The Newsletter? validity of Trotsky's theory of the but obviously felt that he could not He asserts that the nature of The permanent revolution. That is why openly attack the American Trot­ Newsletter position "explains the co­ BIas Roca found nothing to say a­ skyists. "I am not well acquainted incidence between the most brazen bout the main stream of the Trotsky­ with those who call themselves Trot­ attacks of Trotskyist propaganda ist movement when he set out to do skyists in the U. S.," he said, "We are with the piratical aggressions of the his smear job. separated from Trotskyists in gen­ Yankee imperialists against Cuba"; eral by fundamental points of view, but he does not even try to indicate and from some in particular by any coincidence in dates as he does Socialist Workers Party their actions as enemies. But I think in the case of Posadas. BIas Roca all in the U. S. who sincerely defend relies on barefaced assertion and the The other omission is the Socialist and support the Cuban revolution, impact of the outrageous theoretical Workers Party. If Trotskyism be­ and the right of the Cuban and and political positions voiced by came a "vulgar instrument of im­ other Latin American peoples, do a The Newsletter. perialism and reaction" and the Trot­ worthy revolutionary job and we We would like to know in greater skyists are "very active auxiliary value them whatever their ideologi­ detail from BIas Roca, however, forces" in the efforts of the Yankee cal concepts may be ..." exactly how The Newsletter proved imperialists to destroy the 'prestige The Militant has consistently print­ to be a "very active auxiliary force" and authority of the Cuban Revolu­ ed the main declarations of Fidel in the efforts of the Yankee imper­ tion, the most crushing proof surely Castro and Che Guevara despite the ialists. Can he name any group in ought to be found in the imperialist limited number of pages at its dis­ all of Latin America that has been U.S.A. itself. And this should be all posal and is a well-known source

100 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW vertiginous political evolution of the Cuban leadership in recent months confirms the opinion that it is true that they have either assassinated Guevara or that they are restraining him by some means or other from expressing himself politically." The source of that quotation is page 29 of the Apri11966 issue oftheMonthly Review. This is the same issue that contained the editorial statement by Leo Huberman and Paul M. Sweezy. (We will return to the question of Guevara.) BIas Roca failed to refer to the Monthly Review in order to facili­ tate evading the cardinal political issues. This is the same pattern fol­ lowed by Gus Hall, themainspokes­ man of the American Communist Party, in his response to the stand taken by the Monthly Review. (See The Worker April 24, 1966, and my reply in the May 9 Militant.) Huberman and Sweezy challenged Fidel Castro on the "ugly and per­ haps ominous" aspect of his speech Farrell Dobbs (second from right) visits Cuban agricultural cooperative in which he charged that Trotskyists in spring of 1960. Trip was in preparation for 1960 presidential elections, are "agents of imperialism." "It was in which Dobbs as the Socialist Workers Party candidate made defense of precisely this accusation which pro­ the Cuban Revolution his No.1 foreign policy goal. vided the rationalization for the Sov­ iet purge trials of the 1930's," they of truthful information about the Cu­ pare it with the February 5 issue of said. Fidel Castro has not yet re­ ban Revolution. At the big turns The Newsletter, which deals with the sponded to the challenge issued by like Playa Giron and the 1962 "Car­ same subject, including an attack on Monthly Review. BIas Roca chose to ibbean crisis," The Militant went all the Socialist Workers Party, and step forward instead. But he remain­ out in defense of the Cuban Revolu­ then check how BIas Roca pasted ed silent about the reference to the tion and denunciation of American these opposites together in his article. Moscow trials. Does he still support imperialism. It did this, not from It is an example for the textbooks the "rationalization" used in purging outside the country, but inside the on the polemical methods of the Stalin's opponents or possibleoppo­ imperialist monster itself. And its Stalinists. nents? Does he think the Soviet gov­ record of activity in defense of Cuba There is still another remarkable ernment under Khrushchev was is superior to that of BIas Roca's omission. When BIas Roca wrote wrong in adding to the mountain sister organization, the American his article, he had before him a copy or evidence proving that Stalin fram­ Communist Party. of the April issue of Monthly Review ed up his victims? He does not say. The record of The Militant is so which contains the stand taken by However, we see that he proceeds irreproachable in this respect, that editors Leo Huberman and Paul M. as if Stalin had been vindicated. BIas Roca was apparently puzzled Sweezy on Castro's January 15 Thereby he· provides a most illum­ as to how to smear it. His solution speech. Yet he does not say a word inating insight into the nature of was the frame-up technique of the about the Monthly Review or the some of Fidel Castro's advisers and amalgam. He took the ultraleft sec­ very important issues raised by the offers confirm ation of the reasoning tarian position of the Socialist La­ two editors. He acts as if he had of the editors of Monthly Review bour League, which the Socialist never heard about the deduction that to revive the accusation used in Workers Party opposed so vigorous­ made by the Monthly Review con­ the Moscow trials is a "sure sign of ly as to drive Healy to split from the cerning advisers who possibly sup­ either ignorance or malice" and that Fourth International, and quoted it plied Fidel Castro with the material in this matter "the malice comes from in close association with references used in attacking "Trotskyism." advisers who never abandoned the to The Militant. To prove how de­ The proof that BIas Roca had this attitudes and methods which under­ liberately this was done it is only issue of the Monthly Review before lay the trials." necessary to take the January 31 him is, I think, compelling. In his Without naming the Monthly Re­ issue of The Militant in which we article, he quotes the following sen­ view, BIas Roca does attempt an first responded to the attack in tence written by Adolfo Gilly, but answer on Che Guevara's disappear­ Castro's January 15 speech, com- without indicating its source: "The ance from the Cuban political scene.

SU1'tlA1ER 1966 101

"Fidel," said the MR editors, "should Fidel himself, the slanders and ma­ slanderous picture of Trotskyism as be under no illusions that only im­ licious speculations of these elements a "vulgar instrument of imperialism perialists and their agents are in­ not only did not cease but multi­ and reaction." terested in Che's fate." They expres­ plied, wouldn't they have responded While BIas Roca is answering the sed the hope that Castro would soon in the same way to a new letter?' questions asked him above about clear up the mystery, but they asked: As if the content and style of such a Guevara, he might tell us also if he "Is Fidel Castro aware of the real letter would not be sufficient to es­ thought the stout and beloved com­ issues at stake in the Guevara affair? tablish its authenticity! andante did wrong in paying tribute And does he realize that every day's This is BIas Roca' s answer not to Hugo Blanco. Speak up, BIas delay in clearing up the mystery only to The Militant but to Monthly Roca, you have the floor ... brings anxiety and doubt to honest Review, both of which raised the BIas Roca singles out as one of revolutionaries everywhere and joy question from the viewpoint of hon­ his targets Adolfo Gilly and tries to to their enemies?' est revolutionaries concerned about make something out of the fact that the welfare and prestige ofthe Cuban "other Trotskyists" should both "de­ Revolution. Does BIas Roca really fend" him and "denigrate him and More on Guevara think that the matter can be disposed his group." "It seems strange," says of with the epithet "imperialist a­ BIas Roca. "... But this is in perfect gents"? That kind of answer is a­ harmony with the fundamentally BIas Roca simply repeats the ac­ larming! confusionist and provocative role of cusations made in Castro's speech­ Trotskyism." the sole interest in the matter alleged­ And in the very week that BIas ly lies with the Yankee imperialists, New Questions Roca's article slandering Adolfo whose "very active auxiliary forces" Gilly in the foulest way appeared in spread all the contradictory rumors Since BIas Roca wants it thatway, Mexico City in Politica, Adolfo Gilly about Che Guevara in order to un­ there is little choice but to raise some was arrested by the Mexican police dermine the prestige and authority further questions: and held without bail because the of the Cuban Revolution. The letter 1 )Does Che Guevara know about charges were so serious that he might from Che read by Fidel last October the speculation over his disappear­ receive more than a five-year sen­ was absolutely "definitive" for "genu­ ance from the public scene in Cuba? tence. And what are the charges? ine revolutionaries," says this presti­ Yes or no! That he engaged in a "Communist gious authority. BIas Roca takes up 2) If he does not know, how is this conspiracy" to overthrow the Diaz only one new point, a point which I to be explained? Ordaz government; that he was in­ happened to advance in the article 3) If he does know, why does he volved in such "crimes" as seeking published in the .January 31, 1966 fail to respond to the concern of to organize protest demonstrations Ali/ltOllt from which BIas Roca his comrades andfriends?Why does­ against the visit of President John­ quotes several times. On the assump­ n't he indicate to the world that ev­ son! tion, which I accpeted, that Castro erything is all right with him? At told the truth about Guevara's taking the moment, what single act by him a new assignment, I called attention could conceivably be of greater as­ Roca's Position to the dislJrOportioll in that part of sistance to the Cuban Revolution? Castro's speech. If it was true that BIas Roca becomes most effusive Where does BIas Roca stand in imperialism was making a big and in praising the "stout and beloved this? With the witch-hunters and red­ damaging campaign against the Cu­ comandante of our revolutionary baiters of the corrupt Mexican bour­ ban Revolution by raising questions war" Che Guevara and in defending geoisie? Or with the victim? We hope about Guevara's disappearance, him from the alleged slanderous at­ that BIas Roca will take a correct then it was completely out of keeping tacks of the Trotskyists who, we are stand in this and express solidarity to use this as a springboard for an told, seek to pit him against Fidel. in the defense of Adolfo Gilly and the implausible attack on "Trotskyism" But Che's opinion of the Trotskyists other victims despite his political dif­ which would only prove divisive in is quite different from the view con­ ferences with them. the revolutionary movement and tained in the slanders put into Cas­ Does a stand like that seem would be rejected by the majority of tro's .January 15 speech. I noted this "strange"? It is perfectly comprehen­ today's revolutionary vanguard. On in the article in The JHilitallt which si ble to every militant. And in the the other hand, it would have been BIas Roca cited. BIas Roca ignored same way, the stand of Monthly devastating for Che Guevara to imi­ the paragraphs quoting the tribute Review in disagreeing with Adolfo tate Mark Twain and write a letter paid by Che Guevara to the Peruvian Gilly'S negative appreciation of the of greetings to the Tricontinental Trotksyist peasant leader Hugo Tricontinental Conference and his Conference indicating that the ru­ Blanco who has been held in prison estimate of Fidel Castro's course mors about his death were grossly at Arequipa without trial for three while agreeing with him on other exaggerated. years. Neither Guevara's tribute nor issues is completely rational and Here is BIas Roca's response: "But the picture of a Trotskyist leader understandable. The position of in view of the facts, of what use rotting in a Peruvian jail for the most Trotskyists toward Adolfo Gil­ would it have been? If before, with "crime" of leading a peasant struggle ly is not fundamentally different. the last letter from ehL', read by can easily be fitted into BIas Roca' s They consider that he has made val-

102 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW uable journalistic contributions; at communists.' On March 3rd, the De­ for independence. All Americans the same time, insofar as he is in­ troit police were warned that this fighting to end thewarin the Mekong fluenced by the views of Posadas on was the plan ofthis political hoodlum Delta and those fighting for freedom some issues, they would like to see and did nothing about it. The Feder­ in the Mississippi Delta should join him take a more independent course. al agencies were told about the mur­ in demanding an end to the hysteria No matter how mistaken they might der plan before March 3rd by a con­ which produced this attack on mem­ think him to be in his views, they sulate in New York and did nothing bers of the Socialist Workers Party." would unanimously reject with indig­ about it except to tell the Detroit po­ We leave it to BIas Roca to fit nation the Stalinist slander that he is lice. The murderer lined up his vic­ these statements into his slander a­ an "imperialist agent." tims and started shooting with a bout the Trotskyists being "very ac­ shout, 'You are all Communists.' tive auxiliary forces" of American This is cold-blooded political murder imperialism when in reality they are Murder of leo Bernard and all who have responsibility must recognized by friend and foe alike be called to account. as "very active" in opposition to its If BIas Roca chooses not to under­ "This murder is related to the ultra­ "dirty wars" in Vietnam, Santo Do­ stand this, perhaps another case will Right action organization of anti­ mingo and Cuba! No doubt BIas sink home. I had barely begun this Communist hoodlums in Detroit Roca will say nothing. Even silver­ reply· when the news came from De­ known as 'Breakthrough' which tried tongued orators sometimes find that troit that an ultrarightist, racist­ to break up a meeting in Cobo Hall silence is golden. minded gunman had enterd the Eu­ on May 6th at which Gus Hall was gene V. Debs Hall, the local head­ the main speaker. On that occasion, quarters of the Socialist Workers one who tried to break into the meet­ Roots of Ultraleftism Party, to kill some "Communists." ing carried a loaded 38 revolver with He ordered three young antiwar obvious intent to use it. That outfit For a genuine revolutionary fighters there, one of whom belonged gets its political direction from the Marxist, it is not sufficient to deter­ to the Young Socialist Alliance and Birchites. mine that a position is "opportunist," two to the Socialist Workers Party, "This is also related to the bomb­ or "ultraleft" or "sectarian." The rea­ to line up against the wall. He then ings of the Communist Party head­ son why sincere and intelligent revo­ pumped nine bullets into them, kill­ quarters building in New York, the lutionists can sometimes be found in ing Leo Bernard and critically bombing of bookstores in Detroit, any of the various blind alleys lead­ wounding Jan Garrett and Walter Los Angeles and Chicago, the bomb­ ing away from the road to socialism Graham. ing of the DuBois headquarters in must be elucidated. Sociological rea­ As Staughton Lynd said, "Leo San Francisco and the Vietnam Day sons may be found, such as ties to Bernard is the first person in the headquarters in Berkeley, the acts of the middle class or the pressure of peace movement to be murdered." arson in Chicago and Indiana, the a bureaucracy or caste. I do not know whether this political death threats through the mails and Even if the analysis is carried far assassination was reported in the by telephone in various cities - all of enough to reveal these underlying Cuban press or what stand BIas which are known to city and Federal sources, a grain of truth may never­ Roca took on it. In the United States authorities who do nothing about theless be found lurking in their po­ the entire antiwar movement has them. The Detroit murder must serve litical positions. That is one reason rallied in a spontaneous expression to halt this brand of terror in our why a figure of the stature of Lenin of solidarity in face of this murderous political Hfe. All who advocate peace, did not brush aside sincere revolu­ blow struck against the movement democracy and political freedom tionists who argued for a position as a whole. have the responsibility to speak up he disagreed with. His language The Communist Party, U. S.A., and strengthen these struggles." could be very forceful, of course, made an official statement May 18 but he nevertheless engaged in a rea­ as follows: soned discussion and he did not "The deliberate political murder in Similar Opinion hesitate to appropriate something of Detroit, Michigan on May 16 of Leo value in an opponent's position. In Bernard of the Socialist Workers the hands of Lenin, proletarian de­ Party and the shooting of .J an Ed­ Dorothy Healy, the Southern Cal­ mocracy was a genuine revolution­ ward Garrett and Walter Graham of ifornia chairman of the Communist ary tool. the Young Socialist Alliance in an Party, voiced the following opinion: It was injurious to the Cuban attempt to kill them is a shocking "The monstrous murder of Leo Revolution to muzzle the Posadas consequence of the anti-communist Bernard and the wounding of Jan group. BIas Roca quotes from the campaign of the ultra-Right. These Garrett and Walter Graham is a di­ "mimeographed newspaper which three young men who were active in rect outgrowth of anti-Communist was printed in Cuba by an organ­ the struggle to end the war in Vietnam hysteria. This anti-Communism, ized Trotskyist group after the tri­ are also victims of the domestic which provides the justification for umph of the Revolution with the as­ hatred engendered by the warmon­ military aggression in Vietnam and sistance of Posadas and Adolfo Gil­ gers. domestic repression at home, has ly." He does not mention that the "For the past several months, the taken the life of Leo Bernard just as newspaper was mimeographed be­ murderer had planned 'to kill some it has killed the Vietnamese fighting cause they were denied the use of a

SUMMER 1966 103 press. He does not add that even the they see one. This is quite a con­ ing grip of the imperialist blockade mimeographed newspaper was put demnation of their theoretical and Cuba necessarily took on some of out of business through the arrest political capacities and signifies their the characteristics of a beleaguered and imprisonment of those who pro­ doom as a viable movement. But fortress - which is not exactly a duced and distributed it. Was the there is one kind of revolution they greenhouse for the development and Cuban Revolution so weak ideologi­ would deign to recognize (we hope) observance of the norms of prole­ cally that it was incapable of answer­ if they saw it. That is a revolution tarian democracy. And still the Cu­ ing the arguments of even a Posadas? that organized workers power ban Revolution remained remarka­ through soviets or councils and fol­ bly free of the bureaucratic sickness lowed the norms of proletarian de­ that wreaked such havocin the Soviet Treatment of Posadas mocracy laid down by Lenin in Union. When the bureaucratic dan­ State and Revolution. Since the Cu­ ger became acute in 1962, the famous It may have seemed troublesome ban Revolution has not yet achieved move against Anibal Escalante and to pay attention to the "long, ex­ soviets, the SLL denies that a prole­ his cohorts was undertaken. tremely confused and at times in­ tarian power exists in Cuba. From The Cuban leaders have indicated comprehensible" articles or reports this they deduce that capitalism must their awareness of the weakness in by J. Posadas which constitute the still be in power no matter what the Revolution on the side of political main grist of his small propaganda measures have been undertaken and institutions and have expressed their mill. No doubt there are youth in no matter what anybody says. They intention many times of moving a­ Cuba, however, who might have are, of course, mistaken. Their in­ head in this field. They have made liked to argue it out with the fol­ sistence on converting democratic tentative experiments and have reg­ lowers of Posadas as a way of norms into criteria marks them as istered real progress in the construc­ sharpening their own thought and sectarians; and their opposition to tion of the Communist PartyofCuba. advancing their revolutionary edu­ Cuba's revolutionary government But they still have a considerable cation. The overhead cost of sup­ despite its obviously tremendous a­ distance to travel before it need no pressing the group was rather high, chievements shows that they are ul­ longer be said that every important for it gave substance to the false tralefts like Posadas. They are even policy hinges on the decisions and charge that the Cuban Revolution less serious than Posadas, however. the life of a single leader. The slow­ is going thewayofthe Russian Revo­ The entire colonial world remains ness ofthe process of setting up demo­ lution; i.e., is becoming Sfalinized. largely a closed book to them. They cratic institutions of proletarian rule Particularly in the United States are not really interested in it. They in Cuba is of concern to many sup­ where Stalinism has done untold are quite content to vegetate in their porters of the Cuban Revolution be­ damage to the revolutionary social­ placid little island where not even sides the world Trotskyist move­ ist cause, the suppression of the the cops carry guns. Periodically ment. Posadas group did injury to Cuba. they announce grandiose plans a­ There were few campuses where the bout "reorganizing" the Fourth In­ violation of the democratic rights of ternational and saving it from the Real Worry the Posadas group was not thrown "degeneration" brought about by at defenders of the Cuban Revolu­ such things as its support for the We come finally to what is really tion, particularly Trotskyist defend­ Cuban Revolution and the Castro at the bottom of the attack against ers of the Cuban Revolution. team. "Trotskyism." BIas Roca intimates It is all the more brutally unfair Nevertheless there is a kernel of it in his sneering references to the of BIas Roca to tax the Posadas truth in their criticism which must "superrevolutionary language" ofthe group with unwarranted criticisms be recognized. Cuba does not yet Trotskyists. You would think we of Fidel Castro in view of the un­ have a soviet form of government. were still back in the thirties when warranted violation of their demo­ And this, too, is a grave weakness. the BIas Rocas were defending the cratic rights. From their own experi­ The mainstream of the world Trot­ Stalinist (not Leninist) "thesis of the ence they came to the conclusion that skyist movement has held since the possibility of the triumph of social­ they had been given a raw deal and beginning that the Cuban Revolution ism in one country" as against the there are others who would agree on is inherently the most democratic Trotskyist position that the very de­ this despite the deepest repugnance since the October 1917 Revolution fense of the socialist achievements for their political positions. The treat­ in Russia. Evidence for this abound­ of the October Revolution required ment of the Posadas group demon­ ed in the early years. The blockade the extension of the revolution and strated that as yet the Cuban Revolu­ and armed aggression mounted by its culmination in an international tion has not evolved institutional imperialism cut across this tendency revolution that would finally estab­ forms providing for the free expres­ and prevented it from flowering. lish socialism in the industrially ad­ sion of dissident opinion within the For instance, the humanist Cuban vanced capitalist countries. The cor­ framework of loyalty to the Revolu­ leaders abolished the death penalty rectness of the Trotskyist position tion. This is a grave weakness. but had to reinstate it in face of the has been confirmed by reality - in The mistake of the Socialist La­ murderous forays and bombings the extension of the revolution into bour League arises from the inca­ organized by Cuban counterrevolu­ Eastern Europe, in the toppling of pacity of its insular-minded leader­ tionaries financed, armed and insti­ capitalism and landlordism in Chi­ ship to recognize a revolution when gated by the CIA. Under the tighten- na, and last, but by no means least,

104 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW by the revolution in Cuba itself, only ported the declaration of Compaiiero ninety miles from the world's major Fidel Castro on the socialist charact­ capitalist power. er of our revolution and carried it to A single additional socialist revo­ victory, with their blood, on the lution in Latin America today could beaches of Playa Giron." ~ . end the isolation of Cuba from the According to BIas Roca, "The Trot­ rubhshers American continent at one blow and skyists like to say ... " Again, it is assure the rapid spread of revolu­ Posadas who likes to say. The de­ tions throughout the Americas. N ev­ cisive element in the victory of the • CUBA er has the Trotskyist program had Cuban Revolution was unquestion­ such reality as today! This is pre­ ably the leadership provided by Fi­ DFIDEl CASTRO cisely what the BIas Rocas, repre­ del Castro, who succeeded in over­ senting the miserable remnants of coming the long default in leadership Calls for Unity, 1963 .25 Cuba Confronts the t-uture, 1964 .35 Stalinism in the Western Hemisphere, due to Stalinists like BIas Roca, by­ Cuba's Agrarian Reform, 1962 .25 fear and are seeking to block. passing them from the left. Naturally Cuba's Socialist Destiny, 1961 .25 the masses responded. So did the Fidel Castro Denounces Bureau- Trotskyists and many other genuine Roca as Analyst cracy and Sectarianism, 1962 .35 revolutionists on an international Division in the Face of the Enemy, scale. But BIas Roca's reference to 1965 .10 Consider the following para­ Posadas here is only part of the History Will Absolve Me, 1954 1.00 graphs from BIas Roca' s article, in smokescreen under which he ad­ Declaration of Santiago, 1964 .25 which he really tries to come to grips vances a line in opposition to the May Day Speech (plus, with Trotskyism: line followed by Fidel Castro up to Economic Planning by Guevara), 1961 .50 now of revolutionary struggle and "With ultraleft slogans and calls On Vietnam, 1965 .10 for the immediate realization of the declared socialist aims. The Revolution Must Be socialist revolution, they isolate this BIas Roca's line, as indicated in A School of Unfettered Thought, movement from the masses, they cut these paragraphs, is the same line 1962 .20 their road of development. With no as the one advanced by the U.S. The Road to Revolution in little frequency they point to socialist Communist spokesman Gus Hall in Latin America, 1963 .50 Cuba; but in 1958 the Rebel Army his criticism of Monthly Review. It The Second Declaration of Havana, did not proclaim the socialist revo­ is the concept that the revolutionary 1962 .25 lution, but united the people in the process in industrially underdevel­ Castro Speaks on Unemployment, practical struggle to overthrow Ba­ oped countries must go through two 1961 .25 tista's tyranny and to destroy his separate stages, a bourgeois-demo­ Castro Speaks to Women, 1963 .10 Speech to the U. N., 1960 mercenary army which served to cratic stage led by the progressive­ .25 support him and which was the in­ minded bourgeoisie and a later stage strument of neocolonialism and all in which the revolutionary leader­ OCHE GUEVARA the reactionary social forces." ship of the proletariat can come for­ Charges the U. N. to Meet the Whatever quotations BIas Roca ward. The concept is the one ad­ Challenge of Imperialism .20 may find in the articles and reports vanced and defended by the Men­ Economic Planning (plus, of J. Posadas, the Trotskyists do not sheviks in opposition to both Lenin May Day Speech by Castro), call for the "immediate realization of and Trotsky. Something more is in­ 1961 .50 Guerrilla Warfare 3.50 the socialist revolution." This is a volved, however, than just a long On Africa, 1965 .10 caricature, like the Stalinist carica­ outmoded concept. ture of former decades which claimed I do not deny that in 1959 a o JOSEPH HANSEN that Trotsky's theory of permanent "proclamation of socialism" in Cuba In Defense of the Cuban would have been widely misunder­ revolution meant "simultaneous rev­ Revolution .25 olutions" everywhere. stood. The reason had nothing to do The Theory of the Cuban "The Trotskyists," continues BIas with the class character of the de­ Revolution .25 Roca, "like to say that the measures veloping revolution. It was due to Trotskyism and the Cuban of socialist transformation were the enormous discredit brought on Revol ution .15 taken in Cuba under the pressure of the very name of socialism or com­ The Truth About Cuba .25 the masses; what they are not even munism by the record of Stalinism capable of understanding is that the in the Soviet Union and in Cuba revolutionary leadership under the where the Communist Party support­ guidance of Compaiiero Fidel Cas­ ed Batista. A "proclamation of so­ Order from: tro prepared each step and took it ialism" would have been misunder­ MERIT PUBLISHERS in consonance with the same state of stood as a "proclamation of Stalin- 5 EAST THIRD STREET consciousness which they had cre­ ism." ated in the masses. In 1959 the It was correct of Castro to avoid NEW YORK, N. Y., 10003 proclamation of socialism would that misunderstanding; to which we ha ve divided the country; in April should add that Castro himslef had 1961 the masses unanimously sup- been repelled by the record of the

SUMMER 1966 105 Communist Party and did not yet 1965 with the blood of hundreds of the imperialist U. S. has been able to consider himself a Marxist. Instead thousands of Communists in Indo­ hold out against the world's mighti­ of developing around a proclaimed nesia. If BIas Roca's line is applied est power for seven years now! "So­ program of socialism, the revolution elsewhere in Latin America, it will cialism," Cuban-style, is bound to moved forward under a slogan of most certainly guarantee another de­ appear more and more attractive­ action; namely, armed struggle a­ feat as it did in Cuba in Batista's as the socialist revolution was to the gainst Batista. And even on this day, in China in 1925-27, Brazil masses of the world in the first years level, the Communist Party under in 1964, Indonesia in 1965 and after the October Revolution. The BIas Roca's leadership failed miser­ many other countries where it has Latin-American masses will become ably, attacking Castro's movement been tested. increasingly impatient to achieve as adventuristic and putschist. The question then comes up: Can what the Cubans did - a socialist a successful revolution be organ­ revolution. And why shouldn't they ized around a mere slogan of action have it? Nominated President as happened in Cuba under Castro? This rehabilitation of the word To answer, yes, implies two things: "socialism" and the program of so­ The truth is that BIas Roca's line, ( 1) The indigenous bourgeoisie and cialism will likewise be listed in his­ of avoiding the "super-revolutionary their imperialist backers have learn­ tory to the credit of the Cuban Revo­ language" of socialism, of advancing ed nothing from the Cuban exper­ lution and it will be achieved despite the concept of two stages, had al­ ience. (2) The masses in Latin Amer­ everything that the BIas Rocas, with ready been tried out in Cuba and ica have learned nothing from the their treacherous advice can do to had been found wanting, to say the Cuban example of going forward to stop it. least. the socialist stage - in other words, In their editorial on Castro's On December 4, 1939, the Cuban "socialism" still has not recovered in January 15 attack against Trotsky­ Communist Party nominated its can­ their outlook from the terrible dis­ ism, Huberman and Sweezy made didate for the office of president. credit bought on it by Stalin and the following point: His name? Colonel Fulgencio Ba­ his handpicked lieutenants like BIas "Whatever it's role in Guatemala, tista, the Chief of Staff of the Cuban Roca. Trotskyism is certainly not a large armed forces. BIas Roca and his Both conclusions are wrong, in or important political force in Latin fellow Stalinist leaders backed Ba­ my opinion. American imperialism America as a whole. But if Fidel tista because they considered him to and its stooges are far readier to Castro and the Latin American Com­ be a "man of the people," a good act in the most violent way at the munist parties duck the question of bourgeois democrat, a leader of the first sign of a revolutionary upheav­ socialism, and still more if they at­ "first stage" of the revolution. And al no matter what attempts are made tack as Trotskyites all those who Batista rewarded his Communist to disguise it. Johnson's occupation openly struggle for a specifically Party supporters by giving them of Santo Domingo and the rep res­ socialist revolution, then the pros­ posts in his cabinet. si ve measures taken against the Peru­ pects for Latin American Trotsky­ Without this coalition, Batista vian guerrilla fighters in the past ism will be vastly improved." could never have gotten into a posi­ year are proof enough without add­ Whatever it is called - "consistent tion to establish his bloody dictator­ ing the lesson of Johnson's escalation class struggle,""revolutionary Marx­ ship. There were two stages all right. of the war in Vietnam. ism," "revolutionary socialism," or Two stages of a counterrevolution. "Trotskyism" - the prospects for so­ In the first stage, the revolutionary cialist revolution in Latin America forces were hoodwinked and duped Revolutionary Impact are already vastly improved. The into supporting a bourgeois demo­ prospects for "class collaboration," crat - a figure like Sukarno or On the other hand, the Cuban "peaceful coexistence," "popular Chiang Kai-shek, who was also tout­ Revolution has had an immense frontism," "coalitionism," or "Stalin­ ed by Stalin in the "first stage." In effect on popular consciousness ism" are on the decline. The great the second stage, the revolutionary throughout Latin America and this dividing line was drawn by the suc­ forces were decimated as the counter­ effect will grow as the contrast be­ cessful Cuban Revolution. The popu­ revolution consolidated its dictator­ tween Cuba's gains and the stagna­ lar appeal of the socialist goal, not­ ship. This tragic process was dupli­ tion in the rest of Latin America be­ ed by Yon Sosa, the Guatemalan cated in Brazil two years ago when comes more glaring. In record time guerrilla leader, is but one indica­ Goulart was pictured as the good Cuba achieved such things as the tion of the deep processes at work bourgeois democrat on whom all liquidation of illiteracy. Unemploy­ in this direction. reliance should be placed in stage ment was ended, social security guar­ The defeats and setbacks ofthe past No. 1. anteed, an education assured to ev­ few years will prove to be but tempo­ The Castelo Branco coup d'etat ery child. Despite all the difficulties rary. Latin America's 200 million in April 1964 demonstrated in the of the im perialist blockade and a people are gathering their forces for most emphatic way that the line of a number of serious errors, the plan­ another giant step forward. Nothing "two stage" revolution is still quite ned economy is developing and of­ will be able to stop them - not all the capable of paving the way for a "two fers a bright perspective for the fu­ dollars and guns of imperialism, stage" counterrevolution. This lesson ture. And what an impressive fact­ and still less the pitiful labors of the has been freshened since October little Cuba, only ninety miles from Stalinist defilers of socialism.

lOG INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW South Africa to provide legal aid to opponents of the regime, and affirms: The ADC Under Attack "We trust you would not wish to imitate Verwoerd by suppressing our organization." The organization that the .Justice Department is trying to stigmatize as a "foreign agent" was formed in BY ROBERT LANGSTON February, 1965, in response to the persecution of Dr. Neville Alexander and ten of his colleagues. Dr. Alex­ ander is a young scholar who was the first non-White South African to receive a Humboldt scholarship for The Alexander Defense Committee, advanced study in West Germany. an organization providing funds for He was awarded a Ph. D. degree in legal defense and family relief to German literature by the University persecuted opponents of the racist of Tuebingen in 1962 and, refusing South African regime, has been or­ offers of academic posts in Europe dered by the U. S. Justice Depart­ and England, returned to South Af­ ment to register as an "agent of a rica to become a high-school teacher. foreign principal" under the provis­ The Eleven were arrested in .July, ions of the Foreign Agents Regis­ 1963 and sentenced to prison terms tration Act of 1938. ranging from five to ten years. In Civil liberties attorney Stanley reality, they have been sentenced Faulkner, who has been retained to indefinite terms, since under South as counsel, has advised the Com­ African law, a prisoner can be held mittee to ignore the order, as the after having served his sentence as Act is not applicable to it, and he long as his further detention is has so informed the .Justice Depart­ deemed by the Minister of .Justice ment. to be in the "interest of public order." In a letter to President .Johnson, Dr. Alexander and his friends were A. D. C. officers Paul Boutelle, Rob­ never accused of having committed, ert H. Langston, Berta Green and nor even having planned, any act Dave Dellinger requested that he of violence. The prosecution sought order the .Justice Department to stop to show only that they had formed this harassment. As Chief Executive, Dr. Alexander study groups to investigate possible the President is responsible for the ways of conducting the struggle conduct of the .Justice Department. to remove the remnants ofinequality against apartheid and had read and The letter points out the A. D. C. from our own midst, we are also discussed Marxist literature and is a purely American organization, with you - heart and soul- as you works on guerrilla warfare. Nor having no "agency agreement" with try to do the same." He further had any of the defendants a long anyone, which decides for itself what promised that "we shall continue to political past. Although Dr. Alex­ cases it will support on a basis of provide our full share of assistance ander had been active at the Uni­ specific pleas for aid. The organi­ to refugees from social and political versity of Capetown in student zation has no salaried personnel, oppression." groups affiliated to the Unity Move­ and every cent collected above mini­ Citing .Johnson's speech, the letter ment of South Africa, his initiative mal operating expenses is sent to states that "we take the sentiment in forming the study groups was the victims of apartheid barbarism. you expressed with utmost serious­ his first act of political leadership. In a speech .Johnson madeonMa~' ness." lt then asks: "But how can the Dr. Alexander and the other male 26th at a White House reception people of Africa, or the people of defendants have been in the notori­ commemorating the third anniver­ America, believe that you do like­ ous Robben Island concentration sary of the Organization of African wise when, at the very moment you cam p since 1963. Much of this time, Unit~·, ,Johnson pledged the people were uttering these things, your De­ Dr. Alexander was held in solitary and the government of the United partment of .Justice was moving to confinement, and he suffered a seri­ States to the cause of the peoples harass an American organization ous ear injury as a result of a beat­ of Africa in their efforts to win "free­ devoted to translating into reality, ing administered by sadistic guards. dom, equality, justice and dignity." in whatever limited way, these very This is the "foreign principal" whose He expressed "repugnance" at "the principals." "agent" the.Justice Department alleges outmoded polic~' which in some parts The letter recalls that a short time the A. D. C. to be. of Africa permits the few to rule at ago the \' erwoerd government lt is useless to speculate on the the expense of the many" and de­ crushed Defense and Aid, the last reasons for this attack on the Alex­ clared: ".Just as we are determined organization operating openly in ander Defense Committee. But that

SUAIMER 1966 107 it is an attack is certain. For if the from outside, since anyone within ders in March, 1964 and, in addi­ officers, yielding to the threat of South Africa who solicits money for tion, was placed under house arrest. five year prison sentences and fines the defense in political cases makes In April, 1964, both men were con­ of ten thousand dollars, should himself liable to prosecution under victed of violating the Suppression comply with the order to register, the Suppression of Communism Act. of Communism Act and of seeking they would be legally bound to hand Typical of those who are being to leave South Africa without valid over to the .Justice Department all aided by the A. D. C. are the follow­ documents. Both are now in the records of the organization, includ­ ing whose cases are sketched here Robben Island concentration camp. ing lists of contributors. This would briefly: The families of both victims need make the raising of funds extra­ P. Gcabashe. Mr. Gcabashe is a help urgently. Mr. Sihlali is the father ordinarily difficult. sixty-year-old former teacher who, of four children, and Mr. Mtshizana The A. D. C. therefore cannot com­ shortly before he was due to retire, of three. Mrs. Sihlali was subjected ply with the .Justice Department or­ gave up his teaching position, and to bitter persecution after Mr. Sih­ der. Under no circumstances would thereby also his claim to a pension, lali's conviction, and her friends the Committee commit the perjury to become a full time organizer for have recently lost all contact with that such compliance would neces­ the Unity Movement among the her. sarily involve. Nor would it breach peasants in northern Natal Pro­ the trust of its contributors. And the vince. A. D. C. will certainly win a court In December, 1964, Mr. Gcabashe New Tour Planned battle if the .Justice Department pur­ was seized by the political police. sues this matter further. Frantic appeals by his wife to be However a long legal struggle informed of his whereabouts were In order to raise funds to aid such would interfere seriously with the unanswered. Finally, in a letter victims, the Alexander Defense Com­ work of the committee. It would which he was able to smuggle out, mittee seeks to awaken the Ameri­ force it to divert energy and, worse it was learned that he was being can people to the realities of the than that, funds, from its proper held in a jail in Pondoland under South African situation. In 1965, work to the task of simple self-pres­ Proclam ation 400. So far as is the A. D. C. brought 1. B. Tabata to ervation. known, Mr. Gcabashe is still in the United States for a national Although no further legal steps are prison. It is unlikely that he will lecture tour. Mr. Tabata, who is possible in the Alexander case, the ever be tried in a rebTUlar court of now in exile in Zambia, is one of families of the Alexander Eleven law where a legal defense would be the most prominent of the South must be supported, as they were left possible. His family lacks any form African liberation leaders and is destitute by the imprisonment of of support. currently president of the Unity their breadwinners. The case itself Leo Sihlali and Louis Mtshizana. Movement of South Africa and of mU!'5t continue to be publicized as Mr. Sihlali is a teacher who was the African Peoples Democratic widely as possible. There are some fired and black-listed for his leader­ Union of Southern Africa. 3,500 prisoners in South Africa ship in opposition to the "Bantu The Committee has invited Mr. who have been convicted of political Education" scheme, whereby the and Mrs. Franz J. T. Lee to come offenses; and there are an incal­ South African regime hopes to frag­ to the United States for a similar culable number of others who are ment the African community through tour during the late summer and being held in police stations through­ re-tribalization. Mr. Mtshizana is a early fall of this year. Mr. and Mrs. out the "Native Reserves" under lawyer who has defended hundreds Lee are young South Africans of Proclamation 400, which allows of persons accused of political of­ the Cape Coloured community who any policem an in the Reserves to fenses. Over the years, they have are now studying at the University arrest any African at any time and been subjected to relentless perse­ of Frankfurt in West Germany. to hold him indefinitely, incommuni­ cution. After Mr. Sihlali was fired Franz Lee who is a close personal cado, without charges. from his teaching post, he was friend of Neville Alexander, is sec­ hounded from town to town, every­ retary of the German Alexander De­ where refused a residence permit and fense Committee and European rep­ Need for Defense always prevented by the police from resentative of the African Peoples finding a job. Mr. Mtshizana has Democratic Union of Southern Af­ These victims are mostly very been framed on a weapons posses­ rica. He has written extensively and poor, and without help from abroad sion charge, although he was finally lectured throughout Europe on their families will, quite simply, acquitted. He has been convicted of South African affairs. starve. There is a continuous stream "seeking to defeat the ends of jus­ Funds are urgently needed to of political exiles from South Africa tice" for advising some school boys carryon the work of the committee who need financial aid in relocating. charged under the Suppression of and to counter the attack on it by And there are thousands still active Communism Act of their constitu­ the .Justice Department. All queries in the liberation struggle inside tional right to refuse to testify against and contributions should be ad­ South Africa who may yet be ar­ themselves. dressed to the Alexander Defense rested and tried for their activities. In .July, 1963, Mr. Mtshizana was Committee, 873 Broadway 2nd They will need funds for legal de­ banned for five years. Mr. Sihlali Floor South, New York, N. Y. fense, and these funds must come was served with similar banning or- 10003.

108 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW Towards a

United Democratic Movement of Africa

The follolVing editorial and statement of principles has been an almost complete conspiracy of silence are reprinted from "Unity." the nelVsletter of the Afri­ against our organizations. The forces ofimperialism­ can People's Democratic Union of Southern Africa, its press, radio and other agencies-have fought a Volume II. No.4. April, 1966. relentless war against the All-African Convention and the Unity Movement. We are not in the least worried by this. For we know the enemy we are up against. It is an enemy with a In this issue of our newsletter we take the opportun­ long history of trickery, subversion, subterfuge and ity to put forward our ideas on the vexed question of double-dealing. To be able to meet this enemy effec­ organizational unity in Africa. We do this, not in a tively, we have to know its nature. For a people de­ spirit of boastfulness, but in order to help solve a siring to emancipate itself musf understand the process problem that has presented itself forcibly to Africa as of its enslavement. Only in this way can we see through a result of recent events in this continent. the machinations of imperialism. We feel that we can make a contribution here, for, In the pages that follow, we attempt to draw the after all, we are a unity movement. Since the early attention of the liberation movements and organi­ 'forties we have clamored for organizational unity in zations in Africa to the necessity of forging a united our own country. This was not accidental. Our ex­ struggle against all those forces that are opposed to perience taught us that the fight against national op­ our freedom. It will be seen that we all suffer from the pression and exploitation in South Africa cannot suc­ same disabilities; we have to fight against the same ceed without the unity of the oppressed and exploited. enemy; that this enemy has, for strategic reasons, Indeed, we have taken the matter so seriously that decided to carve up our continent into a checkerboard we have worked out a basis for such unity and have pattern of separate states; that in spite of this Balkani­ never ceased to invite our brothers in the other liber­ zation of Africa, the enemy itself has formed a unified atory organizations to come and join hands with us. strategy against the people of Africa. But the forces that are ranged against the liberation movement in that country as in the whole of Africa, Finally, we seek to show the possibility of the form­ are so great and powerful that so far they have been ation of a united democratic Liberation Movement of successful in keeping us divided. Africa. Such a movement would, of necessity, look These forces we clearly understand and have lost no beyond the granting of formal political independence, opportunity to expose them. It is for this reason that into a future where Africa will have thrown off the the organizations affiliated to the All-African Con­ shackles of domination by imperialism in any shape vention and the Unity Movement have never received or form. Then Africa will be really free to determine publicity from the imperialist press. Hundreds of peo­ its own destiny. ple belonging to these organizations have been vic­ It is our considered opinion that for this there can timized by the South African Herrenvolk (master race) be no better training-ground than co-operation among without the slightest murmur from the press. There the liberation movements in their pre-independence

SUMM ER 19()() 109 struggles against the local fascists in particular, and vast domain in Afrtca and Asia, giving formal inde­ imperialism in general. Just as imperialism has a pendence to its erstwhile children of bondage, only to unified strategy for Africa, so also must the liberation tie them even more securely to its economic apron movements work out a unified strategy for the fight strings. against imperialism and neo-colonialism. The more progressive elements in these two conti­ To make such unity lasting, fruitful and not self­ nents have seen through the machinations of imperi­ defeating, we shall have to accept certain fundamental alism. They have learned by bitter experience that principles, which alone will enable us to wage a con­ neo-colonialism invariably follows in the wake of so­ sistent and intransigent struggle against our enemies. called independence and are taking steps to counteract Unity for the sake of unity is worse than disunity. the perpetuation of imperialism in this new guise. It is There must be purpose in our unity, and this purpose this realization that has given birth to the concept of must be to declare war on all the enemies of our free­ continental unity in Africa, of which President Kwame dom and to ensure that we shall finally gain complete, Nkrumah of Ghana is the chief exponent. genuine, and not spurious, independence. Imperialism has reacted sharply to this move. For These principles are laid down below, and we believe this form of unity, if brought about, would be detri­ that no organization or movement genuinely fighting mental to the interests of imperialism in Africa. There­ for liberation will reject them. But acceptance is not fore, imperialism, its press and its lackeys, have turned enough. What is more important is to act consistently their venom on President Nkrumah; have vilified him in accordance with accepted principles and programs. and called him all sorts of ugly names. The attempts Our experience is that those who prate loudly about to sabotage and subvert the Conference of the African freedom very often refuse to be tied down to a form of Heads of State and Government held in October last beha vior consistent with their protestations. year in Accra; the hysterical outbursts of the imperi­ This is what makes unity difficult to achieve because alist press thereafter; and the prolonged hallelujahs principled unity means a complete break with the past, after the army coup, are all of a piece with the con­ which for most oppressed people has been one of col­ certed conspiracy by imperialism and its agents against laboration with the enemy in one form or another; it the real independence of Africa. means a new orientation, a new political outlook. This Side by side with these developments, and as a logi­ is resisted most strenuously by imperialism, some­ cal concomitant of them, has been the call for a united times working through its agents - conscious and un­ struggle amongst the liberation organizations and conscious - among us. This we have to guard against. movements in unliberated territories against the forces Finally, it must be clearly understood that we are of national oppression and exploitation - in particular up against a formidable enemy and that the struggle against the united military and political strategy of against imperialism and neo-colonialism will be a pro­ the South African Herren L'olk, the little fascists in tracted one. But history is on our side, if only we can Rhodesia, the blood-stained Franco dictatorship and realize the tremendous power that is potentially in our the tottering Salazar regime backed by the NATO pow­ hands. Let us act now. This is the time for principled ers, by West Germany and American imperialism. unity of all the liberation movements in Africa. It is this aspect of the strategy for the effective liber­ ation of Africa that we set out to consider below. We ha ve to examine whether or not it is possible for the liberation organizations and movements to forge a Imperialism in Africa co-ordinated struggle against South Africa, Rhodesia, Portugal, Spain and imperialism in general. To put it in another way, we have to explore the possibilities Africa, Asia and Latin America are awakening to of launching a united movement for the purpose of their responsibilities in the world today. Large sections fighting for democratic rights on a continental scale. of the population in colonial, ex-colonial and neo­ For this purpose we have to know the problem with colonial countries are taking up positions in the in­ which we have to contend. It has become axiomatic evitable confrontation between imperialism and anti­ that a people seeking to liberate itself must first un­ imperialism. derstand the nature of its oppression. It is only in There is a growing realization, especially in Africa this way that the oppressed can evolve methods of and Asia, that imperialism, being united and interna­ struggle that will be effective in the fight for freedom. tional in character, can only be countered by a united When we look at all oppressive regimes in Africa, and international force. This is the thought behind the we find that they are based on a policy of perpetu­ clamor for Afro-Asian solidarity. It is increasingly ation of national oppression and exploitation. The being felt that the anti-imperialist forces of the world white oppressors in these territories have found it must unite for thereby they have nothing to lose but convenient to discriminate against the aborigines and their chains, which tie them to their feet behind the other groups, on the basis of pigmentation and have chariot wheel of international finance capital. sought and find all manner of justification for their Equally, the~e is a growing realization in Africa and prejudices in the outmoded and primitive theories of Asia that imperialism is capable of adapting itself in race differences. order all the more effectively to perpetuate its strangle­ These fascist regimes have put their racist theories hold over its spheres of influence all over the globe. into practice. They have erected impermeable walls For example, in its own interests, imperialism has between the ruling classes and the oppressed; they contrived to withdraw its political hegemony over its have created relationships of master and servant be-

110 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW This is a characteristic feature of all the oppressive regimes in Africa. They are based on a policy that is designed to maintain, entrench and perpetuate national oppression and exploitation. It is a policy that pays huge dividends to the representatives of international finance capital in these territories and to their masters in America, Britain, France, Spain, Portugal and other imperialist countries. Indeed, the accident of color in these unliberated countries has been used to cover up the interest of finance capital in the economic exploitation of the oppressed. Racialism has been drawn like a red herr­ ing across the trail in order to blur the picture so that this form of exploitation should go on unchecked. It is this type of exploitation that continues in the shape of neo-colonialism even after constitutional indepen­ denoe has been gr anted to some of those countries whose blood imperialism has sucked for ages. Here, various devices are used, one of which is to make the emergent states client states to the various colonial powers, who maintain the new governments in power by extensive financial assistance. In this way these imperialist powers pose as the great philanthrop­ ists who are dedicated to promoting the welfare of the so-called undeveloped countries. In return they expect collaboration from the victims of their generosity. This aid should properly not be regarded as an act of bounty by these colonial powers. Apart from the fact that it is intended to maintain imperialism in effec­ tive control, it should also be regarded as an insignifi­ cant fraction of the loot and plunder that these impov­ erished countries have recovered from the imperialist brigands. It is nothing to be thankful for. On the con­ trary, these states should feel outraged by the thought that imperialism seeks to entrench itself in this repre­ hensible manner. In addition, they should demand I. B. Tabata, President of APDUSA more from these expropriators of colonial wealth. From the above it will be clear that we in the unlib­ tween the two groups; they have deprived the oppressed erated territories suffer from both national oppression of all human rights; they have dehumanized them and and class exploitation. That is the nature of our oppres­ sion. But let us go deeper into our problem. This is treated them as things, as objects brought to this the role of imperialism in Africa. world only for the convenience of the ruling classes. The oppressed peoples have been treated as beasts One of the most important things for the Liberation of burden, regimented and ordered to do the bidding Movement in Africa to remember is that imperialism has big stakes in the unliberated countries. It is be­ of their masters; they have been relegated to an in­ cause of these interests that imperialism gangs up with ferior position in all walks of life; they have been im­ the local race supremacists against the people strug­ poverished, deprived of education and social status; gling for liberation. they have been consigned to the bleak squalor, to the There may be small domestic quarrels between im­ slush and the stench of location life and stripped of perialism and its little servants in South Africa, Rho­ all human dignity. Their person, their house and desia and elsewhere, but when it comes to the major privacy have been violated in accordance with the question of the national oppression and exploitation laws of the ruling classes; they have been molested, of the people on whose sweat and toil imperialism has brutalized and tortured by the police with impunity. reached fantastic dimensions of prosperity, there is They have been placed outside the pale of equality the greatest unanimity between imperialism and its before the law. Freedom of speech, thought, movement local representatives and agents. Imperialism knows and association has been denied to them. No real which side its bread is buttered. It has a unified plan political rights are accorded to them so that they can­ for the maximum exploitation of the human and natur­ not participate in the making of the laws that govern al resources of Africa. their lives; they have been bludgeoned into submission British investments in Rhodesia, for example, have and obedience to the laws that have been designed for been estimated as amounting to $420 million to $560 their own enslavement. In short, the oppressed have million. British and American finance capital owns been reduced to the status of Helots and Calibans in practically all the mining and industrial wealth of their own motherlands. Rhodesia. Rhodesian Anglo-American and Roan Selec-

SUMMER 19()() 111

viously crude aspects of Verwoerd's apartheid policies. They will not be party to any attempt seriously to SOUTH AFRICA PROSPERS challenge the dictatorship of the minority over the majority in that country. The present ruthless exploi­ WHILE CRITICS CRUfviBLE tation of the Non-Whites pays imperialism well, and all that Britain and America would have Verwoerd do is to have it sugar-coated, mixed and alloyed with hypocrisy. Verwoerd's brutality is unsophisticated and must inevitably lead to a revolt, not only against the system of herrenvolkism in South Africa, but also against imperialism in general. It is this that imperialism finds embarrassing and dreads. Imperialism also has its vested interests in the Span­ ish colonies in Africa - the Canary Islands, Rio de Ore on the west coast of Africa and Equitorial Guinea. The Canary Islands are a strong source of revenue for Spain, her investments there amounting to $700 million. Spain and America also act in concert and collusion in the exploitation of the people of the Canaries; there is the greatest mutual understanding between them in the savage brutalities perpetrated by Spain upon the innocent people. In 1953 a military treaty was signed between these two imperialist countries. In terms ofthis treaty, Ameri­ ca was, by imperialist law, empowered to set up mili­ tary bases in the Canary Islands. One of these bases, recently established, is equipped with atomic weapons as part of the imperialist unified strategy for the per­ manent exploitation of the wealth of Africa. The Canary Islands are also used as bases for South African and Portuguese military and civil aircraft. Official figures for 1964 show that of the 2,172 air­ RACIST PROPAGANDA. Cover of typical South Af­ craft that landed at Las Palmas alone, 483 were South rican pamphlet widely circulated in u. s. ruling circles. African, 164 Portuguese and 101 Belgian or West Pamphlet contained speech by H. L. T. Taswell, South German planes. Spain and South Africa are close African ambassador to the U. S., to the Executive's friends and treaties of friendship and co-operation Clu b of Chicago, March 4, 1966. have been concluded between Spain and Portugal. The fascist regimes of Verwoerd, Smith, Franco and Salazar have the full backing and encouragement of tion Trust produce between them one-eighth of the imperialism. They have the support of Britain, Amer­ world supply of copper; Tate and Lyle has over $2.5 ica, West Germany, France and Belgium in the con­ million invested in Rhodesia; Imperial Tobacco has tinued oppression and exploitation of the unliberated $210 million. Other firms include the British American peoples in Africa. West Germany, for example, through Tobacco, Dunlop Tyre Company and numerous other its notorious multi-millionaire, Baron Alfred Krupp, American and British companies, including clearing the armaments industrialist and Hitler's disciple, con­ banks and insurance companies. trols the extraction of oil in Angola. Big British international companies like British Britain, America and South Africa also have interests Petroleum, Unilever and International Chemical In­ in the exploitation of the wealth of Angola under the dustries have extended their tentacles to Rhodesia. aegis of the Salazar fascist regime. America, through Some of these have subsidiaries all over the world, Dillon Read and Company, with strong links to South including South Africa and other imperialist puppet regimes. Africa, has underwritten the development plan of the Britain and America have their biggest stakes in Portuguese dictators for Angola and Mozambique to South Africa - $3 billion and $600 million respectively. the tune of $20 million. It is therefore in their interests to maintain in power a In addition to the ideological ties that exist between government in South Africa that will ensure the con­ Verwoerd, Smith and Salazar, there are strong eco­ tinued and uninterrupted flow of profits from their nomic links that bind these dictatorships closely to­ mining, industrial and commercial concerns there. All gether. To be able to keep the wheels of the gold successive governments in South Africa have been mining industry running and thus maintain and in­ nothing more than the watchdogs of imperialist in­ crease the rate of profits that accrue to imperialism, terests in that country. Verwoerd has to look beyond the borders of South That is why Britain and America will not, at the Africa for cheap lobor. United Nations, go beyoJId condemning the most ob- Rhodesia, Barotse Province (Zambia), Malawi and

112 INTERNATIOIVAL SOCIALIST REVIEW the British Protectorates are among the chief sources what? They have to learn to know where they are of this cheap labor, which alone helps maintain the going, and also how they are to achieve their goal, strength and stability of South Africa's economy by that is, they must know the nature and the methods of boosting the gold mining industry which is the main­ the struggle in which they are engaged. stay of that economy. Furthermore, South Africa has It is the task of the leadership to bring this know­ a standing contract with Portugal whereby the latter, ledge to the masses. The people must be taught to for financial gain, places at the disposal of South regard their organizations as instruments of struggle, Africa, for exploitation on the mines, human slaves as vehicles for the ideas of the Liberation Movement. numbering between 150,000 and 200,000 annually. We have to form a continental organization, not only These men are chattels, completely under the control as an instrument of struggle but also as a weapon of of the ruthless fascists. For them no home and no defense against the ceaseless attacks from imperialism family life is permitted to exist. They must be bled un­ and its agents and agencies. til the last drop of blood has been squeezed out of them, their children and their children's children. Por­ tugal is perhaps the most barbaric of all the Hitlerite Nature of the Struggle regimes in Africa. Between South Africa and Rhodesia in particular Such an organization will give the liberation move­ there exist the closest blood, ideological and economic ments and the organizations from the different coun­ ties. Recently trade agreements have been signed be­ tries a sense of belonging and thus strengthen them in tween the two countries to ensure maximum economic their fight against the local fascists in particular and co-operation in time of need and include the unrestricted against imperialism in general. We must state our entry of a wide range of duty-free goods. South Af­ struggle as one against oppression and exploitation rica's interests in Rhodesia amount to $490 million. and for complete and unfettered democracy. The Governments of Verwoerd, Smith and Salazar Unity must be forged as a matter of principle, not have the same interests in common and are faced with expediency. For this reason it is necessary for the similar problems. They have therefore entered into organizations and movements seeking to unite tolay secret military pacts to stem the tides of revolutionary down a clear basis for such unity as they desire. This movements at home and to keep the snowballing of unity must also have a purpose, not unity for the sake African nationalism at bay beyond the Zambesi River. of unity or unity for the purpose of collaborating with To this end the Verwoerd regime has built military imperialism with all its ramifications. Such unity would concentrations along its borders with Rhodesia, An­ not serve the interests of a free and independent Africa. gola, Mozambique and South West Africa. The Organization of African Unity has realized the It has built airstrips for military purposes along its necessity for the different freedom organizations from borders with Rhodesia, Mozambique and Caprivi (at each country to unite and fight together under one Katimamulilo) just across the Zambesi. With the aid leadership. Only in this way can a Liberation Move­ of Britain, America, France and Japan, South Africa ment which truly represents and expresses the wishes and her fascist allies have built up a powerful military of the people be formed. force equipped with modern weapons. South Africa's That the OA U has failed to achieve this unity in the military instructors and advisers include experts in case of ZAPU (Zimbabwe African Peoples Union) and guerrilla warfare from France and experts in the appli­ ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) on one cation of inhumane methods from Nazi Germany. hand, and PAC (Pan Africanist Congress) and ANC One of these German militarists, Major-General (African National Congress) on the other, does not Friedrick Wilhelm von Mellenthin, was a member of detract from the correctness of this principle. Other Hitler's General Staff. His activities in South Africa inherent factors come into play here. We need not go between 1950 and 1961 were extensive and included into these for our present purpose. Suffice it to say talks of establishing strong military links between here that such unity has to be based upon clearly NATO and South Africa, Rhodesia, Angola and Mo­ formulated principles and a program of action accept­ zambique, and the formation of a South Atlantic Treaty able to the parties concerned. Organization (SATO) and the building up of a force Just as unity of all liberation organizations in each with "permanent striking power." Another aspect of territory is essential for the effective prosecution of Mellenthin's activities was the signing of a secret agree­ the struggle against national oppression and exploi­ ment between South Africa and West Germany in 1961. tation and for liberation, so is it vitally important for All these facts show that the local fascist regimes the different liberation movements and organizations ha ve strong imperialist backing and that the struggle in different territories in Africa to work towards the against them should really be regarded as a struggle formation of a single, unified command for the effec­ against imperialism itself. Indeed this is a necessary tive conduct of the struggle against national oppres­ prerequisite for the final liberation of Africa as a whole sion and exploitation and is a pre-condition for the from its visible and invisible shackles. post-independence anti-imperialist anti-neocolonialist Throughout the continent of Africa there are un­ struggle. mistakable signs that the people are ready to make Only in this way is it possible for the different lib­ sacrifices for their liberty. But this by itself is not eration organizations and movements to formulate a enough. They must learn to define more precisely common strategy against the local fascists and against what freedom means. Freedom from what and for imperialism in general.

SUM/VIER 1966 113 United in this way, and conducting the struggle for the acquisition, dissemination and application of know­ liberation on the basis of principles and programs ledge. Nothing but natural lack of capacity should accepted by them and formulated by them, the liber­ prevent anyone from acquiring and enjoying the best ation movements and organizations will be trans­ that the educational system can provide and the dem­ formed into a new body, with a new vitality and a ocratic state, parliament and people should be the new status and deriving its dignity from its ability to guardians of the best standards of education. conduct a truly independent struggle against all forms (6) Everyone should be accorded freedom of move­ of oppression and for a truly democratic Africa, free ment and occupation irrespective of so-called race, from all insidious influences. color, sex or religion. In this way the continental Liberation Movement (7) Everyone should be entitled to full equality of will be in a position to speak with one voice and to rights without distinction of so-called race, color, sex act as one body. It will also be able to approach the or religion. OA U or individual African states on a new basis and (8) Everyone should be accorded freedom of speech, ask for the kind of assistance and advice that it as a press, meeting and association in accordance with dem­ whole or its affiliates need. This relationship will be ocratic principles. healthy fot both the African Liberation Movement and (9) There must be complete equality of all citizens the African revolution as a whole. before the law and all punishment incompatible with In our view the following program of minimum de­ human dignity must be abolished. mands should be acceptable to all organizations and (10) There should be no taxation without represen­ movements seriously fighting for democracy. And if tation, and the system of taxation must be free from these demands are acceptable to all liberation move­ all discrimination of the basis of so-called race, color, ments and organizations, then it should not be diffi­ or class. cult for them to unite under a single, unified leader­ ship in pursuance of these democratic objectives. The demands are: Principles of Unity ( 1) The right of every man and woman to partici­ pate in making the laws that govern his country. This means the granting of full citizenship rights to all irre­ The basis for unity should be that: spective of so-called race, color, sex and religion. (a) all the organizations and movements accept the (2) The fundamental right of Habeas Corpus should demands for full democratic rights as set out a bo\~e; be accorded to all irrespective of so-called race, color, (b) all accept the policy of non-collaboration Willi sex or religion. The present state of helplessness of the imperialism and its agents and agencies and are un­ oppressed peoples is an outrage to the principles of compromisingly opposed to neo-colonialism; they are democracy. No man should be molested by anyone opposed to oppression and exploitation and refuse to whosoever, including the police, with impunity. All collaborate with the oppressors; should have the right to inviolability of person, of (c) all accept the principle of unity of all liberation one's house and privacy. organizations and movements in Africa; and (3) It is the duty of the democratic state and parlia­ (d) all accept the federal structure, that is, that the ment to safeguard the rights of the workers irrespec­ existing organizations and movements shall be united tive of so-called race or color. under one federation. It must be realized and accepted that: ( a) unity is a prime necessity for the successful con­ Demand for Agrarian Reform duct of a protracted struggle, and the struggle against imperialism and neo-colonialsim must of necessity be a protracted one involving painful sacrifices, including (4) There must be a fair and equitable division of loss of life; the land in conformity with the existing rural popu­ (b) a pre-condition for a united struggle is a com­ lation, living on the land and working the land. This plete break with imperialism and its agents in all coun­ means the abolition of all discriminatory laws relating tries; to the land, whereby the oppressed have been ren­ (c) the maximum unity can only be achieved in the dered landless and helpless while the ruling class has actual conduct of the struggle, provided that the strug­ appropriated to itself vast estates and has instituted gle is an independent one, free from the influence of feudal relations on these white-owned estates at the the ideas of the enemy class, and has a principled expense of the oppressed. This demand implies a new basis and a correct policy; and division of the land in accordance with democratic (d) a continental organization under a central com­ principles. mand is essential both as a short-term policy and for (5) All citizens, irrespective of so-called race, color, the long drawn-out struggle for liberation and for real sex or religion, must have the right to full and equal independence. educational opportunities. The general aim of educa­ Once we have accepted the principles enunciated tion, which should be the function of the democratic above, once we have formulated our objectives, once state and parliament, should be to educate the worker we have clearly stated which way we are going, once and the peasant to the level of the technician and the we have freed ourselves of all feelings of dependence engineer. upon the enemies of our freedom, we shall be in a The social function of education should be to pre­ position to launch a democratic Liberation Move­ pare the citizens for life in a free and democratic so­ ment united in its determination to transform Africa ciety. No artificial limits should stand in the way of into a new continent of free and independent peoples.

114 INTERNATIOiVAL SOCIALIST REVIEW Nkrumah's Downfall

Kwamc Nkrumah BY HENRI VALLIN

Friday, February 25, 1966, was a day of great re­ Nkrumah's book Neo-Colonialism - the Last Stage joicing among imperialist and bourgeois circles the ql Imperialism, which was published last year, met world over. Imperialists celebrated the downfall of the with an angry public response from G. Mennen Wil­ African nationalist who had led the first successful liams, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs in the struggle of a colony in Hlack Africa for independence, U. S. State Department, because of its indictment of the an achievement that set off a chain reaction ending in role of American capital in consolidating the economic political independence for nearly all the African states stranglehold of imperialism over Africa after most within ten years - Kwame Nkrumah. areas had won independence. A loan granted to Ghana As a leading theoretician of Pan-Africanism, Nkru­ was even cancelled due to the outcry in Wall Street mah again and again voiced the anger of the African over the book. nationalists over the repeated crimes and conspiracies The rejoicing of the world bourgeoisie was due not of imperialism against the peoples of Africa: when only to dislike for Kwame ='Ikrumah. The March 6 Lumumba was murdered; when Ben Bella was over­ London Sunday Times carried a headline, "Ghana thrown; when Ian Smith got away with his Unilateral swings to the West." The generally well-informed Paris Declaration of Independence for a white settlers' re­ daily Le ,\10 11 de declared ~Iarch 4 that the "='I ational gime in Southern Rhodesia against the sham "resis­ Liberation Council" installed in power through the tance" and "boycott" organized by the "Labour" imperi­ February 25 military putsch was preparing to restore alists in power in London. industry in Ghana to private ownership. In fact, what

SUAllVIER 1966 115

began that day in Ghana was to all intents and pur­ administering the affairs of British imperialism, the poses a counterrevolution. leaders of the Labour Party have participated in some Revolutionary socialists have many criticisms to of the most shameful actions of world imperialism in make of Kwame Nkrumah. They are quite able to the past eighteen months - the Belgian paratroop attack analyze the reasons why his policies led to his own against the nationalist government of Stanleyville; downfall. But they are not so factionally blinded as to the U. S. imperialist aggression against the Vietnamese fail to recognize a counterrevolution when they see revolution; the toleration of Southern Rhodesia's Uni­ one. Their duty is to oppose it and intransigently lateral Declaration of Independence behind the smoke fight against it whatever the shortcomings of the re­ screen of a fake "blockade." gime it seeks to topple. For revolutionists all over For some time Nkrumah himself had felt that an Africa, February 25 was a Black Friday indeed! imperialist conspiracy directed against his regime was The imperialist press has printed all kinds of false underway. He issued public warnings about it. Sev­ stories about a "popular uprising" that is said to have eral attempts were made to assassinate him. During toppled Nkrumah's regime. Nothing is further from one of them he had to use a gun in self-defense, so the truth. Nkrumah was overthrown through a reac­ lax and unfriendly had the police become around him. tionary military putsch carried out by the Second As one conspiracy after another was uncovered and Brigade of the Ghana army which was staffed by publicly exposed, the world bourgeois press sneered at members of the Ashanti tribe, of late more and more his "persecution complex." Events have shown that hostile to Nkrumah. these warnings were only too well founded. However, the real conspiracy that brought Nkru­ mah down was not the military one, of which he seem­ Role of Foreign Agents ed to be expectant for some time (in July of last year he dismissed Major General Ankrah as deputy chief of staff, holding him to be a security risk, and this It seems established that British and American im­ February he warned parliament against the increasing perialist circles, as well as the C JA and the British role of the army in African politics). The real con­ Secret Service, conspired with the military in bringing spiracy was the catastrophic decline in the price qf Nkrumah down. The former head of the Ghana Se­ cocoa during the past seven years to nearly one-fifth cret Service, one Khow Daniel Amihyia, who was dis­ qf what it was in the late fzfties. From a peak of over missed from his job by Nkrumah and who has lived $1,000 a ton in 1957-58, the price dropped to $504 in London since 1961, boasted publicly of his part in in 1963-64 and down to as low as $210 last summer, the conspiracy. On returning to Accra, he was demon­ after which prices picked up again. stratively put in jail for having given the game away. The decline in the price of cocoa came after a peried Terms do not exist sharp enough to denounce the during which "they were encouraged by the manufac­ role played by the "Labour" imperialists at the head turers to expand their production, with the assurance of the British government in bringing about :"Jkru­ that they could count on prices between $560 and mah's downfall. These gentlemen are against force $700 a ton at least up to 1970. This July Ghana's and violence if it is directed at Ian Smith's tyranny in main crop cocoa for shipment between August and Southern Rhodesia. As "humanitarians" they shudder September was being quoted at $245 a ton. But the at the very thought of an armed uprising against the country has already ploughed many millions of pounds inhuman fascist dictatorship crushing the majority of into improvement schemes and disease control ... all African inhabitants of the l1 nion of South Africa under the effort and investment earned a nil return." (The Verwoerd. But high diplomats, army officers and spies Ecollomist, October 2, 1965.) under their orders have calmly employed force to over­ Now Ghana is mainly a cocoa exporting country. throw one of the few governments of Black Africa Its economy has all the shortcomings flowing from whose claim to be "socialist" - in the sense of the re­ mOlloculture- its fate hinges essentially on the price formist welfare Social Democracy - was not completely of cocoa. When prices started to slide, the currency re­ unfounded. serves built up to $560 million during the forties and Heading the bourgeois state machine in Britain and fifties began to melt away (they were down to a few million dollars at the time Nkrumah was overthrown). Ghana's economic development plan, based on the assumption that cocoa earnings would amount to SUBSCRIBE $280 million annually in the late sixties, including 1970, was upset when earnings stagnated around S200 million. International Socialist Review Since Nkrumah did not want to revise the seven­ 873 Broadway, New York, N. Y. 10003 year plan (among other reasons, precisely in order to overcome the dependence of the country on a single Enclosed is $1.50 for a one year subscription. crop!), deficit financing was resorted to on a wider and wider scale, the deficit rising to $112 million for Name the 1963 budget. This in turn meant increased inflation, Street .. rising food prices and mounting scarcities in some City ...... State .... Zipcode goods like yams and knives. These developments, completely opposite to the expectations of the people who had voted Nkrumah into power and who had

1]6 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIRW

------~------associated independence with the hope of a steadily increasing standard of living, created the general cli­ mate of political unrest in which a conspiracy like the one organized by the officers on February 25 could succeed. It is true that the price of cocoa rose again after last summer. But it did not reach the minimum price of $560 a ton sought by the Ghanaians. It is also true that the catastrophic decline was caused not only by the manipulations of the big chocolate trusts in Britain and the U. S. but also by overproduction due to a vast expansion of output in countries other than Ghana. Nevertheless it is significant that within a few days after Nkrumah's fall,cocoafordeliveryinMarch­ May 1966 was quoted on the London exchange at $499.66 a ton. As late as February 20 the quotation was $448. In any case the damage had been done. The collapse of the price of cocoa bankrupted the Ghanaian exchequer, reduced the standard of living for the Ghanaian people and ended in the collapse of Nkrumah.

Type of Mixed Economy

Ghana's economic structure was a queer mixture of "welfare socialism" of the type seen in Western Europe and typical neocolonialism. Such a combination hard­ ly seems possible- until the consideration is brought in that the per capita gross national product in Ghana in 1955 was three times that of Nigeria and nearly ten times higher than that of India- the remarkable figure of $460, wl1ich appears to be equal to or above that of Turkey! Volta river dam (above) financed mainly by U. S. This high income was mainly due to a long-term corporations to provide power for Ghana industriali­ rise in the price of cocoa and an effective cooperative zation, and the beginning of the 1963 regulations system that eliminated most of the middleman's pro­ paving way for foreign investment. fit in the wholesale trade and export. A government Cocoa Marketing Board bought at a fixed price all the cocoa planted for the market by the Ghanaian peas­ ants. In addition to the Cocoa Marketing Board, a Act 172 strong cooperative system was developed by the United (;hana Farmers Council, and a state sector was opened in agriculture, the State Farm Corporation holding 105 farms covering 80,000 acres by the end of 1965. This area was scheduled to be expanded to 220,000 acres by the end of 1969. Mainly food crops like rice were to be grown in this sector. However, alongside these forms of state interven­ THE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SECOND tion in the economy, which were obviously in the in­ terests of the peasant masses and the working popu­ ACT lation in general. there is a predominantly private sector in agriculture. This includes not only indepen­ OF THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC dent small peasants owning their own piece of land OF GHANA but also middle peasants and farmers exploiting labor ENTITLED power on a large scale. ~lany cocoa growers use mi­ THE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS ACT, 1963 grating sharecroppers from neighboring countries AN ACT to encourage the investment of foreign capital and other (Togo and Upper Volta), through a system called pu,poses connected therewith. ahusa under which the sharecroppers receive one third DATE OF ASSENT: 19th April, 1963 of the crop and the proprietors two thirds. BE IT ENACTED by the President and the National Assembly in this (Nkrumah was readying a new agrarian reform that present Parliament assembled as follows:- would have increased the sharecropper's proportion PART I-CAPITAL INVESTMENTS BOARD and at the same time take away half of what the land­ 1. (I) There is hereby established for the purposes of this Act a ESlablish- owner traditionally received, a part going to a 0J a­ Capital Investment Board. ~~::d~f (2) The Board shall consist of a chairman and eight other tional Collective Productivity Fund. Besides this, an members including, Agricultural Development Fund would loan money at (a) a representative of the Bank of Ghana,

117

low interest rates to the poor peasants, freeing them from 154,000 in 1951 to 1,480,000 in January 1966), from the grip of the usurers and moneylenders. Thus free health service, state insurance, the extension of two main sources of profit for the rich farmers and the piped water system, and nearly full employment. village bourgeoisie were threatened. Nkrumah's hour On this hybrid but basically capitalist economic had obviously struck.) structure, Nkrumah erected a no less hybrid political Industry, banking and international transport dis­ regime and state power, the basically bourgeois nature play a similar combination of "welfare socialism" and of which was to tragically assert itself against its typical neocolonialism. The Nkrumah government founder in the end. made an effort - a costly one - to free the country from K warne Nkrumah broke very early with the first dependence on the big British shipping and airline political party of the Ghanaian bourgeoisie, the"United companies. An independent state-owned Ghanaian air­ Gold Coast Convention," and established his own popu­ line company (Ghana Airways) and a Ghanaian ship­ lar "Convention People's Party," which received a large ping company (Black Star Line) were developed. A majority in the British-controlled general elections. large number of state-owned mining, banking and in­ There appears to be no reason to doubt that this party dustrial companies were also set up. (In cases of na­ had the genuine allegiance of the masses of simple tionalization, handsome compensation was paid to peasants and urban workers and that it moved con­ the former owners. ) tinually towards the left. It should not be overlooked that Ghana was the African country with the largest Parallel Private Enterprise number of British-educated bourgeois entrepreneurs and middle-class intellectuals and administrators. Much of the hate for Nkrumah displayed by the im­ But alongside these government enterprises, quite a perialist press for years was really an expression of number of Ghanaian businessmen started up private solidarity with the top layers of the Ghanaian bour­ concerns of their own, especially in consumer goods. geoisie whom Nkrumah largely eliminated from the With the assistance of French and West German pri­ direct exercise of political power. vate capital, Ghana built a large textile industry. Italian capital helped build an oil refinery which makes Did Nkrumah thus succeed in creating that strange Ghana self-sufficient in this field. And the biggest in­ animal, a brain child of Nikita Khrushchev and other dustrial scheme, the $200 million Volta River Project leaders of the Soviet bureaucracy, the "national dem­ and the $1~5 million Valco aluminum smelting plant, ocratic state", a creature neither fish nor fowl, neither to make the country self-sufficient in power and alum­ a bourgeois nor workers state, as proclaimed in the inum, are completely dominated by international capi­ new party program adopted at the twenty-second con­ tal (the two big American aluminum outfits, Kaiser gress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union? Aluminum & Chemical Corporation and Reynolds Unfortunately for them, events have once again con­ Metal Comapny, as well as various international firmed that the "dogmatic" Marxist theory of the state banking corporations like the International Bank for continues to be much more serviceable in seeking to Reconstruction and Development, the Export-Import understand current developments in Africa than any Bank of the British government, etc. ). of the revisionists, "new" discoveries. The latest report of the World Bank gives the total It is to be understood, of course, that any progres­ capital investment in Ghana since 1959 (including sive nationalist, and all the more so a revolutionary government loans and aid) as $224 million from socialist, who set out to build a workers state in a Great Britain, $112 million from West Germany, $84 country like Ghana would face enormous difficulties. million from the U. S., $28 million from France, $28 The country is a caldron of conflicting social forces, million from the USSR, $28 million from Poland and some of them closer to the age of stone than the jet $5.6 million from China. plane. The tribal chiefs who control most of the more There is therefore no doubt about the basic struc­ backward areas of Northern Ghana rose up in strong ture of Ghana's economy being neocolonial. But it is opposition to the government when it sought to intro­ true that within this neocolonial framework, the masses duce ... compulsory primary schooling for girls. Al­ enjoyed a higher standard of living than in the other ready turned away from the people in the time of African countries, not only thanks to a more developed British rule, and used as tools by the imperialists to economy, but also thanks to the many social reforms maintain their domination over the masses, these carried out by the Nkrumah regime, such as free ed­ chiefs several times came into sharp conflict with ucation (the number of pupils in primary schools rose Nkrumah, especially when the central government sought to end their domination in local affairs by setting up town and city councils. They were also dis­ satisfied at being kept out of the central government. YOUNG SOCIALIST Besides the rather numerous British-educated bour­ SUBSCRIBE TO THE MOST WIDELY READ geoisie and intellectuals, independent Ghana inherited YOUTH SOCIALIST PUBLICATION IN THE UNITED STATES from the Gold Coast colony a complete system of BI-MONTHLY army and state administration which remained prac­ S1.00 FOR ONE YEAR tically intact throughout the entire period of Nkru­ mah's rule. In a special supplement to Africa and the YOUNG SOCIALIST World, a magazine published in London with a polit­ BOX 471, COOPER STATION ical line identical to that of Nkrumah's Convention NEW YORK, N. Y. 10003 People's Party, the editor Douglas Rogers commented as follows on the military putsch:

118 INTERNATIOiVAL SOCIALIST REVIEW "When Ghana became independent, it had to take in Africa. But his attitude towards the neocolonialist over a colonial army trained and led by British offi­ stooges and reactionaries heading the majority of cers ... After independence, Ghana had to take over African states remained contradictory at best. the old colonial administrative apparatus. Many of the On the one hand he offered asylum to many revo­ top-rank officials had had years of loyalty to the lutionary exiles from neighboring countries or South British colonial regime. They constituted a privileged Africa who continued to struggle for the emancipation middle class, like the army officers, and they strongly of their peoples. The Sawaba movement of the Repub­ resented Nkrumah's struggle to create democracy and lic of Niger, the Kamerun guerrilla fighters, the out­ social equality in the country. Some of them were lawed left opposition of the Ivory Coast, and various connected with chiefly families who have retained a national organizations of South Africa had their head­ smoldering resentment at the introduction of modern quarters in Ghana. Guerrilla training camps were local government, with municipal and town councils opened on Ghanaian territory for several of these move­ increasingly assuming the power previously vested in ments. All this speaks in favor of Nkrumah. the traditional chiefs. "As the socialist, democratic revolution grew and spread, there remained an underlying potential for Unity of Opposites counter-revolution." The analysis is fairly correct; but the conclusion is But on the other hand, he sought to unify Africa not a half truth which hides the central fact. It is precisely by means of a revolutionary mass movement from because the revolution had not grown to a point where below but by cementing together the various existing it became socialist, where it destroyed the economic states with their - in most cases utterly reactionary!­ governments, armies and high functionaries plunder­ power of the propertied class, where it overthrew the old, imperialist-installed state machine, that the "po­ ing their respective treasuries. And that, of course, was tential for counter-revolution" could be so easily used contradictory to the highest degree. That the reaction­ to bring down Nkrumah! ary governments of Africa ganged up against Nkru­ Douglas Rogers seems to miss a decisive point. What mah was more or less inevitable. That he succumbed is to be noted in Nkrumah's downfall as well as in the again and again to their blackmail because he wanted earlier downfall of Ben Bella is precisely the failure to "unify Africa" with their help and assistance was a tragic mistake. At the latest "summit" meeting of the of all attempts to reconcile irreconcilable class COl/­ flicts, the failure of all attempts to "build socialism" Organization of African Unity in Accra, he even agreed without a workers state that has previously destroyed to their demand to expel the foreign political refugees the bourgeois state machine, the failure to find an from Ghana. Before he could keep his promise, his "African road to socialism" based somehow on nation­ enemies eliminated him from power. al solidarity and class collaboration as opposed to the In addition to these historically futile attempts to classic Marxist-Leninist road of revolutionary class win reconciliation from his irreconcilable class ene­ struggle. mies, Nkrumah suffered from an overdose of pater­ nalism in his attitude towards the Ghanaian people. Again it must be stressed that the task of building up Failure to Disarm Generals a mass movement along genuinely revolutionary-so­ cialist lines in a backward country like Ghana is ex­ tremely difficult. National and tribal peculiarities must When Rogers states that Nkrumah was unable to indeed be taken into account, and ways and means eliminate the Sandhurst-trained officers of the Ghanaian found to express socialist ideas in a manner that catches army, because that would have meant "instant armed the imagination of the people. resistance," he forgets that by leaving them in charge of But considerations of this nature can in no case the army nothing was gained. They finally rose against justify the systematic use of the mystique of the leader Nkrumah anyway, and in the meantime the masses cult which Nkrumah cultivated around his alleged had become demoralized. Wouldn't it have been better role as "osagyefo" (redeemer) of the country. to meet them in a trial of strength at the time inde­ This was combined with ever-increasing bureaucra­ pendence was won, when the mass movement was tization of the Convention People's Party, of severe rising and buoyant and could have swept away any repression of trade-union autonomy, of rampant cor­ resistance attempted by a few hundred neocolonialist­ ruption among the government and the party func­ minded officers? tionaries, of growing privileges to the party and state Wasn't it Nkrumah's policy to try to conciliate the bureaucracy. (The crassest case was that of Minister backward, reactionary tribal chiefs in relation to his Edusei's wife ordering a gold (!) bed to be paid for "welfare socialism"? Wasn't there even a blueprint out of the public exchequer. There is no doubt that announced in .June 1965 to set up a national organi­ ~krumah knew about the corruption of most of his zation of chiefs and include it as part of the govern­ ministers, and that he was both unable and unwilling ment's party, the Convention People's Party? Wasn't to eliminate this disease, perhaps because he also par­ the same conciliatory policy followed towards the na­ ticipated in it.) Such a policy, based upon lack of tive bourgeoisie and foreign imperialism? Wasn't this confidence in the masses, could only heighten the the root of the evil? apathy induced by the unfavorable change in the Nkrumah was undoubtedly the main spokesman of economic climate. revolutionary nationalists in Africa who wanted to For more than eighteen months now, the African unify the continent. He stood up strongly against most scene has gone from bad to worse. The overthrow of of the political schemes and plots imperialism hatched the nationalist Stanleyville government by Belgian

SUM1VlER 19(j() 119 paratroopers and Tshombe's white mercenaries; the country through the instrument of a popular national­ military coup that overthrew Ben Bella; the elimina­ ist leader of the bourgeois (Nehru, Sukarno) or petty­ tion of the Communist Party and all left-wingers from bourgeois (Nkrumah, Nasser) type, than through the the civilian government in Sudan; a series of military rule of military stooges like Suharto, Ankrah or Ky, coups d'etat in the neocolonialist states controlled by who have no durable mass base in the country at all French imperialism like Dahomey, Central African and who can only sooner or later provoke mass up­ Republic and Upper Volta; the way Ian Smith could risings which are much more costly to keep in check get away with his Unilateral Declaration of Indepen­ (look at Vietnam! ) than underwriting nationalist lead­ dence, and now the overthrow of Nkrumah, all point ers with a mass following. in the same direction - a seemingly uninterrupted wave If imperialism nevertheless feels compelled to put of counterrevolutions is sweeping Africa. Only the these stooges in power everywhere, it is because it be­ military coup in Nigeria can be listed as a partial lieves too much is at stake and that the chances of exception. African nationalism developing even under petty­ That this wave is not yet over is indicated by the bourgeois leaders are too great. The call for a Pan­ fact that after Nkrumah's downfall, Oginga Odinga, African army to wage war against the white settlers' leader of the left wing in Kenya, was dismissed as Southern Rhodesia-which would have been only a vice-president of the country and expelled from the stage towards war against Verwoerd's apartheid re­ government party, the Kenya African National Union, gime - is certainly not unrelated to the decision of im­ which he had helped to found. Sekou Toure in Guinea, perialism to do away with Nkrumah. Modibo Keita in Mali, Nyerere in Tanzania, and even These counterrevolutionary coups can succeed only Nasser in Egypt feel insecure. As for President Obote if the masses are relatively apathetic- a condition for of Uganda, he escaped Nkrumah's fate a few weeks which the nationalist leaders themselves often bear the ago only be striking first himself and putting nearly main responsibility (as in the cases of Ben Bella and half his cabinet in prison. Nkrumah). But the apathy cannot last. The African Without doubt what is involved in this wave of revolution historically is on the rise. The social and counterrevolution is a considered imperialist plot, in economic factors feeding the revolutionary process are which both the CIA and the British secret service play becoming stronger, not weaker. It is only a question their role, to stem the tide of the African revolution of time until some striking success of the revolution before it undermines the foremost strategic and eco­ will break the series of counterrevolutionary victories. nomic positions held by imperialism in that continent­ Such a success could in turn become the starting the Rhodesian copper belt and the South African gold point of a process of permanent revolution, neutral­ and diamond fields. The systematic way in which izing eighteen months of permanent counterrevolution, imperialism is able to organize these coups, with vir­ provided that the lessons of these defeats are correctly tually complete passivity on the part of the Kremlin, assimilated. The balance sheet of these eighteen months is at the same time a severe indictment of those forces shows the historical failure of the petty-bourgeois na­ that have claimed "peaceful coexistence" is possible on tionalist leaders, who, while paying lip service to the basis of the pledge of imperialism not to export socialism and while taking some genuinely anti-im­ counterrevolution. perialist measures, proved unable to destroy either the state machinery or the economic props of neo­ colonialist power, both in their own countries and in Lessons of the Coup Africa, because they feared to mobilize the masses on a broad scale and to organize them democratically. The African masses, who will rise again, must learn It is significant that some nationalist leaders are to arm themselves and to root out officers and army trying in their own way to draw some lessons from cadres groomed by imperialism. They must learn the Nkrumah's fate. Nyerere made a public appeal for amplification of the African revolution and not to be need to expropriate the foreign and indigenous capi­ frightened by the temporary victory of the counter­ talists, to destroy the bourgeois state apparatus and revolution in Ghana. In a resolution adopted by its to set up a new state of their own, a state of the work­ national council meeting in Bamako on March 15-16, ers and poor peasants. They must learn how to es­ the National Union of Workers of Mali called on the tablish the historical continuity between tribal com­ workers to defend the fruits of their revolution at all munism and modern communism. They must learn costs, and urged them to organize the workers' militias to see that Africa will be united not by hodgepodge in the workshops, construction sites and other enter­ of feudal emperors, bourgeois presidents and neoco­ prises. This is certainly a step in the right direction. lonialist stooges, but by fighting masses, from below, Basically, the imperialist move to re-establish stooges and on a socialist basis. And they must learn that to rather than to be satisfied with preserving economic achieve results, it is necessary to build revolutionary­ power under the administration of popular nationalist socialist parties, based on the body of experience as­ leaders. reflects desperation in the face of historical sembled in scientific socialist theory, by-passing those trends. It demonstrates that the margin for concilia­ who want to lead them into the dead end of some tion between the fundamental interests of world im­ odd-type "African socialism." perialism and the nationalist masses of Africa, fight­ Under these conditions, the revolution can make a ing for independence but still lacking clear socialist sensational comeback, even in Ghana, in fact especi­ consciousness, has become narrower and not wider. ally there! From the viewpoint of imperialism, it is a thousand March 20, 1966 times preferable to exploit the wealth of a semicolonial

120 INTERNATIO.:VAL SOCIALIST REVIEW "If one strolls through Greenwich Village in down­ town New York one will eventually come upon the narrow, dingy building which houses the headquarters of the Socialist Workers Party ... Up two flights of rickety stairs at 116 University Place one finds the ramshackle office of Farrell Dobbs, leader of the Party and little-known candidate for President of the V nited States in 1960. "This now-obscure man and his tiny organization provide the key to understanding the emergence of .Jimmy Hoffa and the origin of many of his methods and beliefs. Although Hoffa has not spoken to Dobbs for over twenty years, his public speeches and p.oivate conversations still give Dobbs credit for the institu­ tional framework and imaginative ideas which have grown famous as Hoffa's collective bargaining trade­ marks. "Dobbs served as the guiding genius behind the Hoffa formation of the Central States Drivers Council (CSDC). Then, at the very brink of success, he stepped aside for a full-time career as a Marxist politician. creating a vacuum which was soon filled by Jimmy Hoffa. The CSDC became the vehicle which propelled Hoffa into national prominence:~from Hoffa and and the the Teamsters, by Ralph and Estelle James.

;~;=:=:=:=::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: to present an unbiased study of the nation's largest trade union. Both authors teach economics, Ralph James as as­ Teamsters sociate professor at the University of California and Estelle .James as assistant professor at Stanford Univer­ sity. When they first met .James Hoffa about five years ago, they seem to have approached him with some­ what prejudiced minds. Their initial attitude was per­ haps due to brainwashing by the capitalist news media as well as to ignorance of the Teamsters' side of things. Hoffa responded by challenging them to make their own investigation of the union and he offered to open BY FARRELL DOBBS the doors for them to get a picture they could never find in books. They accepted the challenge and he made good on the offer. Across an extended period the J ameses found them­ selves in the thick of Teamster activity, either or both being involved according to the given situation. They went to the union's 1961 convention where they also attended caucuses. Later they sat in at a meeting of the International Executive Board. Introduced as Since the government first began its "investigation" "assistants" to Hoffa, they observed contract negotia­ of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters leader­ tions and grievance sessions with employers, trustee ship some ten years ago, there have been a spate of meetings about pension fund matters and union strat­ books, innumerable magazine and newspaper articles, egy conferences related to these affairs. They talked consisting in the main of tendentious and biased with various Teamster officials and staff members accounts of the issues in dispute. At long last there through opportunities afforded by their free access to appears a book on Hoffa and the Teamsters* whose the union headquarters. Files were opened to them claim of undertaking an objective appraisal is well dating back through the Hoffa, Beck and Tobin re­ merited. gimes. All in all, they got a rather extensive picture of This important book is doubly unique. Its authors the Teamsters, at least at the leadership level. delved into their subject with praiseworthy objectivity Seeming puzzled by Hoffa's frankness with them and the Teamster president gave them extraordinary when "no assurances were ever given about the conclu­ access to union affairs. The result is a refreshing effort sions we would reach," the authors state: "Whatever his motivation, deep appreciation and approbation is * HOFFA AND THE TEAl'vlSTERS: A Study of hereby expressed to .James R. Hoffa ... who had the Union Power by Ralph and Estelle James. D. Van courage to offer such novel exposure and who kept Nostrand. 430pp. $6.95. it up, no matter where we wanted to dig. Hoffa wanted

SUMilAER 1966 121 us to get a feeling for being on the inside. And we most assuredly did." All was not beer and skittles for the Jameses, as an excerpt from their description of the experience will explain: "The Teamsters' criminal lawyers and several vice-presidents were virtually persuaded at one point that we were agents for the FBI, and a trusted staff member was instructed to ascertain whether I I Ralph Jamesi actually had a university affiliation. On the other hand, many members of the Teamsters' inner circle believed we had been bought off by Hoffa. The Justice Department seemed to agree with this consensus and refused to answer our questions on even the most Mike Healy innocuous topics, presumably for fear that they would Illinois be leaking information to the enemy. We were frequent­ ly asked 'who was paying' for our transportation and other expenses, the implication being that Hoffa must be picking up the bills. As a matter of fact, we covered Carl Keul all costs ourselves; had it not been for our shoestring Iowa budget we would have accompanied Hoffa on addi­ tional trips." After noting that a few of Hoffa's associates became convinced they were trying to do an honest, objective job, the authors add: "The purpose of this book is neither to praise nor to damn .Jimmy Hoffa. Rather we wish to contribute to a greater understanding of one of our most powerful and least comprehended public figures - the president of the country's largest union, a man who was made notorious by the McClellan Committee eight years ago and whose name is now a household word." Looking into the Teamsters from the outside and with little background experience in union­ ism, they have done remarkably well in digging out .J. M. O'I~aughlin the facts and presenting them in an unbiased manner. Michigan If more writers from academic circles tended to emulate their objectivity when dealing with the labor move­ ment, it would represent a gain for historic and social truth. in point is enactment of the anti-labor Kennedy-Lan­ The political climate in which the .J ameses carried drum-Griffin law. The whole attack - smear campaign, out the project is reflected in their presumption that the felony prosecutions, anti-labor laws and all- seems .Justice Department looked upon the Teamsters as "the designed to make every union official fearful of govern­ enemy." There are ample grounds for the presumption. mental persecution if he gets out of line. It hasn't worked with the Teamsters who have fought back as Beginning in 1957 the McClellan Committee ofthe U. S. Senate conducted a two-year smear attack on the Team­ best they seem to know how. But it got swift results with Meany, Reuther and the rest of the craven heads sters, using Hoffa as the central target. The .Justice of the AFL-CIO. They violated the most elementary Department followed through with six felony indict­ ments against Hoffa and other Teamster officials. First principles of labor solidarity by rushing to expel the came trials on bribery and wire-tapping charges, both Teamsters from the AFL-CIO as soon as the capitalist resulting in acquittals. government opened its assault on that union. In refreshing contrast, the .J ameses brushed aside the propaganda smear and sought to dig out the facts for Mail Fraud Charge themselves, especially in the case of the Teamsters' pension fund. "We have not been trained as detectives," The next attack took the form of an indictment for they write, "nor do we possess the vast supply of men mail fraud which was dismissed by the court. Prose­ and money with which the .Justice Department and its cution for allegedly taking a payoff from an employer 29 grand juries have investigated every action of the resulted in a mistrial. Convictions were finally obtained Pension Fund in recent years. We are not seeking to against Hoffa and other defendants, in one case on uncover crime, but rather to evaluate the economic jury-tampering charges and, in a separate one, for merits of a large, rapidly growing and unique invest­ alleged fraud in administering the Teamsters' pension ment program. Despite the various shortcomings in fund. In both instances the convictions have been our knowledge, we believe we have pieced together appealed and the cases are now pending before higher the over-all pattern of this complex puzzle." They de­ courts. vote over 100 pages to the subject, buttressing their Parallel events have demonstrated that the govern­ findings with detailed statistical tables. ment's vendetta against Hoffa and the Teamsters is Their conclusions about the government's charges actually aimed at the whole labor movement. A case are worth quoting: "In the context we have developed,

122 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIRW

William Ryan Missouri John Wirth North Dakota

T. T. Neal Missouri Farrell Dobbs Minnesota

Members of the Teamsters area committee, as they .Jack Maloney appeared at the time of a session in Omaha, Nebraska, Iowa during the successful campaign to establish area-wide bargaining for over-the-road drivers in the Central T. V. Smith States. Identification of individuals includes in each Nebraska case the state represented. Other committee members, not present at the time, included: Thomas Flynn (Indiana), B. V. Griff (Ohio), J. T. O'Brien (Illinois), J. F. Scislowski (\\1isconsin), and E. J. Williams (In­ diana). the fraud indictment seems deceptive, aind the resultant capitalist economics creep into their evaluations of conviction both inadequate and unwarranted, for one union policy. They appear to credit the capitalist thesis cannot be legally defrauded unless one accepts the mis­ that unions must rely heavily on "forcing" workers representation and acts in direct consequence thereof. to join up. I{emarks about the Teamsters' grievance A more pertinent description of the CSPF [Central procedure imply acceptance of the capitalist myth that States Pension Fund 1investment problem emerges from arbitration of worker-employer disputes can be "im­ a study of the loans granted: the entire program partial," when in truth the class struggle knows no appears ill-conceived by any standard of financial neutrals. In similar vein, they seem to think it valid soundness, and the trustees from both sides of the for the government of the employers to impose legal table [employers and union] are responsible. bounds on the use of union strength. Despite such misconceptions about the realities of class struggle, however, their study makes important Nature of Pension Fund factual contributions to the recording of Teamster history. I feel qualified to make that statement from "In fact, Hoffa long believed that this would shield personal knowledge since, as the book explains, I him from prosecution on the Pension Fund issue; to participated in Teamster struggles 'of the Thirties in indict him, he thought, the government would have to the Mississippi Valley. indict others on the board, and Kennedy would not For years there has been argument within the Team­ dare to cast his political net so wide. Had Hoffa more sters over who was "first" to establish an area-wide clearly revealed the CSPF investment policies at the council. Behind the argument lies a desire by various trial, the judge would probably have thrown up his individuals to claim credit for initiating this type of hands and directed a verdict of acquital. Instead, collective bargaining mechanism which laid the basis Hoffa portrayed the Fund's investments in glowing for the union's present scope and power. The .Jameses terms, and the jury found him guilty." These conclu­ cut through superficial evidence related to formation sions, which in effect render a verdict of not guilty, of just any kind of loose area setup. They get to the show both honesty and moral courage on the authors' heart of the matter when they say of the Central States part. Drivers Council, "This was the first, and for many Fair-minded though the Jameses strive to be, con­ years the only, example of area-wide bargaining in ceptions stemming from an academic background in the Teamsters." (Emphasis added.)

SUMJlIER 1966 12.'3

They sketch out the development of centralized bar­ gaining with employers through the CSDC and the use of leverage techniques in extending the union power from terminal to terminal. While Hoffa gets due credit for his role in bringing the CSDC to its present strength, account is also taken of the contri­ butions made by the founding leaders of the CSDC. Hoffa's efforts, as Teamster president, to extend CSDC policies throughout the trucking industry are described, es pecially concerning the 1964 national contract for intercity and local cartage workers. Primarily the book is a study of Teamster leader­ ship with sparse mention of the rank and file. This is not necessarily, or fully, explained by an assumption that the authors deliberately chose Hoffa as their cen­ tral theme. "It is always an intriguing intellectual game," they write, "to speculate on the importance of personalities in history." Although valid enough up to a certain point, such intellectual preoccupation risks something else: a deformed view of the interrelation­ ship between subjective and objective factors, also between leaders and ranks. "Underlying Hoffa's collective bargaining policy has been a vision of power aggrandizement for himself and the union," they assert, "the building of an in­ dustry-wide contractual structure under a single uni­ fied command - his own." Here the appraisal of a sub­ jective factor, Hoffa's personal ambitions, gets mixed up with the objective role of the union itself. Implicitly, an organizational form developed historically for working class defense against capitalist exploitation, in this case the Teamsters union, becomes categorized as a mere instrument of "power aggrandizement." Through erroneous lumping together of Hoffa and James R. Hoffa the union, the authors miss the real point. Evidence revealed by their study indicates that Hoffa tends to identify the union with himself more than himself with the union. And a tendency of that nature violates cor­ wriggle out of meeting their demands. It follows that rect principles in leadership-membership relations. involvement of the union ranks must be an integral Healthy, constructive relations between leaders and part of fully meaningful contract negotiations. Leaders members must be based upon mutual understanding, are not elite thinkers who divine what is necessary confidence and trust, along with reciprocal coopera­ and possible and, like Moses, miraculously guide the tion in carrying forward the aims of the organization. ranks into the promised land. Their task is to help These needs, in turn, require democratic patterns the workers classify and generalize their demands and throughout the whole organizational structure. Leaders to take the initiative in fighting to establish, maintain should be democratically selected and subject to re­ and strengthen union control on the job. placement at every level in the leadership apparatus. That's the way we went about it in the 1938-39 There should be union democracy in deciding policies Teamster campaign to establish centralized bargain­ and union discipline in carrying them out, with the ing and uniform contract terms for over-the-road exercise of leadership authority remaining subject to drivers in the Central States area. Moreover, all em­ critical review before the rank and file. These concep­ ployers looked alike to the union area committee. tions are different from Hoffa's methods which the N one were subjected to special demands, nor did any .Jameses describe and characterize as a tendency to­ receive special favor. As against all employers, the ward "one-man operation." Comparison of 1938-39 union forces stood in full solidarity, maintaining fair methods in the CSDC with those employed today should and equitable internal union relations in an open and help to throw further light on the subject. Take, for aboveboard manner. instance, contract negotiations and grievance proce­ A much different concept emerges from the Jameses' dures. description of Hoffa's methods. To quote them in part: Not much goes on in industry thatthe workers don't "Hoffa's bargaining strategy is a sequence of power know about, including what the employers may think maneuvers and propaganda steps designed to steer are their private trade secrets. As a body, therefore, the rank and file, local union officials, and manage­ workers have rich practical knowledge of their indus­ ment toward his predetermined end ... He reminds try. They know what material gains they can realis­ the employers that he is an eminently reasonable man, tically demand in a given situation and experience but the passionate rank-and-file feeling must be de­ has taught them how the employers will try to ferred to ... He establishes an aura of complicity by

124 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW revealing inconsequential tidbits about his problems power to defend their class interests. A nine-year ven­ with local union leaders ... Simultaneously, a very detta has been waged against them by the capitalist different picture is conveyed to the local Teamster government, under both Democratic and Republican leaders and membership ... administrations. To a politically class-conscious work­ "He portrays the employers as harsh, uncompro­ er the answer to these attacks is self-evident. The mising, and struggling over many detailed points. He Teamsters should take the lead in breaking with capi­ stresses the likelihood of a prolonged strike ... As the talist politics and launching an independent labor showdown nears, Hoffa impresses upon the employers party. Their perspective should be to build a class that they must think 'realistically' and meet his de­ political movement oriented toward the workers taking mands ... Hoffa splits the employer group by playing governmental power away from the capitalists. off one interest against another ... In the face of these Such a shift in policy would take more than a change diverse pressures, threats, and promises, the employers of mind on Hoffa's part. The whole official machine in capitulate ... Another victory is chalked up, and the Teamsters is entangled in horse-trading ties with Hoffa's reputation for invincibility is reinforced." The capitalist politicians at all levels of government, where­ contrast between the two methods speaks for itself. ever they can swing a "sweetheart contract," to use a Hoffa still maintains what is known as an "open end" union term. To cut the union loose from this crippling grievance procedure. The concept it involves, which entanglement, it will take a major upheaval in the had been developed earlier by Teamsters Local 544 ranks. Such an upheaval is in the making under the in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was incorporated into the worsening objective conditions of the times, and those first Central States over-the-road contract of 1938. The who lead it will have to be tied closely to the union "open end" meant that the union maintained uncon­ ranks in a thoroughly democratic way. ditionally its right to strike at any time to make the The book concludes with comment on current specu­ employers abide by the contract terms. Grievances lation as to who will take Hoffa's place if he goes to were never submitted to a so-called "impartial" arbi­ jail. Like everyone else, probably including Hoffa trator. himself, the authors don't know for sure. Only one They were never allowed to pile up without decisive thing does seem certain on this point. Whoever heads union action, as is so widely the case among trade the Teamsters, he had better have the courage of a unions today. With instinctive working class solidarity, Hoffa and, in addition, possess sufficient political class born from bitter experiences with chiseling employers, consciousness to meet the needs of changing times. the Teamsters area committee of 1938-39 started from Otherwise he may not have a very prolonged term in the assumption that the worker was in the right and office. the employer in the wrong. Nothing more than full compliance with the union contract was demanded of employers and nothing less was tolerated. As in every­ thing else, all employers looked alike. They either complied with the contract terms, or else. Postscript: As the J ameses describe things, Hoffa has drastically modified union handling of the "open end" grievance procedure. "Here particularly," they say, "he has built In 1941 a fight developed between Daniel J. Tobin, the stage on which to demonstrate his flair for the then president of the Teamsters, and Local 544 in dramatic, his love of intrigue, and his grasp of the Minneapolis, led by members of the Socialist Workers intricacies of motor freight. Every three months Hoffa Party. Tobin demanded that the local surrender Us assembles management and union representatives at a autonomous rights and submit to arbitrary rule by a Chicago hotel for a grievance-settling ritual ... When trustee of his designation. The local rejected his demand the routine cases are out of the way, Hoffa bursts into and fought back, but in the end Tobin succeeded in the room, demands to know the remaining problems, taking dictatorial charge of its affairs. and quickly solves them. The conflict had its roots in policy differences about "In regular grievance cases, neither union nor man­ the impending entry of the United States into World agement representatives dare to question his interpre­ War II. Tobin supported such entry, the Local 544 tations; in complex change-of-operation sessions, all leaders opposed it. No purely trade union issues were rely on him to reconcile the conflicting interests of em­ involved, except as they came up tactically in the strug­ ployers, local chieftains, and workers. Meetings are gle stemming from the basic quesiion of war. often halted until Hoffa is available for consultation. Tobin flooded Minneapolis with his henchmen and, Then, head cocked, deliberating only a moment, he in the battle that followed, he got support from the launches upon a series of unchallenged explanations. mayor of Minneapolis, the governor of Minnesota and The onlooker becomes aware that here lies the center the president of the United States. At the height of the of power for the entire show." The change in concepts, conflict, leaders of Local 544 and of the Socialist as described, is not for the better. Workers Party were indicted under the Smith Act, a Hoffa's political limitations as a trade union leader thought-control law. Eighteen were convicted and, are reflected in what the authors term his "bread and after losing an appeal to the higher courts, were com­ butter" philosophy. He has been unable to rise above pelled to serve terms in federal prison. peanut politics with Democratic and Republican office Clearly this episode in Teamster history had polit­ holders. The limitation has been very costly to the ical implications reaching beyond purely trade union Teamsters. Restrictive laws passed by the capitalist questions. It is, therefore, surprising that the .J ameses politicians have weakened the Teamsters' inherent treat it rather superficially and even quite one-sidedly

SUMMER 19()() 125 in their book. One gets the impression that they fail radical democrats and socialists. The author shows to perceive the true political dimensions of the sub­ great sympathy for all of the tendencies he examines. ject, and that they tend to view it as more or less a This book will provoke considerable interest among side issue in essential Teamster history. A reading of students of socialism. For beginners, however, too a further article on the 1941 struggle by the same much is dealt with in too little space. authors* fails to change that impression. The black and white and color illustrations are Important facts are missing from their presentation. worth the price of the book by themselves. Some of the facts reported are misinterpreted, not in my opinion deliberately, but most likely because they THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADES: SPAIN 1936- are examined out of context from the full factual story. 1939 by Vincent Brome. William Morrow & Co. Here is an example: "At first (1935-1936), Tobin tried 317 pp. plus photographs. $6.00. unsuccessfully to suppress them [the leaders of the Minneapolis local]. Then he bided his time until 1941, when, in the most dramatic exception to his noninter­ The International Brigades were composed ofthous­ ventionist policy, he expelled them from the Team­ ands of volunteers who came from all over the world sters ... " to fight in Spain against Franco's fascist army. Accord­ ing to Vincent Brome, at least 85 per cent of these The first part of the quotation is accurate. In 1935 volunteers came from a working class background. Tobin revoked the local union's charter with the Inter­ Not less than 25 per cent of the volunteers died in national, but in 1936 he was compelled to reinstate action. it. The next passage in the quotation, however, can This book is primarily a battle history of the Inter­ only be interpreted as an arbitrary deduction by the national Brigades. The author follows the personal authors, or as their acceptance of an unverified asser­ stories of several individuals through the events. The tion by some apologist for Tobin. A series of ascer­ political background to the military side of the Span­ tainable facts challenge the flat statement that "he ish Civil War is treated summarily. [Tobin1 bided his time until 1941." Lacking these facts, the .Iameses give the impression that, ever since 1936, THE TROTSKY PAPERS 1917 - 1922, edited and Tobin had just been looking for a chance to crack annotated by .Ian M. Meijer. Mouton & Cie., The down on Local 544. They slur over the whole question Hague. 858 pp. (Available in this country from of subsequent working relations between Tobin and The Humanities Press, $28.50) the Minneapolis local, for example, during the over­ the-road campaign. The fallacious notion is implied In 1936 the International Institute of Social His­ that the war question was little more than a pretext tory at Amsterdam acquired from Leon Trotsky a used by Tobin to help carry out long-held intentions, collection of 800 documents covering the period that it was not the basic issue behind the dispute. 1917 - 1922. Trotsky called this "the Lenin- Trotsky Mistaken appraisals of this kind generally result, Correspondence." even though unintentionally, from hasty and over­ He placed these historical records in the safekeep­ simplified conclusions about complex questions. It ing of the Institute because he feared they would be would seem better to go a bit slower in undertaking stolen or destroyed by Soviet agents. GPU agents objective 1 analysis of such an important question, at had already tried to get their hands upon the collec­ least until there has been more thoroughgoing re­ tion which refuted many of the myths propagated by search of the kind the.I ameses demonstrate elsewhere Stalin's regime about Trotsky's role. Trotsky himself in their valuable study of Hoffa and the Teamsters. intended to use these materials in writing a history of the Civil War which he directed as creator and commander-in-chief of the Red Army. The present volume comprises documents 1-435, roughly half of the total. (The rest will be published in a second part.) It includes a wide variety of docu­ BRIEF REVIEWS ments: telegrams, letters, telephonic and written mes­ sages, orders of the day, minutes of the Central Committee, Politburo and Orgburo meetings, extracts from speeches, draft resolutions, including exchanges THE LEFT IN EUROPE SINCE 1789 by David between Lenin and Trotsky on revising the program Caute, World University Library. 256 pp. $2.45. of the Communist Party, and other communications. All were issued at the height of the Civil War when This is an examination of the entire European Left the young Soviet Republic was battling for survival. since the French Revolution of 1789. The author Moving from one front to another in his military leaves out virtually nothing and no one. He writes train, Trotsky as commander of the armed forces deftly and manages to pack a lot of facts within a was in constant communication with Lenin, head limited space. of the Council of People's Commissars in the Kremlin. The book deals with reformists and revolutionaries, The trust that Lenin reposed in Trotsky, contrary to later Stalinist lies, is attested to by the document on page 589. The military opposition within the * "The Purge of the Trotskyites from the Tea m­ party and army, egged on from behind by Stalin, steT's." The Western Political Quarterly, Vol XIX. No.1. had protested the stern measures taken by Trotsky Mu rch 1966. pp. 5-15. at the critical battle of Svyazst in 1918. After a

126 INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST REVIEW politburo meeting in July 3 - 4, 1919, Lenin handed Trotsky a signed sheet containing an advance blan­ ket endorsement for any order he might choose to Build a issue. The text of this testimonial reads: "Comrades! Know­ ing the strict character of the instructions issued by Marxist Library Comrade Trotsky, I am so convinced, supremely convinced that the instruction issued by Comrade The Militant - a socialist weekly news analysis­ Trotsky is correct, to the point, and essential for and the International Socialist Review - a Marxist the good of the cause, that I wholly support this instruction." (An extended account of this episode is theoretical magazine, taken together, form an in­ given in Chapters XXXV - VII of Trotsky's auto­ valuable library of recent world history. From its biography Illy Life.) first issue, November 15, 1928, to the present day, This whole work, painstakingly annotated by the The Militant has recorded the great battles which editor, publishes for the first time indispensable built the labor movement in this country, the devel­ sources about the difficulties facing the Bolshevik opment of the colonial revolution and the Negro leaders in defending their revolution and for grasp­ freedom struggle; and it has consistently carried ing the real relations among them. important documents on these struggles, many of which are to be found in no other place - from the writings of Leon Trotsky to the speeches of Fidel Castro and Malcolm X. The International Socialist Review, containing 8001(S RECEIVED longer analytical articles, provides a key to under­ standing the complicated politics of the contempor­ ary world. From the roots and causes of World War II, to the emergence of the Cold War blocs; RADICALISM IN AMERICA by Sidney Lens. Thomas from the Sp anish Civil War to the war in Vietnam­ Y. Crowell Co. $8.95. there is absolutely no other history of comparable THE ANARCHISTS by James Joll. The Universal Library, Grosset and Dunlap. $2.45 paper. scope and depth. THE TROUBLED CAMPUS compiled by the Editors Intern ation al Soci alist Review of Atlantic. Atlantic Monthly Press Book $1.95 paper. 1 ~)61-6;3, One Binding SI0.0() SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: 1957-60, " 10.00 NEW PATTERNS OF LIVING by Richard 1... 1954-56, " 10.00 Meier. M.I.T._ Press. $2.45 paper. 1952-53, " 10.00 STALIN edited by T. H. Rigby. Prentice-Hall. $1.95 1950-51, " 10.00 paper. 1948-49, " 20.00 RANDOLPH BOURNE: LEGEND AND REALITY 194£5-47, (each) 12.00 by John Adam Moreau. Public Affairs Press. $5.00. 1944 15.00 CULTURAL FRONTIERS OF THE PEACE CORPS 1942,4:3 (each) 18.00 edited by Robert B. Textor. M. I. T. Press. $2.00 1940-41, One Binding 20.00 paper. 19:39 25.00 THE FIRST YEARS OF YANGYI COMMUNE by 19:38 35.00 Isabel and David Crook. Humanities Press. $6.75. 1934-36, One Binding 75.00 VIETNAM AND THE UNITED STATES by Hans J. Morgenthau. Public Affairs Press. $2.00 paper. The Militant CONTAINING THE ARMS RACE: SOME SPECIFIC PROPOSALS by Jeremy J. Stone. M. I. T. Press. 1962-65, (each) 10.00 $6.95. 1959-61, (each) 20.00 STRATEGIC POWER AND SOVIET FOREIGN POL­ 1956-58, (each) 10.00 l CY by Arnold Horelick and Myron Rush. Univer­ 1950-55, (each) 12.00 sity of Chicago Press. $5.95. 1944-49, (each) 14.00 AGE OF INDUSTRIAL VIOLENCE by Graham 1939, First Half 15.00 Adams, .lr. Columbia University Press. $8.50. 1939, Second Half 15.00 THE REVOL UTIONARY INTERNATIONALS, 1938 20.00 1864-1943 edited by Milorad M. Drachkovitch. 1937 25.00 Stanford University Press. $6.95. 1934-36, One Binding 150.00 CONFESSIONS OF AN IRISH REBEL by Brendan 1928-33, " 200.00 Behan. Bernard Geis Associates. $4.95. LOOK EAST, LOOK WEST by David Tornquist. (All of above listed bound volumes in good con­ Macmillan. $5.95. dition - not all new. Only a very limited supply VOZNESENSKY: SELECTED POEMS. Hill and available of early years.) Order from International Wang. $4.50. Socialist Review, 873 B'way, New York, N. Y. MARXISM IN MODERN FRANCE by George Licht­ 10003. heim. Columbia University Press. 86.75.

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