Lessons Learned from the Revisionism in the CPUSA By
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Lessons Learned from the Revisionism in formally dissolved in 1944 and turned into vanguard party concept, have removed 1 the CPUSA the Communist Political Association. Truly, discussion of Lenin’s works from By Joseph F. Hancock Browder believed, as did leaders of the discussion beyond saying that he was one of Secretary, International Department, PCUSA CPUSA that came along later like Sam Webb, the great communist minds. They envision (The author was a member of the CPUSA that capitalism and socialism could building a bourgeois left electoral front to from 1979 until 2013) ‘peacefully co-exist’ in a competitive world. compete in elections that will include all of the other small parties like theirs. Finally, We Need A Comintern they never discuss socialism as a possibility To understand where modern day revisionism for the United States. comes from in the CPUSA it is necessary to For lack of a Communist International This year, for all these reasons, some of us go back to the party’s beginning in 1919. The (Comintern) Communist Parties are free to who were dropped from membership in the CPUSA was formed out of the split with the develop dangerous ideological trends like CPUSA formed a new party, the Party of Socialist Party and the Second International. Euro-communism and peaceful co-existence Communists, USA. We are a cadre party that But because comrades could not agree on a that limit the role of CP’s worldwide. In the is built around 8 points of Marxist-Leninist unified program, two separate parties were case of the CPUSA, this is exactly what has unity. We immediately began to try to build formed. It was only through decisions made happened. Let’s take a look at the present ties with CP’s associated with the KKE of by the Comintern that the Americans were situation. The CPUSA properties are the Greece. We published their articles on our forced to unite into one Communist Party of party’s main source of income. But instead of website, ideologicalfightback.com and we the United States of America. using the income for organizing purposes, the funds are used to maintain a small staff of sent a representative to the World Federation Right opportunism always existed in the of Democratic Youth (WFDY) festival in party. In the ‘20s there was the opportunism technocrats that perform various non-political functions. As of this writing, it is possible to Ecuador in 2012. We also attempted to work of Jay Lovestone. He was expelled when it with the International Meeting of Communist was discovered that he was double dealing. join the CPUSA on-line for only $12! No ideological or political training are needed. A and Workers’ Parties (IMCWP) without In the 30’s there was the split with the success. We did all this because the CPUSA Trotskyites, who left the CPUSA to form the plastic membership is mailed out with a few party documents and the person that sent in was not representing the communist socialist Workers Party. J.D. Cannon, who led ideological view in the United States. this split was one of Trotsky’s main the $12 becomes a member. It doesn’t matter confidants. Then there was Earl Browder. In if the person is an agent of the government or The Origins of Modern Opportunism the beginning, he wrote many good party another “left” group or not. Now think about pamphlets and was ideologically very sound. for a moment what is necessary to join any We see the origins of modern opportunism He was a staunch supporter of the Soviet other credible Communist Party around the and class collaboration in the CPUSA as it Union, but toward the end WW II, he adopted world. The comrades would never allow this! developed during the Gus Hall years, even in the theory of what came to be known as From a Cadre Party to a Mass Party without colloquial terms. The position of General ‘American exceptionalism.’ This concept the Masses Secretary of the party was changed to separated American workers from workers in The CPUSA has changed from a cadre National Chair. The Central Committee was other countries and eventually led to the organization to a mass organization without changed to the National Committee. Around liquidation of the CPUSA. The party was any masses. They have abandoned the the world communist meetings are called congresses. In the U.S. they are called All Centralism, No Democracy in front of the Los Angeles Workers’ 2 “conventions.” Anything to be exceptional; to In the 1940’s the Social-Democratic unions Center. Finally, it was the Austen Hogen be different from other workers! Although it in the United States used to have a saying: (New York) transportation club because they cannot be known with absolute certainty, we “clear it with Sidney,” referring to Sidney were supporting the website mltoday.com. believe that in Gus Hall’s later years, the Hillman, the leader of the needle trades The decision to stop printing the party ideas that were published as being his were unions. He called the shots. And so it is in the newspaper altogether was made by the actually penned by someone else. These CPUSA. There are no clubs/cells to speak of. CPUSA National Committee over strong ideas, including many of Sam Webb’s ideas Only individual members sending in dues. protest from the comrades around the country and many that think the way he does, were District meetings are few and far between. So that depended on the paper to engage workers substituted for Gus Hall’s true thoughts. decisions are made in a vacuum. The in their communities. All of these decisions Personal contact with him, including phone decisions of the CPUSA are made in New were made for the self-interest of bureaucrats calls were cut off. York and Chicago by a National Committee protecting their jobs and had nothing to do Here is an example. Gus formulated the that no one knows. In other words, all of the with real communist politics because all of concept of the “Communist Plus.” What he capitalist stereotypes about communists and these clubs and individuals were doing good used to say about our comrades involved in their organizations apply to the CPUSA. communist work, just as comrade Gus Hall trade union work was that they were They lack humanity or concern for their said: “the Communist Plus.” excellent trade unionists, but very poor comrades. They are manipulative, cunning, comrades. They never brought up the subject deceptive, and dishonest. Why would any Before Gus Hall of communism or the party with their co- worker want to join such an organization? Before Gus Hall took over leadership of the workers. Later, a concept came out that The truth is that most do not. The problem is CPUSA in 1963, there was flawed leadership comrade Gus called “Bill of Rights” that the CPUSA gives all the rest of us honest after Earl Browder was expelled from the socialism. How could a leading communist communists that speak from the heart a bad party. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were take a bourgeois document, the Bill of Rights name. Since 2010, 4 clubs have been dropped executed on June19, 1953. John Gates was a of the U.S. Constitution and compare it to our from CPUSA membership by party party leader in the 1950’s and caused a lot of vision of socialism? On the one hand, he bureaucrats not connected in any way to damage because of his opposition to the criticized our trade union comrades for not those clubs in violation of the CPUSA’s own defense of socialist Hungary by the USSR in bringing up communism on the job, while on constitution. First it was the Arts and Media 1956. This was followed by the Khrushchev the other, he suggests that American club in New York because they had too many revelations , which turned out to be socialism will be based on the bourgeois Bill close connections to the Canadian completely false. But the damage was done. of Rights! How can communists implement organization North Star Compass. Then it There were also many political repressions in the communist plus when it is based on the was the Houston Communist club because the 1950’s that vanquished important party party’s allegory to a bourgeois document? they refused to remove their internet website. leadership. Gus Hall himself spent 8 years in This was largely right opportunism, and Then it was the Los Angeles (California) federal prison on a charge of “conspiracy to many comrades were confused and many Metro club because the club distributed teach” communism. The party did not fully worked inside the Democratic Party instead information from the KKE at a district recover from these political repressions. of building the CPUSA. meeting and hanged a banner of Joseph Stalin Henry Winston, for example, became blind because he was in prison and had a brain with the broader party. This kept him Work Among the Youth 3 tumor. Prison officials refused to give him insulated. This must never happen. When it One of the cardinal sins of the CPUSA medical care. He never regained his sight. does, disaster strikes. I was very impressed was to allow their Young Communist League His saying was: “I lost my sight but not my by the stark contrast of the CPUSA to fall apart. It has no political direction, no vision.” The great singer, actor, performer, conventions and the fifth congress of the youth magazine or newspaper to distribute lawyer, athlete Paul Robeson had his passport PCM.