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Crisis in the CWI: the Marxist Way Out www.thecommunists.net New Series Issue Nr.20&21 July/August 2019 Crisis in the CWI: The Marxist Way Out Open Letter to CWI * The State * Anti-Imperialism * Oppression * China Reformism * Arab Revolution * UK’s Brexit * Party * Revolutionary Unity 2 Contents RevCom NS#20&21 I July 2019 English-Language Theoretical Review of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), New Series No.20&21, July/August 2019 Special Double Issue on the Crisis in the CWI Introduction p.3 Open Letter: Crisis in the CWI - For a Marxist Way Out! p.3 I. Revolutionary Overthrow of the State Is a socialist transformation possible through peaceful or parliamentary reforms? p.6 II. Anti-Imperialism: A Decisive Test for Marxists On defending semi-colonial countries against imperialist aggression p.8 III. The Struggle against National Oppression Revolutionary support for the struggle of the oppressed versus social-chauvinist opportunism p.21 IV. Reformism and the Labour Bureaucracy On the nature of the reformist parties and trade unions and the necessary tactics p.35 V. The Nature of the Current Period and the Corresponding Tasks for Revolutionaries On China’s rise as an imperialist power and the Great Power Rivalry, on the Arab Revolution, on UK’s Brexit and on building the Revolutionary World Party p.51 Open Letter Great Tasks demand Great Initiative! 6 Points for Revolutionary Unity p.80 RCIT: What We Stand For p.83 Source of the picture on the cover: Facebook account of Socialist Alternative (USA) Revolutionary Communism is the monthly English-language journal published by the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT). The RCIT has sections and activists in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Nigeria, Zambia, Kenya, Yemen, Israel / Occupied Palestine, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Britain, Germany, and Austria. www.thecommunists.net - [email protected] Tel/SMS/WhatsApp/Telegram: +43-650-4068314 RevCom NS#20&21 I July 2019 Introduction 3 Introduction By the Editorial Board, July 2019 he “Committee for a Workers’ International” (CWI) is We have explained since many years that while the CWI deeply divided in different factions and will most leadership claimed to follow the Trotskyist method, in fact Tlikely split in the near future. As we outline in this it has violated fundamental principles of Marxism again pamphlet, this crisis is the result of fundamental defects of and again. Now is the time to correct these mistakes! a wrong political method. We urge all comrades of the CWI to study our documents We are aware that hundreds of militants in the CWI are seriously. The collapse of the CWI might be the end of looking for a way out and are currently discussing about political activity for some activists who will become de- different political strategies. As a Trotskyist organization, moralized. However, we are convinced that many other we are highly interested to contribute to this debate with comrades are determined to continue the revolutionary our analysis, program and strategies struggle. To them we say that the present crisis can be also In this special double issue of our theoretical journal, we the beginning of step forward and a new stage of revolu- present a selection of documents (respectively excerpts of tionary party building. However, such a positive outcome documents) which outline the RCIT’s analysis and pro- is only possible under one condition: that the causes for gram on crucial issues for Marxist politics. They also deal the failure are correctly understood and the right lessons critically with the positions of the CWI on these questions. drawn. In addition, we republish our 6 POINTS, a document The RCIT looks forward to discuss these issues and to lis- which summarizes our approach on the issues which we ten to the experience and arguments of comrades. We are consider as most important in the current world situation committed to work hand in hand with comrades to build and which could, in our opinion, be the starting point for together a healthy revolutionary international based on a process of revolutionary unification. authentic Marxism. Crisis in the CWI: For a Marxist Way Out! A proposal to all current members and former members of the CWI to discuss the way forward in these tumultuous times Open Letter from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), 29 June 2019 ear comrades, 1. Authentic Marxism rejects the petty-bourgeois As you are obviously aware, the CWI has entered illusion of the peaceful transformation of capitalism. Da period of deep crisis that will most likely end in a One of the basic pillars of the CWI (as well as Alan Woods’ split. Understandably, many comrades are confused how IMT) has always been the thesis that capitalism can be such a sudden collapse could have happened. Many will overthrown by peaceful means or even via the parliamen- view this as a disappointing experience. tary road. As the RCIT has explained many times, such a However, important revolutionary currents have previ- position has been proven wrong by history and is in full ously emerged out of splits. This includes the early Chris- contradiction to the views of Lenin and Trotsky. Consider tians; Hus, Luther and Müntzer in the Middle Ages; and the October Revolution. There was very little loss of life the Bolsheviks, the Communist International, and the in the initial uprisings. The response of world imperial- Trotskyist movement in the modern era. But the precon- ism was to drench the Russian Revolution in three bloody dition for a progressive outcome of a split is the making years of Civil War. Comrades of the CWI need to under- of a proper assessment of the causes of the crisis and the stand that capitalism can only be overthrown (and the drawing of appropriate conclusions for the way forward. revolution defended) by an armed uprising of the work- For some it might seem that the deep crisis of the CWI ing class and the popular masses. Related to this, Marxists has occurred because of the bureaucratic methods of the must oppose the classic CWI position that police forces are Taaffe-led International Secretariat or because of the op- part of the working class and that their unions should be portunist adaption to so-called “identity politics” of the part of the labour movement. 2 The police are not exploited “Coordination” (also called “Non-Faction Faction”). As a by the bourgeoisie but are the guardians of the system of matter of fact, neither bureaucratic leadership methods capitalist exploitation and oppression. nor opportunism to petty-bourgeois currents are new 2. Authentic Marxism is anti-imperialist or it is not phenomena in the CWI. The real impulse is lodged in the Marxism. Throughout its whole history the CWI lead- fact that these methods can no longer be reconciled with ership has failed to side with semi-colonial countries in the changed reality – a world situation characterized by wars with imperialist powers (e.g. Malvinas War of Brit- sharply accelerating contradictions between classes and ain against Argentina 1982, U.S. wars against Iraq in 1991 states. and 2003, NATO war against Afghanistan in 2001). As a In the following paragraphs, we will summarize what we result, it took an openly or disguised pacifist neutral po- in the RCIT consider as the main issues that need to be sition. Marxists must base themselves on the teachings addressed in order to find a revolutionary way out of the of Lenin and Trotsky who advocated “active, unequivocal crisis. 1 support to the oppressed colonial peoples in their struggles and 4 Open Letter RevCom NS#20&21 I July 2019 wars against imperialism. A ‘neutral’ position is tantamount to other expression of this extreme, opportunist adaption support of imperialism.” 3 to bourgeois forces is the vote of CWI US leader Kshama 3. Marxists consistently support the struggle of op- Sawant on 13.08.2018 at the Seattle City Council to confirm pressed nations. While the CWI nowadays supports the the Chief of the Police Department. 8 national struggle of the Catalan people (a position proba- 5. Marxists must understand the political nature bly accepted due to the pressure of their former comrades of the current historic period. This period is character- in Spain), it failed to do the same in crucial liberation ized by a massive acceleration of the contradictions be- struggles in other countries. In Ireland, it consistently re- tween classes and between states. As a result, this period fused to side with the nationalists fighting against British is now marked by important waves of class struggle. The occupation in the North. The Irish section’s leadership CWI leadership has failed, however, to grasp the nature even went so far as to reject implementing the united front of these political convulsions. It claims that the class con- tactic towards Sinn Fein in any mass struggle. In Israel the sciousness is still marked “by the defeat of Stalinism” CWI calls for a “socialist” Israeli-Jewish state instead of instead of recognizing the insurgent radicalization of a single state with the right of all Palestinian refugees to workers and the oppressed around the globe. As a result return to their homeland. This is effectively support for the of such “pessimism”, it failed to understand the nature of continued existence of a colonial, settler state on historic the Arab Revolution (since 2011) and dropped its support Palestinian territory. 4 Likewise, we consider the CWI’s op- for the ongoing popular struggles against dictatorships position to open borders for migrants and refugees and its and imperialist aggression in Syria, Yemen, etc. because support for capitalist immigration control as a fundamen- the masses have continued their struggles under a non-so- tal violation of the Marxist principle of internationalism.
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