soC!: No. 832 ®~1@y~c-701 17 ?eptember 2004 No Choice for Workers in 2004 Elections 1 :1 1"'j\"t. ~ . .,. .,.:, ~.- _•.... 1.'1:&.'.+ .•... .. .,-, 'l .. AP Iraqi civilians in Baghdad flee scene of carnage after U.S. helicopters fired missiles into a crowd gathering around a destroyed U.S. armored vehicle, September 12. Break with the Democrats! For a Workers Party! With a peculiarly war-crazed and oddly more sharply polarized as the elections subtly (to which today can be added Lati­ gram. the support of one class rule or demented administration sitting in the approach, the differences between the nos and 'elite liberals: a fantasy category another. The class character of a party is White House, there is a strong sentiment also determined by its actual practice .... two candidates are ever narrowi~. This associated with working film actors who Another factor to be considered is the among many working people, minorities could be easily gleaned from the recent have won Academy Awards), and, of composition of a party. A bourgeois and young activists to vote for "Anybody Democratic and Republican conventions, course, this season it's the marriage­ party of the classical type is easily rec­ but Bush." It is not so much that people both of which were· unabashed displays minded so-called gays. So-called because ognized because it has all three of these want to vote for Democrat John Kerry, of patriotism and militarism (as well as there is no such human or mammal cate­ qualities-it is bourgeois in program, in practice. and in composition." but that they want to vote against Bush. police repression against protesters-see gory (sex is a continuum) except in the ~"Election Policv in 1948." While wanting to see Bush ousted is article on RNC protests on page 6). Bush great hollow pumpkin head of that gam­ printed in "Aspects of Socialist a wholly understandable sentiment, to launched the Iraq war; Kerry voted for bling dude who has anointed himself the Election Policy:' Education for throw one' s vote to another competing the war and says he would vote for it nation's moralist-in-chief, William 'Bell Socialists (March 1971) capitalist politician runs counter to fight­ now even after the exposes of the grand Fruit' Bennett" (Nation. 13 September). To move forward and to effectively ing to defend the interests of working lies the administration used to invade In 1948. American Trotskyist leader fight for their rights and interests. work- people and the oppressed. The policies Iraq. Bush is for maintaining the bloody James P. Cannon explained how Marxists ,ing people and leftist youth must begin pursued by the Bush regime that rightly occupation; Kerry is for maintaining the define the class character of a party: with the understanding that American elicit opposition and indignation (like the bloody occupation. Bush wants to con­ "It is not determined bv the class which society, like all capitalist societies, is Iraq war and occupation, the "war on tinue waging the "war on terror"; Kerry supports the party at the moment, but divided between two fundamental classes: terror" and evisceration of democratic rather by the class which the party sup­ promotes himself as a more effective ports: that is to say. by its program. That the capitalist class and the working class. rights, the attacks on the rights of black fighter in this sordid "war:' which is a ;, tht' hasil' meaning of a political pro- cOl1tinued on page 10 people. immigrants and women, etc.) are war against immigrants, black and work­ not simply the product of a particularly ing people, and a means by which the vicious administration. War, racism and capitalists try to deny the population repression are endemic to the oppressive its democratic rights and civil liberties. capitalist system under which we live. To Even on those issues where the candi­ defend and pursue the interests of work­ dates disagree, like abortion rights, Kerry ing people and the oppressed, what is proclaimed that he would have no prob­ required first and foremost is a break lem appointing an anti-abortion judge to Jap···a,n:." \~'j'.: with all capitalist parties-beginning the SUJ.1reme Court. .., j-:> .......", ..• ,,: with the Democrats, the other party of It's not simply that the policies of Bush war and racism-and the forging of a and Kerry are so alike, but that the two revolutionary workers party that fights to parties of American capitalism are so ··TII.I) SVilgJle get rid of the capitalist system through alike. Both parties represent the interests workers revolution. of the capitalist ruling class. In a "state of . "AU'; 'aliost'; While the country is becoming ever the union" speech 32 years ago, Amer­ .. ". .. ~ ".',." -' ... :. :" . ica's great essayist and novelist Gore .•••....••.••...:,..•...••. '. ·'.'·.··•• '< ..··.·.·.·0·.·. ,... 01' .. ·.·,.. ···•·· ...· ... · •.'e·.··· .. :.·· ··o·····.·.:··:·,·'···'s· .......... ; ..••. :,: .••......... Vidal aptly noted, "We have only one •. political party in the United Stat~, the Property Party, with two right wings, 'OpPhfssiolf .. Republican and Democrat." Today, Vidal adds, "Although the secret core to each presidential election is who can express See Page 4 7 25274"81030 ,f his hatred of African-Americans most Letter It is embarrassing to have to drive home the ABC of Marxism, but what is one The IG and Iraq Occupation to do ... ?" . ... The IG certainly has a history of tailing 22 August 2004 Get the Hell Out of Vieques Now!" How are not hugely distinguishable. Moreover, alien class forces in search for quick Dear Workers Vanguard, is the aforementioned slogan of the IG what Leninists understand about the use "action" strategies, even if this relies on a I would like to add to the polemic any different from the supposedly capitu­ of negative slogans like that of "U.S. lower level of consciousness. This is against the pseudo-revolutionary Interna­ latory slogan "U.S. Troops Out of Iraq Troops Out" is that it should be paired reflected in the fact that their articles on tionalist Group in Workers Vanguard No. Now"? Lastly, a June 2001 International­ with a positive slogan in order to advance Iraq barely whisper a critical statement 830 in the article entitled "The Left and ist ran an article entitled, "From Puerto revolutionary consciousness. Workers Van­ against the politics of the forces that seem the 'Iraqi Resistance': U.S. Out of Iraq Rico to Korea: U.S. Bombers Get Out!" guard's choice to emphasize "For class to be leading the various resistance groups. Now!" As mentioned, in several of their Has the IG since had a line change that struggle at home!"-a positive slogan This is the real crime of the IG's per­ articles they have polemicized against our needs to be explained, or are we simply which points the working class in the spective. Lenin strongly warned against use of the slogan :'U.S. Troops Out of talking about false polemics here? right direction-fulfills this purpose. politically supporting an uprising of the Iraq, Now!" because it supposedly echoes At the root of the IG's weak criticism Of course, it would be a great blow for reactionary classes against imperialism. sectors of the bourgeoisie and appeals to is a reversal of Leninism through the imperialism and a victory for working The retrograde, fundamentalist conscious­ the capitalist rulers. In addition, they implication that any negative slogan is people around the world if the murderous ness of many of the resistance leaders, claim that the Spartacist League "will­ necessarily a class-collaborationist appeal imperialist forces were driven out, as the several who would just as likely kill a fully obscures the position of Lenill" for to the bourgeoisie. This is false. The only IG emphasizes. But this requires realisti­ communist or an unveiled woman as .an not flaunting a slogan calling for defeat fundamental difference between the IG's cally taking into account the differences American soldier, is centuries away from of the colonial occupation. A closer look slogan and ours is that we don't indicate between the forces on the ground, includ­ revolutionary Marxism. While the battles proves that it is really the IG who grossly exactly how the imperialists are going to ing the immense military superiority of waged against the neocolonial occupiers distorts Lenin. leave Iraq-whether by increased attacks the imperialists, and the lack of con­ on the part of the insurgents are just and For over a century, genuine Marxists by Iraqi insurgents, class struggle at scious working-class mobilization among defensible, any Marxist cannot be blind to have used slogans similar to "Colonial . home, mounting imperialist rivalries, etc. the forces of the resistance. Again, as the fact that their leaders would be the Troops Out!" and the IG knows it. The In a piece by Lenin appropriately titled Lenin put it: " ... every slogan [must] be new enemy to the working class and the founder of the IG, Jan Norden, not only "A Caricature of Marxism and Imperial­ justified by a precise analysis of eco­ oppressed after taking power. used such slogans when he himself was ist Economism," he states with reference nomic realities, the political situation and Revolutionary Greetings, editor of WV, but also continued to use to a discussion on self-determination: the political significance of the slogan. L. such slogans after he and his posse started "The slogan 'get out of the colonies' has producing the IG's newspaper, the Inter­ one and only one political and economic nationalist, in 1997. Thus, their April-May content: