Wed, 2 Apr 1997 22:03:59 -0500 Cockroach #50 (The American Labor Party Debate?) A EZINE FOR POOR AND WORKING CLASS PEOPLE. WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS. It is time that the poor and working class people have a voice on the Internet. Contributions can be sent to Subscriptions are free at Now on line! Check out the Home of COCKROACH! http://www.algonet.se/~malecki How often this zine will appear depends on you! Back issues of Cockroach and my book at http://www.kmf.org/malecki/ -------------------------------------------------------- 1. The American Labor Party Debate! 2. Britain and the Eurodollar? 3. Breaking with democrats is a "PROCESS"... 4. Report from Internet "Cultural Revolution".. -------------------------------------------------------- The American Labor Party Debate! This is and interesting discussion going on the Labor Party list between Neil, Michael E. on the one hand and Paul Z and aucad@. In the first discussion Michael who appears to be in the right wing pro-democratic party wing is attacking Neil for his correct position on the democratic party. The funny thing about Michael is that he is using the most incredible and classical Bernstein formulations in his defense. In fact I do not think that a future LP should be running around tailing the workers who (in lack of any real alternative) support the democratic party. The Democratic Party is not a trade union but a party of capitalism and the bosses. And people building and alternative to the Democratic Party must be for a clear demarcation from this party and in favor of a *real* independent party with a program that fights in the interests of poor and working class people. All else is just Bullshit! Neil by the way is absolutely right about the Democratic Party here. His problem is that he has and ultra left position on the mass organizations of the working class (the trade unions) but on the Democratic Party he is absolutely correct. I find it still quite unbelievable that the LP continues to moan over this rather simple question. And then the other debate between Paul Z and aucad@. which reflects the tactical course to the above discussion in "electoral" strategy. Where Paul Z wants to go forth with Independent lists and aucad appears to want to grovel in the wake of Democratic Party. And the question of the (on going) do's and don'ts of Dellums I find particularly despicable. What we need are black leaders that are prepared to fight for a *real* independent LP. Just as we need trade union leaders, women leaders etc.. And tailing Dellums is not the way to go. And just the fact that people here seem to be holding their breathe and waiting to see if Dellums farts or not will certainly not change anything. In fact it just says a lot about the character of some of the LPers on this list! Political cowards who are playing in the sandbox of the "leftwing" of the Democratic Party. Unless the LP can take a clear line of breaking with the democrats and go forth both in the trade unions and communities as a clear independent alternative to the twin parties of capitalism then it will never get off the ground. And until then any serious person should just turn their backs to this fake "independent" LP. Because it does not exist in reality. The only thing that exists today is and LP which supports the Democratic Party! And all the Bernstien declarations in the world about how workers think and act will not help the LP. In fact the point is to go forth and present a clear alternative to poor and working class people. That is what the role of leadership and the LP should be. And all those who oppose this from the right are in fact closet democrats who want to play both ends of the stick. All those in the LP who think that tying oneself to the Democratic Party is the best way forward should just go and join the Democratic Party! And all those who want to create an independent LP should stick around and roll up their sleeves and get to work. This includes the various trade union leaderships supporting the LP. Tactics should not be determined by which trade union local says I support the LP and then uses all the money to support the Democratic Party. Instead we should try and get a mass base in the unions and put forth leaders who support the LP for its independence from the Democrats and their program. By kissing ass with the left wing of the trade union bureaucracy will not change one thing! Because if this discussion is not brought to a serious and open discussion and conclusions, program and tactics are drawn in the face of this fundamental question. There is no way forward out of the morass. And in fact every serious militant and activist should condemn the LP for being a morass which at best when push comes to shove is sucking up to the left wing of the Democratic Party! Better to have this out now and get rid of the basic contradiction between to fundamental lines that can not be united in one party. Because if you don't there will never be and Independent Labor Party. But just a collection of fundamental opposing lines jockeying for position in something that will never help the poor and working class find a way forward.. Finally as a Trotskyist I would like to say that the LP if it wants any kind of critical support from the left who want to go much futher then most of the present left of the LP today then you had better get your act together. Your political capitulation time and again to the pro demo saboteurs of any kind of independent alternative makes the present situation in the present fake LP a joke. Because in fact the present LP in tactics, program and strategy is not INDEPENDENT at all but and appendage to the Democratic Party. And to say that it is anything else is just a pipedream. And anybody on this list who really wants to build a INDEPENDENT alternative should say exactly that both here and everywhere else. I as a trade union activists try to tell the truth to the workers as I see it. And in this case the LP at present is and appendage to the Democratic Party and deserve NO support what so ever! Better to vote for the Democratic Party! Then a fake Labor Party that is kissing the ass of the Democratic Party! That would for me be the truth today. February 6th 1997. And if you continue along this course should be condemned as a rotten block of fakers who will never do anything at all for poor and working class people. And deserve no support what so ever from any left organization. Break with the Democratic Party! Until then,No support for these Fakers calling themselves "The Labor Party"! Instead of an LP of Democratic Party Asskissers! For a *real*Independent alternative to the Democratic Party! Bob Malecki -------------------------------------------------------- Britain and the Eurodollar? The choice for the British capitalist class as to whether or not to join the Euro is the same choice which confronts Turkeys when deciding whether to vote for Xmas or for Thanksgiving - they'll get slaughtered all the same. The underlying weakness of British Capitalism in relation to its rivals means that there simply is no "right" answer. They're not strong enough to go it alone - nor are they strong enough to win within a highly integrated EU. The weakness and indecision of BOTH the main parties is in this sense an accurate reflection of the real dithering in the ruling class itself. Most bosses haven't made their position clear ( some have though ) because they really can't make up their minds. The ones that have made up their minds are those that either have the majority of their trade within Europe and therefore are in favor, or have the majority of their trade with the US and SE Asia ( eg Hanson ) and are therefore against. British Capital as a whole is genuinely split on this by the economic reality : equal proportions of its foreign investment go to the US and to Europe ( although I believe its single biggest trading partner is Germany, with 30% of Britain's foreign trade ). This split also applies to the inward investors : Toyota exports a very large proportion of its cars to the rest of Europe from Britain. Other inward investors direct their British operations either to the British market ( I'd guess this is the case for Nissan, for example ) or to the world wide market ( again,. I'd guess this is the case for the Korean chip fab plants ). I too think that in the last instance Britain will join the Euro, if the Euro itself works. However, I have my doubts about this - IMO, it all revolves around the outcome of the class struggles in France and to a lesser extent Germany in the next two or three years, which is not predetermined to say the least [ not so long ago, the French Lorry drivers victory - today, the FN wins the first round of elections in a fourth southern town ]. Everything is up in the air, in question. The ruling class and all the official parties are split from top to bottom. All the ruling institutions ( police, courts, monarchy, political parties etc ) are held in contempt by the overwhelming majority. Across Europe, including Britain, there are large scale unresolved class battles hanging over the parliamentary debates, and the far right is waiting in the wings. We are far from the last word, on the Euro or anything else. Adam -------------------------------------------------------- Breaking with democrats is a "PROCESS"... Cassius writes; >R. Malecki thinks that the Chris Driscoll "PROCESS" for breaking >(will Chris actually "break"?) with democrats, means "opportunism of >the lowest despicable degree". A lot of people in this list are very >keen on adjectives qualifying the other's ideas, quoting the >Marxist classics as the Bible and excommunicating each other as >Middle-Age Popes. As democratic socialist (Socialdemocrat?) I know >that neither my Party neither me, have the absolute possession of the >truth, because socialism is a way and one way is always a >process.(without capitals), and even the truth changes along this >way. Now Cassius, why get upset about the names. Usually when I use names it is specifically linked to a political analysis. And in the case of Cris D's "PROCESS" I explicitly said that this process was linked at best to capitulating to the privileged layer of trade union bureaucrats who have been fed with a silver spoon by the Democratic Party and now feeling a bit of pressure under the present anti-working class offensive Internationally against the workers movement are paying lip service to supporting the LP while channeling all of the votes and money to the Democratic Party. So I meant and still mean that this is the only process going on in Chris D's head! > It is surprising to read in this list people saying (it was not >malecki's), "socialism will come in USA with uprising following the >lines of October's revolution". Anybody in this list means, that it >has something related with scientific socialism?. To compare USA,90's >with the underdeveloped Russia in 1917. Really! I think you are wrong on this. I think that the lessons of October will lay the basis of any pre-Revolutionary and revolutionary situation of the future. Both in organizational terms of the Proletariat (Soviets) and in the political sense a linking of the proletariat with the revolutionary vanguard with a Bolshevik program and in the process a political split from the reformist misleaders. Although the peasantry at least in the advanced industrial countries certainly will not be the same. In fact I think that for any Socialist or Communist this would be ABC stuff. Because I doubt if the bougeoisie are going to give up without a fight. > > Malecki talks about "Union's bureaucracy". As former member of the >direction of a socialdemocratic Union "bureaucracy", I thank you for >no saying "Unions nomenclature". "Bureaucracy" sounds less Stalinist. Well there is a difference between the Stalinist bureaucracy (a parasite on the gains of the October revolution) and the trade union bureaucracy. The trade union bureaucracy is a privileged layer of reformist and Stalinist misleaders who usually put peaceful coexistence with the class enemy before the interests of the proletariat in societies where capitalism has never been overthrown. > > Do R.Malecki think that the direction of the trotskist movement is >not a "bureaucracy"?.. It is impossible to separate "democratic (?) >socialism" from "bureaucracy". Of course not. The Trotskyists have always been to small to be a bureaucracy and to small to betray the proletariat on the levels of the second and third international. That is why I say the Fourth International must be reforged and not a new 5th International be built.. > > The same attacks was made to the > Social Democracy. > > Malecki says: "Social Democracy has deserted the working class". > > BUT THE WORKING CLASS HAS NOT DESERTED THE SOCIALDEMOCRACY. Oh really! I can not speak for what is going on in England or Germany but I can certainly say that the Swedish Workers are certainly waking up out of decades of support to the Social democrats. This because of the present anti working class policies that they have been pushing while presently in power. And this I think is only the beginning of and era of new inter imperialist rivalry. > > Of course, it must be because a lack of self-consciousness. You must >join your old Lev thoughts, when he wrote that perhaps it would >not be the "working class the revolutionary class. Trotsky already >knew this, when he destroyed the counter-revolutionary workers >bureaucracy in Kronsdtatd. You can try make the uprising with the >lumpen. I defend the suppression of the Kronstadt revolt. > > Although it wasn't yet socialism, NEVER and NOWHERE has the working >class had more power that in the Western Europa in the time of the >great socialist leaders (Brandt, Palme,etc.). To talk about workers >power in Soviet Union is a joke. Have you realized how epic was the >resistance of the Russian working class against the destruction of >the "workers and peasants government"?. You can compare with the >fight of Koreans workers and his leading "socialdemocratic" unions >bureaucracy. This is just and absurd Social democratic pipedream. What power? To determine the color of the curtains at the local factory! Yes, a certain number of reforms which Trotskyist defend came in Social democratic led countries. But this was ONLY with the good wishes of the capitalists who saw in Social Democracy a savior from the events in that horrible Soviet Union from spreading to the rest of Europe. You can thank the Bolshevik Party and the October Revolution for those gains! And notice how quickly those gains are being taken back these days with the demise of the Soviet Union! > > I agree with you about the chase of the capitalism for more profits >in today's international market. But IMHO, all the left forces must >unite their efforts to fight against, instead of this struggle >between socialist forces. I don't know very much about American >situation, but I'm sympathetic to this Labor Party.(Sorry Chris, if >this sympathy of one socialdemocrat offends you). A united front certainly could be and alternative on the left. But this only one condition and that is that a united front is a independent mobilization of the left and working class organizations. This means NO popular front politics and unity with bougeois formations! And in Chris's LP of PROCESS that means breaking with the one of the twin parties of capitalism in America The Democratic Party before their can be any question of unity or a united front at all! > >This brother's killing of the left forces has been historically the >cancer of the workers movement. It leads only to the sterility. Do >you realize Malecki, what has been the result of the fight >(sometimes heroic) of sixty years of the trotskist movement. Nowhere >you have a remarkable influence in the working class. Is it not >sterility?. Together we can get more. Not really! The historical question that has been killing poor and working class people is the rotten popular front politics of the Stalinists and the class collaboration of the reformists with the class enemy! The only reason that the Trotskyist have not been successful is because the Stalinists have always been trying to liquidate them. This and the fact that the Stalinists had state power + the new life that the capitalist class gave to the Social Democrats has prevented the revolutionary politics of Trotsky from becoming a mass influence. However that is not the case any longer! The Stalinists have disintegrated and the Social Democracy has deserted to the Bougeoisie. This is leaving and unprecedented opening for the first time since October for the politics of Bolshevik Leninists to once again enter the stage of history... > >I would like to say "Comradely", but I'm afraid it can offend you. So you would say Comrade. Perhaps on a barricade someday if you wind up on the right side of it. But if you support the politics of Chris D. You will unfortunately wind up on the wrong side of the barricades. Because Chris can't even get it up in the LP for a clear and clean break with the Democratic Party. A party which is the one of the twin parties of capitalism in America. A party with so much blood on its hands it never could wash it off. By the way as and example it was the Democrats who sent the first troops to Vietnam! And it was recently Clinton that sent in the stealth bombers and cruiser missiles against Iraq.. Bob Malecki -------------------------------------------------------- Report from Internet "Cultural Revolution".. Despite all the promises from the alter of the newly created "Lenin" list of taking the glorious path of "Marxist refirmation" leaving the "Queen Bees", "fascists", "agent provocateurs", and "bougeois imperialists agents" behind to wallow in the muck of M-I and M-G. We seem to be getting daily reports from the list of people either being stopped at the door with the demand of getting down on their knees and self critiquing their counter-revolutionary activities or reports of people like Louis Proyect leaving the list as "boring". It appears that the latest pipedream of Aldolfo, the Jesuit priest Stalin worshipper and his diplomatic baggage Mark Jones have wound up with a list which would much better deserve the name as the "Stalin, Molontov list"! A Stalin-Molontov list where even the apologists (Louis Proyect) of Aldolfo and his diplomat are deserting after 3 whole days! Aldolfo with his steel boots and Mark Jones the diplomat! should probably get Detcom the photographer and take a picture of the five "Commissioners" who daily take such earth breaking decisions about who should get down on their knees and criticize their counter-revolutionary activity and keeping up the list of fascists, agent provocateurs, imperialist agents which by know must be a couple of hundred people who subscribe to M-I and M-G. I think Detcom should use a "last supper" objective because who knows one of the "commissioners" just might be the next one to get the revolutionary axe ... Oh well, the "Lenin" list much like the "WMC" proclaimed by Aldolfo a few months back will never be anything. It is dead just as the most hard-line Stalinists of yesterday are dying off like flies.. Todays report by Aldolfo is the routine "Queen Bee, fascist" stuff. Although even Proyect who saw Aldolfo as a "comrade" has now got the axe (after his letter of resignation). Although Aldolfo still hasn't given up on Proyect as a potential member of the new list. I doubt that Proyect with his temper will accept the latest round lying down. Even though he has been extremely apologetic and quiet when the shit hit the fan and Mark Jones and Aldolfo went off the deep end. Then again perhaps he wants to keep the lines open for his "faction" fight with those who claim to be Trotskyists. Mark Jones long thesis on the women's question must be seen in the light of the Molontov diplomat who is trying with a slick defense of the Soviet fatherland as and excuse for how the Stalinist treated the women question in direct connection with the other ideological steel boot, "fascist slander campaign", wing of the "Lenin" list Aldolfo. Basically Mark is trying to smooth over the fact that he has joined a bunch of Stalinist gangsters and goons who's only political arguments is screaming death threats, fascist, agent provocateur, Queen Bee, and getting the goods on shit at all and everyone who does not agree with Aldolfo's bizarre world of third period Stalinism connected to some sort of Jesuit revolutionary purity and every speech that God Gonzalo has ever made. The latest antics by the Stalin-Molontov pair should be seen in this light. I really wonder if the PCP people are watching this and support this operation. I doubt that any serious person would want to put themselves in the position that Aldolfo and his diplomat Mark appear to be heading. Because basically it is political suicide.. Warm Regards Bob Malecki ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check Out My HomePage where you can, Read the book! Ha Ha Ha McNamara, Vietnam-My Bellybutton is my Crystalball! Or Get The Latest Issue of, COCKROACH, a zine for poor and working-class people and now starting the "Never Ending Story"... http://www.algonet.se/~malecki Back issues of Cockroach and my book at http://www.kmf.org/malecki/ --------------------------------------------------------