Re: United left presidential slate

["Alan Bradley" <alanb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: Philip Ferguson
> The left in the imperialist world has been though quite a lot since the
> mid-80s, when each group tended to believe it was *it* - *the* party, at
> least in embryo, and all it needed to do was accumulate cadre, like
> pennies in a jar.  Now even the usually splendidly isolationist British
> SWP, which is also by far the largest group, is coming to understand
> that it cannot carry on in the same old way.

> There is a bit of a new wind blowing through the left.  I'm sure that
> the Barnesites would still not get involved, but since they are now a
> groupuscle occupying another planet their non-involvement should not be
> any problem.  Much of the living, earth-dwelling left, on the other
> hand, may well be on for it.  I can't see any reason why the rest of the
> US left should be any more congenitally sectarian than the British left.
> So, if the Brits can do it. . . .

It would be nice if this was true.  I know various DSP members have
scratched their heads over this question in Australia.  Basically we
concluded that it isn't going to happen here for the forseeable future.

S11, which has got everyone working together on a joint project again might
help change things.  Unfortunately, from what I have heard, the meetings
seem to feature the usual kind of infighting and posturing, where it's a
bit of a miracle any decisions actually get made.  It's guite possible that
everyone is going to hate everyone else even more once it is all over than
they did at the beginning.

I'm beginning to see why Gary was so negative.

Alan Bradley
alanb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx