Re(2): revolutionary factionalism not sectarian lunacy

[ben <benj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(now I've read some more of the posts)

So Louis doesn't deal in hypothetical situations. And the party he wants
is one of mass Marxist movements of all the oppressed. But he is willing
to put forward a hypothetical program for the small, Trotskyist SWP of
1974! Not a bad sounding program, of course. But that was before I was
even born, what do you want to do now, just wait around for these
militant movements to arise and postulate various hypothetical ideas
about what sort of party is best? There's nothing actually wrong with
that, bereft of mass movements the DSP engaged in that to some extent in
the 1990s. But we weren't bereft of a party, even a small one
disconnected from the working class. We didn't abandon it, we used what
we had to do what we could. Whatever the reasons, the US SWP of 1974 is
dead, it's no use moaning about that--obviously.

If Louis can tell Australians what to do, I can tell Americans what to
do. In fact it's already been suggested. See what you've got, what other
bits are lying around (the ISO? FRSO? Solidarity? Martin Schreader? The
Sparts--oops only joking), and see what you can do with them. You don't
have to follow the DSP's recipe, that's a product of our 30 odd years of
collective experience, you have your own experiences, and not so
collective, work from them. Believe me, the parlous state of the US left
doesn't only demoralise you. Us in the rest of the world are worried as
well. We need more allies in the world's strongest imperialist nation.
We're depending on you. Please have a go at it.

In response to another comment, no there aren't many (participating) DSP
members on this list. Possibly because they don't have time to be
involved in all the discussions, they are out there in the thick of it.
While I've been sick, depressed, unemployed, etc over the last little
while I've discovered Louis' discussion club and it has been an
interesting and cheered me up a bit. But I won't hang around here
forever (if I do, Louis, feel free to excommunicate me!).

solidarity
Ben Courtice
http://home.connexus.net.au/~benj


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