Updating Louis report (was Cominterm, DSP et al)

[Shane Hopkinson <s.hopkinson@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear All

A while back there was a longish thread that began with DSP.
Cominternism and
Peter Camejo.  As a part of it Louis posted a report outlining the
limitations of the
USSWP based on a sketch of the international situation in the early
1970s.  I drafted
up a more updated version with an Australian focus but then decided not
to post it.
Its still rough but I think it may provide a concrete focus for
discussion.  The issues
are international and I don't pretend to have a clear idea of how to
build a Marxist
current but some discussion of the situation we are facing and what the
priorities might
be would be useful. (many thanks to Steve for the Australian History
refs - I didn't
realise 'How Labour Governs' was on line).

I had in mind to right some comments about Camejo's 'Return to
Materialism' but
this seems to have disappeared as a discussion point I assume because
his
commitment the New Zealand Alliance as the way forward for the Marxist
left looks
much less convincing now than it did at the time when many people were
excited
by developments there.

UPDATING LOUIS REPORT
Comrades, 1999 is a year that marks the emergence in the West of  the
'anti-
globalisation movement. The Australian contribution was S11 in
Melbourne, which was a
successful mass action. On the DSP video Bob Brown (of the Greens) made
a good speech, as
did several union leaders. More recently with the Sept 11 attacks there
has
emerged a new imperialist offensive and a peace/refugee rights
movement.  The
old communist left has sought to proscribe the DSP from the Palm Sunday
committee-
the Greens write in the DSP's defence but the ISO, who is in the
Socialist Alliance
with them, does not.

A) THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT:
Still largely neutral to the new movement with some signs of movement
around
a nationalist 'Fair Trade' agenda.  The more radical unions at this
stage in Victoria are under
attack from the government and need as much solidarity as possible. The
peak
union body the ACTU is pro-war, as is the ALP.  The ALP fails to take a
progressive
position on refugee rights which has sparked outrage in their ranks and
the formation of
'Labor for refugees' groups.  There are attempts by the present
leadership to 'modernise'
the ALP (along the lines of Blair in England), Mark Latham is a key
'Third Way' thinker
in this regard.  The key debate here is the role of Trade unions who
have institutional power
at ALP conferences (they are guaranteed seats).  The Right wing seeks to
restrict this power.
In Victoria there has been debates about affiliation to the ALP with
some leaders suggesting
they might join the Greens.  How much of this is talk in relation to
union/ALP manoevring
remains to be seen.  On the far-left the DSP and ISO have differing
views on the issue
of affliliation to the ALP.

B) THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT:
Undoubtedly the Greens are the electoral winners in the recent
disillusionment with the
the 2 party system.  On the ground here in Central Queensland there is
no organised
Green party and most of the 'Greens' here are interested in conservation
issues, seeing
politics as a diversion.  (Can't speak for them beyond this context
obviously, though I
understand many Greens dislike the apolitical stance).  DSP has a great
book
'Capitalism, Socialism and the Environment' which analyses a range of
issues and
debates and a newspaper which has 'Green' in the title.  This from the
conference that
launched the paper which was intended, I thought, to bring Left/Green
together.


C) THE ANTI-IMPERIALIST MOVEMENT:
The refugee movement is a significant force at present.  DSP helps to
build and organise
rallies around the country and make links between war, racism and
imperialism. In Central
Queensland about 100 people marched from a broad range of groups.  There
is a rising
public sympathy with Asylum seekers and a willingness to accept acts of
civil disobedience
in their defence (ie there have been organised break out attempts).

'Anti-imperialism' is no longer a common term despite the current World
Order looking
more and more like traditional imperialism (Bush openly canvassing the
need for Saddam
to be overthrown or Arafat to be replaced).  The 'war on terrorism' is
rapidly developing
as a new 'Cold War' - a vague threat from overseas being used to curtail
civil liberties at
home and justify increased military actions (and expenditure).  In
Australia this is presented
in racist fashion as 'border protection'.

While the anti-globalisation movement seems to be in the ascendent, in
Australia, despite a number of successful actions, its capacity to
mobilise people is more patchy here than overseas, where mass movements
have developed around key demands like 'Drop the Debt' and for a Tobin
Tax..

Internationally the 'big thing' is the Porto Alegre summits which serve
as an institutional
focus for the anti-globalisation movement.  Parties are proscribed but
all sorts of
social democratic politicians still appear at them -  reflects the broad
range of ideas
currently being debated. Meeting in 2004 probably to be held in India.
Obviously all left activists
will seek to be involved.  The ACTU will be represented since they are
seen as 'neoliberal'.
Not sure of the Greens stance on this, the ISO has tried to launch a
Brisbane Social Forum.
modelled on Genoa, the DSP has a large international network around its
journal 'Links'.

D) RELATIONS WITH THE REST OF THE LEFT

The most interesting left regroupment has been Socialist Alliance which
has got itself
some kind of national structure and brought left groups together.
Disagreements over its
exact role see its role outside elections restricted but there was high
hope for it since
at least members of the revolutionary left were talking together.
Socialist Alliance has
made overtures to the Greens (some of whom are willing to be identified
with socialists?)
The two key organisations the ISO and DSP have differing conceptions of
its role.


E) REDEFINING OUR ORGANIZATIONAL PRINCIPLES

Broadly speaking the DSP identifies itself as Leninist.  I take this to
mean
it is a party of activists organised around a socialist program.  There
have been
various experiments with how it should function.  Camejo, with whom this
thread
began, suggested that the way forward was to follow the path of the New
Zealand Alliance.
One of their key left leaders addressed several DSP conferences, but in
hindsight the Alliance
was not what Camejo thought it was going to be (what did happen to Causa
R, which
Camejo was also promoting? )

Organisation flexibility is necessary but it is not clear that
organisation changes would
move the Marxist movement forward.  As per my earlier posts Bob Gould
has made
some suggestions which are worthy of consideration.

 Comradely

Shane


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