Shane Hopkinson post reformatted

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

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


Louis Proyect
Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org



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