Labour parties, the NDP and reformism

[benj <benj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Richard Fidler wrote:
*snip*
Behind the false expectations of the Comintern was a more general
problem: a
misreading of workers' readiness to switch their political
allegiance to the
new revolutionary leadership.
*end snip*
- I this this is one of the greatest problems of the socialist
movement. The Economists of the early RSDLP; the Tony Cliff view
of "Leninism"; many Trotskyists who seem to think that their job
is simply to raise the flag of a correct programme and the masses
will come flocking... or on a smaller scale the idea that the
spontaneous militancy of the workers is only held back by the
opportunist traitors who lead the unions.
Militant, let alone revolutionary consciousness is very difficult
to develop, in the imperialist countries especially. The
existence of (some contemporary version of) what was in Lenin's
time called the "labour aristocracy" is one (not the only) reason
for this. And most workers take the path of least resistance in a
struggle if that is possible. We shouldn't base our tactics on
assuming that revolutionary struggles are imminent.

*snip*
In the Second International it was widely thought that the
main task of parties such as the SPD was to assemble the party
and trade
union apparatus so as to be ready to take over the running of
society when
the great day came and the SPD had gained majority support
amongst the
populace. Less emphasis was put on intervention in struggles to
fight for
leadership. Whilst Trotsky was, on the contrary, very aware of
the fight for
leadership (indeed he fetishised it), he also had tendencies to
see class
consciousness automatically developing. ..."
*end snip*

This is a very good comment IMO. Revolutionaries can't give up
the struggle for leadership.

In the here and now, I don't think that the ALP can be credibly
cited as an arena for socialist struggle. Gould suggests that
including ALP members and functionaries [careerists!] there are
20 000 socialists in Australia. But if they have no impact
outside ALP branch meetings what is the point? I find his 5-digit
figure hard to believe, because even if these people subjectively
have progressive politics there is zero evidence in struggle.
There are real struggles out in working class communities, which
have precious little to do with the internal wranglings of the
ALP machine. On the other hand, the Socialist Alliance is
bringing together a thousand or so socialists who can start to
fight for leadership of these real struggles. Insofar as ALP
members relate to and work within these struggles we of course
should work with them. But diving into the ALP to look for the
alleged socialist, working class base/core/wing of that party
would submerge the socialist message. We would cede leadership of
the struggles of the day. The socialist movement would only end
up weaker.

Will the masses automatically channel through the ALP in an
upsurge? If the ALP acts as it did in the past (which is not
guaranteed) then it's leadership will seek to co-opt the leaders
of any new movement, as they have done so successfully with the
unions, the women's liberation movement and so on. If they are
successful in doing this in a new wave of struggles, then
revolutionaries may have to alter their stance to the ALP and
possibly even enter it at some point, but there is no sign this
is yet on the cards. In fact, one of the most militant unions -
the Victorian branch of the Manufacturing Workers' Union - is
currently being attacked by the leading ALP Left (ex-CPA) Doug
Camer0n, who is the union's national secretary. He seems quite
willing to smash the whole branch (which has half the union's
national membership) to maintain his own position. In the face of
this, to say that workers will look first to the ALP in a
struggle seems a little ridiculous, to say nothing of socialists
entering the ALP. We can't say what future events will bring but
I'm fairly sure Gary MacLennan's feelings/suspicions on this are
wrong. Not that Socialist Alliance will necessarily win
leadership of mass workers' struggles either, perhaps the Greens
or someone else will, but if we try we will at least be able to
make some sorts of gains.

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


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