David McReynolds: "Serious radicals should....support October 26"

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A copy of the following letter from David McReynolds was sent to me as part
of the 107disc antiwar list, one of many lists that McReynolds sent it to.

Duane,

This is a question which has come up also in the Socialist Party and in War
Resisters League and, I assume, elsewhere.

The October 26th demo is not originally NION, but organized by ANSWER, which
seems to be primarily "moved" by Workers World. In New York City (I can't
speak for the whole US, just right here) the Revolutionary Communist Party
was the main force - as far as I could tell - in the October 6th event.

In the course of organizing for the October 6th and 26th event, both
groups -
NION and ANSWER - endorsed each other's demonstrations.

Given the reality of where the country is, the anger at Bush, etc., I think
it is nit picking to argue about who is doing the key sponsoring. I am
personally in strong disagreement with the politics of both RCP and Workers
World, both being Marxist/Leninst groups. I wish "our" groups - democratic,
and open, were well enough organized to pull off these operations. But let's
face the pace of events, the realitiy of where things are going, and where
we
should be. (Or, to quote the old joke, "I am the people's leader, I must
hasten to follow them").

In NYC everyone turned up for October 6th, thousands (not thirty thousand,
no, but five to ten thousand). It may have been sparked by RCP but it was,
in
the end, far broader.

Serious radicals should forget about the fact that they have disagreements
with Workers World or the RCP, and support October 26th.  It isn't a matter
of "endorsing" but of going down there if one's calendar makes that
possible.
And have our posters and/or leaflets there.

I really think we are at  turning point on the issue of Iraq, that there is
very strong public anger at the Bush policies. In this context we should be
responsible, serious, and avoid letting old quarrels (however valid) obscure
the immediate reality. In short, if folks can get to Washington on October
26th, I think they should.

Fraternally,
David McReynolds (there is sometimes a confusion about whether I am speaking
for myself or a group - unless otherwise noted, I am always speaking ONLY
for
myself)

<< Subj:     [ASDnet] Oct. 26th. protests
 Date:  10/14/02 11:12:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time
 From:  campd22702@xxxxxxxxxxx (Duane Campbell)
 Reply-to:  asdnet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 To:    asdnet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 CC:    campd22702@xxxxxxxxxxx (DSA Exec.)

 Has DSA endorsed the Oct. 26th. protests organized by Not in Our Name?
  >>


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