Re: [Marxism] Germany: Beginning of a rupture between unions and SPD

["Johannes Schneider" <Johannes.Schneider@xxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 05 Jul 2004 21:50:19 +0200, Einde O'Callaghan <einde@xxxxxx> wrote:

> I feel that the WSWS reports on this question should be treated with a
> pinch of salt

Like everybodys's else articles. Certainly the WSWS is bending the stick
to one side. but given the uncritical account in the otherwise execellent
USec article I got the feeling some opposing view should be presentes

> I'm afraid Johannes is in danger of adopting an abstentionist attitude
> to potentially the biggest break with German social Democracy since the
> emergence of the USPD during World War I.

How I wish it were true...
But "the potentially biggest break since the USPD" we are presented at
least every decade in post war Germany: the 'Titoist' UAPD in the early
fifties, the SDS break in 1959, the September strikes in 1969, the
emergence of the Greens and the DS in the early eighties, the PDS after
1989.

> All I can say is that there is a profound rupture between the unions and
> the SPD and a serious split between elements in the union bureqaucracy
> that want to hang on to the link with the SPD at all costs and those
> responding to the anger in teh union ranki and file and in teh
> population in general aboue the effective destruction of the welfare
> system. Socialists in Germany can't ignore the opportunities raised by
> process and complain from the sidelines that the political ideas behind
> this movement aren't pure enough for them. We have to get stuck in and
> actually engage with the consciousness of those who are moving from
> theri traditional allegiances by working together with them.

Actually I doubt there are really that many people "moving from their
traditional allegiances". In my eyes those behind the SPD dissident
movement rather want to restore the old pre-SchrÃder SPD. Those who are
moving from the traditional political alliance of SPD and unions is the
present SPD leadership. SchrÃder and Clement have understood that their is
very little political space for that old reformist SPD and that they have
to transform the SPD into something like the US Democrats.
Since post-war reformism is dead, I consider the SPD dissident's programme
sort of utopian. If Marxist positions should regain any sort of
credibility among the working class and society as a whole, we have to
speak out such unpleasent truth, instead of engaging in the next illusory
project after the Greens and the PDS.

Johannes

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