[Marxism] Re: "Drawing a Balance Sheet On the Million Worker March, " by Bill Onasch

[David Walters <dwalters@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Fred,
 I don't find his comments that useful, I really see them as full of
sectarian swipes at the MWM. Bill opposed endorsement of the MWM by
USLAW...a highly contentious issue since one very narrow 'left' group
that made getting Kerry elected at all costs their priority...
essentially sabotaged USLAW's endorsement. Bill was not a member of
this group, but he played totally into their hands. Thus, his statement
about USLAW's failure to endorse it which lead to a HUGE embarrassment
for USLAW. USLAW rank-and-file and regional chapters made the MWM the
only activity this fall for them. USLAW saw the errors of it's ways and
voted to allow the USLAW chairman to endorse and speak at the rally,
carry the march on the USLAW web page, etc. I'm glad USLAW saw the
errors of their ways and the very positive attitude the MWM organizers
took toward USLAW's newer attitude. It's a sorry thing it had to have
developed the way it did, however.

The problem stems from the method of USLAW by its copying the political
relationship of the Labor Party (basically a defunct organization that
Bill still holds up as something worth noting on equal par with USLAW
for some wacked-out reason) to it's affiliates. Where as the Labor
Party, correctly, saw itself as the political expression of the unions
that endorsed/affiliated with it, USLAW was supposed to be organizing
anti-war sentiment IN the unions, and not be beholden to the unions in
the same way the Labor Party was. It's the most ass-backward thing I've
ever heard of.  Final word on the Labor Party: if was at all a 'party'
beyond it's name, instead of the ephemeral ghost  in he minds of
"leftists" like Bill, it would of not only endorsed this rally it would
of been the ones to initiate it. That Bill can even raise the name of
the LP as a serious political participant in *anything* makes me doubt
his sanity.

There was no "self-elected" group that ran the MWM in the way Bill
thinks. Bill is in KC and had to rely on contacts he may have in the
Bay Area. He is correct in that there was no national leadership,
something that is being rectified, and was part of the followup
national meeting the day after the MWM.

The leadership of the MWM that was 'self-elected' includes the people
he lauds: Clearance Thomas, Trent Willis and others from Local 10. It
also included a cross section of Bay Area unions, union activists and,
yes, THE LEFT.

The speakers at the rally mirrored this, including left ILWU activist
and editor of Maritime Monitor, Jack Heyman who spoke forcefully for a
labor party (a real one, Bill) that could lead such actions as the MWM.
This was echoed by others on the platform as well, thanks in large part
because the rally was not controlled by Democratic Party toadiess or
AFL-CIO top-brass types and remained completely independent of them.
However, obviously, speakers also spoke out in favor of the ABB
sentiment, including retired ILWU Local 10 member Leo Robinson, who,
seemingly, got upset at all the talk of breaking with the Democrats and
tried to read out of the MWM anyone who wouldn't support the 'get out
the vote' in November.

IMO, this shows that the MWM is not a homogenous organization and
contains many points of view, all of which reflect the real discussions
going on in the working class today.

David Walters


_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism