RE: [Marxism] Camejo and Shawki/ISO and so it goes...

[Joaquín <jbustelo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul Bunyan writes about the ISO: "not being good with workers? Well maybe,
if you omit the solidarity work and a dozen meetings they helped organize
for the 5 Charleston ..."

I think if you talk with some of the more experienced ISO leaders they will
admit work in the union movement hasn't been their strong point. My
understanding is they focused their attention on student/academic millieus
quite consciously as a way of developing what they viewed as a very
important goal, an ideological "socialism from below" current. That meant
subordinating and sacrificing union work. Remember, this grouping was 100
people or less in the 1980's. 

As a result, their work in the union movement has been inconsistent and not
well-thought-through; I have heard some of their functioning criticized
quite cogently as going in the direction of a left-oppositionist
"resolutionary socialism" that tends to isolate them from such rank-and-file
formations as exist, and the political currents that are functioning in the
union movement more successfully that are closest to them in ideological
outlook.

Joaquín



-----Original Message-----
From: marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of paul bunyan
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 6:25 PM
To: Activists and scholars in Marxist tradition
Subject: Re: [Marxism] Camejo and Shawki/ISO and so it goes...



hoodoorus@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote: 
> I think they're great with students, but their work with rank and file
workers is >pretty rank and doctrinaire. They've grown up a lot, let them
grow up some >more. You note that they are probably the second largest
socialist tendency >after the CP, and maybe this is so. But I believe this
comes less from their >integrity then it does their tendency to simplify
complex questions in much the >same way the CP does. I've been watching them
for a little over twenty years >now, so I don't think I'm being too harsh
here.


M. Hureaux, Seattle
Re: not being good with workers? Well maybe, if you omit the solidarity work
and a dozen meetings they helped organize for the 5 Charleston, SC longshore
workers, "The Charleston 5" who were facing felony charges and possible
imprisonment at the hands of the state of South Carolina. The dozen meetings
I mentioned doesn't count the times a leader from the affected International
Longshoremen's Association local, Local 1422 spoke at their national and
several regional conferences. Also if you admit how many solidarity rallys,
they organized on a local level for various strikes and other labor
struggles. 

Simple explanations? There is something to be said for the concept of KISS
(keep it simple, stupid).
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