RE: [Marxism] Re: SA, the SWP and Solidarity

[Joaquín Bustelo <jbustelo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

acpollack writes:

>>And what have Solidarity labor cadres done in a coordinated way nationally
to take advantage of MWM, NUP, struggles in airlines or grocery, Social
Security, the Labor Party, etc., etc., etc.? One thing and one thing only:
build your rank-and-file caucus.

>>That's not seeking to lead, and it's certainly not trying to get to a
point where you can lead a working-class movement, much less a revolution.

>>That's do-your-own-thing centrism.<<

They're not Solidarity's rank and file caucuses, not by a very long shot,
that's mostly what has impressed me. And for all that may be said against
this work, this much must be admitted: nobody has done it better or more
consistently, year after year, decade after decade, in the organized labor
movement, and with such palpable results. 

And perhaps if the work of these literally dozens if not scores of comrades
has not yet completely revolutionized a working class of about 100 million
people, that may be because a few dozen more comrades didn't join them, and
instead devoted themselves to "exposing" the bureaucrats with super-militant
motions at local union and labor council meetings. Resolutionary socialism
isn't a typo; it is a political mistake.

Much more than that about the labor work I won't say: I'm not involved in
it, and I'm sure that if those comrades who are involved find it worthwhile,
they'll speak for themselves, though I somehow doubt they will find it
worthwhile.

There are any number of criticisms of the work of Solidarity members in
various unions, a lot of them along the same lines as what's presented here,
although more frequently the headline is "economism" rather than "centrism."

I do believe the criticism of "economism" might be considered at least
partly applicable in a certain way, but not so much of the labor work, as of
the balance of Solidarity's work as a whole. Solidarity's achievements are
"too much" concentrated in the labor work, and not nearly enough in other
aspects, especially in work among the nationally oppressed communities. 

This is just another way of expressing the same idea I've expressed here any
number of times, which is that the various socialist groups are way too
small and narrow in their experiences and activities; they suffer from blind
spots and distortions that come from this one-sidedness. Various groups do
good work, sometimes outstanding work, in one or another sector or union or
city or movement. As a whole, though, this work doesn't yield the advances
it should because it is all fragmented and uncoordinated. It all suffers
from "localism" (and not just geographic) and "particularism" and in this
sense "economism."

That is one of the reasons why I believe a regroupment or realignment or
refoundation of the revolutionary socialist movement in the United States
that involves bringing together various groups and many comrades who are
today in no organization is not just something devoutly to be wished, but
something to be persistently and urgently worked for.

Inevitably, such a formation would seem to comrades like acpollack even MORE
of a "centrist swamp" to use the traditional vanguardist term of derision,
than even Solidarity. 

But before our quixotic league of anti-centrist fighters mount their
Rosinantes to start tilting at this windmill, perhaps they should stop to
consider the calendar: are we in 1917 or are we in 1902? We should remember
that before "ruthlessly splitting" with the "centrists" and even the
"reformists," Lenin waged just as vigorous a campaign to unite with them in
the RSDLP.

It is all well and good to rail against the "centrism" of these ones and the
"economism" of those ones. But it isn't good enough to just criticize the
revolutionary Left, the point is to change it. And in doing that, we should
listen to James P. Cannon, founder of the SWP, who noted the art of politics
is knowing what to do next.

Joaquín


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