[Marxism] SWP paper calls on members to support, "internalize" proposed resolutions

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Socialist Workers Party appears to be proceeding towards its 43rd
convention in the customary spirit of complete homogeneity.  The members
are being instructed on the importance of supporting the leadership's
position, and they probably already know by experience the consequences
of deviating from them even in internal discussion.

The Militant makes it unmistakably clear, in case any one had any doubt,
that this convention will brook no real criticism, much less criticism
of the "proposed" line.

The Militant explains to anybody who suspects that the leadership's
resolutions might be the first word rather than the last in the
discussion: 

"These resolutions serve to help revolutionists internalize this
changing world reality and to act today on its implications for building
a party of communist workers." 

Approving and "internalizing" these resolutions is one of the party's
central tasks in the coming period and we can be sure that the
convention will carried out this task in a disciplined and centralized
fashion

The preconvention discussion and the convention will be every bit as
"disciplined" and "centralized" and "homogeneous" as any other party
activity, for this is one of the consequences of the party's completely
"voluntary" and "voluntarily" complete political homogeneity.  And it is
voluntary in the sense that almost all accept "homogeneity" as the price
of being part of the group, whatever may be their personal opinions on
"this or that question."

The SWP leadership regards complete and simultaneously ever-growing
"political homogeneity" as the most vital single  precondition for the
party's leadership of an American revolution. In the past, serious
opposition to party leadership resolutions was not considered abnormal,
but now such outrages never occur. 

That, according to the leadership, is because the party, which now has
about 150 members, has become much, much, much "stronger" than it was
under previous generations of leadership. And if you're a member and
don't think they are growing stronger and stronger, well, keep it under
your hat if membership is your desire.

The only country mentioned in the article below is the US, where "labor"
is at "center stage" in US politics, as it has been for 26 years without
causing any disturbance in capitalism, or winning any gains for itself.
Labor is at center stage because homogeneity, discipline, and centralism
require that it must be so.  Labor, too, must abide by the norms.

No mention of countries like revolutionary Venezuela, revolutionary
Cuba, and imperialist-occupied Iraq, which are really at "center stage."
No aside from US labor, the only people who are shaking the world are
the US imperialists and their European rivals (especially the former)
through their growing conflicts.

I note that the SWP may be on a sectarian bender even toward the
upcoming international youth festival in Caracas, which, I am glad to
say, it strongly supports. Apparently, the central axis of world
politics facing this conference is not the Venezuelan and Cuban
revolutions, their characteristics and deep relationship, and the
conflict between the United States and the complex and variegated
resistance of the Iraqi Arab population. No, the central issue on which
this conference must take a clear stand is World War II. They must adopt
the SWP views, not the widely held Cuban and Venezuelan leadership
views, on World War II.  

I have to admit that I find this almost embarrassing, since I generally
agree with the SWP positions on World War II, which included defense of
the Soviet Union and colonial struggles as well as opposition to the
inter-imperialist conflict as reactionary.  So, while others may
disagree, this seems to me like a wildly sectarian misuse of correct
historical politics. (Believe it or not, in 1988, I wrote a 55-page
resolution challenging the party's oversimplified presentation of its
position on World War II, arguing that there were strong objective, not
just subjective, reasons why the world's people don't grasp this view of
the war and its outcome today, often even when they take anti-patriotic
positions on current wars.  And this is true also in the colonial
countries.)

This is, of course, a great way to duck the issue of the centrality of
the Venezuelan-Cuban leaderships for the development of revolutionary
leadership on a world scale today and to try to keep the membership on
the line that the SWP and its allied, even more tiny "communist leagues"
are the only Marxists and the only CONSISTENTLY proletarian leaderships
in the world today.

In particular, I am hoping that other US "Trotskyists" who are going to
the conference will reject this sucker bait. (In a sense, the SWP only
pretends to have advanced beyond Trotskyism today -- they are
non-Trotskyist only where they are much worse than Trotskyism).  And
they are sectarian across the board.
Fred Feldman


Socialist workers build June 9-11 party convention 
(front page)
 
BY MARTÍN KOPPEL  
A weekly series of classes is being held in cities across the United
States to help prepare for the 43rd convention of the Socialist Workers
Party. The convention will be held June 9-11 on the Oberlin College
campus in Oberlin, Ohio. 
Socialist workers, Young Socialists, and other working people and youth
interested in learning more about the party and attending its convention
are taking part in this class series. The study program focuses on two
recently published issues of New International, a magazine of Marxist
politics and theory. 

The SWP National Committee has submitted a draft resolution, ?Their
Transformation and Ours,? that the delegates to the convention will be
discussing and voting on. The party?s National Committee decided to make
it publicly available in issue no. 12 of New International as part of
the political preparations for the convention. 

Those participating in the weekly classes have been discussing this
draft resolution together with readings from ?Capitalism's Long Hot
Winter Has Begun,? the lead article in New International no. 12. The
latter is the political report, presented by the party?s national
secretary, Jack Barnes, that was discussed and adopted by the 2002 SWP
convention. 

?Their Transformation and Ours? analyzes the sharpening conflicts
between the world?s imperialist powers fueled both by the opening stages
of a world depression and by the most far-reaching shift in Washington?s
military policy and organization since the U.S. rulers? preparations for
World War II. 

Noting that labor remains at center stage of U.S. politics, the
resolution also ?weighs the importance of the beginning political
transformation of militant workers who, impelled by these momentous
changes, are taking the lead to reach for, organize, and use union
power,? Barnes explains in the introduction to New International no. 12.
?As the social consequences of capitalist crises grow, as inevitable
political conflicts sharpen between and within classes, and as probes to
restrict political and democratic rights used by working people
increase, these vanguard militants will join with other workers to
resist accelerated employing-class assaults in the plants and the
political arena, at home and abroad.? 

These resolutions serve to help revolutionists internalize this changing
world reality and to act today on its implications for building a party
of communist workers. 

The class series also includes readings from ?Our Politics Start with
the World,? the feature article in New International no. 13, and other
materials from that issue. In New York and some other cities the classes
are being organized with simultaneous translation for Spanish-speaking
participants. This is facilitated by the publication of both issues of
the Marxist magazine in Spanish in Nueva Internacional. The syllabus for
the classes, including the readings in both English and Spanish, is
available in a special International Education Bulletin. 

Concurrent with the classes, branches of the Socialist Workers Party are
organizing preconvention discussion sessions on the resolution and other
documents submitted by the party leadership as well as written
contributions to the Discussion Bulletin, which is open to all SWP
members. The preconvention discussion will culminate with every branch
electing delegates to the national convention. 

Most sessions of the delegated convention will be open to invited
observers. Those attending will include Socialist Workers Party members,
Young Socialists, supporters and friends of the party, and workers and
youth who want to get more involved in the activities of the socialist
movement. Over the last year, the party and Young Socialists have
reached out with ?Socialist Workers election campaigns, Militant and New
International sales campaigns, work to build the U.S. delegation to the
world youth festival in Caracas this summer, and work in the trade
unions and other mass work,? said SWP National Committee member Róger
Calero. ?All this has resulted in a significant number of individuals
becoming interested in or more involved with our movement. We are
inviting all of them to the convention.? 

Among those attending the convention will be a number of students and
young workers who are planning to go to Caracas, Venezuela, in August
for the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students. Taking part in the
SWP convention will be the best political preparation for
revolutionary-minded youth to join more effectively the discussions and
debates on the big political questions in world politics that will take
place at the youth festival, said Argiris Malapanis, who has been
centrally involved in organizing the U.S. delegation to the Caracas
festival. 

Socialists are organizing the class series and preconvention discussion
as they join in working-class struggles and campaign to sell Militant
subscriptions and the twin new issues of New International in workers
districts, on union picket lines, at campuses, and among co-workers. In
many cities they are running Socialist Workers Party candidates for
state and local office, presenting a platform in the interests of
working people, and organizing petition drives to get the socialist
slates on the ballot (see article in this issue.) 

At the same time, SWP supporters have been active in an effort to get
the two new issues of New International, as well as the full range of
Pathfinder titles, into retail bookstores and libraries. 

At the convention, the deliberations of the delegates will be
complemented by activities for all participants. These will include
classes, meal-time discussions on questions under discussion, and film
showings, as well as other social and recreational activities. 

Those interested in attending the Socialist Workers Party convention can
contact the nearest branch of the party. 


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