[Marxism] The "Sociali-Imperialist Workers Party" sinks to a new low

["David Altman" <altman_d@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Carlos:

I usually find your postings refreshingly ultraleft, but here I think you
miss the point.  If this were "just" an article about union organizing, I
doubt the editors of the Militant would have made it the lead article on the
front page. The fact that they chose to do so, and the particular emphases
they make in the article, indicate their overall political perspective. Is a
particular company that sells defective equipment to the military really the
problem?  In the last analysis, isn't it U.S. imperialism that puts U.S.
working people in danger by sending them off  to fight its wars?  Why didn't
the article say that? What are they saying, that this particular company
should make better equipment so the U.S. military can more "effectively" put
down the Iraqi insurgency? And what's with the bit about the company selling
defective vests to New York City cops? What's that all about?

Of course, the Militant & the SWP don't FORMALLY support the war in Iraq.
They always make a point of covering their asses with some pro-forma call
for immediate withdrawal. But look at the sort of things they print on the
front page of their paper (a better indication of what they really think
than some editorial in the back pages): Effusive coverage of some small
demonstration by Iraqi oil workers against "terrorism" (while downplaying a
much larger demo against the imperialists led by Moqtada Sadr). Gushing
accounts of the "Cedar Reviolution" in Lebanon, and other "democratic
openings for working people" made possible by U.S. imperialism. And other
atrocities well-known to readers of this List.

I apologize for bringing up, yet again, the degeneration of the SWP. Several
months ago I swore I'd stop doing so. But I, and other former members of
this outfit, just can't quit cold turkey. Please bear with us while we get
this monkey off our backs.

David Altman


Carlos A. Rivera wrote:

I have little love for the Barnes cult in general, but this is a really bad
argument. An article on union organizing, is an article on union organizing,
and while other issues can indeed be brought up, any omissions are obviously
of an editorial nature. That the same issue includes commentary on
anti-imperialism should suffice.

I am weary of all these cheap sectarian jabs and figthing at ghosts etc. If
people have political differences, lets discuss them. But I have seen
nothing out of the Militant or the SWP that points in the direction they
support the war. They have been quite sectarian, and I would conduct my
politics quite diferently from them, but they are far from
social-imperialist.

Find something relevant to critique them on.

sks

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