[Marxism] The CWI may go where no one has gone before- overcoming sectarianism

[Prem K Govindaswamy <govi0006@xxxxxxx>]

        One of the local Trotskyist groups where I live has a chance of
truly overcoming sectarianism, and developing a mass movement. This is the
Socialist Alternative, in the US affiliated w/ the CWI. This group has got
a fairly good record of actual organizing. There's some things that anyone
in Socialism can learn from, even if the SA itself doesn't "make the
revolution". There are  policies which may prove to be a double edged
sword. While I'm not a member, I have seem them work, and am impressed.
        The SA was recently involved in organizing a large antiwar action,
a walkout of high school and university students w/ a large rally against
the war on Nov 2. About 1000-1500 people attended the rally, and hundreds
of students walked out. Organizing for the event consisted of weeks of
going to schools beforehand and signing up students for the rally, getting
their parents consent, etc. @ least 1000 students were signed up by a few
wks. before the rally. Even though a week or so before the rally many of
the students were unexpectly threatened by schools w/ failing finals
scheduled on that day, the event went off successfully, w/ a huge
demonstration, having the streets shut down, leading to a fiery protest in
front of a military recruiting center. Here's a gauge of the impact of the
action: the local neoclown @ the local newspaper (Star Tribune) was nervous
enough that she resorted to writing a redbaiting article against the SA.
They must have done something right.
       In addition, the CWI has made some electoral gains in England.
       In getting the students registered beforehand, it helped to get the
students consciously aware of solidarity action, and that they could unite
as a group. It also helped them to realize that they actually have the
right to be unequivocally against imperialism, and that there is a system
called capitalism that causes it, and that they can be outspoken and fight
against it. I believe that this is one of the primary steps to organizing.
       Several of the strengths I believe this local group had were-

1. *Not restricted to the strictly workerist approach *(i.e. the "if it's
not industrial factory workers leading it, then we want no part of their
middle class liberal rubbish" mindset.) THe local leadership of the SA has
consciously stated their intention is "organizing the unorganized" (the
local head's words, not mine). They reach out to college students, anti-war
organizers, etc., as well as the local NW strikers. Thus they moved out of
a dogmatically union based approach.

2. *Not being afraid work with (horror of all horrors) stalinist or maoist
groups* The example being that the Local anti-war committee has many of
it's members as part of FRSO-FB (soft-maoist). For example, I'd seen one of
their meeting where the head and several members of the SA were working
closely w/ the FRSO members on how to solve the problem of the students
being threatened w/ failing exams, w/o any friction at all. In addition,
they helped organize a showing of a Bolivia documentary this summer, w/
speaker @ the film from both SA and SWP(US).

3. *Electorally shrewd by being part of Nader campaign*- During the 2004
elections, the Local SA actively supported Nader. As a result, they
participated in the campus presidential party debates, debating for Nader,
and were thus able to reach a wider audience.

4. *Using wording people not familiar w/ Marxism can understand*

The downside of the the group is this:

1. *Tend to go too far w/ avoiding being stuck in "workerist approach"*
-Basically the leader of the local group has said that the organized labor
mov't is dead. While the orgainized labor mov't is in sharp decline, as
long as there exists unions, w/ 10% membership of the labor force, you
can't scientifically say it's dead. It's like left wing communists saying
working w/in existing parliamentary elections are tactically outdated
(Lenin in left-wing communism). HOWEVER, the local SA has organized
solidarity action for the NW strikers, taking students to some of the
rallies, and working w/ the student solidarity cmte.

2. *Tendency toward opportunism trying to recruit new members*- One of the
main problems is that in trying not to scare away new members w/ overly
difficult Marxist theory, they go too far in avoiding important ?'s. I.E.,
When answering new recruits questions about USSR, CHina, and Eastern
Europe, they say that they seek nothing like the eastern European
dictatorships, latently implying that they were totally against those
states. This is only partially the case for Socialists (I.e. planned
National economy, state monopoly on foreign trade). Basically, some new
people get the idea that Sweden is what they support. (To be fair, SA
hasn't ever said that, and has said that Sweden is capitalist and that it's
not what they want). In any case,

3. *Dogmatism toward Cuba* Nowhere on the CWI's website did I find any
mention of Luis "subhuman parasitic vermin" Posada Carrilles, or the Cuban
Five. This, I believe is in part due to not wanting to alienate potential
recruits w/ talk the evil Fidel. Better to say it's not exactly what
Trotsky described and avoid it that way.

4. *Low retention of members*- many members leave, for some of the reasons
above

5. *Lack of dissent in the party*- In order to recruit fresh blood, the SA
goes overboard in trying to avoid people w/ too much prior history in
Marxist mov't scaring away the fresh meat. Thus at least one more radical,
orthodox Trotskyist who did follow the groups decisions was pressured out.
Thus there aren't any different tendencies w/in the group. Heterogeny in
groups is a sign of healthy debate.

overall though, it looks promising right now.



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