RE: [Marxism] Australian Socialist Alliance

[Dave Riley <dhell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

JOAQUIN ASKS:  I'm grateful for the links but am a bit puzzled asto why these 
would be
published half a world away in Britain. Can someone explain the linkage?

DAVE RILEY replies:

Indeed.  Earlier this year, Weekly Worker/CPGB, member Marcus Strom returned to 
Sydney
Australia and joined the Australian Labor Party. Yes thats' right: the ALP -- 
the same
party that is shepheding the new  run of anti terrorist legislation here with 
some delightful draconian features...

In a couple of pseudonymous articles in WW Marcus Strom began bagging the 
Socialist
Alliance. It surely wasn't too long before Strom would link up with 
professional SA
debunkers such as ALP champion, Bob Gould, and, now, Greg Adler. Indeed Gould's 
Ozleft
site


http://members.optushome.com.au/spainter/Ozleft.html

functions in the same ilk as the Weekly Worker does in the UK -- trading on 
left gossip,
exposee and innuendo especially when it concerns the DSP against which Gould 
has been waging
a relentless war for the last 35 years. Adler seems similarly preoccupied with 
the DSP
--even when he was on the SA NE.


Strom had tried in 2003 to recruit me to the role of the WW (gossip) reporter 
in Australia
as I had written a couple of articles then about the gains of the SA. and the 
dynamic of the
project despite the sabotage of the small SA affiliates. At the time I was 
trying to make a
point via this journalistic route to the British SWP membership  when the SWP 
was closing
down the English SA as it shifted into Repect mode. The SWP crudely and 
undemocratically, I
feel,  pulled the plug on the  English SA and it looked like then that their 
local franchise
here would follow suit.


So thats' why the connection was there. The WW proclaims it's for left 
regroupment
et al, but runs  a rather snide line of sorts as it manipulates reportage to 
its own
ends(whatever they are? I can't work that one out). Its major forte in the UK 
is to bag
the British SWP which it does as a sort of order of merit.

Its the National Enqurer of the far left.


Two years back WW  was running an active pro regroupment line, in the wake of 
the Scottish
SP successes. It even featured the Oz SA on its front cover. with a heading : 
Australian SA
shows the way!!!


http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/482/

written (from the UK )by....none other than ......Marcus Strom!

But now it , and its estwhile antipodean traveller, Strom, seem to be on a very 
different
tack.


While such reportage of gossip and publication of internal debates may feed our 
political
voyeurism, such predilection for sectariana comes at a price, I fear. In this 
case the
desire of the membership of the DSP to have a candid, frank, open and 
democratic discourse
on their shared political future is thwarted by such selective outing of their 
exchanges.
Now I know that the gaggle of Registered Anti- Zinovievists on this list don't 
think
they have such a right -- but I happen to think the DSP membership does.

So if there is a current within the DSP that opposes its continuing active  
orientation
toward the SA -- then so what? The Registered AntiZinoviets on this list  
should adhor
organisational homegeneity -- isn't that so?

 The whole issue of regroupment or not has many adherents and detractors but I 
think the
membership of the DSP is better placed to debate that issue out than others who 
are
committed to denigating such an orientation out of hand or have no experience 
with the
phenomenon.


Regroupment, take my word for it,  ain't as easy as it looks.


If members of this list want to keep up with the development of regroupment 
projects in the
British Isles and elsewhere the best resource is the Socialist Unity Network 
website which
is ankored by Jim Jepps and Andy Newman:


http://www.socialistunitynetwork.co.uk/index.htm

These people are serious about regroupment when, to put it bluntly, Weekly 
Woker and Greg
Adler are not.


As for my earlier post about the SA -- I'm keen to answer any questions. I've 
served
on its National Executive for some time. Although ill health has impinged my 
involvement
over the last few months I do know my apples.

dave riley


_________________________________________
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