[Marxism] Understanding DSP (and other) sectarianism

["cwarren" <cwarren@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I suppose this issue will always be around.  However if the DSP comrades
actually read the Communist Manifesto they would know that communists do not
form sectarian parties opposed to other working class parties.

This principle is not dogma to be held onto "no matter what".  There are
conditions when opposite tactics are required - but Australia 2006, is not
such.

The key issue is only one - where does the vast majority of Australian
workers, pensioners, students, and social movement activists place their
political hopes and dreams - this is the ALP.  The main Left unions all
endorse the ALP.  They may be mistaken and disoriented by the period of post
war wealth and growth Australia has experienced - but the fact still rings
true.

Of course the Left in the ALP is enervated mainly because we have the DSP,
ISO, Socialist Alliance, anarchists, etc etc tainting Left culture with
their antihistorical, non-communist, undialectical political methods.  The
clumbsy efforts by some DSPers have to be seen to be believed.  They need
their coven of self-believers to recover from setback after setback.

In general the Left in all OECD economies has become enervated but only
because Western economies have prospered under artificial circumstances
based on increased exploitation of the Third World.  Australian wealth is
based on exporting a few hours of labour in the form of mineral and fossil
wealth, and receiving back many hours of oppressed Third World labour in the
form of consumables and technology.  The OECD enriches itself at the expense
of the rest of the globe.

The effect has been that the identifiable exploited working class is not as
prominant in Western capitalism because it has been exported to the Third
World (by proxy).  Most people who are concerned about this or that
injustice seem to believe that reformism funded by social welfare
expenditure, should suffice.

In general, in these conditions, workers support the present state of
economic affairs without knowing much about it.  These are temporary
circumstances even though they may persist for 100 years or more.

It would be best if true Marxists within all these nuisance sects, realised
their isolation and for once started the long journey towards useful
politics within the working class (at whatever level of understanding the
working class is at).

If they cannot pursue socialist politics within the ALP they cannot pursue
socialist politics within society.  What they do within their own front
organisations is irrelevant.

I have heard all the DSP/SA wingeing about the so-called sell-out labour
aristocracy and gentrified labourite politicians etc etc.  But these are
unscientific, opportunistic, anti-historical and anti-Marxist tears from
wasted good-intentions.

Maybe this will change in the future, but it is necessary that some element
of the organised working class makes the first move - and some Australian
components of some trade uniins have toyed with the idea of ALP
disaffiliation.  This is always a useful sign.  However every effort to
build on this has led to some results for a few years but eventually no
ongoing achievement.

It may be best to put more effort into developing a Marxist left within the
ALP because if the time comes to create a highly conscious movement of the
working class this is where it will really start.

You cannot be a vanguard as an outsider.



Chris Warren
Canberra










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