[Marxism] Party as permanent faction [was Re: The DSP's fresh approach ...]

["Joaquin Bustelo" <jbustelo@xxxxxxxxx>]

Richard Fidler argues that my idea that the mere existence of groups like
the ISO, DSP, etc., could be an obstacle to the emergence of a broader
Socialist Alliance-type group is purely speculative and so on.

In a sense it is, because I have no concrete knowledge of HOW the DSP
functions in the SA. And in a way it may seem like almost Leninist-Canonist
hair splitting, because at least the DSP IS TRYING to contribute to the
emergence of a broader formation.

But my experience has been, and this is not an isolated one but something
that's been widely discussed, that the relations between members of a
disciplined cadre formation functioning as such and the unaffiliated within
the context of a broader/looser structure is a hierarchical one that tends
to be destructive of the broader grouping.

In essence, the independents face a permanent faction copmposed of the
members of the disciplined cadre organization. Ironically, that is something
most disciplined cadre groups prohibit inside themselves -- and even if they
formally allow it, a dissident faction rarely lasts for very long. But these
very same groups expect it to be accepted as so natural and democratic that
no one is even supposed to notice. Any objection to, or even comment about,
the self-appointed permanent faction's functioning is invariably denounced
as witch-hunting, red-baiting motivated by the vilest anti-communist
prejudices, a clear sign of reformist degeneration, and even the result of
intervention by political police agencies.

The permanent faction has its own secret discussions about the affairs of
the other group which the rest of the members of the other group are not
privy to. The permanent faction accesses the internal affairs of the other
group, including detailed reports to members of the faction that aren't even
IN the broader group, in a completely unrestricted way, whereas even the
merest hint that the internal affairs of the faction should receive a
similar going over by non-members of the faction in the broader group would
be considered an outrage.

The faction discussions might go to such a level of detail that all
political life is sucked out of the broader group, because you come to a
meeting expecting to brainstorm about the next action to take and are
instead confronted with a set of fully-worked-out proposals, with carefully
constructed motivations and answers to every possible objection. It is
entirely pre-chewed; the only role for the rest of the members of the
broader group is to swallow.

I'm sure the DSP is conscious of a number of these issues; I'm sure they
worked hard to mitigate these sorts of effects. But my experience suggests
that these problems are INHERENT in the very concept of "the party" --the
Leninist party-- as it has been handed down to us. 

Joaquín


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