[Marxism] Seymour/Ayers - more history of SWP sectarianism in the Vietnam antiwar movement

[John Obrien <causecollector@xxxxxxx>]

Comrade Cod,
 
I do agree with you that the SWP Did oppose the August 1968 Protests at the 
Democratic Convention.  I was in the YSA at that time and told NOT to go to 
Chicago and be part of the protests.  The SMC had split soon before that and 
the CP and pacifists walked out - and the 5th Avenue Peace Parade Committee and 
other regional peace groups sided with the CP and the SWP left those regional 
groups at this time - many times being forced to leave other times voluntarily 
leaving to form their eventual new national group and local affiliates that 
they totally controlled and prefer over the larger previous coalitions.  That 
new national groups was NPAC formed in 1970.
 
It is again more evidence about what I said that there were other groups 
outside SWP and mass actions that were important in the Vietnam Anti-war 
Movement.  The SWP had the correct political line about building mass 
demosntrations - but they were sectarian and not willing to work or support 
groups to the left of the CP that were active and doing things - because they 
wanted to recruit people MORE than being in soldiarity with another left group 
with different politics and would rather form a coalition with ADA than with 
SDS!!!!!
 
Those are the sorry facts!
 
John O'Brien> From: tcod@xxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Sat, 6 Dec 2008 05:30:38 +0000> 
Subject: Re: [Marxism] Seymour/Ayers - rewriting history?> To: 
causecollector@xxxxxxx> > > Leaving aside to whom this view should be 
attributed, you are right, SDS didn't oppose that, > but the SWP did! I know 
because I was there. I remember being outside the Conrad Hilton > when the shit 
came down and then the rally the next day with Eugene McCarthy, Dick Gregory,> 
Peter Paul & Mary and Phil Ochs.> > The SWP, out of sectarian timidity 
influenced by the presence of FBI informant Ed Heisler as one its local 
leaders, > backed out of and walked away from this protest and bad mouthed it 
later, except for a contingent of YSAers led by Carl Finamore, > on the basis 
that it was "ultraleft" and might provoke violence. Well, actually it was a 
peaceful mass protest like the one in Selma in 1965, > so I guess Walter 
Cronkite was to the left of Peter Camejo on that one at that point, because as 
a presidential commission > appointed by LBJ concluded: it was a police riot.. 
Sad.> > > From: causecollector@xxxxxxx> > Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 21:17:11 -0800> 
> Subject: [Marxism] Seymour/Ayers - rewriting history?> > To: 
tcod@xxxxxxxxxxx> > > > > > Ethan,> > > > I do not agree with what you wrote 
below as to being accurate on SDS history.> > > > The SDS did NOT oppose the 
Chicago August 1968 protests at the Democratic Party Convention.> > Look at who 
were SDS members among the Chicago 8 Defendants - and see that SDS put out 
posters around that protest. A number of SDSers may have politically opposed 
the National Mobilization Committee and some may have opposed YIP (Yippie) - 
but I do not remeber them urging their members to not protest the war and the 
other demands raised by SCLC the Black Panther PArty and other groups who were 
there to protest?> > > >> 
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