Greece Crisis. Some revolutionary socialist suggestions.

I feel there should be three components to our approach to the situation in Greece. 

1.  We should struggle for a united front of mass struggle bringing together the different left and workers parties and all workers and youth and activists who oppose the cuts. It is absolutely criminal what the CP is doing in Greece.  

2. We should openly state that the left sectarianism of all organizations especially the CP is severely damaging the movement and direct such an explanation to the ranks of the CP and the masses in general.

3. Simultaneously we should call for the building of a unified left current in the united front movement based on the ideas of revolutionary socialism, that is Marxism, and state that such a current would have certain features. Recognize that the left in the past half century and more has had far too centralized and sectarian internal and external lives. Recognize that it has attempted to have had far too unconditional perspectives. And from this seek to build a revolutionary socialist current with a much more democratic internal life where differences are accepted as inevitable and natural and healthy. This would be an important step in helping to over come the sectarianism of the left groups many of which are now gaining strength and in their present form this can mean they can do even more sectarian damage. Trotsky wrote in 1935: "During the 17 years when Bolshevism arose, grew, gained strength and came to power, factions were a legitimate party of party life." He also wrote about there being factions inside factions and he wrote about when debates ended factions were formally dissolved. Engels wrote that "internal conflict is the law of development of the revolutionary party." How far these positions are from the experience of most left groups today. 

4. Base ourselves on the ideas of the permanent revolution. Nothing can be solved on the basis of capitalism in Greece. This means the working class taking over the dominant sections of the economy and moving to a democratic socialist economy and society. And this means spreading the revolution internationally throughout Europe and abroad. And this means an end to the Euro and EU and its replacement with a democratic socialist Europe as a stepping stone to spread the revolution also east wards to Turkey and the Middle East. 

These are big demands. These are not small steps. But what else is there? The working class know that the world is in a serious crisis. At some stage and probably in the not too distant future at the very least sections of the working class and also the petit bourgeois will be ready for big steps. There are signs that many are ready as of now. 

It is important the left are not huddled in their bunkers of the last decades while the world has fundamentally changed. 

Sean.