Sean O'Torrain.It is an utter disgrace. I am talking about left sectarianism and the British elections. There are candidates from the various left groups all competing with each other. There is the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), the Socialist Labor Party (SLP), formed by former Miner's leader Arthur Scargill, Left Unity (LU) formed by the film director Ken Loach, and the Communist Party (CPGB)
All of these outfits are left sectarian. Running against each other, weakening the left voice. And on top of that having no united front program aimed at the millions of workers who will vote Labor. It would be good to hear how some of these people from these groups justify their actions. But I am not holding my breath.
Is it the case that we have to have a clean sweep of the entire left groups and the building of a united front around a program which confronts the capitalist offensive and uses the method of direct action to do so. I do not think this United Front should be socialist but instead should be anti capitalist. I do not think it should be to build a new party. Let us recognize the reality and build a united front against the capitalist offensive and use mass direct action tactics. Out of these struggles could emerge candidates and a new left force. Within this united front a revolutionary marxist current or currents sould be built as long as this was done in a non sectarian manner.
But if this is to happen the existing left groups have to be challenged and their left sectarianism identified and confronted and this has to be done in front of the new working class forces which are coming into struggle. It is these new working class forces which can sweep away left sectarianism, and also ultra leftism, but they can only do this if these scourges are openly identified and the groups that practice these are openly identified. And people like myself who when I was in the Committee For a Workers' International (CWI) * in the past and as part of that group, myself practiced left sectarianism and ultra leftism and on occasion opportunism, we must own up openly to our past mistakes and discuss them with the working class. This is the only way the movement can learn and develop and be able to carry out the tasks with which it is faced.
Socialist Alternative in the US is affiliated with the CWI and a also a prominent force in Britain's TUSC.
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1 comment:
Due to my lack of internet skills i am not able to respond to a comment on my article on the British elections where I have been told it has been posted. So I am responding to it here. I hope I do not get the Comrades comment wrong. As far as I know the Comrade says that the LU is not left sectarian. I am open to hear more. But to me to be non left sectarian means identifying this scourge in our own pasts and presents and in all other groups. And doing this openly and publicly. At the same time calling for joint united front candidates in elections and approaching other groups to try and achieve this and being prepared not to run candidates of your own party if another left party has a better chance of winning or getting a decent vote as long as that party has an acceptable program. not a perfect program, but an acceptable program. Sean. Ot,T.
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