tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579189847356587096.post2557769333273557747..comments2024-02-14T11:30:29.227-08:00Comments on Facts For Working People: Fighting Fascism. Thoughts on methods of Black Bloc.Richard Mellorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997976754939725087noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579189847356587096.post-26376532607968036942017-02-05T07:59:21.030-08:002017-02-05T07:59:21.030-08:00Thank you G De Leon for your comment. But I am a b...Thank you G De Leon for your comment. But I am a bit disappointed. I see as a priority the struggle against sectarianism. Success in this struggle demands that we honestly appraise and characterize the positions of others. Comrade you know that facts For Working People and Comrades like Richard do not wait for tomorrow for the working class to organize. You know that we have and especially Richard has a long record of organizing and mobilizing, Afscme Activists, EBMUD etc. If we mis characterize the position of others then there is no way we can have an honest debate and there is no way the working class can make honest judgments on the various positions put forward. In relation to calling on movements to go on the offensive or not this is not so simple. You say you would never ask the more militant sections to be more passive etc. for the working class to catch up. Neither would I I would campaign for the working class to catch up. But in doing so the resources of the more militant sections might have to be directed to the broader layers of the working class. This might mean that the more militant sections might have to put their emphasis in this direction. Take the July Days in Russia. Sections of the more militant workers wanted to go on the offensive. The Bolsheviks estimated that the broader masses were not ready for that yet. So they put their resources to holding back the more militant sections meanwhile campaigning for the broader layers to prepare. If they had not done so the more militant sections would have been wiped out and October would not have happened. Richard has reminded me of a quote from Lenin where he speaks of the role of the most advanced sections of the working class and if they are thrown into battle when the broader masses are not ready for battle that this is to use Lenin's words "criminal." The Black Bloc have some resources. They should use these to develop a program which gets support amongst the working class, they should turn their resources towards the working class and in this way help to build rather than hinder the building of a mass working class movement against fascism. Sean O'Torain.<br />Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802923167159509214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579189847356587096.post-63696594348105518542017-02-04T16:52:39.670-08:002017-02-04T16:52:39.670-08:00Not sure what you're saying here Gilberto. The...Not sure what you're saying here Gilberto. The Kids "drawn to black bloc tactics" as you say I would guess are not working class youth but petit bourgeois and even upper middle class with regard to their class composition. I think it's not a question of being "squeamish either. I notice you describe yourself as an "older commie" to be honest, I think it is completely worthless referring to oneself as a commie, older or otherwise.The Stalinists and that experience has rendered this term useless.<br /><br />I have to respectfully disagree with you with regard to tactics, I do not think smashing up a student union does anything except give a certain amount of pleasure to the self indulgent petit bourgeois who practice this method. I agree with the position taken here. We do not attack them, but their methods are not useful for the workers movement. I do recall you being in Afscme, active in a union. Did you advocate this strategy to your members, co-workers? To be honest, I found the left sects to be worthless in my efforts to build an opposition to the capitalist offensive. I had a number of left group members in my local, all useless when it came to fighting the boss and raisng consciousness.<br />Richard Mellorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00997976754939725087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579189847356587096.post-82954029439748492082017-02-04T14:24:26.171-08:002017-02-04T14:24:26.171-08:00comrade, i don't think the "working class...comrade, i don't think the "working class" is as squeamish as you assume. and you're right until the respectable commies show their mettle and actually gain some credibility in some of the various movements and the working class, i doubt the kids drawn to "black bloc" tactics will give the respectable commies much consideration. those of us who are dyed in the wool i.e. older commies & anarchists need to realize that these young anarchists don't accept the responsible left's mantras of discipline, hierarchical organization, and (in some cases) mainstream media friendliness. <br /><br />i would never ask that the angriest, most militant sectors of our movement be more passive, patient, wait til manana for the working class to mobilize as a whole... these same arguments are used against BLM, immigrant rights activists, women's liberation fighters and many other more militant sectors of the working class. as far as the labor bureaucracy is concerned, i've grown old waiting for them to act in our class interests or be replaced by left commies. <br /><br />this smacks of condescension though i give you respect for not buying into the bile of some of my FB friends especially Louis Proyect who refers to the "black bloc" kids as "douche bags" and cites lessons from the 1930's and 1960's on how he and his fore-bearers handled the fascists... by mobilizing public opinion, liberal democrats, the aclu, etc. in their bile, they accept the mainstream media's characterization of demonstrations of 1000's in Berkeley and other cities by the actions a few dozen over-excited kids. let's make sure these kids know we're on their side by helping with bail or medical expenses where necessary.<br /><br />my hope is that these kids are not harmed by the police and that eventually, they will see that mass action within and/or without the structures of organized labor is required to smash fascists and gain a socialist future.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05550476607090397935noreply@blogger.com