TWO ISSUES have now been published of a magazine International. While not advertised in the journal it is well known, including being reported in the Gurdian, that this magazine is a split from the editorial board of Socialist Action.
More important for present matters the comrades involved in the journal have put out a series of publie circulars and leaflets accusing Socialist Action 'Stalinism', 'proto-Stalinism' etc. They state that the split from Socialist Action therefore justified and principled. JAMES FRANCIS looks at the issues involved.
The material put out by the comrades of International, justifying their decision to form a new journal, is unfortunately a throw back to the bad traditions of British Marxist tarianism. The comrades make false political charges. A damaging div!sion is then justified not on the basis of any position in the actual class struggle but on the basis of ideas, and worse still supposed someone. The real motives of the split are however differences over the present class struggle in Britain as will be hoyll.
Leader In this case they were differences over Labour Brifing, followed. by Arthur Scargill during the miners strike, whether a candidate should have been run Kinnock for leader of the Labour Party following the miners strike and whether we were bulding an 'antiKinnock' left. None ferences justify a G1VISION Marxists.
The wild accusations regarding 'Stalinism', 'proto-Stalinism' and the like are then introduced to justify a split over current political views. Such methods have unfortunately created literally dozens of sects on the British left.
As the accusation made by the comrades is specifically 'Stalinism' or 'proto-Stalinism' we will deal this here.
Stalinism is the historical force created by the degeneration of the Russian Revolution. Its base was the Soviet bureaucracy. 1ls political idea, reflecting that base, was that of 'socialism in one country the idea that a socialist society could be built in the USSR without he overthrow of capitalism in the other key countries of the world.
Unfold Each position of Stalinism unfolded from that base.
could be built in the USSR without socialist revolution in other countries he role of the international working ¿lass became reduced from a class Sghting for socialism safeguarding the borders of the Soviet for this purpose the sureaucracy believed p-agressive" sections sorgeoisie: che popular front -reiween che working •zananare and rapitalisi parties — ....
TE : 55008= TLi=:
policy, as Communist wcseil Stalinist be a strategic ally of the Within the Stalinist decision to Trotsky shevism' that section of the Russian the bourgeoisle.
But sec- found is involved.
That the ideas, held by strument revolution.
Communist irreformable course against Neil many.
power.
these difallloll. with central Because socialism LABOUR - TAKE THE POWER!
Soviet when it could enlist an parties ot the concretely, struggle, had :- alance with secFi=. World War l. reformed, the advocacy of 'detente' as the central feature of Soviet foreign idea "advanced alternative to socialism for the next stage for the struggle.
Parties. The parties concluded that the ideas bourgeoisie still had a progressive role to play and at least sections of it could working USSR, after World War Il in Eastern Europe, the bureaucracy. developed systematic repression of the working.
Stalin correctly characterised Stalinism as the 'second wave of Menthe Mensheviks being Social Democratic and Labour Party who LDe had believed in the progressive role of right. something still more pro1933, with Hitler's coming to power in Germany, Trotsky concluded that this Stalinist ports bureaucracy could not be reformed.
Communist International, which Stalin led, had become an ininternational counterThis decision of Trotsky was not based on any ideas Stalinism had - 00 S0 -for the ideas of Stalinism in 1933 were essen or 1 27. Troesey declared e ine For 1927. Trotsky declared the was Decausc of lls redi material betrayal in the class struggle in the fight against fascism in GerThe Communist International of played a decisive role not in ideas but in concretely aiding Hitler to come to Trotsky's method was exactly the same, and he explained it as such, as ly, 20, PREPARING FOR Lenin's split from the Second International in 1914. Lenin did not split forces in the Second International advanced false theories. He advocated in August 1914 the major Second International in the real material class sided with the bourgeoisie against the werking iet The sira derara 50 30 X00 :…:. .==:=" -2...3 :2- = bourgeoisie within the working class. Trotsky likewise split with the Communist International because of its concrete real betrayal in lne clas.
Naturally after 1933 the decisive of flowing socialism in one country, did acquire a material reality as incompatible with the defence of the interests of the working class.
Trotsky was persecuted, and finalmurdered, by the Soviet bureaucracy at a time when many leading members of the Labour Party in Britain were singing the praises of typical examples during the 1930s being the New Statesman, the Webbs and Bernard Shaw. Trotsky's attempt to keep alive Marxism agains!
DOvIC bureaucracy appeared merely a heroic gesture against overwhelming force.
But in reality Trotsky was proved No which followed the line of the Soviet bureaucracy has ever overthrown capitalism ally more Ilan party which supSocial which capitulated to World War I in 1914 has ever overturned capitalism.
As Trotsky foresaw, any political force which oriented to a struggle with capitalism necessarily had break with the Soviet bureaucracy to - even although this path turned out to be much longer and more complex than Trotsky had foreseen.
Refusal This process started in 1935 when Mao Tse-tung regained the leadership the Chinese Communist (CCP) from the appointees of Stalin.
1949, to the overthrow of capitalism in China and the establishment of the Chinese People's Republic: The same process continued during World War Il when Tito and the Yugoslav Communist Party (YCP) refused to follow ihe path outlined by Stalin and proceeded to overthrow capitalism in Yugoslavia.
The Vietnamese Communist Parafter disasterously Stalin's line in the 1930s and in 1945, broke with the Soviet bureaucracy and embarked on a line of struggle against tirst French, imperialism culminaied in the victory of 1975 Alneian.
While the CCP, YCP, and VCP broke with the Soviet bureaucracy they however remained bureaucratlsas their subsequent partic.
policies show.
A new development started with the Cuban revolution of 1959.
only did the Cuban leadership Nicaragua, with the FSLN, a similar non-bureaucratised leadership developed.
It is entirely legitimate to discuss how far these forces have developed in the direction of of the interests of the working class.
The Cuban leadership, for example.
has totally position openly Jarsels:
". …..
_á iC-=### Labour-Tory Accord should call for a political revolution in Cuba, is false.
Furthermore none of the essential ideas of Stalinism country, the progressive role of the bourgeoisie, support for popular tronts elc — supported by anyone associated with Socialist Action, Claims that they are, are just without fondation.
The entire rhetoric that Socialist Action, will l, , is Stalinist, and so on is just false. It should be dropped not Socialist Action, honest debate, but because maintaıning it will distort in a deadly corrosive and sectarian way the politics of the comrades who have established International temselves.
Socialist view of the comrades established International. It considers But the reality is that the comrades of International did not split on great spal on tacirs. ly in the two big issues that the comrades have raised in the issues of their tion editorial board has always voted by a decisive majority that socialist revolution, the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletarat, then which Africa. There was no difference with the comrades of International on this. There was a real difference with the comrades of International over questions of line in South Africa today Not board of Socialist Action considers that the correct line for socialists in …HOl South Africa today is to fight to form La united front of the working class and oppressed on the basis democratic demands of the struggle Charter and fighting for them; supporting the UDF as the best approxstruggle againsi apartheid: seeking io oC Clc supperting agairs: apartheid. The comrades who sace:21an Ba: ine ions of the A.NC and the UDF the Vational Forum as to . 3.0 African AZAPO AZAPO November SU UZEC - soctansin in onc the same. 'proto-Stalinist' Africa only for the sake of For of serious and Anca ucl vote. To Action takes no similar who have tasks of the national Ines ao tron: of coilaboration berween the Bür this is obviously politically imNational Forum Basu boycotted the Either the apartheid, or AZAPO and all small tactical , weic uculucu yy majord argue that anyone believes that the course of the ANC and UDF on these questions is more correct than that of AZAPO and the National Forum is not for socialist revolution in South Africa is not.a issues hould be discussed out on their merits and not split over or imlermanonai bire to Labour Brifing.
miners strike and that Scargill's line in the strike was far superior to that of We uk ultra-leftism ruined a during the strike. posal that someone should have run against Kinnock for party leader after the miners strike would have seriously weakened the left. We note that the comrades of Internationai have ataido no justify a split. They are the types of issue which periodically arise among Marxists and should be discussed out.
Our view is simple. We reject the characterisations of Socialist Action We will propose joint activily ternational should drop the nonsen debate out the real issues whik mad taining a common publicatica
Socialist Action 7 February 1986
----- pull-quotes -----
LONDON LABOUR FORTRESS ISLINGTON!
The Chinese Communist Party em- barked on a path which finally led, in
originate inside the Communist Party but it was not a bureaucratised party which it was necessary to call for a political revolution to overthrow. In
non-racial unions in South Africa and unions. and the UDF in the struggle
piaie on the same level, and take the Peopie's Organisation (AZAPO) and
badan fio nes ecr e is or any viewpoint associated
by International. We make no such believe International should fuse with The corades of le