PAGE THE MILITANT SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1982 League Program of Action on Unemployment were the Picture of the Party from Inside What the Party Bulletin Says About the «Achievements. Continued from page 1)
Unemployment Insurance at the Ex nature of the class struggle strictly limpay is today a propaganda slogan admorrow ited to the character of a partial help. dressed directly to the working class for pense of the State and the Employers.
The Conditions of the Movement But they must also become a help to it to adopt to become a slogan for action. The Six Hour Workday, Five Day The criticisms levelled by the Opposl. to be quite meaningless without a There is not yet in the United States unite the workers on the basis of their More than any other demand this has the Week, Without Reduction of Pay.
Recognition and Extension of Long thought tue Stalinist leadership for fundamental currection of the party a serious unemployment movement of a common interests and to set them into quality both of offering real and tanglthe organizational and ideological devas unalysis cf the trade union problem in national character; and hence to set the motion against their class enemy. These ble improvement of the workers cond Term Credits to the Soviet Union.
tation it has produced in the canks of this country. The hierarchy may COD workers into motion around this issue demands and slogans cannot solve the tions and of moving them into action. It goes without saying that the unemthe party, have never been met by our tinue to establish and engage, to condemn still remains the task. It imposes a seri problem. There can be no solution to Hence it will meet with serious opposi ployment movement should generally take opponents. On the contrary, from time and correct until the stroke of doom, but ous duty upon the Communists. But it the unemployment problem under caption from the employers. But its ad up slogans of special local issues and to time, under the pressure of the events the party will not advance one step in is precisely in this respect that the offi talism. It solution can be found only vancement today is a propaganda slogan also such concerning evictions, union conthemselves or the discontentment of the the reactionary unions until it procuedscial Communist Party has failed despite in the proletarian revolution; in our will help to prepare for the struggles of ditions and dues payments, etc. accordcomrades in the ranks, the stallojst ott beyond administrative orders of a tech the fact of massesresponding to its early agitation and struggles we must always tomorrow. By virtue of this it becomes ing to conditions prevailing and in conthe slogan of the working class offen formity with the general program.
cials have been compelled to make adnical nature and into a political altera demonstrations. This is entirely due to make this clear.
missions which confirm to the bilt every tion of its line.
the false policies pursuo. At a time Approaching the fourth year of the unive. The demand for the shorter work The Organization of the Movement one of our criticisms. cus lu point is Who is responsible for the party com when serious preparations on a broad employment crisis the question of imme day is the most fundamental of all im The existing unemployment situation Jinte reliet bas become a matter of life mediute demands from the standpoint of can be viewed correctly only in the light the official Internal bulletin of the New Inlete isolation in the reactionary unions basis and mass propaganda were re York district committee of the Commun. when the two principal resolutions of quired the party frittered away its op and death necessity for the American class relations. It possesses the quality of its revolutionary perspectives. ID 1st party. We take some excerpts at the March 1930 Plenum do not by us portunity in adventurist extremes. The workers. The growing hunger and want of welding the unemployed and employed that sense the demands advanced today random from its leading article: much as one sugle word (literally. objectives of its demonstrations been met only by the miserable, de workers alike into united efforts for its must become stepping stones toward the be attainment and for the advancement of revolutionary goal, hence it is necessary It is a known fact that the life of the mention the need of working within the characterized by the slogans: Fight the basing charity rations. This must of L? Is such an attitude con police and Conquer the streets. which substituted by immediate goverumental their struggle on a class basis. The Comto preserve their class content and oruhits is very sterile and dead.
Could a more damaging confession be ducive to the proper funetioning of the almost entirely isolated the Communist robiet, federal, state and municipal By noist forces must take upon themselves antes the fight for their realization on Communist party should be distinguishized workers? In the thesis on the Eco ested in the party appeals. From this mand stands in the forefront is one which isting lubor unions and workers organl. When the communist forces thoroughly ed from all other parties in precisely this nomie and Political Situation, we read the party swung to the other extreme, to brooks no delay in organizing the fight nations and unite them in a powerful understand and practice, in action, the for its attainment.
about the reformist organizations and opportunist methods of tighting for unmovement for the shorter work day. tacties which enable them to become the respect that is, in the existence of virile, productive internal life at its buse, elements, some of which (A. of L) employment reller, 35, for example, thel The permanent feature of the unem Large Seale Credits to the Soviet Union leading force of ever broader masses and In the revolutionary proletarian party are outright clt (page 11. that purely parliamentary petition campaign played army, however, makes imperative An unemployment program must give establish the logical unity between the there is no class distinction between lead only on the basis of the Trade Union for the social insurance bill, not to live advancement des an immediate objec correct attention to the world wide char struggles of today and the solutions of ership and ranks, there is no need of Unity League will the party be able to speak of the almost exclusive centering tive also of the demands for a system of acter of the unemployed erleis which em tomorrow.
leadership which must convert its follow assume the leadership of these economie The astruggles (page 20. that it has been thieving of local rellet agencies and los which is to be borne by the state and by To that appears the enormous contrast considered as an isolated problem sops ers into dumb, footweary cattle.
the employers. That it can be obtained of the Soviet Union teeming with activ. arate and apart from the general worksence of this distinction serves as a terra a mistake on our part (hear, hear! self ing sight of the large objectives.
In regard to the organizational prob only by mass pressure, by tenaciousity of industrial construction, but sering class problems, nor can the unemfle arraignment of those responsible the criticism. that we did not sooner clear leaders. For how can the life of thely analyze and characterize the open lem the party at first pursued the sectar struggle against and over the opposition iously hampered by the difficulty of ob ployment movement succeed as a separparty units be other than sterile when lascism of the Of (Page 38) ian method of arbitrarily harnessing the artile capitalist rulers bas been made taining suficient credits from the caplate and isolated movement. It can rothe initiative of the ranks is systematic and there any wonder that with such an unemployment movement within the examply plears experiences so far. talist countries with which to buy the main so only on the penalty of degenera ally crushed for fear that its unfoldment analysis and perspective, the party tremely narrow framework of the u. the capitalist way out of the crisis is materials needed from the world market. tion and impotency. Its objectives must may disturb the papal domination exer fractions in the of they can be u. It imposed upon it all sorts of the opposite one, the one of forcing the This is still a decisive issue before the become those of the general working class involves es objectives, its struggles a part of life in the ranks be anything but veloped any real struggle in the of objective reality and the weight of our burden. The reformist way of unemploya sentially the question of the internation general working class struggle for the dead when the bureaucratic Koeches of What progress in this direction criticism have compelled the party to meet insurance is the one of all classes al working class objective. It offers the revolution. The potentialitles for adawaiting opportunity of definitely uniting the needs vance on this basis are growing daily.
contine their activities largely to bleed could be made by a Communist worker abandon its extreme adventurism and the alike carrying the cost and who, in his of local, would have most sectarian organization methods, their mutual voluntary consent, which of the Soviet Union with the immediate When the Communist movement begins ing the party of every vital element?
For years now, the party leaders have to repeat after the blockheaded theses many of the above mentioned false pol: cannot be expected from capitalism. But aims and demands of the proletariat in to employ seriously and genuinely the pleans of the biggest fraud Since Bar Lou and we can move ahead only on the remain. This presents a picture today, in the Communists to make this demand a proposal of the Left Opposition to demand have been taken to unly the workers, promised a change in this system by writers: This is an outright Fascist uncles and bureaucratic limitations so this is only so much more reason for the capitalist countries. Therefore, the united front polley the first step will the fourth year of the crisis, where class demand and a fighting demand, one large scale credits from the capitalist employed and unemployed, in common criticism, e, the practice of finding. But have no fear, the marauders are workers who were attracted to commun which must bring the broad masses with world to the Soviet Union, remains as struggle for their common interest of correct and as imperative as when first today as well as toward their ultimate scapegoats in the second third and fourth still at work. The doctor who reported ism have been expelled by the thousands. in its scope.
The Problem of the Shorter Workday advanced.
ranks for the crimes committed by the that his patient was improving unt and where most of the once organica objective.
The scourge of unemployment threatshe died. of improvements cannot and party controlled Unemployment CounIn the United States this becomes a In this direction it is necessary to refirst rank. But the disease is not rooted even compete with the directors of the clls are non functioning, some in the pro ens all workers and is a problem of the articularly potent demand. Here is a organize the Unemployed Councils.
below that is only where its effects are Party Builder who promise to give concess of dissolution and some have en class as a whole. Unity of the employ superabundance of credits available. The There should be block councils in the seat at the top Like fish, the stalinist crete ald in this work. little more tirely disappeared. Many workers who led and the jobless is therefore essen: further success of the great industriali cities, composed of unemployed and em.
hierarchy begins to decay and stink at concrete aid of the type they have given were attracted to the communist Party tha Thoatamust be taken into accountzation progress of the Soviet Union is ployed alike.
These should be central in the past and the poor patient.
have therefore again left its ranks in in a programmatic sense. When keep bound up with the facilitation of an in ized on a territorial or a citywide basis the head.
disappointment.
ing in view the perspectives of a stand creased supply of machinery and mater. Into delegated bodies fighting for The Social Reformists and the ing unemployed army and a developing ial for the immediate future. The plac mulmum program of the unemployed. The struggle against social Fascism in The general understanding of the memworkers struggle resisting the further ing of new orders for machinery in this to these central bodies all other work.
Unemployed bership of political and economic events the district. we note finally. Is in an attacks upon their standard of living country will provide more work for our ers organizations should be invited to extremely weak shape. Despite the re wuth the decline of the party control the necessity of advancing the slogan for unemployed. It would make the Amer send representatives for common action in the District. continues the bulletin, peated acts of treachery of the social led Unemployment Councils other unem. the shorter workday assumes additional lean workers real partielpants in the for the needs of the unemployed. They is at extremely low level. toward Socialism in the Soviet should include the workers political part munist party at its birth was to distin develop any real struggles and exposures ly on a local scale, under leadership of be the six hour workday, the five day Union, ies, such as the Communist party, the guish itself from the social democracy of these people. The Bulletin will give the social reformists. There are, for week, without reduction in pay.
The American Communist movement Socialist party, example, the Citizens Unemployment The workers struggle the Unemployment and the syndicalists by vigorously com leadership and guidance.
the shorter mu unequivocally take up the slogan Leagues, where such exist; and above all batting that contempt for theory which One would imagine that after the leagues in the State of Washington, in workday flows from the contradiction befor the extension of large scale credits the trade unions. This is the way to put was practically the only theory toler record rolled up by them in the past, the Superior, Wisconsin, and ated in those movements. In the post party chiefs would be more modest with employment movement of West Virginia tive forces and the enormous surplus ton. It should without delay Initiate to the test.
It is the way to establish Lenin period, the Communist movement their offers of leadership and guidance, developed under the direction of the labor power. The employers are now en united front conferences of all working the working class united front for speciwas inundated with that unprincipled But we are dealing here with people who Musteltes. There are also the unemploy deavoring to reorganize this relationship class organizations for the purpose of fie immediate objectives and set the pelighed his contemptuously, and which has place. The party has now been shouting party interamente cities. The first mentioned and their goverument are advancing their of this demand on a practical concrete terests and needs. The duty of the Comin umereni zedhe rehem received the acme of its expression in the list of alcame into ginta talle sprechene fourth scate because of their practicalness of workdny with a corresponding reduction to sum up we recapitulate our pro is the one of functioning independently, Stalin faction. leadership which has played ducks furious battle in a vaecuum of its own securing measure of relief largely by the lof the standard of living. This the Composed concrete slogans for the unemploy maintaining its right of criticism and of and drakes with such fundamental tenets Invention. And yet, despite the re methods of mutual self help. All of these munist forces must counteract correctly. ment movement as follows: fighting for the revolutionary program to Immediate Governmental Relief. Fed push the movement forward to a higher role of the state (Chinn, demoeratio observes with a puzzled alr, no real working class botter being essentially the five day week, without reduction of eral, State and Muntepal.
of Marxism as its teaching on the class peated acts of trenchery. the Bulletin, movements reflect the pressure of the The demand for the six hour workday.
plane.
santry. etc. as the independent role has been developed. Why? The Bulletin direction either of practical parliamentof the proletarian party (subordination scarcely bothers to attenopt an explana ary (reformist) politics or purely mutual of Cornmunism to Sun Yat Senism and tion, it simply recommends more persis self help societies, in some instances the Kuo Min Tang, the masquerades of tent exposures and volunteers its leader promulgating the false illusions of running the industries for capitalism to Muenzenberg, Barbusse, Stalin and Co. ship and guidance.
as internationalism and its economic and But the question is important and re create jobs. Concluded from last issue)
The following document arrived working masses and especially the unempolitical implications socialism in one quires an answer. How have the social While it is perfectly clear that neither Above all, the following unpostponable from Russia in a foreign language, ployed. It is not a matter of possible country. to mention but a few of tho Fascist demagogues been able to make direction will lead to a serious fight for measures appear to us to be necessary: into which it had been translated for credits and orders, but of a developed points in which Stalin contributed only the stendy headway which even the Stal relief at the expense of capitalism, and (1) To put a decisive stop to the in conspirative reasons. The first page plan going beyond borders of Soviet revisionist conceptions such a leadership inist sages can no longer ignoro? Ensen not at all show the way out of the up nation. To stabilize the cherronety on was missing. Editorial revision was economy and including the capitalist could scarcely be expected to do anything tially because of the enormous blunders employment situation, nevertheless these a realistic basis by the introduction of provided for by the Editorial Board countries. As incomplete as our experlbut bring to an extremely low level which the party leaders have chalked upinovements are becoming effective Instru budget (industrial budget included) of the Bulletin of the Russian Opposl ence ist nevertheless permits, for the the general understanding of the mem to their account. Especially in the period ments in the hands of the reformiste to that lies within the frame work of the tion.
first time to show with figures and facts in Can a wolf instruct its cubs in vegetar ing class feels most acutely the need of Communist party for mass leadership. vest the chervonetz with the means of tons of life (3) establishment of cer opened up for planbed economy once it hand what nenormous and at the same time close and immediate possibilities are lanism? Can a catholic prlest teach his all its forecs to resist the capitalist of They are becoming serious contenders. playing a role in economic regulation.
Hoci se truths or evolution canna fensive, the Stalinists have met their as The headway they have made so far is (2) To renounce the maintenance bytain qualitative standards, without which extends to the advanced countries.
witch doctor teach savages the elements pirations and appeals with a scornfull in no small measure due to the false coercion of science? Can the man who is up to robuft. The workers who have not yet policies and the bureaucratic blunders of existence. To claborate a series of prac to the production of seconds.
We do not consider these first drafts very serious danger for the en as finished platform. Without discus Ble rend higher point? That is how the sain the conviction that the Commun. at first held sway over the movement disintegration of these socalled collectives tire economy is constituted by the desion, such cannot be elaborated. The Stalin school teachers can raise the ex ists pat their own party interests above of the unemployed.
tremely low level of the general under the interests of the class. To answer This proves conclusively that the course the interests of the collectivized village and accounting as well as by the decline den for the Left Opposition. At any them with the trite phrase that the party of the American working class, even its poor and so that it does not burden too in the reliability of all statistical data rate, we believe that the o. of the u.
tandes ente ha singler the level of the has no interests separate from those of unemployed section is not at all set painfully the foolstuft and raw material connected with the Five Year Plan ana must make haste with the clamembership of the party will be accom. kolo proletariat, means to substitutedccided in favor of Communism. It flows situation in the country.
what should be for directions. 3) Formally and openly to liquidate trys whole. The false system of ter how difficult the conditions are at the party bureaucracy is kicked out of the In this whole period of the crisis, the and the reformist. Inevitably, however, the policy of liquidating the kulaks as destruction of the whole system of burstatistics can only be destroyed with the present.
forces in the party there is no harmon. champion the fight for the united front reformist leadership will stand out more at the root by a series of deerees in the can be cleared and cured only by party and urgent to declare immediately in the place it has usurpe. Between these two party had unexampled opportunities to the deception and the impotency of the class. which has already been torn upeaucratic lies. The economie atmosphere At the same time, we consider it timely tous link; there is a fatal conflict, a of the working clasy. By forcing the re clearly in the more serious and the more course of the Inst two years. But, to trade union and Soviet democracy.
all in every con decisive situations and therefore con keep in mind at the same time that the gnawing contradiction which can be ell. formist leaders to the Clearly to take into account that Leninists) that today as always we aro name of the Left Opposition (Bolshevikminated only by an upheaval from below. crete question of struggle, the party stantly offer new opportunities for Com creta have had chance after chance to munist leadership, provided the party deepen and accelerate the differentiation entation, which will be inevitable even in the present faction In the defense of the re establishment of private trade in the prospective difficult, economic reori: prepared to render every possible ald. to. Our trade unon work. we read fur break the workers present allegiances can learn to advance the demands and in the village (both between as well as the case of a turn toward a correct policy country against the external dangers as ther on, despite the objective favorable and win them to Communism on the slogans which will attract masses. Set inside of the collectives. to introduce a will favor the rise or the temporary con well as in conducting it out of its present situation is lagring far behind. We basis of concrete experiences through thema, interiore iton and lead in the revela coneretely thought out system of meashave not developed any real struggle in which the workers would then pass to onary direction. But to do that effecures for the limitation of the exploitive solidation of efforts at a bourgeois re economic dificulties.
the of This Bulletin win gether with their own leaders and the tively the Communists must also penetractivities of the kulak.
The Opposition Attitude We have more than once declared that ve the rate to be furnished the party would give them the best possible op ment to fight for the revolutionary pro or the collectives, such technical and eco guard will under these conditions become the sentiment of revenge is not a poll(4) To create for the more promising party as the independent proletarian vanmembers by the editors of the Bulletin portunity to judge which group is su gram.
An Unemployment Program of Relief nomle conditions, that they, together with letarian dictatorship. To bring about a ourselves according to this sentiment and and their associates in the leadership, is perfor.
the Soviet farms, will be able to assure change in the economie course, the Stalin have no intention to. But it is to be unof the same caliber as the ald given in But the Stalinists, who only yesterday An unemployment program must of the feeding of industry and of the cities. regime must first of all be renounced, at derstood that the serious education of the past, then the prediction may be lay in the arms of Chiang Kai Shek and necessity be in harmony with the eleThe Second Five Year Plan freely ventured that next year Bulletin Purcell, were overcome with such mentary needs of the situation. As such is a regime which stifles the party and the party requires a serious and open and the resolutions of next year Central (5) To utilize as a basis for the economy and threatens to destroy the re examination of the policies in the years tremendous wave of remorse, you see, it must present immediate demands and Committee Plenum will contain the same that they now indignantly reject any un ogitation slogang which appeal to the second Five Year Plan, the actual and dictatorship caste and Soviet Economy of the factional domination of the Stallamentations about mysterious failures ofited front with the reformist organiza broad masses by offering means of tem. not the falsified results of the experience Capitalist inists. But we are prepared, on our The years of capitalist crisis have side, to switch this critical work onto the party. Here, for example, is the tions or leaders. From the ivory tower porary amelioration. They cannot offer of the first Five Year Plan. To recog hare yourselves by the March 31, 1930 retired, they choose to hurl down anato be so designed. They are by the very Plan, have been made more profound by in the economic, and by the comintern a of splendid Isolation to which they have a solution in themselves and should not nire that the cconomic irregularities, Leen utilized, extremely little and un. the rails of mutual understanding and Plenum in an obscure reference made in ema and vocal thunderbolts upon the reWe are prepared to exert every effort the Resolution on Party Fractions. formist demagogues. The only trouble As the Left In order to prepare the transition from Party fractions must be established is that the mass of the workers shrugs ad twice through cheesecloth and silk. menacing character. To make the high. Opposition has more than once affirmed, the present, manifestly unhealthy and and must be engaged in active work in its shoulders, in despair, in indifference, The reformists make progress, the parts est criterion of the second Five Year Hoth sides of this matter can and must be untenable regime to the regime of party all tendencies to or in contempt. Such linked up with one another.
ons.
exposures have stagnates, the trade union work lags beplan, the problem of the smytchka.
With a democracy with the least possible conneglect work in the unions must Just about the same practical political hind, the life of the units is sterile, the (6) On the basis of the actual tech correct approach to world economy tho vulsions and dangers, with the least pos be sharply condemned and corrected.
value as the campaigns of the socialist work among the Negro masses is at a nical and economic results of experience, dificulties of the capitalist world could sible loss of our valuable time.
Similar admonitions have not been Inck muckrakers in the pre war days: they standstill but the party leadership is as but insofar as industry as a whole 19 e explolted in a far greater measure to they be in the future. Nor, furthermore, motion. The social Fascists continue Cardins Aren people with such a ro individual enterprises, to work out portionate relationship in Soviet econ. Leninists, the liberation and recalling be ing in the intervening period, nor wil sct no appreciable mass of people into Carlolate and impeccable as the College of concerned as well as with regard to the weaken even the sharest of the dispro or suppression against the Bolsheviks The omy, thereby alone raising the standard all the imprisoned, banished and exiled of be improved one hair breadth struggle against them continues to be plain Irritably about the extremely low most important elements of every indus of living of the masses.
comrades must be the first signal for the thereby. And that for the simple reason in an extremely weak shape. and the level of the general understanding of the trial and financial plan must be. 1) The question of collaboration between rebirth of the Leninist party, that the naked Instructions: must be stalinist balliffs at the head of the membership? Thank God somebody in providing of each enterprise with labor Soviet economy and capitalist world Representing a group of comrades, established. must be engaged. must party continue to be, we suppose, the the party is on a different level. power of satisfactory quality. 2) pro economy must be raised as a center of besarpls condemned. have proved ry essence of Bolshevik wisdom, strain viding labor power with normal condi. attention for the European and American Leningrad Moscow, July 1932. New Crisis in Soviet Economy