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View Full Version : Help me build an International Marxist Party !!



LeninistKing
9th January 2010, 21:21
Help us build the INTERNATIONAL MARXIST WORLD PARTY !

http://www.socialist.net/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3596&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=26

http://www.marxist.com/images/stories/books/imt-manifesto-on-crisis-part-one-thumb.png
It is not enough to lament the situation the world finds itself in. It is necessary to act! Those who say: “I am not interested in politics” should have been born at another time. Today, it is not possible to escape from politics. Just try it! You may run to your home, lock the door, and hide under the bed. But politics will come to your house and knock on the door. Politics affects every aspect of our lives. The problem is that many people identify politics with the existing political parties and their leaders. They take one look at the scenes in the parliament, the careerism, the empty speeches, the broken promises and are alienated.

The anarchists draw the conclusion that we do not need a party. This is a mistake. If my house is falling down, I do not conclude that I must sleep in the street but that I must begin urgently to repair the house. If I am dissatisfied with the present leadership of the trade unions and the worker’s parties, I must fight for an alternative leadership, with a programme and a policy that is adequate to my needs.

The International Marxist Tendency is fighting for socialism in forty countries in five continents. We stand firmly on the foundations of Marxism. We defend the basic ideas, principles, policies and traditions worked out by Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky. At present our voice is still weak. For a long time the Marxists were compelled to swim against the stream. The International Marxist Tendency has proved its ability to stand firm in adverse conditions. But now we are swimming with the tide of history. All our perspectives have been confirmed by the march of events. This gives us an unshakable confidence in the ideas and methods of Marxism, the working class and the socialist future of humankind.

Starting with the most advanced workers and youth, our voice will reach the mass of the workers in every factory, trade union branch, shop stewards committee, every school and college, every worker’s district. To carry out this work we need your help. We need people to write articles, sell papers, raise money, and carry on work in the trade union and Labour movement. In the struggle for socialism, no contribution is too small and everybody can play a part. We want you to play your part too. Do not think: “I can make no difference”. Together, once we are organized, we can make a fundamental difference.

The working class holds in its hands a colossal power. Without the permission of the workers, not a light bulb shines, not a wheel turns, not a telephone rings. The problem is that the workers do not realise they have this power. Our task is to make them aware of it. We will fight for every reform, every advance no matter how small, because only through the struggle for advance under capitalism will the workers acquire the necessary confidence in their strength to change society.

Everywhere the mood of the masses is changing. In Latin America there is a revolutionary ferment, which will intensify and spread to other continents. In Britain, the USA and other industrialized nations many people who previously did not question the existing social order are now asking questions. Ideas that previously were listened to by small numbers will find an echo among a far broader public. The ground is being prepared for an unprecedented upsurge of the class struggle on a world scale.
When the USSR collapsed, we were told that history had ended. On the contrary, history has not yet begun. In the space of just 20 years capitalism has shown itself to be utterly bankrupt. It is necessary to fight for a socialist alternative! Our aim is to bring about a fundamental change in society and fight for socialism nationally and internationally.
We are fighting for the most important cause: the emancipation of the working class and the establishment of a new and higher form of human society.

We demand:

Opposition to the reactionary wars waged by imperialism.
Immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
A drastic cut in wasteful arms expenditure and a massive increase in social spending.
Full civil rights for soldiers, including the right to join trade unions and the right to strike.
Defend Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia against the aggressive plans of Washington!
Against racism! Defend the rights of all oppressed and exploited people! For the unity of all workers, irrespective of colour, race, nationality or religion.
For proletarian internationalism! Workers of the world unite!

That is the only really worthwhile cause in the first decade of the 21st century.

MarxSchmarx
10th January 2010, 08:56
Help us build the INTERNATIONAL MARXIST WORLD PARTY !

http://www.socialist.net/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3596&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=26

http://www.marxist.com/images/stories/books/imt-manifesto-on-crisis-part-one-thumb.png
It is not enough to lament the situation the world finds itself in. It is necessary to act! Those who say: “I am not interested in politics” should have been born at another time. Today, it is not possible to escape from politics. Just try it! You may run to your home, lock the door, and hide under the bed. But politics will come to your house and knock on the door. Politics affects every aspect of our lives. The problem is that many people identify politics with the existing political parties and their leaders. They take one look at the scenes in the parliament, the careerism, the empty speeches, the broken promises and are alienated.

The anarchists draw the conclusion that we do not need a party. This is a mistake. If my house is falling down, I do not conclude that I must sleep in the street but that I must begin urgently to repair the house. If I am dissatisfied with the present leadership of the trade unions and the worker’s parties, I must fight for an alternative leadership, with a programme and a policy that is adequate to my needs.

The International Marxist Tendency is fighting for socialism in forty countries in five continents. We stand firmly on the foundations of Marxism. We defend the basic ideas, principles, policies and traditions worked out by Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky. At present our voice is still weak. For a long time the Marxists were compelled to swim against the stream. The International Marxist Tendency has proved its ability to stand firm in adverse conditions. But now we are swimming with the tide of history. All our perspectives have been confirmed by the march of events. This gives us an unshakable confidence in the ideas and methods of Marxism, the working class and the socialist future of humankind.

Starting with the most advanced workers and youth, our voice will reach the mass of the workers in every factory, trade union branch, shop stewards committee, every school and college, every worker’s district. To carry out this work we need your help. We need people to write articles, sell papers, raise money, and carry on work in the trade union and Labour movement. In the struggle for socialism, no contribution is too small and everybody can play a part. We want you to play your part too. Do not think: “I can make no difference”. Together, once we are organized, we can make a fundamental difference.

The working class holds in its hands a colossal power. Without the permission of the workers, not a light bulb shines, not a wheel turns, not a telephone rings. The problem is that the workers do not realise they have this power. Our task is to make them aware of it. We will fight for every reform, every advance no matter how small, because only through the struggle for advance under capitalism will the workers acquire the necessary confidence in their strength to change society.

Everywhere the mood of the masses is changing. In Latin America there is a revolutionary ferment, which will intensify and spread to other continents. In Britain, the USA and other industrialized nations many people who previously did not question the existing social order are now asking questions. Ideas that previously were listened to by small numbers will find an echo among a far broader public. The ground is being prepared for an unprecedented upsurge of the class struggle on a world scale.
When the USSR collapsed, we were told that history had ended. On the contrary, history has not yet begun. In the space of just 20 years capitalism has shown itself to be utterly bankrupt. It is necessary to fight for a socialist alternative! Our aim is to bring about a fundamental change in society and fight for socialism nationally and internationally.
We are fighting for the most important cause: the emancipation of the working class and the establishment of a new and higher form of human society.

We demand:

Opposition to the reactionary wars waged by imperialism.
Immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
A drastic cut in wasteful arms expenditure and a massive increase in social spending.
Full civil rights for soldiers, including the right to join trade unions and the right to strike.
Defend Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia against the aggressive plans of Washington!
Against racism! Defend the rights of all oppressed and exploited people! For the unity of all workers, irrespective of colour, race, nationality or religion.
For proletarian internationalism! Workers of the world unite!

That is the only really worthwhile cause in the first decade of the 21st century.

So, why, again, do we need this new group? What is wrong with existing groups? With the possible exception of point 5 above, I can't think of a single serious leftist organization that doesn't endorse everything you've posted. Even point 5 I think is fairly mainstream.

Drace
10th January 2010, 09:13
Yeah your much better off joining an existent party that's already well established. You would need much dedication, resources, and time to start a new party.

And I don't see the point of it.

Niccolò Rossi
10th January 2010, 09:55
So, why, again, do we need this new group?

The IMT is hardly a new group. Matter of fact, even this article is not new, it was published in 2008.


What is wrong with existing groups?

Considering you are referring to the myriad of existing leftist organisations (Social Democrats, Trotskyists, Stalinists, Anarchists, et al.), I'm left wondering whether or not this is even a serious question.

el_chavista
10th January 2010, 17:26
But LeninistKing, there already is an IMT group In RevLeft http://www.revleft.com/vb/customgroupicons/socialgroupicon_21_1231498742.gif at http://www.revleft.com/vb/group.php?groupid=21 and btw you are not a member.

Any how -for those who do not know what the IMT is doing in Venezuela, it's the heartiest Trotskyist tendency using entryism to avoid sectarianism.

Proselytizing jung PSUV militants and winning them for our marxist organization is like fishing in a bowl!

The Ungovernable Farce
10th January 2010, 18:40
Considering you are referring to the myriad of existing leftist organisations (Social Democrats, Trotskyists, Stalinists, Anarchists, et al.), I'm left wondering whether or not this is even a serious question.
Oh no you di-in't. How exactly is anarchism leftist?

Q
10th January 2010, 19:34
This thread is not about learning. It should be in Practice & Propaganda.

RedAnarchist
10th January 2010, 19:46
This thread is not about learning. It should be in Practice & Propaganda.

Moved.

Niccolò Rossi
11th January 2010, 00:37
Oh no you di-in't. How exactly is anarchism leftist?

My apologies. Should have watched my words more closely. I don't think all Anarchists are leftists (ie. the political left wing of capital). Certainly we could agree that groups like the WSM and Anarkismo are though.

ls
11th January 2010, 00:54
My apologies. Should have watched my words more closely. I don't think all Anarchists are leftists (ie. the political left wing of capital). Certainly we could agree that groups like the WSM and Anarkismo are though.

Aye, I would've disagreed with you about 2 months or so ago but unfortunately, you are right. :(

MarxSchmarx
11th January 2010, 09:08
The IMT is hardly a new group. Matter of fact, even this article is not new, it was published in 2008.
It's only a few years since the IMT has been running around, and the point of my critique was that in this passage, as well as their manifesto, they go on and on about why capitalism sucks but fail to do much about differentiating themselves from existing organizations.





What is wrong with existing groups?
Considering you are referring to the myriad of existing leftist organisations (Social Democrats, Trotskyists, Stalinists, Anarchists, et al.), I'm left wondering whether or not this is even a serious question.

You misread the question. We all have our own theories about why this or that existing leftist group sucks. What I wanted was for the article's author, or at least LeninistKing, to articulate what it was they thought is inadequate about existing groups, how the IMT proposes to get it right this time around, and why I should join them instead some other group.

At a site like this, I just don't see how the sort of denounciation of capitalism lifted from the manifesto and posted by the OP adds to the discussion.

The Ungovernable Farce
11th January 2010, 12:12
My apologies. Should have watched my words more closely. I don't think all Anarchists are leftists (ie. the political left wing of capital). Certainly we could agree that groups like the WSM and Anarkismo are though.
Oh, right. Yeah, I'm with you there (like LS, I wish it wasn't true, but you have a point).

It's only a few years since the IMT has been running around, and the point of my critique was that in this passage, as well as their manifesto, they go on and on about why capitalism sucks but fail to do much about differentiating themselves from existing organizations.




You misread the question. We all have our own theories about why this or that existing leftist group sucks. What I wanted was for the article's author, or at least LeninistKing, to articulate what it was they thought is inadequate about existing groups, how the IMT proposes to get it right this time around, and why I should join them instead some other group.

In Britain at least, they distinguish themselves because no-one else seriously still advocates joining the Labour Party and working within it. That does quite a lot to differentiate them from anyone trying to build a working-class alternative to Labour.

Q
11th January 2010, 14:26
It's only a few years since the IMT has been running around
While technically they've "just" been around for almost twenty years (although, in the same timespan, from 1899 to 1917, the RSDLP was able to build a truly mass revolutionary party - be it in totally different circumstances of course) they didn't start from scratch but took about half of the CWI with them in their split in the early 1990's.

I agree though that ever since they splitted the IMT has lost most of its "unique selling points" and it is becoming clear to many that it is nothing more than a cult of persona around Ted Grant and Alan Woods. I think this is at the heart of the current split in progress between their IS and the major Spanish speaking sections and possibly also of the split in their Pakistani section last year in which they lost about 1/3 of the membership (~1000 people) which was a huge setback for them.

genstrike
11th January 2010, 17:28
The anarchists draw the conclusion that we do not need a party. This is a mistake. If my house is falling down, I do not conclude that I must sleep in the street but that I must begin urgently to repair the house. If I am dissatisfied with the present leadership of the trade unions and the worker’s parties, I must fight for an alternative leadership, with a programme and a policy that is adequate to my needs.

Who said that the party is my house? Which party is my house? Who said anarchists are sleeping in the street? Is this the old "hur hur, anarchists don't believe in organization lol" line stolen from the Stalinists?

And who said that it is just a problem of leadership in these "workers parties" (by which I'm assuming the IMT means formerly social democratic parties which have succumbed to neoliberalism like Labour in the UK and the NDP in Canada).

crappy analogy for crappy politics.


I agree though that ever since they splitted the IMT has lost most of its "unique selling points" and it is becoming clear to many that it is nothing more than a cult of persona around Ted Grant and Alan Woods. I think this is at the heart of the current split in progress between their IS and the major Spanish speaking sections and possibly also of the split in their Pakistani section last year in which they lost about 1/3 of the membership (~1000 people) which was a huge setback for them.

Of course. The worst thing that can happen to an ego-cult like this is some remote success in one of their branches. That just makes for an unstable relationship between the successful people and the dead weight egotist leaders.

Glenn Beck
11th January 2010, 20:26
Oh no you di-in't. How exactly is anarchism leftist?

Good question :D

AkirAmaruBolivar
11th January 2010, 23:08
NO!!

Ovi
11th January 2010, 23:40
Aye, I would've disagreed with you about 2 months or so ago but unfortunately, you are right. :(
I don't get it.

The Idler
17th January 2010, 22:33
Oh, right. Yeah, I'm with you there (like LS, I wish it wasn't true, but you have a point).

In Britain at least, they distinguish themselves because no-one else seriously still advocates joining the Labour Party and working within it. That does quite a lot to differentiate them from anyone trying to build a working-class alternative to Labour.
There are actually a few others;
Socialist Action (http://www.socialistaction.net/) (who work secretly within the Labour party)
The following don't exist outside (and have never existed outside) the Labour party anyway;
Socialist Campaign Group (http://www.poptel.org.uk/scgn/)
Chartist (http://www.chartist.org.uk/) (which is only really a magazine)
Labour Representation Committee (2004) (http://www.l-r-c.org.uk/) (pretty much the same as the socialist campaign group)
But yeah, most sensible left groups do not seriously advocate entering the Labour party anymore.