Revolutionaries and "Left Parties"

[Tim Finnegan]

As I'm sure you're all quite aware, there exists in much of Western Europe left-alternative parties, such as the German Left Party and the Norwegian Socialist Left Party, which take a broadly reformist, democratic socialist line, but organise on a multi-tendency basis which allows for revolutionary socialists to participate.

Now, what I wonder is, in the absence of any apparent potential for the revolutionary left parties to make much headway on their own, do such parties have much to offer for revolutionary leftists such as ourselves? In a time of growing scepticism of, if not capitalism, then neoliberalism, it seems that a genuine left-alternative has the opportunity to achieve something of a foothold, as the German Left Party seems to be doing, and it seems at least feasible that this could be replicated elsewhere, even if not, perhaps, quite as successfully. Would participating in such organisations allow far-left currents to increases its political visibility without simultaneously making isolated targets of themselves, or would they simply cause us to lend a vaguely radical air to left-social democratic groupings?

Any opinions, or links to more comprehensive analysis?

(I ask this quite aware that this is doubtless a well-trodden issue, but I'm new to all this, so hopefully my limited knowledge my be forgiven.)

[Jose Gracchus]

I think there must be a question over whether the politically incorrect tendencies (i.e., us) have a real ability to work be fairly represented in the party. We should have a strategy that is principled and at least would permit us in the long-term to organize on principled communist grounds, rather than being the permanent captive supply of radical chic.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

It's a difficult one. On the one hand, I take issue with the original draft British Road to Socialism-style of politics. In essence, that Socialism/communism can be gradually achieved through the parliamentary election of ever more left-leaning social democratic parties (the Labour Party, in the UK).

Then again, impossibilism simply drains us of any public exposure and renders many confessional sects of the CPGB-ML type utterly useless to anybody but their own tiny membership.

It's really quite a difficult situation. I think the answer is that we have to be flexible, but also in this time of economic crisis and increased worker awareness of the economic reality, aggressive in our strategy and our tactics for getting there. We should be honing the best revolutionary party organisational methods, whilst also participating in any Die Linke style party to win it, and the working class, round to Socialism (note, there is obviously a difference between working legitimately within Die Linke, and the entryist tactics of Militant into the thoroughly bourgeois and anti-Marxist Labour Party). We should also be encouraging - independent of party relations and organisation - demos, protests, marches, sit ins, occupations and strikes.

Personally, us students have been miles ahead of the rest of the working class for this in the UK, though health workers and local council workers have also been striking (most notably in Sheffield last week outside the Lib Dem conference). The TUC march tomorrow should be a barometer of class consciousness in the UK at this point in time. If it's a success, then we can go from there.

[communard71]

At this point, I say any organization we can work through is a good thing, even if we are the leftist window dressing. You never know how many moderate leftists might actually listen to what we have to say. I do it all the time, I find moderates and work and speak with them and as subtly as possible, redirect conversations in ways they were not anticipating. More often than not, it works, and they find themselves, through their own deductive reasoning, far left from where they started. It’s tiny and kinda pathetic, but it’s what I can do right now short of absenting myself from society and training in the woods for the eventual struggle.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

I often find moderate leftists are very receptive towards all ideas. Often the Capitalists shoot themselves in the foot. Being a student, I know a fair few people who I now call comrades, who in fact voted lib dem at the last election.:lol:

[Tim Finnegan]

At this point, I say any organization we can work through is a good thing, even if we are the leftist window dressing. You never know how many moderate leftists might actually listen to what we have to say. I do it all the time, I find moderates and work and speak with them and as subtly as possible, redirect conversations in ways they were not anticipating. More often than not, it works, and they find themselves, through their own deductive reasoning, far left from where they started.
That's encouraging. I've often thought that moderate leftists are, in a certain sense, trapped between their inherited liberal ideology and their own leftist inclinations (certainly, that was my own situation, until I discovered Marx), so it's nice to have some proof that they can, however gradually, be nudged towards a more radical position.


I often find moderate leftists are very receptive towards all ideas. Often the Capitalists shoot themselves in the foot. Being a student, I know a fair few people who I now call comrades, who in fact voted lib dem at the last election.:lol:
Yes, there's a tendency towards increased radicalisation among British youth- I should now, I'm an example! ;) It's just a pity that there's no major political organisation through which that can be turned to a united, constructive end- hence my interest in the possibility of a party like that described in the OP. The various activist organisations are perfectly good in themselves, but single-issue groups are, by their nature, limited in what they can address, while none of the far-left parties seem to have managed to reach much beyond their existing membership.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

I feel the same, Tom F. I am, as of now, organisation-less. Having said that, i'd join the SWP but logistically I have problems as I tend to divide my time between university on one end of the country and home on the other, so often my good work on one campaign is just totally undone by an inability to be available for important events, speeches, campaigns etc.