Mdc

[Holden Caulfield]

the Movement for Democratic Change?

what info opionions do you have on these guys?
are they a viable alternative to Mugabe or just the olny alternative?

[RedAnarchist]

Their website can be found at http://www.mdc.co.zw/

They don't really give too much information about their policies on there though (although there are PDFs, I can't currently access them as I'm at college).

Wikipedia says they are "social democratic" and "social liberal".

[BobKKKindle$]

They are closely tied to the trade union movement, and are the most popular opposition movement in Zimbabwe. We should support the movement, as an expansion of political freedom (for example, removal of restrictions on the press) would better allow for us to agitate and create a workers party in Zimbabwe, which is currently not an easy task, due to the restrictions of the state. We should also try and enter the party to try and shift the membership to a more radical position.

[Wanted Man]

We should also try and enter the party to try and shift the membership to a more radical position.
I don't think that will help much.

[Holden Caulfield]

why not?
trade unions and their affiliate parties must be swayed to more radical thinkingm look at the British Labour party they need to take a step to the left and one of the best ways of doing that is through tactical entryism,

so i would assume that the same would ring true for Zimbabwe,

cheers bobkindles another good answer

[Wanted Man]

Well, yes, but it doesn't actually happen, does it? Trotskyists entering a liberal party has never brought down a dictatorial regime, nevermind a revolution.

[Marsella]

Which is more likely, a handful of Trots entering a bourgeoisie party and 'radicalising' it to a revolutionary communist party, or a handful of Trots entering a bourgeoisie party and effectively devolving themselves?

[Holden Caulfield]

we can but try and it those sent in are willing to pretend to 'devolve' themselves for a period of time that what harm has been done especially in balance to the good that could come out of making a major workers movement move more to the left,

do you have something against effort or do you just not like 'Trots'?

[spartan]

Wasnt former Rhodesian leader the late Ian Smith a member of the MDC?

I am sure that the MDC grew out of the primarily white opposition to Mugabe in the late 80's.

Anyway it is the only mainstream anti-Mugabe opposition party with wide appeal for both blacks and any whites still in Zimbabwe.

[BobKKKindle$]

I don't think so, Spartan. From the History section of the MDC's website:


The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is a Zimbabwean (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe) political party. It was founded in 1999 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999) following the People’s Working Convention in February 1999 as a political party opposing the government that had failed to represent people and the deterioration of Zimbabwe's economy and official corruption had reached alarming levels proportions, which gave birth to general dissatisfaction and unrest among the working people of Zimbabwe. The MDC was formed from a broad coalition of civic society which includes business, church, women's groups, students, human rights and civic groups, individuals including the impoverished rural and urban population.

On the issue of entryism, the MDC is widely viewed by workers as the main party that opposses the regime and fights for workers rights, and so any attempt to challenge the dominant role by creating a new party is unlikely to be effective, especially given the close links between the MDC and the Trade Unions. Therefore, working within the MDC and trying to change it through internal agitation is the most effective tactic.

As Marxists, we adapt our tactics to the unique conditions of each country.

[Marsella]

we can but try and it those sent in are willing to pretend to 'devolve' themselves for a period of time that what harm has been done especially in balance to the good that could come out of making a major workers movement move more to the left,

Could you try and make comprehensible sentences?

And how in God's name is the MDC a major workers movement?

Their policies are specifically at expanding the free market in Zimbabwe, gaining investment in the mining sector, removing price controls, compensating white farmers...

Obviously better than Mugabe's barbarianism, but capitalism nonetheless.


do you have something against effort or do you just not like 'Trots'?

I have something against tactics which do not work and do more harm than good.

Now...a real effort would be maintaining that no matter what, workers will be exploited under the MDC or Mugabe, that regardless of which political party is in power capitalism prevails.

[spartan]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/01/zimbabwe1

It looks like Mugabe has conceded defeat in the first round of elections, but because the opposition candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, failed to get the 51% required to make him immediate victor there will have to be another round of votes between Mugabe and Tsvangirai alone to see who gets the majority of the votes and the Presidency.

[Colonello Buendia]

MDC are the lesser of evils, of course they are free market and all but at least they want clamp down on basic freedoms as much. Unfortunately I doubt that they'll be able to do much about the soaring inflation and massive poverty. For that the zimbabweans need to wait for revolution.