I have been acussed of "third periodism", need help.

  1. neosyndic
    someone in the "green" (capitalist) party suggested to me that calling for undocumented immigrants to organise a red self defense network that works independently from both the social democrats and the conservatives against the far right, is reminescent of the "Third Period" position taken by the Communist parties in the late 1920's and early 1930's when they "denounced the social democrats as social fascists" and thus "split the left" to allow for "the advance of Hitler". implicit in this criticism is that calling for the independent organisation of red self defense undocumented immigrant networks in northwestern eurasia would weaken the overall movement against the far right (which is dominated by the social liberal greens).

    can you help me with this ? i need some theory or arguments.
  2. Zanthorus
    Zanthorus
    The rise of fascism was not caused by the disunity of the left, or the disunity of the "overall movement against the far right", it was caused by the failure of workers' movements to take power in Europe during the 1917-21 revolutionary wave, and the failure of the social-democratic parties to manage capital effectively. In terms of ideology, it grew quite naturally out of various cultural currents of 19th century European capitalism such as colonialism, eugenicism, social darwinism, nationalism, class-collaborationism and critiques of capital from the perspective of political economy itself, in particular finance capital. Facism and the far right can only really be defeated by an independent movement for internationalist and anti-capitalist principles, one which doesn't strangle itself ideologically by joining up with 'leftist' parties which in part reproduce the cultural currents which feed fascism.
  3. neosyndic
    thank you for your reply !

    i am clear now that the accusation (now a cliche) that ''in seeking to act independently the CP was dividing the working class''; was in fact a narrative manufactured by trotsky and the social democrats in order to undermine the influence of Stalin's comintern in the german workers movement. it was a form of anti-communism.

    according to materials i have read about this period of german political history; the Communists placed a lot of emphasis in the organising of the unemployed into a disciplined political force. did the CP seek to organise the unemployed into the party or rather into independent unemployed workers leagues allied to the party ?
  4. Die Neue Zeit
    Die Neue Zeit
    So we do have an actual Third Periodist in this group.