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The Obama Administration

The spontaneous mass grass-roots movement which got him into the presidency was something not seen before by those of us who have been active for a long time. Very inspiring. No question: it was a very important victory against the Ultra-Right. But it was only one battle won; the U-R is by no means defeated, it is still a major and powerful danger, and will be for a very long time to come. In the first year, they have made every effort to pressure, to sabotage, to take back power, to mislead, etc., and they have enormous resources. The mass movement, during the first year, sat back and waited for Obama to deliver; only now are there starting to be calls for him to do so; more of this is needed. He has shifted to the right on several important issues. He’s not a socialist (see below) or anything close to it. We still need to prioritize the fight against the U-R in every way, expose its demagogy, propose real & more advanced solutions to real problems. We need to experiment; if something doesn’t get a good response, drop it. We need to find the correct ways to call for Obama to deliver, without saying anything which the U-R can use and without yielding to some of the dangerous ultra-left nonsense (that he’s no better than Bush). Regarding stages of development: at present we have a combination; continuing to fight the U-R, and at the same time helping to promote the beginnings of an anti-monopoly coalition.

We need to present solutions on issues. For example, it’s not “big government”, it’s big corporations which are the problem; it’s not the size of government but what it does, and to whom, and for whom. A bailout is needed for cities and states to maintain essential services; here in Philadelphia there’s a coalition which says “essential services are essential”. Our Democratic mayor, elected as a friend of labor, is very bad on these issues and others. We need to take on the whole issue of taxing the rich; also of government creating jobs and related issues; passing the Employee Free Choice Act, etc. We need to expand on the slogan “people before profits”, and specify how it can be realized. The problem is not “special interests” (which usually includes labor), it’s the corporations. And other issues, for which we have solutions.

The attempts to “s-bait” Obama have largely failed (using the s-word, socialism). That presents us with a challenge and an opportunity. This leads to the next discussion.

Role of the Party

One of our highest priorities must be to re-vitalize the Young Communist League.

Since the Carter administration, there’s been lots of demagogic hypocrisy about “human rights violations”, mostly in “communist” countries. We need to demand human rights for our people, here. We’ve had the slogan “bill of rights socialism” – let’s make that specific, by making a long list of rights for the people of our country. There’s a growing mass sense that something is basically wrong with the system here, but not yet seeing any real basic solution. Capitalist propaganda ascribes problems to “human nature”, and other false causes. We need to do more to analyze the basic cause-capitalism, and present the solution-socialism, with all due regard for time, place, circumstance. We need the “communist plus” and the “si, se puede” spirit. The point is, as a M-L party, it’s our special role, as appropriate, to educate and advocate on basic analyses, for more advanced solutions, and for socialism as the basic solution, in addition to our constructive role in current mass movements. I occasionally say, in conversation, “Karl and Fred were right”; that makes a good starter for further analysis, the response has never been negative.

We have many members active in various mass movements, whose participation, as known Party members, is valued, appreciated, sought after. We need to be more assertive (as appropriate) with our special message; we offer something special, valuable, and unique, which can’t be gotten anywhere else, which provides strength and clarity and hope. Our role needs to be educational as well as active. That, in my opinion, is an essential element for increased recruitment. Our positive role in mass movements is essential; we also need to find more ways to present the Party’s views, and be more willing and prepared to do so (again, as appropriate).

We need to re-develop industrial concentration to fit present conditions.

We shouldn’t underestimate anti-communism; we need to develop more effective ways to refute it. I think we have been underestimating the persistence and perniciousness of its essential element, anti-Sovietism, which is constantly being renewed. Its purpose is to try to discredit socialism and our Party. It is possible to refute it. I sometimes say that US government support of everything anti-Soviet, for half a century, using our money, created many of today’s crises; so far, nobody has disagreed.

A few years ago, a national leader of our Party asked me what I thought of changing its name. My reply was that it would solve no problems, only create new ones. Now, I would make that even stronger: it would be a very serious error. Some parties in other countries have their own historical reasons for using other names; that doesn’t fit us.

I have also heard suggestions or hints that the term “Marxist-Leninist” is outdated. As always, care is needed, when & where & how to use terminology. Some terminology may need change, while retaining concepts. But, M-L is a science, and every science has its terminology; our role should be to educate our friends & members on its meaning. Do we now have any functioning schools of M-L, any functioning bookstores, any literature on current issues, any Party training? We need more educational and organizational support from the national office to districts and clubs-there has lately been very little.

I heard or read, somewhere, that a “cadre” party is outdated. We shouldn’t expect the same level of commitment and activity from every member. But we do need some members who are activists, who give leadership, whether or not they hold actual positions or titles.

Use of Media

Whether to use the Internet is not an issue. I know of nobody who opposes it. We should use it in every way possible. And, finances & human resources are real problems. But what seems to have developed is the idea that printed media are obsolete, with variations on this (young people don’t read it, etc.). That’s another serious error. Progressive internet information institutions perform a valuable function, but they are not our Party. Some (not all) capitalist media are going internet-only for their own reason: their objective is to make profit, as much as possible, as soon as possible, by any means. Our objective, as a M-L party, is totally different. Electronic and printed media each have their uses and limitations. There are ways print can reach people, which the internet can’t; we have examples. Not all of our organizational units have the resources to reprint. And, are we saying that those who, for whatever reason, don’t use the internet, are no longer needed as readers of our media? At a March 19 labor rally for jobs, I saw two different Trotskyist papers distributed; we can’t counteract that only with the internet.

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