{"id":396,"date":"2006-09-21T07:10:24","date_gmt":"2006-09-20T21:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slackbastard.anarchobase.com\/?p=396"},"modified":"2006-09-21T07:32:06","modified_gmt":"2006-09-20T21:32:06","slug":"spartacism-the-continuing-obsession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slackbastard.anarchobase.com\/?p=396","title":{"rendered":"Spartacism… the continuing obsession…"},"content":{"rendered":"

…with a shake of the balaclava in the general direction of Asher<\/a>:<\/p>\n

The Communist Workers’ Group<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

CWG<\/strong> originated as the New Zealand Spartacist League<\/strong> (NZSL<\/strong>) [of which the only remnant trace I can find online is here<\/a>] in 1970 under the influence of the Spartacist League-US<\/strong> (SL-US<\/strong>) “Declaration of Principles” [1998<\/a>]. The NZSL split<\/a><\/em><\/strong> in 1972 in a dispute between Owen Gager<\/em> and Bill Logan<\/em> and Adaire Hannah<\/em> essentially over joining the SL-US. Gager argued that the SL-US had not broken completely with the SWP-US<\/strong>, nor did he think that the SL-US represented any programmatic continuity with Trotsky. The theoretical basis for this position is argued in “James P Cannonism”<\/a>…<\/p>\n

Gager went on to form the Communist Left of Australia<\/strong> (CLA<\/strong>) [huh?] in 1974 while Logan and Hannah set up a Spartacist group also in Australia<\/a>. In 1981 Dave Bedggood<\/a><\/em> then a member of the British RCP<\/strong> formed the Communist Left<\/strong> in NZ [huh?] in solidarity with CLA. The CLA split<\/em><\/strong> over a tactical difference with Gager in the mid 1980\u2019s. Gager left and moved towards anarcho-communism. CLNZ had fusion talks with the Bolshevik Tendency<\/strong> (now IBT<\/a><\/strong>) in the late 1980\u2019s and with Workers Power<\/strong> (LRCI<\/strong>) in the early 1990\u2019s. CLNZ fused with the LRCI in 1992 as its NZ section, Workers Power (NZ) [which appears to have disappeared in the intervening years] and ceased fraternal relations with CLA.<\/p>\n

Some members of WPNZ had differences within the LRCI\u2019s over its movement away from Trotskyism in forming a united front with Yeltsin in August 1991, and its characterisation of the first period of the overthrow of the bureaucracy as a \u2018political revolution\u2019. The catalyst for the split was the LRCI\u2019s refusal to defend Serbia from the NATO bombs of 1995. Half of WPNZ left to form the CWGNZ, along with the Bolivian and Peruvian sections of the LRCI who were either suspended or expelled.<\/p>\n

These comrades formed [in a stroke of acronymic genius] the Liaison Committee of Militants for a Revolutionary Communist International<\/a><\/strong> (LCMRCI<\/strong>) in late 1995… See Declaration of the Proletarian Faction<\/a><\/em>. Essentially, these fusions and splits were attempts to apply the original position of the NZSL and CLNZ on the defense of dialectics against post-war degenerate Trotskyism [aka<\/em> Trotskyism with a pronounced limp]. Today the CWG fights inside the LCMRCI and in discussions with other tendencies for a 5th International understood to mean the return to the pre-war method and programme of the 4th International.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

See also<\/em> : an angry denuciation<\/a> of one of the newest additions (2005) to the Trot Guide<\/em>, Trotskyist Platform<\/a><\/strong> or “Opportunism in Action”.<\/p>\n

Apparently, the bloke what left is<\/em> Trotskyist Platform<\/strong>. Further:<\/p>\n

Contrary to his assertions, key to the political dispute with Balasubramaniam was our struggle to organise a proletarian-centred<\/em> demonstration in defence of the Redfern militants that would be exemplary and a concretisation of our revolutionary program. A motion from our last National Conference, passed with the support of Balasubramaniam, stated in part: \u201cWe understand that holding a protest on the streets of Sydney in defence of the Redfern militants is conditional on several key union endorsements.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n