Charlie G reports back from the June 12th launch of the Bread & Roses caucus of the NSW Socialists, held at the Red Rattler Theatre in Marrickville, Sydney.
The article describes a very broad range of attendees across many tendencies (I also know a SAlliance friend who attended, so add that to the list), and from the perspective of the Communist Caucus in Vic Socialists and QLD Socialists, discusses B&R’s background, core principles and (perceived) vital tasks ahead necessary to reach their potential
(Partisan! is a publication of Communist Unity)
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Addendum:
- Clip of the speech given by comrade Kylee: [Instagram] / [Imginn Mirror] [1:24]
I must express my disappointment at two comments there from members of the rival NSW Socialists SAlt faction, clearly brigaded with likes by other members, one since deleted by its author, the other attempting to discredit the speaker for *checks notes* being a union organiser, who never talks to anyone outside a bubble and has never organised anything…? It’s disheartening that they felt a need to (publicly, no less) denigrate an entire union along with one of its organisers out of spite. I will note that, based on what I’ve heard from other comrades (online and IRL), this seems to be more of a Sydney SAlt problem than a national problem.
The comments seem like a bit of a mud slinging match.
There were some comments on the video by the speaker regarding the party telling members just being told what to do, show up, do the leafleting.
I don’t really have much context, but seems like like an accusation that one can’t be surprised gets a response of people who disagree.
Disclaimers: I am not a SAlt member. I do believe Stalinists and Maoists can be worked with for common goals but at the end of the day they need to be convinced otherwise. Socialism by definition is control over society by the workers, and you can only do that democratically.
No idea if the accusation of the speaker being a Stalinist is true. But if it is. Then I’m not mad they’re getting called out for it. Stalinism is not just terrible as an ideology, but is actively toxic to the wider public’s engagement with the party.
I don’t really have much context, but seems like like an accusation that one can’t be surprised gets a response of people who disagree.
That’s fair. I don’t have much more context, beyond receiving the standard member/subscriber newsletters (campaign donating requests, invitations to public meetings).
No idea if the accusation of the speaker being a Stalinist is true.
I haven’t asked them, but I recall hearing they lean closer to libertarian-socialism. I don’t know where I heard that, though, so it’s purely anecdotal. I don’t trust the accusations from SAlt faction without further evidence, simply because they vacillate between calling B&R “Stalinist” and “social democrat” so often that I’m getting dizzy.
The caucus is a big tent, and as the article says, that includes comrades from Red Spark and Communist Unity which I believe is primarily the members who the accusations of Stalinism are based upon. It’s complicated - I’d say they’re Leninist and non-Trotskyist but critical of Stalin and Stalinism:
- Communist Unity describes themselves as aiming to create a “democratic centralist vanguard organisation” (Leninist principles), with over a third of the What We Stand For section detailing the primary need for creating a “democratic and social republic”: “what is needed is a democratic constituent assembly with full powers to establish a provisional government and a new republican constitution.” This vision of democracy is detailed in their Program.
- Red Spark published their adopted resolution, A New Marxism-Leninism Today, which lists as a “Contemporary Distortion of Marxism-Leninism”: “some misunderstand democratic centralism, emphasising centralism at the expense of inner-party democracy and collective political education.” From what I can find in a quick glance at their articles on that site, they are generally critical of Stalinism and its “contradictory role historically [and] internationally”.
It’s up to you to determine whether each of these organisations’ idea of working class democracy is adequate, but the charge of Stalinism seems flimsy to me.
