Paul Lawson's article on the united front (SO7) rightly criticises the SWP and Militant for their undemocratic and sectarian approach to united action by the left.
However, in the process he removes all meaning from any united front, reducing it to left campaigns and denying any relevance towards the unions and the Labour Party.
He claims that since mass revolu tionary parties do not exist, and because reformist leaders no longer claim to be fighting for socialism. demands that reformist leaders break with pro-capitalist policies serve a purely propaganda function and are not serious proposals for joint Yet the united front approach developed by the early was not primarily based on the claim that reformist leaders to be fighting for socialism.
Communist parties did not simply demand that social democracy plement socialism. I was based on the fact that vast numbers of workers regarded (and sot do) these reformist leaders as their class representatives, whether or not they Tavoured socialism (whatever little that meant). The Communist parties argued for joint action around concrete demands in the interests of the The same basic approach applies today, even it we have to be fiexble in our methods. But then so did the earty Comintern.
Not all the CPs were mass parties. Needs help? In reponse to my article on the Left and GBH, Paul Clarke accepts that 'art is a highly mediated product which cannot simply be assessed in terms of political correctness'. I agree entirely with this. the problem with Clarke's reponse to my article is that it goes on to assess a piece of drama exactly in these terms.
I did not suggest that political criteria should be discarded when we come to discuss a work of art, rather Yes! I want to become a Socialist Outlook , supporter O I want to take an order of ...
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2UU Oct. 12, 1991 No.9 The British CP was far from such, and direct party to party possiblites for raising the united front were limited to And of course the German Trotskyists, main advocates oi the united front against the Nazis, were minute in relation to the CP and social Nor dd he Derman Taskin demand the 'implementation of socialism' but concrete actions to Lawson gives the impression that the reason we want single issue cam. paigns to be democratic and non-sectarian is merely so the left can work together amicably (no bad thing actually attempting to achieve their professed aims rather than existing for the good of their souls or for the purpose of recruitment to their individual components, then the united front towards reformist leaders is as If the united front is inappropriate today, then why does Socialist Outlook cal for a vote for Labour in elec tons and place concrete demands on the labour party such as repeal of the anti-union laws? Or are these demands?
I Lawson is right, then the SWP is right when it says that all socialists can hope to do is recruit one by one to their revolutionary organisations.
Pete Firmin, Brent that such criteria should be applied in a way which avoids the totalitarian approach which Clarke readily adopts in his response.
To claim, as Clarke does. a definifive interpretation of GH is exactly what Stalinists did with all cuture. I would like to thank him for supplying Socialist Outcok with such an effec tive example.
The message is dear.
Can anyone doubt that this man needs help?
Steven Taylor, London I want more information about Socialist Outlook O .. copies of Socialist 1 , Please return to: Socialist Outic PO Box 1109, London, N4 Is one really looking for a united front? to find a wider audience and learn what lessons he draws