By JOHN LESLIE
— A STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF WORKERS’ VOICE —
We are at a watershed in U.S. and world history. Faced with environmental disaster, the growth of the far right, and a deepening crisis of capitalism, the revolutionary socialist and anti-capitalist left appears to be growing, but it remains fragmented. In the U.S., the Trump regime has launched a multi-pronged assault on workers and the oppressed. This includes an assault on the democratic rights that were won with the sweat and blood of past generations. Trump is weaponizing accusations of antisemitism to isolate and destroy the Palestine solidarity movement—a campaign of slander that has been bipartisan under both Trump and “Genocide Joe” Biden.
While mass opposition to Trump builds, working people are looking for alternatives to business as usual. While organizations linked to the Democratic Party have taken a major role in demonstrations like the historic “No Kings” marches on June 14, there is a danger that this mass anger will be channeled out of the streets and into the ballot box. The Democrats are an ineffective and treacherous “opposition” party. On the one hand, they decry some of Trump’s policies. On the other hand, they vote for his nominees in Congress and tack right on immigration and trans rights to try to capture some of Trump’s base.
Unity in action!
Unfortunately, the divided revolutionary left currently lacks the numbers and capacity to launch effective national campaigns and initiatives. To advance the struggles of the oppressed and exploited, revolutionaries need the greatest possible unity in action. Using the method of the united front, we can work together to build more effective movements without requiring a high level of programmatic agreement and allowing us to fight together against this system. The movements for immigrant solidarity, the defense of democratic rights, and abortion rights are just a few examples. But unity in action is not enough.
For a new revolutionary socialist organization in the U.S.
Uniting the revolutionary left into a single organization is also an urgent task. Of course, this can’t be done by simply blurring political differences. We must figure out which programmatic differences are fundamental, and which can be put on the agenda for future discussion within a unified organization. It is possible that we can unite around some basic principles, such as:
- Working-class political independence, building an independent party of the working class and oppressed, and opposition to cross-class political and electoral alliances.
- The leading role of the working class in the struggle for socialism without ignoring the struggles of all people who are oppressed.
- For the liberation of LGBTQ people, for women’s liberation, for Black liberation and against white supremacy,
- The fight for papers for all and an end to ICE and other police targeting of immigrant workers.
- We actively oppose and mobilize against the far right and fascist movements with united-front mass counter-mobilization.
- Internationalism and solidarity with the workers and oppressed peoples of the world, regardless of which imperialist power oppresses and exploits them. We oppose “campism” and Stalinist distortions of Marxism.
- For mass action against climate change, pollution, and species extinction. This is essential for the wellbeing of the earth’s peoples.
- An active intervention in social movements and in the unions. While we fight for reforms, we understand that we must go beyond reforms to social revolution.
A principled regroupment of the revolutionary left in the U.S. is both possible and necessary. Of course, achieving unity of our forces will take time. Before our fusion convention in 2022, for example, Workers’ Voice engaged in a two-year process of discussion and joint work that included members of Socialist Resurgence, the former Workers Voice, and ex-members of the International Socialist Organization.
We hope that other socialist organizations—as well as unaffiliated socialist activists—will consider the possibility of building an organization that brings together hundreds, even thousands, of revolutionary militants. Such an organization would be capable of effectively intervening in class and social struggles. It would become a school of revolution, training and testing the leaders and militants of the next generation. We urge everyone reading this to take part in this discussion.
Illustration: Diana Johanna Velasques / Vecteezy