International Socialist Network (ex-SWP) meeting 13 April, Central London

[jondwhite]

IS Network – National Meeting on 13th April
We believe that there is now, more than ever, a clear necessity for the living, non-conformist spirit of the International Socialist tradition, which celebrated democracy, plurality and openness. The economic crisis has not only created the opportunity for socialist organisations to root themselves within the class and labour movement, it has made the self-organisation of working class socialists on this basis absolutely imperative. We believe this can only be done on the most democratic basis, with an organisation built from the bottom up.

For these reasons, we have decided to call a meeting to discuss the way forward. This meeting is designed to discuss openly the best way to build a socialist alternative in Britain today. The purpose of this meeting is not the creation of SWP Mark II. Instead, it is an attempt to regroup those that have been understandably disgusted by the direction that the SWP has been taken in by its leadership. We particularly invite all those who have resigned from the SWP over recent events to attend.

IS Network Meeting
Saturday 13th April
Central London

http://internationalsocialismuk.blogspot.co.uk/

Somewhere to distribute the Open Letter to the SWP

[jondwhite]

http://internationalsocialismuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/is-network-national-meeting-on-13th.html

[jondwhite]

This is an initial meeting for supporters of the IS Network. If you are interested in attending please contact us at mailto:internationalsocialistnetwork@gmail.com. Open meetings will be announced soon.

[steve colborn]

I cannot attend this meeting, (wish I could) through ill health and distance but even if I could, I would have to be reassured that it would not be held on the basis of, the continuing idealogical and elitist hegemony, that the SWP have always followed and moreover, espoused.This is the only way, as I am minded to think and consider, that this type of "meeting", will not lead to an, SWP mark 2. Only sheep need leaders and class-conscious members of the working class, need them, "not at all". Yours in Solidarity,Steve.

[jondwhite]

There is a new forum for "IS network members only"http://internationalsocialismuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/is-network-new-forum-launched.html

[jondwhite]

http://internationalsocialismuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/rosa-luxemburg-and-revolutionary-party.htmlTim Nelson writes

Quote:

The International Socialists, the forerunners of the SWP, set itself apart by rejecting such structures, attempting to build an open democratic organisation with a plurality of different ideas and an utter rejection of the dogmatism that was another trait which many Trotskyists had unfortunately inherited from Stalinism.We need freedom of criticism, communication and association. We need an end to the belief that ideas and theory is the sole province of the privileged few, that plans can only be formulated at the top.At every stage of this democracy, in every debate, the involvement of the wider movement should not just be allowed, but encouraged. On the other side of the debate is a top-down model of organisation, with the ideas and whims of the central committee decreed from above to the party faithful, who then deliver these preconceived plans to the class, without discussion or agreement.A party needs to be built from below, and this is done by revolutionaries responding to and encouraging the self-activity of the working class, encouraging the widest possible participation in the party, and the movement as a whole,

 To be clear, this meeting (like all of their meetings so far) is for registered supporters ONLY. This is private meeting. The general public will not be allowed.

[jondwhite]

Their new website ishttp://www.internationalsocialistnetwork.orgA report from their meeting mentions 90 attendeeshttp://internationalsocialismuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/our-first-meeting-brief-report.htmlA commenter says

Quote:

No line, no discipline, no future. A spotterly prediction.

[ALB]

Here is a list from  our Socialist Standard archive of articles and debates with the "International Socialism Group" which became the SWP in 1977. They deal with the theories of the "IS tradition" (that Russia was state capitalist but only after 1928, the so-called permanent arms economy, their entryism in the Labour Party up until about 1970) amongst other things:http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/1960s/1964/no-721-september-1964/book-review-russia-marxist-analysishttp://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/1960s/1966/no-744-august-1966/old-myths-refurbishedhttp://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/1960s/1968/no-770-october-1968/book-reviews-western-capitalism-war-theories-imperhttp://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/1960s/1968/no-769-september-1968/confusionhttp://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/1970s/1970/no-790-june-1970/productivity-dealshttp://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/1970s/1970/no-791-july-1970/debate-%E2%80%9Cinternational-socialists%E2%80%9D

[jondwhite]

Weekly Worker have agreed a rather mawkish open letter to the ISN (ex-SWP)

Quote:

Message to ISNDear comradesWe have followed your struggle in the Socialist Workers Party with the greatest of interest and sympathy. You have been through a very painful experience with the SWP’s bureaucratic centralism. Your rebellion took courage and was well fought. Of course, you could never win a conference vote – the apparatus was always going to lie, gerrymander and restrict debate to the barest minimum.The SWP’s crisis is part and parcel of a wider crisis of the left. It shows that the days of the confessional sects need to come to an end. But there is a negative side to the SWP crisis. The SWP leadership handled allegations of rape in an appalling and ham-fisted fashion and its behaviour has brought discredit on the left as a whole.Many of you have been committed SWP members for years and it is natural to express your loyalty to the International Socialist tradition. That tradition need interrogating, of course. But it is vital not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We are encouraged by statements from ISN comrades about their commitment to internationalism, the building a revolutionary Communist Party and the political independence of the working class.We very much hope that your first national meeting was a success. You have much to discuss and obviously it will take some considerable time for your organisation to get its bearings.Objective circumstances cry out for a viable socialist alternative. The fight for a mass Communist Party, organised along the lines of the pre-1917 Bolsheviks and solidly based on a Marxist programme, is vital. This is only possible if we agree to operate on the basis of genuine democratic centralism – unity in action, freedom of criticism. There must also be the right to form factions and where appropriate to openly criticise majority positions.We would like to invite your elected committee to begin exploratory discussions with our Provisional Central Committee at the earliest opportunity. We would also urge your organisation to take up the invitation to speak at this year’s Communist University in August.In solidarityApril 13 CPGB aggregate

[ALB]

jondwhite wrote:

Weekly Worker have agreed a rather mawkish open letter to the ISN (ex-SWP)

Quote:

Message to ISNDear comradesThe fight for a mass Communist Party, organised along the lines of the pre-1917 Bolsheviks and solidly based on a Marxist programme, is vital.

Bolloxskeviks. Like a hole in the head.

[jondwhite]

Here are their motionshttp://www.internationalsocialistnetwork.org/index.php/documents/89-inaugural-meeting-motions

[jondwhite]

And their view on left unityhttp://www.internationalsocialistnetwork.org/index.php/ideas-and-arguments/organisation/left-unity/33-left-unity-and-the-is-network

[jondwhite]

Following on from conditions set out by ISN for LeftUnity.org on 25 March

Quote:

(a)[it is] not simply another electoral front, but is an activist organisation,(b) it is a member-led organisation with a democratically elected leadership both locally and nationally, and(c) there is freedom for organisations such as the IS Network to maintain their own press and organisation.

17 May article by Kris Stewart sounds like ISN (ex-SWP) have agreed to enter into LeftUnity.org

Quote:

Some will be inside – IS Network members are already, as are comrades from Socialist Resistance, the Anticapitalist Initiative, Workers Power and others. Some won't – the left within Labour for certain, with SWP and Socialist Party comrades not clearly falling one way or another at this stage.

Also ISN sound like they are entering with their own agenda

Quote:

we're revolutionaries, but we don't expect Left Unity to be a revolutionary organisation, do we? In which case, are we going to work towards trying to build Left Unity as an avowedly socialist, class-struggle party? I want to. And I want to work with other people who feel the same.

Old habits die hard

Quote:

further – we're planning to launch a regular publication, with a cover price. When and how are we going to offer it for sale?

[ALB]

jondwhite wrote:

17 May article by Kris Stewart sounds like ISN (ex-SWP) have agreed to enter into LeftUnity.org

Quote:

Some will be inside – IS Network members are already, as are comrades from Socialist Resistance, the Anticapitalist Initiative, Workers Power and others. Some won't – the left within Labour for certain, with SWP and Socialist Party comrades not clearly falling one way or another at this stage.

Sounds as if they've already got enough explicitly Leninist/Trotskyist groups ( including the official 4th International and even the 5th International) who have already "entered" the yet-to-be-founded party to stop it getting off the ground.

[jondwhite]

Minutes and votes from their first conference are now availablehttp://www.internationalsocialistnetwork.org/index.php/downloads/255-is-network-conference-bulletin-2

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