Stalinist cast-offs try to build new left regroupment Perspeciives for Democracy and Socia-sm inthe '90s

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Angeles in 1973, in fact joined the New mittee for a Labor Party, American Movement (NAM), which later which in October is to dissolved into DSA. One of the principal merge with the Socialist speakers at the conference was Manning Party of Working People Marable, a leader of DSA. led by Roy Medvedev, a A key component of the conference was reform-Stalinst successor the group around the magazine Crosscurrents. This network, which includes former leaders of the erstwhile Maoist Line of the former CPers, the March organization, such as Irwin Silber, ANC representative was had managed over the past decade or so to clearly the central speaker. regroup representatives of virtually all for- At least half of them left mer U.S. currents associated with after he spoke. (It was easy Stalinism. These ran the gamut from the to tell who the ex-CPers Maoist and Albanian varieties to CPers were because they followed like Carl Bloice who maintained a dual the standard Stalinist pracaffiliation (both to the CP and to Crosscur- tice of functioning as a claque, all clapping togethCOMMITTEES OF The launchpad for the conference was the er and getting up at reform CP's historically strong base in the various points to try to CORRESPONDENCET Bay Area. Thus, the opening plenary ses- impell a standing ovation.) sion was chaired by Gus Newport, former mayor of Berkeley. The conference was a sectarian note, stressing introduced by a Berkeley councilwoman that the "inseparable" trireading a resolution of the city council wel- partite alliance of the coming the event. The message stressed the SACP, ANC and positive role "the left" had to play in U.S. COSATU was the only politics. A number of professional Demo- freedom movement in cratic Party politicians were in attendance.

The gathering was well publicized and featured prominent speakers. There were resentative delivered a long dozens of workshops on a great variety of speech defending the peace subjects, ranging from the crisis in the accords with the right-wing government had to be recognized that women and world socialist movement to "spiritual tra- and the idea that "democracy" could be minorities, including the handicapped, were achieved without revolution. He also spoke In this regard, it was notable that in the A large number of people attended— as a leader of the Farabundo Martí Nation1300, according to one report. Over 300 alist Liberation Front (FMLN). He workshop on the crisis in the world socialpeople were said to have affiliated to the explained that the FMLN hopes to enter ist movement, former CP official CoC during the conference itself. the Salvadoran government in 1994 as part philosophers expressed their readiness to Affiliation was easy and encouraged. It of a broad coalition including the Christian graft on New Left theories, including ulacost a small amount on top of the registra- feminist ones, to what they considered still tion fee. Registrees were told that by The most militant speech was delivered valid in the "old Marxism.' paying another $10 they could participate The key workshop was the one on the in the discussion on "structure" women's movement and a former member "Crisis of Socialism," which clearly meant of the Canadian section of the Fourth Inter- the crisis of the ruling Communist parties, International greetings national. She also presented an the world movement based on them, as The opening rally of the conference ultra-feminist line. She argued that the well as the ideology of this movement. made clear the political contours of the pro- "Marxist notion" of the centrality of the One of main speakers was Carl Bloice, forject. The speakers included representatives working class had to be rejected, and that it mer People's Weekly World correspondent branch in your area!

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SOCIALISTACTION AUGUST 1992 15 group of the Soviet CP.

From the standpoint of rents).

NATIONAL The ANC speaker struck South Africa.

The Salvadoran CP repditions." equally central.

Democratic Party.

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