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A WORLD TO WIN 21st century – make it the epoch of the working class March-April 2010 John Beeching Honorary Chair Canadians for Peace and Socialism (CPS) We are now ten years into the brave new world of the twenty first century. The century we hope will see a change to one that is predominantly socialist.  Why a socialist world you say? We are presently in the final stages of capitalism a system that is breaking down.  Lenin called it the final stage imperialism.  Certainly in today’s world imperialism is the major feature.  After world war two, the United States of America (USA) gained the control of world financing.  This began a process of USA attempt at gaining hegemony over the world, which continues to this day. That process has been marked by an increase in the conflict between the social nature of production and the private ownership of production.  USA now has bases all over the world.  The Haiti tragedy used to prepare the ground for bases there saw large numbers of military doctors, nurses etc. and soldiers arrive.  The Middle East from Egypt to Western China has declared by USA to be of vital importance to security.  Security involves securing the area for pipelines by destabilizing the economy in the region.  It is part of maximization of profits a feature of imperialism. The conflict, mentioned above, sharpened the class struggle.  The working class, those who must work in order to live, has faced continued efforts to make super profits by reducing the cost of labour.  Laws, en-acted attacking the hard won gains labour made after WW II, designed to take away not only hard won gains but to weaken unions influence and create dissatisfaction among workers.  Imperialist bosses successfully attacked unions’ significantly reducing their influence.  We now hear statements that “unions have outlived their usefulness”.  This nonsense is a result of brainwashing using the media as a weapon.  Brain-washing, implanting ideas, or especially ideology, into a person by repetition, are not new.  There is a saying sometimes credited to Goebbels that goes something like this. “A lie big enough and told often enough will eventually be believed.”  The capitalist propagandists use it well. The sharpened conflict has led to a radical action by the working population.  Globalization is used to counter and prop up the failing system.   A growing number of people recognize the system is not for their benefit; it is for the benefit of big business profits.  The propagandists try to convince us that classes have disappeared.  That capitalism is now good; it is benevolent capitalism.  The time has come to recognize the governments we elect are not of the people, by the people or for the people.  They are governments of the ruling class, by proxies of the owning class, for the owning class. They have increased their governance – the manner of governing.  Most think that having the right to vote gives people power to make changes if needed.  Called democracy, in reality it is not democratic. In order to make change the elected representatives must be answerable to their electors is a general public conception.  A conception that is simply not true.  Most candidates come from a political party.  The party puts up the names of candidates and the party leadership gives their assent.  If they do not give that assent, they often nominate a candidate to their liking.  Just ask anyone, “When was the last time you nominated a candidate to run in the elections?” Giving all citizens the right to nominate a candidate for their electoral district then having a vote to see which nominee will run in the electoral district is much more progressive.  Check out “participatory democracy” in Cuba to see how it works. Why promote a Communist Party? Why does CPS promote a Communist Party?  The 20th century saw a new kind of party, the Communist Party of Canada (CPC), established.  A revolutionary party armed with the science of Marxism-Leninism.  That century saw this party play a leading role during the”29 crash” and the ensuing “dirty thirties”.  The so-called failure of communism is in reality the success of counter-revolution. That success cannot change the fact that in the working class struggles against imperialism the Communist Party plays a vanguard role.  The socialist movement has split into many factions and that does not aid the unity of the working class.  A unity that is vital in the anti-imperialist struggle. “The Communist Party plays the role of vanguard in the struggle against imperialism and is the chief initiator in building world-wide solidarity.  The communists never substitute themselves for other anti-imperialist forces but try to get every conscious person, every political organization, and every group capable of fighting against imperialism to join in a united struggle.  The communist party plays the role of a uniting factor.” (page 5 – A Critical appraisal of the Main Political Resolution For The 24th Convention, 1979 as published in “Focus on Marxism Leninism” September 1979 Editor: W.C. Beeching. Volume 1, Number 1. If you wish to see the original go to http://www.focusonsocialism.ca/random.asp?ID=93 The above written the same year the Committee of Canadian Communists was established is the result of an internal party split.  A split that centres on the charges levelled against those who supported the publication of Tim Buck’s memoirs.  It is unfortunate that from 1979 to the present these allegations have never provided a basis for a discussion of anti-monopoly and now anti-imperialist activities of the party.  The 36th convention of the CPC met in February and this author believes the infringement of party principles remain.  Foremost is a criticism that the contribution to pre-convention discussion from CPS members remains un-presented to the CPC membership as far as we can discover. The role of CPS In the upcoming worldwide struggles against imperialism, our members will continue our efforts to be a part of the working class struggle for peace and socialism. There is a world to win. Below is copy of material sent for CPC pre convention discussion and not printed or made available to CPC members even though an invitation was extended to supporters of the CPC to participate; DRAFT by John Beeching
Contribution to the Communist Party of Canada 36th Central
Convention Discussion Bulletin (Not Published by the CPC) Comrades, Best wishes for a successful convention. Regarding Discussion Bulletin 39th Central Convention Communist Party of Canada (CPC): Thank you for the invitation, “We invite all our members and friends to attend and participate” (emphasis mine). In general, you have prepared an excellent report. Most of it deserves no criticism. As a friend, since I joined in 1948 I wish to make the following points with the aim of strengthening the report to the convention. You are quite correct in Section Three to declare as the decisive question “building the Communist Party […]”. I would like to suggest that to be successful such a project must start by a redress of one of the major splits. Its origin took place prior to 1979 and covered several years leading finally to the formation of The Committee of Canadian communists. (I hasten to point out a committee is NOT a party!). It is presently Canadians for Peace and Socialism. What is more both organizations agree that the CPC is the only communist movement that can lead Canada’s working class to scientific socialism. We have never been its enemy in spite of detractors. In support we point out its history in the form of The William Beeching file is presently in the National Archives for future historians to peruse and there will be more to come. We think criticism and self-criticism should apply from the very top leadership to general membership. I strongly suspect most members are not aware of the history of this split. Only the CEC will know for sure. We want them to know that all members of the CCC and the present CPS fully support the party’s aim of assisting Canadian working class to win state power and build socialism with the Communist Party as its vanguard. The draft states, “4. […] Our orientation should focus on mobilizing and winning today’s immediate (largely defensive) struggles, but always with the perspective of building conditions for our class to mount a counter-offensive against the political and ideological edifice of capitalist relations and its state in Canada, winning state power and building socialism.” To do this requires first that party leaders be seen in the forefront of today’s immediate struggles and party members also be seen with them. Only then will the party gain the respect it had in the “great depression” perhaps outdone by the present one today we are in similar circumstances. 20. Good points however the United Nations has been a major stumbling block to any resolution. We think the party should make a contribution to the Unite Nations organization. The veto held by members of the Security Council has been repeatedly used by the USA to prevent any action beyond the passing of resolutions against Israel’s actions to Palestinians. Therefore a campaign should be initiated in Canada and as broadly as possible throughout the world to have a new rule placed in event of a veto by the Security Council. This rule should state that in event a veto is used against any resolution in the United Nations it should then be brought to the General Assembly for debate and discussion followed by a vote to accept or reject the veto. If the General Assembly votes 60% or greater to reject the veto then the United Nations should act appropriately on the original resolution. 30. End with, “Scientific Socialism as opposed to Democratic Socialism should be the final aim of communist parties.” 39. Somewhere it should be pointed out that the Harper government has enacted laws that further and speed up the slide of Canada to a fascist-like or outright fascist state. 49. The attack on labour is further evidence of future fascism. Remember Neimuller's prayer.
John Beeching |