Presentation of the bulletin 23

After the workers struggles of last spring in France, the proletariat has been brought to start fights in many countries (Great Britain, Italy, etc). The questions which has been raised for the class, the challenges which it is confronted to, require from the revolutionary minorities:

- to analyze the most clearly possible the general tendencies which appear in the struggles ;

- to bring out a clear analysis of the perspectives to be put forwards in the struggles ;

- to be active part of them when the conditions enable it ;

- to contribute so that the movement reaches the most advanced possible point, from the proletarian point of view.

If, since the struggles in Argentina 2001-2002, our fraction had perceived the signs of a potential struggle recovery, the fights engaged in France last spring and in many countries of the historical core of capitalism since then, shows that we are indeed engaged in this phase of proletarian recovery.

The questions which arise – and will arise always more – in our class, deserve all our attention, all our energy. And if it is necessary to analyze the most precisely possible the various episodes of the struggles, the concrete questions and problems which their unfolding has posed, it is clearly not enough. It is still essential to understand these struggles in their context, to regularly make a balance-sheet of the confrontations, so as to be able to bring out general orientations for the class – and to implement these orientations when and where we can be present physically.

At least two of the significant groups of the proletarian camp – the IBRP and ICP Le Prolétaire – are engaged in this way and we greet this indispensable work that these comrades have accomplished, work which is, moreover, an essential responsibility for the communist vanguards.

These organizations undertook an analysis of these struggles, each one with its own conceptions, its own political framework, with which we are not, useless to say it, in total agreement. It remains that, on the basis of these analysis, they endeavored to give general orientations to the class and, when the conditions allowed them, to be implied directly in these fights.

Not only these two groups have made public these general orientations and given informations on the course of these struggles – when they could intervene directly within – , but they moreover offered the possibility to the other groups and to the combative, unorganized workers to inform themselves on these struggles and, more especially, to participate in the debate about the lessons to draw, about the role and the responsibility for the revolutionary minorities (and for the «conscious workers», to use the expression of Lenin) in the working class.

It is with the objective to fit ourselves within this debate, that our fraction has taken position on the current dynamics of the struggles and on the intervention and analysis of the groups of the proletarian camp (see our texts on The international revival of the struggles and on The question of the form of organization of the workers’ struggles).

According to us, it is one of the virtues of the phases of struggles of our class to put the revolutionary minorities in front of their responsibilities. The communist groups are neither simple commentators of the struggles, nor out-and-out activists : they also, and above all, have a role of orientation, of political direction to assume within their class. And that passes notably, and whether we want it or not, by the confrontation with the analysis and the different conceptions necessarily existing between revolutionary groups (why would they constitute different organizations if there were not different conceptions and political bases ?). To develop and expose these analysis and conceptions is the first step. To take into account, and eventually criticize, the point of view and the activity of the other groups on the basis of their real positions and in a spirit of communist fraternity (1), it is the second step and we're engaged in it through our statements in relation to the ICP-Le Prolétaire-Il Comunista and the IBRP. We are convinced that the comrades of these organizations will take into account and will criticize, in their turn, our positions.

It also happens that the analysis, positions and attitudes of a political group don't require criticism but indeed denunciation and rejection. It is then a political struggle of first importance which the communist minorities have the responsibility to carry out against the penetration of the enemy ideology in our camp. The ICC is today the perfect illustration of these political groups whose analysis, attitudes and desertion from the workers struggles require that the communist organizations recall them to the minimum conditions of what is the role of the communist organizations. It is what the ICP is driven to do (see Le Prolétaire 470), after our fraction have done it for more than two years.

To contribute to clear up the passably misty brains of the comrades of our organization (the ICC, of course !) we publish a text on the inconherencies of the positions of the ICC on the workers struggles of these last months as well as a criticism (short, but was it worth writing more ? !) of the editorial [leading article] of the International Review n°116. The comrades will be able to have an idea, if they cannot read all the press of the ICC, up to what point the opportunist disease is already advanced in this organization.

The reader will find also a text on the conception of the regrouping such as the true ICC conceived it. Essentially based on quotations of this organization from its origins to the Eighties, this text shows what has always been its true conception of the regrouping, of the debate between and within the revolutionary groups. Our fraction takes over the torch of this conception, now rejected by the ICC, not only in the theoretical plan but above all in the most practical and most concrete plan.

Feb. the 7th 2004



As a Post scriptum of this presentation we want, once again, to address directly to the members of the ICC.

We know that you cannot ignore the inconherency which is overcoming our organization. The ICC which, during so many years, was in the forefront of the comprehension of the phases of workers struggles, is publishing today almost as many analysis as there are sections. The theoretical organ of our organization, the International Review, have absolutely nothing to say on the tremendous fights which are currently carried out. Nothing on the strikes in Great Britain, nor even, still worse, on the strikes even more significant in Italy.

Independently of what one made you vote against us, independently of what you can think on our supposed indiscipline, independently thus of what "separates us" today on the organizational level, you cannot ignore the inconherency of the orientations on the international situation, and in particular on the significant struggles that our class carries out today. Some among you, moreover, are completely conscious of the drift from this point of view. For our part, we are ready to fight with you, as fraction of the ICC whether it is within the ICC or outside.

If you are honest with yourselves, comrades, you know that the orientations on the situation, in particular on the working class struggles, that the fraction defends are those of the ICC. To defend them in the same direction is a duty in front of their obvious and increasing abandon day after day.

In a first time, we have seen a treason, on behalf of the liquidationist faction, of our organizational principles which led to a policy of elimination of the militants with open disagreements. In a second time, we have seen a fall in sectarianism the more filthy, unworthy of a communist organization, which does not stop to appear especially through a consciously destroying policy against the serious groups of the proletarian camp. Today, in front of the tremendous working class struggles which develop since months, in particular in Europe, and which have been more and more open demonstrations of a working class revival awaited so much for 15 years, it is a policy of contempt, and even of betrayal which your current direction imposes you.

The destroying willingness of the liquidationism was initially directed against the militants, then against the groups of the proletarian camp, and now against the workers who struggle.

To the comrades who are conscious of the political drift, we ask the question : will you let the liquidation process of the political and theoretical lessons of the ICC go to its end without any reaction ? Will you let the destruction process of the conviction and consciousness of the militants and sympathizers go to its term without any reaction ? Nor even once ? Will you, without doing anything, let disappear the organization that we built together during more than 30 years ?

07/02/04


NOTE:

1. Let's note that, without sharing some of the ideas which are developed there, we consider the Réponse à une polémique (Response to a polemic) of the ICP, published in Le Prolétaire n°470, - against scandalous articles of Révolution internationale 340 and 341 - as an expression of healthy and fraternal debate. Le Prolétaire does nothing but note certain very serious drifts and denounce them for such. Conversely, the ICC "polemic" which the comrades respond to, is not only empty of any political matter but is especially abusive and scandalously dishonest. In fact, as the fraction had predicted it, the liquidationists now apply the same "hoodlum" methods to the groups of the proletarian camp after having applied them to our fraction.

Communist Bulletin 23 – Internal Fraction of ICC