Communist Party to stick with the Democrats until a viable
third party is feasible
New national chair of the Communist
Party USA, Chicago
man John Bachtell, has admitted that his Party “utilizes” the
Democratic Party “to advance its agenda.”
Writing on the People’s World website, Bachtell explains
that much of the left wants to abandon the Democratic Party (as much of
the “right” wants to abandon the GOP) to form a radical third party.
Certainly,
there’s widespread disillusionment with both the Democratic and Republican
parties. That’s reflected in the latest Pew Research poll: 38 percent of voters
describe themselves as independent, 32 percent as Democrats, and 25 percent as
Republicans. In 1991, the three were approximately equal.
While acknowledging that both major parties are heavily
influenced by Wall Street, Bachtell sees a big difference:
However, it’s not enough to make sweeping generalizations
about the Democratic and Republican parties. It’s true both parties are
dominated by Wall Street interests, but it’s also necessary to see how each
party differs, particularly their social bases and how this affects their
policies.
While the Republican Party is led by the most reactionary
sections of Wall Street capital including the energy extractive sector and
military industrial complex, it also consists of extreme right-wing
elements including the Tea Party, white supremacists, social conservatives,
right-wing evangelicals, climate deniers, anti-reproductive rights groups, etc.
Meanwhile
the Democratic Party is also home to labor, African Americans, Latinos, other
communities of color, women, most union members, young people, and a wide range
of social and democratic movements. These constituencies exert influence on
party leadership and hold positions at all levels.
Therefore, it makes sense, according to Bachtell, for
the Communist Party to stick with the Democrats until a viable third party is
feasible. To Bachtell, progress towards socialism is possible only after the
“right” is soundly defeated.
The Communist Party’s tactics for political independence
rest on several interrelated elements. First, they occur within the constraints
of the two-party system. We don’t operate in a parliamentary system which
allows proportional voting. Instead, winner takes all, and during the general
election it usually comes down to voting for one of two candidates most likely
to win.
That means candidates are backed by coalitions. Under these
circumstances voting based on purity of positions is not a viable tactic.
Coalition forces may disagree with a candidate on one or another issue, but
find they must support candidates for strategic reasons – to advance issues and
create a more favorable terrain of struggle.
Our tactics also occur within the framework of our strategic
policy of building a broad coalition to defeat the extreme right, which we see
as the main danger to democracy and social progress, embodied within today’s
Republican Party. There are voting constituencies that presently support the
GOP that have to be won over. Such an approach sees the need to actively
challenge right-wing and GOP ideas that influence sections of the people,
especially working-class whites, for example, through hate talk radio. This
includes racism and intolerance which are key issues dividing the working
class.
We see this as one of the stages in the long struggle for
advanced democracy and socialism. Without decisively defeating the most
reactionary sections of monopoly capital, disintegrating Republican Party
support at every level, it’s hard to see winning more radical and advanced programs
and policies and waging a fight against the monopoly class as a whole.
We
envision a prolonged process toward political independence, with many turns,
advances and defeats, utilizing many forms, resulting in a radical third party
based in labor, working-class neighborhoods, communities of color, and
democratic movements. Such a coalition third party must extend its reach beyond
urban areas, to suburbs, exurbs, rural areas, and in “red” states and
congressional districts.
Until that glorious day arrives, the Communist Party will
continue to “utilize” the Democrats:
First, we are part of building the broadest anti-ultra right
alliance possible, uniting the widest array of class (including a section of
monopoly), social and democratic forces. This necessarily means working
with the Democratic Party. This differentiates us from those left groups who
underestimate the right danger and overestimate the readiness of key class and
social forces to bolt the Democratic Party.
Second,
our objective is not to build the Democratic Party. At this stage we are about
building the broad people’s movement led by labor that utilizes the vehicle of
the Democratic Party to advance its agenda. We are about building the
movements around the issues roiling wide sections of people that can help shape
election contours and debates.
The Communist Party often upsets less mature Marxist groups
because of their refusal to abandon the Democratic Party, despite not always
getting every item on their agenda immediately.
As an experienced Communist, John Bachtell understands that
in spite of difficulties and disappointments, the Communist Party agenda is far
better served by infiltrating the Democrats than by marching in the streets
yelling revolutionary slogans.
The Communist Party and their only marginally
less radical Democratic Socialists
of America allies can point to real
achievements under their “friend”
Barack Obama. Obamacare, illegal immigrant
“amnesty,” the NEW START Treaty with Russia, negotiations with Iran, military
budget cuts and recognition of communist Cuba, are all Communist Party
policies, implemented through the Democratic Party.
Bachtell understands that to prematurely break with with the
Democrats, on some Quixotic adventure of forming a new leftist third party,
would almost certainly hand the next few elections to the GOP. He
fears that a revitalized GOP, led by Ted Cruz, or some similar figure,
would roll back most, or all of the Communist Party’s hard fought gains.
If US Constitutionalist conservatives and Tea Party
activists can show similar political discipline and maturity, they will
abandon plans for a suicidal third party agenda – for now. Instead they
will work through the GOP, as the Communists have through the Democrats.
Learn from the opposition. Utilize the GOP machinery and voting base to build a
big Constitutionalist base inside the GOP. Build your strength, do as the
Communists have done, primary any vulnerable GOP candidates who will
not support your Constitutionalist agenda.
The Communists did that to Senator Joe Lieberman from
Connecticut. Now, virtually no senior Democrats will buck the Communist
line. They know the price.
So, the Tea Party and their allies need to take back the GOP
for Constitutionalism and ensure that someone of the caliber of Ted Cruz
or Scott Walker is the GOP Presidential nominee in 2016.
If that happens, Americans can have a second “Reagan
Revolution” even better than the first. If it doesn’t, the Communist Party will
have theirs.
If Constitutionalists fail and Jeb Bush, or some similar
milksop becomes the GOP nominee, they should gather all their
forces, leave the GOP en masse and run against him as a third
party. At that point, Constitutionalists have nothing left to lose. They
should also make it very clear to the GOP hierarchy and major donors that a
third party will inevitably follow any further “dirty tricks,” or other
attempts to frustrate the will of the people.
Less than a thousand hardcore Communist Party activists and
their few thousand Democratic Socialists of America allies effectively dictate
Democratic Party policy.
If the much larger Constitutionalist/Tea Party movement can
learn from their opponent’s tactics and maturity, they can have a real shot at
restoring the Republic.
The battle for America is not between the Democrats and the
Republicans. It is between the Communists and the Constitutionalists. The
Constitutionalists must better understand their opposition and borrow some of
their tactics, if they want a chance of victory.
No comments:
Post a Comment