Polemic: The Dissolution of the Workers' International League.

Internationalist Bulletin No 3 1997-99, Liaison Committee of Militants for a Revolutionary Communist International (LCMRCI/CEMIC R! "tt#$//%%%&'eo(ities&(om/(ommunist%or)er/inter*ul3&"tml What is behind the Workers Action-Workers Fight dispute? The British Workers International League (WIL), one of the ost Left-!ing of Trotsk"ists groups, has been dissol#ed$ While ost of the WIL%s for er e bers are no! outside an" group, t!o of its offspring groups (Workers Action and Workers Fight) are no! engaged in a bitter dispute$ This article !ill e&a ine the political achie#e ents of the WIL, the reasons for its collapse, and argue that these, and the proble s that the t!o different groups and indi#iduals are facing toda", are conse'uences of the legac" of (eal"is in particular, and of post-!ar %orthodo&% Trotsk"is in general$ The Origins of the WIL. In 1985 under the pressure of the collapse of the left before Thatcher's neo-liberal offensive, the British WRP fell apart and the co rades !ho later set up the WI" supported the !ron# side in the split$ The% bac&ed 'err% (eal%'s inorit% !hich adapted to 'lasnost as a political revolution) In 198* the% created a ne! #roup, the WI", !hich !as ver% uch influenced b% left orthodo+ Trots&%ists currents li&e Wor&ers Po!ers, the International Trots&%ist ,o ittee and co rades li&e -l Richardson$ The% re.ected their for er vie! that the anti-/Pabloite' International ,o ittee !as the ost pro#ressive side in the brea&do!n of the 0ourth International in 1951-52$ The% arrived at the position that in post!ar 3astern 3urope, ,hina and ,uba ne! 4e#enerated Wor&ers 5tates had been created and that since their inception ne! political revolutions !ere needed a#ainst 5talinis $ -fter the creation of the "ea#ue for a Revolutionar% ,o unist International 6"R,I7 in 5epte ber 1989, Wor&ers Po!er and the WI" !ere en#a#ed in fusion tal&s$ 8nfortunatel% the process !as aborted$ WP initiall% tried to push for a 9uic& unification !ithout previous serious discussions and .oint actions !hich provo&ed an earl% rupture$ In the earl% 199:s the "R,I ceased to be an orthodo+ Trots&%ist #roup as it revised its pro#ra atic positions and or#anisational structure$ The WI" adopted a uch ore orthodo+ position on the nature of the !orld situation and on the character of the transition fro de#enerate !or&ers states to bour#eois states$ While WP t%pified the international period as a revolutionar% one and for ei#ht %ears continued to describe all the countries east of 'er an% as ;oribund Wor&ers 5tates, the WI" arrived at the conclusion that in 3astern 3urope the states that !ere pro otin# capitalis !ere incipient bour#eois states$ This eant that the period !as one of an international strate#ic defeat for !or&ers at the hands of the bour#eois reactionar% forces$ B% 1989 Wor&ers Po!er's had developed an orthodo+ Trots&%ist position !hich led it to propose that capitalis !as the ain ene % and, for that reason, it sided !ith the 5talinist bureaucracies a#ainst the social counter- revolution$ Initiall% WP opposed a

co on constituent asse bl% for the t!o 'er an%s and bloc&ed !ith the 5talinists a#ainst the Bour#eois nationalist uprisin# in -<erbai.an and the Ru anian student de onstrations led b% liberal and onarchists$ (o!ever, WP's orthodo+% proved to be shallo!$ In the earl% 199:s under pressure fro the transition in the !or&ers states WP adopted an opti istic vie! of the !orld period$ The% vie!ed the transition in the 3ast initiall% as the be#innin# of a political revolution$ This lead to a retreat fro revolutionar% defencis $ WP started to consider 5talinis as the ain ene % so that it !as necessar% to a&e united fronts !ith bour#eois de ocrats and nationalists a#ainst the $ WP ended up supportin# a co on 6bour#eois7 constituent asse bl% for both ,hina and 'er an%, a united front !ith =eltsin, that the i perialist po!ers should #ive !eaponr%, one% and en to assist their Bal&an puppets a#ainst the bo bed 5erbs, etc$ The WI" also had a contradictor% position$ >n the one hand it ana#ed to adopt a ore realistic anal%sis of the period based on the counter-revolutionar% overthro! of the for er !or&ers states, ho!ever it never bro&e co pletel% !ith (eal%'s 5talinophobia$ While the WI" sa! correctl% that the bour#eois counter-revolution had the initiative and that it !as the #reatest dan#er in the 3ast, the% did not adopt a consistent revolutionar% defencist vie!$ In Ru ania the WI" supported the onarchist students a#ainst the iners !ho ca e to Bucharest to defend their livin# conditions a#ainst the privatisation !hich !ere de anded b% the universit%'s leaders$ In Poland 81 the% thin& that it !as possible to fi#ht for a 5olidarnosc #overn ent, !hile !e believe that a Walessa presidenc% !ould have been a point of departure for capitalist restoration$ In -<erbai.an, the Baltic and the Bal&ans the WI" supported all the separatist ove ents$ In that sense the% adopted a ore consistent position than WP !hich in the first case supported the 5oviet -r %, in the second, as&ed Thatcher to #ive practical support to the "ithuanian bour#eois nationalist #overn ent, and in the third case sided !ith all possible ca ps in different o ents$ In the for er =u#oslavia the WI" supported the self-deter ination and independence of ,roatia and Bosnia, but it refused to #ive the sa e ri#hts to the 5erbs !ho lived in those countries and !ho !ere the a.orit% of the population in a third of ,roatia and in t!o thirds of Bosnia$ We did not support the brea&do!n of ulti-ethnic =u#oslavia in order to create a pro-'er an and ;usli -nationalist led ulti-ethnic Bosnia !hich !as heavil% resisted b% its native 5erb populations$ In the !ar !e called for inter-ethnic ilitias and councils a#ainst an% po#ro s, and for transfor in# the intra-co unal !ar into a class !ar !hich should unite the !or&ers fro all nationalities a#ainst i perialis and restorationists$ In !inter 1992 - !hen the ,roat-;usli confederation !as set up under 85, 'er an and 38 protection - the WI" !as still callin# for the support of the Bosnian forces$ In -u#ust 95 !hen the ,roat-;usli bloc& launched the offensive !hich led to the entire ethnic cleansin# of t!o historic 5erb areas, the WI"'s paper had a cover !hich called for ar in# the Bosnians$ In that con.uncture !e insisted that the !orst ene % !as the 85 and its allies in the re#ion !ho !ere bac&in# ?-T>'s !orst bo bard ent ever and the unprecedented ethnic cleansin# of the entire population of a republic 6@ra.ina7$ In its last %ears the WI" openl% re.ected ;ar+ and 3n#els conception on the national 9uestion$ The% adopted Rosdols&is revision on the ;ar+ist position re#ardin#

historical and non-historic nations$ This is not an acade ic debate$ In fact, in a period in !hich liberal-de ocrats are on the offensive, the Rosdols&i-WI" thesis !as that national self-deter ination !as a principle that !as universal in the phase of earl% capitalis , and a#ainst 5talinis $ -#ainst ;ar+, "enin and Trots&% !ho al!a%s subordinated national ri#hts to class 9uestions, the WI" adaptation to nationalis led the to unconditionall% support ever% national ove ent even !hen it !as led b% a proto-bour#eoisie a#ainst a 4e#enerated Wor&ers 5tate$ In Palestine the co rades accepted the ri#ht of the Israeli nation to e+ist, and advanced a bi-national state solution to the Palestine 9uestion$ We re.ect allo!in# national ri#hts to a reli#ious con#re#ation !hich is tr%in# to set up an artificial state on the basis of the e+pulsion of the native population$ The Ae!ish settlers in Israel co e fro different territories, cultures and societies and constitute different co unities and not a sin#le nation$ To reco#nise Israel's national ri#hts !ould i pl% the reco#nition of its ri#ht to create a state on the bac& of the oppressed Palestinians$ The LTT The WI" for ed a ne! international currentB the "eninist Trots&%ist Tendenc% 6"TT7$ It included #roups in different continents and fro ver% different traditions$ The 'er an and Bel#ian "TT !ere inside the 85ec and the Parit% ,o ission !ith "a bert and ;orenoC the 5outh -frican ,W' !ere associated !ith the International ,o itteeC the ,e%lonese WD !ere part of the 5a ara&od%ED> #roupin#C the ,anadian "T' !ere a ne! split fro the 5partacistsC and the Aa aican ,W' !ere a #roup of co rades a#ainst the P?P$ The 5!edish -05 are %oun# co rades that !ere in the 85ec$ In 199F, !hen !e founded the "iaison ,o ittee of ;ilitants for a Revolutionar% ,o unist International 6",;R,I7, the WI" sent us a ver% short letter in !hich the% said that the% !anted to discuss !ith us in order to create a united tendenc% that could have sections in all continents$ We believed that the WI" and "TT had so e pro#ressive positions and that it i#ht be possible to overco e their li itations$ ;ost of the "TT #roupin#s !ere also at the sa e ti e tr%in# to discuss !ith the "R,I, but the arro#ant sectarianis of WP's rulin# cli9ue avoided an% possible rapproche ent$ We started a process of discussions and !e elaborated around ten .oint resolutions$ ?earl% all of these docu ents !ere produced b% us and one of the current e bers of W0$ T!ice !e had international public eetin#s$ The ",;R,I and the "TT !ere capable of for#in# a serious pole of attraction that could have created a fra e!or& of political discussion and revolutionar% re#roup ent$ The 85- Wor&ers Doice #roup and the Bra<ilian Internationalist Bolshevi& "ea#ue 6"BI7 !anted to also participate in that process$ - 5partacist supporter produced a special !eb pa#e devoted to attac&in# this re#roup ent process$ (o!ever, these possibilities !ere da a#ed b% so e ne#ative pressures fro inside the WI"$ >n one hand, there !ere an% de oralised co rades !ho !ere pushin# the #roup to beca e a ver% passive and fatalist club$ >n the other hand, there !ere so e co rades that !ere pushin# the WI" to!ards the open re.ection of so e positions fro ;ar+ or Trots&%$ In the id-199:s the WI" put a lot of effort in buildin# its o!n faction inside the British 85ec section 65ocialist >utloo&7$ (o!ever, instead of !inin# co rades fro that ilieu to!ards trots&%is or its traditional positions, the WI" !as bein#

influenced and chan#ed b% that ilieu$ In 1995 the pro-WI" faction inside 5ocialist >utloo& ade an unprincipled bloc& !ith 5> s ri#ht-!in# faction in order to !in the leadership$ This anoeuvre creates a ver% serious proble inside the WI"$ The co rades !ho later !ould found Wor&ers 0i#ht ori#inall% started to 9uestion the WI"s orientation on this point$ The adaptation to 5> led the WI" to ver% "abourite perspectives$ The WI"'s con#ress 60ebruar% 9*7 adopted a resolution that referred onl% to !or& inside the "abour Part%$ -t that ti e !e said that it !as correct to #ive critical vote to "abour or to a&e a faction inside it$ But !e also said that revolutionaries should understand that due to Blair's ri#ht turn, an% activists !ere tr%in# to develop ove ents outside a ver% ri#ht !in# refor ist part% !hich had ver% little left internal life$ We ar#ued stron#l% that an orientation should be ade also to!ards 5ocialist "abour, the 5ocialist -lliance and other ove ents at the left of "abour$ The pro-"abourite co rades inside the WI" !ere a#ainst an% orientation to!ards the non-"abour ilieu$ The% ade a bloc& !ith so e passive co rades !ho !ere afraid of an% a##ressive intervention in order to postpone the discussion process !ith us$ In the elections the WI" called for a vote for "abour, 5car#ill, 5heridan and ?ellist$ (o!ever, the% !ere a#ainst votin# for the rest ei#ht% socialist candidates 6even in places !here 5"P candidates had ore votes than 5car#ill or !here the% stood !ith a #ood perfor ance a#ainst 5car#ill -li&e Dau+hall or ,ardiff7$ "ater, the sa e co rades that !ere a#ainst an% serious tactical orientation to!ards the 5"P tried to produce a fusion !ith 5"P's 5ocialist Perspectives$ -fter that con#ress the WI" si pl% i#nored all its previous a#ree ents in favour of .oint discussions, a##re#ates and state ents$ The% never #ave an% e+planation and the% never bother to repl% an% of our letters$ Wor&ers Doice 6857 une+pectedl% reversed its atte pt to .oin the ",;R,I and to support our electoral line, and suddenl% adopted the position that "abour had beco e a bour#eois part%$ ?ot lon# after this the #roup disinte#rated$ Its 4etroit branch surprisin#l% chan#ed its position on the -u#ust 1991 coup in Russia bac&in# the hard-line 5talinists$ 4urin# 199* all the internal contradictions inside the WI" developed to the point !here the% produced the dissolution of the or#anisation$ The #roups Wor&ers -ction and Wor&ers 0i#ht appeared later$ (o!ever, neither of these #roups contained the a.orit% of the WI" historic e bership$ ;ost of these co rades no lon#er belon# to an% or#anisation$ >ne of the ost talented WI" leaders, co rade Bob Pitt, is producin# What ?e+t) a .ournal !hich also carries internal discussions a on#st the "TT$ -nother ver% i portant WI" leadin# cadre, Ian ($, left the WI" !ith other older co rades, attac&in# its turn to!ards the 85ec$ The a.orit% of the international "eninist Trots&%ist Tendenc% does not bac& either Wor&ers' -ction 6W-7 or Wor&ers' 0i#ht 6W07$ The 'er an, Bel#iu and 5outh -frican co rades are critical of both #roups$ ?one of the are producin# a paper$ The 5outh -frican ,W', !hich is the lar#est "TT section, considers that W- is ovin# a!a% fro Trots&% and to!ards the ri#ht and that W0 is producin# a trade union paper !hich is not a part% or#an nor a united front bulletin$ The ,anadian #roup has dissolved$ The Aa aican ,W' !as not accepted as a section$ The ,e%lonese WD is not ver% inte#rated$ The 5!edish #roup has criticall% bac&ed W-$ Workers Action: moving away from Trotskyism

The WI" split happen in a non-serious !a%$ The first issues of Wor&ers -ction and Wor&ers 0I'(T did not #ive a clear account of the reasons of the rupture and still no! it is not clear for the van#uard !hat !ere the clear political otives of it$ (o!ever, follo!in# the articles that these co rades published in their o!n press and in What ?e+t) it is possible to see their different political evolution$ W- is not interested at all in discussin# !ith an% of the #roups !hich participated in the WI" 0ebruar% con#ress$ The% are not interested in buildin# an international liaison co ittee for re-foundin# a Trots&%ist international$ In What ?e+t) G8 a Wco rade said that the% !ant to re#roup !ith non-Trots&%ist or#anisations and not necessaril% on a Trots&%ist basis$ In that article and in Wor&ers -ction G5, a talented W- co rade !rote that the Transitional Pro#ra e had several errors$ It !as !ron# to characterise the pre-5econd World War period as a pre-Revolutionar% one$ (e supported 'ra sci's criti9ues on Trots&% that he !as too voluntarist$ (e entioned that Trots&% !as !ron# !hen he repressed @ronstadt or !hen he did not a&e a bloc& !ith Bu&harin's ri#ht-!in# opposition a#ainst 5talin$ The /Trots&%ist ove ent' had been infested !ith sects and is ti e to accept so e heterodo+ vie!s 6li&e the one for ulated b% ,riti9ue7 and an% acade ic ;ar+ists$ ,o rade Bob Pitt, the editor of What ?e+t), in a ore honest and consistent !a% ar#ued that Trots&%'s transitional pro#ra e !as !ron# and that revolutionaries should return to the ini u - a+i u pro#ra e$ ,onse9uentl%, he e+plained that the left could support "ivin#stones 6"abour-left7 pro#ra e$ Wor&ers -ction does not share all that vie!s but co rade Pitt is sho!in# the path that the% are co in# to pro#ressivel% follo!$ W- is centred in the "abourite ilieu and is beco in# indistin#uishable !ith 5ocialist >utloo&$ It see s 9uite li&el% that it !ill ove a!a% fro the "TT corpse and .oin the 85ec$ ?ot surprisin#l% W- is also ovin# a!a% fro orthodo+ trots&%is $ Their attac& on Trots&%'s attitude to!ards @ronstadt and Bu&harin is lin&ed !ith their prode ocratic position in the for er /socialist' bloc&$ 0or the foundin# leader of the Red -r % capitalist counter-revolution 6and not bureaucratic de#eneration7 !as the ain ene %$ Trots&% suppressed the anarchist rebellion in @ronstadt because it !as de andin# ore ar&et concessions to the petite bour#eoisie and a !ea&enin# of the proletarian dictatorship$ (e did not a&e a rotten bloc& !ith Bu&harin a#ainst 5talin because in the late 19H:s the Ri#ht opposition pro#ra e !as de andin# the creation of a rich @ula& class 6rural bour#eoisie7 and a path to!ards capitalis $ If the "eft >pposition had ade a front !ith the Ri#ht a#ainst the centre it !ould had contributed to under inin# the defor ed !or&ers state developin# the ?3P en and the ne! a#rarian capitalist class$ Trots&%'s position a#ainst an% alliance !ith the ri#ht a#ainst 5talinis has been re.ected b% ;andel, ;oreno, (arve% and all !ho de anded a bloc& !ith =eltsin, (avel, Tud. an or the pro-Western nationalists and /de ocrats' a#ainst the totalitarian 5talinist rulin# caste$ But assistin# the restorationists ade the outco e even !orse than the 5talinist t%rann%$ The destruction of the planned econo % and the creation of a ar&et econo % based on assive une plo% ent, iser%, privatisation and destruction of labour securit% and social benefits, is a re ed% that, even if it is under a parlia entarian re#i e, is uch !orse than the illness$ W- has also clai ed that so e Western ;ar+ists have added ore to ;ar+is that post-!ar Trots&%is $ 'ra sci has been cited as one of those ;ar+ists$ But 'ra sci supported 5talin a#ainst Trots&% and laid the foundations for

3uro-,o unis $ (e !as a#ainst Trots&%'s idea of the transitional de ands and buildin# a co pact revolutionar% part%$ (is position !as to build step b% step a cultural and ideolo#ical he#e on% inside the capitalist state$ W-'s re.ection on Trots&%'s 'voluntaris ' is lin&ed !ith its passivis and fatalis and its ole-li&e "abourite approach$ W- believes that Trots&% !as !ron# in describin# the late 191:s as a pre-Revolutionar% situation$ =et five %ears after the Transitional Pro#ra e had ade that characterisation, the !orld e+perienced a lar#e revolutionar% !ave$ 0ro Berlin and Bel#rade to Bei.in#, capitalis !as startin# to be overthro!n b% one third of an&ind$ In 0rance, Ital% and 'reece !or&ers ilitias and red partisans had for idable po!er !hich the% #ave up to the /de ocratic' i perialis $ The fact that a post-!ar boo replaced the revolutionar% %ears does not ean that the 192:s !ere one of the ost revolutionar% periods in histor%$ If WP is so blind that it is tr%in# to see revolutionar% advances in a period of social counter-revolutions, Wis #oin# in the other !a% round$ The% are adoptin# a fatalistic and pessi istic approach of histor%$ In su ar%, the co rades fro W- are beco in# the sort of free-thin&in# prolabourites around the 85ec !ho are al!a%s tr%in# to /discover' ne! ista&es in ;ar+, "enin or Trots&% and ne! advances ade b% '!estern ;ar+istsI$ In fact, !hat the% are doin# is re-ta&in# the positions of old ;enshevi&s or centrists$ Workers Fight The ain otive that pushed the WI"'s left !in# to create W0 !as its battle a#ainst the a.orit%'s adaptation to!ards the 85ec and its constant appeals to revise the classics$ W0 proclai ed that the% !ere #oin# to defend the transitional pro#ra e and the necessit% of a re#roup ent !ith all the left-oriented Trots&%ist forces$ In that sense the% !ere in #eneral a pro#ressive split$ (o!ever, the co rades are still influenced b% the sa e WI" ethods, !hich the% sa% the% are tr%in# to overco e$ We can see these in t!o aspectsB pro#ra e and ethods of debate$ >n the national 9uestion W0 are 9uite confused$ The% are no! accept the necessit% of defendin# the 5erbs a#ainst ?-T> bo bard ents but it still need to overco e its for er pro-Bosnian position$ In Palestine W0 does not de and the destruction of the Israeli state and if thin&s that a revolutionar% or#anisation can print articles fro leftJionist supporters in their paper$ W0 supports the ,W' in Aa aica despite its !ron# vote for the bour#eois neo-liberal P?P that !as alread% in po!er a&in# stron# austerit% attac&s on !or&ers and its advocac% of third-!orld socialis and autar&%$ In Russia, Wor&ers 0I'(T GH proposed the i ediate election of a J%u#anov #overn ent and later a ne! #overn ent based in the ,PR0 left$ This is the &ind of ethod that (eal% or ;oreno used to have advocatin# a pro#ressive succession of radical #overn ents, !hich have to be born on electoral basis$ >n the 9uestion of "abour it is per issible to pro ote a revolutionar% faction inside but not to have a per anent advert in the paper advisin# all W0 readers to .oin Blair's part%$ In su ar%, W0 is to the left of W- and is for ation !as a necessar%, albeit insufficient, response to the passive and post-Trots&%ist W- d%na ic$ The moral debate In a recent state ent co rade ,harli "an#ford fro Wor&ers' -ction !rote that Kthe central factor that causedK the dissolution and split of the WI" !as the attitude Kthat

6the inorit%7 too& to the se+ual isconduct case that !e had to hear and decide on in Aul% 199*$K We !ont repeat the details of that accusation because !e don't have enou#h infor ation on that issue to ta&e a position and !e are still !aitin# for W0's version$ (o!ever, even if all the accusations of W- a#ainst co rade 5teve are true, nobod% has su##ested his e+pulsion fro the or#anisation or fro the !or&ers ove ent$ (e is not bein# accused of rape, betra%in# a stri&e, or crossin# class lines$ When co rade 5teve entered in the WI" in earl% 199* he !as a stron# supporter of the #roup's pro-"abour and anti-",;R,I !in#$ We re.ected his position of for in# a /Revolutionar% "abour 'roup' and his position in favour of acceptin# an Israeli state and ob.ectin# to revolutionar% defeatis in the 5econd World War$ We have an% disa#ree ents !ith the co rade and, if the verdict that !as adopted b% co rades fro the WI"'s a.orit% and inorit% 6W- and W07 !as correct 6so ethin# that !e don't &no!7, !e ost probabl% !ould have voted !ith the for a suspension of si+onths$ (o!ever, it is ver% opportunistic to tr% to use this case in order to discredit a ne! #roup and avoid a political debate$ ,o rade 5teve could be criticised b% his positions and his ovin# in and out of different #roups, nevertheless he has proved to be a ver% ener#etic co rade !ho has built ver% successful ca pai#ns 6solidarit% !ith our Bolivian for er co rade 3leuterio 'uiterre<, unionisation of super ar&et !or&ers, rall% a#ainst le Pen, Bosnia -id, etc$7$ (is dedication to the labour ove ent produced so e si#nificant tra#edies in his o!n life$ It is ver% dishonest of the co rades of W- to tr% to ta&e the opportunit% of a possible ista&e to li9uidate hi $ The% clai ed that this incident !ould have paral%sed the WI" so it !as necessar% to dissolve the or#anisation and to found a ne! #roup$ But this is not the !a% in !hich an or#anisation !hich has been in e+istence for a decade should li9uidate itself$ The co rades fro Wor&ers 0i#ht correctl% denounced this ove as an atte pt to prevent further political discussions and to e+clude the fro the ne!l% re-created or#anisation$ We a#ree$ 4isputes over personal offences and internal discipline should not be used to avoid political discussions$ The% are co pletel% subordinated to the political and pro#ra atical issues, !hich are in dispute$ W- should debate around the $ These personal attac&s are also da a#in# W-'s o!n i a#e$ It is also an e+pression of its lac& of political ar#u ents$ In our brief relation !ith the WI" !e e+perienced ho! the% often tried to substitute political debates !ith anoeuvres and personal intri#ues$ (o! do the% !ant to educate the van#uard or ne! cadres) 4o the% thin& that their readers !ould be ver% i pressed !ith these &inds of dirt% !ars) >n the other hand, W0 is also trapped in that sub.ective !eb$ The% are also usin# personal abuses and adoptin# a paranoid attitude$ Threatenin# to use the bour#eois courts a#ainst W- is so ethin# that is not stoppin# the and, even !orst, is discreditin# W0$ There is no reason to call the bour#eois le#al s%ste and state to intercede in a dispute on se+ual abuse a on#st people that call the selves revolutionaries$ W0 should a&e a state ent$ If the co rade ade a ista&e he should confess$ If the co rades doesn't thin& that he ade an% ista&e and that this is an incident !hich is bein# used to discredit W0's editor, the% can appeal to the "TT's control co ission or to a oral tribunal a on#st the far left or the labour ove ent$

(o!ever, !e thin& that !e should concentrate on the political issues, !hich are under debate$ Concl sion We are e+periencin# the death of !hat it !as a pro#ressive left-oriented Trots&%ist current that ca e out of the (eal%ite disinte#ration$ Interestin#l%, the "R,I, another left-Trots&%ist or#anisation is also ovin# to the ri#ht$ The i ediate cause of this re#ression of both currents is their incapacit% to understand the post-89 social counter-revolutions and their adaptation to!ards the ne! de ocratic-liberal !ave$ If the "R,I is beco in# a cult around (arve%, the "TT is ato isin#$ ;ore decisive is the tendenc% of all currents of post-!ar Trots&%is to!ards li9uidatin# the van#uard part%$ This a&es the tendenc% to shift a!a% fro a revolutionar% politics to!ards pett% bour#eois class interests i possible to reverse unless its root causes in ethod and class co position are understood and corrected$ The "TT, li&e the "R,I, reclai ed so e of the ele ents of orthodo+ Trots&%is in the 198:s, but these !ere shallo! develop ents that could not survive the counter-revolutionar% defeats of the 198:s and 199:s$ W- is ovin# a!a% fro !hat re ains of the pro#ra atic achieve ents of the WI"$ In that process an% for er "TT co rades are bein# de oralised and the resistance that so e co rades are a&in# is insufficient$ We ur#e all the for er "TT co rades to discuss !ith the ",;R,I in order to overco e the causes of the de#eneration of post!ar Trots&%is and build a ne! revolutionar% international$ We also de and W- to stop its dirt% !ar a#ainst W0 and that W0 should abandon its threat to use the bour#eois courts$ Both #roups should renounce sub.ective disputes and discuss in the front of the class and the van#uard their R3-" political differences so that the% can be .ud#ed in the court of the class stru##le$ !ohn "tone #ecember $%%&