Re: "the IWCA is not much more than... & Working Class Rule...
Date: 20th May '02
Name: A.M.C.A.B.
We have to remember that the "orthodox" left (Worker's
Power, SWP, SLP, etc) can never entertain the notion of active politics within working class communities because
they have no way of establishing the necessary links. In his 1964 book 'Hungary 56' (Phoenix Press),
Andy Anderson said "It [the classless society] will depend on a different and entirely new
attitude to 'leadership' from that prevailing in the traditional organisations of the 'left' today. It
will depend on an understanding that the objective of the Revolution is not just a change in the
formal ownership of property but an abolition of ALL (emphasis added) special strata in society,
managing the activities of others from the outside. It will depend on the final realisation, by working
people, of their ability to manage society and of the urgent need for them to do so. Without
this no progress can be made..."
And, for the following 40 years no progress has been made with regard to the
left's understanding of the need for working class self-determination. The decline of unionised manufacturing
has left the orthodox left's main (if not only) gateway into working class communities obsolete.
Which, in turn, makes the union, as a tool for social (as opposed to merely economic) change,
defunct. By this I'm referring to Marx's theory as written in the Communist Manifesto "The real
fruit of their battles (the battles between a unionised proletariat & the bourgeoisie) lies, not
in the immediate result, but in the ever expanding union of the workers."; i.e. it's a question
of communication in an ongoing battle for hearts & minds. But when the left try to meet the working
class in any other capacity than "the workplace" then they are instantly recognised and
mistrusted as over-privileged middle class idealists. Their arrogant vanguardist stance only makes the working
class even more wary (or should that be 'weary') of them. The dominant class in the orthodox left is,
without question, the middle class and, as such, they represent a completely seperate "special
strata of society". They may argue that they are also members of the proletariat. But outside the realms
of the workplace, where they are as much - if not more so - victims of wage slavery as we are,
their lives & lifestyles have a direct & negative effect on working class communities.
Working class people recognise that the middle class gain at our expense and so ANY middle class
involvement in working class communities would be met with hostility. The middle class left snub direct
working class community action because they know full well that they would be snubbed by the
working class.
But, most worryingly, the collapse of unionised labour, coupled with the refusal/inability
of the orthodox left to work within working class communities, means that the communication
lines are down and the communist movement in Britain is forced to reasses itself. De-unionisation
means that labourers are forced, once again, into a situation where they "...do not
fight their enemies, but the enemies of their enemies, the absolute monarchy, the landowners, the non-industrial
bourgeois, the petty bourgeoisie. Thus the whole historical movement is concentrated in
the hands of the bougeoisie; every victory so obtained is a victory for the bourgeiosie."
(taken from the Communist Manifesto) There can be little doubt that this process is well under way, the
only question is how far has it gone and how are we going to stop it?
As things stand I believe the IWCA to be the only strategy open to working class
activists. To be active on working class communities IS very much a part of the "bigger
picture", surely ALL class struggle is about improving life in working class communities. To do so directly
must be seen as more purposeful than producing more lefty diatribe just to impress middle class
academics - no offence Weaky Worker!
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