Letters

Bitter truth

I never thought that my little letter would appear in a British communist newspaper (Weekly Worker February 4). You may publish what I say if you wish, at least to stimulate discussion. It is simply the bitter truth, without rancour.

In fact I have never lived in Moscow, as you indicated, but in Ufa (Russia), and since 1993 in the USA. As a co-founder of all countrywide Esperanto organisations (Soviet Esperanto Youth Movement, Association of Soviet Esperantists, Soviet Esperantist Union, Russian Esperantist Union) I was very well acquainted with the SSOD (Soviet Society for International Friendship and Cultural Links), its members and leaders, in all matters connected with Esperanto.

However, I was never a communist. Once I wanted to join the party, but was considered unsuitable: I was not a (manual) worker nor a boss; I was here too young, there too old; and finally and chiefly (but this was not said directly) I am a Jew - and the CPSU after World War II was anti-semitic. True, it concealed its anti-semitism, unlike the present communist parties in Russia.

Perhaps these things are known to you, but they are a bitter truth. I like the beautiful idea of communism, but I know that the CPSU has compromised it forever by its ugly actions.

I am aware that many western communists are not like that and sincerely believe in that ideal and fight for it honestly. And that is praiseworthy. I know this particularly, because I worked as an interpreter with French technicians and workers, among whom were communists and supporters.

Sincere communists (not those who profit from their communism) do things which are very useful for everyone. Alas, history shows that when communists start to rule a country they often forget ideals, seek personal profit for themselves and suppress democracy. The fact that the CPSU became a party of the bureaucracy, not the working class, was understood by Soviet people already in the 1970s. I do not know whether British communists knew that then.

As to the idea that a counterrevolution took place around 1928, that is roughly correct, if you wish to use Marxist language. You could also say, if you absolutely must have a definition, that there was installed in the Soviet Union a strange state capitalism with socialist ideology in words.

Because Soviet newspapers were under ideological pressure, I used my language ability to read L’Humanité and the Daily Worker. One could see there at least a little of what was hidden by the CPSU. But western communists were not always more liberal than the CPSU. They were and are sometimes just as conservative, or even more so. If my memory serves me well, around 1991 I heard on Moscow Radio the Moscow correspondent of the Daily Worker [Morning Star - ed], and he was very conservative - much more conservative at that moment than the Soviet people could accept.

Boris Kolker
USA

Unbiased

Thank you for sending me the Weekly Worker. Although it took some while to understand the complex ‘in-fighting’ between the multitude of different political parties, your paper has been unbiased and covered them in real detail.

I myself am a member of the Communist Party of Britain, which I joined last year. When I joined I did not know that the CPB used to be called the CPGB. Nonetheless I agree with the overwhelming majority of their policies and hope to stand as a communist in my ward when I have finished my A-levels.

Despite being a member of the CPB, I help the local Labour group and have close links with the Socialist Workers Party, regularly going to their discussions. I certainly have no time for the sectarian divides over politics. I view the above groups as being integral members of the wide-banding labour movement and firmly believe that when the left is split the alternative is basically 18 years of Conservative government.

One of the most interesting articles in the Weekly Worker was on Socialist Unity. The potential for a united mass socialist party is one that should not be missed and your efforts in forging Socialist Unity are highly commendable. Although it would be foolish to say that there are not significant differences between parties, the base line in reality is that unless general unification can be achieved, individual parties will simply be ‘picked off’ (eg, Militant and most recently the Socialist Labour Party).

I personally believe that the left will unite eventually and that parties which maintain sectarian boundaries will crumble and eventually be included in bigger parties. I hope that the efforts of both your party and the other left parties which contributed to Socialist Unity truly realise the enormous potential behind uniting together. The old saying - “United we stand, divided we fall” - could not be more true.

Once again thank you for your paper and the best of luck for the future.

Sam Earl
Norwich

Lost touch

I did not know you lot were still going. I thought you had become Democratic Left or something?

Anyhow, I read the article by ‘Delphi’ (‘The gravedigger’s apprentice’ Weekly Worker January 28) on Stalin and Harpal Brar on your website, and that is a real sound bit of writing. He is an SLP bloke, I gather - how close are you to them?

If you have a general manifesto you could point me at on the web, I would be interested. My old man (big time Stalinist) was a member for years so I like to keep up. Also, if you could take me through the myriad splits and regroupings that go on I would be grateful. My dad thinks I ended up in the Friends of the Morning Star outfit (Communist Campaign Group) but I lost touch long before that.

Tom Roughan
Leeds

Free Mumia

A campaign under the name ‘Mumia must live!’ has been launched in Britain to join the international fight to free death row prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal and abolish the racist death penalty, open to all who agree with the above two slogans. A public meeting in London on January 28 drew about 50 people to watch the video Live from Death Row and engage in a lively debate on the best way to campaign for his freedom. Organisations participating in the meeting included the International Bolshevik Tendency (IBT), Anarchist Communist Federation (ACF), Movement for Justice, Spartacist League, Workers Power, former members of Friends of Move, and many unaligned comrades.

Mumia Must Live! was launched two weeks later at a follow-up meeting which discussed a huge number of ideas for activities, publicity and building support for Mumia’s cause. The ACF and IBT have endorsed the campaign and other organisations are likely to follow. The group will also seek support from prominent figures such as musicians, comedians, politicians, and from trade unions, youth, religious and political organisations.

Mumia Must Live!
London