31.07.2002

Mobilise, criticise

London Socialist Alliance made a modest contribution to the mobilisation for the European Social Forum last week with its July 25 public meeting, 'Anti-capitalism and the struggle for socialism'. Addressed by speakers from Rifondazione Comunista and Globalise Resistance as well as the Socialist Alliance, the meeting discussed the anti-capitalist movement and the role that socialists had to play within it. Speaking for Globalise Resistance, James O'Nions - who unfortunately seems to have picked up the public speaking mannerisms of Chris Bambery - gave an upbeat and breathless account of what it was like to be involved in anti-capitalist actions. He correctly stressed the importance of building for the ESF, but hammered away on the Socialist Workers Party's current obsession with the need for a big anti-war demonstration in Florence. Otherwise the conference would "just be hot air", said comrade O'Nions - as if meeting with left and progressive activists from across Europe to discuss ideas of social change was almost a waste of time without marching along the streets. His speech found its echo among SWP members, who explained how a "big demo" would help keep up people's "excitement". The 16 SWPers present all seemed to be quite excited enough. Andrew Vitale of Rifondazione gave a more sober and thoughtful analysis of the ESF and the anti-capitalist movement - the "people of Seattle", as he put it. Putting this 'movement' into context, he said that the 1999 US demonstrations happened "after a period of defeat". The great victory so far had been to "identify our enemy". The 'no-global' movement, as it is known in Italy, has thrown up new forms of direct democracy, developed new coalitions. Comrade Vitale said that his party's involvement represented a "radical refoundation of politics". In describing the relationship between communists and 'no-global', comrade Vitale said that the party "should not act as its external conscience, but should build the movement as an end in itself". From the floor, I questioned this formulation as being worryingly similar to Eduard Bernstein's "the aim is nothing; the movement is everything". However, comrade Vitale laid out clear aims for the European Social Forum, which are much more political than the SWP's fuss about what should happen outside the conference venues. He said the three aims of the movement should be: to defend the gains of the working class across Europe; to oppose global war; and to develop a European citizenship movement from below. This comes from Rifondazione's understanding of the ESF as a democratic united front against neoliberalism and war. However, there were some inconsistencies in comrade Vitale's speech. He said that the process of globalisation had "grown to its limits" and that this was the source of the "global civil war" which was developing. This seemed to me to be a semi-Luxemburgist analysis of the source of capitalist crisis. This position, which he did not clarify despite my request, was augmented by his and Rifondazione's emphasis on creating a "new European political subjectivity". What is ambiguous from the Rifondazione comrades is what form this should take in their opinion and just what relationship the party ought to have with the mass. Rob Hoveman, speaking for the Socialist Alliance, expressed enthusiasm for the ESF and pointed to the strength of it being a coalition of broad forces. Within this forum, he said, socialists have a very important role to play - both in building the movement and in providing answers. Comrade Hoveman said that the only consistent anti-capitalism was, after all, socialism - a system based on human need. He pointed to the recent drop in confidence in the markets, which showed the vulnerability of a system that now dared speak its name. Far from the post-Soviet era ushering in an end to imperialism, we had witnessed the consolidation of US power, but also, alongside it, forces capable of contesting that imperialism. With just over 30 comrades attending, the dialogue was generally positive, if somewhat rambling. Dave Wilson of the SWP pointed to the "smell of anti-capitalism" in recent strikes and demonstrations in Britain. Mark Fischer of the CPGB emphasised this point, saying that while there was no palpable anti-capitalist movement in the UK, there was clearly a widespread sentiment which socialists and communists had an obligation to try to build. The mobilisation for the ESF is part and parcel of this process. A disconcerting aspect of the discussion came from comrades who seemed to adopt the slogan, 'Mobilise, don't criticise' - the idea that all we had to do was to bring large numbers of people together, and not engage with them critically. There was also an overestimation of the strength of the 'movement' in Britain. In the discussion around the democracy of the ESF, comrade Angela from Rifondazione defended the PRC's decision to support the banning of official party delegations at the ESF. She seemed to be saying that this was necessary in order to protect the democracy of the movement - but then went on to say that politics could not be divorced from the movement anyway. She also seemed to be saying that, as more ordinary people get tied into the capitalist system through home ownership, shares and pensions, they become somehow declassed and harder to mobilise. This semi-Marxism Today approach to the question of the changing nature of the working class is a worrying theme emerging from sections of Rifondazione. Absent from the meeting were the Alliance for Workers' Liberty and Workers Power. It was surprising that the WP comrades stayed away, as they have supposedly identified the ESF as a priority - perhaps they are a little too protective of their younger recruits being contaminated by the ideas of other organisations. A few members of the International Socialist Group were present, however. The Socialist Alliance will be in Florence and will be part of the debate around the way the European Social Forum should develop. While not all constituent elements of the alliance will be pushing in the same direction, we will all be trying to make the ESF a centre of struggle for socialist ideas. Marcus Ström