Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line

Progressive Labor Party

“Chicken Little in Boston”


Some proposals for improving our work in each area in view of the racist, anti-communist cop-out of the Boston group

1. Fight Harder against Racism –
a. Each area to work out NOW a specific plan for BOLD ACTION in the virtually certain event of a racist attack by the local ruling class – either the murder of black people by the cops or the kind of headline hysteria which has recently occurred in Boston and San Francisco, or both, or something else...This plan should include taking the issue to all the trade unions or most of them , raising the issue on the job, getting letters, petitions, delegations, etc., from the jobs, as well as mass action aimed at city hall or the racist press or whatever... This plan should be submitted to the NSC now. Also, discussed with every club in each area...
b. A new don’t be a sucker type pamphlet should be put out by the Party based on the recent newspaper hysteria in Boston and SF – ask one or two Party members in SF to prepare a draft right away...
c. These in addition to previously agreed on plans in re fighting racism in the Party – reviewing base-building, recruiting, etc...
d. Use the Boston group’s blatant racism as an example of where not fighting racism, retreating from racism, leads – to the position and the tactics of the nazis and the Labor Committee...

2. Fight Harder against Anti-Communism
a. Discuss the role of a communist Party as an organization which leads struggles, not just an education association... again, use the frightened position of the Boston group as an example (negative)...
b. Study, in addition to the points raised at the convention and at last NC meeting... i.e. dialectics, base-building, etc.,... HISTORY– means history of the international communist movement... especially important contributions of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao (as well as their weaknesses and errors)... but also the history of the working class (and students) especially in the TU movement and the student movement. 1. the role of the communist party, their contributions and their errors... the student strikes of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s (yes!), and the struggles in the unions... it’s not enough to criticize Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand, we need to know and teach others the way things really were... after-all, we didn’t discover the strike or the anti-racism struggle or the rank-and-file caucus any more than we discovered communism.. .although we may be the current flag-bearers...
c. Sell C-D with consciousness of dealing with questions of anti-communism... discuss it before or after selling...
d. Build the May Day march...

3. Fight Harder against anti-working class attitudes in Party...
a. Leading Body in each area must include workers who are active in TU struggles... report to NSC and evaluate nationally...also should apply to the NC... perhaps discuss at next NC meeting...
b. Very careful and consistent and specific attention must be given by leading body to those Party members and friends involved in TU struggles... that means getting together between meetings, meeting people in the base, helping with recruiting., interviewing for articles, listening to and learning from... etc... helping to deal w/anti-communist attacks, etc.
c. Wally should make a systematic study and report to next NC on our caucus building work... especially where is it going... recruiting from these groups... utu and wam??., etc...

4. Fight for more collectivity within leadership...
a. Each regional leadership should prepare and xerox a progress (hopefully) report to be passed out at each NC meeting...
b. More than one person from each city should attend regional meetings, rotate locations, strengthen preparation and co-ordination of leadership schools.