“How do you want to unite workers if you are not united amongst yourselves, comrade?”
- Ouvre bien tes yeux, camarade (chant sur l'unité), En Lutte! / In Struggles!
As Mr Gindin expressed in the first text of this round table, “we aren’t yet in a position to ‘win’.” Why so? Why are we not able to challenge efficiently Harper's politics [1]? I do not wish to claim I have the solution. Throughout this round table a lot of people have suggested a lot of good ideas: independent media, care policies, rank-and-file unions, etc. Yet, I think one of the keys to our common problem is left out: our inability to unite as leftists.
Unity of the left. Even though this sounds like a 1970s Marxist-Leninist catchphrase, I think it is something we have overlooked in our recent struggles. I'm not talking here of unity of social movements, as this is yet another problem. In my opinion, the first step towards that common “new layer” is to stop fighting amongst ourselves. Yes, we do not agree on everything. Yes, theoretical debate is important and should continue. Yet, we all know that to win, we will have to stand together, as one.
And again, unity of the left can't be achieved without clear principles. Some people define themselves as leftist, but clearly are not. France's Socialist Party is a good example of this. Learning from ASSÉ's example, mass movements, direct democracy, feminism (in the broad sense of the term) and militant syndicalism should definitely be part of our common platform.
[1] The distinction between Harper and Harper's politics is an important one. The only way to kill the hydra is to attack the whole thing, and not just its head.
common campaign points ?
Louis-Philippe highlights some really great points, building on these reflections in relation to building a movement both against the Conservatives federally in Canada, what could be some key campaign points for a grassroots campaign in Canada?
Key demands or key mobilization points that highlight the violent nature of Conservative policies, while also clearly illustrating that today's policies are built on generations of colonial capitalism that defines the power of Canada's political and economic elite.
Ideas, reflections ?