The Democratic Socialist Perspectives, the main group behind the Socialist Alliance, has recently split. Last Month, fifty members were expelled for breaching democratic centralism over Venezuela solidarity work at Sydney Uni. Those expelled are familiar. They include former leaders such as John Percy, Doug Lorimer, Helen Jarvis and Allen Myers. They call themselves Revolutionary Socialist Party and publish a monthly newspaper which looks familiar also. Its name is Direct Action. They have formed a group called Revolutionary Socialist Party. One incident provoked the split but the majority argue that this action was symptomatic of a general disrespect for DSP democratic centralism. Surely there was no justification for expelling the whole faction, even those not involved! There are indeed political differences between the two groups. These, though significant, are basically tactical. There is no fundamental class line involved and therefore the split was unjustified. For example, both factions support Fidel Castro, virtually uncritically and the Chavez regime in Venezuela. Whilst they share some of Trotsky's criticisms of Stalin's Soviet Union, they oppose Trotsky forming the Fourth International and drawing a fundamental line between Trotskyism and Stalinism. If anything, they are even more pro-Castro than the DSP.
The main issue at stake is an estimation of the current relevance of the Socialist Alliance which DSP dominates. According to the minority, this is currently not a real alliance but a rump proped up by the DSP. This means that the DSP is effectively liquidating. Basically we agree. But we have scant respect for the Percy minority. They have supported the process all along the road. Now they don't like the destination. In fact they bare direct responsibility for steps such as changing the name of the newspaper from Direct Action to Green Left Weekly in order to merge with the radical green milieu.
Direct Action hankers for the old days. It even has the same layout and font as their previous version. It clearly is targeted to a similar audience and has similar political priorities. The old leadership who lead Revolutionary Socialist Party are extremely experienced within this milieu and are good at organising. Indeed they could have a degree of success.
The problem for the DSP is that the RSP are fundamentally correct. The Socialist Alliance is in decline. More and more it is propped up by the DSP. This takes resources, money and dilutes the politics. Green Left Weekly projects itself as a broad paper. Direct Action projects itself as paper of a particular tendency. This fact alone makes the latter harder and clearer.
As we said, the split is about tactics and not about strategy. The majority merely differ about the viability of the Socialist Alliance. Neither rejects it on principle. The Boyle majority are prepared to relinquish the Alliance in certain circumstances. They merely think that it is currently still viable.
It is the responsibility of both sides to renegotiate unity. When in the DSP, the RSP were given full rights to fight for their programme and put forward alternative reports. As long as they have this right they should use it to educate the rank and file of the DSP. They do, however, have to respect democratic centralism.
Bolsheviks do not split over tactical differences and there should only be splits if there is a fundamental line if principle involved. There is a fundamental class line between revolutionary communists and the DSP/RSP but no fundamental line between the DSP and RSP.
We urge members to break from both. Historically, the Socialist Workers Party (which both identify with) has had a minimalist programme including bourgeois nationalisation and democratic demands. Workers need a revolutionary programme to expropriate the ruling class. Both identify with popular fronts such as the anti-uranium and antiwar movement which unite all classes including bourgeois pacifists to pressure the government. Only revolution can stop war! Neither the hard line RSP nor the more liquidated DSP is the party workers need to fight the system.