En Passant

Julien Salingue lives in Paris and is a leading member of the New Anti-capitalist Party in France. He is a long-time Palestine solidarity activist and the author of La Palestine d’Oslo. He wrote the following comments after coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13 that left at least 129 dead and 352 injured. The article was first published at Resisteralairdutemps.blogspot.fr. It was translated by Todd Chretien and published in Socialist Worker US.

Fight for another world, a world that is not only possible, but more necessary than ever. Keep our heads and don’t give in to emotional pressure and shock. You may accuse me of being a dreamer. But my dreams never killed anyone in contrast to your “pragmatism.” More than ever, we must “resist the irresistible.” That’s the only way to move ahead. So…No, Cambadélis. No, Sarkozy. No, Hollande. “We” are not at war. It is not my war, it is not our war. It is your war. And once more, they are our dead. Just like Madrid in 2004, London in 2005, Egypt two weeks ago, Beirut this week. And everywhere else you sow your terror. Your wars, our dead. Your war, no more.

The historic nature of events in the last week in Greece with the mobilisation and then resounding No vote against austerity and now the rotten deal Tsipras’s Syriza government has offered the troika demands unity. Unite the left wing No forces in the fight against austerity. And for those of us far away learning important lessons from the events in Greece, it means uniting in our support of those in Greece fighting against capitalist austerity no matter who is imposing it.

After more than a year of leadership discussions … and various joint activities it has become apparent that unity … is not a viable prospect … The overall political projects of both organisations are not sufficiently similar to carry through a sustained and productive unity …

This year Socialist Alternative, having just completed a merger with the Revolutionary Socialist Party, will be marching alongside the Socialist Alliance and others in joint “Fight back” contingents around the country. We invite you to join us as we march together.

By a margin of 81 for to 2 against, delegates endorsed the National Executive’s proposal to fuse with the Revolutionary Socialist Party. The motion to endorse the fusion read:

“Conference supports merging with the RSP and empowers the NE to carry through the merger.

“The basis for unity is agreement on a socialist program for Australia today: for revolution; for a Marxist party; against imperialism; against all forms of oppression; against the capitalist state and for workers’ power.”

Unlike John Faulkner, don’t waste your time on the Labor Party, a moribund organisation of time servers and careerists bowing down at the altar of profit.

Instead check out Socialist Alternative and consider becoming part of a growing movement of revolutionaries in Australia to help build the fightbacks needed today and ultimately to challenge the dictatorship of capital.

The two main socialist groups in Australia agree that the basis exists to begin a process of discussion to clarify our respective political positions and engage in collaborative work, with the aim of establishing if unity is possible.

So what are we in Socialist Alternative proposing? In simple terms: a regroupment of the revolutionary socialist left in Australia. In the period since the great struggles of the 1960s and 70s a great number of socialists have gone through the varied far-left organisations. Many of these organisations have come and gone, and when they went many revolutionaries went with them, not feeling there was another group they could join.

What we want to create is an organisation that does not start with the historic differences that divide the far left, but a socialist program for Australia today: for revolution; for a Marxist party; against imperialism; against all oppression; against the capitalist state; for workers’ power.

I am joining Socialist Alternative because of the role they are playing in Australia. How we see Cuba or the Latin American revolution developing can be discussed over time and patiently. Revolutionary politics is always about learning, discussion and being open to new ideas to work out the best course of action. With this approach we can work towards a more united and clear revolutionary left in Australia.

Uniting the existing revolutionary socialist forces in Australia in one organisation around a commonly agreed revolutionary programme would be a real advance. A successful merger between Socialist Alternative and the RSP would be a not insignificant step on that road. It would show that revolutionaries with different heritages and traditions can come together to collectively build a serious and determined organisation. We strongly encourage other revolutionaries, both young people new to the class struggle and older comrades who have not given up the fight against the horrors of capitalism, to seriously consider involving themselves in this vital project.