a meeting of 10 left-communist groups

This might be of interest. I came across it on FB (the Communism 101 FB group). Perhaps the SPGB could officially get in touch with the organisers to see if some kind of collaborative effort is possible, despite our differences with Left Coms. Whatever the differences I think we have a lot more in common with them than almost anyone else I can think of

At any rate, it wouldn’t hurt making inquiries…

“Korean Commission as a class war, not a war (NWBCW KOREA)
It’s been over a year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Like other imperialist wars in the past, this one also demands internationalist solidarity and action from the working class of the world.
Now that the imperialist war is taking place in Ukraine, internationalists in the world are firmly upholding the principle of ‘proletarian internationalism’, despite differences of opinion. This kind of internationalist flow says ‘There is no homeland for the workers! They announced a statement in advance, held a meeting and began a joint response.
We started international action under the principle of “NO WAR BUT THE CLASS WAR” with internationalists who recognize that the only war worth fighting is a ‘class war’ to end the imperialist war. This action aims to bring together internationalists scattered today to deliver the need for a counterattack to the wider working class and act together on the principles of internationalism.
<Main Principle>
● I don’t support either side in the war of imperialism. Capitalism and imperialist countries don’t support any “something bad evil”.
● Only the international class struggle to overthrow the capitalist system can end the imperialist war, not through a peace agreement between the ruling classes.
● The current and future wars should be dismantled to counter the economic and political attacks on the working class.
● Class wars can be expanded and developed through self-organized struggles of the working class, i.e. independent strike committees, public rallies, and labor equality councils.
● We are a society where all exploitation, oppression, and discrimination is fundamentally useless! A socialized society that has more means of production are not in the hands of capitalists or countries! We fight for a united world of free producers where production and distribution are in harmony with humanity and nature
Comrades who are interested in 「Korean Committee as a class war, not a war」 or want to participate, please contact us. ( Inquiries : nwbcwkr@gmail.com )
http://communistleft.jinbo.net/xe/index.php?mid=cl_bd_01&#8230;
· ·

“A MEETING OF 10 LEFT-COMMUNIST GROUPS”

Plot twist:

There’s only 9 people at the meeting.

This caught my eye – in the document ZJW referred to. Whatever differences we may have with the ICT/CWO as far as the basics are concerned we are very much on the same wavelength and that is heartening:

“The first local committee made up of CWO members and others, whether in organisations or not, was formed in Liverpool in March last year(5) on the basis of the five principles below:

Against capitalism, imperialism and all nationalisms. No support for any national capitals, “lesser evils”, or states in formation.
For a society where states, wage-labour, private property, money and production for profit are replaced by a world of freely associated producers.
Against the economic and political attacks that the current war, and the ones to come, will unleash on the working class.
For the self-organised struggle of the working class, for the formation of independent strike committees, mass assemblies and workers’ councils.
Against oppression and exploitation, for the unity of the working class and the coming together of genuine internationalists.

….

We were also aware that any new initiative would face new problems and that setbacks would be inevitable. The first problem came from the fake internationalism of various opportunists of the Capitalist Left (Stalinists, Maoists, Trotskyists, etc.) who will adorn their documents with NWBCW images or slogans but emptied of any internationalist content.(7) They are flying “under a false flag” (ours!) but can only do so by hiding their real politics which is to support the “underdog imperialism” of “oppressed peoples” (in short, nationalist struggles) or any state opposed to the USA. There is no nation or national struggle which the working class can support today.”

This seems to be the season for international conferences. We are on the mailing list of one of those invited to this one last weekend in Milan:

JRCL Tankyu-ha; Alternativa Libertaria/FdCA; Partito Comunista dei Lavoratori; JRCL (RMF); League for the Fifth International; Noviy Prometey; Partido Obrero (PO); CoReP; Lotta Comunista; League for the Fourth International (LFI-NIdI); Rivoluzione Comunista; Controcorrente; Internationalist Standpoint; Occhio di Classe; NPA; Committee for a Workers International (CWI); AMR ControVento. Majdoor Samachar-Kamunist Kranti.

We are on the mailing of the last named (from India). It is not clear why they were invited, since the others all seem to be Trotskyists or other vanguardists whereas they are workerists who hold that revolutionaries have nothing to tell workers but should just record what factory workers tell them.

Anyway, here is their contribution on “Lenin’s imperialism thesis”:

“Lenin’s imperialism thesis:
Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism. It is moribund capitalism. In the imperialism stage, production relations become fetters on the productive forces…
Some bizarre expressions of this:
In 1938, as per a Trotsky, the productive forces had stopped growing!
And in the 1970s, as per a fringe left group, 1914 onwards the number of wage workers in the world had stopped increasing!
If nothing else, the incomparable leaps in productive forces post-1970 should have sufficed for a decent burial of Lenin’s imperialism thesis. ”

I bet that went down well with the others.

Here is what we said in 1907 on militarism and anti-militarism:

Bebel and Hervé: German Party Leader As A Jingo