The Left And The Practice And Theory Of Revolt Right Now

We recently asked readers to read and comment on a new article by Sam Webb of the Community Party USA. The article drew many readers but no comments.

Marxism-Leninism Today has run a series of articles responding to Sam Webb. The most coherent responses are here, here and here.

David Bell sent in the following letter to the Communist Party:

Given that Sam is the National Chair of the CPUSA, I believe his article on 21st century socialism carries much more weight than some casual writer. In this light, to suggest that it is simply something for discussion and nothing else, tends to diminish its impact on the CPUSA and the communist parties around the world.

I believe that this article represents a major departure from the CPUSA's onstitution, principles of organization, and a Marxist-Leninist line that go beyond the tactical and strategic line of the Party. It is a continuation of a well thought out process of reforming the Party without a formal discussion or decision-making rocess. If it were simply a shift in strategy, one may see it as a routine document easily handled by the NC.

However, the document goes well beyond that. The tone set by Sam gives the impression that not accepting his strategic line will doom the Party and those of us who disagree with Sam also believe that adopting it would doom the Party. Either way, a broad democratic discussion and decision making process are in order.

That is why I strongly urge the NC to call for a special convention with the power to make policy and elect leadership. Given that Sam's "thoughts" bypassed the last convention, I am concerned that what he projects will simply creep into the realm of policy without the democracy and transparency that Sam himself advocates.

Why does any of this matter?

It matters because revolutions and movements of the kinds we are now seeing from Bahrain to Wisconsin always force us to reexamine our thinking. We believe, after all, that human consciousness and human activity cannot be separated from one another except as abstractions. Put more simply, theory and practice are always joined in real, living human beings and in the material world.

Let's go one step further. We also believe that theory and practice mirror one another and each becomes something of the other while maintaining their distinct characteristics. Theory is a form of practice and practice is a form of theory: each births the other. How you think and what you think about matters as much as what you do.

Revolutions and social movements cannot occur without theory and practice. The Arab and North African masses no less than the workers in Ohio, Wisconsin and Indiana are developing new theories of revolt and expressing these in their actions. If the left is not deeply affected by this and does change in response to this movement of people and workers then the left will ossify. If the left again grasps the intimate connection between theory and practice and makes it real in itself it can assume a leading role in society.

Sometimes the theory and practice of the masses is quite unconscious or is hardly noticed. But even then it can seep into left discourse and effect what the left does and how it thinks. Sam Webb expressed some aspects of the movement of the masses in his piece. His best critics have the advantage of just a few weeks' or a few days' time--weeks and days which should be teaching us all about social movements and revolutions.

It is a time for refoundation and rejuvenation, whether we are prepared for that or not.