The short article was written especially for the Bulletin by a member of the Editorial Board of the above journal. Whilst not soeking to indulge in inter-factional warfare it is necessary for us to appraise, in a strictly political manner, all the tendencies with whom we have to co-exist in tho labour movement. We shall in future issues of the Bulletin publish matorial on other tondencics and journals, (cditor)
"This note can only be an oextromely abbreviated one because of space considerations, it therefore confinos itself to a goneral characterisation of the journals; thus the articles mentioned are not answered in detail.
"Intornational Socialism" was launched in cyclostyled form in 1958, with articles on the British oconomy and the gonoral structure of the soviet economy. Tho objoct of the journal was to discuss probloms of marxism. The dovelopment of the journal, associated as it is with tho Socialist Roview group, reflects the activity of that tondoncy which rogards the Soviet state not as a workers state, transitional to socialism, but as a now social formation, called Stato Capitalism. Without any doubt both the journal and group have flourished on tho failure of a viablo Fourth Intornational section to ovolvo. The irresponsiblo breakaway group, tro Socialist Labour Leaguvo, has, by its vicious soctarianism, furthor strongthonod tho Stato Capitalist grouping.
Woll produced and froquontly woll written tho journal now has on its oditorial board throw mombors who accept the nocd for a world party - tho Fourth Intornational. Whatovor our disagroomonts with the intorprotations cast upon ovonts by tho journal, in tho short run at loast, tho vory raising of fundamontal probloms has its value and brings marxism, in howovor odd a form, to a widor public. Futuro articlos which may sorvo tho FI aro roplios to tho editorial on tho Common Markot and an analysis of tho lusso-Chinose controvorsy from an FI standpoint. Whore possiblo comrados uso tho journals book roviows as a furthor moans of oxtonding knowlodgo of tho FI.
Tho charactoristic viows -— anti Trotskyito onos - of tho State Capitalist tondeney can bo soon from a random choico of articlos. Tho 1960 Autumn issuc contained, for oxamplo, an article which impliod that tho rovolutionary party on Bolshovik linos is inovitabloy a 'substituto! for the autonomous activity of tho massos, This viow is usually associatod with an ambiguous attitude towards Rosa Luxomburg's viows on spontanoity.
On tho quostion of the Russo-Chinoso conflict, tho fact that tho Chinese Stalinist loadorship ropudiatos sharply tho rovisionist mush of the Khrush- Ovites is to thom of no consoquonco, "thoy are both utterly alion to intornatio-— nal socialism" - yot again, thoy cannot soo tho pulsating powor of tho isiatic Ruivolution, distorted as it is through tho buroaucratic apparctus. ‘From this standpoint popular rovolutions would soom not to announce tho road to socialism but tho inauguration of a now stato capitalist ora! lIlonco this group cannot take advantago of tho split and revoakb the storility of thoir approach.
On tho Cuban Rovolution, "Intornational Socialism" is similarly confusod. Apparontly Cuba has passod "boyond private property" but it is donicd that thoroe is an "offectivo industrial working class." Tho oriontation of Cuba to tho Sovict Union is not soon dialoctically but as strongthoning tho burcaucratic tondoncy only. (Tho quotations in this and tho provious para are both from the Wintor 1960-61 issuo)
On tho quostion of CND thoro has boon a tondoncy to accopt CND pacificism and ignoro complotoly any difforonce in tho roles of tho USA and tho USS.
Porhaps tho most significant ambiguity has boon that over tho Common . Markot. aAftor quito rightly oxposing tho rotrogrado defonce of tho Commonwoalth a la Tribuno, the final conclusion roads, "For us the movo to Suropo oxtonds the scopo of class struggle in which wo aro dircuctly involved; it worsons its conditions for tho prosont. But it makes ultimate victory more socuro." (Autumn 1961). Wo may agroo, of courso, that socialism is brought about by tondoncics within capitalism, but it doos not follow that thercforo wo wolcomo a movo which can only strongthon capitalism in Buropo at tho prosont timo - at a timo whon politically the strongthoning of NATO moans strongthoning thoso forcos constantly bringing tho world to tho odgo of tho third world war. Noithor tactically would tho workors approciato it if told in duo courso whon tho offocts bogins to make thomsolvos folt, that “critical support" was givon to tho Common Jarkot bocauso ovontually it spollod tho downfall of capitalism, somotimo in tho future. Clearly socialists must say no to tho Common Markot, although cortainly this involvos us in difficult oxplanations of a complox situation. But tho wobbling of "Intornational Socialism" holps no one and fails to soo sinistor olomonts in tho situation.
In conclusion, "International Socialism" can influonce valuablo comrados and its role in tho presont poriod should not bo ignored. Its basic idoas should bo combatted, but its positivo usos should not bo undorratod.