Letter to Canadian Dimension

Volume 16, Number 5, July-August 1982


Simon Rosenblum certainly has a deep and abiding love for the NDP. He in fact carries this to often absurd lengths, as when he attempted some years back to convince anarchist and libertarian Marxist readers of 'The Red Menace' to back the 'true party of socialism'. His attempt was, predictably, greeted with contempt and amusement. It is really a shame that the object of his affections is so unworthy of such a love.

In his comments on the Waffle debate in your magazine Rosenblum is only 'on the mark' in his observation that one cannot parlay Canadian nationalism and anti-Americanism into support for socialism, that the case for socialism has to be argued on its own merits. On most of his other points, what Rosenblum is REALLY arguing for is an adoption by the Waffle of the very bureaucratic and manipulatory methods of day to day politics that have resulted in the decay of the NDP as a party of ordinary people. Rosenblum criticizes the Waffle for bringing its case before the public instead of to the backrooms of the NDP - the so-called riding associations which, even in the early seventies, let alone today, had the active participation of at most 5% of the membership. Rosenblum criticizes the Waffle for failing to "link up" with the ossified bureaucracy of the trade union movement. The verdict of 10 years of rank and file struggle to democratize the union movement should give Mr. Rosenblum pause when he advocates that the Waffle should have linked up with a leadership that the majority of trade union members felt, at best, apathetic about.

Finally Mr. Rosenblum advocates that the Waffle should have abandoned any semblance of principle by refusing to entertain, at any time whatsoever, the horrific idea of leaving the NDP should the NDP prove absolutely refractory to socialist politics. He advocates cynical vote trading at conventions as a 'way forward'. The result of such abandonment of principle is that, sooner or later, the people will come to recognize such a group or party for what it is in reality - another group of power hungry politicians. This is precisely the verdict the Saskatchewan electorate passed on the late NDP government of this province.

In no sense am I presently a supporter of the politics of the Waffle. As an anarchist I find the statism of the Waffle's version of socialism repugnant. Yet it cannot be denied that the present left wing of the NDP is a degeneration, from the point of view of any socialism statist or libertarian, from the policies of the Waffle. The Left Caucus of the NDP has been able to operate "comfortably", in Rosenblum's words, because the leadership of the party views it realistically as something of a joke. The left of the NDP consists of a scraggly band of public service union bureaucrats, almost as out of touch with their union membership as the right wing, and a declining number of socialist academics ensconsced in their ivory towers. The traditional NDP left, whose link up with the 'new left' in the Waffle almost defeated the party leadership NO LONGER EXISTS. The political base of the Waffle no longer exists. The present NDP left lacks the theoretical coherence which, however much I personally may deplore Marxist theory as outdated, gave the Waffle effective unity in action.

If Mr. Rosenblum's idea of socialism is nationalization of a few more failing businesses, tripartism, banning of a couple more herbicides, increased grants to the university where he works and increased government regulation of any and all aspects of daily life then he and the NDP belong together. If, however, he or others have any residue of the historical ideals of the socialist movement then they would he well advised to look elsewhere for their realization.

Yours truly,
Dr. Pat Murtagh DVM
Saskatoon, Sask.

 

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