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ReflectionsontheDeathofJackLayton

DonCurrie,EditorFocusOnSocialism,ChairCPS
August26,2011

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TheuntimelydeathofNewDemocraticParty(NDP)leaderJackLaytonisamomentofsober reflectiononseverallevelsbythoseofuswhoadheretoCommunistprinciples. Thefirstthoughtthatcomestomindisthatnoworkerorfarmerwhounderstandsthatthe system of state monopoly capitalism exists for the benefit of the rich and powerful will rejoiceatthepassingofaleaderwhoinhisownwaydedicatedhislifetochallengingthat realityonbehalfofthepeoplewhomustlabourtolive. Jack Layton it is obvious believed passionately in grass roots activist electoral politics. He learnedhispoliticsasanurbanactivistduringa15yeartenureasTorontoCouncilor.Inhis 2004book,SpeakingOutIdeasthatWorkforCanadians(KeyPorterBooksLimited)and inhisfinalstatementtoCanadiansshortlybeforehisdeath 1 ,Laytonoutlinedhisvisionfor thefutureappealingfortheelectionofanNDPfederalgovernment.Largelyinspirationalhis legacy and beliefs will resonate with Canadians deeply dissatisfied with the direction our countryhastakenoverthedecadesofLiberalandConservativegovernment. ThecapitalistpressisrifewithspeculationsuchastheLawrenceMartinpieceintheAugust 24,2011issueoftheGlobeandMailpredictingacrisisontheleftresultingfromthedeathof Layton. 2 Thatiswhatthepartiesoftheprofitsystem,theelitesofwealthandprivilege,the warfactioninoursociety,thosewhohateandfeartheorganizedlabour,farm,peaceand patrioticmovementsofourcountry,hopewillhappen. Communists reject such baleful analysis of the passing of a prominent social democratic politician.ThatiswhattherightwinginCanadianparliamentarypoliticswantstohappen. Whiletheestablishmentpoliticiansofthepartiesoftheprofitsystemdutifullyparticipatein a period of public mourning, they are already working to split the ranks of the official oppositionanddeepenthedominationofthestatebyprivatefinancecapital. Intheabsenceofamassrevolutionarypartyoftheworkingclass,theCommunistleftisduty boundtodoeverythingitcantostrengthentheparliamentaryoppositiontotherightwing HarperConservativegovernmentanditsprogramofIMFausterity,massivearmsspending, participation in NATO wars, sellout of Canadian energy and mineral natural resources and privatizationofthesocialgainsofthepeople.

1 2

http://www.montrealgazette.com/Jack+Layton+final+message+Canadians/5289212/story.html http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/laytonsdeathadevastatingblowtotheleft/article2137958/
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What are the limitations of that task? The question can only be answered from a class revolutionarystandpointthatisconsistentlyCommunist.Thatisouruniqueresponsibility. WhyareweCommunistsandnotsocialdemocrats? What is it that must be said soberly and without the doctrinaire rhetorical flourishes so irksome and off putting and rarely understood by workers? What is the reality at the momentinCanada? TherealityisthattheNDPistheexpressionofthepresentlevelofpoliticalconsciousnessof workingclass,farmer,urbanandruralmiddleclassresistancetostatemonopolycapitalism. Thereisampleevidencethatsocialdemocraticideologyisthedominantideologyamongthe left of centre electorate of Quebec, has deep roots in the west, for decades formed government in Saskatchewan and has produced for a short period an NDP government in Ontario. The NDP is the governing provincial party in Nova Scotia and Manitoba and is poisedtobecomethenextgoverningprovincialpartyinBritishColumbia. Socialreformismreacheditshighestlevelofinfluenceinfederalelectoralpoliticsinthelast federal election. It peaked at over 4.5 million votes and now has the status of official opposition in the House of Commons. For the first time in its history, social democracy is positionedtotakepoweratthefederallevel. Statemonopolycapitalismisalarmedatthatprospectandismakingplanstopreventitfrom happening. That reality will make parliamentary electoral politics an intense front of anti monopolystrugglegoingforward.Itisnottheonlyone,norisitthedecisiveone. Thedecisivefrontofclassstruggleremainsthatbetweenorganizedlabourandmonopoly. That front of struggle will intensify as the Conservative government institutes its IMF austerityprogramonthepeopleofCanada. Communistsdonottrivializethesedevelopments.Communistsevaluatethelevelofmass consciousness and refrain from pouring scorn on what the people consider to be of importance.Neitherdoweremainsilentaboutthatrealityorfailtospeakfranklyaboutthe limitationsofcapitalistelectoralpolitics. AnNDPvictoryatthefederallevelcouldresultineconomicandsocialbenefitstoworkers and farmers depending on the content of the extraparliamentary political struggle that brought it about. It is also a fact that those benefits will never be permanent under capitalism. Wherever the NDP/CCF has held power it has failed to permanently eradicate
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bothrelativeandabsolutepoverty.Capitalismremainedandcontinuedtoexploitthelabour of workers and farmers and reap the benefits of their labour. Above all social democracy has failed to keep Canada out of imperialist wars, and in fact has given support to such aggression. The social democrats refuse to deeply ponder these failures of their ideology andtheories. Thepartiesoftheprofitsystem,theLiberalsandtheConservativeshavedeepenedCanadas integration into the global system of state monopoly capitalism that Lenin defined as imperialism.Theimperialistsystemisinastateofbothgeneralcrisisandcyclicaleconomic crisis.ThecrisisisexpressedinpermanentNATOwarsofaggressionsuchasthatunderway inLibya.Nuclearwarremainsthemajorthreattohumankind.TheNDP,seekingpopularity, hasmarginalizedthatissueandrarelyspeaksofit. TheCommunistssaytoworkingCanadians,totheunemployedtothoselivinginpovertyit isimportanttofightforpartialeconomicgains.Wehavenochoiceunlessweagreetolive on our knees. We work for the defeat of the parties of capitalism, the Liberals and the Conservatives.Weengageinthatstruggleunconditionally. WeCommunistsalsosaythatasocialdemocraticvictoryinafederalelectionisdesirableand may ameliorate the age old curse of unemployment, poverty and war, but it will not eradicateit. Thatistheessentialdifferenceanditisabigone,betweenMarxismandreformism. TotheextentthatJackLaytonhelpedtomovethepoliticalprocessinourcountrycloserto moreeconomicjustice,improvedtheconditionsofthepeopleofCanada,defendedpublic health care system, defended universal pensions, kept alive the struggle for affordable housing, elevated the struggle of women for equality of rights, opposed racism, championedthecauseofchildrenandyouthhislegacyissecurealongwiththatofTommy Douglasandothermilitantsocialdemocratsinthehistoryofcapitalistreformistpoliticsas weknowit. There is another stage of politics developing out of the current stage and limitations of reformistcapitalistpolitics.Itisanticapitalist,antiimperialistandprosocialistincontent.It willcalluponCanadianstoconsideranentirelynewpathforourcountry.Itwillrequireand entirelynewtypeofpolitics,thatweCommunistscallclassstrugglepolitics.Itwillopenly and decisively challenge the power of state monopoly capitalism. It will take Canadians

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beyond the task of wresting small gains from an exploitive system and lead to something entirelynewsocialism. Jack Layton did not share that vision of Canada however he never faltered or ceased to remindallCanadiansthattherewassomethingbetterthanexistspresently. WeCommunistsagreewholeheartedlywiththatsentiment.

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