MALIK MIAH is a leading member of the northern Californian committee of the US Committees of Correspondence, formed after a split in the US Communist Party. In this interview with SEAN MALLOY, Miah outlines the main debates in the process of regroupment of the US left in the wake of the collapse of Stalinism.
Malik Miah is an activist in both the Committees of Correspondence and the Labor Party Advocates (LPA), composed of trade union activists who are calling for the formation of a Labor Party. Although the LPA is not in the CoC as an organisation, the two groups are linked by activists, such as himself, who are members of both.
"The Labor Party Advocates is a separate organisation initiated by trade union officials in the oil industry", he explains. "It started over a year ago with the idea that labour needs a separate party. The idea is not that this party should field candidates or have a well-defined program yet, but that it recruit individual unionists and workers who say 'Yes, we need a third party, a labour party'.
Miah says that cooperation between the groups takes such forms as jointly sponsored speaking tours in which an LPA activist may speak at both CoC and LPA meetings.
The LPA is not the only left grouping which has raised the idea of a new party on the left. He is hopeful that other forces, with a similar goal, will be drawn into the CoC framework in a similar way to the LPA.
"The key here is that the CoC becomes a vehicle to draw an LPA or another third party idea, or other formations that are independent of CoC, into a broader arena with other progressive activists who they would not normally talk to."
Whilst a large part of the debate within the CoC is over the formation of a labour or left party, the CoC itself does not have one position on the issue.
"It's a debate", says Miah. "Some people are not for a labour party. People from Social Democratic currents would argue we need more of a people's party, not a direct connection with the trade unions and workers.
"A lot of Social Democratic currents in the US are supporters of the Democratic Party but are frustrated with it and would like a new kind of democratic Party or people's party, but they don't
want it tied to the unions. I am for a labour party tied to the unions because that would be a radical change for US politics and because we've never had one to force a change in the unions.
"There are people who are not sure. There are other people who think it is correct to support lesser evil candidates. They think it is a waste of time to try to build a third party because 'it is not possible to do in the US, it's never happened before'. They would be more inclined to just support left-wing Democrats or independents, but not really see it as leading towards a new party.
"Part of the reason for the [CoC] forums is to discuss the different points of view. The different currents of thought reflect a lot of the real discussion among left forces."
According to Miah there are three major currents in CoC.
First, he says, "There is the current that would argue that we should take it easy on political activity until we have had plenty of political discussion on questions like what kind of movement we are, whether socialism is dead or alive, should we be socialists or not.
"Another current, which I would represent, says we are for socialism, that we need a revitalised socialist movement, but we are not talking about a Leninist type party yet. We are not prepared for that. We've got to build a new political movement that is for progressive, socialist types, politics where both Marxists and others who don't necessarily consider themselves socialists can function."
Third, "There is a current which is sort of in the middle, a current not quite sure of any of this. They are not quite sure that you should have an organisation at all, socialist or not. They think that CoC should just be involved in mass movements or just be a clearing house, [a place] to come together and find out what other people are doing in the coalition but not necessarily build an organisation."
In an effort to draw in the largest, broadest range of activists possible, the CoC has consciously prioritised points of agreement above points of disagreement. One drawback has been that it has not yet been possible to put out a national newspaper. Miah attributes this "more to a lack of clarity on what we are trying to do than to a lack of resources".
Nevertheless, Miah believes that the existing currents will eventually coalesce. "I think there can be enough agreement", he says, "that we can have a new progressive movement that includes activists from the women's movement, black
movement, other social movements and unions who agree with these ideas".
The danger, he acknowledges, is that there could be a premature split, before the discussion has been taken as far as possible. The challenge is to avoid such a split.
The formation of the CoC follows the collapse of Stalinism in the ex-Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, a series of events which Miah believes has shaken many people out of their old positions. It's no longer sufficient to talk in jargon and cliches because the current political situation poses real questions requiring real analysis. According to Miah, this "back to basics" imperative is what has provided the opening for the CoC.
"I can't talk to an ex-CPUSA member on the basis of saying, 'Well, you remember what happened in 1941'.
"The whole framework cannot be based on the past. We have to start with today, look forward and discuss it out."
Miah says the CoC hasn't yet begun to develop relations with the mass movements because it has not proclaimed itself as a political tendency. On the other hand, he says, there are generally favourable views of the Committees in the broader movements and an appreciation of what it is trying to achieve.
The CoC sees the question of becoming a party as a long-term discussion, but Miah reports there is general agreement among all activists involved that the debate over 'becoming' a party is an important and valid one.
"The national leadership, or different components of the national leadership, which represents many views, will obviously put a document stating what it thinks, to open up this discussion. Two or three position papers might come from the National Coordinating Committee.
"I know people [on the national leadership] will try to get as much agreement as possible, which I think is correct. But ultimately the questions will be: Should this be a socialist group? Should it be organised? Should it have a national newspaper? These questions will be posed, and I know there are differences, but we are at the earliest stage of this process."
For Miah the crucial point in these early stages is that there is an openness and a willingness to go back to basics. This is the foundation upon which the CoC, and any future organisation, will be built.
"Activists who start with 'who is right and who is wrong' in every debate in history quickly become isolated because people are not interested — because you can never settle that. But you can decide let's do this: build a new movement, build a new organisation. That's correct and a rejection of sectarianism."