[IMC-US] World Can't Wait = maoist front group

[Amy Lorraine Dalton]

hi folks,

i agree that this is an important question.

from my perspective the answer hinges on the question of what role the
editorial team has to do roundup reporting. I am an advocate of roundup
style reporting of protests like this that have relevance across region --
I think we need to do more of it. By this I mean reporting that gives an
overview of the actions and is compiled by the editorial collective. In
the case where a person not in the editorial collective writes such a
piece, great. But in most circumstances a first person account will not be
focused on giving an overview picture. Roundup reporting shouldn't replace
the first person reporting that an RCP or ABC person might do, but should
complement it.

Based on the above proclivity, I think that whenever we are doing roundup
style reporting, we should (1) focus on what the activists say they are
trying to do rather than what others say about what they are trying to do,
and (2) include all relevant information about a group's affiliatons that
we know of.

I didn't like exactly the way John phrased it, but something that
articulates the connection is not only approprirate but i think needed.
people need to learn about these connections in an up front manner, rather
than through offhanded, gossip-ey remarks or weird subtexts at meetings.

I do think that the reference should function to write the effort off,
though -- nor even as nick says to treat it as "suspect and dangerous" --
though this may be a justifyable stance, that should not be the goal of
the report. the goal of the report should be to inform. if the words are
aimed at communicating an underlying judgement of "suspect and dangerous,"
that will be felt* -- and we remain at the level of gossip and subtext
that i refer to above. This is a disrepsectful place. In this particular
situation, i think the easiest way to counter this tendency is to actively
consider and respect the reality** that many people who are involved in
WCW are unaffiliated with RCP and unaware of the baggage, and to disparage
them by association, even if subtly, would be counteproductive to movement
building.  to communicate in an up front way about the contents of the
baggage, however, this is an important part of movement building.

in solidarity,
amy

On Mon, October 2, 2006 5:10 pm, nick wrote:
> responses to Todd:
>
>> I would like to know why this matters?
>
> great, I think this is an important discussion
>
>> The World Can't Wait is a project
>> that has more than RCP people in it even-though there certainly is a
>> strong overlap, and to be frank its present work is a far cry from
>> Maoist it simply aims to impeach Bush and get people involved with
>> street protest which is laudable.
>
> For whatever reason that they  play down the strong RCP influence, we
> as reporters should not assist this.  I am not talking about how
> laudable their current project is, but they are certainly Maoists.
> Maybe you are not super familiar with their ideology, but your attempt
> to be "frank" here appears to me to be misinformed.
>
>> More importantly though, IMC is not asked to specify when they are
>> reporting on a project that is initiated by people involved in the
>> anarchist black cross federation.
>
> Do you really think that the ABC has an often clandestine role in
> events they organize?  I have not found that at all.
>
>> Sure some Marxist based projects
>> organize themselves differently then other left groups but nonetheless
>> there seems to be a serious, albeit tacit, anatgonism to politics that
>> does not match a certain political position w.in this network and I
>> think this needs to be marked.
>
> If IMC journalists generally treat partisan solutions such as
> Republican, Democrat and RCP as being suspect and dangerous, then we
> are being antagonisitic and should be marked?  Our principles of unity
> specify "All IMC's recognize the importance of process to social
> change and are committed to the development of non-hierarchical and
> anti-authoritarian relationships, from interpersonal relationships to
> group dynamics."  So, if we are so committed, then of course we need
> to be engaged when we feature projects that are quietly being
> controlled by groups that are promoting hierarchy, vanguardism,
> elitism, a Chairman, behind-the-scenes decision-making, not to mention
> dictatorship of the proletariat, etc.
>
>> I would remind people that one of the
>> strongest influences on this network, the Zapatistas or at the least the
>> EZLN, while not dogmatic have strong Marxist-Lenninist roots.
>
> Without even getting into what you think about EZLN roots, this is a
> simple matter of good journalism.  I encourage journalists to
> acknowledge the EZLN influence on various projects as well.  If the
> EZLN were intentionally leaving their name of off it's public
> membership in order to trick moderates into signing their statements,
> then, obviously, this comparison would start to become a bit more
> interesting, but until then, it is inappropriate from many
> perspectives.
>
> --
> peace,
> Nick
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~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Amy Lorraine Dalton
ald at risup.net
267-974-0624 (c)