A reply to Carrie Hamilton's economistic and sectarian line on aspects of a new Feminist radicalisation!

This is a reply to Carrie Hamilton's article in the Guardian published on the 24th of March 2010:-


Carrie Hamilton makes classical mistakes historically associated with Sectarian Economists. Lenin and Trotsky always faught against such currents. The American Socialist Workers Party developed when they were Trotskyist during the late 1960/early 1970s this Leninist-Trotskyist position by developing a programme and strategy of a combined third American Socialist revolution. This combined Socialist revolution would be under the leadership of workers (which makes that revolution having a Socialist character) but winning over oppressed Afro Americans and Women from working class and some middle class backgrounds by a programme of specific demands related to their oppression.


Lenin argued in "What is to be done" in 1902 that a revolutionary party had to champion the struggles of oppressed elements in order to stop ruling class elements dividing and ruling and winning these movements over to the working class. Trotsky deepened this understanding by arguing that revolutionaries in America had to lead the workers towards a Socialist revolution required winning white workers away from Racism by winning them to fighting for certain specially oppressed demands such as mandatory quotas to reduce Racist discrimination of Afro Americans in employment. During this process of winning over white workers to fight against Racism it unites the workers to fight the common enemy which is American Capitalism. This is how Trotsky saw Permanent Revolution being creatively applied to America. As Anthony Marcus points out in his introduction to a 2005 book editing George Brietman's writings on Afro American struggles one major reason American workers have not won the same welfare state gains as Western Europe is by some white workers being Racist to Afro Americans. In other words the Racism of some white workers played into the hands of America's rulers in dividing and ruling.


Trotsky when he analysed the rise of Fascism during the 1930s stated that everything rotten in Capitalism
comes to the surface. All the worse aspects of class exploitation and oppression in terms of Racism and Sexism is re-emerging. This confirms my prediction made on my last blog 1 ("Brain on Trotskyism") article on January 1st 2008 that this would lead to all past struggles aganist exploitation and oppression coming to the political centre in a growing radicalisation. Also I was correct that this depression is the worse Capitalist crisis and Trotsky would develop into a major politiclal figure on a scale not seen since the rise of Stalinism in the 1920s.


Hamilton argues a totally sectarian line towards women who are beginning to enter the political arena against extrmee Sexism which this Capitalist crisis is making worse. On an abstract level she attacks sexual violence. Then she condemns the early stages of a movement fighting against it for being limited. This is sectarian abstentionism of the worse kind. When Afro-British and British-Asians fight against forms of Racist violence we would not probably have the same sectarianism from Hamilton. It is very positive women are beginning to fight against extreme Sexism which stems from seeing Women as sexual objects. The worse mistake of Hamilton is her refusal to condemn men working in the sex industry. They are being used to oppress Women which increases super- profits for Capital. Trotskyists would also call on workers not to comply with Racist practices.


It is fundamentally wrong of Hamilton to draw an analogy between male Sex workers and Women secretaries. In the tradition going back to Marx and Engels Trotskyists intervene against exploitation by working with fellow workers in the factories and offices but refuse on principle to work in oppressive areas against oppressed ethnicities/nationalities and Women. There is some useful points in Nina Power's presenation launching the 21st Century manifesto despite her Economistic focus. Power locates correctly all workers in a contractual employment (even unemployed workers, some of which are called job seekers).


Additionally she points out there is a class difference in attitude by ruling class ideologues between higher class (middle class women) and sexually permsisive women who are working class. There is some truth to this but has a dual and contradictory character as all Women are oppressed which as Capitalism's crisis deepens is intensfied. This is what the sectarian Economists downplay in not recognising the special character of oppression. Most ruling class women will have to be destroyed in the process of a Socialist revolution because they will put their class privliges before their oppression. The Leninist-Trotskyist strategy is to win the working class and decisive middle class layer of Women over to the workers struggle for power by winning their confidence through having a specific series of demands drawing them into struggle against Capitalism related to their oppression, and in this process win them over to seeing their liberation can only be acheived by a workers-led Socialist revolution.


Hamilton has no idea of a Trotskyist transitional approach. She has an abstract and Maxiamist approach of uniting all partial struggles to end class rule. This has to be part of a revolutionary strategy. In order to achieve this as Trotsky points out you have to start where the specially oppresed and workers are at in consciousnes and link by involving them in struggles through Transitional Demands to ultimatley towards a Socialist revolution.


There are partial struggles breaking out against extreme Sexism which is leading to violence against Women and battles against increasing Xenophobia. The growing xenophobia and limited Fascist successes is encouraging Fascists to post openly pro-Nazi videos from the 1930s and 1940s Nazi Germany on You Tube There are strikes breaking out against Capital trying to make workers pay for this Capitalist crisis. Trotskysists have to link single issue campaigns and movements against xenophobia; and Sexism with the workers struggles against Capital lowering their standard of living. Tactical timing is important. There are wider demands Trotskyists would raise in social movements on general oppression. In single issue campaigns there are maybe more limited demands to keep a united front together and mobilise the maxinum number through mass actions by one or two demands which shows in practice the power of masses being mobilised. Brinking the Trade Union into these struggles will bring the workers and oppressed unity closer.


The Tories are planning to attack the workers and oppressed. A right wing Tory think-tank called the Cornerstone group has its stated aim to destroy Bourgeois Liberalism by whipping up Xenophobia. They also want to attack womens rights to Abortion. By fighting for a Labour government at this general election we can begin through united front with Social Democrats warn the workers and oppressed how they be attacked by the Tories through cutbacks; by reducing abortions; and more xenophoblic leglisation. If the Tories are defeated this strengthens the workers and oppressed to fightback as the Social Democrats adapt to stop a growing radicalisation of workers and the oppressed through the social movements. Trotskyists by going through their experinces with Social Democracy can win the workers and oppressed over to a programme of Socialist revolution.