Jane Slaughter Comments

I FOUND ERIC CHESTER'S ARTICLE ON THE HISTORY OF FUSION quite instructive, although I am not a proponent of that strategy. On first reading, I thought that Eric and I agreed that the Labor Party should run candidates of its own. But apparently Eric believes that even if the Labor Party were to do so, those candidates would be worthless because they would not run on an explicitly socialist platform. Perhaps Eric thinks that the campaign of his own tiny Socialist Party last year is a viable model. Or perhaps he doesn't, since he doesn't mention it.

Eric says that the leaders of the Labor Party have rotten politics; therefore, no matter what, the Labor Party is doomed. He relies instead on "a militant social movement," here left vague. Somehow he discounts the notion that militancy could also come from within the Labor Party, from rank and file workers who appear nowhere in this article except as "inchoately angry" dupes who will easily be "diverted" by their opportunist leaders "into manageable channels."

Eric's brand of fearful rhetoric bespeaks a deep cynicism and pessimism: don't associate with that group; their leaders are bad! With zero faith in rank-and-file workers/members of the Labor Party, it's understandable that Chester ends up with such a sour and isolating stance.

Contents of No. 23