First Published: As a letter to the editor in The Call, Vol. 10, No. 3 April 1981.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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Though I have an important disagreement, I think John Martin’s article in the last Call was a good step forward for two reasons:
1) It distinguished between the view he holds that uftra-lefttsm is the main danger to our movement and some of the liquidationist and social democratic views that have recently emerged. An important distinction.
2) He spoke to the need to fight on two fronts—against rightism and ultra-leftism—though he thinks most of the fire should be against ultra-leftism.
Martin’s article provided some leadership to the debate among Marxist-Leninists because he affirms that we still stand for something, although there are clearly many unanswered questions and problems facing us.
My disagreement. Martin’s view that ultra-leftism is our main problem is not a principle of unity of the CPML or our trend. I don’t share that view. Many CPML activists don’t. Without debating the point, I don’t think it is settled.
Furthermore, to put this forward as the basis of unity for our trend effectively excludes the LRS. While the LRS has made themselves difficult to work with due to some sectarianism, our stand should be to encourage unity. This point in Martin’s article does not do this.