by Max Barry

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DispatchFactbookMiscellaneous

by 4years. . 477 reads.

Reflections on The Communist Bloc

"...The benefits of aligning with the left as opposed to the right must be made clear to TCB and interaction with TCB should remain strictly political and professional. Liquidation of personal disputes offers the potential for political payouts and should be undertaken with all due haste and public commentary on TCB should consist solely of serious political content. Critical support for the left in TCB and engagement with TCB on an interregional level has a much greater chance of success than a more militant policy and, of nothing else, may result in members if the left in TCB shifting to more theoretically inclined regions." (4years, "The Communist Bloc, a contribution to the discussion")

I largely stand by that position in regard to TCB and would add that the leftist community can consider itself somewhat lucky in that it seems that the current TCB leadership has moved in the somewhat direction of "left Zennyism" rather than the manifestations of "left Zennyism" being primarily or exclusively oppositional as I initially predicted. When I examined TCB previously I thought that the leadership would take the course of "centrist Zennyism" inclining toward "right Zennyism" and based myself on the movement of TCB toward the right since its foundation.

However, the TCB leadership is at the present moment taking a course of "centrist Zennyism" inclining toward "left Zennyism", a notable and a rather positive development. That is why I, as a member of the Executive Committee of Das Kommune, support a stance of cautious optimism and critical neutrality toward the recent events.

Comrade Comradeland is entirely correct in pointing out that we should "Never forget, any group that can make such abrupt turns in political direction can make them again at any point. Any group willing to unite with nationalists and pseudo-fascists is willing to do so again." (see here) and that is precisely why I think a stance of cautious optimism and offering TCB the chance to inch into better relations with the broader leftist community is the best move. Obviously the leftist community cannot immediately grant TCB full trust and embrace them wholeheartedly, however, we should seize the chance to make as much of a positive impact as we can while we have it. Therefore I respectfully disagree with Comrade Misely's assertion that TCB cannot expect to "cooperate with the serious NS Left. I will never invite TCB soldiers along on a Red Fleet operation because they have cooperated with our enemy, and there is no guarantee then that they will not cooperate with the fash. If they were serious about divorcing themselves from Libertatem and REATO, as you say, they would immediately ban all Libertatemite puppets from their region, get rid of Conservative Idealism's ridiculously naive dispatch from their pinned posts, and commit themselves to a long period of showing their resolve by carrying out their own military operations against fascist and REATO targets." (as quoted by Comrade SEJ on Das Kommune's RMB)

I agree with Comrade Misely and the other comrades who have insisted that TCB needs to show accountability for its actions and demonstrate that it has committed itself to the principles of communism and socialism if it is regain trust and engage fully with the broader leftist community. However, I would also contend that the only way that we can reach that point with TCB by neutrality and at least semi-cooperation on some non-critical issues. If I want to win someone over I don't start by demanding he/she adopts my whole program without reservation but by focusing on points of agreement and I think that is what we should be trying to do with TCB.

Taking an attitude of cautious optimism and critical support toward the recent developments in TCB as well as a more neutral attitude toward the region as a whole is a step along this road and an acknowledged that TCB is likely unwilling to comply with the full program advocated by Comrade Misely and others. I contend that the role of the interregional leftist community in regard to recent events is to encourage TCB to move further left and to break its remaining ties with the right as well as to spread communist and socialist ideas within TCB. It appears that the wiser tactical choice is to use a carrot instead of a stick at a this particular point in dealing with TCB, while maintains the shared strategic vision of the leftist community in encouraging TCB to make serious moves to the left and in showing it's commitment to communism and socialism.

To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, the best way of destroying an enemy is to create an friend instead. Obviously TCB cannot yet be considered a friend toward the interregional leftist community nor can it be embraced fully, but it may be possible to start TCB along that road by taking position of cautious optimism and encouraging the further development of TCB in a manner acceptable to the leftist community as a whole. The NS leftist community must watch for future developments in TCB to see if the current of "centrist Zennyism" at the helm of TCB is trending toward "right Zennyism" or toward "left Zennyism" and take steps to encourage moves to the left and discourage moves to the right. The essential thing is to take every opportunity to urge TCB to the left in a friendly and constructive manner.

4years

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