Roadblock to progress— Right Wing Social Democracy a roadblock in th Canadian 2 march. This tion is not, tend, tained aa. s obstruc- as some people ganized and attacks of big monopoly capital upon working standards, despite its tude and scope. con- the or sus- class magn The roadblock is right-wing social democracy; the ideology of class collaboration, capitu- lation, and open betrayal. The widespread illusion that, under given circumstances, social de- mocracy can transform capital- ism from an exploiting profit- hungry hyena, into a docile re- triever serving the people. The propagation of this mon- strous illusion serves a two- fold purpose. It acts as a shock- absorber the -monopolists and — partisan governments against the rising protests and anger ‘of ~ people. And ondly, it lulls the people (and for LOr sec- first and foremost the organ- ized labor movement) into a stupor of complacent apathy and non-resistance, blunts their fighting capacity, and fosters the phoney illusion that a so- cial democratic government at the helm, in place of an open bourgeois administration, | would solve all their problems — without struggle. * 3 * The recent B.C. provincial election provided many valu- able lessons for the working people on the true role of ‘so- cial democracy and which, it may be added, ran true form, whether local, national or international. Instead of all-in unity on a broad program of peace and progress, such as the Commu- nists proposed as the only means of defeating the Socred, | Liberal and Tory parties of big monopoly at -the polls, the CCF-BCFL social democrats) stubbornly held to the illusion | that the CCF “alone” could do} the job. All that was necessary, » they said, was to “elect a CCF) government”, and presto, all problems would be remedied!) Unemployment, giveaway s,| anti-labor the heal icies, people’s to | |\when legislation, farm pol-| th and honesty”’ All would ie social , services, government, etc. taken care of by a ernment”. Utopian illusions or political} ; whichever you will, trickery, unfortunately for the workin -| people of B.C. the basic laws of capitalist ex- ploitation are not so simply adjusted to operate in the peo- ple’s interests..Nor in the final analysis does right-wing social democracy intend: they should} be. Therein lies one of the prime values of social. demo=} : cracy to the continued rule of big monopoly. It may be. recalled that long before the recent when many vital issues were pressing hard upon the living standards of the workers, and the latter through their unions were clamoring for united demonstrative’ mass action to} compel some redress from gov- ernments at Victoria tawa, CCF-BCFL right-wing social democrats were doing their damndest to short-circuit | and head off any and all such} demonstrative actions. That, they muttered, “is communism, and we want no part in it.” It may way of example), that when a section of Vancouver’s unem-| did | despite social demo-| to stage al commendable demonstration at| City Hall on June 17, the event | illustrated the value of bring- ployed trade unionists manage, cratic opposition, ing the tragedy of unemploy- ment into public view. Three months later we see a photograph of this demon- stration prominently displayed on CCF election literature; an artistic touch designed to con- vey the false idea that the CCF social democrats had been the prime sponsors of this jobless demonstration, instead of its most: active behind-the-scenes opposition. During the winter of 1959-60 unemployment was scarcely less than it is now, the right-wing social demo- crats, both in the union and in the Jegislature, strongly op-| posed any and all ideas of a| mass labor lobby before the| While preparations for war. from Washington that Be: respectable.” cooperating with the US. Pentagon Boasts Success" Selling Idea of Germ War NATO statesmen peace at the United Nations they step up their grisly The Financial Post correspondent recently reported in its campaign to make germ and nerve gas warfare It also reports that Canadian experts are spout platitudes about Pentagon is having success “CCF gov- and elsewhere, | elections | and Oi-| also be recalled (by | By TOM McEWEN legislature to press the cause of labor’s right to. work and ‘wages. “To some this may strange behavior,for a_self- styled “socialist” ,party. aspir- appear ing to become. =the govern- ment.” Yet itis highly consist- ent with right-wigg- social de- mocracy, which acts-to save a capitalist government. _ from “embarrassment”, and itself from the responsibility of hon- est identity with-the mass struggles of the working peo- ple. It is much —easier, and quite in keeping. -with - the treasonable role of social de- mocracy to say, .,just-bepa- tient, don’t do anything rash. All will be well a we take over,’ © * * S. * The history ofssoecial- demo- cracy in other lands-proves the fallacy (and the=treasonable content) of such.-contentions. One has only te look at: the labor government.regimes-.of Ramsay MacDonald; Clement Attlee, and a whole host-.of similar misleaders:-of labor to see how easily .these people discard socialist. and progres- sive principles for a title rib- }and anda pair-of. knee. brit- {ches in the British .House of Lords; a sanctuary of well- preserved reaction in which these social democrats. feel quite at home. | There is sometimes | spadaratton as to whether the CCF or’ its ‘social-demoeratic | equivalent will ever be “‘the | government” in B.C. That ide- }pends upon a number of pol- | itical factors and conditions, | While the people still vote in | their majority for the old-line |parties of big business (a fact | greatly stimulated by the anti- |unity policies of sociat-“demo- |-cracy) the bourgeoisieshave no | particular need (at*the mo- | ment) to turn to sotial demo- | eracy to “save” itor the prov- “ince from ‘‘communism’’, some |; ranks of labor. * * * But let a sweeping upsurge | r and radicalism grip the peo-! ple, manifesting “itself. in a’ united ‘determination, for pro-|from the recent B/C. elections gress and social chahge; a de-}and the narrow go-it-alone velopment “with. which the} anti-unity line pursued “by bourgeoisie and their old-line; CCF social democracy; the partisan governments feel they! need of Communists and pro- One basic lesson emerges can’t cope with or lull the peo-| gressives. to intensify the ple back to sleep with spe-|} struggle for unity-and mass cious “promises”. Then the; action for pedce and social ad- vance, To understand that the only unity capable of facing up to | all the issues of the period will not be realized by “unity-from- the-top” palavers with this or that social democrat brass, but a unity which wins the broad- est sections of labor. and the people (which must include the followers and _ supporters of social democracy) for united and determined struggle for policies serving the people. In this the Communists ren- dered a great service during the election campaign; a serv- ice which cannot be estimated | by votes cast for Communist | candidates, but by the obvious ing B.C. social democrats, who| rowing opposition to bour have gone to bat in defence of | geois and social democratic monopoly on many occasions,| Policies alike. Owe much of the romantic Thus the struggle for ‘“‘peace, halo they wear as ‘“working| jobs and security’? must con- class fighters” because of their) tinue with greater intensity facile ability to spin ‘“‘revolu-| than ever before..To win the tionary” and “left” phrases} unity required to reach this while they served the bour-| desirable objective for the geoisie as bell-weathers to lead| well-being of the common peo- workers down q blind alley. ple, it must also be safeguard- As our. Chinese neighbors|ed by a growing consciousness say, the social democratic “run-} and vigilance against right ning dogs” of capitalism per-| wing social-democratic illu- form great service to capital-| sions, capitulation and betray” ism in crisis as its “final| al. Only through unity and ac props”, because of their ‘abil-| tion can this detrimental road- ity (and readiness) to create| block to progress be elimin” illusions, discord and disunity| ated, and its usefulness to caP’ among the people, and first! italist reaction made ineffect and foremost in the organized. ive. yeoman services of right- wing | social democracy are called) into play, by the very forces which hitherto had used CCF; “socialism” as a terrifying | bogey. Here too we find historical parallels in abundance. The; people are on the move and} must be slowed down. Not, of | course, by explaining the tor- tuous policies’ of traditional right-wing social democracy, but by the social democrats themselves resorting to. the most “revolutionary” left-wing phraseology, used primarily to | lead the rising struggles of the people down a dead-end street. Some of our most oustand- nee ROBERT STRACHAN HAZEN ARGUE F B.C. leader of the CCF)... new national leader © who reversed his party’s stand | the CCF who repudiated his on the sales tax during the | own national convention § recent provincial election and | stand for withdrawal of Cam came out for retaining it. He| ada from NATO, and said be emerged from the election as| would not be tied by it: He one of B.C’s leading red-| undemocratic action has arous baiters. |ed widespread criticism. , 1960—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pag?é 8 October 7