Commentary/Letters

Name change symbolizes new direction

By MAURICE RUSH

A change of name for the Communist
Party is one of the proposals contained in
an extensive document entitled The Com-
munist Party and A New Decade, now
being widely debated by party members
across Canada.

The document will go before the CP
central convention in Toronto Oct. 5-8. It
will be accompanied by a resolution pro-
posing that a referendum ballot on the
party’s name be presented to the member-
ship before the end of 1990.

Aimed at bringing the party’s policies
and name in line with the vast changes

taking place in the world and Canadian -

politics, the document states:

“The renewal of the Communist Party
and the reconstruction of the socialist
movement in Canada require a new iden-
tity for the Communist Party. It requires
that the CP restate its socialist goal, renew
its organizational structures in line with
today’s conditions, re-define its relations
with the socialist left and the New Demo-
cratic Party, and symbolize these features
of renewal through a change of name.” ~

When the Canadian party was first
formed at a convention in Guelph, Ontario
in 1921, it adopted the name of the Work-
ers’ Party because of the War Measures
Act, but side by side with the “open” party,
it also set up an underground Communist
Party which applied for affiliation to the
Communist International.

One of the 21 conditions for affiliation
to the Communist International was that
parties seeking affiliation adopt the name
“Communist.” That was considered neces-
sary at the time because a revolutionary
wave had engulfed the capitalist countries

» in Europe and the world and many political
groups with ill-defined political programs
were applying for membership.

Accordingly, after the War Measures
Act had lapsed, the third convention of the
Workers Party in 1924 changed the party’s
name to the Communist Party.

The renewal of the Communist Party and the
reconstruction of the socialist movement in Canada
require a new identity for the Communist Party. It
requires that the CP restate its socialist goal, renew its
organizational structures in line with today’s
conditions, re-define its relations with the socialist left
and the New Democratic Party, and symbolize these
features of renewal through a change of name.

During World War II, the party was
banned under the War Measures Act —
invoked by the Mackenzie King govern-
ment in 1939 — and was organized as a
legal party in 1943 under the name Labour-
Progressive Party. It retained that name
until 1959 when it reverted to the Com-
munist Party of Canada.

The current proposal to change the
name of the party should be considered
together with the document going before
the upcoming convention. Changing the
name of the party by itself is no cure-all for
the problems presently facing the party.
There is no one measure that will suddenly
change the party’s fortunes or overcome
the negative image of the party implanted
in many people’s minds by nearly 45 years
of the cold war.

However, the world is changing and the
CP cannot go on as if epochal changes had
not taken place. We must face the fact that
we are in a new stage of the struggle for
socialism. Recognition of that fact by Mar-
xists in Canada is the key to adjusting to
the new situation and overcoming outdated
dogmas.

The party’s policies and name should

reflect the vast changes that have taken
place. Marxist are now confronted with the
fact that the upheaval in eastern Europe
and the crisis in the Soviet Union dem-
onstrate that the theory and practice of
building socialism on the basis of a Stal-
inist model which provided for a highly
centralized, bureaucratic state structure,
which projected the theory of one-party
rule and which denied the building of soc-
jalist democracy and the involvement of
the people in democratic socialist struc-
tures has proven erroneous and, in fact,
disastrous, despite its historic achieve-
ments.

The epoch in which that model of soc-
ialism was attempted and failed is coming
to an end. Marxists in today’s world are
called upon to creatively apply Marxism to
analyze the mistakes made in seeking the
path to socialism over the past decades,
and to strive to evolve correct theories and _
practices for the transition from capitalism
to socialism. .

The party of Canadian Marxists has the
responsibility to develop policies and pol-
itical structures which would further the
aim of abolishing capitalism and building

socialism in Canada based on Canadian
traditions and reality.

Adoption of the main line of the docu-
ment by the convention, including a
change of name would reflect the vast
changes which have taken place in eastern
Europe and the world, would put the party
in a stronger position to meet the challen-
ges we face and put it in a better position
to fight for recognition as the Canadian
party of socialism.

We should have no illusions that the
capitalist media will not attack and red-bait
the party of socialism no matter what its
name. But why make their job easier? A
change of name would be part of the long
range struggle to make the party a more
effective and relevant force in the struggle
for fundamental political change in Can-
ada.

The adoption of the main thrust of the
policy statement and the change of name
would also send a message to the Canadian
working class and people that we reject the
Stalinist model of state socialism which
distorted many of the ideals of socialism.
It would give the party a stronger position
from which to fight and make clear its
dedication to building socialism in Canada
in keeping with the best and most progres-
sive democratic traditions of the Canadian
people.

The primary questions facing the party
today are: What kind of policies are needed
for Canada’s party of socialism in the 90s?
What type of party is needed in the coming
decade to work for those policies?

Whether the party membership votes
for a change in the name of the party
depends in the final analysis on how the
party answers those two basic questions.
That is why the current debate in the party
is the most important since the party was
founded in 1921.

Maurice Rush is the past provincial
leader of the Communist Party in B.C.

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+ Letters

Peace Council seeking campaign ideas

As many people already know, the Can-
adian Peace Congress has been reviewing its
position in the peace movement in the light
of the unprecedented changes taking place
on the international scene. These demand a
re-thinking of our structure and relationship,
not only to other peace organizations, but
also to the other issues of public concern

such as the deterioration of the infrastruc-
ture, the housing crisis and the environment.
One thing seems clear: the new situation
presents us with both challenges and great
opportunities to move forward on the road
to disarmament.

A first step in this direction was the recent
publication of the pamphlet Cut the Defence

Little seen in CP name change

I hear some talk among Communist
Party members in Canada about changing
the name of their party.

What do they hope to achieve? Soften the
blows of their enemies? Or are they ashamed
of the name because it has been misused by
some leaders in Europe and the USSR? Do
they so easily forget that it has been upheld
with dignity and pride by many thousands
times more members, all over the world,
than it has ever been abused?

Heaven knows (and we mortals on earth
' know too) that there have been some

shamefully strange Christian leaders over
the centuries. But I don’t hear the followers
of Martin Luther King or Archbishop Rom-
ero ever wanting to be called anything but
Christian.

I do think, however, that the chief danger
of the CP going by any other title is that it
might be the only alteration, and the very

necessary changes in the party would
receive less than full attention.

Bill Campbell,
Kamloops

Budget which outlines the necessity for a 10
per cent cut in the defence budget and a
program to convert arms spending into use-
ful social projects. Further progress on this
question was made at the recent Canadian
Peace Alliance convention in Calgary which
adopted a resolution calling for cuts in the
defence budget, cancellation of defence pro-
duction sharing arrangements with the U.S.
and conversion of military industries. What
part the Congress and its affiliates will play
in the campaign requires much thought and
discussion.

To that end we are proposing that there
be a province-wide meeting of our support-
ers and any other interested people on Satur-
day, Oct. 20 in Vancouver. We would very
much like to hear your opinions on the suit-
ability of this date and also any ideas you
may have on the campaign.

James G. Foulks, Chair
B.C. Peace Council

Views on CP
change backed

I wanted to describe my feelings
about the need for a transformation of
the Communist Party but Fred
Wilson’s analysis in the July 2 edition
("CP opens debate on political iden-
tity," Tribune July 2, 1990) perfectly
corresponds to my own ideas.

Socialists needa new party that can
provide a clear direction, that can pull
together the forces on the left to work
for a change in society.

Yes, we must evaluate Canada’s
past, and where we go from here. But
socialism is a world movement and
the crisis in theory stems not only
from our experience here in Canada
but Marxism-Leninism as propound-
ed in the Soviet and as part of a world
movement. Theory is critical!

Peter Ramsey,
Victoria

Pacific Tribune, July 16, 1990 « 5