The Communist Party USA vows to work with Democratic Party

  John Bachtell is the national chair of the Communist Party USA and he has written a “manifesto” in which he admits the need for a “radical third party.”

  Here is how he begins:

“We need a labor-led third party in this country” is a refrain I hear more and more. It’s a sentiment I agree with wholeheartedly!

In fact, a labor-led third party and mass participation in the electoral arena are prerequisites for winning advanced economic and social democracy, and even winning a green, democratic, demilitarized socialism. The challenge is: How to move from present political realities to the actual establishment of a radical third party.

  He then goes on to claim that both the Republican and the Democratic parties are controlled by Wall Street. (This is a stunning admission from a leftist because while the left complains about the Republicans’ ties to Wall Street they usually ignore the Democrats’ ties to Wall Street.)

  But of course the ties to Wall Street between the two parties differ and it should not be surprising that he finds the Republicans’ ties are evil while the Democrats’ ties are not as evil:

While the Republican Party is led by the most reactionary sections of Wall Street capital including the energy extractive sector and military industrial complex, it also consists of extreme right-wing elements including the Tea Party, white supremacists, social conservatives, right-wing evangelicals, climate deniers, anti-reproductive rights groups, etc.

Meanwhile the Democratic Party is also home to labor, African Americans, Latinos, other communities of color, women, most union members, young people, and a wide range of social and democratic movements. These constituencies exert influence on party leadership and hold positions at all levels.

Because Democrats embrace a multi-class constituency, the class struggle rages within, between what are loosely the Wall Street and the progressive or pro-labor wings. This includes a struggle against mayors like Rahm Emanuel (Chicago) and governors like Andrew Cuomo (New York) who champion the neo-liberal agenda and those considered part of the so-called “Blue Dogs.”

Even while labor and its allies are in unity with sections of Wall Street capital in the fight against the ultra right, they are battling these same forces daily on the economic and political front.

  He admits that a viable third party is not an option at this point but goes on to explain how the Communist Party USA can eventually gain political independence:

First, we are part of building the broadest anti-ultra right alliance possible, uniting the widest array of class (including a section of monopoly), social and democratic forces. This necessarily means working with the Democratic Party. This differentiates us from those left groups who underestimate the right danger and overestimate the readiness of key class and social forces to bolt the Democratic Party.

Second, our objective is not to build the Democratic Party. At this stage we are about building the broad people’s movement led by labor that utilizes the vehicle of the Democratic Party to advance its agenda. We are about building the movements around the issues roiling wide sections of people that can help shape election contours and debates.

  So basically he is advocating working with the Democrats to push the ideas held close to heart within the Communist Party USA and then he goes on to say later in the article that once they have infiltrated the Democratic Party they can begin to move the party away from Wall Street. Once the coalition between the Communist Party USA and the Democratic Party has done away with the racist right (even if the Democrats are unaware of the coalition) he feels the CPUSA will be able to mold the Democratic Party in his image.

  Infiltrating–and eventually molding–the Democratic Party should not be all that hard for as he stated they have much in common; how often have many on the right claimed the Democrats were a bunch of socialists if not outright communists? Apparently John Bachtell does not agree with that sentiment but it is not all that far off and because of this he sees an opportunity to mold the Democratic Party into the “radical third party” he so longs for.

  This is actually a very well-written article and I suggest you all read it if for no other reason than to understand what the other side is up to. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer…