Electoral politics strengthen imperialism


While some of the groups turning out to the demonstrations against 
the Republican and Democratic conventions -- MIM included -- 
reject electoral politics as a vehicle for fundamental social 
change, a host of social-democratic and populist organizations are 
using the demos to recruit people into electoral campaigns. For 
example, the so-called People's Convention lists as one of its 
major tasks "to encourage non-electoral organizations to greater 
participation in electoral work."(4) The People's Convention is 
endorsed by the Greens, Peace and Freedom Party, Solidarity, and 
Committees of Correspondence, among others.

What the Greens and others organizing around electoral politics in 
the U$ don't see, what MIM has pointed out repeatedly, is that 
supporting electoral politics in imperialist countries will only 
strengthen imperialism.  Neither the Greens or Nader are anti-
imperialist or anti-capitalist. Yes, anti-militarism is part of 
the Green Party platform, but it was also part of the Green Party 
platform in Germany, but what did it matter? The Greens still 
voted to support the bombing of Yugoslavia last year.(5) When it 
mattered most, the Greens caved, in order to preserve their 
electoral respectability.

Furthermore -- to keep picking on the Greens, although these 
criticisms apply to other social-democratic groups -- the Greens' 
platform both tails the interests of the labor aristocracy and 
advocates redistributive economic and social policies that imply a 
continuation of Third World exploitation. For example, the Green 
platform calls for universal health care, free child care, and 
free higher education.  While these are all admirable goals that 
will be realized under a communist society, the Green platform 
implies that these things will be possible under capitalism. The 
only way to deliver these programs to the majority of the Amerikan 
is by maintaining the system that exploits the world's masses- 
imperialism.

Social democratic parties like the Greens that promise rising 
living standards for the masses of the oppressor nations, while 
mouthing anti-globalization, anti- IMF/World Bank rhetoric lack a 
real understanding of imperialist parasitism.  This is why voting, 
and building so-called alternative third parties, seem like 
progressive options to them. To the majority of the world's 
population, however, the social democrats represent the same old 
imperialists.



Fuck the Vote! Build towards revolution instead!



MIM stated clearly its position on voting before the 1996 
presidential election, when so-called alternative parties like the 
Reform Party and Green Party first gained national attention:

MIM does not support voting in the United Snakes federal or state 
elections as an effective strategy at this time. The majority of 
people eligible to vote in this country do not have a material 
interest in opposing imperialism so there is no chance of an anti-
imperialist winning. But MIM also knows that electoralism can not 
eliminate imperialism because the imperialists will not leave 
power peacefully. In countries where the majority really does 
oppose imperialism, the ruling class resorts to fraud or even 
eliminating elections entirely. MIM does not want to send the 
message that electoralism is an effective strategy, we want people 
to be putting their time and energy into work that will create 
revolutionary change both today and in the future.(1)

The best that voting can accomplish is a domestic redistribution 
of the super-profits that imperialist nations have been stealing 
from oppressed nations (including the internal colonies) for over 
400 years, and that make our already elevated standard of living 
possible.  Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal was a perfect example of 
imperialist elites using super-profits from the Third World to buy 
off the U$ working class, and turn them into a parasitic labor 
aristocracy.  So are the social welfare states of Western Europe, 
who have provided health and education benefits to generations of 
European workers at the expense of the international proletariat.

This is the trap that social democratic parties and activists in 
the U$ are falling into. Becoming a national political force here 
can only come by making concessions to imperialism. Who do they 
think their supporters will be if they grow into a significant 
national political force? It will be the labor aristocracy and the 
middle class.  As this support base grows, using the electoral 
system locally and nationally, social democratic parties like the 
Greens will be forced to deal with the contradiction  between 
their redistributive socio-economic policies domestically and 
their anti-militarist and anti-globalization positions.

This is why organizing voters in the U$ is that ITAL last END 
thing that anti-imperialists should be doing.   Voting drives and 
organizing around electoral politics only lends legitimacy to the 
imperialist system, and can confuse younger progressives about 
what it will take to effect real change.  People who advocate 
electoral reform and the building of third, forth and fifth 
parties as avenues of revolutionary change should look to Western 
Europe to see where that will get us.  The parliamentary 
democracies there have all kinds of alternative parties, including 
pseudo -socialist, pseudo communist and Green parties.  Are these 
countries any less imperialist than the United $nakes?  Have the 
masses of those countries developed broad anti-imperialist 
movements as a result of having more "leftist" choices at the 
ballot box and more "leftists" in office? The answer to both 
questions is no!


What is to Be Done?


MIM does not oppose voting categorically. "MIM's alternative 
involves fighting for winnable reforms possible under imperialism 
that will make the battle against imperialism easier while 
fighting for revolutionary change. We are organizing a Maoist 
party capable of leading the revolutionary struggle and we are 
educating people and building support for progressive causes both 
within US borders and around the world."(1)

Again, the point is not to confuse voting with revolution, and to 
not to mislead people into thinking that elections in imperialist 
countries can lead to the overthrow of imperialism.  "It is 
possible to win small reforms within imperialism and the abolition 
of the death penalty would be one such progressive reform."(2)  
"It is [also] possible that in elections to city hall, some small 
battles can be won locally that won't mislead people into 
believing that electoralism works within the non-democracy of 
Amerika. For instance, if there were several candidates running 
for city hall who supported putting up public bulletin boards all 
over town and making public space available for revolutionaries to 
hold educational events, it might be worth supporting them. But we 
should never confuse these potentially winnable battles with 
support for candidates who operate at the state or continental 
level and who support imperialism both in words and in 
practice."(3)

The pro-imperialist labor aristocracy and middle class will not 
give up their parasitic lifestyles peacefully.  And they certainly 
will not vote to end the oppression of the internal colonies and 
the oppressed nations of the Third World.  Even though voting can 
be used to effect limited reforms ITAL within END the imperialist 
system, real progressives must organize for the destruction of 
imperialism. "Revolutionaries need to put their time into 
educating people about the connections between individual issues 
of injustice like the death penalty and the whole criminal 
injustice system and it's foundation of imperialism. And we need 
to be in the streets organizing people against this criminal 
injustice system, including fighting against the death 
penalty."(2) 

"MIM says don't waste your time voting. But do spend your time 
campaigning this election year. Campaign against all votes for 
imperialism. Put up posters, hand out flyers, give talks, hold 
debates, set up literature tables, and do anything else you can to 
take advantage of the debate about the elections going on and to 
turn it into a discussion about how to end imperialism. Tell 
people why the Democrats are just like the Republicans and why 
anyone who wins a federal or even state level election has to 
support imperialism. Educate people about the alternative of 
revolutionary struggle and get them involved in more than just 
pulling a lever on election day."(1)



Notes:

1. MIM Notes 121 Sept. 1, 1996.

2. Under Lock & Key April 23, 1999.

3. MIM Notes 117 JULY 1 1996.

4. "Who Are We and Why a People's Convention?," 
http://www.peoplesconvention.com/aboutus.htm

5. MIM Notes 187 June 1 1999