Having existed for over 16 years now, MIM needs to make a decision about the relationship between older, experienced comrades with set routines of revolutionary work and people newer to the party's circles. In 1989, the party set about to distribute 5,000 papers and it was an arduous task that took several months. The party did not know where to leave them or how to leave them with the people. The first issue of MIM Notes (xerox) in 1984 was over 1,000 copies, and sold for a dime, with each copy sold, but it took months. With time, people learn effective routines for all areas of revolutionary work and distributing 5,000 papers is much easier now for experienced comrades. On the other hand, in many areas, comrades can become frustrated with their effectiveness if they expect too much too soon. The ways of experienced comrades will even seem intensely odd.
We cannot expect everyone to trust more experienced people that things are done most effectively the way more experienced people do them. Some people just have to burn their tongues, even though they've been told the soup is hot. For this reason, many parties have youth groups with age cut-offs.
MIM is not going to have a youth group. In some ways W.E.B. Du Bois did not become a communist till 90. He should have been in RAIL long into adulthood, while he chewed on the communist idea that he chewed on from his college days onwards. There is that problem in that chronological development is not the same thing as political development. There's no telling how the two will be out of synch. There is also the glaring fact that plenty of parties have plenty of experienced cadres but no understanding of the labor theory of value. 20-year-olds may have a better chance of understanding the labor theory of value than a 60 year-old in a revisionist party, who in many cases might as well be hard-working Democratic Party activists. All things being equal, experience is better, but because of the widespread existence of revisionism, and what it has accomplished in setting us back this century, it is not surprising that no one trusts parties or experienced leaders -- not that this is a desirable state of affairs.
Most of the blame for the distrust of parties in the United $tates rests on the petty-bourgeois class structure, but to handle both conscious and unconscious distrust, we have come to the conclusion that a portion of the party's circles needs to be in more or less permanent, open discussion of theoretical and practical matters. This way comrades can learn from their own experience what is effective and what is not.
MIM sanctions the formation of permanent RAIL Congress, which should be open to Honorary MIM Comrades and RAIL Comrades. One full MIM Comrade (MC) will work in each permanent Congress to facilitate a little order and inject rational knowledge, but the decisions of the Congresses will be up to voters. MCs will not be able to vote except for the one MC participant who will be entrusted with voting MIM line as it exists now and not persynal preference.
MIM envisions these RAIL Congresses as study-groups at base, but with whatever action orientation the Congresses wish. At the very least, they must produce line that they vote on. MIM has seen that there are already RAIL and SLALA (Studies for the Liberation of Aztlan and Latin America) branches which have "burning issues" they wish to study, draw conclusions on, and act on. MIM does not want to get in these comrades' way; they should feel free to form Congresses and start hashing things out.
With the development of RAIL Congress lines, people may come to form new organizations or develop disagreements. People not accepting MIM cardinals can become MIM Support Group chapters if they accept MIM leadership. If they do not accept MIM leadership, they can become independent groups and work with MIM like Sakai, Pacific Politics Organization and others. The point is for each persyn to develop politically relative to him or herself and work as much together as we can simultaneously. We are confident there are creative ways to accomplish this end for the diverse political allies that we have.
Any RC or HC wishing to form or join a RAIL Congress should contact their local MIM representative or mim@mim.org.
Contact MIM by writing mim@mim.org