[Red Star]

I think we should ask everyone involved what they want to do: my view is that votes for us should be seen as a vote for protest, while we, as an organisation, build community and workplace groups on a grassroots basis, in order to be prepared for a takeover of power.

[HoniSoit]

I was thinking of the specific policy platform.

If we are to operate within the existing liberal capitalist democracy (which people seem to take for granted when they write their own party programs), we'd have quite similar policies as the center left parties - which is not necessarily a bad thing - but it would be difficult to distinguish the revolutionary front from them.

[Vladimir]

we in the SN are willing to make a coalition with you if you guys accept 3/4 of our platform; you should check it out

[HoniSoit]

Let's see:

1) bank nationalisation
2) heavy progressive tax
3) abolishment of tax for low incomes, increases of tax on profits (50%?)
4) price freezing or imposing of narrow price boundary (through buffer stock operation, which instead of being sold off can be used for charity) on staple items, namely those with a low price elasticity of demand
5) vast increases on inheritance tax for capital inheritance (70%?)
6) abolition of interest rates on small loans, individual debts, minimisation of rent rates (and possibly abolition in some cases, as well as expropriation in certain cases)
7) democratisation of trade unions, namely via a transfer to a delegate base from the current representative one
8 ) legislation for all employment contract negotiating to go through trade unions with membership as a prerequisite
9) freedom of political activity within unions and workplaces
10) universal and unabridged right to firearms
11) a power division contract between workers' councils and state; we promise to push through in the parliament any demands councils make
12) guarantee of legalisation of factory occupations as "cooperatives", as well as expropriation and handing over to its workers of any enterprise in risk of being plundered by its owner
13) unlimited financial and material support to union, council and "cooperative" organisations as well as entrusting large local budgets to them
14) total disarmament and denuclearisation, replacing of any conscript/contract army with a universal peoples' militia (with specialist forces being handed over to the command of soldiers' councils) and minimal subordination to military elites
15) dissolution of the police force in favour of workers’ militia
16) reservation of at least half of the court jury seats for worker council delegates

Except '10) universal and unabridged right to firearms' (which I think is a bit ambiguous - I don't have any problem with workers' militia/democratised community militia but it doesn't necessarily mean universal rights to firearms), I personally would endorse all of the above given that we are to operate within parliamentary system. But it'd be up to others whether we want a coalition with SN.

[HoniSoit]

I've just written a first draft of the RF political platform, and I welcome any suggestion and criticism.

Revolutionary Front: Party philosophy and Program:

Revolutionary Front (RF) represents the non-statist revolutionary left aimed at eliminating all forms of socioeconomic, political, racial and sexual oppression and domination. The RF opposes both the hierarchical and oppressive state apparatus, and the destructive and exploitative capitalist economic system; and RF advocates for their replacement by a complete democratic organisation of all aspects of the society from the grassroots level up. The restructured society will cherish individual rights and liberty as well as collective interests of different social groups and the society as a whole.

Whilst the RF expresses sympathy for many of the social, economic, environmental and foreign policies advocated by the Social Liberal Democrats (SLD), we do not believe most of these policies can be implemented in a state capitalist society. The historical record of the social democratic parties in Western capitalist states demonstrates the limitation of and resistance to social democratic demands by the combining power of the State and Capital, resulting very often in the eventual betrayal of the social democratic program and of the people supporting it.

RF argues that a more radical critique and major transformation of the society is necessary for policies of the kind put forward by SLD to be realised. In this, RF opposes to the kind of reformism that does not recognise the limitations of social democratic reforms, and instead favors a realistic assessment of the nature of power and class relations in society, based on which the strategies for continued struggle and revolution are derived from. In bringing out a more decent and just society, RF in principle rejects the use of violence unless in self-defense but warns the initiation of violence often comes first from the State with its monopoly of violence through coercive state apparatus such as the police and army.

[Red Star]

That is a good program!

I propose the foundation of the Federation of PoFo Communes, to organise an alternative social network to the state. I also propose people to vote for the RF as a way to cause problems for parliament.

[Vladimir]

well since you guys accept most of SN platform we have to form one party and make a joint platform

[ingliz]

I propose that the Revolutionary Front ally with the SN(R)

[Demosthenes]

We really have the opportunity to form a quite large voting bloc between our three parties, and while some of those in the SLD might endorse the current system, there are those of us who would like to see some fundamental change occur.

Perhaps something could be worked out between the three of us...

[HoniSoit]

I propose that the Revolutionary Front ally with the SN(R)

That does seem to be the way we have done business together in the past.

We really have the opportunity to form a quite large voting bloc between our three parties, and while some of those in the SLD might endorse the current system, there are those of us who would like to see some fundamental change occur.

Perhaps something could be worked out between the three of us...

Sounds like a plan.

If the anarchists are to vote at all, there is a very good chance we would side with the SN and SLD.

[Brio]

Does a vote for the RF signify a protest against the whole Parliamentary system, or are Red Star and I (who are the only ones who have voted so far for RF) just traitors to the anarchist cause for voting?

EDIT - I see HoniSoit just voted and I missed ingliz's vote so that makes four votes,.

[Vladimir]

Does a vote for the RF signify a protest against the whole Parliamentary system

Yes it does; read the SN platform, which they accept, to convince yourself

[HoniSoit]

Does a vote for the RF signify a protest against the whole Parliamentary system, or are Red Star and I (who are the only ones who have voted so far for RF) just traitors to the anarchist cause for voting?

It is still a protest vote (Konulu and I have also just registered the protest vote).

Though again, I wouldn't mind voting in block with the SN or SLD if it helps defeat the right-wing parties.

EDIT - I see HoniSoit just voted so that makes three votes.

Yeah, I may be away for the next couple of days so better get my vote in before the Monday deadline.

[Kon]

(Konulu and I have also just registered the protest vote).

I refused to vote actually, I want to clear this up.

I have an issue with the platforms stand on violence, unless you consider violent action against the state to be "self defense" which I do.

[ingliz]

Ref: Communique from Ingliz, Revolutionary Bolshevik-Leninist Fraction SN(R) to the committee of the Worker's Group (SN):

Comrades,

I propose we put this petty squabbling aside and present a unified platform. While I cannot in conscience work directly with Potemkin, the Revolutionary Bolshevik Leninist Fraction of the Revolutionary Front, the SN(R), is willing to act as liaison between the RF and the SN.

[Donna]

While I cannot in conscience work directly with Potemkin,

Woah.. what's all this about?

[Cheesecake_Marmalade]

He allied with me so that I could perform purges, which would have included an assassination of the traitor ingliz if ingliz hadn't shot me first.

[HoniSoit]

I have an issue with the platforms stand on violence, unless you consider violent action against the state to be "self defense" which I do.

On the use of violence, I recognise that it needs to be a tactical decision whether or not we employ violence in any given situation.

I don't think pointless violence that accomplishes no specific goal is either useful or desirable.

But I do think violence is sometimes necessary when we are facing the coercion and intimidation of the state.

So I'm willing to compromise on the issue.

While I cannot in conscience work directly with Potemkin, the Revolutionary Bolshevik Leninist Fraction of the Revolutionary Front, the SN(R), is willing to act as liaison between the RF and the SN.

I do agree with the need to build an united front between the revolutionary leftist parties. What specifically are you proposing?

[ingliz]

That we make sure that RF/SN joint policy statements adequately reflect the wishes of our members and we get a look see and time to discuss anything that comes up in the Workers' Group commitee before it is published by the SN and vice versa. I propose we authorise a joint policy liaison committee made up of delegates from both Parties and agree to appoint observers to monitor Party committee meetings.

EDITS= Can't spell

[HoniSoit]

Sounds like a good idea.

I'm not sure about individual RF member tho.