On Comrade Andrew's Shameful Conduct

This email was originally sent to the International Communist League (Fourth Internationalist)

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I am sending an email concerning Andrew's shameful conduct when I was a supporter of the Trotskyist League.

Andrew was originally from the Toronto, Ontario section of the party. He transferred to the Vancouver section whether or not he is still with the Vancouver section I am not sure since I haven't been in contact with the party since March 2008. Last I heard he was employed as an Electrician.

When I was a sympathiser of the party Andrew was extremely abusive towards me. He would regularly shout at me when I made mistakes without explaining to me what I did wrong. I remember in an article titled "How Marx Became a Marxist" by Joseph talks about how Philippe Buonarotti talked about it being important for Coomunists to overlook past mistakes. Seymour explained that to do otherwise would lead to cliquism. Well Andrew would do well to heed this advice. Also Liu Shaoqi talked about in this book How to be a Good Communist that it is important for cadre in a revolutionary party not to bully other cadre. Andrew, I think, quite cleary doesn't heed this.

Andrew was not above using his influence to pursue a personal vendetta against me. After about a year of dedicated loyalty the party I was barred from postering for the party, handing out newspapers for the party, leafletting for the party or helping the party intervene at political events.

Andrew seemed to excercise a great deal of unchecked arbitrary power within the Vancouver section when he wanted people in the party to do something people just fell on line. He also seemed like the only person with a serious axe to grind with me. On numerous occasions he tried to dissuade me from supporting the party. When I offered to help the party he was usually the one who told me to fuck off.

He would regularly lose his temper with other people as well including at political events. He has also manhandled people at political events who he was not on a friendly basis with. I have also heard him say, and I quote, "smashing heads" in reference to cadre from other left groups. While violence against the class enemy is revolutionary. Violence within the workers' movement is counterrevolutionary.

Even if Andrew isn't serious about "smashing heads" if it was overheard by oppenents in the worker's movement or enemies of the workers' it could be used against Andrew and the party in general. There have been plenty of incidents, mainly after the shootings in Columbine, of people going to court or even being jailed for making death threat including death threats that are made truly in jest.

Also I remember hearing Andrew saying at a political event that he wanted and I quote "revolution in my country" which is but a hair width away from Socialism in One Country.

I think allowing Andrew to hold arbitrary unchecked power is seriously detrimental to the party. From what I can tell Andrew has been allowed to run wild. I think his power needs to be reigned in.

Comradely,
Michael Gregory