In 2008 I left the ICL protesting their de facto bloc with fascists over the lynching of disabled children. They supported Robert Latimer a fascistic and ablest terrorist who murder in cold blood because he saw her as a burden. His actions and the mass hysteria in his favour whipped up by the bourgeois (capitalist) press has created an environment where killing disabled people is seen as a viable option and more disabled people are being killed. It has also created an ideal climate for fascists (including the Stormfront White Nationalist Community, the Vanguard News Network and the Phora) to crawl out of their holes and rally behind Robert Latimer. Latimer merely sits back and lets these fascists speak for him. As I stated in a letter to the ICL at the time:
"Everyone in your party I have spoken too has nothing but support for Robert Latimer a sociopath and ablest, fascistic bigot who lynched his severely disabled daughter. Neither the fact that Robert Latimer has the support of outright fascists nor the fact that Latimer has sat back while these forces of death, terror and genocide rally behind him has caused you to waver. Instead one of your drones tries to smear me as a Zionist. Needless to say his arguments blew up in his face.
Your utter disregard for the desperate grievances of the disabled completely discredits you and undercuts any of your claims to be a tribune of all the oppressed. I suggest you do the honourable thing and admit and repudiate your wrong-doings. Making excuses, slandering me and screaming hysterically will only discredit yourself further."
http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2009/10/on-icls-de-facto-bloc-with-fascists.html?m=1
One of the fascists groups that supports Robert Latimer, Stormfront, actually tried to rally in Vancouver. Fortunately an effective counter rally which included the Black Bloc and the Anti-Poverty Committee thwarted their rally. The Sparts however were strangely absent from the anti-fascist counter-mobilization and they made no mention of it in their press (see. http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2010/05/canadian-fascism-on-riseand-icl-is.html?m=1)
More recently I got another screed from a Spartacist representative saying, that the disabled people being killed by "mercy killing" (which is exactly what Robert Latimer did to his daughter) in the Nazi Euthanasia program, was "no big deal" and "not significant or noteworthy". They seemed to be argueing that the only victims worth acknowledging are Jews and Communists. In other words they think victims who were disabled, mentally ill, gay, bisexual, Roma (gypsie) etc. should be forgotten and their suffering should be made invisible.
They then proceeded to try and smear me as a "historical revisionist" by pitting the memory of the disabled and mentally ill holocaust victims against the memory of the Jewish holocaust victims. If this isn't abusing the memory of the holocaust I don't know what is. It should be noted that the ICL's peerless leader, Jim Robertson, has waltz into restaurants in Germany and ordered "steak a la aushwitz" and referrs to comrade in Germany saying "hiya comrade, Heil Hitler!" I think it is obvious that the Sparts really don't care about ANY holocaust victims whether Jews, disabled or anyone else (see. http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2013/11/reply-to-this-member.html?m=1 and http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2013/11/a-response-from-another-ex-spartacist.html?m=1).
Ironically the ICL has backed Dieudonné M'bala M'bala, an anti-semtetic and fascist frontman, right. When the line was declared NO ONE challenged it. It took them a month to repudiate it. (see. http://www.icl-fi.org/print/english/wv/1039/france-censorship.html and http://www.icl-fi.org/print/english/wv/1041/dieudonne.html)
As for their support for Robert Latimer, they have yet to repudiate that stance. When I initially expressed opposition to Latimer, back when I was a supporter of the Sparts they subjected me to brutal "critism/self-critism". They tried to make me repudiate my views by breaking me psychologically.
In 2009 the ICL wrote an article about anti-vaccine hysteria. They denounced Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, Generation Rescue, Age of Autism, the National Vaccine Information Center and PutChildrenFirst.org for their opposition to vaccines and so they should. What they didn't criticize was these people deep insinuation with ablest and anti-autistic bigotry (Jenny McCarthy even compared autism to cancer). In fact the echoed much of the same bigotry. They talk about people "suffering from austism", Autistics having "brain damage" and autism being a "neurological disorder" (see. http://www.icl-fi.org/print/english/wv/948/vaccine.html).
"Lately the ICL has embraced Social Darwinist and ablest views towards autistics. In your recent article Capitalist Reaction and Anti-Vaccine Hysteria in your December 4, 2009 issue of "Workers Vanguard" you describes Autism as a "disorder", Autistics as "brain damaged" and talks about people "suffering" from Autism. I would like to point out that most Autistics, including myself, find such remarks deeply offensive. Autism rights groups such as the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/) would have a bone to pick with you about spewing such ablest venom. Have you even bothered to hear the perspectives of actual Autistics or Autism rights groups?" (see. http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2009/12/on-icls-social-darwinist-rump.html?m=1)
I later state, in the same article:
"In terms of your newfound bigotry towards Autistics it seriously cuts against some of your more commendable statements and citations such as:
"There are broader social implications, as Gould notes: "Antiessentialist thinking forces us to view the world differently.... We lose criteria for judgment by comparison to some ideal: short people, retarded people, people of other beliefs, colors, and religions are people of full status." To put it another way, to hate and fear change and variation is a hallmark of reaction and religious superstition." - "In Defense of Sex and Science: Kinsey", Workers Vanguard No. 839, 7 January 2005
as well as:
"Living things—wasps, flowers, people—do not have an "immutable essence," or "ideal form" around which variations cluster. In real life, each one is individual, and that individuality itself is one of their most valuable aspects. - ibid.
These statements which were part of a truly stellar review of the equally good Kinsey movie/documentary (There was a movie and documentary that came out around the same time) consistent with the views of Autism and disability rights groups and the neurodiversity movement. In fact when I made these statements in the times of yore (Winter 2005 if my memory serves me correctly) people in the organization actually agreed with me and was disturbed that there are groups that wished to "cure" autism.
Alas, as the whims of your peerless leader James Robertson (who disgustingly ordered a "steak a la Auschwitz" in a german restaurant) change so must the party line. Any cadre who doesn't follow the latest whim of the peerless leader is subject to "criticism/self-criticism" which I myself have been subjected to (although I was a supporter and not a member)." (ibid.)
I then write:
"I will state again that your total disregard for the grievances of the disabled completely discredit you and undercut any of your claims to be a tribune of all the oppressed. If you are unable to muster the humility and integrity to regcognize and repudiate your revolting ablest bigotry, you can at least refrain from continuing to spew bigotry towards autistics and others people with "disabilities"." (ibid.)
Apparently the Sparts are unable even to refrain from speaking the same ablest garbage. In there most recent pamphlet, In Defense of Science and Marxism, they reprint the exact same article WITHOUT correcting their ablest and anti-autistic bigotry. Interestingly enough they have also republished the article, In Defense of Sex and Science: Kinsey (see. http://www.icl-fi.org/english/wv/archives/oldsite/2005/Kinsey-839.html) as well. The Sparts are clearly capable of speaking out of both sides of their mouths. Needless to say, they are not consistent. That being said I noticed the progressive article of theirs has been taken down from their new search engine while the reactionary social darwinist one is still readily available.
I have also raised complaints about their uncritical support for ablest bigot and social darwinist Stephen Barrett. I state in a letter to them stating:
"In Medical Science vs. Homeopathy, in WV. 947 you uncritically site Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch. First of all, Stephen Barrett does expose quacks, however he is a die hard anti-Autistic bigot. He support the "Cure Autism" Movement which has the support of outright fascists.
Respected authorities, such as Alfred C. Kinsey and Stephen Jay Gould, have pointed out that the notion of "correct" and "incorrect" genes is unscientific."
http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2009/11/on-icls-ongoing-ablest-bigotry.html?m=1
(see also. http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2009/11/on-stephen-barrett-and-autism.html?m=1 and http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2009/12/correction.html?m=1 )
Of course, no analysis of the Sparts degeneration is complete with mentioning the Haiti debacle. As is typical of this sterile and sclerotic cult, no one challenged the line when it was declared. They stuck with this stance for months and only repudiated it due to the International Bolshevik Tendency (my group) and the Internationalist Group. To this day they are unable to explain how they could come up with such a reactionary stance and why no one in the party challenged it when it was declared.
For more on the Haiti debacle see the following:
From the International Bolshevik Tendency (IBT):
http://www.bolshevik.org/statements/2010-02-08Haiti.html
http://www.bolshevik.org/statements/TL_Haiti_forum.html
http://www.bolshevik.org/Leaflets/ibt_2010_sclerotic_spartacists_unravel.html
http://www.bolshevik.org/1917/no33/ibt_1917_33_11_icl_capitulation_to_us_imperialism.html
From the Internationalist Group/League for the Fourth International (IG/LFI):
http://www.internationalist.org/slbackshaitiinvasion1001.html
http://www.internationalist.org/sltwistshaiti1004.html
http://www.internationalist.org/sliclrepentantsocialimperialists.html
http://www.internationalist.org/haitiearthquakecapitalism1007.html
From Myself:
http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2010/03/icls-latest-smears.html?m=1
http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2010/03/mumia-opposes-us-invasion-of-haiti.html?m=1
The International Communist League (ICL)/Spartacist (i.e. the Sparts) speak for themselves:
http://www.icl-fi.org/print/english/wv/951/haiti.html
http://www.icl-fi.org/print/english/wv/952/haiti-ig.html
http://www.icl-fi.org/print/english/wv/953/BT.html
http://www.icl-fi.org/print/english/wv/955/haiti.html
http://www.icl-fi.org/print/english/wv/958/haiti.html
As the Internationalist Group points out to the Sparts:
"Your basic argument is that you repudiated your support for the U.S. imperialist invasion, and indeed “savagely” attacked it, so that supposedly proves you are still the revolutionaries. As in the Catholic church, it seems you can confess to all sorts of venial and even some mortal sins, but as long as you admit all (and don’t question the role of the Catholic church as the one true representative of Christianity), you can be absolved. But unlike religions, revolutionary politics is not a revealed doctrine and self-enclosed movement of the elect. The vanguard party has a dialectical relationship to the proletariat, representing both the fundamental interests of the class and the revolutionary program that is the product of historical experience. It has to earn its spurs by providing revolutionary leadership in the class struggle.
This was at the core of the fight over the ICL intervention in Germany, where you proclaimed the ICL was the (self-anointed) revolutionary leadership and declared comrades apostates for saying that we were struggling to become it. With your position of vociferous support to the U.S. invasion of Haiti, you grievously misled whoever still believed that you were the revolutionary leadership, which mercifully is not very many. Despite your pious proclamations today, how is one to know that what you say tomorrow isn’t a continuation of what you said yesterday? The only way to tell is if there is a revolutionary consistency to the program, but the ICL has been anything but consistent over the last decade and a half (just reread what you wrote about your last two conferences). And the program must be carried out."
http://www.internationalist.org/sliclrepentantsocialimperialists.html
As Anton Szandor Lavey, the founder of the Church of Satan (who I by no means give blanket endorsement), observed working as a carnival performer, every evening, people would sleep with prostitutes, then go to the chapel to repent, only to sleep with prostitutes the next night (paraphrased from The Satanic Bible by Anton Szandor Lavey). So to do the Sparts prostitutes revolutionary Marxism, then repent, only to prostitute Marxism again.
At best like the ICL are moribund as a left group. At worst they have left the worker's movement altogether. Like Gerry Healy and the SLL/WRP, like Tim Wohlforth and the Worker's League, like David North of the ICFI/SEP, the ICL sinks deeper and deeper into the black hole of political banditry, cynicism, cultism and irrelevance.
Michael Gregory,
Sympathizer of the International Bolshevik Tendency and Revolutionary Trotskyist
http://www.internationalist.org
