More Thoughts on Revolutionary Regroupment‏

As has been stated by the Bolshevik Tendency, Jason Wright had a job scanning letters (the horror). But this is actually one of the jobs postal worker's typically do. There are I fact jobs where teachers and security guards and/or cops are in the same building. There are security guards in hospitals. Does this mean nurses and healthcare workers are all cops? There are security guards on campus. Does this mean teacher's assistants, janitors and maintanence workers etc. at the university are all cops?

Revolutionary Regroupment (RR), now two separate groups (which are now fighting over who gets to keep the name), initially claimed that Jason Wright had a job as a clerical worker for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). When called on it they admitted that he IS NOT a cop and DID NOT work for DHS. But insted of admitting they lied through their teeth they merely resort to several contradictory explanations. Icaro Kaleb claims they never called Jason Wright a cop or member of DHS and that Jason supposedly wasn't forthcoming about his employment (i.e. shifting the goal post) . But on their website they dismiss they wrongdoing as a technical error (as if wrongfully smearing someone as a cop is as innocent as a typo). Clearly Revolutionary Regroupment (RR) can't keep their story straight.

Revolutionary Regroupment's (RR) reasoning goes like this, "YES we made malicious allegations against the other guy.‎ YES we were lying. YES we know are remarks are defamation and slander. But WE are the good guys and THEY ARE the bad guys. WE are the truthful guys and THEY the liars. You can trust us. We may be liars but we are honest and sincere."

Ironically, Sam and R‎R whine that the IBT has supposedly "tried to brand him 'insane'". And yet, Sam T. tried to brand me "insane". A while back he accused me of "flying off the hinges", "having angry outbursts", "making debacles", discrediting myself". So clearly self-awareness isn't a thing for RR, whether Sam T. in New York or three-person clique in Brazil. Hypocrisy, thy name is Revolutionary Regroupment.

‎https://rr4i.milharal.org/2012/03/02/on-the-international-bolshevik-tendencys-dodges-and-evasions/

Some Thoughts on My Correspondence with Icaro Kaleb of Reagrupamento Revolucianario

As for Kaleb's claim that they have "sufficient evidence" that Jason Wright had a job with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they have yet to show this "sufficient evidence". Any video footage of Jason Wright talking to people at the Department of Homeland Security? Any video footage of him talking to confirmed members of DHS? Any photo evidence? If they had such evidence they probably would have shown it on the very website where they made that claim. They CLAIM to have "sufficient evidence" (read: we are just pulling stuff out of our ass) but have not shown it to me in our correspondence or on their website. There is a reason for this, the "sufficient evidence" they speak of doesn't really exist. It only exists in their deranged fantasy world. One they inherited from Samuel Trachtenberg, hook, line and sinker.

It is truly telling that they themselves admit that half the information they have been spreading about Bill Logan isn't even true and they know it and yet they see nothing wrong with spreading such information without qualification or explanation or any sort of disclaimer. As Leon Trotsky said, "Speak the truth. Say things as they are. Call things by the right names. Be true in little things as in big things." Clearly Icaro Kaleb and Reagrupamento Revolucianario deserve a huge "F" in Trotskyism, revolutionary politics and even basic honesty.

Correspondence with Steven Argue of the Revolutionary Tendency About Samuel Trachtenberg, Icaro Kaleb and Reagrupamento Revolucianario

Just so you know. I have banned Icaro Kaleb from several of our groups for snitch jacketing.

He has accused members of the IBT of having ties with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and regurgitated slanders from the Sparts. He basically fessed up that he didn't believe half of what he and his comrades have said about the IBT but still stands by it. It might make sense to check if he is a member of such groups as For Communism (Leninist-Trotskyist) and the Revolutionary Tendency. My suggestion is he be banned, unless he is willing to publicly repudiate the allegations he had admitted in private aren't as well as all of his cop-baiting allegations.

Kaleb was part of a splinter of Coletivo Lenin which fused with Samuel Trachbenberg's one-man group Revolutionary Regroupment. After four years, a nasty fallout erupted and Sam T. stole the groups email address and website (he changed the passwords without telling other members).

Sam T.'s erratic behaviour isn't new. He displayed similar behaviour in the IBT. If anything the, the IBT was MORE LENIENT with Sam then the Coletivo Lenin. Sam quit the IBT, he was expelled from Revolutionary Regroupment.

Sam behaved very erratically when he was in our Facebook group, the Marxist Internet Archive - Underground External Tendency. He sided David Walters a Robin Palmer when they defend ablest killer and fascist front-man Robert Latimer (a stance David Walters has since repudiated). He also made a mountain of personalize attacks against me such calling me a "liar", "flying off the hinges", "a bourgeois politician", a "laywer", a "labour bureaucrat", who accused me of having "angry outburst" and of "discrediting myself". This was BEFORE the rest of Revolutionary Regroupment decided to boot him.

I think it was mistake for the Coletivo Lenin splinter to fuse with Sam T. They have suffered the consequences but rather than learn from their mistakes or make an honest accounting of what went down they choose to stand by every slander and provocation that Sam T. had made before he left there group. This way they don't need to look themselves in the mirror or admit wrong doing.

It sort of reminds me of the Internationalist Group. They denounce every mistake the Sparts made after they were expelled in 1996 but ignored the cult-like internal workings, abuses and programmatic overtures before 1996 (in the 1970s and 1980s). They claim the ICL had a pristine record before 1996. They say such thing because they were essential components of the Robertson regime before their departure.

Myself, I find people (including on the left) who won't admit when they are wrong to be quite frustrating a waist of time.

As for Sam T.'s hostility toward Jason Wright and Tom Riley, who he has accused of having ties with the Department of Homeland Security, he has held such animosity before he left IBT. He has accused them of being out to get him and even insinuated that Riley had his arm up Wright's anus and his hand in Wright's brain. Sam T. in my opinion is extremely paranoid, irrational, malicious and dishonest.

It seems the Revolutionary Regroupment cadre in Brazil are no different. What is bizarre about it is Icaro Kaleb liked several of my posts, by the IBT, and had joined one of the groups I admin (which I added several IBT admin to). When I spoke to him via inbox, however, he quickly became very hostile. He basically called me a liar and seemed to imply that I was stupid.

Conrrespondence with Icaro Kaleb of Reagrupamento Revolucianario on the International Bolshevik Tendency and Samual Trachtenberg

Me

Hello. My name is Michael. I am a Trotskyist and a sympathizer for the Internationalist Bolshevik Tendency (http://www.bolshevik.org). It seems we are both Communist and with the Facebook group Class-Struggle Study Circles. Would you like to be facebook friends?

04:30

Icaro Kaleb accepted your request.

Icaro Kabel:

Hello Michael. How do you feel about this?

"At a 15 April 2010 local meeting it was suggested that a comrade who roughly fit my own description in terms of my limited relationship with Sam “befriend” him on a social media site in order to monitor him and relay information back to the leadership. I was the only person to comment on that point, stating that I would be the best candidate for such a job but that I don’t feel comfortable with it; that it felt dishonest and wrong. Riley merely shrugged and dismissed my objections by saying it wasn’t so bad and I shouldn’t have a problem with it."

https://rr4i.milharal.org/2010/07/17/1796/

09:00

Me:

I talk about Sam T. in my blog

http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/

I have had run-ins with Sam T. myself. He was in my facebook group the Marxist Internet Archive - Underground External Tendency. We threw him out for numerous violations including slander, personalized attacks, ageism, ablesm and cop-baiting. I find him to be extremely malicious and dishonest as well as extremely paranoid. He often accuses people of being against him when they are clearly not. He has admitted to having O.D.D. which can be defined here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppositional_defiant_disorder#cite_note-7

Sam is an extremely talented individual for sure but also extremely troubled.

Kaleb:

Well, my question was not about Sam T. It was about the IBT conduct according to Brandon Gray. How do you feel about it?

Me:

Honestly, knowing what I know of Sam. I wouldn't be surprised if he made the whole thing up.

Kaleb:

This letter was written by Brandon Gray, a former IBT member in Toronto.

Me:

Did you speak to Brandon Gray yourself?

Kaleb:

It has been merely reproduced in our website (and we are no longer even associated with Sam T. as you certainly know). Yes, I communicated with him a few times years ago, when he left the IBT.

Me:

I honestly don't know specifics. I would really need to look into this. I have read that letter. I would need to talk to the IBT and hear there side of the story. I generally made a habit of not taking one side at it's word and not weighing in until I have all the facts.

I have however read the IBT's internal documents on Sam T. The IBT made considerable allowances with him. He basically refused to follow their rules and refused to work with people in the organization. He then opted to leave and denounce the IBT.

Sorry I didn't realized for a second I thought you had posted a link from the website Sam T. stole. My mistake.

Kaleb:

I don't know what selection on documents you have read. I myself have read a selection on documents sometime ago and that made me draw a completely different conclusion than yours. It convinced me that the IBT leadership was dishonest and corrupt. Especially when dealing with other left groups, which they treat as enemies.

*of documents

11:12

Me:

We may have to agree to disagree.

With all do respect, I think regurgitating the claim that Jason Wright works for Homeland is extremely dishonest and brands a person guilty until proven innocent. That seems to be on your website.

https://rr4i.milharal.org/2012/03/02/the-international-bolshevik-tendency-explains-its-demise-2/

I also noticed this.

"Logan was expelled by the Sparts for being a sociopath and lacking even the most rudimetary human decency. The Sparts actually produced three volumes dealing with his internal trial and his sociopath behaviour in Australia and britain. W he came back to NZ, they donated copies to all the public libraries, to warn everyone on the left here about him."

https://rr4i.milharal.org/2008/09/25/appendix-i-to-letter-of-resignation-from-the-international-bolshevik-tendency/

I actually have written on the ICL's claim on this matter.

http://spartacistwatch.blogspot.ca/2008/11/sparts-witchunt-against-logan-is.html

There is also this.

http://www.bolshevik.org/Pamphlets/Logan/Logan-Show-Trial-Contents.html

Here is more.

http://www.bolshevik.org/Leaflets/donovan.html

http://www.bolshevik.org/Leaflets/brock.html

In all honesty I think it was a serious mistake to side with Sam T. in the first place. We all make mistakes, including myself. But I think it is crucial to able to own one's mistakes. I really don't see that from this group. I think at the least. Revolutionary Regroupment needs to repudiate its support of the claims, Sam T., Philip Ferguson and the ICL made about Logan as well as the slander that Jason Wright works for the Department of Homeland Security.

I hope you don't see my statements as personal attacks and I am sorry if I come of as hostile but I think Sam T. has done a lot of unreasonable things concerning the IBT. I think you know by now that Sam isn't an easy person to reason with.

To be fair it isn't all Sam's fault he not only is dealing with mental health issues but he is also in the U.S. where health care is private and until recently they were denying healthcare to anyone with a pre-existing condition (which would be the case for Sam).

Kaleb: Michael, you're being dishonest. On Jason Wright: it was never claimed that he was a cop or an agent for Homeland Security, but rather that he was in a public position that was of significant "gray" nature (relating to Homeland officers on a co-worker level) which he should not have been advised to pursue by a leader of the organization (Riley). The IBT tried to hide it, as I have been shown sufficient evidence of. On Philip Ferguson: we do not advocate what he says in his post to alt.politics. We are interested in the quotes from the IBT, which show how the leaders (especially Logan) could conduct dishonest practices within the organization. We also think it describes well what happened to the NZ section of the IBT. On Logan: I've read many documents published by the SL. It was obviously a frame up. While the SL are hypocrites who did the same kind of thing (or worse) in the U.S., Logan cannot deny his actions. I don't think he is a "sociopath" (I'm no doctor btw). I just think he has conducted dishonest and bureaucratic manouvers in the iSt and the IBT. I have enough evidence for that. As you know (since you claim to have read the documents involving Sam T's departure) they have been complete assholes to the Argentines which wanted to become their section in Latin America. You must also be aware of the games they've played with the CL (of which I was part). We know it was discussed internally that they didn't want to fuse with the entire group because this would mean the CL would have significant weight internally to question Logan and Riley. So they tried to split our group while pretending to hold "fraternal relations" with it (which only us publicized - they never even acknowledged it to the public). I have read everything the IBT has published on the Logan trial, Michael. I don't know why you give me links for those. On Sam T.: I've collaborated with him for 4 years and he is not "insane" in any way the IBT described. You, btw, should be ashamed to be an "IBT supporter" knowing that the IBT has privately and publicly explored his depression as "mental illness". We have had differences with him on many tactical and organizational issues and he may be definetly difficult to work with, but we maintain basically all his assertions against the IBT. Just because they are true. There's nothing the IBT can do to change it. Truth is stubborn as they say. Who do you think you are to demand that we "repudiate" based accusations against the IBT? If anything this makes me even more disgusted. Are you acting on your own behalf or on the IBT leaders? (this is an honest question, since I don't know what is the level of your collaboration with them). In the latter case, this only proves they continue to engage in stupid and silly "tactics". I have nothing more to add to this. If you would allow, I would love to make this "conversation" public. I won't do it if you prefer not to. But in this case, just leave me (and my group) alone. We really have nothing to benefit from this and I honestly have more productive activity to engage on than discussing the IBT. It has always been a consensus in the RR that we don't need to worry about the IBT. We can just let it perish as the sick group they are. Unless they try to mess with us. In this case we will fight back.

Me: I see we are at the name calling state. Attacking my intelligence it pretty low. The IBT never tried to brand Sam as insane. They merely raised concerns about his behaviour. In my experience with Sam he is a very malicious and confrontation individual he has made numerous personal attacks against me. You say you don't call Logan a sociopath or Jason Wright a member of the Department of Homeland Security and yet they are posted on your website without qualification or explanation. With all do respect I think you and your group are behaving dishonestly. As for Phil Fergusan, in the dispute in question, the individuals who opposed Logan felt comfortable raising opposition to him and there decisions were partially implemented, plus they remained with the group for several years later.