An Update and Analysis on the Political Bandit Cult Spartacist: Ablest Bigotry, Anti-Semitism and Collusion with Fascists and U.S. Imperialism

In the times of yore, long before I was born, the International Spartacist Tendency (now the International Communist League) was a force for worker's revolution. The party was degenerating in the seventies and by the mid eighties they were dead as any force for revolution. For most of the eighties and nineties they made programmatic overtures that were typically sectarian or reformist (or just plain weird). But starting in the latter half and last decade and now this decade they are actually crossing the class line. When in the past they typically flinched under pressure they make overtures even when there is no pressure.

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.icl-fi.org

http://www.bolshevik.org

http://www.internationalist.org

Reply to This Member

I never denied that Jews or Communist were major victims of the holocaust. Suggesting that I do so I is a pernicious slate of hand and vitriolic slander but such baseless venom is to be expected from the Sparts. As for lynching, what Robert Latimer did was an act of violence against the disabled which has terrorized the disabled and encouraged further violence against the disabled. Robert Latimer has the support of outright fascist but sits back and lets them speak for him. The ICL knows this but has yet to repudiate their garbage. Actually Tracy Latimer being lynched is not a one time thing. Disabled people being killed happens quite a bit in capitalist society and now more because of the support Robert Latimer gets from the bourgeois press.

As for Robert Latimer, he regards modern medicine as "mutilation". He turned down a feeding tube for Tracy, hip surgery, a permanent place in a group home and a place in a respite home. As for Tracy, her caretaker at the group home said that she is a smiling happy girl and that there was no indication that she was in agony or constant pain. Tracy's mom wrote a diary of her life and yet made virtually no mention of her being in pain. Clearly you are completely ignorant on this issue and I would advise you not to rant about things you know nothing about.

I would imagine that the ICL would be quite irate with you as they tend to be extremely fearful of unofficial representatives of their organization.

Comradely, Michael Gregory, Sympathizer for the Bolshevik Tendency

A Response from Another Ex-Spartacist Member

I feel compelled to respond to your political positions as outlined by the numerous emails you've sent and your website "spartacistwatch".

Let me just make it clear that although I speak for myself and not the Trotskyist League, I defend them, the ICL as well as Jim Robertson. Tynan is in fact quite right when he characterizes your position on the Latimer case as trivializing lynching, primarily because in making that statement, you equate the systematic oppression and terror faced by black people in the United States with the death of a young, white, disabled women. What's worse is that in an article on your website, you falsely claim that disabled people were the main victims of the Holocaust, which is an unabashed revision of history that not only trivializes the monstrously barbaric murder of 6 million European Jews, but is an affront to them as well. Although disabled people were targetted by the fascists, it is widely known, even within bourgeois institutions, that Jews and Communists were the main and overwhelming targets of fascist terror. That you should make this false claim is not a mere accident--the Holocaust is one of the most well-documented events in history--this is deliberate.

Diabled people face (and have faced) gross oppression and abuse at the hands of capitalist society. For years, brutal and tragic practices were carried out on people who suffered psychological and physical difficulties in psychiatric institutions and facilities and these continue to this day. They are preyed on by many in this society and are often unable to voice the injustices they face because this is a society that for the most part, would rather not listen to them. Even when they are in the care of socially-conscious, courageous and decent people, they continue to suffer because capitalism is unable to relieve them of some of the pain and suffering they endure. I think that this is a point you fail to grasp.

Note: This member has since cut ties with the ICL and retracted their statement. Although there is no doubt in my mind this represents the views of the ICL.

Canadian Fascism on the Rise...............and the ICL is Nowhere to be Found‏

As I have wrote the ICL criminally championed fascistic bigot Robert Latimer who 

lynched his own disabled daughter in cold blood. 
 
The ICL hasn't stated this in their press, however, when I told the ICL that the 

proletariat must defend the disabled from such bigots and that the proletariat 

must be mobilized to smash the Free Robert Latimer Movement, I was subjected to 

"criticism/self-criticism". They also reaffirmed their support in two nasty screeds

sent by one of their mindless drones Andrew M.
 
Like I predicted the fascists have reaped benefits from the Movement to free 

Robert Latimer. The fascists had attempted to rally in the Greater Vancouver area. 

Fortunately, this rally was prevented from taking place by an anti-fascist 

counter-demonstration. The ICL was notably absent from the counter-rally. 
 
There was also a fire bombing in BC of an anti-fascists activist's house, which 

was probably done by fascists. There was also a cross burning of an interracial 

couple in Nova Scotia. Notably none of these three events was mentioned by the ICL 

in Spartacist Canada or Worker's Vanguard. 
 
The ICL  has had time to smear the Bolshevik Tendency and the Internationalist 

Group and reiterated their criminal support for the U.S. Of Haiti (although they 

have back peddled on this).
 
It would seem that the rise of Fascism in Canada isn't important to the ICL. This 

is quite telling since they share responsibility in creating an environment for 

fascists to thrive. The ICL helped created this problem and the disabled, the 

working class and the oppressed will suffer for it.

Mumia Opposes the US Invasion of Haiti

It appears Mumia opposes the most recent US invasion of Haiti. Well they accuse the IBT and the IG of "grotesque fantasies" I wonder if they'll hurl the same mud at Mumia.

http://prisonradio.org/audio/mumia/2010MAJ/02Feb10/TheHaitiResponseGunsorDoctorsB.mp3

http://prisonradio.org/haiti_response.htm

The ICL's Latest Smears‏

Comrades,

It appears that the ICL has just smeared the IG in their previous article and both the IG and IBT in their most recent article. They once again resort to spew grotesque personal attacks against Bill Logan as well. I myself listed the criteria for psychopath (psychopath and sociopath are synonymous) on Spartacist Watch and challenged the ICL to show me which traits Bill Logan exhibits, if any. They have not done so. I glad Jack Heyman spoke out against the ICL drones making personal slanders against Logan.

Considering my experience at the outskirts of Jimstown their attacks against the supposed cultish nature of the IBT is grotesque and hypocritical. I myself have witnessed some brutal means at which the ICL deals with people who challenge or even question the party line. I myself have been the target of their "criticism/self-criticism". They put in a room full of people who support the party line and they scream at you. They keep meeting with you and screaming until you renounce your view. In my instance, they tried to brainwash me into believe that it was acceptable for caretakers of the disabled to murder the disabled in their care. They are in agreement with outright fascists on this on. The fact that I have several disabilities myself made this experience even more abusive then it would be otherwise.

They continue to defend their grotesque support for the US invasion of Haiti. Interestingly they seem to oppose the presence of Doctors without Border and Red Cross in Haiti. Basically, this means they oppose aid but support the invasion. Another own goal I would say. The ICL themselves acknowledge that the US military has blocked aid to Haiti. In terms of the remark about putting out fires. The military does put out fires and I don't think that should be opposed. However I doubt the US would invade another country to put out fires. The US commonly using lofty pretexts for invading neocolonies. When they invaded Kosovo they claimed it was for human rights, only to kill far more people than Slobodan Milošević. When they invaded Afghanistan, they said it was about women's rights, only to enshrine Sharia law in Afghanistan's constitution. When they invaded Iraq, they said it was to make Iraq a Democracy, but I wouldn't call modern day Iraq a secular republic.

The again denounce the IBT for support the blowing out of the Marine Barracks in 1983, the ICL claims that their was inter-communal violence, all sides were jockeying for the support of the US and that the US military was considered expendable. Well that sounds a lot like the present war in Iraq or Afghanistan. I guess the ICL is saying that "Revolutionaries" should demand "Support Our Troops, Bring Them Home" and refuse to defend attacks on US, Canadian and other Imperialist troops.

The ICL spat on the 2008 ILWU anti-war strike as well as the notion of Workers' Revolution in Haiti. And here they are calling the IBT and IG cynical. As for the remarks that the IBT and IG were "silent" about the Haitian diaspora, that the IG was "silent" about the past oppression and that the IBT is silent about the US/Canada/France invasion of Haiti in 2004 I don't this means they are apathetic or guilty. The IBT paper comes out once per year the IG paper comes out twice per year. I think this has probably more to do with printing capacities and similar factors than anything else. The ICL has tightly controlled internal life and in their cult the notion that silence proves guilt is an effective tactic. Unfortunately for the ICL, the real world works quite diferently.

The ICL, as usual, has regurgitated a long list of unrelated allegations against the IBT and IG. If the ICL wishes to do this they really ought to answer these groups rebuttals. Even as far as slanders by the ICL against the IBT and IG, these was especially bad and unconvincing and even more sensationalistic than usual.

Bolshevik Greetings,
M.G.

P.S. As for the remarks about Bill Logan being a grief counselor, this sound like one the cheap ass attacks the ICL like to make which doesn't amount to any point.

The ICL, the IBT and the Disabled: Who Sneers at the Oppressed

A drone of the ICL a while back challenged me to show articles by the IBT dedicated to the rights of the disabled. He said he BET HE COULD find several ICL articles dedicated to the rights of the disabled. The phrase "BET HE COULD" I think really stand out. It suggests that he hasn't even checked to see if the ICL has any such articles. He has yet to show me such articles by the ICL. This drone even had the nerve to slander me as "vile and hypocritical" for saying I defended the rights of the disabled and the oppressed because I "embraced" the Bolshevik Tendency. I should probably point out that I am not a member of the IBT and I don't hold them responsible for what I put on this blog (although I certainly increasingly consider myself a sympathizer). One thing I think really stands out is the fact that the ICL has never once, to my knowledge at least, acknowledge that the disabled (and mentally ill) are oppressed people. The International Bolshevik Tendency to its credit has acknowledged that the disabled are oppressed people. One example is in the following article:

"A revolutionary party would defend the rights of all the oppressed - racial minorities, women, gays and lesbians, the disabled etc - while combating ideologies such as nationalism and feminism that diminish the primary role of class in society."
    - Fiddling and Fudging while the City Burns: Report on 'The Convention of the Left', 21 September 2008

Also, in issues that involve the disabled and mentally ill such as homelessness and healthcare, the ICL often manages to go the entire article without a single mention of the disabled and mentally ill. One rare occasions they might eke out a fraction of a sentence.

The IBT hasn't written as much on the disabled as I would have liked. But I must appreciate the fact that they are severely limited in their printing capacity (their paper comes out once per year). This being the case they are limited in terms of how many issues they can cover.

Also on the IBT's most recent article on fascism they IBT at one point writes:

"Fascism is not a set of ideas that can be discussed and debated—it is a program of violent terror directed at the left and workers’ movement, visible minorities, immigrants, the disabled, homosexuals, the transgendered, Jews, Muslims and anyone else who does not fit their psychotic vision of a “pure” society."
                           - British Fascism on the Rise: Smash the BNP

The ICL's most recent article on the fascism (also about the fascist BNP), in contrast makes no mention of the fact that fascists target people with disabilities. If this was just a onetime thing I could overlook it, but alas this is part an ever increasing pattern. This article is titled, Britain: Fascist Feed of Labour Government Racism (Workers Vanguard No. 952, 12 February 2010). In this article the ICL states:

"The BNP are also reaping gains out of the reactionary crusade against foreign workers that began at Lindsey oil refinery in January 2009 under the slogan of “British jobs for British workers” (see “Down With Reactionary Strikes Against Foreign Workers!” WV No. 930, 13 February 2009). Responsibility for this lies with the Socialist Party [of Peter Taaffe, affiliated with Socialist Alternative in the U.S.] and the trade-union bureaucracy, who led this campaign."

What the grossly named "International Communist League (Fourth Internationalist) is less eager to discuss is the fact that they criminally through their support behind an equally sinister movement, the Free Robert Latimer. The basis of this latter movement is that killing people with disabilities should carry no criminal sentence. Like the truly grotesque chauvinist campaign against foreign workers in Britain, fascists in North America have similarly reaped gains from the movement to free Robert Latimer. Unlike the Peter Taafe and the Socialist Party of Britain (a name that seriously debases socialism), Robert Latimer has actually murdered people a person (his own disabled daughter of all people). Taafe and his cronies AT LEAST haven't killed foreign haven't KILLED foreigners.

The lynching of Tracy Latimer and the mass ablest Pro-Robert Latimer hysteria has created an environment, at least in Canada, where killing the disabled is seen as acceptable and because of this more disabled people are being lynched. What environment could better for fascists to flourish. Just as the Socialist Party of Britain bears responsibility for creating an environment for fascists to flourish in Britain, the ICL bears responsibility for creating a similar environment for fascists to flourish in Canada.

Robert Latimer, describes his actions as a "mercy killing". If the ICL had done their homework they would have known that "mercy killing" has historically been a rallying cry of outright fascists. When Hitler killed disabled people in the holocaust it was described as "mercy killings". In fact the whole notion of involuntarily "euthanizing" people with disabilities and mental illness. Got its start with the eugenics movement and later the Third Reich.

In terms of outright fascist rally behind Robert Latimer, the ICL's defense is that this says nothing about whether or not Robert Latimer welcomes theirs support. However this contradicts one of their statements against the Socialist Party of Britain:

"while a report on the Lindsey strike in the Socialist (5-11 February) says the BNP “have been bounced off from this strike.” This is hardly the point. Why did the BNP support the strike? The Socialist Party bears its share of responsibility for leading a chauvinist campaign that has the enthusiastic support of the fascist BNP!"
                                                       - Workers' Vanguard No.937, 22 May 2009

Either way Robert Latimer just sits back while outright fascists make his case. As a political colleague said of Latimer:

"Latimer is probably not a neo-Nazi. But Latimer sat back and allowed White Supremacists, neo-Nazis and other far-Right extremists to plead his case for him. I know that, were I in prison for reasons that I felt were unjust, I would sit in prison UNTIL I DIED rather than let the forces of darkness, death and evil to speak for me. The fact that Latimer never disavowed his far-Right supporters is a fairly damning indictment of his political leanings."

When I told of the ICLs support for Latimer he said:

"It doesn't suprise me that these scum are in bed with the Far-Right, but they're

still claiming to be on the Left here."

I think that the reason the ICL would kowtow to the mass ablest Pro-Robert Latimer

hysteria is to show the Capitalist class that despite their hard edged talk in

their paper, they really are a harmless sect. 

As for the IBT they have not said or written anything on the Tracy Latimer to my knowledge. However, unlike

the ICL, I don't consider silence to be proof of guilt and I prefer to see it from the standpoint of innocent until

proven guilty.

A Hard Look at my Actions During and After I was in the "International Communist League (Fourth Internationalist)"

I would like to take time to take a look at my actions during and after my support for the ICL-FI. This would include things I think were mistake on my part.

First of all I'll talk about when I was a supporter of the ICL. When I supporting the ICL, I was quite nasty to other leftists and like everyone else in that group I behaved like a total asshole. Fortunately, unlike some in that group I never physically assaulted anyone. But I made a prick of myself all the same. I remember when an individual in the group named Andrew (who was an Electrician at the time) manhandled a person an Under the Volcano event, I remained silent. I along with everyone else in that group didn't speak out against it. The same is true when this same person talked about smashing the skulls of members of other left groups. I and everyone else remained silent. I also remained silent when Andrew lashed out at other leftists. I also remained silent when Andrew sneared at the notion of Natives wanting their land back. I don't think Natives can get their land back until Capitalism is overthrown. that being said Andrew was extremely insentive to this deeply held desire of most First Nations people. Rather than call Andrew on this I actually defended him and the ICL. I also remained silent when Andrew talked about "Revolution in MY COUNTRY" a variant of Socialism in One Country.

Their were mistakes I made when it came to taking the ICL at their word. When I first read their article calling for "Marine out of Lebenon Now, Alive" in Lebanon in 1983 I was quite confused. This was in complete contradiction to their current stance on Iraq where they actually denounce leftists who actually hold the same view on Iraq. However, I kepted my doubts to myself and didn't speak up. Also, when I considered reading literature by the International Bolshevik Tendency (IBT) and the Internationalist Group (IG), the ICL put a tremedous amount of pressure on me not to read these groups literature. This confused me. The ICL had talked about reading opponents views. They said that other groups censor them and won't let their members read their papers because they are bankrupt and their politics don't add up. Yet here they were doing the same thing with the IBT and the IG. Despite these concerns I remained silent.

Now onto the mistakes I think I made after I left the ICL. First of all on one of my emails to them I ended my email in an exclamation point. Basically like I was screaming. This is an attitude I picked up from being with the ICL. They often scream hysterically, both in their paper and on the ground.

Also, I had at one point asked people in the ICL "are you holocaust deniers" this remake was inexcusable and I retracted it within days. The ICL had tried to brainwash me into to thinking that people with disabilities were better off dead. I have disabilities along with virtually all my family and friends. In essence the ICL had tried to brainwash me into thinking that me, my friends and family were all better off dead. Their are in agreeance with fascists (neo-nazis) on the lynching or murding of disabled chidlren and their arguments in defence of killing the disabled are virtually identical to those held by fascists both in the past and present (they are also identical to the view held be the eugenics movement before Hitler came around). They also in November 1984 at the San Francisco State Univerty dressed up in Nazi regalia complete with Nazi swastika armbands. Their peerless leader Jim Robertson also at one point went into a German restaurant and asked for a "steak a la Auschwitz". He also, addressed German comrades with: "Hi ya comrades, Heil Hitler". Basically I was completely disoriented due to the nightmarish abuse I experienced at the hands of the ICL. The allegations holocaust denier is NOT one to be taken lightly. I asked it in question form, not as a statement but it was still wrong.

Also, I had the view that white guys with shaved heads and guys who listen to punk music were all fasicst. This again was a view shared by people in the ICL. This played a big part in the ICL purging Uli Sandler from their party back in the 1980s. They smeared him as a "proto-fascist" and "nazi lover". I had at one time to my recollection implied that a white person with a shaved head who listend to punk music I spoke to was a fascist. Whether not this specific individual was a fascist I am not sure and he was certainly a shady character (this guy did agree with the ICL and the fascists on his view of killing disabled people). However this guy doesn't speak for white guys with shaved heads. I know a couple of white guys with shave heads (three that I can recall) who I know quite well and who I know are NOT fascist. One of them in fact has disabilities.

Another mistake I made is that all of my early emails were directed at specific members of the ICL as opposed to the ICL in general. I aimed my polemics to much at certain members and not enough at the group itself.

Comradely,
For Trotskyism,
Michael G.

Correction

The person I confused Stephen Barret for is James R. Raidler. He edits Autism Watch which is affiliated to Quackwatch. Autism Watch refers people to a book about "curing" Autism and this same site describes Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) as "well settled". ABA has been known to use aversives such as hitting, spanking, hair pulling and even electric shocks.

Recommended Sites on Autism and ABA:

http://www.autismcrisis.blogspot.com/ Autism Crisis

http://www.sentex.net/~nexus23/naa_02.html No Autistics Allowed

http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/ Autistic Self Advocacy Network

On the ICL's Social Darwinist Rump

Comrades,

I am writing because I am deeply disturbed by your worsening pattern of ablest bigotry. 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?

Currently there are people in your cult who champion Robert Latimer an ablest and fascistic bigot who sits back while outright fascists champion him. The drones in your cult that I have spoken to still champion him despite this and haven't even bothered to hear perspectives from the disabled community. Taken into account the fact that your organization does not permit independent thoughts or opinions I am assuming this is the party line (please feel free to let me know if this is not the party line). If this is the party line then your organization is in a de facto Red-Brown coalition.

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).


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".


Bolshevik Greetings,
Michael G.


P.S. That is not to say that I am in any way opposed to vaccinations (I myself recently got the H1N1) and you are right to denounce people who oppose vaccinations. And I do appreciate criticisms of Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, Generation Rescue, Age of Autism, National Vaccine and Information Centre, PutChildrenFirst.org etc. All of whom are extremely bigoted towards autistics along with being irrationally hostile towards science.