International Socialists (Canada)
Encyclopedia
The International Socialists is a Canadian
socialist organization. It is part of the International Socialist Tendency
. The I.S. publishes an English-language monthly paper, Socialist Worker
and holds an annual Marxism conference every spring in Toronto.
), which had been forced to leave the social democratic New Democratic Party
in 1972. A group of students at York University
in Toronto
formed a Marxist
study group, and came into contact with left-Shachtmanites in the International Socialists (USA), an American group founded by Hal Draper
.
After the collapse of the Waffle
in late 1974, the group organized itself as the Independent Socialists in February 1975. This reflected the roots of the I.S. in the Waffle, which had a "left-nationalist" analysis of Canada's place in the world economy. But the name was in contradiction to the internationalist approach of the I.S., and by 1976, the group voted to rename itself the International Socialists. From 1975, the I.S. published a monthly paper called Workers Action. In 1985, the paper was renamed Socialist Worker.
The I.S. is often identified as the "state-capitalist
" group—reflecting the position of the I.S. that, from 1928 on, Russia was no longer a workers' state, but state capitalist. This is in contrast to Leon Trotsky
's position that the Soviet Union was a degenerated workers state. The state capitalist position was not actually central to the group's founding in 1975. Several prominent members adhered to the "bureaucratic collectivist" position associated with Max Shachtman
, but by the late 1970s, the majority position in the group was clearly "state capitalist", outlined most clearly in Abbie Bakan's pamphlet, The Great Lie.
During the 1980s, the group was heavily involved in women's struggles, playing an important role in mobilizing support for a woman's right to choose in Canada
, largely as a participant in the broader Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics. Early in the decade, it was prominent as a defender of the new trade union movement in Poland, Solidarity.
From 1985 to 86, when the I.S. was no more than 80 members, a crisis led to the division of the Toronto branch. The Toronto Central branch represented the majority and was led by David McNally. The Toronto East branch represented the minority faction and was led by Abbie Bakan
and supported by the Montreal branch. The crisis caused leading members of the Socialist Workers Party in the UK to write an open letter of concern, urging the unity of the Toronto branch. Some attributed the dispute to personal animosities between leading members. But there was also a tension between a tendency towards propaganda by the majority, and an emphasis on an interventionist perspective by the minority.
A united steering committee slate was put forward and elected at the 1987 convention of the I.S., addressed by Alex Callinicos
, leading member of the SWP. The two Toronto branches fused into a single branch. That year, for the first time, the I.S. counted more than 100 members, and continued to grow through the late 1980s and into the early 1990s – intervening into the campaign to defend abortion clinics in Toronto, helping to build the movement against the war in the Gulf, and building in the student movement across the country. It is in this period that the I.S. also began to flesh out its position on the national question in Quebec, even not being able to operate to any degree in French in Quebec. Background information on this period is available in Origins of the International Socialists by Abbie Bakan
and Philip Murton.
s between late 1995 and 1998 against the ruling Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by Premier
Mike Harris
. During this period of growth, the publication of Socialist Worker - the organization's paper - became fortnightly rather than monthly.
The unexpected and rapid growth of the group during this period led to a large split in 1996. A section of the organization argued that there were new possibilities for growth in the 1990s, and a more interventionist, activist organization was necessary. Another section of the organization thought that the interventionist perspective was based on an overly-optimistic analysis of the period, and were loath to move too far away from a propagandist, educational orientation. The section arguing for a more interventionist line carried the day at the November 1994 convention, Socialist Worker began appearing bi-weekly in January 1995, and the organization began publishing a monthly French paper. One year later, several leading members (including David McNally) resigned, and a faction emerged called the Political Reorientation Faction (PRF). The PRF produced a document rejecting the International Socialist Tendency
's analysis of an upswing in class struggle during the mid-1990s, ("the 1990s is the 1930s in slow motion") and the Leninist conception of the party
. Within weeks, members of the PRF left the I.S. to form the New Socialist Group prompting criticism from the I.S. majority for quitting rather than engaging in a proper political debate. The departing minority, however, argued that their position in the I.S. had become untenable and that their right to debate and organize were not tolerated by the majority.
where one member became president of the Student Administrative Council as part of a broader left wing slate.
, which argues that Canada is a colony
or dependency of the United States. The I.S. maintains that Canada is a leading capitalist country with an independent ruling class that carries out its own acts of imperialism. At the same time, members of the I.S., including members of its steering committee, were also members of the left nationalist Council of Canadians as recently as 2002.
The group supports international socialism and Québécois
and First Nations
struggles for self-determination, up to and including independence. In Quebec, the I.S. does not, however, support the separatist Parti Québécois
. The I.S. is involved in Québec Solidaire
, a merger of the Union des Forces Progressistes
and the Option Citoyenne
.
The International Socialists argue for "critical support" of the New Democratic Party on the federal and provincial levels. In 2003, members of the I.S. worked on Joe Comartin's NDP leadership campaign
despite the fact that I.S. members generally do not join the NDP.
. Socialist Action argues that the I.S. does not involve itself in campaigns it cannot recruit from and criticizes its role in labour politics for over-adapting to union bureaucracy.
The I.S. is also criticized for its role in the peace movement
in Toronto where it has an influential position in the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War. The June 30th Committee, an independent Toronto anti-war group, argues that TCSW was decisively influenced by the I.S. to sabotage their demonstration on June 30, 2004. It did so by calling a demonstration for the same time and location as the J30 demonstration and then proceeded to split the demonstration. One account can be found Toronto's Now Magazine. TCSW and I.S. members dispute this account. Other detractors argue that the I.S. did the same thing again for an emergency rally in November 2004 called by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
.
The I.S. has been criticized for its alleged role in undermining an anti-racist demonstration in Ottawa
in May 1993. Strong criticisms of the I.S. were made in the second edition of Warren Kinsella
's book Web of Hate and in the anarchist
magazine Arm the Spirit. Regarding this incident, the Spartacist League produced a leaflet entitled "Love the liberals, trust the cops, and be somewhere else".
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
socialist organization. It is part of the International Socialist Tendency
International Socialist Tendency
The International Socialist Tendency is an international grouping of unorthodox Trotskyist organisations based around the ideas of Tony Cliff, founder of the Socialist Workers Party in Britain...
. The I.S. publishes an English-language monthly paper, Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker
Socialist Worker is the name of several socialist/communist newspapers associated with the International Socialist Tendency...
and holds an annual Marxism conference every spring in Toronto.
Early history
The initial members consisted of activists involved in the Movement for an Independent Socialist Canada (better known as the WaffleThe Waffle
The Waffle was a radical wing of Canada's New Democratic Party in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It later transformed into an independent political party, with little electoral success before it permanently disbanded in the mid-1970s...
), which had been forced to leave the social democratic New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
in 1972. A group of students at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
formed a Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
study group, and came into contact with left-Shachtmanites in the International Socialists (USA), an American group founded by Hal Draper
Hal Draper
Hal Draper was an American socialist activist and author who played a significant role in the Berkeley, California, Free Speech Movement and is perhaps best known for his extensive scholarship on the history and meaning of the thought of Karl Marx.Draper was a lifelong advocate of what he called...
.
After the collapse of the Waffle
The Waffle
The Waffle was a radical wing of Canada's New Democratic Party in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It later transformed into an independent political party, with little electoral success before it permanently disbanded in the mid-1970s...
in late 1974, the group organized itself as the Independent Socialists in February 1975. This reflected the roots of the I.S. in the Waffle, which had a "left-nationalist" analysis of Canada's place in the world economy. But the name was in contradiction to the internationalist approach of the I.S., and by 1976, the group voted to rename itself the International Socialists. From 1975, the I.S. published a monthly paper called Workers Action. In 1985, the paper was renamed Socialist Worker.
The I.S. is often identified as the "state-capitalist
State capitalism
The term State capitalism has various meanings, but is usually described as commercial economic activity undertaken by the state with management of the productive forces in a capitalist manner, even if the state is nominally socialist. State capitalism is usually characterized by the dominance or...
" group—reflecting the position of the I.S. that, from 1928 on, Russia was no longer a workers' state, but state capitalist. This is in contrast to Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
's position that the Soviet Union was a degenerated workers state. The state capitalist position was not actually central to the group's founding in 1975. Several prominent members adhered to the "bureaucratic collectivist" position associated with Max Shachtman
Max Shachtman
Max Shachtman was an American Marxist theorist. He evolved from being an associate of Leon Trotsky to a social democrat and mentor of senior assistants to AFL-CIO President George Meany.-Beginnings:...
, but by the late 1970s, the majority position in the group was clearly "state capitalist", outlined most clearly in Abbie Bakan's pamphlet, The Great Lie.
During the 1980s, the group was heavily involved in women's struggles, playing an important role in mobilizing support for a woman's right to choose in Canada
Abortion in Canada
Abortion in Canada is not limited by the law . While some non-legal obstacles exist, Canada is one of only a few nations with no legal restrictions on abortion. Regulations and accessibility vary between provinces....
, largely as a participant in the broader Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics. Early in the decade, it was prominent as a defender of the new trade union movement in Poland, Solidarity.
From 1985 to 86, when the I.S. was no more than 80 members, a crisis led to the division of the Toronto branch. The Toronto Central branch represented the majority and was led by David McNally. The Toronto East branch represented the minority faction and was led by Abbie Bakan
Abbie Bakan
Abigail "Abbie" B. Bakan is a Professor of Political Studies at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Her research focuses on employment equity, Marxist theory and "anti-oppression politics"....
and supported by the Montreal branch. The crisis caused leading members of the Socialist Workers Party in the UK to write an open letter of concern, urging the unity of the Toronto branch. Some attributed the dispute to personal animosities between leading members. But there was also a tension between a tendency towards propaganda by the majority, and an emphasis on an interventionist perspective by the minority.
A united steering committee slate was put forward and elected at the 1987 convention of the I.S., addressed by Alex Callinicos
Alex Callinicos
Alexander Theodore Callinicos is a Trotskyist political theorist, a member of the Central Committee of the Socialist Workers Party and its International Secretary, and is Director of the Centre for European Studies at King's College London...
, leading member of the SWP. The two Toronto branches fused into a single branch. That year, for the first time, the I.S. counted more than 100 members, and continued to grow through the late 1980s and into the early 1990s – intervening into the campaign to defend abortion clinics in Toronto, helping to build the movement against the war in the Gulf, and building in the student movement across the country. It is in this period that the I.S. also began to flesh out its position on the national question in Quebec, even not being able to operate to any degree in French in Quebec. Background information on this period is available in Origins of the International Socialists by Abbie Bakan
Abbie Bakan
Abigail "Abbie" B. Bakan is a Professor of Political Studies at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Her research focuses on employment equity, Marxist theory and "anti-oppression politics"....
and Philip Murton.
The 1990s
The I.S. grew rapidly in the early 1990s, from 150 to 340 members in 1993–94 alone according to the group's claims. Further growth was achieved during the "Days of Action", a series of one-day general strikeGeneral strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
s between late 1995 and 1998 against the ruling Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by Premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
. During this period of growth, the publication of Socialist Worker - the organization's paper - became fortnightly rather than monthly.
The unexpected and rapid growth of the group during this period led to a large split in 1996. A section of the organization argued that there were new possibilities for growth in the 1990s, and a more interventionist, activist organization was necessary. Another section of the organization thought that the interventionist perspective was based on an overly-optimistic analysis of the period, and were loath to move too far away from a propagandist, educational orientation. The section arguing for a more interventionist line carried the day at the November 1994 convention, Socialist Worker began appearing bi-weekly in January 1995, and the organization began publishing a monthly French paper. One year later, several leading members (including David McNally) resigned, and a faction emerged called the Political Reorientation Faction (PRF). The PRF produced a document rejecting the International Socialist Tendency
International Socialist Tendency
The International Socialist Tendency is an international grouping of unorthodox Trotskyist organisations based around the ideas of Tony Cliff, founder of the Socialist Workers Party in Britain...
's analysis of an upswing in class struggle during the mid-1990s, ("the 1990s is the 1930s in slow motion") and the Leninist conception of the party
Democratic centralism
Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party...
. Within weeks, members of the PRF left the I.S. to form the New Socialist Group prompting criticism from the I.S. majority for quitting rather than engaging in a proper political debate. The departing minority, however, argued that their position in the I.S. had become untenable and that their right to debate and organize were not tolerated by the majority.
Recent history
The I.S. continues to be active in many areas. Notably they played a role in helping launch the movement against the war on Iraq. It currently has several branches in Toronto as well as in Ottawa, Vancouver and members in several other cities. In the past few years the membership of the I.S. has fallen and it has gone from publishing Socialist Worker every two weeks to a monthly publication. Socialist Worker is however now printed in full colour. Its French-language periodical, Résistance!, and annual theoretical journal Marxism have both ceased publication. The I.S. annual Marxism conference is also smaller in size; where the main event of the conference would draw as many as 500 attendees at the group's height, now the turnout is less than 100 per year.Student component
Since the mid-1980s when the group took a political turn towards the student movement, much of the I.S.'s work occurs on university campuses and most of their members are either university students or joined while in university. It was once quite active at the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
where one member became president of the Student Administrative Council as part of a broader left wing slate.
Political stances
Unlike much of the mainstream left in Canada, the International Socialists oppose Left NationalismCanadian nationalism
Canadian nationalism is a term which has been applied to ideologies of several different types which highlight and promote specifically Canadian interests over those of other countries, notably the United States...
, which argues that Canada is a colony
Neocolonialism
Neocolonialism is the practice of using capitalism, globalization, and cultural forces to control a country in lieu of direct military or political control...
or dependency of the United States. The I.S. maintains that Canada is a leading capitalist country with an independent ruling class that carries out its own acts of imperialism. At the same time, members of the I.S., including members of its steering committee, were also members of the left nationalist Council of Canadians as recently as 2002.
The group supports international socialism and Québécois
Quebec sovereignty movement
The Quebec sovereignty movement refers to both the political movement and the ideology of values, concepts and ideas that promote the secession of the province of Quebec from the rest of Canada...
and First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
struggles for self-determination, up to and including independence. In Quebec, the I.S. does not, however, support the separatist Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
. The I.S. is involved in Québec Solidaire
Québec Solidaire
Québec solidaire is a democratic socialist and sovereigntist political party in Quebec, Canada, that was created on 4 February 2006 in Montreal. It was formed by the merger of the left-wing party Union des forces progressistes and the alter-globalization political movement Option Citoyenne, led...
, a merger of the Union des Forces Progressistes
Union des forces progressistes
The Union des forces progressistes was a left- wing political party in Quebec, Canada from 2002-2006. Four parties merged to form the UFP in 2002 out of desire to unite Quebec's political left:* the Rassemblement pour l'alternative progressiste ,...
and the Option Citoyenne
Option citoyenne
Option citoyenne was an altermondialist and feminist political organization in the Canadian province of Quebec. The group was created by Françoise David in 2004; David and François Saillant were its official spokespersons. Option citoyenne gave official support to the left-wing Union des forces...
.
The International Socialists argue for "critical support" of the New Democratic Party on the federal and provincial levels. In 2003, members of the I.S. worked on Joe Comartin's NDP leadership campaign
New Democratic Party leadership election, 2003
The New Democratic Party leadership election of 2003 was held to replace New Democratic Party of Canada leader Alexa McDonough, after her retirement...
despite the fact that I.S. members generally do not join the NDP.
Criticism
Some in the NDP view I.S. electoral support for the NDP as an attempt to recruit its members. Other groups and individual leftists are critical of the I.S.'s orientation toward movements, claiming that it tries to take over groups and dominates them in an undemocratic manner, particularly in Toronto where the I.S. is strongest. Smaller socialist groups, such as the International Bolshevik Tendency and the Spartacists, and various anarchists describe the I.S. as left social democrats who are insincere about militancy and revolutionRevolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
. Socialist Action argues that the I.S. does not involve itself in campaigns it cannot recruit from and criticizes its role in labour politics for over-adapting to union bureaucracy.
The I.S. is also criticized for its role in the peace movement
Peace movement
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war , minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace...
in Toronto where it has an influential position in the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War. The June 30th Committee, an independent Toronto anti-war group, argues that TCSW was decisively influenced by the I.S. to sabotage their demonstration on June 30, 2004. It did so by calling a demonstration for the same time and location as the J30 demonstration and then proceeded to split the demonstration. One account can be found Toronto's Now Magazine. TCSW and I.S. members dispute this account. Other detractors argue that the I.S. did the same thing again for an emergency rally in November 2004 called by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty is an anti-poverty group in Ontario, Canada, who promote the interests of the poor and homeless...
.
The I.S. has been criticized for its alleged role in undermining an anti-racist demonstration in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in May 1993. Strong criticisms of the I.S. were made in the second edition of Warren Kinsella
Warren Kinsella
Warren James Douglas Kinsella , is a Toronto-based Canadian, lawyer, author, musician, political consultant, commentator, and blogger...
's book Web of Hate and in the anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
magazine Arm the Spirit. Regarding this incident, the Spartacist League produced a leaflet entitled "Love the liberals, trust the cops, and be somewhere else".