August 17, 1979—Revolutionary Worker—Page 9

CPUS A Convention DHemnta:How to Serve 2 Masters

Headed for War?Bil!bt>ards in dov\nfo\vn Detroit

ad\ertise "People's Rally and Disco",August 25 and 26. Sponsored by thett\isionisi "Cdmniunisi" Party, USA10 coincide with their weeklong 22ndRational Convention, the Rally-Discopromises to be a fitting finale. It willcertainly be in the fine tradition of the^urgeois political circu.scs that (he CP

to mimic.

?^SIogan.s such as "Stop theMonopolies," "Put People Before Profit** and "Register Your Protest" arepoised to attract those who won't comefer the Disco alone. -The build-up hasalt the markings of a self-con.scious,stiff-necked bore trying to be "hip."And at center stage will be AngelaDavis, who gained a certain fame in thelate '60s by associating herself with theupsurge among Black people all thewhile continuing to preach the CP lineof conciliation and peaceful reform.

At the convention ii.self, however,leaders of the CPUSA will be facing amore difficult decision than simply whoto run for presidctil or what record tospin. They have to eomedo grips withhow to all at once serve two imperialistmasters who are fast preparing to go towar with each other.

The CPUSA gave up any thought ofrevolution many, many years ago andsince then has busied itself preaching tothe people that they should put theirhope on peacefully reforming thesystem, moving ro "siKi'aii.sm" withoutthe need for revolution. For thi.s, theCP has won the tolerance of the U.S.

ruling class which considers the CP a"OTodera/ing" influence on thepeople's struggle.

At the same time, the CPUSA leadership has been fiercely loyal to the rulersof the Soviet Union. They whitewashevery crime of the Soviets, from theirinvolvement in Africa to the recent

Soviet-sponsored invasion of Cambodia by Vietnam. And the CP continues to present the Soviei.s as a"peace-loving soclali.st stale" interested ,only in "defense" and aiding the peopledof the world.

I The CPUSA has handled the pro-jblcm of serving two, conflicting masters1^ latching onto and promoting the illu

sion of "detenie," the smokescreenbehind which both of (he superpowershave found it useful to cortduct theirwar preparations. They promote theUSSR as the "main bastion of worldpeace" (apparently their missiles arearmed only with brotherly love) and saythat within the U.S. it is not the entireruling class that is following a warcourse but only a handful of"unrealistic war hawks."

But this solution to the CP's dilemmabecomes more complicated in the situation -today, in which the "detente"smokescreen is clearing and revealingtwo .snarling well-armed bandits readyto go at each other. In the U.S., the ruling class is less and lees willing to allowthe Soviets to parade about as peacelov-ing and instead has been building upplenty of public opinion about theirwar-like nature. And, no doubt, the CPleadership is worried lhat as things further heat up the rulers might not be sotolerant of an organization basicallyconducting propaganda for the"enemy."

Still today, however, the CP find.s(hat the promotion of pacifist illusionsis the best way to carry out its work inthe U.S. and to help out the Soviets atthe same lime. Right now they havemade the ratification of the SALT 11

their big campaign. In fact, in a recentissue of their journal Poliiical Affairsthey write that the "challenge for Leftand progressive peace activists is tochannel this movement, the largestupswcUing of peace protest action sincethe Vietnam War [here they are referring to the mass movement againstnvtckar powerj, \mo tr^Wbons of letters,telegrams, and personal visits losenators demanding Jhc ratification ofSALT 11"?

In their pre-convention rc.solulion,ihcy continue to promote the lie that"the self interests of the working classand people can be served by a foreignpolicy that realistically takes into account and accepts the new worldbalance of forces." In other words,without revolution, with (he capitalistsstill in power, it is possible for the U.S.lo adopt a foreign policy in the interestsof the working class! They go on lo

add, this "can be a winning strugglewithin a short period of time"!Among the workers, the CP con

tinues to pu.sh the myth lhat "detentemeans jobs" and raise ridiculousscenarios about how if on/y the U.S.would not spend so much on the armsrace (if only the imperia]i.sts wouldn'tbe imporialist.s) then we could have suchand such social programs, parks, freebabysitting, etc.

This is not the main tune being sungby the U.S. ruling class, but it is certainly one they can make use of. As moreand more people come into motionagainst the war moves of the U.S. imperialists, the ruling class will considerit useful for revisionists like the CP tobe out uttering pious proclamationsabout "peace" and "disarmament"while actively combatting the only real.solution to imperialist war—rising up inarmed revolution against the rulingclass. Since armed revolution of themas.ses of people is completely opposed

to everything that the CPUSAbelieves—indeed, their very outlookprevents ihehi from even considering itas a remote possibility—the CP cancontinue to promote a political linewhich will prcllify the Soviet Union andaid them in their propagarlda, but willat the same time disarm and cloud theeye.s of the working class in the U.S.As far as the CPUSA's perspectives

lor the future, their pre-convcniionresolution makes clear their intention totry to use the mass movement to furthertheir own selfish aims. "We must ridethe crests of the mass waves that objective reality gives rise to." But alas, poorrevisionists, reality will give rise to morethan just waves, but a hurricane ofrevolutionary struggle. And the nia.s.scscould knock the CP, and its surfboardright out of the water.The CP convention should be in

teresting to watch, as thc.sc revisionists.search for a solution to avoid doing thesplits. ■

PEOPLE

profitsENTERTAINMENT PAVIS

Revisionists prepare for the '80s-^disco music and bourgeois politics.

Si liMlfor the FBISi QCiXDli) [DfiU'o'' Bie People"Today was the worst day of

violence in the history of the FBI,"mourned Director William Webster.But while August 9th certainly up.set J.Edgar Hoover's successors, no tearswere shed by the people. Within aperiod of only several hours, threeagents of the hated FBI were shotdown, two in Ei Centre, California,and one in Cleveland, Ohio.

In El Centre, Jim Maloney went tothe local FBI office with a shotgun inone hand and a pistol in the other. Heblew away the entire local bureau.Maloney, mortally wounded in theshootout, then killed himself.

.lim Maloney had been a political activist in the past. He had marchedagainst the Vietnam war. and participated in more recent struggles, including the fight of California farmworkers in the Imperial Valley where ElCentre is located- Like many others, hehad been continiiaiiy hounded andharassed by the FBI for his political activity. They had kept him under surveillance for over ten years, no

doubt applying many of the disgustingtechniques which have made thesebastards notorious. In the end,Maloney lashed out at these agents ofthe ruling class, and as their fellowpolitical policemen grieve, they have little company.Meanwhile, in a Black community in

Cleveland, not only were no tears shed,but the people cheered in joy at thesight of the third casualty of the FBI'sworst day. The dead, sheet-drapedbody of agent John Oliver was carriedfrom the decaying, rat infested housingproject known as Carver Park Estates.The other officers looked on grim-facedas a crowd gathered and people laughed and clapped.

Oliver and five other FBI agents hadsmashed into the apartment of accusedrapist Melvin Bay Guyon, expecting aroutine arrest. What happened wasanything but routine—one agent bit thedust and Guyon got away, unhurt in ahail of bullets.

In the wake of Oliver's death,authorities have unleashed a wave of

gestapo terror against the Black community. Over 4(X) FBI agents, SWATteams and other cops have jkicked indoors, forced families out at gunpoint,aimed sawed-off shotguns in the facesof little children, and have stopped,searched and arrested scores in a widening dragnet. People are outraged andstanding up to the attacks. An oldBlack man boiling with anger said,"Already thousands acro,ss the countrywere killed or hurl since Oliver, and nota damn thing is done. One of their own,one lousy cop is killed and they send ina whole army." ,As fifty cops were breaking into one

man's apartment, they yelled to him,"Get tho.se kids out of here now oryou'll never see them alive." The FBIoffered a $I0,0(X) reward, now increas.-ed to $20,000, as bait lo get Guyon, "Itwon't be long before he's caught.$10,000 is a lot of money for those people," one police spokesman boasted.The cops, in fact, got over a thousand"hot tips"—sending ihcm on a wildgoose chase all over the state! The

police captain had lo admit, "If all thisguy's friends could vote, he'd bemayor." For a week, Guyon out-maneuvered this massive manhunt, thebiggest in Cleveland's history, until hiscapture on August 1,6 in Voungstownafter a .shootout with four FBI agents.

In response to this inva.sion, 100 people joined in a demonstration organizedby the RCP and RCYB (RevolutionaryCommunist Youth Brigade). The marchwas in sharp contrast to the mcander-ings of the NAACP and various Blackpoliticians who predictably called for afederal investigation. This time such acall is even more ridiculous—the FBIwhich has sent 400 agents to terrorizeCleveland's Black community, is nowinvited to investigate it,self impartially!Obviously, the FBI's show of force is

a response to more than one deadagent. What the FBI Director was reallythinking about when he describedAugust 8th as "The wor.st day.. .in thehistory of the FBI" was the sight of themasses celebrating Oliver's demise. M