More on "incrementalism"

Alan, I posted this on my blog and would appreciate you adding it to the discussion on the article by Sam Webb, New Times, New Opportunities, on the China and Socialism Blog. Rita Polewski; Duluth, Minnesota

Friday, August 1, 2008
Some thoughts on revisionism and "incrementalism"
I don't know how many people have noticed but a word, "incrementalism," has been creeping into our progressive vocabulary recently.

I first became aware of this after reading a very sharp response to this letter from Sidney Gluck in support of Sam Webb's views of socialism on the China and Socialism Blog done as a collaborative effort by Sidney Gluck and Alan Maki.

Here is Sidney Gluck's letter (notice third paragraph the use of the word "incremental":

Dear Friends,



I would like to share with you an article “New Times, New Opportunities” by Sam Webb, Chair of the CPUSA, which appeared in their monthly magazine Political Affairs.



In my opinion, this marks a profound change in the approach of a Leftist organization in advancing democracy.



It is a recognition that Socialism is achieved through incremental victories in the struggle to overcome the inability of the Capitalist system to eliminate the cancers of poverty and unemployment.



Most of you know that I have taught Classical Marxism for over 50 years at various institutions, not the least was 20 years at the New School for Social Research in New York. I believe that objectivity and recognition of economic and social conflicts contained in this article are worth studying whether one is an advocate of Socialism or not. It deals with the complexity of Social change in our country.



I welcome comments and questions, especially from those who disagree and any additional information from those who agree.



Sidney J. Gluck




Now read one very sharp response to the use of the term "incremental":

Tuesday, July 15, 2008
I can't pay my bills in increments
I do not mean any disrespect to Sam Webb or Professor Gluck. I just don't think they are in touch with the world us working people are living in.

Writing my ideas is very hard.

I work as a cook in a very large restaurant in Chicago.

I am 32 years old and I feel like I am 90. I am a single mother. I left my boyfriend because he beat on me so bad I was ashamed to go to work with all my bruises.

I have three small children ages 2, 3, 7.

I make $8.90 each hour I work.

I work 50 to 56 hours almost every week. I work 6 or 7 days a week.

In the last two years I have been evicted from 3 apartments because I can't pay my rent on time.

I have over $4,000.00 in unpaid medical bills because I can't afford insurance. Just to take one child to the doctor mostly costs me about $140.00 each time no matter what is wrong.

My electricity has been turned off 4 times in the last year because I was late with payments. One time over $200.00 of food spoiled.

People tell me Rosalie go get a second job so you can pay your bills. How can I work another job? I am lucky my auntie can watch my kids most of the time when I work. If I had to pay a sitter I might just as soon stay home and not work.

A friend told me about Alan Maki and his blogs. Lots of people read what he has to say. He understands the problems of working people. This stuff here by Webb and Professor Gluck is like they think we can keep living this way.

I can't pay my rent in "increments".

I can't pay my electric bills in "increments".

I can't feed my children in "increments".

I am not very educated. I learn a lot from Alan's blogs. Sometimes my friends print pages from Alan's blog and we talk about what he writes about.

Me and my friends started reading some things by Marx, Lenin and Gus Hall. Alan sent us a big box of books. I never heard of Claude Lightfoot until Alan sent us the box of books and I live here in Chicago.

I will be honest. I don't think me and my friends and neighbors can survive much longer under this capitalist system. We are all agreed we don't think now is the time to talk about making change in "increments".

Maybe if Mr. Webb and Mr. Gluck would like to pay our bills in "increments" we can make a revolution in "increments".

This is a China discussion. From what I read about China they don't have communist leaders. Not leaders like Claude Lightfoot or Gus Hall. It looks to me like China has very fake communist leaders. I think they are telling lies that they are trying to make things better for working people. This makes communism look bad.

I would laugh in my bosses face if she tells me she is going to raise my pay in "increments" until I make a real living wage. 44 people work in her restaurant. She could give each of us each a big wage increase. The only thing she would have to do to pay for this would be to let the grass turn to weeds in her yard instead of paying a lawn service or let her teenage son cut the grass. Her house cost $2,000,000.00. She has a cottage on Lake Michigan near Benton Harbor. I don't know how much she paid for that but I know a lot. I pay $1,100.00 a month to live in a slum. Our labor pays for her mansions and we live like we are less then human.

I used to be afraid of the word communism. Not anymore. I tell everyone I know to read Alan's blogs. There is a lot of truth here.

I am very glad to see Alan putting views like this stuff by Sam Webb because I think most working people living like me will see this kind of thinking is not for them.

When I read this new times and new opportunities it is like it was wrote by someone living in a world I do not live in. It is like there is no understanding of my life and my problems.

Rosalie Puchalski, Chicago, Illinois
Posted by The creators of China and Socialism Blog... at 4:14 PM




Quite the response for a sister who has trouble writing.

Then I read this article by John Case in the People's Weekly World, again, notice the use of the term, "incremental" in the closing sentence:


Oil dreams


Author: John Case, People Before Profits

People's Weekly World Newspaper, 07/02/08 03:56


The price of oil spiking at the same time credit is falling is one of capitalism’s most musical cacophonies!

Pundits and policymakers are debating whether the oil spike reflects real shortages in supply, or is a “bubble” — a mania on Wall Street.

Of course those who believe the oil prices and speculation on future prices reflect an irrational fear of shortages expect the “bubble” price to fall. I am inclined to think there is both a bubble and a real supply problem, playing off each other here.

On the one hand there are not the real oil shortages — yet — to justify the soaring prices. Even when Saudi Arabia raised production a few weeks ago, prices still went up. However, there are some shortages of refined supply capacity, or at least online production, coming from refiners in Russia, China and Saudi Arabia, according to a report in The Economist. U.S. refineries are currently at only 85 percent capacity, 10 percent below optimum for maximum profitability, according to the U.S. Petroleum Institute. But the reason they are not filling the supply gap is that more and more refining is now being handled by the oil-producing nations. The U.S. refining share has fallen from two-thirds of world supply to one-half in 10 years’ time.

Rising oil prices combined with no credit is bringing a major structural showdown.

The oil-auto-highway-suburban-exurban infrastructures that have so strongly influenced all social and economic development for the past 70 years are crumbling. The “peak oil” theorists are probably right — bubbles may come and go, but the long-term trend for gas prices is up, up, up. We will not likely see $3.50 a gallon again. Long commutes are going to go from numbing to impossible. The shift to energy-efficient and affordable transportation and housing is going to happen. But it will demand sharp changes in attitude toward community, municipal and broader public services.

A greater degree of smart socialization will be required. Regardless of the ultimate fate of the oil-automobile-infrastructure may be, the rising costs of fossil-fuel-based energy will require big public investments in mass transit and light rail soon, long before any emerging technology can be significantly deployed. Nearly as big investments will be needed to support the much denser housing solutions that will be required. But in addition, preservation and enhancement of quality of life depends on investments in shared services and green space, strong and smart public zoning and development commissions. Education, health care and retirement services will all be powerfully affected.

Even with our best efforts, we may still fall prey to the potential volatility of the oil crisis. Now that energy is also linked to rising food prices, other profound external shocks from world instability and security nightmares are not unlikely.

So I think a period of heightened class, as well as social, conflict is in the cards.

There will be intensified competition among different areas of the country — between regions, states and communities, between urban and rural areas, and so on —for resources to respond to new, powerful public investment demands.

At the same time, while every day our country becomes more diverse, and while there may be plenty of reasons to pick a fight in the scramble that’s coming, there is also a multi-ethnic, multiracial culture emerging that is somewhat immunized against divisions that pit one against the other. The power of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign among youth of all races and nationalities demonstrates this fact.

No area of life is likely to be spared the pain of the structural changes the long-range energy crisis (combined with the other already overwhelming pressures of globalization) will engender. It will be a time in which many of us will learn new ways of living and thinking — tasks at which youth always excel.

Even the seeming silver bullet of a major breakthrough in hydrogen or nuclear technology (fusion) raises inescapable international security and governance questions. I can recall no high-energy technology breakthrough in history that did not also have military dimensions. No silver bullet is at present in sight. And the truth is that deployment of any new infrastructure technology will be incremental and likely very expensive.

There will be no escape.

jcase@commonhumanity.info



Another word I have noticed being in vogue among the revisionists which appears to be used to mean the same as "incremental" is "baby steps."

Capitalists want and expect their profits right now. For the capitalists everything they want is now, complete and immediate.

When it comes to what workers need, things like health care, all we hear about is that we need to "take baby steps" and do everything in "increments."

The revisionists and those who have been suckered into revisionist thinking want us working people to think in terms of "incrementalism" as a substitute for class struggle.

The "Progressives for Obama" are already preparing us for a version of "incrementalism" when they forewarn us not to expect too much from an Obama Administration right away because they have no intent of waging struggles for what working people need even though they know the capitalists are grabbing everything they can get as quickly as possible.

I am wondering why the capitalists are not being asked to take their profits in "increments" as we use the rest of the profits for social programs like socialized health care, public education, infra-structure upgrades, maintenance and repair, funding public libraries and public recreation?

Why wouldn't Sam Webb, John Case, Sidney Gluck or Tom Hayden be suggesting the capitalists take their profits in small "increments" so society can advance rapidly?

Look, they know the capitalists will never settle for taking their profits in small "increments." Neither should the working class settle for anything less than complete control and distribution of the wealth we create.

There really hasn't been much "incremental" change in this country as far as benefits to the working class since 1948. This is when class struggle trade unionism pretty much came to a halt along with severe repression of the Communist Party USA.

As the working class responder to Sidney Gluck very bluntly pointed out, she can not pay her bills in "increments." The only thing that is going to help her and the working class out of the mess we are entangled in with capitalism is good old fashioned, back-to-basics class struggle.

It doesn't matter. China or the United States. The capitalists are not going to give up anything to working people. Not in increments. Not in any other way. Not without a fight. There is no coincidence that along with the increased use of the term "incrementalism" we find these revisionists failing to initiate struggles. They have given up on the class struggle. How do you unite the working class around "increments"? I would like Sam Webb, John Case or Sidney Gluck to suggest one "incremental" demand the entire working class can be united to fight for.

Rita

Note: Rita Polewski is the publisher of a blog called: The Minnesota Problem

I agree with Sam Webb. Just being real here.

Our only hope is with Barack Obama. We need to work to get Obama elected. Let's give the guy a chance. How much worse can anything get? Not much. We need to work inside the system. If we work with Obama he can maybe smooth out some of the bumps with capitalism. Most people can still pay their bills. Its not like everyone is losing homes. Most people can still purchase gas and groceries. These are the people we need to be working with not a bunch of hotheads going off half cocked. The system has a lot of built in safeguards. We just have to bring these safeguards into use.

Little by little is the way to do things. We don't want to panic the people with the money. Obama needs the money to get elected. If he doesn't get elected he can't do any good.

Just being real here.

Judy McConnell; Rapid City, South Dakota

New Times same old capitalism

Webb has a lot of pretty words meaning absolutely nothing. The times aren't new and the opportunities require action. Webb must be living in some other country.

Webb sees opportunities in the Obama campaign. I don't.

Obama hasn't challenged one single aspect of capitalism. The system is decaying before our eyes with horrible human suffering the consequence.

I don't see the Communist Party availing itself of any new opportunities. What I see is Webb doing the same thing Obama is doing. Nothing about anything. Plants and factories closing. People out of work. I don't see Sam Webb out among the people anyplace. I read the PWW. If there was no PWW I would get the exact same news off the internet. No analysis of anything.

Vote for Obama. That is no solution to anything. I guess Webb must have some inside information because he sure is putting all of his eggs in this one basket even if he claims he isn't.

Last year we lost our home in a foreclosure. I read this article by Webb and it makes me sick. If the Communist Party doesn't inspire fight-back and leadership the people are lost. They don't know what is happening to them or why.

Len Fletcher; Chicago, Illinois

Upheavals and Obama

Sam Webb talks about this support for Barack Obama being an upheaval. Obama is not about upheavals. He is about bringing stability to capitalism at a time big trouble.

I don't call people waving placards and clapping on command for a guy who knows how to talk without saying anything an upheaval.

I am progressive. I am proud of being a progressive. I am voting for McKinney for President.

Judy Glass; Winooski, Vermont

Why is this on a China Blog?

I have been reading this blog since it started. Now I read this. What does this have to do with China?

Raymond Mourin; Fargo, North Dakota

Revolution in increments

I like to read all these blogs with opinions. I never commented on a blog before. I never heard of anyone calling for revolution in increments before. A novel idea? I have a bunch of bills four months past due. I will tell my credit card companies and my mortgage company I decided to pay them in increments and if they don't like it call Sam Webb and Sidney Gluck to explain the new Obama policy of increments.

Where do I buy the book REVOLUTION IN INCREMENTS THE NEW PROGRAM OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY USA with a picture of Sam Webb on the cover.

This black woman's vote is going for Cynthia McKinney.

Roxie Jimmerson; Muskegon Heights, Michigan

"Incremental" reforms and revolution? You have to be putting us on.

I agree with Rosalie when it comes to this "incremental" bull.

This idea that Barack Obama cares about anything other than getting his self elected President is a bunch of hogwash.

I don't think Webb or Gluck have to worry about paying bills buying gas or groceries.

Ronald Dean; New York

I can't pay my bills in increments

I do not mean any disrespect to Sam Webb or Professor Gluck. I just don't think they are in touch with the world us working people are living in.

Writing my ideas is very hard.

I work as a cook in a very large restaurant in Chicago.

I am 32 years old and I feel like I am 90. I am a single mother. I left my boyfriend because he beat on me so bad I was ashamed to go to work with all my bruises.

I have three small children ages 2, 3, 7.

I make $8.90 each hour I work.

I work 50 to 56 hours almost every week. I work 6 or 7 days a week.

In the last two years I have been evicted from 3 apartments because I can't pay my rent on time.

I have over $4,000.00 in unpaid medical bills because I can't afford insurance. Just to take one child to the doctor mostly costs me about $140.00 each time no matter what is wrong.

My electricity has been turned off 4 times in the last year because I was late with payments. One time over $200.00 of food spoiled.

People tell me Rosalie go get a second job so you can pay your bills. How can I work another job? I am lucky my auntie can watch my kids most of the time when I work. If I had to pay a sitter I might just as soon stay home and not work.

A friend told me about Alan Maki and his blogs. Lots of people read what he has to say. He understands the problems of working people. This stuff here by Webb and Professor Gluck is like they think we can keep living this way.

I can't pay my rent in "increments".

I can't pay my electric bills in "increments".

I can't feed my children in "increments".

I am not very educated. I learn a lot from Alan's blogs. Sometimes my friends print pages from Alan's blog and we talk about what he writes about.

Me and my friends started reading some things by Marx, Lenin and Gus Hall. Alan sent us a big box of books. I never heard of Claude Lightfoot until Alan sent us the box of books and I live here in Chicago.

I will be honest. I don't think me and my friends and neighbors can survive much longer under this capitalist system. We are all agreed we don't think now is the time to talk about making change in "increments".

Maybe if Mr. Webb and Mr. Gluck would like to pay our bills in "increments" we can make a revolution in "increments".

This is a China discussion. From what I read about China they don't have communist leaders. Not leaders like Claude Lightfoot or Gus Hall. It looks to me like China has very fake communist leaders. I think they are telling lies that they are trying to make things better for working people. This makes communism look bad.

I would laugh in my bosses face if she tells me she is going to raise my pay in "increments" until I make a real living wage. 44 people work in her restaurant. She could give each of us each a big wage increase. The only thing she would have to do to pay for this would be to let the grass turn to weeds in her yard instead of paying a lawn service or let her teenage son cut the grass. Her house cost $2,000,000.00. She has a cottage on Lake Michigan near Benton Harbor. I don't know how much she paid for that but I know a lot. I pay $1,100.00 a month to live in a slum. Our labor pays for her mansions and we live like we are less then human.

I used to be afraid of the word communism. Not anymore. I tell everyone I know to read Alan's blogs. There is a lot of truth here.

I am very glad to see Alan putting views like this stuff by Sam Webb because I think most working people living like me will see this kind of thinking is not for them.

When I read this new times and new opportunities it is like it was wrote by someone living in a world I do not live in. It is like there is no understanding of my life and my problems.

Rosalie Puchalski, Chicago, Illinois

I am confused

I have been what you might consider a "fellow traveler" for many years. I guess about 55 years.

Here I find Sam Webb talking about this great progressive political upsurge and upheaval.

Previously Sam Webb and other CP leaders were boosting Obama as progressive.

I listened and watched the video of Jarvis Tyner. He called Obama "progressive."

Elena Mora talked about how she was thrilled to be participating in Obama for President activities.

I thought if the leaders of the Communist Party are supporting Obama I should go out and do my little bit to help elect him.

Now Obama is moving backwards on just about every issue.

Now Sam Webb and Joelle Fishman say, "Obama was never a progressive." Well, Jarvis Tyner says he is.

I am discouraged and confused. This whole election is becoming very discouraging and confusing.

Then Sam Webb came along and said the Communist Party doesn't endorse any candidates in this race.

Am I missing something here?

I will vote for Obama but I am not going to do anymore in the way of going out campaigning for him. I even contributed $700.00 to his campaign. Now I am thinking I should have spent that money distributing a leaflet against the war and for singlepayer healthcare.

Now I read the same kind of confusion in the PWW around healthcare there is around Obama.

Can't we have some better leadership on these questions?

Herold Roth
Chicago, Illinois

We have never discussed any of the "limitless possibilities" for activities in our club

Webb wrote:

"Thus, every communist should become an active participant in this electoral upsurge, if he or she hasn’t already done so. The avenues are many and the possibilities are nearly limitless.

Let’s seize the moment."

I have been a member of the Communist Party USA since 1994.

I attend every one of my Club meetings.

We have never discussed any of the "limitless possibilities" for activities in our club. I suggested we distribute the PWW at Democratic Party meetings in the Detroit area. I was told we should keep a low profile because we didn't want to cause problems for candidate Obama.

Webb conveniently writes in very vague generalities. I think he does this knowing that it prevents having to do things and check up later on the effectiveness of our activities.

I feel more like I am a member of the Democratic Party than the Communist Party.

I feel Webb should specify what activities relating to the elections our Party Clubs should be involved in. Otherwise there remains an excuse to do nothing.

I feel Webb's uncritical support for Obama without bringing forward a Communist Party election program is wrong. People have a right to hear from the Communist Party what the drawbacks are in the Obama campaign. Anyone can see that our position is at odds with most of the thinking of ordinary working people and much of the anti-war, civil rights and civil liberty organizations. Rev Wright received a very enthusiastic and very positive response when in Detroit. I don't think it is correct for our Party leaders to criticize Rev Wright because they think this is the way to help Obama. Rev Wright should be criticized or supported based on the merits of what he says not how his remarks offend racists and rightwingers like Rush Limbaugh or FOX News.

I would like my comments published. I am providing my name. If this is published I ask my name not be included because others have been intimidated when they bring forward criticisms like this.

CPUSA member; Detroit, Michigan

We can reach our goals working in the Democratic Party

I have felt for a long time there is no longer a need for the Communist Party in the United States. Webb's "New Times, New Opportunities" goes in this positive direction. We can reach our goals working in the Democratic Party.

I share Sam Webb's support for the good things Barack Obama is doing in bringing our country back together around hope. Hope is better to unite people around then war.

Some people want to force their narrow demands on the larger movement. This will lead to disunity and 4 more years of a Republican president. This would be bad for our country. For now we shouldn't even be talking about socialism because we are going to have to accept capitalism is here to stay for a long time. I like the idea of trying to achieve reforms and socialism in little steps.

Mike Younge
Buffalo, NY

Some good some bad. I appreciate the opportunity to comment.

There is good and bad in Sam Webb's new times new opportunities. The good is that Sam Webb is finally saying something after years of CP silence. I don't feel any identification with the CP because I don't see the CP doing much of anything. I have started looking at the CP websites. I wish it was doing lots more. I have never seen a single article in my local newspaper about the CP. I am 38 years old. I live in Superior, Wisconsin. My parents were bigtime supporters of the CP. What I am reading here I can read on any Democratic Party blog or website. If I was interested the Democratic Party I would join the Democratic Party. I hate to be so down on the CP. You guys used to do lots of good things. That was yesterday. This is today. New Times require new programs because there are new problems. I don't feel like I am getting my point across here. I better quit. I don't think anyone from the CP will read this anyways. If they do they won't care what I think. Anyways I ranted some.

Janice Galatz

Not a single solution advanced by Sam Webb

Sam Webb follows Obama's lead and in the same vein he writes in complete abstractions utilizing fancy sounding rhetoric amounting to nothing of substance.

I have been working with my union on a campaign promoting Kucinich's bill for Medicare for All, HR 676.

I intend to vote for Obama and I am very enthusiastically supporting him. I go out every Sunday distributing his campaign fliers in my community.

As I campaign for Obama I tell people I am not happy with his health care proposals. I am for kicking the insurance companies right out of the picture.

I want to know why Sam Webb would not be talking critically about Obama's health care reforms and talking about the need to build support for HR 676.

I don't want Bush to have a third term through John McCain. Wouldn't it have been wiser for Sam Webb to have offered critical support for Obama and put forth communist suggestions for solving many problems?

Sam Webb references William Foster in trying to sell us on his new ideas and new opportunities. Foster was very clear and self-critical in stating that he didn't think the CPUSA leadership was critical enough of FDR.

I don't see where Mr. Gluck sees anything in here about "incremental change as the way to get to socialism." Did Mr. Gluck read the same article I am reading here?

I see new opportunities in getting people to stand up for their rights because of the bad problems capitalism is making for people.

I wonder how Sam Webb and Mr. Gluck see us doing anything without starting organizations that take up our problems. I use health care as one example because I am working on this problem. I feel very bad that I have to work for a candidate who doesn't support our right to health care.

If socialism comes in "increments" does that mean reforms like health care will come in increments?

I am sorry I don't see where Sam Webb and Mr. Gluck are going with this incrementalism. I don't quite see how we will get anything.

In a way I don't think Sam Webb is being honest with people.

Not a single solution is advanced by Sam Webb. This should be contrasted with William Foster's position regarding FDR. Foster and the CPUSA literally wrote the New Deal Reforms and insisted FDR implement this program.

If we use Social Security as our example when would we have gotten it? I don't think we would have Social Security now if Foster had taken advice from Sam Webb and Mr. Gluck.

I am not a member of the CPUSA so maybe I shouldn't be putting my ideas in here. I am not against the CPUSA. To be honest I am sort of afraid to join the CPUSA. Not because I disagree with anything just because it seems like such a big step to take. Socialism seems to be so far off according to Sam Webb and Mr. Gluck it's almost like they are saying there is no need for a Communist Party anyways. Maybe something for my great grandchildren to consider joining.

Ruby Magnusson, a home health care worker, Munising, Michigan

Marxist-Leninist ideology is not some dogmatic out of date babble

I think that Mr. Webb has lost site of what a communist party is all about. That working class, Marxist-Leninist ideology is not some dogmatic out of date babble.



Comrade W.Z. Foster wrote, "The Communist Party of the United States cannot be some vague Marxist party [Political Affairs 1956].



There is Marxist-Leninist ideology and Bourgeois ideology.



Comrade Gus Hall wrote, "There can be no ideological convergence". "Comrades should not waste their time searching for one especially since most who seek a third way land in the bourgeois camp" ["The Power and Ideology" 1989]



It appears that Mr. Webb is directing the CPUSA not to the road to Socialism, but to the third way to becoming just another bourgeois party.



Mick Gardiner