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UNITY NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1967 EDITORIAL In the May I967 issue of this NEWSLETTER we commented editorially on the importance, in our political life, of the exercise of criticism and self-criticism. We had hoped that the grave realities of the struggle in Southern Africa and the urgent need to close the ranks of the genuine anti-imperialist, anti- colonialist and anti-apartheid forces in that area would induce our comrades to ponder these matters in the spirit of revolutionary realism, instead of continuing to indulge in the fruitless pursuit of glorifying the past and present history of their respective little camps. But we reckoned without traditional thinking. From their offices abroad the South African freedom organisations have continued to churn out encomiums and panegyrics on themselves and to claim sole existence as an organised force against oppression and exploitation in that country - a completely unrealistic and irresponsible claim to make, particularly at this stage in the history of bur struggle. For this reason we have decided to republish the editorial referred to above in the hope that if our comrades find our standpoint unacceptable they will at least say so: CRITICISM AND SELF-CRITICISM . nOne of the critical tests of the solidarity of mass support for any party is its ability to conduct open self-criticism. If it is not afraid of its constituents, it can afford to admit its mistakes, explain what errors produced untenable positions, and suggest how a new course can be taken. But if the party no longer has the confidence of the masses, it builds up a web of mystifications about its past and seeks to show-that every new course of action is somehow related to, or the logical result of, an old victorious action. Thus the party has never made a mistake and, as long as it is guided by its present leaders, never will make a mistake. Even as the party abruptly changes its political direction by 180 degrees, the leaders announce, over their shoulders as it were, that the course of the party has never changed.M - Bob Fitch and Mary Oppenheimer. In the next issue of the UNITY NEWSLETTER we shall again return to the very important subject of a united front of struggle, with special reference to South Africa. Meanwhile we take the opportunity to make certain general remarks on the basis of some of the views expressed by * some people, in one way or another, involved in the South African Revolution. These views have been expressed either through discussion or publication. We make these general remarks, not with a view to pontificate or excite polemical discussion, which is very often fruitless, since it invariably stems from ulterior motives, but in-order to call for a serious, honest and non-sectarian approach to the immense problems that are posed by the South African Revolution. Any attempt to peddle the old sectarian lines can only serve to betray the revolution in our country. But this sectarianism is still the bane of the South African Liberation Movement. No one is prepared to look history squarely in the face. Everyone seeks to outshine the others by holding up to viev; the glorious past of his party and its leaders. No one is prepared to admit that the leaders of his party are fallible. No one is /.
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Title | CENPA-005~02 |
Filename | CENPA-005~02.tiff |
Full text | UNITY NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1967 EDITORIAL In the May I967 issue of this NEWSLETTER we commented editorially on the importance, in our political life, of the exercise of criticism and self-criticism. We had hoped that the grave realities of the struggle in Southern Africa and the urgent need to close the ranks of the genuine anti-imperialist, anti- colonialist and anti-apartheid forces in that area would induce our comrades to ponder these matters in the spirit of revolutionary realism, instead of continuing to indulge in the fruitless pursuit of glorifying the past and present history of their respective little camps. But we reckoned without traditional thinking. From their offices abroad the South African freedom organisations have continued to churn out encomiums and panegyrics on themselves and to claim sole existence as an organised force against oppression and exploitation in that country - a completely unrealistic and irresponsible claim to make, particularly at this stage in the history of bur struggle. For this reason we have decided to republish the editorial referred to above in the hope that if our comrades find our standpoint unacceptable they will at least say so: CRITICISM AND SELF-CRITICISM . nOne of the critical tests of the solidarity of mass support for any party is its ability to conduct open self-criticism. If it is not afraid of its constituents, it can afford to admit its mistakes, explain what errors produced untenable positions, and suggest how a new course can be taken. But if the party no longer has the confidence of the masses, it builds up a web of mystifications about its past and seeks to show-that every new course of action is somehow related to, or the logical result of, an old victorious action. Thus the party has never made a mistake and, as long as it is guided by its present leaders, never will make a mistake. Even as the party abruptly changes its political direction by 180 degrees, the leaders announce, over their shoulders as it were, that the course of the party has never changed.M - Bob Fitch and Mary Oppenheimer. In the next issue of the UNITY NEWSLETTER we shall again return to the very important subject of a united front of struggle, with special reference to South Africa. Meanwhile we take the opportunity to make certain general remarks on the basis of some of the views expressed by * some people, in one way or another, involved in the South African Revolution. These views have been expressed either through discussion or publication. We make these general remarks, not with a view to pontificate or excite polemical discussion, which is very often fruitless, since it invariably stems from ulterior motives, but in-order to call for a serious, honest and non-sectarian approach to the immense problems that are posed by the South African Revolution. Any attempt to peddle the old sectarian lines can only serve to betray the revolution in our country. But this sectarianism is still the bane of the South African Liberation Movement. No one is prepared to look history squarely in the face. Everyone seeks to outshine the others by holding up to viev; the glorious past of his party and its leaders. No one is prepared to admit that the leaders of his party are fallible. No one is /. |
Archival file | chilunpub_Volume49/CENPA-005~02.tiff |