Unity for a socialist
IN THE CONTEXT of the crisis of "actually existing socialism,"
not just in East Germany but in general, opponents of the East
German bureaucratic regime met in Böhlen at the beginning of
September to draw up a program for unity behind a
Their press statement said: "In view of the economic stagnation and resulting political crisis in the German
Democratic Republic [GDR], the participants in this meeting discussed the need for collaboration of all political forces and others in the GDR that stand on the positions of socialism and the need for working out a left, socialist alternative in the spirit
International Viewpoint #172 • October 30, 1989
EAST GERMANY alternative democratic socialist alternative.
grealer.
The decisive question remains the social base, political maturity and forces in the of socialist democracy and freedom." The following are excerpts from the platform adopted at this meeting, which we have translated from the version published in the October 12,
1989, issue of Die Linke, the paper of the Austrian section of the Fourth International.
DOCUMENT
HE EXAMPLE of the Hungarian
T
People's Republic shows that in these conditions the crisis of
"actually existing socialism", uncritical borrowing from the arsenal of market regulators in an attempt to carry out economic reform itself produces crises and social differentiation.
If here in the GDR reforms that are overdue in view of of accumulating political, economic and social problems are allowed to lead to a "leap into the dark,"
there are real dangers of a sellout to capitalism or a military dictatorship with a nco-Stalinist option.
Nonetheless, the GDR and Czechoslovakia offer the best economic and political preconditions for a successful radical social turn toward socialism, if the undoubtedly strong socialist potential for such a perspective can be regained.
GDR faces historic chance
We believe that the GDR especially is facing a historic chance to renew the conception of socialist society. If it is missed, this will have consequences that, perhaps not only in our country, will suspend the perspective for a socially just collective life guaranteeing the full development of every member of the society.
The external conditions for a radical renewal are complicated enough. In modernized international capitalism, the disil-
28 lusionment of the working people with the incffectiveness of the social democratic welfare state model favors the continuing neoconservative turn.
The unions have their backs to the wall. The decline in influence of the West European Communist parties and their galloping social-democratization deserve the adjective "drastic." The internationalism of the mass Communist parties has in fact ccased to exist, and they can hide behind the still functioning but nonetheless pitiful social-democratic internationalism.
Fascination gives way to concern
The fascination caused by the CPSU breaking out of its ghetto of stagnation, Stalinism and arrogance of power is more and more giving way to the concern that the centrifugal forces growing now can destroy more than a blockade against a real socialist development. The economic upheaval in the reform countries is not bringing success. In view of the challenges, the lack of a radical renewal of theory on a Marxist basis is catastrophic.
And yet the chance is there. A turn toward socialism today would no longer face military intervention from "wellintentioned fraternal countries." On the basis of the dreary economic situation, the political intervention of the West through "economic cooperation" is much country itself that seriously and programmatically support socialism.
For us, in the prevailing conditions in the GDR, this means regaining this basc. And here the preconditions are undoubtedly more favorable than in other countrics of "actually existing socialism," despite the continuing political repression that hits left forces in the GDR also and in fact first.
The left in our country cannot engage in any sectarianism. It must be the driving force of a "coalition of reason," based on the varicty of all political and social forces in the GDR that support socialism, but above all all social and political groupings that offer a perspective.
No one excluded from process of renewal
No one who wants to contribute to this process of renewal, including members of the SED [Communist Party], can be excluded from it. On the other hand, recent experience shows where unprincipled relativism without any social philosophy can lead. We firmly reject any "replacement" of political-burcaucratic oppression with capitalist exploitation.
The left must unite on the following basis:
• The predominance of social ownership of the means of production as the basis for socialist socialization.
• The development of self-determination of the producers in achieving real socialization of total activity.
• Consistent application of the principle of social security and justice for members of the society.
• Political democracy, a state of laws, consistent application of all human rights and free development of the individuality of every member of society.
• Restructuring of industrial society to conform to the needs of protecting the environment*
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