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Thanks for posting the article, IMO it's really good and fits in a context of rethinking and realignment on the Philippines left which had been weighted down with the baggage of one of the most Stalinist parties still extant. Unfortunately the CPP has influence here in the US, being in the lead of a couple community (mostly student) groups. And there's a small but obnoxious group at CUNY of ultra-Maoists who hold up all "protracted peoples war" parties as models. See the links within the statement in the Links article (and don't miss the author's own blog at http://socialistafeminista.blogspot.com.au/ ); see also sentro.org, and articles here: http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?page=mot&id_mot=5310 <http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.europe-solidaire.org%2Fspip.php%3Fpage%3Dmot%26id_mot%3D5310&h=GAQGwYmBe&s=1> http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?page=auteur&id_auteur=636 <http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.europe-solidaire.org%2Fspip.php%3Fpage%3Dauteur%26id_auteur%3D636&h=6AQFp1J0E&s=1> And Sonny Melencio's book is a must read. Finally below is a piece I posted on Facebook: ----------------------- The ultra-Stalinist line and practice of some latter-day Maoists is unfortunately manifesting itself in a few places around the US -- mostly, fortunately, on campus and not in the workplace where they might do some real harm. Still, better to educate the youth misled by this dangerous nonsense before things go further. Below are a few examples of the bankruptcy of one of their model parties, the Communist Party of the Philippines, all just from the last couple weeks. My comments are in brackets and/or *bold-italics*. Just *bold* is used to emphasize phrases in the original text. 1. http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/npa-seizes-74-weapons-from-monkayo-mayor-armory-2/ *NPA seizes 74 weapons from Monkayo mayor armory* Apr. 17, 2015 JOHN RIZLE L. SALIGUMBA The New People’s Army claimed it seized a total of 74 firearms and other war materiel during a raid of a town mayor’s mining compound Tuesday night in Monkayo, Compostela Valley. Francisco said they “punished Mayor Brillantes for his overt participation in the commission of various crimes against the people in the furtherance of his economic and political interest in Monkayo.” He said “several persons, including ordinary farmers and residents who enter his mining compound, were missing as they were suspected of being victims of extra-judicial killings perpetrated by Mayor Brillantes’ goons.” *Meanwhile, Francisco said that Brillantes’ workers “have not received wages for several months now, and have not been receiving social benefits, medical assistance and other forms of remuneration.”* *He said the attack “should serve as a stern warning against other warlord-politicians who deviate from civilian functions and use militarism to advance mining interest and economic gain.”* *[The obvious problem here is that self-appointed saviors are enacting vengeance for the Mayor’s crimes, and the workers, farmers and residents are passive observers.* *[What’s more, are they implying that employers following “civilian functions” in their operations, i.e. the “normal” advancing of “mining interest” for “economic gain” is OK?]* 2. http://www.systemiccapital.com/ndfp42-continues-to-win-over-the-filipino-people-to-the-arm ed-revolution/ <http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.systemiccapital.com%2Fndfp42-continues-to-win-over-the-filipino-people-to-the-armed-revolution%2F&h=-AQGwvjFO&s=1> *NDFP@42 continues to win over the Filipino people to the armed revolution* *By Fr. SANTIAGO SALAS (Ka Sanny), Spokesperson, NDFP-Eastern Visayas* At this moment in history when the Filipino people are striving to oust the *US-Aquino regime [presumably they believe a non-US regime but one which is not yet socialist is possible]*, we are all the more happier today in celebrating the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. The NDFP is the alliance of the clandestine revolutionary organizations of the basic revolutionary forces. It is thus the most consolidated part of the national united front and advances the *national-democratic revolution* *[standard Stalinist stagist concept] *through the people’s war. The NDFP is always open to link up and work with those who may not be ready to join it but are against imperialism, feudalism and *bureaucrat* capitalism *[a typical Maoist mischaracterization of the economy in order to let the “national bourgeoisie” off the hook.]* The US-Aquino regime is extremely isolated and vulnerable to ouster through a widescale and broad democratic mass movement. Since 2010, the Filipino people have suffered through the regime’s aggravation of the *semifeudal and semicolonial* *[see previous point]*crisis in implementing the neoliberal policies of the US. With Hacienda Luisita as the glaring example, the regime has also worsened poverty and social injustice by refusing to carry out genuine land reform and national industrialization. … Aquino has brought the rotten, reactionary, bourgeois and anti-masses politics to new lows with the continuing exposures of patronage politics signified by the large-scale corruption of the pork barrel. Removing Aquino *[and replacing him with what? Yet another in a long string of such regimes?]* will be beneficial to the people and a just punishment for the corrupt, brutal and fascist puppet president of US imperialism and the local exploiting classes of the big landlords and bourgeois compradors. It will throw the reactionary ruling system into further disarray while further strengthening the democratic and revolutionary struggles of the people until they can ultimately seize power. The democratic forces and organizations are at the forefront, exercising their independence and initiative, while applying united front principles in relating with other forces and groups in the broad alliance of the people. *[a united front, really? ALL forces? This would include other parties and their mass organizations? Not bloody likely given the CPP's history.]* As a matter of course, the armed revolutionary forces do not participate in the urban struggles of the broad united front of legal forces against the US-Aquino regime. But the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, NDFP and the organs of democratic power will certainly intensify the armed struggle in the countryside to further weaken the US-Aquino regime and support the ouster movement. The armed revolutionary forces are eager to see the advances and victories of the broad united front against the US-Aquino regime and the establishment of a *transition council *towards a new Philippine government, which should arrest and punish Aquino and undertake basic reforms. *[what is to be the class basis of such a council? Are they proposing a Constituent Assembly or (more likely) some self-appointed venue for joint governance with the capitalist politicians?]* The struggle to oust the US-Aquino regime will certainly also strengthen the NDFP and give new opportunities to convince many of the patriotic and progressive contents of its 12-point program. In Eastern Visayas, we shall strive to arouse, organize and mobilize as many of the peasants, workers, women, youth and students, church people and other democratic forces as possible *for the people’s war [which as they carry it out is boilerplate Maoist surround the cities with peasant forces strategy]*. We also call on the NDFP member-organizations in the region to reach out to the military, police and paramilitary elements to convince them of the justness of the revolutionary struggle, to dissuade them from being used against the anti-Aquino broad united front, and to invite them to the revolutionary fold. *[And just how to do such convincing – by mobilizing the masses (including armed workers’ and peasants’ defense squads), or by a substitutionist, self-appointed army with no organic roots in workplaces, urban neighborhoods, or even in rural area in which the NPA decides all military matters?]* Let us salute the NDFP for its continuing revolutionary efforts to win the people to the Philippine revolution. Let us support and fight to advance the people’s war to the new and higher level of *strategic stalemate *in the coming years! *[“Strategic stalemate”? A most curious phrase; suggestive of carrying on the war to a point at which negotiations are on offer – a favorite tactic of Stalinists from the original through Mao and Ho and now to the CPP; Sison has repeatedly been this route.]* 3. Finally another example of their substitutionist politics rooted in disdain for workers: http://www.rappler.com/nation/90565-npa-raid-rubber-plant-north-cotabato <http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rappler.com%2Fnation%2F90565-npa-raid-rubber-plant-north-cotabato&h=MAQFWJNsu&s=1> *NPA rebels raid rubber plant, disarm guard in North Cotabato* *Edwin Espejo* Published 9:59 PM, Apr 20, 2015 Guerrillas belonging to the communist-led New People’s Army (NPA) on Monday, April 20, raided a rubber processing plant in Makilala, North Cotabato and carted away the company guard’s M-16 rifle, several 2-way radios and a still undetermined number of handguns. But 2 civilians were hurt when the rebels exploded a land mine that narrowly missed a police car with officers sent to investigate the attack. In 2013, armed men belonging to the same rebel guerrilla front swooped down in the same village and totally burned down the Pacheco family-owned Standard Rubber Development Corp. (Standeco), one of the biggest buyers of rubber in Mindanao. More than P150 million worth of property went up in smoke. Ka Efren, spokesman of the National Democratic Front (NDF) in the Cotabato provinces, said they raided Standeco *for alleged violation of workers' rights and for failure to pay revolutionary tax. [Yet in neither attack were the workers involved, consulted, mobilized. But that’s OK, because once again we see the CPP/NPA’s real goal:]* *Only over the weekend, chief NDF political consultant Jose Maria Sison said the rebels are open to a longer ceasefire during a time-bound peace negotiations.* On Tue, May 5, 2015 at 10:16 PM, glparramatta via Marxism < marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> wrote: > ******************** POSTING RULES & NOTES ******************** > #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. > #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. > ***************************************************************** > > An important discussion is taking place in the Philippine left about its > intervention in the 2016 elections, the revival of the mass movement and > the coalition of a section of the progressive movement, the Akbayan party, > with the governing Liberal Party. > > Several leaders of Akbayan have called for an end to this alliance, > including Walden Bello, who recently resigned as Akbayan's leader in > parliament, former chairperson of Akbayan Ric Reyes, who has now resigned > from the party after its congress in April voted to continue as a coalition > partner of the government, and SENTRO, the labour organisation aligned with > Akbayan. > > The following paper is a contribution to the discussion. > > Full http://links.org.au/node/4407 > _________________________________________________________ > Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm > Set your options at: > http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/acpollack2%40gmail.com > _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
