Sender Mark Osborn

Date 13 April 2012

To AWL-EC
Pete does object to me writin !p w"at "appened at t"at #$A%&'E committee(
meetin and presentin it as e)idence* 'is )iew is t"at it will discredit !s+ beca!se
,onnie is !sin t"e co!rts* Pete sa-s "e will write !p "is )iew and send it to t"e EC*
. asked /a)e ' w"at ,onnie wants* %"is is "is repl-0
,onnie wants a j!dment to sa- t"at t"ere is instit!tional racism in t"e !nion*
'e wants t"e !nion to address t"e problem and to ed!cate t"e acti)ists*
Per"aps o to %re)or P"ilips and ask 1or "elp*
%o apoloise to ,onnie and ot"er 2ewis" members - in p!blic*
Apoloise to t"ose w"o resined in protest*
,onnie sa-s "e doesn3t want damaes*
. t"ink t"e- s"o!ld pa- damaes - beca!se . t"ink "e "as been damaed+ and t"at is
t"e normal leal remed-*
. t"ink we3re serio!s w"en we sa- "e3s been damaed - it isn3t a political ame w"ere
we sa- we don3t want damaes - b!t it is real* . t"ink ,onnie3s a1raid to ask 1or mone-
beca!se "e t"inks it3ll be painted in an anti-4emitic wa-*
&!ndamentall- "e wants an apolo- and a promise to address t"e instit!tional
antisemitism*
/a)e ' also sa-s0
. t"ink it is d!e to come to co!rt abo!t October - b!t i s!spect it alwa-s takes loner
t"an -o! t"ink*
.t seems to me ,onnie &3s stance - t"at "e doesn3t want damaes+ b!t an apolo- and
t"e !nion to accept t"ere is a problem - simpl- strent"ens t"e case 1or me writin
down w"at . saw and e5perienced* A1ter all it is simpl- t"e tr!t"* And i1 . don3t tell t"e
co!rt w"at "appened .3ll be t"e onl- one w"o will )ol!ntaril- a m-sel1* %"e 4WP will
"a)e t"eir sa-+ no do!bt* %"e !nion o6cials will "a)e t"eir sa- too*
An-wa-+ t"e !nion s"o!ld apoloise to "im7 and it s"o!ld reconise t"ere is a
problem* %"at3s tr!e+ is it not8
And i1 . don3t sa- w"at . saw and did it will weaken "is case a little+ and t"at3s bad
beca!se we s"o!ld want "im to win* O9 "e3s not !sin t"e correct met"od o1
correctin a wron+ b!t "e3s not a %rotsk-ist in o!r tradition and+ in practice+ "e
probabl- t"inks t"ere3s little else "e can do* :%o i)e "im a list o1 t"ins we co!ld do0
set !p a web site+ prod!ce a lea;et and a model motion etc etc misses t"e point* 'e
isn3t one o1 !s*<
On t"e ot"er "and+ i1 "e doesn3t win it will strent"en e)er- b!rea!crat w"o wants
peace and =!iet and t"e iss!e to simpl- to o awa-+ as well as t"e le1t anti-2ewis"
win o1 t"e !nion* %"e-3ll claim a )ictor- and t"at t"e co!rts "a)e )indicated t"em
and t"at t"ere is no problem in t"e !nion* .t will make it "arder 1or !s in t"e 1!t!re*
Pete3s idea t"at t"is will discredit !s+ b- s!bmittin e)idence+ needs a little !npickin*
&irst we are not breakin one o1 o!r principles* We "a)en3t bro!"t t"e co!rts in7 we
don3t need to endorse ,onnie brinin t"e co!rts into t"e !nion* :And+ act!all-+
t"ere3s a ba o1 material 1rom !s in t"e past t"at makes it clear we3re aainst !sin
t"e co!rts in t"e m)t<*
.n 1act t"ere are )er- 1ew people w"o act!all- aree wit" !s t"at t"ere is a principle
aainst !sin t"e co!rts in t"e labo!r mo)ement* .t is sad+ beca!se t"at simpl-
indicates a corr!pted+ inorant mo)ement* An-wa-+ it is tr!e* Almost no-one will t"ink
,onnie is breakin a principle "ere*
. s!ppose . co!ld imaine some !ltra-le1t acc!sin !s o1 "-pocric-* >!t s!c" a person+
e)en i1 t"e- were a en!ine critic rat"er t"an someone dis!isin t"e real reason t"e
are attackin !s+ wo!ld be wron* We3re simpl- sa-in0 t"is is not o!r wa- to ri"t
wrons in t"e !nions+ b!t i)en t"e co!rt case is on+ it wo!ld be wron not to "a)e o!r
sa-7 e)er-one else is*
%"e people w"o object to "im !sin t"e co!rts will be people w"o - 1or one reason or
anot"er - don3t aree wit" w"at "e sa-s abo!t t"e !nion :ie* as distinct 1rom people
w"o don3t aree wit" "im !sin t"e co!rts<* >!t we do aree wit" w"at "e sa-s abo!t
t"e !nion - at least . certainl- do* %"e 1act t"at "e is a ri"t-winer and a bit o1 a n!t is
neit"er "ere nor t"ere* %"e !nion s"o!ld not j!st be "abitable 1or 2ews w"o pass a
political test*
4ome w"o object to !s "elpin "im :i*e* pro)idin testimon- w"ic" is tr!e+ and
conse=!entl- strent"ens "is case< will be b!rea!crats w"o want a =!iet li1e and wis"
"e3d s"!t !p and 1!ck o? and lea)e t"em to et on wit" bookin t"eir s!mmer
"olida-s in !nion time* Ot"ers will be 4WP t-pes w"o oppose "im on t"e political
s!bstance*
Ob)io!sl- people in bot" t"ese ro!ps - and . !ess t"e- o)erlap somew"at - will
complain abo!t !s "elpin "im* %"e-3re wron and we s"o!ld sa- so* .1 we et some
;ack+ to 1!rt"er isolate o!rsel)es - well+ t"at3s beca!se t"e- are wron and we are
insitin in prosectin o!r )iew* %"ta3s w"at we do* We s"o!ldn3t d!ck o!t*
As . s!ested to t"e EC t"ere3s a prett- clear precident in o!r mo)ement - %rotsk- on
t"e /ies Committee 1rom $o) 1@3@* %rotsk- areed t"at /ies was constit!ted b-
people w"o did not "a)e a le1t aenda :a trib!al set !p b- t"e A4 state on t"e Moscow
%rials<* .t was not o!r committee7 it wo!ld not "a)e been o!r c"oice* >!t i)en it
e5isted+ and e)er-one else incl!in t"e 4talinists wo!ld "a)e t"eir sa-+ w"- s"o!ldn3t
"e8
Alt"o!" . was rel!ctant to et into it on t"e EC+ re1!sal to present e)idence in t"e ,&
case does "a)e implications 1or o!r participation in lots o1 ot"er areas0 in t"e press+
media+ all sorts o1 ot"er 1or!ms and committees and trib!nals not set !p b- !s :as
also came o!t a little in t"e 4WP3s disc!ssion on /ies<*
.n eneral we s"o!ld p!t o!r side o1 a matter+ i1 we possibl- can* As %rotsk- said+ B$ot
appearin+ not inter)enin+ is a p!rel- neati)e+ passi)e and sterile radicalism*B
Sender Pete ,adcli?
Date 13 April 2012
To AWL-EC
%o me+ we s"o!ld not 1eel o!rsel)es oblied to assist in wa- t"eir st!pid leal action
b!t we s"o!ld not p!t o!rsel)es in breac" o1 law b- not co-operatin*
%"e 4WP and ot"ers will ine)itabl- tr- to implicate !s in t"is anti-!nion leal action*
2!st as wit" 4"eridan and t"e $OW+ we wo!ldn3t ad)ise people to o i)in dirt to t"e
$OW t"at is not o!r met"od o1 dealin wit" corr!pt elements in o!r mo)ement*
>!t neit"er wo!ld we de1end 4"eridan3s attempt to et 44P members to commit
p!rer-*
Pete
Sender Mark Osborn
Date 13 April 2012
To AWL-EC
'i Pete
. don3t t"ink t"e leal action is 3st!pid3* . don3t t"ink ,onnie & is ri"t to brin in t"e
co!rts* >!t w"- is "e st!pid to want t"e !nion to ed!cate its members+ reconise a
problem+ allow 2ews to participate in t"e !nion wit"o!t t"e prej!dice8 O9+ t"e met"ods
aren3t o!rs - b!t a per1ectl- reasonable aim*
W"- wo!ld we want to c!t w"at we do to w"at t"e 4WP Cnd acceptable* O1 co!rse
t"e- will tr- to intimidate !s into bein =!iet* >!t w"- wo!ld we want to i)e into
t"em8
W"at do we sa- to t"e 4WP8 we don3t aree wit" !se o1 t"e co!rts in t"e m)t7 we
didn3t brin t"em in7 b!t t"ere is a bi iss!e "ere - in bi part ca!sed b- -o!*** ps* 1!ck
o?*
.3)e been tr-in t"e make sense o1 t"e $oW analo-* %"e second bit :neit"er wo!ld we
de1end 4"eridan3s attempt to et 44P members to commit p!rer-*< seems to be
irrele)ant* W"o is ad)ocatin w"o commits perj!r-8 $o one*** an-wa-+ . j!st don3t et
t"e point*
%"e Crst bit :we wo!ldn3t ad)ise people to o i)in dirt to t"e $OW < seems to mean0
j!st as we wo!ldn3t ad)ocate a socialist ro!p tries to sort o!t its problems b-
cond!ctin an ar!ment in t"e $oW+ we wo!ldn3t ad)ocate a !nion sorts o!t its
problems b- oin to co!rt* Well+ i1 t"at3s t"e point0 areed* %"at3s not o!r wa- o1
doin t"ins* Do!3re j!st restatin o!r position* O9*
>!t+ i)en an ar!ment is oin on in co!rt+ t"e iss!e is di?erent0 s"o!ld we
participate8 .1 -o! want a parallel wit" t"e press+ it is t"is* 4a- a newspaper was
r!nnin a stor-+ or a series o1 stories+ abo!t somet"in t"at in)ol)es or concerns !s -
wo!ld -o! re1!se to i)e it a statement+ or a =!ote+ or speak to it8
.n eneral we3d talk to t"e press and tr- to et o)er o!r point o1 )iew :probabl- e)en i1
we calc!late it will be arbled etc etc<* Anless somet"in )er- strane was oin on+
we wo!ld talk to t"em***
.n 1act w"en t"e A4 4WP disc!ssed t"e /ies Ctte t"ere was one point o1 )iew t"at
said0 4WPers s"o!ld not )ol!ntaril- participate+ b!t onl- do so i1 t"e- were s!mmoned
wit" t"reat o1 leal action "anin o)er t"em* %"at was de1eated* .t seems a sill-
position to me*
We s"o!ld aim to sa- w"at we t"ink+ clearl-+ to w"oe)er will listen*
>esides+ !nderl-in t"is is t"at . t"ink ,onnie & is basicall- ri"t0 "e is d!e an apolo-7
t"e !nion s"o!ld c"ane7 t"ere is a problem wit" 3le1t3 anti-s* in t"e !nion* And . t"ink
.Ewe s"o!ld "elp "im to make "is case*