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-10- We should make it clear that work within the two-party setup at this time is to help labor break out of the two-party system, not to drag them further into it. The main test for political work must be: Is this going to help labor emerge as an independent political force? There is another major weakness in the draft under the section of the party. The party has come through the worst crisis in its history. Is it analyzed? Is the responsibility of leadership analyzed? The "self criticism"ยจ is too generalized. The source of the weaknesses are not indicated nor the steps to overcome these weaknesses. The crisis that developed in the Party was fundamentally a crisis in leadership. The abandonment of Marxist-Leninist principles by the Gates revisionists, the so-called Stein-Fine center, the destructive anti-Party role of some ultra-left forces (just as much an abandonment of Marxist-Leninist) principles as the Gates group), and the resultant factional fight all had their paralyzing and demoralizing effect on the party membership and cadre. The root of this crisis in leadership was the loss of confidence in the Party, in the American working class, in the international working class and in the international Communist movement. Of course, the objective situation, the extreme reaction, the relative "good times" and the relative isolation of the Party was the soil in which this condition developed. Gatesism could gain no significant support in a place like France or Italy where there are mass CP's leading millions of workers. How could anyone accept the idea that the Party had no role when it is leading millions of workers in struggle. But of course in the U.S., where the whole socialist movement is small, ideas of American exceptionalism can more easily be propagated by the revisionists. Once and for all we should bury the stupid idea that somehow the American CP and socialist movement in the U.S. could have been a big mass movement if it weren't for our mistakes. The CP's in the other countries made as serious mistakes as we did. If they have mass parties in France and Italy, it is not because Thorez or Togliatti are more astute Marxists-Leninists than a Foster. It is because the historic conditions for the growth of a mass Party are different there than in the U.S. These countries at one time, too, had small and isolated CP's. The whole experience of the international movement with its tremendous successes in spite of mistakes should inspire the utmost confidence in the Party and its future. One of the main reasons for the former leader's loss of confidence in the Party's ability to play a role amongst the people was the isolation of the Party leadership itself from the workers and the rank and file membership of the Party. If the leaders themselves had been playing some role amongst the masses, perhaps they would not so easily have drawn the conclusion that Communists could never be accepted by American workers. This isolation of the Party leaders from the masses is also the present source of a number of incorrect estimates and policies, dogmatism and bureaucracy. Only continuous experiences amonst the peoples can give rise to new and varied methods, fresh ideas, and the testing of the validity of our estimates and policies. Most of our Party leaders in the past came from mass and trade union work. Many of them were leaders in these movements. They came into the Party, advanced into leadership, and the higher up they went the more they lost their former relationships with the people. On the other hand, there are a number of mass organization and trade union cadre who hesitate to come into Party leadership because they do not want to get all tied up in inner Party responsibility and lose their influence among the masses. Most of our Party leaders are completely dedicated Comrades who have proven their dedication again and again. They work very hard in the interest of the Party and the American people. But because of wrong methods of work, ingrained over the years, the effectiveness of their work and leadership is lost. The essence of the wrong methods of work lies in the false concept that the role of leading comrades is just to get others to
