◆ SpookStack

— _ > aw Coa Po Be their practice the Black Panther Party ha ay their PHOS AGD fe aeRO arty par of: the entire. left. The Panthers demonstrated the nece ‘self defense to protect the black community. Tiueir ten point pro- a -.gram deals not only with the surface and legal manifestations of racism but with the basic oppression and exploitation. The Pan- t sity of armed thers projected on a national scale that even in the fight for black liberation, politics rather than skin color is primary. This pro- vided the basis for Third-World people to work together and with the common enemy. Specifically. rejected was the subordination of one people to another as in the old civil rights and trade union movements (whites dominating blacks} or the sycophancy and tail- ending of whites in the early black power “movement. : Because they measured people by their relationship te oppres~ Sion rather than by their skin color-or rhetoric, the Panthers openly opposed seif-seeking Negroes who served the ruling class, even if they wore naturals or used the Language of nationalism. The Panthers opposed Biack Capitalism, and Negro Nemocratic Party Politicians, just as it oppoSed the white servants of the ruling _ ¢lass, The Panthers have led the way in pointing out that ultimately, the liberation struggle of black people was inseparabte from that of all peopie, Without subordination to the conservative conScicocus= fess of the white working class, the Panthers have worked toward ‘nal debate, cannot possibly hope to win the support of the messes. alliances Withs-hites for destruction of capitalism and the build- ing of a new nonexploitative society. - _ But the Panthers are not superhuman. Despite their many ad- vances, they are still capable of making mistakes and moving in the wrong direction in response to ch=nging conditions. Muting criticism in the name of support to the Panthers does no service to the Panthers and the black liberation struggle. If there can be no debate and criticism in the left, the result will not be united action, but ossification and ultimately decay. A left which ‘whites in coalitions based on mutual respect and struggie against _ lacks respect for its own ideas and programs and cannot Stand inter--. It is within this context of fraternal support that we make our — criticism of this _ conference... — jae We believe that both the Structure and direction of this con- Struggle but artificially constructed by top down control and the _ movement. Byes ference point in an extremely dangerous direction for the Eeft. The so-called “United Front" seems to be turning into an excuse for conservative alliances, a unity based not on common political exclusion of unpopular left-wing groups from the movement. People are lectured, like sheep in a class room. Discussion and debate are ruled out. we are supposed to “get down to busi- “ ‘ : . : : Ress. and not a@sk any questions about what business we are getting ‘down to. (we find the conservative, corrupt and discredited Com- munist Party and its establishment Liberal allies elevated to share the platfeo:u with the Black Pan tne s Paery the Llasrzdaarchin af ae ae as Sa Lek wae ad eet fe ee ee ee ee a meiaey as haat BCG Lom ap Ger our At the same time, left organizations are told that they cannot Present their points of view. While millionaire Liberal dilli- tantes like Ecward Keating and discredited Communist Party liberais ‘like Herbert Apthekar drone on from the podium, groups in the lobby Cincluding the Independent Soaciatist Club and the Sparti- cists) had their Literature censored by Fanther ideologists and then... i; banned oo various excuses, Progressive Labor Party and individuals fingered by sg-called "white radicals"). suppe sediy. friendly. to PL re, banned fron attzrding the conierence, This is poring more han, the pethodelogy of red- baiting... |. ; a . 2a