By: Henrique Canary, Esquerda Online’s columnist
The Esquerda Online webpage has unstoppably defended the necessity to overcome Lulismo by the left and to introduce a political socialist alternative for the 2018 elections. The “2018 is still far away” speech only serves Lulismo itself (which already introduced a political alternative) and also the right-wing which gains time to self-articulate.
Among the workers, there are many people scared by Temer and disappointed with lulismo. Here is the most popular debate in our society today: What political alternative do we have? The old right wing or the PT’s come back? However, we from the left wing understand that this debate is meaningless. Therefore, we have decided to integrate ourselves in the “Vamos! Semmedo de mudar o Brasil” (“Let’s go! Fearless of changing Brazil”) platform, alerting that it would be a mistake to turn this important and correct initiative by the Frente Povo Sem Medo(Fearless People’s Front) into some kind of movement for political reconciliation with PT. Lula has got already 30% of the vote intention and is still the strongest influence among the poor and the oppressed sectors of the working class.That’s why we call and we will keep calling Lula and his party to use the influence they have to stimulate the struggle against the political and economic reforms of Temer’s government.We will fight against the reforms side by side with anyone who wants to fight. We point no precondition in this matter.
Nevertheless, when it comes to present a political alternative for our country, things change. At this point, there isn’t any possibility of agreement with PT. Lula himself has declared that several times, if he wins in the next election, not only he won’t get rid of the reforms implemented by Temer’s government, but he will “complement” them with others. Although, according to him, his reforms would be “lighter” and they would be introduced slowly for a long term. Lula has also criticized what he calls “PSOL’s pickiness” in the issue of making deals with reactionary and right wing political forces.In other words, it is evident that a third mandate would be essentially the same as the past two others: making deals with the right wing by passing reactionary reforms, and making the rich even richer mixed with small democratic and social concessions. This is not enough for us. For it was exactly this political concessions to the right wing that brought us to this tragedy we find ourselves today. We believe that a program and government that represents a rupture with this way of governing is necessary. Our position about the necessity to overthrow lulismo, the alternative program we defend and the warnings we have made about the delusions around lulismo can be seen here, here and here.
PT has joined“Vamos” platform. What now?
For now, as we have been trying to overcome petismo, we find ourselves ata problematic point :PT has decided to integrate the “Vamos! Sem medo de mudar o Brasil” platform. The current PT’s president Gleisi Hoffmann has made a post recently on her personal facebook page spreading the platform and also there are several PT members taking part of political debate events. What should we do in this situation? Sabotage it? Keep repeating that nothing has changed? First, it’s fundamental to understand why PT has capitulated to this platform. It wants to prevent that Frente Povo Sem Medo, and PSOL introduce themselves as an left wing political alternative to their own. The fact that they joined is a recognition, by their party, of the strength and the accuracy of the initiative. As such, what is to be done?
Well, in our opinion, PT’s entrance in the “Vamos!” movement makes the attendance of all the left wing socialist sectors in this debates cycle even more important. If PT wants do debate about a political alternative to our country, we won’t avoid or run from the discussion. On the contrary: We will propose a heavy analytical discussion about the last 14 years of their policies as government, including the famous “Carta ao Povo Brasileiro”(Letter to the Brazilian People wrote by Lula), the allegiances to the bourgeoisie landowners and to the financial market, the 2003 social providence reform, the Forestry Code, the 2013 June Journeys, the airport sector privatization, the opening of our oil resources to internationalcompanies and the scrap of Petrobrás. Also, we will propose discussions about the generalized institutional corruption that clearly got into PT, about Haiti UN’s occupation and about their lack of efforts to stop the last impeachment coup process. Thus, we will discuss all the mistakes committed by PT and Lula that brought us to where we are now and which they insist on repeating.
We must not be afraid of debating with anybody. Neither PT, Gleisi Hoffman, Tarso Genro, nor Lula. As a matter of fact, PTs entrance into the platform also brings us a possible advantage: Instead of keeping the debate only among ourselves we will take it to whom the vote intentions are now 30%. It undoubtedly makes a huge difference in order to strengthen the new platform.
It is necessary to put an end to the socialist left wing isolationism.
In the last 14 years during the PT’s government, the socialists became marginalized, and we got used to debating only among ourselves, satisfying ourselves by criticizing in a way that none, but we, could understand or agree. We also unlearned how to bring the debate to the sectors that matter to our political project and, consequently acquired a terrible vice (that perhaps is even older) which is to polemicize only among each other.
Therefore, the “Vamos!” platform will be a great challenge and it can serve as a refresh and re-education for a whole generation of political militants. The socialist left wing can and must come back to play a main role in the Brazilian political scene, abandoning its sectarian spots and breaking down the walls that separate it from the real society’s debates. The “Vamos!” platform gives us the chance to have a face-to-face debate with one of the most influential political sectors of our country. We must ensure that our participation in these debates is as strong as we can provide it. It is necessary to make sure that these plenaries will be flooded by our militants, in order to show that PT is still strong but that it doesn’t monopolize the social movements anymore, thus that we have learned something in the past 14 years.
The fact is that PT has entered in the platform. Should we run out the back door? Should we say “Thank’s, but no thanks”? Should we turn our backs on the 30% that still put their hope in Lula and PT ? No! We must be stronger than them! Only due to this, an alternative will be able to be forged. If not, PT will turn this initiative, without any resistance, into a platform of their own.
Is the debate’s result already decided? No! Neither in our favour, nor in theirs. Are there risks? Surely! But let’s look around! Do we have any right to keep ourselves at home? Let’s go!
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