the Communist Party and the 'left' sections of the Socialist Party continue to play an old game which has its uses for both of them. say that the one was too reformist, while the other was too 'impatient', avoids the basic question of the strategy of Popular Unity, of the peaceful and gradual transition to socialism.
Blind alley
To hear the representatives of these parties defeat, the tears and the blood shed since 11 September 1973 by the Chilean workers, the repression which they must daily face - all this hasn't opened their eyes. More concerned to justify themselves to those who follow them, This is well understood by the leaders of the junta. It is against the revolutionaries, and above all against the MIR, that the repression has been concentrated, not without serious consequences. The losses of militants and political cadres, including many of the best, have been considerable; to a large extent the organisation works to ensure its own continuation and survival, which thus reduces its ability to intervene.
All these factors mean that in present conditions it is particularly difficult to work out the precise orientation necessary for an effective political intervention to recompose the workers movement.
Next week: The MIR