While this journal opersits columns to anyone making a serious contribution, the editors themselves are sympathetic to the Fourth International and will make available to readers declarations by the United Secretariat and other bodies of the Fourth International insofar as space will allow.
Thus it is with regret that we record some pcg ype OS with the treatment that 'World Outlook'has so far wivon ( os of riddle.oftiey) - to the developments in Cuba. For a start there has been a Failure to make an intervention in the situation, Such influence as the movement has in Cuba, small as it may be, requires some orientation - such as calling for a speqial representative congress in which the two political lines could be properly discussed and the leadership submit itself and its line to democratic decisions.
As for the details of the 'World Outlook! articles both Livio Maitan and Ernest Germain seem to believe that in spite of the unfortunate presentation Escalante was convicted for his acts, not his opinions. It is disingenuous of them, however, to cite as knock-down proof of this Escalante's own letter stating "I am aware that the leadership of the Party did not turn me over to the State Security because of my opinions but because of my actions". The effect of this ia spoiled if we turn to ite context and discover that, not surprisingly for an old-line Stalinist bureaucrat, Escalante is himself thoroughly confused as to the difference between opinions and actions. He listssix actions which he considers appropriate grounds for the State to move against him. Only one of these was an action against the State - in veiled, euphemistic terms he refers to the aformentioned allegation of plotting with the Kremlin against Cuba. The other five are Purely concerned with his formation of a political tendency.
l.Is "factional activity" - this is a crime in the Stalinist book of course but not one that any Trotskyist would acceptl
2. This concerns intervening independently of the party in demonstrat-— ions - a trivial party matter, by no means any business of the State. 3. Is taking his opinions outside the Party - again a trivial party question, not one for the State.
4. Contact with Moscow.
5. Related to circulating documents from other Parties (i.e. Moscowline C.P's) - so what?
6,Amounts to trying to find out what was happening in leadership committees = again not very important.
It is significant that Raul Castro does not laugh at Escalante and his associates for mixing up 'factional activity' and subversive acts. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that he too regards them all of a piece. On balance it appears that Escalante was punished as much for active propogation of a tendency as for the economic sabotage aspect.
However, Maitean believes "we have no reason to revise the idea... of the most positive moves undertaken by the Cuban leaders in the antibureaucratic struggle". But is Maitan sure that the Cubans refer to the same thing as he does when they speak about bureaucracy? In our experience the Cubans seem almost exclusively concerned with the bureaucrat as (a) a wasteful red-tape creator and (b) a parasite seeking to gain 4 higher standard of life than average. While damaging to an extent, 4 healthy revolution could cope with these tendencies. A more important matter which the Cubans lay little stress on is the bureaucrat as a4 political being, a man who seeks to monupolise power, to exclude the masses from the direction of the revolution, and to persecute and silence opposition. From this point of view the Cuban revolution may be in balance.
None of this alters the general stand of revolutionaries in favour of the Cuban Workers! State and being for its unconditional defence, nor should it be allowed to detract from such events as the setting up of 0.L.A.S- We have nothing in common with ultra-lefts, from the Socialist Labour League, 1.8. Group to certain Maoist groups, all of whom maintain that Cuba is still capitalist. By any known criteria for us 4 Marxists Cuba is a transitional regime, i.e. a workers' state.
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