Communist Programme

The relationship between the minimum  and the maximum programmes is an 
important one.
Many trotskyists are of the view that the two programmes are bridged by the
transitional programme. Their view is the minimum and maximum demands are 
bridged by
transitional demands. The system of transitional demands are bridge, so to 
speak,
between the two programmes.

They argue against certain forms of reformism, stalinism and, what they 
call, centrism
which, they say,  insert a brick wall between the minimum and maximum 
programmes.
Their view is that the brick wall must be replaced by the transitional 
programme which
links both programmes together.

Some trotskyists are less clear in their understanding of the relationship 
between
these three programme. Consequently their understanding of programmatic 
issues tends
to have, at worst, a confused and, at most, a paradoxical character.

I question this way of posing the matter. Under capitalism in its 
imperialist form no
separation can be made between three different programmes. There is only 
one programme
the Communist Programme. The Communist Programme contains what are called 
minimum and
maximum demands. The Communist Programme is constituted in such a way that 
all its
demands form an integrated part of a dialectical system of demands. 
Consequently what
are called minimum or immediate demands bear an integral relationship to 
all the other
demands whether they are viewed as immediate or maximum demands or slogans. 
Minimum
demands dialectically dissolve into more advanced demands. The Communist 
Programme is
a dialectical system of demands whereby each individual demand implies all 
other
demands. Contained within an individual demand, however minimum it is 
thought to be,
are all the other demands. All of these other demands are implicit in any 
individual
demand just as a factory strike by workers contains within it the social 
revolution.
However social revolution is only implicit in the strike and must be made 
explicit. In
short for Communists the minimum and maximum programmes dissolve into the 
Communist
Programme.

Overall, then, there is no essential difference between the trotskyist 
programmatic
conception and that of the other political tendencies alluded to in this 
posting. They
all subscribe to a mechanical undialectical programmatic conception of 
struggle. The
trotskyists try to disguise this conception by inserting the transitional 
programme.
However they present this programme, at their best, as having an external 
mechanical
relation to the other two  programmes or, at their worst, as mish mash in 
which the
relationship between all three programmes takes on a blurred and confused 
character.

Comradely regards
George

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