Promoting PLP’s Politics at MLA Convention

PHILADELPHIA, January 2 — PLP members and friends were active at the recent Modern Language Association (MLA) convention through our participation with friends in the Radical Caucus (RC). In two RC-sponsored panels we advocated the need for revolution rather than reliance on reform, no matter how militant. In one panel, in fact, a presentation was made specifically on “teaching revolution.”

We also helped promote two resolutions at the Delegate Assembly (DA). One called for firm job security and benefits for all higher education workers and was easily adopted. The second advocated that the University of Colorado rehire Ward Churchill, a Native American studies expert and activist who was fired because he expressed indifference to the deaths of those killed on 9/11.

Churchill was fired for expressing his opinion. Debate was so lengthy that a quorum — a critical number of delegates — was no longer present to vote on it. The RC may raise it again next year.

For the first time in many years there’s an organized right-wing movement in the MLA. Russell Berman, Stanford U. professor and “senior fellow” at the anti-communist Hoover Institution, did his best to confuse the issue around Churchill’s firing. Berman will be MLA President in two years.

The DA Organizing Committee (DAOC), which runs the annual meeting, opposed both resolutions, as they’ve often done, although delegates have often ignored its recommendations, as they did here.

That’s why the DAOC is aiming to sharply limit members’ ability to bring resolutions before the annual meeting. This distrust of the delegates — who often pass RC motions and resolutions — will sharpen future struggles.

The DAOC and Executive Council appeared troubled by a 2008 RC-sponsored resolution critical of Israeli terrorism against Palestinian workers which passed at last year’s annual meeting and in a MLA-member vote. Conservative and Zionist members will probably try to recall this resolution, which would open the whole issue to debate again.

Fewer members attended the convention this year, reflecting sharp cuts in university budgets and also causing a smaller RC meeting than previously. This trend will surely continue.

This foreshadows much struggle ahead in the MLA. Next year the RC may propose that MLA’s dues structure be progressive. Now it’s regressive, the lower-paid members paying a higher percentage of their income in dues than higher-paid members do.

At this annual RC meeting our members and friends explained that capitalism, not who’s president, is the root cause of all the injustices and problems in higher education, in society and in the world. We promoted a Marxist class analysis and the need for communist revolution to overthrow capitalism.

Some younger activists have begun to help lead the RC in reaching out to other groups within the MLA, an excellent development.

Our most important effort is to develop ties with new people and with older friends. It’s challenging to plan political activities among members spanning all of North America and who meet only once a year. We struggle to stay in touch during the year and introduce CHALLENGE to them.