Welcome to the April 2014 issue of Fightback (Aotearoa/NZ). Fightback stands for struggle, solidarity and socialism.
In the last issue, Fightback covered the formation of the Internet Party. This party is more or less a front for millionaire Kim Dotcom, who has faced repression for breaching copyright law with his online service Megaupload. The Internet Party’s politics are extremely vague and no candidates have yet been revealed. Fightback concluded that “while progressives may share some common ground with the Internet Party, there is no sign that it represents a progressive force.”
Since that article went to print, the MANA movement – of which Fightback are members and supporters – entered talks on possible co-operation with the Internet Party. Kim Dotcom spoke to MANA’s AGM, which broadly supported the continuation of these talks.
Commentators in mainstream and social media quickly portrayed a potential alliance between MANA and the Internet Party as a done deal. However, MANA leadership has made no definitive statements, instead saying any deal would have to be approved by the membership.
Fightback participates in the MANA Movement, as a movement seeking rangatiratanga for the poor, the powerless and dispossessed.We believe that Dotcom does not have these interests at heart. He has supported right-wing politicians including John Banks, and he told the MANA AGM that he opposed MANA’s tax policies which would lift some of the burden on working people.
While we might have unity with Dotcom around some policy areas, Fightback opposes any close ties between the Internet Party and the MANA Movement. Fightback also opposes MANA entering a coalition government with pro-capitalist parties (p6-7).
However, whatever MANA decides on this issue, Fightback will continue to belong to and support the movement, as long as policies and principles are not sacrificed.
If MANA can hold firm to its principles, while also building a base for the party vote and Maori seats, it can play an important oppositional role both inside and outside of parliament. This oppositional role is necessary to forming a long-term movement that can imagine and build a new society, based on principles of self-determination.
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