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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 18. 26th July 1973

Vox Populi?

Vox Populi?

Dear Salient,

Your 'People's Voice' critic Rob Campbell seems to have stirred up a little flutter in the darkening dovecot of the CPNZ. "Chicken Man and the Roosters" have replied to Campbell's criticism with yet another example of the blind lashout at any questioning of their weekly squark. Well, Mr Vic "Chicken Man" Wilcox, lets see what your wrote and what the facts actually are.

P. V. July 18, 1973 (above the list of donations.) In huge type — "The list below represents solid support for the working class press. The regular support from workers around the country proves that, despite what some opportunists may claim, there is widespread working class support for a Marxist Leninist newspaper."

Fact. The list below contains no more than four hundred names at the most. In my experience the bulk of the present readership comprises party and ex-party members, members of other small parties and factions, kind hearted students and drunks. In 1945 P.V. circulation was 14,000. In 1963 it had dropped to 5,100. What it is now is anyone's guess.

P. V. July 18 1973. "The People's Voice is the only Marxist Leninist newspaper in New Zealand. For this reason it is the only paper which works in the long term interest of the working class. Others may sneer at the political line, and deny the ability of the working people to understand Marxist —Leninist politics — but by doing so they abdicate from providing the working class with politics which will build the forces needed to seize state power."

Fact. This outrageous mixture of self- praise and distortion has typified the writing of the "Voice" for years. On what grounds does it claim to be a Marxist Leninist paper? On the grounds that it says it is, that's all. Which is not good enough. Many well meaning people, party and non-party, have banged their heads against the concrete wall of Vic's chicken coop in a vain attempt to criticise the grass lack of Marxist analysis in the "Voice". All such criticism is dismissed as "sneering at the political line." So you have the wonderful choice of the P.V. — love it or leave it.

Fifty two years after its foundation the CPNZ has been reduced to a few old men selling a wretched newspaper and the occasional leaflet. Lenin said: "New Zealand is the paradise of Social Democracy," and this is still true. The conditions of our country are not those that produce a vigorous Marxist—Leninist party at the present stage of history'. It's understandable that Chicken Man should cling to his illusions, he has little else. But it would be unfortunate if progressive people were to betaken in by his buffoonery at this stage of the game. The working class and its allies are not an appropriate subject of ridicule.

Yours, necessarily anonymously, Ex—Party Member.