Here is one analysis from my friend Chris
The ISO like other trot groups such as Socialist Worker's Party and
Worker's World are supported or funded by liberal capitalists. They may at
times sound revolutionary but in fact are not. The ISO openly supported
and endorsed Nader during the election 2000. The ISO is part of the
Canadian and European I.S. and British SWP which are electoral liberal
parties.
The US ruling class can not tolerate another mass anti-war movement that is
out of their control. They can not tolerate a mass anti-imperialist,
anti-racist, even anti-capitalist anti-war movement. Groups like the ISO
help the bosses build a liberal, anti-communist, pro-capitalist anti-war
movement (i.e., an anti-war movement which is under their control; by the
way, this kind of movement fits into the general liberal peace/pacifist
movement so forces like Quakers, etc. push). The ISO members know about US
imperialism and how this war is about controlling Mideast and Caspian Sea
oil (see the current issue of their magazine International Socialist
review). They are not interested in spreading marxist thinking to masses
of workers and students. They are liberal in practice. They oppose Bush
and the right vehemently but are much weaker on exposing the liberals and
the democrats. They do not discuss how capitalism breeds war and that
imperialism is the logical outcome of capitalism because of the need for
capitalists to maximize profits and expand or die.
What little they say about revolution is of course the trotskyite idea of
socialist revolution must happen in the whole world or at least in all the
major imperialist countries first (see Road to Revolution 4 for what PLP
says). They like all trot groups defend national liberation movements and
nationalism too. They basically push the idea that we can reform away
capitalism.
They are mainly focused on the campuses. They seem to focus on taking over
student coalitions whenever possible such as the current anti-war
coalitions. Again, this is so they can stifle political discussion about
the capitalist roots of this war or other problems. Their actions are
political because by focusing narrowly on just opposing the war, they
impede others from understanding how this war is an imperialist war for
oil.
Every member of the ISO particularly recent young members probably isn't
consciously trying to prevent anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist anti-war
movement from developing. These members are won to a liberal,
pseudo-revolutionary line which is based on the idea that most students and
workers can't understand how capitalism and imperialism works. Their
elitist, dominating approach actually alienates people as many have
discovered this past weekend in Boston and Berkeley. The effect is to
disrupt the anti-war movement. The leaders of the ISO know better and are
consciously trying to prevent an anti-imperialist anti-war movement from
developing.
We need to fight the ISO by fighting to put forth our anti-imperialist,
anti-racist, anti-capitalist, pro-communist views in our struggles against
the war. We should not be afraid to talk to other students about this war
and oil and imperialism and capitalism. The best way to deal with the ISO
is to be bold (but not mechanical) and build strong ties with other
students. We need to be leading the fight against military research and
ROTC on the campus and the role of universities in developing racist
ideology and imperialist policy. When we lead class struggle on the
campus, fake revolutionaries like the ISO will only be further exposed.
I hope this helps.