Socialist Party Head Office

A comrade who actually lives in Todmorden but who is not subscribed to this forum has asked for this contribution to be posted here:With reference to Eat for Free and the Todmorden Incredible Edible, we have one of the free access food tubs in Todmorden so I thought I might make a few comments.The Incredible Edible people are fairly on the ball, much more so than Brian in the “Socialism at Your Fingertips” posting. No one here claims (or should claim) anything more than that the project can further local sustainability in food production. Certainly there have been no “amazing results” (excepting propaganda coups such as the recent visit of Bonnie Prince Bigears) and it definitely does not involve the whole community. Mostly it’s ‘middle class’ in-comers and vegetarian types, who are responsible for the project. While some of the better off locals are involved at a lower level, the substantial Asian origin minority and the white estate dwellers are largely indifferent, as indeed one might expect. Doubtless they have more important worries, such as working out how to keep head above water. So far as “community well-being” is concerned the results are nil. Todmorden demonstrates the whole gamut of modern anti-social behaviour engendered by late period capitalism, from lippy kids to pedo-pervs and nazis, and probably more than most places due to its cotton based economy being smashed long ago.Let’s be very clear: There are absolutely no implications for socialism, no “lessons” to be learnt. Providing a bit (and it is a very minor bit – try to live on it and you’ll be Musselmanned in no time) of fruit and veg free cannot lead to a free society, even incrementally with other, more half-arsed, schemes such as the LETS. It’s not the “either/or thing” of Robbo but a “something else entirely thing”. It’s irrelevant (I should know – I do it!). After all, what have these glorified allotments to do with the means of production? Sweet fuck all. They’re not even peripheral. Neither is it some sort of ‘socialism in miniature’, a guide to human behaviour under “free access”. Such an attitude is the purest utopianism.