More on Brexit
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Not up on proper grammar, so with or without the not, i think it means much the same, ALB.
There is always the question of brevity when it comes to a pamphlet. A whole book can be written on the topic but there are two nationalisms as unionism and separatism. Our blog has been keen to highlight Fortress Europe, a pan-European nationalism exhibited by various anti-migrant Eastern European governments particularly those migrants that are not Ukrainian/Moldovian or whatever…white Christians in reality. We also point out that some seaparatist movements are based on we are alright jack and no longer seek to subsidise our poorer neighbours (Catalan and Scotland)
I have to applaud and commend the effectiveness of Stephen Fry’s video.
A left reformist case for a No Deal Brexit, which accuses the likes of Johnson, Rees-Mogg and Davies of being incapable of delivering it:
https://www.spiked-online.com/2018/12/07/the-left-must-fight-for-a-real-brexit/
And here’s the old, failed pre-1980s Labour Party programme that he proposes:
Of course, after we leave, we will recapture a lot of powers from the EU which can be used to transform our economy. With those powers, we should propose an economic programme that would rebalance the economy towards industry, away from the services sector and, in particular, the bloated financial-services sector. That should go alongside turning key resources into public property, like trains, energy and water, and investment in infrastructure. And we need to start redistributing wealth – Britain’s inequality is at ridiculous levels for an advanced country.
The Communist Party and the Morning Star are plugging the same (and perhaps this is what Corbyn still secretly thinks). But they don’t seem to realise that left reformist state capitalism in one country has been tried and failed.
It failed, and would fail again, because all capitalist states must compete with other states on the world market and the measures proposed would increase costs of production, undermining competitiveness and provoking an economic downturn. Under capitalism Profits Rule. Infringe that at your peril. Capitalism is a trap from which there is no way out except socialism as the common ownership and democratic control of the world’s natural and industrial resources..
The Brexit ‘betrayal’ march leaves from Park Lane 12.30pm and follow a set route to Parliament Street. No-one is allowed to join en-route and no vehicles will be allowed. The march must take place between 12.30pm and 2pm, and the rally must end by 3.30pm.
A counter-protest by Oppose Tommy Robinson and Unite Against Racism & Fascism must march from Portland Place along a set route to Whitehall and set off by 12pm. No-one is allowed to join en-route and no vehicles will be allowed. The march must end by 1.15pm and a rally in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, must end by 4.30pm.
They’re going to need a helluva lot of marshals/police to stop people joining these marches “en-route”.
It seems to becoming more and more likely that the political representatives of the capitalist class in parliament and government are going to have to opt for a referendum as the way of settling the differences over trading arrangements between the various section of the capitalist class they represent.
While, from a socialist point of view, a referendum on this issue would be irrelevant (trading arrangements are a concern of the capitalist class only) and even dangerous (it will unleash yet more xenophobia), from a democratic point of view you can’t argue that the result of one referendum cannot be overturned by another referendum. Of course it can and there would be nothing undemocratic about it. In fact, this possibility is written into the democratic rulebook of our party and has happened on a number of occasions.
Just noticed that the IWGB is calling for a second referendum with the option to stay in, at least in the single market. They see this as a way of protecting workers’ rights in the UK, especially those of workers from other EU countries (who they seek to represent):
iwgb.org.uk/post/5bfcf93d5df02/iwgb-joins-call-for-a
Workers don’t need to get involved in deciding the trading arrangements of the capitalist class, even though here the IWGB are wrong for the right reason.
It’s fun watching the Tory party tearing itself part. Chris Patten has just called Rees-Mogg’s European Research Group “Maoists”:
Tory grandee Lord Chris Patten compared hard line Brexiters in the party to “rodents” and branded them “bullying fanatics” and “Maoists”. He told the BBC: “It is impossible to get a deal on the European Union and our relationship with it which is both in the national interest and satisfies the Maoists in the Conservative Party.
It’s more apt than perhaps he thinks. Try and work out who wrote this:
Under her deal, the EU would keep our cash and control of our laws, trade, borders and waters – and, backstop or not, even of our defence. This is the deal that the EU has always wanted, a deal that seals us back into the EU, paying it however much it wants, with no rebate. A deal under which we would have no say, no vote, no control. (,,,,) Now May is off to Brussels again, arms raised up in mock supplication. She should stay there, and leave the job of implementing Brexit to someone who believes in it.
No, it’s not Jacob or one of his cronies calling for Boris or some other Leaver to take over. It’s the latest idiotorial from the “Communist Party of Britain Marxist Leninist”:
https://www.cpbml.org.uk/news/message-may-just-go
So, which way round is it? Are the ERG Maoists or are the CPBML Tories? In any event, both are extreme nationalist numbskulls.
It know we’re not supposed to quote the Scum here but here’s their reply:
It gets better and better.
The fright and flight of capital
Credit Suisse have advised clients to consider moving assets out of the UK because of a lack of clarity around Brexit. Wealth managers in London contacted their top customers to warn that a prolonged period of “turmoil” had already caused a rush of clients wanting to “move assets offshore”. Ultra-wealthy clients were advised that they might want to “accelerate” similar plans before the rescheduled vote in parliament in early January, according to people familiar with the matter. Multimillionaires are setting up investment accounts in places such as the Channel Islands and Switzerland, or are shifting the location of UK-registered trusts holding their wealth to outside the country.
The sell-off in sterling-denominated assets has accelerated since parliament shelved its Brexit vote last Monday, sparking a sharp drop in the pound and extending the decline for UK stocks this year to 7 per cent, compared with an average of 3 per cent around the world.https://www.ft.com/content/aacf019a-01e9-11e9-99df-6183d3002ee1
While the League of Empire Loyalists and the Mad Marketeers wax lyrical about the benefits for British capitalists of trading on World Trade Organisation terms (not that they are many capitalists that are convinced of this), there may not be a WTO with a year or so. Trump is threatening to withdraw the US from it and in the meantime is sabotaging the functioning of its appeal court:
If his happens then world trade will become a free-for-all where might is right.
Even some Mad Marketeers are beginning to have second thoughts. Today’s Times quotes a “scholar” at the rightwing Cato Institute and former WTO appeal judge as saying:
If the United States gets its way, then these smaller countries will no longer have the benefits of the rule of law. They will be subjected to the rule of power and might makes right.
I wonder if those rural Brexiteers would have voted to leave if they knew their land-values would fall?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/07/brexit-end-boom-in-farmland-prices-forecasts-say
Tories seek alliance with the trade unions…
According to today’s papers May’s phone call to McCluskey was “constructive”. This is not surprising as Unite is the main union in the car industry which is the industry likely to be hit the most by a no-deal Brexit (as tariffs on cars to the EU countries go up and supply chains are disrupted). He has in fact long insisted, all along, including in his articles in the Morning Star, with the car industry employers, that Britain should not leave the single market. I doubt if he really thinks that there’s a realistic chance of a general election or even of a referendum and wouldn’t be surprised if, when it comes down to it, he doesn’t eventually back on pragmatic grounds the government’s deal which, after all, is only an orderly withdrawal that leaves a future trading agreement with the EU open and 21 months to negotiate it.
This is an interesting tweet from the next UK Prime Minister drawing workers attention away from capitalist sectional interests to the class struggle
The real divide in our country is not between those who voted to remain in the EU referendum and those who voted to leave. It is between the many, who do the work, create the wealth and pay taxes – and the few, who set the rules, reap the rewards….
Jeremy Corbyn
Battle Cry?
It may well indeed be the hypocritical clap-trap we are accustomed to hear from Labour. Matt, but if it becomes the theme of a coming election then he has chosen a much better suited battle-field for ourselves in the war of ideas than an election solely focused on nationalist nonsense and a internecine dispute within the capitalist class.
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