alanjjohnstone
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You are right, alb, but we cannot just be talking to ourselves.
We require a receptive audience, one that can relate to our core ideals.
Although we debate our critics, we don’t approach the far-right rallies to attract interest.
We already ration our resources and energies to the most likely places where we will be listened to and given a hearing.
Every member of the working class that i have ever met holds reformist positions, and we have a daunting task to undermine those illusions somehow.
First, we find the common ground to build up the debate and the discussion and then we can begin to reconcile our differences.
When it comes to propagating our respective cases, we cannot assume that we hold the high ground in the manner of persuasion. Other organisations have demonstrated on just that simple matter of broadcasting their ideas, they have been more successful than ourselves. We should be prepared to learn.
I know we are separate and distinct from all other political groups and we need that independence to maintain our goal for socialism, but it isn’t our sole aim, is it? We have racism and sexism and nationalism and wars and poverty and every other cancer capitalism has brought forth to argue against and no, i am not suggesting we construct a hierarchy of oppression. In fact, it is to link them all into a unified opposition to capitalism, to bring together all those divergent campaigns. I rather see ourselves as the umbrella organisation that diverse groups muster under.
However, it does not mean that individual activists are required to give up the sector of the resistance they are engaged in. We would never ask a trade unionist to stop his involvement, nor should we urge environmentalists or anti-racists to end their participation.
Our only purpose is to ensure people understand the cause of the many problems and know what the solution is. But we have to be inside the tent pissing out, not outside pissing in.
Playing the immigration card, again?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/18/theresa-may-tory-rebels-brexit-deal-uk-immigration
<p class=”story-body__introduction”>“Getting back full control of our borders is an issue of great importance to the British people,” she will say, adding that EU citizens will no longer be able to “jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi”.</p>Talking the talk again but still not walking the walk
Pope Francis railed against social inequality on Sunday as he marked the second “World Day of the Poor”.
“The cry of the poor daily becomes stronger but heard less, drowned out by the din of the rich few, who grow ever fewer and more rich,” he said, “Let us ask for the grace to hear the cry of all those tossed by the waves of life,” the pope said. “It is the cry of all those forced to flee their homes and native land for an uncertain future. It is the cry of entire peoples, deprived even of the great natural resources at their disposal… while the wealthy few feast on what, in justice, belongs to all.”
Rather then fishes and loaves, the Pope handed out lasagna, mashed potatoes and tiramisu to the poor.
We should also note that Saturday’s bridge blockade was not their only action of the week, Sussex. A couple of weeks ago, not many had heard of them but it shows what a matter of a few days and some media attention can do
They gained publicity earlier by a sit-in of buildings, some chaining and gluing themselves to doors.
I’m all ears Sussex for any suggestions from you on how the Party can in your own words get its act together.
I do not see any illegality taking place due to our vulnerability in being sued or fined, putting our assets at risk, much less our members willingly being martyrs. The penalty of being a structured relatively rich organisation.
I suggested one tactic (and i have before if anybody recalls where i even suggested where to by the equipment) which involves if need be just one person but can give the Party’s existence a visibility (pun intended)
I seriously doubt that the younger environmental activists would even heard of us or know of our “green” case against capitalism, Robbo. Another reason why they won’t really be receptive. If any have come across us , i’m pretty sure were seen as party of “grumpy old men”, on the path to extinction itself.
We need a strategy that does bring us into contact and into a relationship with various activists, that is mutually beneficial.
The best example i can recall is the SPC and the OBU, but it is not an ideal one
The Jain priesthood usually had someone sweeping in front of them as they walk so not to step on an insect and some wear masks so as not to inadvertently swallow a flying insect. But i never saw any Jain priests, probably because of those sort of rules they more likely to be confined to their temples
In practical terms in south India there exists a distinction between a restaurant with vegetarian meals and a pure veg restaurant (and they have big signs designating them) – the pure veg restaurant’s kitchen, the utensils, the pots, and pans, cannot have been used for any meat dish.
I usually ordered a potato (aloo) curry, btw, Jain-approved pure veg restaurants do serve those, can’t remember if garlic and onions were in the recipe.
“You criticise the SPGB, however I doubt that there are any other political organisations who have tolerated your interjections in the way that we have.”
This observation is true, isn’t it?
We have placed temporary bans upon your good self, but equally a great number of our own members have also suffered this sanction. It appears that you were never really singled out, per se
Could you acknowledge that in this respect of offering a platform to our critics we have shown admirable forbearance that should be commended, Lbird, even if you do consider your contributions to be pearls cast before swine
All protests cause inconvenience to the general public, ALB.
Your argument is often used against strikes and pickets that such actions alienate peoples sympathies. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t and depends on the concern of the general public on the particular cause
In most of the newspaper reports, they quoted participants who seem to acknowledge and apologise for any inconvenience. I think any personal disruption to peoples daily lives can be placated by explaining the necessity. When i was active in my union, we once distributed a leaflet saying we were sorry.
As for better stunts, i think they cannot be faulted too much. Unsure of the numbers they could mobilise by social media they targeted London’s communications weakness very effectively. According to what i read, tens of thousands were on the anti-race march but a lot less on the anti-climate change. Who got the media coverage and their message across?
In fact, what was the better organised? A well prepared for and expensive march and rally or this impromptu protest and rally. Surely a lesson on producing a demonstration that should be learned by all other protest groups.
“Are they kosher?”
Grasshoppers/locusts are kosher and halal but not other insects
On insect pain and veganism
They won’t be receptive to an organisation that does not take any action and simply talk.
It is why they came into existence because other groups were not treating the climate crisis as an urgent priority.
We’ll have to convince them that socialism is the only solution and they should lay aside their other objectives and concentrate on trying to capture the State. Nope, I don’t hold out too much hope that we can persuade them to drop their direct action and take up the ballot box.
We’ll have to work out some sort of alternative strategy to get them on board and that is the great question we must find an answer for. And it has been one of how to interact with reformers we been asking since our formation. We thought we had the answer, but i am not too sure time has confirmed that. I’m hoping that there exists a synthesis where we coalesce into complementary movements.
I’m open to suggestions, Robbo, but we need more than the power of words. Extinction Rebellion believe that if they are to be heard they need to heighten their profiles by events and stunts, yet even if successful, their ultimate reliance upon the State’s intervention is their weakness. How do we explain that?
Another link for you, Sussex, on the protection of the privilege.
insurance giant AIG offers wealthy homeowners access to their Wildfire Protection Unit, certified through authorities to respond to fires that threaten million-dollar homes. Their program served 2,700 customers in California, Colorado and Texas last year
Chubb’s “Wildfire Defense Services” are available for properties in wildfire-prone areas in 18 states. The company automatically sends its own “professional firefighters” to help protect homes before, during and after wildfires.
<p class=””>”Our specific goal is to work with policyholder structures,” Torgerson said. “We’re only allowed to access the properties that we’re given permission to access by policyholders,” he said, meaning that unlike publicly funded fire agencies, WDS makes determinations about which homes in a neighborhood it will defend from fire.</p>France is pushing the UK to incorporate future European climate change directives into law automatically in return for an ambitious trade deal with the EU.
A large number of member states fear that the UK could enjoy an economic advantage after Brexit if it were able to diverge from European laws and regulations, and they want to use their leverage now to force a commitment from future British governments.
The EU has been steadily ratcheting up its targets as part of the 2015 Paris climate change accord, and France wants the UK to be bound to them. Last week the European parliament adopted energy-savings targets of 32.5% and a renewable energy uplift of 32% by 2030. That will put the bloc on course to cut emissions by 45% from 1990 levels by 2030.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/17/france-wants-uk-climate-pledge-brexit-trade-deal
I did a google for the anti-racism rally which the Party attended…couldn’t find any references except for the Socialist Worker and two minor news-sites but every major news outlet carried stories and pictures of the bridges blockade.
Stunts and spectacles produce publicity.
For a few hundred quid we could acquire one of those outdoor projectors that display images on buildings. Hi-tech fly-posting in other words.
If not accepted by the Socialist Standard, our blog will be very happy to put it on the web. Just give it the go-ahead Bijou.
We’d also welcome many other satirical articles you may produce in the future.
What’s the Green New Deal?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the Green New Deal proposed in Obama’s 2008 platform a “half measure” that “will not work.”
“The Green New Deal we are proposing will be similar in scale to the mobilization efforts seen in World War II or the Marshall Plan,” she said by email. “It will require the investment of trillions of dollars and the creation of millions of high-wage jobs. We must again invest in the development, manufacturing, deployment, and distribution of energy but this time green energy.”
But what it is other than reforms and legislation, i have not the foggiest.
The Times of Israel: How many of the 257 Labour MPs are in the Labour Friends of Israel?
Joan Ryan: We have about 100 who are identifiable LFI supporters.
“…anti-Zionism is today’s anti-Semitism. It’s anti-Zionist, anti-Israel, anti-Semitism….Israel is in the hearts of the Jewish community. Ultimately it’s a safe haven. [Corbyn] needs to understand why Israel matters to the Jewish community. …[Livingstone] is a disgrace, an anti-Semite. I hope he will never be allowed back into our party. He has Tourette’s. He cannot get through an interview without mentioning Hitler. It’s like something off Fawlty Towers…”
