alanjjohnstone
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A short useful article to hone up the argument to never say never and that truth changes with time.https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/sep/04/moby-dick-and-gravity-understanding-the-truth
"Can members from UK join the WSPUS?"3. A member shall not belong to more than one Branch at the same time. A member may transfer to another Branch, including Central Branch where deemed appropriate by the EC, and provided a clear record be furnished by their last Branch. A member leaving Great Britain will only be permitted to retain his/her membership if there is not a Companion Party or Group in the country in which he/she is taking up residence. An Overseas group be established for members joining from other countries until they can form Companion Parties of their own.Doesn't expressly forbid it but i think the spirit it was written in implies that the answer is no. But you will recall a current controversy concerning a member in India joining the SPGB when there exists the WSP(India) and they are disputing the EC decision to approve his membership. But i see no advantages to the WSPUS of possessing overseas members. Any assistance you can offer them does not require membership.
Quote:produce my evidence of Brian's destuctive and negative comments and actions with regard to NE organisation and my posts and NERB posts. What a wast of time to prove the obviousYou have to produce evidence that shows his comments were wilfully obstructive and not constructive criticisms aimed at ensuring the success and smooth operation of NERB.If you accomplish such, i would then suggest you forward your proof to the EC for them to take whatever official action against Cde. Johnson they see fit.
Quote:Brian Mod1 has always wanted NERB to fail (if you don't believe me ask SC).And for what reason would a moderator and Swansea Br member wish for the North East Regional Br to fail?I won't ask SC nor will i ask Brian, himself- i ask you Linda – the accuser…What possible motive would he have?Certainly, he may well have had questions when the branch was being set up and perhaps criticisms of the online procedures for branch meetings, but that by no means leads to the conclusion that he wanted NERB to fail. You are tantamount to alleging that a Party member sought to weaken ( i did originally type sabotage) the Party. No small matter. I have to concur with Stephen on this – put up or shut up.In fact, such seriousness that i take such claims – i expect you to be very contrite about it when it comes to an apology!!
Well, the disappointment came a lot sooner that i wished. All the interesting articles were just introductions…had to pay for the "premium" articles…grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…. Reality in this world is that you rarely get anything for nothing
I look forward for some leisurely few hours to read through the new edition of New Scientist on what is reality. I am sure there will be a few points relevant to the socialist understanding of the universe that others might wish to discuss. https://www.newscientist.com/round-up/metaphysics/Register for free access to the articles
Tim, a truly contrite person make amends that involves demonstrable, consistent better behavior – behavior that can be observed.Otherwise, it is mere words…token apologies… an apology of an apology…
I do recall a transport "strike" during Allende's time but it was i recollect an engineered political strike by the owners of trucks and trucking businesses, of elements who could be described as petty bourgeoisie.Another "strike" in the UK was the petrol drivers, a proxy "strike" by employers and capitalists. http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/2000s/2000/no-1154-october-2000/editorial-fuel-tax-disputeIn Venezuela, were they not "strikes" by oil workers against Chavez but which were orchestrated by the oil companies themselves. In Bolivia there seems to be a debate about who owns natural resources…the producers – the co-operatives – lay claim to the fruits of their labour, but Morales and the constitution says that the State – or in other words "the people" – not the miners, own it.In this regard i think we can sympathise with the pro-Morales argument that Bolivia's resources belong to all sections of Bolivian society, and not one section – our case against syndicalism.I don't think the counter-argument against the co-operatives claims is simply one of nationalised industry V the co-ops but a wider concept.
YMS, you have identified one of the dilemmas that i highlighted in message #95 about appeals to moderation
Quote:To offer an instance of the difficulty – LBird and Robbo as non-members of the Party but are regular posters but neither have recourse to a full appeals procedure eg to the EC, conference and party poll that a party member such as Cde. Maratty can pursue, if he so wishes, and has been urged to do. Such inequality among forum users requires to be resolved and will be in the due course of time.Rather than take the position that the status of non-members should not be considered, we are trying to find a way on the appeal process to make them equal for both they and members. We at our open meetings admit the fact that non-members have a right to speak and also the right to address the chair over any grievance that might occur, such as being shouted down by the audience or seek adjudication of a point of order or whatsoever in a formal debate. We extend our party attitude of democracy to the wider domain of recognised etiquette and justice for non-members. We leave the selective picking of questions from only known supporters and not to known critics to the Trot's manipulated meetings.i personally acknowledge that regular posters to the forum who are not members of the party do have a claim of, if not of legal residence…(not a great analogy, i confess)…but "squatters rights"…
Quote:If people just want a place to chat, they can do it somewhere else on the Internet.So we can dispense with this section of the forum and you'll be the first to propose its deletion from the forum
Quote:Off topic Non-serious discussion, joke sharing and anything else.Quote:those who aren't with us are against us…Reallllllyyy?No such thing as a socialist outside the party? That not only do we have the forum as our party property, but we even own the idea of socialism, too Or do you think there are genuine socialists who disagree with the party position and can legitimately engage us in the battle of ideas as comrades…?
Quote:this forum is part of our propagandaAnd, forbid, that we ourselves might just have something to learn and that the forum isn't also a part of our own constant self-education…When we set up a discussion group under various names…socialist marxist or whatever, any non-member of the party cannot be a functionary or have any role in its operation…after all…it is our property to propagate our case…not to really discuss…more a group to proselytise …
Quote:the forum belongs to the members of the party.And, of course, non-members, are only mere guests and simply visitors at the sufferance of the party who claim the debate as its own property to end whenever we see fit…if we give the gift of discussion, we can withdraw it as we will, at any time, for any reason, because it's our ball and we can take it back if we want to… if they don't like it they can lump it …we owe those people we invite to engage with us absolutely nothing…No, we won't treat the forum as something we created as part of the intellectual commons to share with non-members (and ex-members) even if they follow an accepted understanding and its agreed rules. We, The Party rule…they obey…We Party members are the privileged…How welcoming and inclusive we are with such an attitude to those who seek to have a dialogue with ourselves…always on our own terms, it seems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl1r7E3e-ks&index=47&list=RDSxsSEwsn5-Y
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/01/pope-francis-calls-on-christians-to-embrace-green-agendaFrancis has called for urgent action to stop climate change and proposed that caring for the environment be added to traditional Christian works of mercy such as feeding the hungry and visiting the sick.Francis said the worst impact of global warming was being felt by those who were least responsible for it – refugees and the poor.Francis described man’s destruction of the environment as a sin and accused mankind of turning the planet into a “polluted wasteland full of debris, desolation and filth”.Francis urged political and business leaders to stop thinking of short-term gains and work for the common good while taking steps to resolve the “ecological debt” between the global north and south.
