alanjjohnstone
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I know you have tried, LBird, and have done so on several occasions to simplify and explain the debate but yet the more topics it has encompassed, the more i feel distanced from the discussions…an outcome i think you most definitely would not wish to happenYou are not alone responsible, your protagonists are as equally as bewildering to me.It is a puzzlement to me that several threads have been inordinately lengthy (and engaged in by so few contributers) yet some actual issues of current importance have gone with such little comment.Even Marx eventually got up off his British Library chair to address more pressing problems by participating in the IWMA. His theoretical readings and writings were then put to practical use (for ideological purposes) on behalf and in defence of workers. Even Dietzgen and Pannekoek got their hands dirty with action. I await such a development from these exchanges which may well be fundamental to peoples understanding of socialism and the revolutionary process but seem to lack any application right now…i know it is such an obvious cliched comment but it is appropriate and it is meant to hurt deeply “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it."And i see little evidence of any political action stemming from all these exchanges we have been having…Not even suggestions or proposals of how to communicate these ideas to the people that count…working people.Or are they expected to behave like a vacuum cleaner and hoover up all the thoughts and writings that abound and somehow differentiate their usefulness and potential automatically? Isn't ideology spread by education, talking, reading listening, as well as experience itself?
Quote:Perhaps Ladybird do a 'Janet and John' book on the philosophy of science?Having tried to follow and understand several threads for many months now and failing miserably, i hope they do have such a book. Alternatively, there might be something in the series "Ideology for Dummies" i can read…
Peter Hitchins in the Mail recommending a book sympathetic to the Russianshttp://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2015/03/a-review-of-frontline-ukraine-by-richard-sakwa.html
I live in Thailand and so the importance of tones in speaking is well known to me but it is not unsurmountable…understanding is still dependent upon context of the conversation as it is in the pronouncation of English…I went to sea on sheeps……But the Bushmen of the Kalihari use clicks in their language…which part of the brain determines those?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6WO5XabD-s
As this hustings appears to have the Magna Carta as its theme perhaps someone may draw the candidate's attention to an article i recently wrote if he intends to swot up on the topic ahead of the hustings. http://dissidentvoice.org/2015/02/the-greater-and-better-charter/I don't want to bang my own drum but it highlights that the Magna Carta was more to do with the rights of barons but a lesser known charter was also produced that promoted the rights of the commoners and protected their access to the commons – the Forest Charter. This is the real peoples' charter that socialists should be emphasising and at the hustings it may very well get a receptive welcome if mentioned to any questions about the Magna Carta and the candidate can make it relevant to socialism today…free access.I also hope an edited radio recording of our candidates contributions will be made available.
I think there is a well respected school of thought that considers Jesus himself to be part of the Jewish eschatological movement perhaps begun by John the Baptist, perhaps inspired by the Essenes but the End of the World was most definitely viewed as imminent …An echo of many feelings today?Would we have more success if we concentrated our message and mission upon saving the world…redeeming the soulless, giving new heart to the heartless"Socialists…the prophets against profits"……"Omnia Sunt Communia"…sounds good as a mantra chant No-more "comrade" but "brothers" and "sisters"…Printers union branches were "chapels" and branch secretaries "Fathers of the chapel"…Edinburgh Br already meets monthly in the Quakers meeting rooms…so no need even to re-locate But i jest….Or do i?
We all have our favourite quotes from non-sociialists. One of mine is from an Archbishop from Brasil and you'll be familiar with it, too.“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.” – Dom Helder Camara
i admire your defence but i have tired of the insults to our integrity as socialists from Duncan or perhaps you never noticed those…. Patience and tolerance are not in inexhaustible supply and does run out. Shall i quote just from this thread and not all his previous postings.
Quote:…you are not really sincere in being radical but only play a kids game at it . …It is you that live in a fairy land of non-reality…you know it but wont admit it living in dreamland permanently maybe you think you are being brave posting here but HEr Majesties Government is laughing its head off at you -WHY ?? -because you present NO Danger to them but just a talking shop while real radicals like me and others are consrtantly attacked for our point of view . Your website isnt attacked nor are your members so really you are bedroom anarchists no better than a bedroom hacker while the "big boys " deal with reality . Stay in your self imposed dreamworld and leave real politics to adults. …BY believing big business lies you condemn yourselves to be a part of that government and a willing suplicant to its will -how the mighty have fallen…You are the "safe " version of socialism ,the government accepted and approved version so much so I would not be suprised if some GCHQ part timers (paid ) post here….So carry on as you are, the UK government loves you you are stifling reality and helping big business make sure (like the US) that the workers in the UK have to work two or more jobs just to survive while you go on talking of the metaphysics of Marxism you are helping big business make life hell for the UK poor…. You come across as the "acceptable face " of socialism in the eyes of the government no radicalism -no fire in the belly and NO danger to HM Government. and certainly no help for the poor you think you speak for but inreality dont ….I cant for the life of me understand how you can be so brainwashed by the UK government thats why I said you and the British Nationalist were infiltrated by MI 5 years ago and YES I remember them boasting about it in the UK press. You tell me to get real but you are living in unreality permanently …. you seem dead scared to criticise the government in strong terms either because of a fear of retaliation or you are working for the government. I do know how the spy services operate I have spent years watching and listening to what they do. And they would applaud you…If do not think these are reasoned observations, supported by facts…They are irrational rantings….hence my lay-man's diagnosis …and i don't need to be a psychiatrist to reach such a conclusion. If i met him in the pub, and heard his statements, i would say to his face i think he is a nutter…i see no difference from doing it online…i'm happy to suffer the consequence of the moderator's sanctions for saying it here…. Second warning: 2. The forums proper are intended for public discussion. Personal messages between participants should be sent via private message or by e-mail.
SP, as i said in the post, i knew full well i would risk offending….But if my opinion was based on one post then i maybe accused of jumping to conclusions but there has been a series of posts that led me to that opinion. It is no reflection on Duncan's intelligence. He is well read and well informed but it does raise the issue of why he reaches certain conclusions from his learning. But alternatively i could have simply accused Duncan of lying to himself and us. I chose the more charitable option, that he may not be responsible for his claims. Or do you honestly believe he has been specially targeted and his computer hacked by GCHQ as he freqiuently alleges. One thing that has been explained by Snowden and Greenwald…you'd never likely to know you have been spied upon, they aren't so clumsy that people would find out. It took anti-virus corporations with vast resources and skills to determine the hacking existed and to what extent…and that was only after being tipped off that it was happening by Snowden, the whistleblower. I am well aware of psychiatry being used against political dissidents. The USSR were famous for saying if you disagree with the system you were mad. I was once was influenced by RD Laing that mental illness never existed and it was simply a different view of the world and a manner of coping with the world…i have long changed my opinion on that. I may well be wrong in my assumption about Duncan's mental state, but if i am not, the worse response is to say …you are okay…you are perfectly normal…like many politely do, …i'm more direct…i will say if i think you need therapy or treatment …go get itYou might say my psychological issue is arrogance and know-it-all
I'm surprised by the lack of interest in the Pope's almost weekly sermons on inequality and capitalism.After all, when Russell Brand made some very vague political comments, our forum was full of praise that he had begun a discourse, even if what he said wasn't particularly original, but the point was he drew attention to topics upon which we can build…When a person with an audience far exceeding Brand's touches on aspects of the socialist case, albeit fallibly and with its own agenda (i always find the Catholic sites particularly valuable for data on debunking the over-population myths since they have to justify their anti-birth-control dogma), we appear to be scared of being seen associating with strange bed-fellows. If the Pope offers us ammunition…and presents an opportunity to even undermine his own base …why do we step back? I think i will follow up your early christian communist links you have been posting and see if something can be made of them to take advantage of the Pope opening the door and leaving it ajar for the socialists to get their foot in the door.I once posted on the rise of Catholic Church celibacy here on my personal blog…you might like to read it http://mailstrom.blogspot.com/2006/08/rent-priestcom.html
I think we have to be careful…the ban on beef is political and nationalistic, nothing to do with animal welfare…it is aimed very much at Muslims by Hindutvas in control of that state…just as the right endeavoured to use halal slaughter as a means of attacking immgrants here in the UK and in France. I have seen some sad cases of suffering cows that cannot be put down by a vet due to religious custom.I have seen suffering dogs in Buddhist temples too where they have been neglected and not properly cared for. Karma…they call it i believe…
Duncan, as i suspected you are one of those people who feels the need to take sides and declines to take what is called a third camp position…a plague on all houses…or as the IS/SWP put it "Neither Washington or Moscow".You choose one version of hisory to support your claims and disregard other details that conflict with the narrative you already a priori decided upon. The history of Chechyna independence begins in the 19th century and follows on from Russian expansionist imperialism, under the Tsar and then under the Bolsheviks. The collapse and the creation of the new Soviet-stans offered a renewed opportunity for nationalists.But you are correct…The West did consider it okay for the bombing of civilians as it recognised the region as fully inside Russia's sphere of influence. But socialists don't accept that as a legitimacy. We condemn it and we condemn the price paid in the blood of the innocent victims. You are, of course, way off the mark concerning the SPGB criticism of UK government action, arising from ignorance of the Party history or you would be aware that WE were the ONLY party who unequivocably opposed the the First World War and the Second World War and ALL wars. This, of course, led to th arrest and imprisonment and harassment of members and the imposition of restrictions on the distribution of our literature. In the US through all the Red Scares and McCarthy witchhunts our companion Party held public meetings where it could. You insult the bravery and courage and sacrifice of people who put political conviction before personal safety. It is you who should reproach yourself for your lack of knowledge. We do not seek political power for our Party but for our class which does put us on the other side of the fence of those you hope we should make alliance with…and if we stand alone….so be it….It is not actions that count….it is ideas…for those determine the actions, their means and their aims….and you are very short on ideas, Duncan. You concentrate on effects and symptoms not the causes, and even there you are not particularly accurate in your diagnosis much less in your supposed remedies (which i read little of) You and i travel separate paths for different goals…your view of the world is one i do not share. I'm happy you are not a comrade of mine, Duncan.You may think that a sectarian position but it is principled…but this is what the Scottish writer, Ken Macleod once said …"Think about those who call the SPGB sectarians …they themselves usually happen to be a split from a split from a split "…Or in the words of Homer Simpson "DOH" You ask us to join with other groups who have their own track history of being utterly incapable of forming a coalition. The words kettle and pot spring to my mind when i hear such opinions from the likes of yourself. I will now go a lot further, Duncan, and incur the wrath of the moderator and perhaps offend other contributors to the thread …i do not believe for one moment in your belief that you have been targeted by GCHQ or any other part of the state…i hazard a guess that you suffer mental health problems, perhaps paranoid schizophrenia or merely a persecution complex. Take the medication the doctor prescribed, Duncan, until you can see things clearly because at the moment the view of the world that you possess is a distortion of reality and it is delusional. That is why you are prone to conspiracy theories. First warning: 2. The forums proper are intended for public discussion. Personal messages between participants should be sent via private message or by e-mail.
Stuart omits another relevant piece from RAG..the Chris Knight interpretation of Chomsky' sciencehttp://radicalanthropologygroup.org/sites/default/files/journal/journal_04.pdfAthough, of course, coming from the horses mouth the Chomsky interview takes precedence, All the contributions have been very erudite and well- read (similarly with the Hunter-Gatherer thread) which left me at a disadvantage but i was gratified that Chomsky explained using Pannekoek's astronomy as an example provided some element of support for my own early lay-man contribution to this thread…My puzzlement at those wishing to link the relevance of Chomsky's professional discipline to his political position. I still have no clue if he has been proved wrong on linquistics but whether he has or not, i simply think the issue has nothing to do with his politics or our attitude towards it..They stand alone and independent. For me, we discuss that aspect, and leave linquistic theory to those involved in the investigation of it…I simply won't vote on the scientific validity of it if democracy involves determining correct or wrong theory from the ideological trenches.To repeat, Chomsky's importance to the world is not his linquistic research but his practical politics …here, i am able express a view of Chomsky's worth and i suggest it has been overall a positive contribution but not an infallible one, and that is absolutely normal.
Would you like to comment on Putin and the Chechen war the destruction of Grozny "to save it".As i have read your comments all that strikes me is your one world view of US/UK.Are not other countries imperialist or aspiring imperialists? Do other countries not impose surveillance?When people such as Robbo have engaged you in deeper debate, you simply do not answer but repeat your original opinions. He said to you "Capitalism exists because we the masses, the working class, allow it to exist."Let us be honest, this applies to all the "liberties" and "freedoms" being gradually eroded and removed. We, the people, permit it because we accept the arguments being put forward by our rulers.The German people on the whole acquiesced to Hitler because they agreed with him.Even in Russia and its satellites people accepted the status quo for decades. Rosa Luxemburg expresses it well "Those who don't move, do not notice their chains"The collapse of the Eastern European dictatorships arose when people refused to co-operate any longer with the State. Umm…should the SPGB collaborate with the left -wing as you suggest and in doing so, accept their very questionable adherence to democracy and freedom…or have you never heard of how dissidents are expelled for not following their Party Line to the letter?
