ALB
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Looks as if we've attracted another one. Zeitgeist, for all its faults, is streaks ahead of this mystical mumbo jumbo.
We were in the Guildford High Street opposite Tunsgate Arch again today. A "town ranger" asked if we had permission from the council to hold a stall. We said we didn't need one and anyway this was election activity. She took a photo of a proof of who we were (a Party membership card) and said she would check with her boss. Nothing happened so presumably her boss understood the position. We were accosted again by god-botherers who told us that only Jesus could bring about what we wanted. We replied that he couldn't even if he existed (which he doesn't) as only humans can improve the only life they have, this one on Earth. A busker having a rest read our leaflet and told us he agreed with it, saying he knew about getting rid of money from Zeitgeist. Somebody bought a Socialist Standard. We will be back again on Mayday, Monday 1 May.
This is what happens if you don't send a photo. Mind you, in this case they didn't ask for one though they were sent our manifesto. Scroll down to Guildford West:http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-county-council-elections-who-12911967Here's a photo of the Labour's Party "radical", Corbynist manifesto (Guildford Labour Party supported his leadership bid). Actually that gives me an idea — I'll have a photo taken of me holding our logo.
I know Party opinion is divided on this but, as in previous elections, West London branch has not taken such a rigid attitude. We don't offer a photo or personal details of course, but if a paper asks for a photo we supply one, especially as a face (or, yes, an emblem if they'll accept it) draws attention to the text which otherwise might be lost amid statements from other candidates with a photo.
Interesting but Marx didn't reciprocate (but then he was not writing an obituary), i.e he didn't think much of the Georgist panacea of a single tax on land values (still plugged today by some):http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/6420876
http://www.guildford-dragon.com/2017/04/20/take-pick-guildford-divisions-candidate-lists-scc-election/Scroll down to Guildford West see the case in 125 words (and the face, of five years ago):
Quote:I am standing to make the point that local problems arise from the economic system of production for profit that exists everywhere and that they cannot be solved unless this system is replaced by one based on common ownership and democratic control of the means of production. The main issue facing Surrey County Council is a lack of funds to provide decent care for the elderly and vulnerable but also to even keep the street lights on. Most of its funding comes from central government, and the “Great Recession” following the “Crash of 2008” required the government to cut back on its spending to relieve the pressure on profits. These cuts have now trickled down to local level. That’s why capitalism is to blame.gnome wrote:We have been invited to participate in a 'Brexit' hustings in Guildford on Tuesday, 25 April at The Guildford Institute between 7.15 and 8.30pm.News item about this in the online newspaper The Guildford Dragon here:http://www.guildford-dragon.com/2017/04/19/63382/
Prakash RP wrote:By my view of humanity, I don't think humanity is so mean and ungrateful as to deny to me my due recognition and respect for the great service I've done humanity by presenting it with the PRINCIPLE of healthy and meaningful living, a humble piece of writing by this humble guy, which is meant to acquaint humanity with the PRINCIPLE of healthy and meaningful living and its significance and thus awaken it to the fact that it becomes humanity, the being superior to all other beings, and it makes sense too, to live a healthy and meaningful life.(…) As I see it, communism will produce new, enlightened, better-quality humanity than its present-day variety, and I'm certain that the new haminity of the future will have the calibre and capability to rise above all sorts of meanness and recognise Prakash RP as the originator of the PRINCIPLE of healthy and meaningful living that happens to be meant for both varieties of humanity, i.e. all those that are products of capitalism and all those humans communism will produce.Oh dear. This is really sad. Now you want a statue erected to you in socialism/communism.
Here is a contribution from a member of Glasgow branch from Inverness which the branch requested be communicated to Conference:
Quote:Comments on Item 23 from the Lancaster branch re: ending the printing of the Standard. Times have not changed everywhere and I appreciate that those of us in rural backwaters may be viewed as Luddites, however I must protest at this suggestion. We are always castigating and giving examples of "bottom line" capitalism where profit is the only consideration. How hypocritical if we fail to realise how important the Standard is to those of us trying to inform our friends, acquaintances and strangers that there is an alternative to so called left/right reformism. I have explained earlier the problem of web speed locally, I cannot say to somebody " look it up on the web"!!! I cannot get on to Spintcom myself, but is it not a case of preaching to the converted? I want to be able to give the printed word to interested parties free of charge, and I do. My daughter who lives in Edinburgh raids my archive of Standards dating back to the early 80's whenever she comes north. These historical records she uses in debates with friends who may be attracted to reformist parties claiming to be socialist. We need the Standard to be able to do our work of explaining that there is an alternative to capitalism.Don't worry. It's a crackpot idea that will be laughed out of court when it comes up at Conference the week after next (for the first time in 112 years our Annual Conference has not been held at Easter but has been moved to the MayDay weekend because of transport problems, and some of us have not known what to do over the holiday !). But we are a democratic organisation and branches are free to put forward way-out and irresponsible ideas that will be shot down in flames when it comes to the discussion and subsequent vote, as will be the case with this one. The Lancaster branch delegate, if one turns up, is going to be in an invidious position. This is the same branch that proposed that we should ask people to pay to read the Socialist Standard on line. That got shot down in flames too.
One of our opponents in Guildford West is the pacifist Peace Party. Their reformist programme for the election can be found here:http://peaceparty.org.uk/2017/04/peace-party-candidates-in-the-county-council-elections-4-may-2017/
Prakash RP wrote:[ * The Communist Manifesto ]Just as an aside. You mention this but neither of its authors adhered to the whole of your "healthy living" principles. Both Marx and Engels drunk alcohol and smoked tobacco. Marx was legally married. Engels was better on this last matter but he went in for fox-hunting. Where they Communists? Or just bad Communists?
If some of the rebels are capable of deliberately targetting children in this way:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4417804/Children-lured-CRISPS-Syria-suicide-bomber.htmlsurely it is quite plausible that they could have staged a chemical attack?Anyway, where's the big fuss about this — Security Council resolutions, Boris bombasting, tomahawk missile launches? There won't be because these are "our "bastards, some of those the West is using to achieve "regime change" in Syria.
Prakash RP wrote:I also know there's NOTHING in the theory of communism to suggest there exists any conflict between communism and the PRINCIPLE of healthy and meaningful living.There isn't really (unless you want to impose them on people). Most of them will be irrelevant in socialism/communism anyway (there'll be no legal "matrimony", women won't be economically dependent on men, no stealing, smuggling, trafficking in women and drugs, gambling, receiving bribes, tax evasion, hoarding black money, etc, etc.). But if you want to live by them, go ahead. Others may well choose a different lifestyle which includes some of things you don't like such as drinking and smoking. That wouldn't be in conflict with socialism/communism either.
The first Party literature stall in Guildford for thirty years took place in Guildford yesterday. A couple of people asked where we had been but as their memory didn't go back that far they were more likely thinking of some other group with "socialist" in their name which had a stall more recently, probably the SWP. Gave away leaflets and talked to people, including an admirer of Bernie Saunders and a Brexiteer (Guildford voted Remain).A distraction was created by a historical renactment society, or rather a myth enactment society, with a man made up to have bruises all over carrying a hugh cross up the steep hill that the High St is surrounded by men dressed as Roman soldiers shouting abuse at him. A horrible spectacle but then the symbolism of christianity — suffering, death, crucifiction, blood, and the ancient equivalent of the gallows as their logo — is horrible. But a couple of Roman soldiers did come over and ask for our leaflet.Afterwards we leafletted another area of the constituency, a third of which has now been covered.
