ALB
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This article from 1921 is relevant:http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/1920s/1921/no-206-october-1921/communist-party-australiaIt even quotes the same passage, against the idea of vanguard party:
Quote:"In what relation do the Communists stand to the proletarians as a whole," the answer is : "The Communists do not form a separate party opposed to other working-class parties. They have no interests separate and apart from those of the proletariat as a whole."Actually, it's a very good article which shows we were on to the dangers of "Leninism" early.
Article here making the point that truth is the first casualty in war:http://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n03/patrick-cockburn/who-supplies-the-news
Tim Kilgallon wrote:Unfortunately Yunus, the erstwhile leader of the vanguard of the revolutionary working class got lost and couldn't find the building,Thanks, but it doesn't strike me as being unfortunate that there wasn't an SWPer alongside Clifford. Just the opposite. Good thing he didn't turn up !
Apparently the motion was carried 105-93. No doubt someone who was there will be able to tell us more.
I see that Tory Surrey County Council is going to hold a referendum on this issue of raising council tax to help fund social care:http://news.sky.com/story/surrey-to-hold-referendum-on-15-council-tax-rise-to-fund-social-care-10734359The result will be interesting. I wonder which way individual socialists would/should vote (and we do have some in Surrey)? Another referendum dilermma.
This is not really off topic course ! There's some introductory articles on this site which deal with some of the objections raised against socialism:http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/education/introductory-articles
It's printed A2 size paper, then followed three times making a 16-page uncut and unstapled booklet. To read it you have to open it and then it's a broadsheet.
Dave B wrote:He did write a seminal book on philosophy for dummies.That's Russell of course, not Wittgenstein.
There is also this from India. He has just contacted us and asked what we think of his articles:http://prakashrp-1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/on-definition-of-communism.htmlDon't be put off by the Hammer and Sickle — it's a criticism of that as an emblem.
We have always said that in the end all governments have to give to priority to profits and conditions for profit-taking — or risk provoking an economic downturn. Traditionally, we've applied this to Labour governments but it also applies to Tory ones. Normally of course they don't need any prompting to do this, but the present one seems bent on a course which would threaten the profits of the dominant section of the British capitalism. Will they continue or will they back down? We'll see. And if there'll be an economic downturn after 2019. But, as the apartheid regime in South Africa showed, a government can pursue for a long time, before giving in, a policy that is not in the best interest of profit-making and so of capital accumulation.
Vin wrote:ALB wrote:The big difference of course is how to get there. Nearly all these groups favour mass armed insurrection with a vanguard party somewhere in the background. And they can't agree amongst themselves on forming a single organisation.Driven by a distrust in the electoral system
And in part also no doubt by nostalgia for the overthrow of the Provisional Government in Russia in November 1917.
Here's a flavour of that old pamphlet of Paul Breeze's (later an Independent councillor in Stoke):https://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/these-are-undeniable-facts.html
The opposers of the motion are two well-known capitalist apologists:
Quote:Dr Madsen Pirie : President of the neoliberal think tank the Adam Smith Institute. Madsen pioneered the UK government privatisation agenda in the 1980s. Rory Broomfield: Director of the Freedom Association and the Better Off Out campaign. Rory regularly appears as a talking head on news channels including the BBC, ITV, and Sky News.We know these people and their views since we've debated against both the Adam Smith Institute and the Freedom Association. The other proposer is a member of Momentum and the Labour Party.
West London had a visit from a 4-member delegation from them at our meeting last night, Who exactly are they? Ex-trots or what? I read through issue 90 of "The Platypus Review" that they handed out. Difficult to read because of the lay-out — a broadsheet version of the ICC's "World Revolution". One of the writers was supporting the US Green Party.Anyway it made for an interesting discussion. They are thinking of organising one of their panels on "What is Socialism?" We said we be interested in having one of our members on it. Not sure we will get an invitation after we told them we didn't consider ourselves part of "the Left".
Young Master Smeet wrote:A 'neutral' voice is made to say:Quote:UK economist Gerard Lyons said focusing on extreme wealth "does not always give the full picture" and attention should be paid to "making sure the economic cake is getting bigger".That Lyons character is far from being neutral. He's a Free Trade Fanatic who wants all tariffs to be abolished. And of course a Barmy Brexiteer but then they're ruling the roost at the moment.
