Bijou Drains
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Robbo
I’m reasonably computer savvy, but not really doing all that I could in terms of using the lessons from the WSPUSA. I post quite a few provocative comments on the BBC have your say slots, trying to link this to party material etc. However I know there is more that could be done.
Would it not be an idea to have a party workshop/get together on how to use the interweb more effectively, where all of the comrades who are interested in doing this come together and pool their knowledge and experience. I know it would help this old codger.
Interesting that the club badge of St Pauli FC are included as a left wing symbol (St Pauli are a Hamburg based Club that are known for social activism). You could argue that if that’s the case, the club badges of teams like Milwall and West ham could be included as possible right wing symbols.
They seem so interested in Anti- fascist groups I’m surprised they haven’t got a picture of a paperclip in there somewhere (The Nazis occupation in Norway made it a criminal offence to wear a paperclip!)
Cock up over conspiracy every time for me, the conspiracy is usually brought about to cover the cock up!
With regard to the the video, the sheer amount of stuff being videoed by people these days, I’d be more surprised if there wasn’t a video
There other factors in play with regard to the level of state surveillance and “intelligence” services any particular state implements. All of these things have a cost, and a police state is a very costly business, costs which are taken up by capital and reduce profitability and competitiveness with other nations. A nice placid population who believe they live in a democracy us the low cost ideal. The other issue in less stable countries is that capitalists don’t want to build up some kind of praetorian guard that can launch a coup against their government of choice.
It will be interesting to see how the situation plays out in Russia, the FSB the state security forces have about 75,000 people working for it, a huge budget for what is still only the 11th biggest GDP in the world. How much longer Russian oligarchs will continue to have the threat of arbitrary arrest and loss of wealth will be interesting to see.
I have just been re-reading Nomenklatura by Michael Voslensky, he put the Nomenklatura or new class of state capitalists at about 1.5 percent of the population of the USSR, an analysis of the current Russian Oligarchy, states that 43 percent came from Nomenklatura backgrounds. The theme is inheritable wealth and privilege, I don’t think it will be long until they want to flex their muscles as a true ruling class. The same thing goes for China
Doesn’t mean they won’t be keeping an eye on them or infiltrating them as they always do with groups that set out to break the law, even if it’s some other section of the force.
Just out of interest, has there ever been any evidence of plod, special branch, etc. trying to infiltrate us. It would seem like a complete waste of time and money to me, considering how open all of our processes are, but I’ve met lots of dopey polis in my time, so I wouldn’t put it past them.
” Hardly surprising, you genuinely don’t like the idea of socialist government but that’s what the method entails.“
Just repeating something, ad finitum doesn’t actually back up your argument. Why does the method entail this?
Kaz states:
Some of you blokes are in such denial. You use the system, you have to follow its rules. This inevitably involves forming a socialist government, with a socialist prime minister and a socialist cabinet.
Can you now explain why it is that you have to follow the rules if you use a system?
There are dozens of historical examples of people using the system and then not following the rules.
It is absolutely not inevitable that a socialist majority must form a Socialist Government, with Prime Minister, et al.
The current electoral system demands that the SPGB has a leader, which we nominally do, but what impact has that had on the party? Has that led to a cult of personality developing around the new leader?
Looking at the use of state power following the Soleimani attack, tanks are the least of the worries. If the “smash the state” enthusiasts seriously think they can take to the street to defeat targeted high explosive drones, then they have a nasty surprise waiting for them!
Is there a discussion to be had within the party about our attitude towards those with what might be described as “spiritual” or other beliefs/views.
Is religion, i.e. a set of organised beliefs, shared by more than one person, different to a set of beliefs about things of a supernatural nature.
My understanding is that party membership and religious belief are incompatible as religious belief implies a deference to a set of principles that are somehow ordained by some deity and which adherents of that religion are required to comply with. Our acceptance of Historical materialism — “that the origin and development of the universe, of life, of man, of human society and of religion itself can be explained adequately without recourse to the so-called supernatural — is an integral part of socialist theory. A socialist party is made up of fully convinced socialists. To admit people who merely want Socialism because they think it is morally right or because it fulfils “God’s plan” would be to run the risk of eventually ceasing to be a socialist party at all.”
However is that religious belief the same as someone who thinks, without any adherence to a religious doctrine, that there might be some form of life after death or some kind of other supernatural forces at play in our lives.
I do not believe that it is part of “god’s plan” that Newcastle United will win the league (it would appear if there is a god, he has no intention of ever letting us win the league), however after having a curry before the 1st match of the 95-96 season (3-0 win over Coventry), I thought it sensible to continue having a curry before each subsequent home match, just to be on the safe side. Sadly this didn’t work out as planned, but does this mean I should turn in my party badge?
I do think there is a debate to be had in this area as formal religious belief makes way for vague notions of afterlife and spirituality.
“The main issue, though, is to see this ‘observer’ as a creator of what it ‘observes’, by its own activity (rather than a passive ‘observer’ of what already supposedly ‘exists’ outside of any active production by the ‘observer’).”
So by that logic, if I give you a good hard kick up the arse, it’s your fault for observing it, not mine for doing it. Finally something we can agree on!
I have sent them the following email, which I hope they find useful:
HiRead on your website about your plans to set up a genuinely Socialist and Democratic movement and your plans to create a structure to avoid the pitfalls of “democratic” centralism and the “tyranny of structurelessness”, both laudable aims. I thought these two links might help:Yours in hopeTim KilgallonPity that the Trots in Workers’ Liberty who state “We are yet to see whether Labour Transformed will successfully develop the internal democracy, strategy, and routine of holding leaders to account” can’t work out that if you can’t hold leaders to account (if you are a follower, you follow) and the only way to ensure democracy in an organisation is not to have leaders!
Looking at the bright side of Labour’s election defeat. If the press are to believed and Corbyn is a Marxist revolutionary, it’s quite encouraging that nearly 1/3 of those who voted voted for him. At least it shows that the terms Marxist and revolutionary don’t put some people off.
Or take a leaf out of Ian Smith’s book and declare UDI.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodesia%27s_Unilateral_Declaration_of_Independence
Or De Valera and Cathal Brugha, more worryingly!
