imposs1904
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I guess there's newsletters and there's newsletters.There is a strong case for the SPGB doing something similar to what the Canadian comrades currently do, but in this particular case it was more about the idea of a newsletter that would draw attention to updates to the website.We've a rich archive and I think there are a layer of people out there who'd be interested in it, without necessarily at the same time aligning to us politically.
Sadly, my book has long gone but Rob has kindly provided the quote. It's a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in radical history. I think Wicks also mentions another SPGBer or ex-SPGBer – Johnny Holmes – in the book who was involved unemployment campaigns in the same period.cheers
Stuart,I'm sure your comment was tongue in cheek . . . as was the comment of the SPGB speaker. If that's what he actually said.cheers.
How did this go? I see from Urban 75 and Facebook that numbers at Marxism 2013 are well down on previous years.
I think Jondwhite is right. Keable has been a longstanding supporter of CPGB/Weekly Worker.I wonder if this is just another one of their silly little stunts?
If there was any Thatcher obit for the Standard that was ready to go once she'd gone, I'd suggest it's put on the website as soon as possible. It shouldn't be held over until the May issue.
The mass resignations have started:http://internationalsocialismuk.blogspot.com/2013/03/fao-central-committee-of-socialist.htmlThe list includes Richard Seymour and China Mielville. It's definitely turned out to be the biggest split in the IS/SWP since the ISO in the mid-70s.I think it's fair to say that the SWP are now no longer the biggest group on the left. Step forward SP(EW). The spotlight is yours.
I understand that's where their headquarters are now. No idea when they moved there from East London.I believe the Conference took place in Hammersmith.
The latest of the goings on within the SWP:http://www.cpgb.org.uk/assets/files/swpinternalbulletins/In_Defence_of_Our_Party.pdfA new faction formed – separate from Seymour and Mieville – that is critical of the decisions taken by the CC around this matter. Some big, big names within the SWP listed: Ian Birchall, Mike Gonzalez, Pat Stack, Colin Barker.This matter isn't going away, and the SWP's CC's hope they could just purge and move on is not an option at this point.
Just noticed via my sitemeter that there is another Brooklyn based reader on the forum. If you want to contact me offlist . . .
For anyone wanting to be brought up to speed on what's been happening in the SWP, Green blogger Jim Jepps has provided a nice timeline with links from all concerned:http://www.jimjepps.net/?p=273
That's one scenario, of course, but another scenario is that the growing opposition to the SWP's CC response to all this generates enough support to trigger a recall Conference – I've read in a couple of places that they need 20% of Branches to spark such a recall Conference – and you have the much thoroughgoing challenge to the leadership from middle-ranking cadre and rank-and-file members in the SWP's history.That's never happened before. The recall Conference . . . a widespread rank-and-file revolt . . . it's all new, and therefore totally unpredicatible.
I think this post from Richard Seymour on his popular blog, Lenin's Tomb:http://www.leninology.com/2013/01/crisis-in-swp.htmland China Mielville's quotes in Laurie Penny's New Statesman article about the events in the SWP:http://www.newstatesman.com/laurie-penny/2013/01/what-does-swps-way-dealing-sex-assault-allegations-tell-us-about-left is pretty much a game changer for the SWP. I'd be genuinely surprised if this time next year the SWP resembles the organisation it currently is, the organisation it has been for the last forty plus years. It's the most serious schism in the IS/SWP tradition since the IS Opposition split in the mid-seventies. I don't think it was this recent sad chain of events that prompted some members of the SWP to look at its democratic deficit. It took the internet. It wouldn't have happened otherwise.
Another review of Gluckstein's book by a fellow SWPer:http://resolutereader.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/donny-gluckstein-peoples-history-of.html
