jondwhite
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Aren't there already enough homes for all?Should housing be free without qualifying it as 'free at the point of use'?
So after editorial, layout can drop letters on contemporary events, but not articles on contemporary events?
Is priority given to letters on contemporary events if they were sent in on 18th for the following month? If not, do rejected letters receive an explanation?
LBird wrote:YMS, I simply don't agree with you on political grounds. I don't recognise your notion of 'socialism' as anything like my view, of the democratic control of production.That's a definition. That's my starting point. The DEMOCRATIC CONTROL of PRODUCTION.Not 'control of production by affinity groups'.We have a philosophical disagreement, and thus you won't agree with my views regarding science and the social production of knowledge.Democratic control of production not only seems to be your starting point, it also seems to be your end point too. Democracy is not just a means to an end, it is an end too but not the only one. Leninist propaganda for workers doesn't distinguish between ends and means for democracy as I guess they don't think workers would understand the distinction.
As the Standard said in June 1908Democracy is not an end in itself, but a means to an end; and for us that end is Socialism. And were the workers to understand rightly their position and their policy, the political freedom they now possess would enable them to achieve their emancipation irrespective of sex. It is, moreover, not a sex war that exists in Society but a class war, but the Suffragettes endeavour to blur this class issue by screeching qualifications.
ALB wrote:That was Stuart's point: that the rise of Syriza to power backs up our case that ideas can change fairly quickly. Trouble from his point of view is that Left Unity is progressing even slower than us !The question might be asked whether compromising on political ideas you might disagree with has the effect of growing support for your political ideas quickly or the reverse (shrinking support for your political ideas).
In before anyone calls them 'the British Syriza'.I suppose it might be interesting to discuss what the differences between TUSC and Syriza are.I understand there are some Trots in Syriza. To what extent are they Trot fronts or lashups between the old left?
I'm happy for it to be suggested, and wouldn't object to members of the general public doing it but flag-burning is not something the party or members should be doing. It doesn't encourage critical thought, rather the opposite. Nationalists (ever-ready to shut down critical faculties) would readily be enraged and respond emotively, and the apathetic would remain apathetic.Stunts are not the way to raise our profile. They're certainly not a shortcut to consciousness raising either. Stunts aren't a strategy, they're the absence of one.
If the freepost address belongs to the Labour Party, how do you know references to 'the Socialist Party' are references to us?I think it unlikely to have been orchestrated from Downing Street or even any parliamentary party grouping. It sounds amateur enough to be some fringe element possibly one of the more unusual posters to this forum.
I think abolishing the deposit would be great, but I also doubt it will happen.You only have to look at elections in the US and the trouble they have overturning Citizens United to see how money buys the presidency. Or as Greg Palast satirically described it, 'the Best Democracy Money Can Buy'.It might not be good for the party, but I'd rather gather signatories than the cost of an election deposit for each constituency.
We have a mailing list (four or five in fact) for members only to post. I appreciate the purpose it serves for distant members especially Alan but I believe the party can go further than a mere club-house for the convinced.
