Young Master Smeet
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Rule 23 wrote:A Special Conference shall be called on a requisition signed by six Branches in good standing being sent to the Executive Committee.
Per previous discussion on this question, it would appear that provisions for a special conference are unclear: how long the lead in and call for agenda items would take, etc. I would expect the requisition would have to contain the agenda, but it would still take about two months to get 6 branchess to sign, a further month to mandate delegates, etc. so ADM looks a better prospect for raising issues.
Vin, it's not a conference, it's a meeting of the Outreach dept. I copied you in with a copy of my suggested election activity form, so filling that in and sending it in to the meeting would help, along with any comments you want the meeting to consider. The meeting will report to the EC, and doubtless the results of these discussions will be relayed to ADM and then to conference, where, yes, you will be able to take it up via your branch.I have suggested that HO makes sure it has a proper speaker phone so people can join such meetings via phone call (better yet would be conference calling). Last time someone tried to Skype to an outreach meeting it went SNAFU.
This chimes with my experience, more of after hustings discussions with some people who liked what I said, but who were going to vote Labour for immediate practical reasons (of course, I was facing Jeremy Corbyn, and several times, when I followed huim, had little to say, because he was able to advance the same sorts of arguments and alaysis as us (much different to Emily thornberry) — except one opccaision, where we were asked to pick a song that defines our campaign: I choose "Imagine" (not my own choice, but I know the party well enough) and he said that would have been his choice as well.A couple of times I used the 'People's front of Judea' joke when attacking the various factions of the capitalist party on the platform. We need to spike that one early. I'l also add that the Tory candidate was astounded when I accused the other parties of offering the moon on a stick, when I'm talking about abolishing the wages system. He must have missed the opart of the earlier hustings where I accused the otehr parties of being hopeless utopians.
Oh, apparently TUSC are challenging the result, although can't see how. Surely they had an agent there at least to see the votes counted?
You're right, I must have been confusing him with someone else.Anyway, his book is available here:https://archive.org/details/capitalismandsla033027mbp
I believe a useful book on this subject is Eric Williams' (one of the leaders of Grenada the US deposed) 'Capitalism and slavery' he makes an interesting point that slavery was in part because there were no or few people in the newly colonised spaces, so capture and enslavement was the only way to populate and make them productive (for the owners).Of course, slavery was a key component of primary accumulation, literally seizing wealth in the form of humans.This is very useful:https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/When Britain 'abolished' slavery, the owners were compensated, so we have a real snapshot of what the scale of slavery was, and how widespread and valuable it was.So, on a quick look we have this entry:https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/claim/view/28811And, look their firm is still in business:http://www.johnsmith.co.uk/about-john-smiths
Vin,yes, I think there was an EC resolution that members of that group were welcome to join the party. Sometime in 2001, I believe.
http://www.medway.gov.uk/PDF/Rainham_North_declaration_of_result_Locals_2015.pdfMust. Not. Laugh.Oh, go on then.Bwahahahahaha!!!!!
Actually labour is currently up in votes, 1.4%, their problem is the Tories have gone up (from a lead) by 0.8% — interestingly, I think the final result is within the extreme ends of the margin of error for polls…
Well, Vote early, vote once. It was heartening to see at about 5 past 7 I wasn't the first to vote, and the early morning voters were streaming in. Can I recommend any party members who vote, or spoil their ballot, and who are on twitter, tweet it with #SPGB as the hastag?
Vin wrote:It has been suggested by more than one member that we should not be using‘look at me! Look at me! Pick me, pick me!’With respect I will ignore that advice. After all, are we not asking Labour, Con, Lib… voters :‘look at me! Look at me! Pick me, pick me!’ ? at the election?We don't. We say 'Here we stand, vote for us if you agree, it's up to you'
Vin,my branch didn't get any money, the Advertising Dept, spent it for us. This is clearly something for the post-mortem.I suppose it helps that we have a member of the dept. in our branch, bu if we hadn't, we'd have been in touch with them anyway.Bill.
Vin wrote:Young Master Smeet wrote:or the precise opposite, a sense of our own worth sufficient to not go chasing after appreciation.Can you expand on the slur?
Slur?
Vin wrote:Some members have an unreal and illogical fear of so called celebs and people in the media. I think it may be an inferiority complex or similar.To which I pointed out it was the exact opposite case, a sense of self worth that doen't seek affirmation from a celeb.
Vin wrote:Do you not realise how prejudicial that comment is? You tar everyone who becomes a so called celeb or famous with the same brush.Refuse him entry and if he/she does sneak into the party you deny them the right to represent the party in debate! And you haven't even met them yet!Erm, no, because it's not about personality, or person, but party structures and campaigning methods. The personal behaviour of Tommy Sheridan is irrelevent to the fact that the entire edifice of the SSP was structured around him and it crumbled when he shrugged.The point is the party controls its own chanels of communication and is identified as the party, and the case is made clear.
Vin wrote:Some members have an unreal and illogical fear of so called celebs and people in the media. I think it may be an inferiority complex or similar.or the precise opposite, a sense of our own worth sufficient to not go chasing after appreciation.
Quote:When famous/celebs (and there are many thousands of them, more than SPGB members) start to become class conscious and join the socialist movement, they will demand the same rights as any other member. Members of the party and those on the EC with illogical prejudices will not prevent them from joining.Indeed, though hopefully we will never make a big thing of it, and never stoop to a Labour style celebrity endorsement broadcast. And per Alan's post earlier, we wouldn't use them as a speaker unless and until they had passed the speakers test and we were sure they could and would put the party case adequately, just like any other member.
