Another soggy social democratic wank fest...
Helen Burnes | 01.10.2001 15:43
Helen Burnes
e-mail:
rcgfrfi@easynet.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.rcgfrfi.easynet.co.uk
Comments
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New demo
01.10.2001 21:13
GR Crapp
Pot and Kettle
01.10.2001 22:30
To misquote Tolstoy, they and the SWP are as different as cat shit and dog shit, but I don't like the smell of either.
Steve
Getting sick of this!
02.10.2001 02:04
Shut up
This is the problem
02.10.2001 10:52
I did attend RTS meetings with a couple of mates, never talked to anyone about the RCG cos I wasn't there for that reason...I was there because, like every one else, I was hoping that the direct action movement would take off as a mass movement and confront the system I hate in my gut - capitalism!
I believe in revolution, do you think I care if it's communist, anarchist or green...I don't - but at the moment I find that communism answers more questions I have about creating a new society then anarchism. I went up to Newbury a couple of times back in the day - but I found that when I tried to talk to people about the capitalist system being the root of the problem, I was told to keep politics out of it - so I found an organisation that combines real anti-capitalism with support for national liberation and anti-imperialist struggles with a committment to direct action and rejection of 'working within the system' as a tactic.
You say the SWP are Leninist - hey, I'm not a Russian history expert but I know that is a nonsense! Talking of pots and kettles, if I see a spade I call it a spade... They are no more revolutionary than Tony Blair....that's their problem. As I said, the SchNews pamphlet points out that the problem is the opportunist tendency and it doesn't matter what the group calls itself, the function they serve is the same - to act as an obstacle to the development of a real revolutionary mass movement. But to be 'anti-group' -without any political analysis or assessment - that's sectarian and divisive. We must build a coalition, yes! But we must make it a serious one and not just a presentation or a clique of any colour!
Helen
e-mail: rcgfrfi@easynet.co.uk
Homepage: http://www.rcgfrfi.easynet.co.uk
Let's have a party! Or maybe not...
02.10.2001 13:21
One of the best critiques of 'the party' comes from libertarian marxist Immanuel Wallerstein; tried to find it on the web but have drawn a blank. It's in his book 'After Liberalism' and was summarised on the 'alternatives' page of the spoof paper RTS produced to coincide with Prague, 'Financial Crimes'. If you really want to read it email me and I'll type it up for you (the summary that is, not the full version).
Personally I care if a revolution is communist, anarchist or green. I don't want to end up in a repressive retread of Russia after the revolution, nor do I want some weird deep ecological or primitivist society. I want a free ecological society based on principles of democracy and equity. I don't want to replace what we have now with something worse...
Chris
e-mail: scarykidsscaringkids@hushmail.com
I don`t like getting or being wet either...
02.10.2001 14:05
Just two points, at the counter conference what wasvery clear was the qualitative difference between thespeakers from outside uk (Ya Basta, Oscar Oliviera Bolivia etc) their ideas and delivery was clearly far more radical and engaging than ostifnotall of the UK speakers. That`s not to say that we shouldn`t continue to build a consensus, but clearly more time needs to be gioven to let radical ideas and actionbe heard otherwise Briotain is going o fall far behind this movement.
As for the demo in Brighton, thereis learly a more effective way to use the enthusiam of 5 - 10 000 activists than leading them in along line up streets with noapparent purpose,but whose fault isthat? ours for letting ourselves be led? the police for arresting a few wombles or the swp/gr lot for wanting tolead and being unaware of more engaging tactics?
Blaggers guide to the conference (see below) has a few other ideas, where I live in France we have similar problems with Attac, who want to lead and keep discipline, we just have to learn how to live with them being firm and articulating and doing what we want to do, "don`t hate the SWP/GR/Attac, be your anti capitalist movement"
az
Give it a rest
03.05.2004 20:16
Nelson