tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post3839860037621886867..comments2024-03-27T09:14:27.496+00:00Comments on All That Is Solid ...: What is Jeremy Corbyn Playing At?Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-39386496269134184692015-06-15T08:41:15.516+01:002015-06-15T08:41:15.516+01:00"We must take Liz Kendal on her word- she is ..."We must take Liz Kendal on her word- she is a fearless defender of the unions"<br /><br />"Jeremy Corbyn may be trying to split the Labour Party and become the champion of lost causes by running a desperate campaign for labour leader- his hidden Machiavellian intentions are clear"<br /><br />I paraphrase, but you get the point. The slimy ladder of the Labour Party is your motive I suppose?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-702968777326916142015-06-14T08:17:14.228+01:002015-06-14T08:17:14.228+01:00@jimmclean
I agree with most of what you say Jim,...@jimmclean<br /><br />I agree with most of what you say Jim, but its for those reasons I suggest the Left via the LP at this Branch or block level has to build the kind of structures I suggested.<br /><br />There are still "community" issues, even if there are not traditional communities of the kind you describe. The point is to build the "community" around the issues. Take the campaigns over gentrification, for example, and tenants be they council, social or private, continually have issues that can only be resolved collectively.<br /><br />The point is to resolve those problems by workers themselves changing the material conditions, building worker owned co-operative housing as an alternative form to the existing provision, for example; building worker owned co-operative construction companies to build the housing, carry out maintenance, and train unemployed workers to do the work.<br /><br />Similarly, local community facilities should be reclaimed by the community to provide workers education and training, taking it out of the control of the capitalist state. Schools in particular re left empty for much of the day and year, when they could be a centre for alternative education, and community organisation and entertainment.<br /><br />Changing the material conditions in this way, changes the conditions under which labour confronts capital, redressing some of the power imbalance, but in the process it also creates new structures within which workers can organise, as well as helping develop the concept of workers self-organisation and self liberation, leading to what marx describes, workers self government.Boffyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08157650969929097569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-43581699386404528082015-06-13T19:33:54.975+01:002015-06-13T19:33:54.975+01:00“demonstrates that he is as much a part of the rea...“demonstrates that he is as much a part of the reason for the collapse of the left as anyone on the further left.”<br /><br />I would say both have played a very minor role in the collapse of the left. The failure of the Soviet Union, the success of capitalism to continually overcome its contradictions, the development of labour saving technology and the relocation of production have all been more important factors in the collapse. <br /><br />Oh and not forgetting consumerism, which is probably a result of some of the above. It wasn’t the Stalinist left that defeated us, it was the 2 weeks in the sun and the mobile phone delivered the nail in the coffin.<br /><br />Hegel was wrong; the irrational will not wither and die. Socialism is a dead idea, prepare for the journey into barbarism! <br /><br />Barman, another beer please.<br />Citizen of a declining empirenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-70154761007659716202015-06-13T14:25:04.142+01:002015-06-13T14:25:04.142+01:00I've no doubt Jezza is a lovely bloke and an e...I've no doubt Jezza is a lovely bloke and an excellent constituency MP - however his rejection of nomination spreading and his failure to organise effectively among the people he needs to nominate him demonstrates that he is as much a part of the reason for the collapse of the left as anyone on the further left. <br /><br />Until people who believe in progressive, radical, social change are willing to reach out to others who could be convinced to work with them around areas of common interest - while not sharing all their beliefs - then pragmatists with different ideas will. mathttp://organisingmythoughts.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-16135080556455842182015-06-13T13:14:49.119+01:002015-06-13T13:14:49.119+01:00The main problem with community politics is that t...The main problem with community politics is that the Left emerged from communities that no longer exist. Communities built around the pit, the shipyards and factories, houses owned by the employers or controlled by Labour, the employers provided transport from the "schemes" the the workplace, Labour were in control of the allocation of houses and services, the Unions and the employers often had a role in providing leasure places, social clubs, the miners Goths. Today local councillors have little more relevance than the elected dog catchers here in Scotland they have been stripped of power by Labour and then the SNP. Then we have the main problem, the Left (in my area at least) move into communities with a know all attitude, they approach community activists and workers who have decades of combined experiance and lecture them, they call for united community action where the local activists are at times dealing with divisions based on "race" creed and colour and vendettas, drink and drugs. The Left seem to think they are dealing with activists and workers who live in a political vacuum. They fail to take into accound they are dealing with highly trained professional,imbibed with the theories of Paulo Freire,dealing with the third world within. It was quite a shock for me when I returned to education in my 50's and found out I have been missing a whole alternative take on things, and a valid one at that. There is no place to win the workers to Socialist ideas simply because there is no place where we can have a face to face interaction with the workers, the only organised workplaces, the Public and Civil services, the schools the colleges, are in the eyes of many part of the oppresive regime and the many see the left as part of the few. Local NGO's may be one way but as I have said while the traditional left have been yakking a new left has been at work in the communities from the 60's and they have little faith in traditional politics. Labour must be prepared to adapt to the changes.jim mcleannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-49148347300981559952015-06-13T09:57:29.237+01:002015-06-13T09:57:29.237+01:00I've known Jeremy Corbyn for nearly 40 years, ...I've known Jeremy Corbyn for nearly 40 years, from way back in the day of the SCLV, and when my regular Sunday activity was a drive down to County Hall. He is one of the nicest unassuming people I met during that time.<br /><br />I tend to agree with Paul's comments over at TCF, that the left is in danger of once again fetishising leaders, or investing an inordinate amount of time on trying to win elections and get resolutions passed rather than actually building a movement, bringing about real material changes, and changing workers' consciousness.<br /><br />I do not, of course, deny the importance of any of the former in also achieving the latter. As Lenin put it, "from above as well as below". But, its necessary to understand what has the primary role in this dialectical interchange, otherwise you end up in the kind of situation that many left leaders - be they parliamentary, revolutionary or trade union leaders - have found themselves in in the past, and which Syriza may be facing currently, that even if you win a position of leadership, unless the material conditions exist to bring about the changes you seek, and unless you actually do have the full backing of workers behind you, rather than that they have put you there, as the best of a bad bunch, or because they continue to have a faith in the power of leaders, it will end in disaster, as Engels described in "The Peasant War in Germany".<br /><br />I understand the point of Jeremy standing, because its necessary to have a real discussion about why Labour lost, rather than allow the Blairites and the Tory media to once more create the narrative that will then hog tie Labour for the next five years. Jeremy has already been able to use that to an extent by his appearance on The Daily Politics and so on.<br /><br />But, Paul is right that what we really need is to rebuild the Labour Movement from the ground up, not just at LP Branch level, but within in each local community. It would be good if we could build something like exists in the US, where they have "block committees", of activists at the level of each housing block, and street. The basis of that could be the building of tenants and residents committees. Another idea, as the trades unions rationalise into "One Big Union", would also be to go back to the arrangement the Pottery Union had in the 19th century, of having its lodges organised on the basis of where members lived rather than on where they worked.<br /><br />That would facilitate the rebuilding of Trades Councils as a Trades Union Council at an area level, more like the kind of arrangement that existed with Soviets, but it would also facilitate incorporating the tenants and residents committees representatives as well as incorporating delegates from LP Branches, so as to go back to the situation at the early 20th century of having Trades and Labour Councils.<br /><br />As paul says, it would also be a useful way of rejuvenating Co-ops of all forms, and drawing them into such Councils.<br /><br />If Jeremy's or any other nomination for leader helped to raise these ideas, and build a movement around them for the rejuvenation of the Labour Movement then it would be useful. But, its the building of the movement, the winning of workers to socialist ideas, and as part of that process, the transformation of material conditions that must come first.Boffyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08157650969929097569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-23322468580002167302015-06-13T07:34:47.238+01:002015-06-13T07:34:47.238+01:00Presumably all concerned have seen the relevant fi...Presumably all concerned have seen the relevant figures.<br />http://www.labour.org.uk/index.php/leadership<br /><br />BTW, has anyone heard of this?<br />http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Hollywood-stars-coming-Hanley-film-new/story-26675350-detail/story.html<br /><br />Looks like a right job :)asquithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246701347539264295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-11819315420266932012015-06-12T21:09:47.041+01:002015-06-12T21:09:47.041+01:00Yes, I was mistaken in my earlier comment. :(Yes, I was mistaken in my earlier comment. :(asquithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246701347539264295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-17465774688376736532015-06-12T21:07:30.365+01:002015-06-12T21:07:30.365+01:00I was puzzled when I saw this tweet earlier today ...I was puzzled when I saw this tweet earlier today too. I think your first suggestion is closest to the mark, but put a little uncharitably.<br /><br />My understanding is that Jeremy had no intention to run until activists petitioned for an anti-austerity candidate to stand. Hence, why he didn't announce his candidacy until some time after the other four. <br /><br />Since then, he has been very active in communicating his message on TV, radio and in the newspapers. He's also maintained his own activism, e.g. speaking at the National Gallery picket. <br /><br />My guess is he simply hasn't had the opportunity to contact each of the potential nominators individually. As Efford's tweet makes clear, Jeremy's grassroots supporters have been very active in campaigning on his behalf!<br /><br />I do hope that Jeremy gets onto the ballot and has the opportunity to participate in the debates as a genuine anti-austerity candidate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-78423742833189543772015-06-12T21:00:09.372+01:002015-06-12T21:00:09.372+01:00Ruth is backing Yvette Cooper ...Ruth is backing Yvette Cooper ...Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-48582781880722577262015-06-12T20:46:19.738+01:002015-06-12T20:46:19.738+01:00Burnham can "boast" of having Smeeth in ...Burnham can "boast" of having Smeeth in his column. And Hunt, in what may be the least surprising move of all time, endorses Kendall.<br /><br />I'm going to that thing at Emma Bridgewater tomorrow, I'm listening to William Dalrymple. Perhaps I will see Hunt there, who's to say?asquithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246701347539264295noreply@blogger.com