People before profit "Without social justice there is no freedom. My political goal is democratic socialism, a peaceful and democratic society for all people, free from exploitation."(Gesine Lotzsch leader of Die Linke)
A Future That Works
NO2aTory/Liberal coalition - Vote with your feet for an alternative to a neo-liberal economy and neo-conservative state Yes2aLeftFront and a Red/Green Left Alliance
‘We must go among all classes of the population as theoreticians, as propagandists, as agitators and as organizers’ (V.I. Lenin p146). Lenin said we must find ways and means of calling meetings of representatives of all social classes that are willing to listen to the democratic argument for social change and are obliged to ‘expand the emphasize the general democratic tasks before the whole people but without for a moment concealing our socialist convictions’ (V.I. Lenin p147)
What is to be done? by V.I. Lenin Penguin Classics 1988
I apologise if the volume is too high as I have said I’m into heavy rock, if Revolution Calling by Queensryche http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7avDRrjtgy0 was too loud then maybe a quieter approach Talkin' Bout A Revolution by Tracy Chapman will be a better method http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm1-jPEAe9s&feature=related but in the end the pressure is mounting for action and it will probably pass120 dB(A) and get very painful. But if we don’t respond it’s still going to result in a great deal of pain for the working classes of Britain as well as the rest of Europe and globally, so if not now when do we act. For thirty years the neo-liberal/neo-conservative consensus has been reversing the gains achieved by socialists and social-democrats. I think the people have now got to either make a stand or loss all the gains made in the 20th century by the labour movement, you will have to forgive my impatience and frustration with those who haven’t headed David Harvey’s warnings that despite the fact we may not have a full plan of action so I think the time is now or never.
It’s official Ed M will be joining the TUC's protest on 26th March 'For The Alternative'
According to YouGov 30% approve of the Tory/Liberal Government compared with 55% who disapprove.Ed Miliband’s appearance at the demo will be an important symbolic gesture, and one that the left should applaud.
I accept that it’s not without risk and we can play safe and stick with known Marxist groups such as the Alliance for Green Socialism, Socialist Party, Communist Party and Socialist Workers Party although I doubt the latter would be interested in working with the first three. It’s obvious from what Neal Lawson has said he is reaching out to disillusioned Liberal Democrats not social-democrats or socialists, never mind communists or Marxian socialists and eco-socialist. At the moment the only groups seriously fighting the coalition’s agenda for the complete dismantling of the social-democratic compromise between capital and labour in the 20th century are activists on the streets whether they are students or trade unionists and they may be non-political, liberals, social-democrats, greens, socialist and communists.
My concern is that first we have to keep up the pressure on the Tory/Liberal coalition by defending the remaining gains of 20th century communist, socialist, social-democratic activism and Labour governments or all will be lost and may never be regained. But whilst I have no illusions about the nature of the Labour Party or Labour government’s new or old Labour, if/when this coalition falls we will need a Left Alternative. If it’s going to be achieved electorally in our bourgeois democracy Plan ‘A’ (Option ‘A’) the Labour Party will be a key element, if not it’s going to be a violent process such that we haven’t seen on the British mainland since the civil war (Option ‘B’). I would rather go for Option ‘A’ because it’s the least painful or risky for the people, it may be that Option ‘A’ isn’t possible and the capitalist classes will ensure that like Russia before the people of Britain, France, Germany, Greece and the rest of Europe are forced to take Option ‘B’. But that will only happen after the gains of the 20th century are totally lost and the conditions under which we are forced to exist are so intolerable that like a cornered cat people fight back and claw the capitalist dog to death.
So for me Plan ‘A’(Option ‘A’), bring down the coalition followed by Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘A’) is preferable to Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘B’) or maybe that’s Plan ‘C’. If its Plan ‘B’(Option ‘B’)/ Plan ‘C’ is a high risk strategy and requires allowing the Tory/Liberal coalition to win which could be called Plan ‘A’ (Option ‘B’) then we enact Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘B’) or are we considering Plan ‘C’ from the word go after the 26th March which I guess is the Socialist Workers Party strategy and possibly the Socialist Parties preferred strategy. So the Communist Party strategy for achieving a socialist revolution involves trying peaceful transformation via Plan ‘A’(Option ‘A’) followed by Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘A’) and Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘B’) or Plan ‘C’ as the option taken when Plan ‘A’(Option ‘A’) and Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘A’) has failed as the last option for a transition from capitalism to socialism.
But will Dugsie, Jon Teunon and LabourJane want to be a part of Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘B’) or maybe that’s Plan ‘C’, I suspect not.
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King urges banks to brace themselves for a potential Eurozone collapse amid fears that Britain is caught in a second credit crunch. European leaders will hold another summit on the 9th of December on what action to take over the Eurozone crisis. It’s time the broad left in Britain, Europe and Scandinavia demand an alternative to the neo-liberal/neo-conservative austerity packages of the IMF and ECB which threaten to turn recession into a depression.
Angela Merkel the German Chancellor says there is no easy fix to the European financial crisis, and ‘‘will take years to fix’’. Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy the President of France are arguing for a new European treaty. Sarkozy has called for a ‘‘refounding and rethinking of the organisation of Europe’’, this creates an opportunity for the Left parties of Europe to argue for an alternative programme and a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
I guess David Cameron and George Osborne understand just Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy that the consequences for the global economy never mind Europe or Britain if the Eurozone crisis isn’t solved are such that a formula which may include further integration is an option they cannot rule out however it may play with the right-wing euro-sceptics. So whilst Osborne may say ‘‘Britain doesn't want to be part of that integration’’, Cameron has acknowledged that ‘‘the stability and growth pact has not worked. It needs to be replaced with something else’’.
The President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy is going to will present a paper to the council set out options which could in theory include closer integration without a new EU treaty, Merkel has said this wouldn’t be the best way forward and that all 27 member states should be involved which would then allow a treaty change. This creates one of those opportunities that the Left are so good at missing, particularly the British Left. Let’s hope the European Left run with this and demand a referendum on the whole Lisbon Program and protocols which include the Stability and Growth Pact.
This is where the British Left should be acting in the interests of the working classes of Britain, Europe and Scandinavia against the dictates of the IMF, WTO, World Bank and ECB and demanding democratic accountability of the technocrats to the peoples of the EU. Then we can see if Bill Cash and the Tory right-wing are really on the peoples side or whether they would rather see a global depression than solve the crisis of Europe, which will hurt the people of Britain just as much as the French, German, Greek, Italian peoples etc.
Let’s see the British Left show they are on the side of democracy and call for an alternative social Europe to the neo-liberal and neo-conservative Britain and Europe that we are being offered at present. Here is an opportunity for the broad left to take the initiative and argue the case for a socialist/social-democratic alternative. Not at the national level which obviously cannot work in a global neo-liberal world, but as part of one of the developed regions of the global political and economic system of governance.I hope the European Left run with this, even if the British Left chooses to be left on the sidelines as usual.
Tens of thousands of Belgian workers marched through Brussels in protest against new austerity measures. Organized by Belgium’s three main unions against budget cuts which are designed to get the country’s deficit within 3% of GDP and meet targets set by the EU.
The unions were specifically protesting against the extension of early retirement, cuts in unemployment benefits and the social security budget, echoing recent protests in Britain, Greece, Portugal, Ireland and in almost every country in Europe.
‘We must go among all classes of the population as theoreticians, as propagandists, as agitators and as organizers’ (V.I. Lenin p146). Lenin said we must find ways and means of calling meetings of representatives of all social classes that are willing to listen to the democratic argument for social change and are obliged to ‘expand the emphasize the general democratic tasks before the whole people but without for a moment concealing our socialist convictions’ (V.I. Lenin p147)
ReplyDeleteWhat is to be done? by V.I. Lenin
Penguin Classics 1988
Tony Benn - Coalition of Resistance Conference
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DWTtZ6s5qE&feature=related
TUC demonstration against the cuts 26th March 2011
ReplyDeletehttp://leftalternatives.myfineforum.org/sutra4345.php#4345
The hidden agenda of NHS reforms
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, what are we going to do about them?
http://leftalternatives.myfineforum.org/sutra4346.php#4346
I apologise if the volume is too high as I have said I’m into heavy rock, if Revolution Calling by Queensryche http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7avDRrjtgy0 was too loud then maybe a quieter approach Talkin' Bout A Revolution by Tracy Chapman will be a better method http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm1-jPEAe9s&feature=related but in the end the pressure is mounting for action and it will probably pass120 dB(A) and get very painful. But if we don’t respond it’s still going to result in a great deal of pain for the working classes of Britain as well as the rest of Europe and globally, so if not now when do we act. For thirty years the neo-liberal/neo-conservative consensus has been reversing the gains achieved by socialists and social-democrats. I think the people have now got to either make a stand or loss all the gains made in the 20th century by the labour movement, you will have to forgive my impatience and frustration with those who haven’t headed David Harvey’s warnings that despite the fact we may not have a full plan of action so I think the time is now or never.
ReplyDeletehttp://leftalternatives.myfineforum.org/sutra4349.php#4349
It’s official Ed M will be joining the TUC's protest on 26th March 'For The Alternative'
ReplyDeleteAccording to YouGov 30% approve of the Tory/Liberal Government compared with 55% who disapprove.Ed Miliband’s appearance at the demo will be an important symbolic gesture, and one that the left should applaud.
http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/02/10/ed-miliband-will-protest-on-26th-march-%E2%80%93-and-why-it-matters/
Lee,
ReplyDeleteI accept that it’s not without risk and we can play safe and stick with known Marxist groups such as the Alliance for Green Socialism, Socialist Party, Communist Party and Socialist Workers Party although I doubt the latter would be interested in working with the first three. It’s obvious from what Neal Lawson has said he is reaching out to disillusioned Liberal Democrats not social-democrats or socialists, never mind communists or Marxian socialists and eco-socialist. At the moment the only groups seriously fighting the coalition’s agenda for the complete dismantling of the social-democratic compromise between capital and labour in the 20th century are activists on the streets whether they are students or trade unionists and they may be non-political, liberals, social-democrats, greens, socialist and communists.
My concern is that first we have to keep up the pressure on the Tory/Liberal coalition by defending the remaining gains of 20th century communist, socialist, social-democratic activism and Labour governments or all will be lost and may never be regained. But whilst I have no illusions about the nature of the Labour Party or Labour government’s new or old Labour, if/when this coalition falls we will need a Left Alternative. If it’s going to be achieved electorally in our bourgeois democracy Plan ‘A’ (Option ‘A’) the Labour Party will be a key element, if not it’s going to be a violent process such that we haven’t seen on the British mainland since the civil war (Option ‘B’). I would rather go for Option ‘A’ because it’s the least painful or risky for the people, it may be that Option ‘A’ isn’t possible and the capitalist classes will ensure that like Russia before the people of Britain, France, Germany, Greece and the rest of Europe are forced to take Option ‘B’. But that will only happen after the gains of the 20th century are totally lost and the conditions under which we are forced to exist are so intolerable that like a cornered cat people fight back and claw the capitalist dog to death.
So for me Plan ‘A’(Option ‘A’), bring down the coalition followed by Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘A’) is preferable to Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘B’) or maybe that’s Plan ‘C’. If its Plan ‘B’(Option ‘B’)/ Plan ‘C’ is a high risk strategy and requires allowing the Tory/Liberal coalition to win which could be called Plan ‘A’ (Option ‘B’) then we enact Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘B’) or are we considering Plan ‘C’ from the word go after the 26th March which I guess is the Socialist Workers Party strategy and possibly the Socialist Parties preferred strategy. So the Communist Party strategy for achieving a socialist revolution involves trying peaceful transformation via Plan ‘A’(Option ‘A’) followed by Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘A’) and Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘B’) or Plan ‘C’ as the option taken when Plan ‘A’(Option ‘A’) and Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘A’) has failed as the last option for a transition from capitalism to socialism.
But will Dugsie, Jon Teunon and LabourJane want to be a part of Plan ‘B’ (Option ‘B’) or maybe that’s Plan ‘C’, I suspect not.
http://leftalternatives.myfineforum.org/sutra4492.php#4492
Give Gordon Brown credit where it's due
ReplyDeleteEurope Against Austerity
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/07/give-gordon-brown-credit
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King urges banks to brace themselves for a potential Eurozone collapse amid fears that Britain is caught in a second credit crunch. European leaders will hold another summit on the 9th of December on what action to take over the Eurozone crisis. It’s time the broad left in Britain, Europe and Scandinavia demand an alternative to the neo-liberal/neo-conservative austerity packages of the IMF and ECB which threaten to turn recession into a depression.
ReplyDeleteAngela Merkel the German Chancellor says there is no easy fix to the European financial crisis, and ‘‘will take years to fix’’. Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy the President of France are arguing for a new European treaty. Sarkozy has called for a ‘‘refounding and rethinking of the organisation of Europe’’, this creates an opportunity for the Left parties of Europe to argue for an alternative programme and a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
ReplyDeleteI guess David Cameron and George Osborne understand just Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy that the consequences for the global economy never mind Europe or Britain if the Eurozone crisis isn’t solved are such that a formula which may include further integration is an option they cannot rule out however it may play with the right-wing euro-sceptics. So whilst Osborne may say ‘‘Britain doesn't want to be part of that integration’’, Cameron has acknowledged that ‘‘the stability and growth pact has not worked. It needs to be replaced with something else’’.
ReplyDeleteThe President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy is going to will present a paper to the council set out options which could in theory include closer integration without a new EU treaty, Merkel has said this wouldn’t be the best way forward and that all 27 member states should be involved which would then allow a treaty change. This creates one of those opportunities that the Left are so good at missing, particularly the British Left. Let’s hope the European Left run with this and demand a referendum on the whole Lisbon Program and protocols which include the Stability and Growth Pact.
This is where the British Left should be acting in the interests of the working classes of Britain, Europe and Scandinavia against the dictates of the IMF, WTO, World Bank and ECB and demanding democratic accountability of the technocrats to the peoples of the EU. Then we can see if Bill Cash and the Tory right-wing are really on the peoples side or whether they would rather see a global depression than solve the crisis of Europe, which will hurt the people of Britain just as much as the French, German, Greek, Italian peoples etc.
Let’s see the British Left show they are on the side of democracy and call for an alternative social Europe to the neo-liberal and neo-conservative Britain and Europe that we are being offered at present. Here is an opportunity for the broad left to take the initiative and argue the case for a socialist/social-democratic alternative. Not at the national level which obviously cannot work in a global neo-liberal world, but as part of one of the developed regions of the global political and economic system of governance.I hope the European Left run with this, even if the British Left chooses to be left on the sidelines as usual.
Thousands rally against new austerity measures
ReplyDeleteTens of thousands of Belgian workers marched through Brussels in protest against new austerity measures. Organized by Belgium’s three main unions against budget cuts which are designed to get the country’s deficit within 3% of GDP and meet targets set by the EU.
The unions were specifically protesting against the extension of early retirement, cuts in unemployment benefits and the social security budget, echoing recent protests in Britain, Greece, Portugal, Ireland and in almost every country in Europe.
http://leftalternatives.myfineforum.org/ftopic188-390.php