tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093114275469628673.post1561975863890536906..comments2023-06-02T17:22:43.445+01:00Comments on Luna17: Has the left blown its big chance of success? Discuss.luna17http://www.blogger.com/profile/03754650933188634442noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093114275469628673.post-73536632070935058822009-08-18T00:03:52.434+01:002009-08-18T00:03:52.434+01:00As Sophie suggests, there's a crying need for ...As Sophie suggests, there's a crying need for socialists - and I don't limit this specifically to the SWP - to reach out to new people. It is inevitable that a systemic crisis like we're currently seeing will radicalise some people, or at least force them to question things and become more politically conscious. How that is channelled depends, at least to a significant degree, on the conscious intervention of socialists. What we mustn't do is limit ourselves to addressing some kind of established 'left'. <br /><br />I agree with dvgil that Beckett veers into a mechanistic attitude in his article: capitalist crisis = growth for the left. However, I'd argue strongly that in the longer term that growth is precisely what we should expect to see, but it depends upon deploying the right strategy and tactics and on a willingness to shake up routines and take the initiative. <br /><br />What I don't think socialists should be doing is believing that only when the working class becomes more combative can we see a significant change for the left. We currently have favourable conditions ideologically, if not industrially to the extent we'd like, and this is the basis for us building in the current period. Stop the War remains very important, there's potential for resurgent anti-capitalist mobilising, and disputes like Vestas raise big questions about climate change and economic planning. <br /><br />If the left built on these strengths - and shaped a stronger political response to the crisis - it would both grow and help influence the revival of resistance on the economic front.luna17https://www.blogger.com/profile/03754650933188634442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093114275469628673.post-83596511900619140202009-08-17T23:41:36.351+01:002009-08-17T23:41:36.351+01:00Dear Comrade,
I think that your view of the articl...Dear Comrade,<br />I think that your view of the article accepts too much of the pessimism and short termism shown by the writer. Andy Beckett's article is mechanistic - crisis of capital = swing to the left and at the same time volountrist i.e., revolutionaries create the revolution. <br />This new crisis in the system has only just begun, its effects are working down through the economic system. What started as a banking crisis is now a crisis in indusry and it's shockwaves will roll on for a long time to come. It is part of the long term crisis of capital. How much advantage the left can take of this depends on what happens at the base, in the working class, the left can not conjure a revolutionary mood by force of will. The setbacks that beset our class in the Thatcher years are only starting to be undone. <br />The occupations at Visteon and at Vestas show how the mood is turning, but these sparks need careful fanning before a more general fire breaks out. We need both patience and impatience. We should be impatient with our selves, we should do more and do it better, but we should be patient with the struggle itself. In Lenin's words we need to "patiently explain" to people the importance of the occupations but be ready to move if thing shows promise. The crisis can generate anger but it can also generate despair, that is what the BNP depend on. The factory occupations can show that there is hope. That working people can run things themselves, but not everybody sees this yet. <br />None of this is to say that we could not do things much better but if you have been feeling a bit under the weather its harder to break into a run right away!<br />Pessimism of the intellect comrade but always optimism of the will!Dav Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14983498814379674904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6093114275469628673.post-90225599699399556852009-08-17T21:25:11.886+01:002009-08-17T21:25:11.886+01:00There is always room for improvement and mistakes ...There is always room for improvement and mistakes are part of life (although everyone should always learn from their mistakes). Concerning the party (the SWP) there was one bit in Andy Beckett's article that made me think how we might improve things which was about an observation he made; people at Marxism 2009 were conecting very much with old contacts and friends rather than there being an emphasis on welcoming new people in, and taking more of an interest them. I think that is pretty good advice for us...Sophie Jnoreply@blogger.com