XR change of tactics

Maybe they have decided to go for broke because they are convinced that the situation is getting worse and that the urgent thing now is to topple the government and replace it with a different regime that will take drastic, immediate measures to deal with climate change.

I don’t know to what extent Roger Hallam is still one of the leaders of XR (maybe Just Stop Oil was just a front for them rather than the breakaway it appeared to be), though the police will. But here is how he set out, in his 2019 manifesto Common Sense in the 21st Century, subtitled “Only Nonviolent Rebellion Can Now Stop Climate Breakdown And Social Collapse”, how a non-violent “rebellion” could topple a government.

“We must adopt the most successful model for regime change shown by the social scientific research – the civil resistance model. This involves mass participation civil disobedience: tens and hundreds of thousands of people blocking the centres of cities to demand change. There are a number of tactical options, but the main process is as follows:
• The people conduct mass mobilisation – thousands need to take part.
• They amass in a capital city where the elites in business, government and the media are located.
• They break the law – they cross the Rubicon. Examples include blocking the roads and transport systems.
• They maintain a strictly nonviolent discipline even, and especially, under conditions of state repression.
• They focus on the government, not intermediate targets – government is the institution that make the rules of society and has the monopoly of coercion to enforce them.
• They continue their action day after day – one-day actions, however big, rarely impose the necessary economic cost to bring the authorities to the table.
• The actions can have a fun atmosphere– most people respond to what is cultural and celebratory rather than political and solemn.
After one or two weeks following this plan, historical records show that a regime is highly likely to collapse or is forced to enact major structural change.”

The 21 April is the beginning of the weekend of our Annual Conference, so we will be there to witness the inevitable failure of this crackpot strategy.

Exchange of emails between a comrade and XR.

Our member wrote:

“Like you, I am extremely worried and concerned at the devastation being wrought on our environment, people and the species (with no voice), with which we share the planet. I have been to a number of your meetings and can only respect the tireless efforts being made by your members. Their dedication and concern is palpable.
That said, and given your numbers and (hopefully) growing support, would not the efforts of XR and its members be better aimed at changing the system in its entirety? Climate change is just a symptom, albeit terrifying, of Capitalism. War, hunger, homelessness, starvation and poverty are also symptoms and those caught up in any of these have little time to think of global warming. Unless Capitalism is replaced then no amount of reforms (if achieved at all) will solve the main issue – profit at all costs. We need a new world order that does not put profit before the environment.
If your energies were channeled into the efforts of the Socialist Party of Great Britain (link attached) all the above ills could be addressed. I sincerely hope you succeed in your aims but when have reforms ever really worked in the past – especially with so little available time?”

XR replied:

“We were not set up with the intention of advocating for any specific type or kind of system to change to – and it would be extremely difficult to change to that advocacy now, advocating for any system would be to undermine our current demands and principles.
I was a member of the SPGB over 40 years ago.
It was its policy then (which aligns with the thoughts of Karl Marx himself) that Capitalism doesn’t require a revolution to fail, as it will inevitably fall apart as a victim of its own internal contradictions, I’d be surprised if its policy has changed.
As I know now the SPGB has 300 members, whilst Extinction Rebellion has over a million supporters worldwide, and by and large they all seem to agree with our current demands.
Hope this helps,
Tony Marone
Public Engagement Working Group”

Three observations:

1. Eat shit. Ten million flies can’t be wrong.

2. What an admission that XR is not advocating a change of system but is merely campaigning for “demands” within the existing (capitalist) system.

3. It is not our view that capitalism will automatically collapse of its own accord through its contradictions (which is why we are checking his claim to have been a member).

I have tracked down on the internet another reply by Tony Marone, in which he explains XR’s “demands” in more detail. It dates from 2019 and is in reply to someone who asked why XR “didn’t mention Brexit as increasing Carbon pollution if it means trading with further flung places”.

Here it is:

“You are right, we don’t have a position on Brexit, but that is because we don’t have positions on any of the causes, influences or solutions to the climate crisis.
XR’s campaign is about making the authorities pay attention to the issue, tell the truth about it, act accordingly, and democratise the process.
There are many other organisations focussing on the specific environmental threats and solutions – however, that is not what we do.
XR does not advocate any specific solution to the climate crisis, this is because all potential solutions have to be available for discussion when we get to the stage of a Citizen’s Assembly.
XR’s core demands are:
– The Government must tell the truth about the ecological emergency, reverse inconsistent policies and work alongside the media to communicate with citizens.
– The Government must enact legally binding policy measures to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025 and to reduce consumption levels.
– We demand a Citizens Assembly to set the policy and oversee the changes, as part of creating a democracy fit for purpose.
When we get to the point of Citizen’s Assemblies will be the time for agreeing solutions, until then we must pursue these 3 key demands.
Hope this helps,
Tony Marone
Reactive Team
Extinction Rebellion”

(https://unitedinfrance.com/topic/a-shock-for-tree-huggers/page/3/)

He contradicts himself saying, on the one hand, that XR does have any stance on the causes or possible solutions to the climate crisis and that this has to be left to the Citizens Assembly it proposes but, on the other hand, goes on to call on the government to “reverse inconsistent policies” and to legislate to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025 and to reduce consumption.

So they are demanding some reforms from the government. But stating that they are not saying anything about the causes of climate change, well, what can we say!

Postponing this to a hypothetical national Citizens Assembly is a cop out but it looks like that, if they ever get it, socialism could be one of the solutions that could be considered. But there’s a problem. Most “citizens” are not socialists and so would adopt more or less unrealistic proposals to be implemented under capitalism. For socialism to be adopted they’d have to be socialist-minded. So it would be back to square one: the need to have a convinced socialist majority and do to concentrate on helping that to emerge.

All they will do is take a couple dozen votes (in each constituency) from the Monster Raving Loony Party (AKA the Green Party).

For the record, the Revered Mark Coleman got 455 votes or 1.5 percent of those who voted.

How does this compare to the average percentage when the SPGB stands?