Robbo in the Weekly Worker

JDW, that is the point…for anyone outside looking in, Adam, myself and Robbo (okay, yourself in the past) seem to be the SPGB.Perhaps the weakness of WW is that correspondence is from the "usual suspects" as you say but it does give us an opportunity for our case to be heard. This week, Steve Freeman reiterates the self-determination of nations mantra.

He then goes on to shoot himself in the foot

The Iraqi tanks out-gunned the Peshmerga and they fled Kirkut. Even worse, he makes an analogy with the Easter UprisingSurely, someone else within the Party can answer him?

Has anyone actually submitted any and if so on what topic? If refused, what was the content of the refusal?

According to wiki it has WW 20,000 online visitors and 500 hard copy in print. Matt talks of the USP and i think WW's is that it is its good gossip content on the Left. We aren't out to convince one letter writer but the readers of the letter page

You may be right Vin, but most workers don't read WW. Its audience is those who already call themselves socialist. We may be hitting our heads against a brick wall trying to convince them they hold mistake views but does it mean we cease confronting the Left directly.If so, (and i am not saying we should or not,) then we are drawn to the conclusion we should examine our entire approach, including the terminology we use and our focus.But regards the time and resources required, a letter to WW is minimum and would not distract from other Party activity. No postage stamp is needed.My reason for not responding is stated in the other post… As for other topics in WW, we just published a book and a letter critiquing an article or letter on the Russian Revolution could contain a reference to that book – a bit of free advertising

I'm not sure if comrades understand where this position leads to. I mentioned it may mean changing our language but if we are to avoid guilt by association, it requires a complete separation from the word socialism, our association with the ideas of Marx and Engels and a lot more besides.As regards to

my original recent letter was to draw attention to anti-nationalism and to place Marx and Engels support for certain nationalist movements into perspective – and in today's context it is anti-socialist.Steve Freeman may be a one-man band but he does present the case of many left-nationalists who give support and succor to openly pro-capitalist nationalists. (Freeman even avocates such a policy in his letter). That question is at the centre of working-class politics today across the world. Scottish and Catalan separatisms are not aberrations but reflective of what people are thinking right now in many countries. We most definitely must take them on. There is no prevaricating about the question.We cannot offer those left-nationalists who claim to be socialists and Marxists any legitimacy by being silent and letting them off the hook.

I read this link but find it difficult to understand

What common ground is there between supporters of socialists and capitalism? Our respective positions are diametrically opposed and irreconcilable. We cannot compromise or offer concessions. 

And that is what we do, isn't it? Try to raise consciousness and undermine various ideologies held by our fellow workers like nationalism, religion. We do ask them to change because if they bring their prejudices with them it is suicide for the socialist movement. It is all very nicey-nicey sentiments but i have enough experience to know that it is hard to find a way to tell somebody they are wrong – invariably it is taken personally. I think we have touched on attitudes on other threads, how to communicate and conduct constructive exchanges. It does begin with language and choosing the right words to say. Face-to-face much depends on body-language but in written mediums and the internet, so many other things crop up to thwart criticisms being received as non-threats.Sometimes i simply don't know how to treat people i discuss – (or is the truth, argue) – with. Even wen it is the comrades on  this forum and in the Party