Future elections
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Ed, thanks for the link to the "What's wrong with using parliament." I never knew the Anarchist federation were in favour of violence.
Ed, it could be possible to have a democratic and peaceful revolution without parliamentary democracy.What if, all over the world, we got our message of socialism and people power democracy across, and then petition forms would be signed demanding a referendum on what system the world should have. This would be REAL democracy and would lead to socialism.
You know the Chartists had a great motto which was later adopted by Marx and Engels "Peacefully if we can forcibly if we must". I think it's adhered to by most who consider themselves socialists. The difference between us and AFED and actually almost every other revolutionary group is that they say that a peaceful capture of the state is impossible. Yet they provide no proof to back up this assertion. So we will pursue the least violent method of revolution until such a time as it becomes actually impossible. Other groups think that the only option is either a general strike or a fully fledged civil war. Obviously in both of those options the ones who suffer most are the workers.
Sorry to be so late in my reply! Doing some physio on my legs. One of the things that impressed me and still does, about the SPGB, is their stance on standing in elections. The Capitalists have given us the perfect means to rid ourselves of "class society". Unintentionally perhaps, they have given we workers the shovel with which we can bury them, the vote. It would be churlish of us, as a class, to refuse this "weapon". No one need die on the barricades as the SWP, CPGB, militant et al would have us do. We can merely show our "common will" to rid these parasites of their power, by the power of "THE VOTE". "our vote".No fuss, no violence, no bloodshed. As the Merecats say, "simples". Steve.
Ed and Steve, I completely agree with both of you that we need to use the vote to then have a peaceful, democratic and socialist world.Though this doesn't need to be achieved via representative democracy, this can be achieved by direct democracy having a referendum.
Alex Woodrow wrote:Ed and Steve, I completely agree with both of you that we need to use the vote to then have a peaceful, democratic and socialist world.Though this doesn't need to be achieved via representative democracy, this can be achieved by direct democracy having a referendum.We had a sympathiser in France (who died some years ago now) who used to argue this position, but while a referendum would show that a majority was in favour of socialism, it would not necessarily achieve the other aim of using the ballot box — to win control of political power from the pro-capitalists. Having said this, the last capitalist government, faced with a majority vote for socialism, would be unlikely to be able to keep going. Also, of course, if socialism was likely to be carried in a referendum, there would already be many socialist local councillors and MPs.
ALB, Though we don't necessarily need councillors and MPs to get a referendum, all we need to do is get people to sign petitions up and down the countrry until we get enough signatures so that we will get a referendum.
Sad how almost everyone in that ward of Seaham Town Council that turned out to vote voted for a party of warmongerers. Then again, though, when capitalism is forced down people's throats every second of every minute of every day of every week of every month of every year by the corporate controlled media, I guess this result doesn't come to much a surprise. Though the fact that 156 people in this ward can already be able to see through the lies of the corporate controlled media is a remarkable achievement.
Just discovered that in last June's French general election there was a candidate in Lyon standing on an "abolish money" platform. His party name was "Voter Après-Monnaie" (Vote After-Money). His (Marc Chinal) election blog can be found here It makes interesting reading (for those who can read French) as it shows how similar campaigns by minor parties in France are to here: trying to get press and radio interviews and ensure "equal publicity" for all the candidates (the law on this in France is stricter), distributing leaflets door-to-door (he had 40,000 printed). He doesn't seem to have done too badly in this respect. He got 81 votes or 0.21%. Par for the course at the moment but a sign that the idea of a world without money is spreading spontaneously (i.e nothing to do with us).Also for those who understand French here's his 20-minute vidéo on "What Would An After-Money Civilisation Look Like?". It's mainly devoted to such questions as "what will be the incentive to work?", "who will do the dirty work" and "won't people take too much?" He seems to have come from the ecology movement.
You're right Adam that is very positive. Have you contacted him at all? Perhaps a letter congratulating him on his position might be nice for him to know that he is not alone. That is if it is appropriate. Lyon was also the city that the French impossiblists held in the past was it not?
Is this guy for real? He spends most of this short video setting fire to banknotes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdni9GI-eOQ&list=PLJJCm5PCRM9eiGXwgP7oi_310uSvzhOxe&index=1
gnome wrote:Is this guy for real? He spends most of this short video setting fire to banknotes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdni9GI-eOQ&list=PLJJCm5PCRM9eiGXwgP7oi_310uSvzhOxe&index=1This is just the sort of Situationist-style stunt that was suggested at the workshop we held. But I think we'd have to call for donations, not use Party funds.
ALB wrote:gnome wrote:Is this guy for real? He spends most of this short video setting fire to banknotes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdni9GI-eOQ&list=PLJJCm5PCRM9eiGXwgP7oi_310uSvzhOxe&index=1This is just the sort of Situationist-style stunt that was suggested at the workshop we held. But I think we'd have to call for donations, not use Party funds.
“Robert Lynn revelled in the forums, which he called the University of Life. They certainly had their moments. I remember one exemplary SPGB graduate speaking mounting the platform, drawing a ten-shilling note from his pocket and holding it dangling from his thumb and forefinger for a quarter of an hour or so while delivering a devastatingly witty attack on money. The audience of thirty or so were spellbound. There was not a single heckler, until he set fire to it”.Stuart Christie, My Granny Made Me An Anarchist: 1946-1964, 2003, p. 157. 10 shilling notes would be an acceptable price to pay for combustable material. But yeah the notes in the video don't look like euros. Perhaps francs? If we wanted to do something like that then it would probably be best to get some funny money printed that looks real from a distance.
The KLF got there first:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K_Foundation_Burn_a_Million_Quid
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