New pamphlets?

[alanjjohnstone]

Any suggestions for the topics of future pamphlets.

I'd like to see one on banking/money creation

I'd like to see one on UBI/Citizen wage

I'd like to see one on nationalism 

[robbo203]

alanjjohnstone wrote:

Any suggestions for the topics of future pamphlets.I'd like to see one on banking/money creationI'd like to see one on UBI/Citizen wageI'd like to see one on nationalism 

 Absolutely Alan! And one also one on cryptocurrency as well The SPGB should be churning out at least half a dozen short snappy pamphlets on a specialist theme every year.  One or two other organisations I can think  of , smaller than the SPGB, manage to do this.  Why not the SPGB as well?  There is a definite market for this sort of thing and it is always useful to be able to refer people to something that it is a little  more substantial and weighty than a socialist standard artilce on some subject

[jondwhite]

An Illustrated guide / graphic novel to William MorrisCorbynThe Labour PartyThe Conservative partyWhich are the small organisations that churn out short pamphlets every year?

[Anonymous]

What about one pamphlet on Fascism/ Nazism? 

[Anonymous]

Do we have one on Lenin/Leninism and its main tendencies? 

[robbo203]

jondwhite wrote:

An Illustrated guide / graphic novel to William MorrisCorbynThe Labour PartyThe Conservative partyWhich are the small organisations that churn out short pamphlets every year?

 The free market  "Libertarian Alliance" is one example I had in mind.   Check out their publications list here: http://www.libertarian.co.uk/?q=publications  They seem to have hundreds of publications on their list! Surely it is not beyond the capacity of the Party to commission at least half a dozen pamphlets per year on various subjects?  I'm thinking  of something perhaps only a few pages long  and dealing with a given  topic in a much more detailed and thorough manner than an article in a Socialist Standard can, but perhaps not as long as most current pamphlets in stock. The SPGB needs to be producing material in this intermediate range and on a regular basis,  The pamphlets should be quite meaty and more narrowly  focussed or specific than its current pamphlets.   Individual writers  with expertise in particular areas could be commissioned to do the basic research and write up.  I would even  favour approaching socialist sympathisers outside  the Party (like that anthropologist who I believe has given talks at party meetings) possessing the relevant expertise  but I know that would probably be too controversial at the present time.  The whole process could be under the control of a pamphlets production committee.   There is no need to refer material to the EC any more than the content of the Socialist Standard needs to be referred to the EC prior to publication.  The Party needs a much more flexible approach to the production of its material as part of its proposed re-organisation. The point is that this proposal plugs a gap  in the existing range of literature (another gap is the absence of a theoretical world socialist journal).  I am sure I am not the only one who has been frustrated by the apparent  absence of  relevant materal to point people to in drawing their attention to the SPGB's  thoughts on some particular subject

[Mike Foster]

Regarding a theoretical journal, there are copies of unofficial ones available through the site shop. The last three Summer School publications on 'New Perspectives On Socialism' (if there are copies left), 'Money Talks' and 'The Environment' contain a mix of articles giving individual views, including from sympathisers. Next year's one is in the (very) early stages of being compiled.Shorter pamphlets are a good idea, and there's nothing to stop people approaching the Publications Committee already. But a co-ordinated approach from the committee would be best.

[robbo203]

Mike Foster wrote:

Regarding a theoretical journal, there are copies of unofficial ones available through the site shop. The last three Summer School publications on 'New Perspectives On Socialism' (if there are copies left), 'Money Talks' and 'The Environment' contain a mix of articles giving individual views, including from sympathisers. Next year's one is in the (very) early stages of being compiled.Shorter pamphlets are a good idea, and there's nothing to stop people approaching the Publications Committee already. But a co-ordinated approach from the committee would be best.

  Hi Mike,Regarding shorter pamphlets, that sounds promising,   On this thread there have  been a number of proposals for new  pamphlets,  Would it be possible for the Publications Commiteee to take up these proposals and/or initiate some kind  of brainstorming process to come up with other suitable topics? Also,  what is the mechanism by which you put the ideas into practice?  I am unfamilar with the procedure having been out of the Party for quite a long time,  Do you proactively  commision writers to submit something  or do you need to be "instructed" on the matter?  Personally, I would hope the former would be the case as I firmly believe the Party needs be a lot more flexible and decentralised in the way it goes about doing things – within limits, of course!

[Anonymous]

robbo203 wrote:

The whole process could be under the control of a pamphlets production committee.   There is no need to refer material to the EC any more than the content of the Socialist Standard needs to be referred to the EC prior to publication.  The Party needs a much more flexible approach to the production of its material as part of its proposed re-organisation.

I agree! The present structure is like a stranglehold on activity. Everything published by the party does not have to be in the same style and picked to peices by the EC.  There are are many ways to get the party case across. As an example, I proposed a video project 'A post capitalist society' only mentioning the party at the end of it. The logic was :a. the subject title was being thrown around and used by many b. People would be less attracted to it if a political party was involved. c. Existing presentation of our case was failing miserablyd. 'Socialism' and 'a post capitalist society' were perceived as two different propositions. Socialism = Corbyn, Cuba, Veuzuala etc. 'Post Capitalist Society' = still a bit of a mistery.The more freedom you give members to present the case in their own way the better as far as I am concerned.Good to see you back in the SPGB 

[ALB]

The present situation is flexible enough. 1986 Conference passed the following resolution which is still in force and applied:

Quote:

This Conference resolves that the New Pamphlets Committee, while continuing to be a sub-committee of the EC, should have the authority to produce pamphlets and leaflets on subjects which have been approved by the EC without having to submit the texts to the EC for editing; quantities and expenditures to be agreed by the EC.

Its current terms of reference say:

Quote:

To edit and produce pamphlets and leaflets on subjects decided by Conference or approved by the EC.

So the position is clear: the subject of a pamphlet is decided by Conference or the EC; after that the Publications Committee produces it in the same way the Editorial Committee produce the Socialist Standard.Having said that, it is a bit surprising that nobody has raised the question of whether printed pamphlets are things of the past and have been superseded by online publications. I say that as a pamphlet reader and collector who doesn't like reading things online, but is this the view of, how shall I put it, more modern readers?

[alanjjohnstone]

Oh, also on my wish-list, i would also like to see a pamphlet of selected poems of Richard Layton that are published weekly by SOYMB blog.This has already been formally suggested to publications committee but in their wisdom, they considered it not appropriate for the party to publish.In fact, i think this pamphlet should be an annual anthology, as long as he keeps producing his poems.ALB, I have suggested in the past when topics arise in the media, we can very quickly bring together relevant articles from our archives, re-edit and re-format and add them to our educational section on the website with a brief intro.When some things become news, we often have already discussed it but the references are frequently dispersed through our online archives. It would not be a serious challenge to cut and paste and collate them into one section.So i do see it as a parallel process. Pamphlets can be printed on demand, no need for a large stock gathering dust, enough to supply HO shelves, members demand and branches lit stalls. And then when we have requests, print it up extra. 

[jondwhite]

I have published a few pamphlets years ago herehttp://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/did-trotsky-point-the-way-to-socialism/18314079http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/how-can-a-real-revolution-be-achieved/18314003http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/is-britain-worth-dying-for/18137199http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-critics-criticised—professor-popper-looks-at-history/13968432http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-origin-and-meaning-of-the-political-theory-of-impossibilism/13952613http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/articles-for-new-members—book-1/18307495http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/articles-for-new-members—book-2/18307523http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/articles-for-new-members—book-3/18307564http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-socialist-party-of-great-britain-new-members-handbook/17283282

[ALB]

There you are. Easy and flexible.

[Anonymous]

Is there a pamplet dedicate to 'The Great Money Trick' as presented in the Ragged Trousered Philanthropist? What happened to the suggestion to produce a whiteboard video on this subject. Does anyone know? 

[alanjjohnstone]

Quote:

There you are. Easy and flexible.

How many are stocked by the Party, how many copies in HO, how many held by branches? Where has the Party advertised their availabilityI doubt the Party has ordered even one copy much less a bulk order. But i would love to e proved wrong.Something must be wrong with the system that needs fixing, surely?But kudos to the comrade that has set this up on Lulu. 

[Author]

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