Projecting Propaganda

[alanjjohnstone]

I have suggested ithe idea before and seems nobody is really interested in taking it up even though it has a proven record of attracting attention. If the EC won't take up the suggestion, perhaps a committee or a branch will take the initiative. 

How costly would it be ..how much skill would be needed…not too much, i hazard to guess. It isn't a one-off but something that could be used in a variety of ways

[jondwhite]

Quote:

Q: It seems to me that the S.P.G.B. must become a larger party before it will attract wide support. Why not do something that will make people sit up and take notice of you?A: Behind your question is the assumption that the correctness of an idea is to be judged by the numbers who hold it. True, the pressing need is for more people to understand Socialism, but experience has taught us to be very suspicious of any suggestion that this may be achieved by any form of stunt or vote-catching. Our objections to this sort of campaigning is not a moral one, but consists in the fact that it hinders rather than helps the spread of socialist understanding. No useful purpose would be served by merely seeking to attract attention, unless it is for a purpose connected with socialist propaganda, and that is our policy at all times.

 from Socialist Standard 1952  http://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/5-tactics-for-socialists-1952.html

[alanjjohnstone]

We have only the view of Stan, the author

Quote:

"No useful purpose would be served by merely seeking to attract attention, unless it is for a purpose connected with socialist propaganda."

my empahsis The crucial part of my post was 

Quote:

It isn't a one-off but something that could be used in a variety of ways

For sure we can employ such a visual tool in a series of "stunts"…"no war but class war" logo projected on to the Imperial War Museum, for instance…"Smash cash and the exchange ecnomy" on Bank of England or another City of London building…the possibilitie are endless and only my own lack of imagination limits the choices.But more importantly, as someone keen on posters and banners, can you not see the possibilities there…Lighting up our own premises with an appropriate image on the nights we hold a public meeting…attending night-time protests and "shining a light" on them via slogans and odf course highligting our presence at them. (fact is, it only a night-time tool, unfortunately but with our winter, thats a lot of hours,)How much for the equipment?..not a lot…the projector…the laptop 9which members will already possess) Can we afford to experiment with it – of course, we can…Look at the conference treasurers report….Our out-lays for HO far, far out-spends our socialist activity. Long ago in reply to one of posts, some wag thought to cast aspersions on an idea by saying we could dress up as batman and robin and climb a high building…fathers4justiceBut street theatre is not to be scorned …we could dress up in costume…as Diggers, as Chartists, and re-enact various historical events…Some will say singing or playing protest songs are a distraction from our message…

[jondwhite]

Yes it would be unfair to dismiss it out of hand but I'm inclined to think it should be at most propaganda of secondary importance as awareness is not the main problem. Anyone else any views? What happened to those anti trident protestors? Did they get arrested?

[Anonymous]

No one has heard of us Alan. Let's just leave it at that. Wouldn't want to draw attention to ourselves. Someone might just ask what we stand for.  

[Anonymous]

We are  easily capable of carrying out some social research to settle the issue of awareness of the party.My hypothesis? A random sample of the population of say 2000 people will show there is no awareness (of statistical significance) of the party's existence. Therefore Alan is right. We need to draw attention to ourselves THEN explain what we stand for.Has the party ever carried out such research? 

[Author]

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