Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century (ex-SWP)

[jondwhite]

Reports on urban75 that 130 people were at a London meeting on Saturday 11 January 2014 to form a new group. There was a debate around several names: Rs21, International Socialists, Revolutionary Socialists, Socialism from Below. The new group decided on;

Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century

[Anonymous]

Is this it? http://revolutionarysocialism.tumblr.com/about 

[jondwhite]

that blog originates with members of the SWP and started last year during the breaking apart of the SWP, but it was updated recently and carries no mention of the new organisation so I'm not sure.

[ALB]

jondwhite wrote:

Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century

Unfortunate name, I'd have thought, in view of its similarity with Chavez's "21st Century Socialism", unless they are Chavists that is. But I thought the SWP was relatively clear on this.

[jondwhite]

Subsequent posts on the topic have suggested Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century is just an interim name. I agree that it has connotations with Chavez.

[jondwhite]

Turns out the blog is related to the group as it now carried the launch statementhttp://revolutionarysocialism.tumblr.com/post/73406060020/revolutionary-socialism-in-the-21st-centuryit'd be interesting to know who is on the steering committee

[Anonymous]

"At present, the basis for a genuine mass revolutionary party does not exist in the British working class movement, but nonetheless revolutionaries must do what they can to help facilitate this goal."  rs21 launch statement

[HollyHead]

Vin Maratty wrote:

  rs21 launch statementThe world and its resources should not be owned and controlled by a tiny minority; they are the common heritage of all humankind

 I wonder why we were not invited to attend? I note that their blogsite contains  links to some of  the usual suspects.  

[Anonymous]

HollyHead wrote:

 I wonder why we were not invited to attend? 

I have asked them but received no reply.They must know of the Socialist Party's existence. I can only think  that they know that your members will not  'follow'and they have every intention of fighting for reforms and it would be a waste of time asking your members to do this. I have just noticed that they have blocked all comments!  

[jondwhite]

One of the key members of the steering committee of RS21 is Pat Stack who wrote tendentiously for the SWP in 2011

Quote:

For Marxists the key to changing the world is the ability of the class conscious minority to win over the vast majority to act in their own interests.This is what we mean by leadership.This is not an important person giving orders or making grand pronouncements, but the most advanced sections of the class winning the majority.For many anarchists such concepts of leadership are seen as elitist.Yet in reality it is much more elitist for a self-appointed group of activists to carry out actions regardless of whether they are taking wider forces with them.Leadership does however mean battling for ideas.In every struggle there will be arguments about the way forward and about the right demands—and out of such conflicts comes clarity.Consensus in such situations can only mean one of two things.Either we work only with those who already agree with us, cutting ourselves off from the wider audience we want to draw into struggle. Or we only travel at the pace of the most cautious, limiting our ability to carry the struggle forward.

Apart from the blatant lies like when the SWP invaded the BA talks in 2010 or the bombarding of protests with SWP placards regardless. Contrast this with Engels

Quote:

The time of surprise attacks, of revolutions carried through by small conscious minorities at the head of unconscious masses, is past. Where it is a question of a complete transformation of the social organization, the masses themselves must also be in it, must themselves already have grasped what is at stake, what they are going in for

and Stack continues

Quote:

Revolutionary Marxist parties are not like mainstream political parties.They are not concerned about winning elections…They are organised democratically and they act in a centralised way.Democracy in a revolutionary party means the coming together of members to understand the world and debate a strategy.It is vital to the possible success of the party.And the centralism—unity in action—that comes out of this democracy is essential against a highly centralised and powerful class enemy.For anarchists, the question of organisation remains a largely unanswered one.Historically, organisation is either rejected outright or attempts to build it have floundered because of its loose and confused nature, or conversely because of the building of conspiratorial and elitist formations.

and finally

Quote:

When it comes to questions of leadership, organisation and the state, the superficially attractive appeal of anarchism fails to provide a coherent strategy to change the world.

http://socialistworker.co.uk/art/24912/Is+anarchism+more+radical+than+socialism%3F

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the same old story.  Reformists using the words 'revolutionary' and 'socialist'. It is dishonest and gives reformists a bad name.  

[jondwhite]

The bit about consensus is so tortuous, someone unfamiliar with the SWP would be none the wiser as to how they operate.Consensus is pretty simple, really, you persuade people then they agree with you, then you work with them. If they don't agree with you, and you can't persuade them, what is the basis for revolutionary socialists to work with? It doesn't deny you an audience, unless the only way you want to operate is through fronts with mendacious objectives where leading parties impose their interpretation on those who don't agree with them whilst using secrecy to pretend everyone agrees.

[jondwhite]

Summer 2015 issue of rs21 magazine is out now for £2.50 or £18 subscription for 5 issueshttp://rs21.org.uk/print-publications/

[Darren redstar]

I really wouldn't bother with a subscription, I doubt they will last long enough to honour your commitment.

[jondwhite]

Fromhttp://rs21.org.uk/2016/03/04/rs21-podcast-a-preview-of-episode-1/

Quote:

“A newspaper is what we most of all need”, Lenin once said. Since then, things have moved on. So what now is to be done to conduct the “systematic, all-round propaganda” he called for? Thanks to the affordability of home recording equipment produced by a hyper-exploited, globalised labour force, the answer is clear: a podcast! After much blood, sweat, tears, technical problems, frustration and faffing, the very first episode is (almost) ready, and will be launched to the masses on Sunday 6 March.The topic is the “refugees crisis” – or, more accurately, the crisis caused by state responses to the mass movement of people away from war and poverty.The show starts with a discussion with activists from London2Calais, rs21 and other groups on the origins of the crisis and grassroots responses. We also talk border regimes under global capitalism, austerity, and media manipulation.Next, following events in Dover, we cover the re-appearance of openly fascist street groups in Britain – for whom a resurgent racism and xenophobia provides a fertile breeding ground. Two anti-fascist activists discuss how to organise effectively against fascist violence, while David Renton, author of several books on British fascism, provides a more historical perspective.Finally, we have an interview with the fantastic Kate Evans, graphic novelist and author of the recent (brilliant) Red Rosa, a graphic biography of Rosa Luxemburg. Kate has recently spent time in the Calais camp and produced a wonderful short comic strip documenting her experience. You can order copies of this free (just pay P&P) and sell them at meetings and events: donate the money to any organisation helping refugees anywhere in the world (plus, you get to help Kate get to the beer in her fridge, currently buried under comics).

[Author]

Posts