Mike Foster
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There are still a couple of places left for Summer School, and bookings will be closing on Saturday 15th July. To make a booking, or for more details, go here: http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/event/summer-school-birmingham-0
There are still a few places left for Summer School. For more details or to make a booking, visit this page: http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/event/summer-school-birmingham-0
The remaining Summer School session can now be revealed!Socialism Saves The World! How Quickly Could Socialised Production Resolve Climate Change? – a talk by Brian GardnerRevolution is long overdue of course – but the threats climate change presents to the habitability of the planet for humans in the long-term keep growing. Capitalism's apparent continued inability to face up to this existential challenge, makes this an issue of increasingly critical importance. As a future socialist revolution unfolds, what sort of planet would an international, politically-aware working class be likely to be taking over? Capitalist states and corporate sectors are currently outlining various future scenarios, and the market is busy laying bets on which technology might save the day. Shouldn’t socialists also look to this uncertain future? Would a global socialist society have to contend with a growing and hungry population? Would there be an urgent need for rapid industrial and agricultural development? And how would this impact on an already dangerously overheating planet? Brian opens this session by looking at why we shouldn’t shy away from asking these often tricky questions. The talk will discuss some of the ways in which economic decisions might be made in the absence of the market, and then asks whether a system based on production for use will really be able to meet the fundamental challenge of a warming planet, in time?
There's still one more Summer School session to be confirmed, and an announcement is on the way! The event will also include an exclusive publication, an exhibition about the SPGB's views on environmental issues, and a second-hand bookstall. There aren't many places remaining now, so if you're interested in coming along I'd suggest making a booking shortly!
The next Summer School talk which can be confirmed will be given by Glenn Morris:DESTROYING THE HAND THAT FEEDS US – Why Capitalism cannot solve our environmental problemsAs scientists continue to warn us of species decline, climate change, pollution and environmental collapse, what is it that makes most people continue to believe that Capitalism has the answers? Glenn Morris will look into these issues and present the case for a new society in which the threats to our environment can be addressed and how society can work alongside nature without being instrumental in its downfall.
Good to hear of the radio slot – best of luck, Bill. And I thought Danny did very well on the telly!
The design is eye-catching, and the bulk of the text puts our ideas across in a positive, optimistic way. Sorry, but I'm not sure if the 'don't vote for Brian Johnson' lines work, though.
Mike Foster wrote:The publication from 2015's Summer School is already available from the online shop: http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/catalog/non-party-publications/new-perspectives-socialism and I'll look into making last year's one more widely available.Last year's Summer School publication is now available for sale here: http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/catalog/non-party-publications/money-talks
The other two publications weren't produced by the SPGB, and the New Perspectives On Socialism one includes speculative articles which don't necessarily reflect party canon, hence them listed as non-party publications. I'm guessing another reason why they're listed for sale rather than having the text on the website is to recoup the cost of the printed copies in stock!
The publication from 2015's Summer School is already available from the online shop: http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/catalog/non-party-publications/new-perspectives-socialism and I'll look into making last year's one more widely available.
Thanks for your suggestions, robbo203. The remaining talks are still being planned, and I'll see if your thoughts can be incorporated into them.The last two Summer Schools have been accompanied by pamphlets which include versions of some of the talks (and most recent Summer Schools have had special publications), so there's a chance that something similar will be produced again this year…
Saturday evening will feature a quiz, run by Carla Dee:One World, Our World. A Quiz.What do you know about climate change, the natural world and urban environments? Test your knowledge here.
The next talk which can be confirmed will be given by Paddy Shannon:The Vegans Are Coming!The currently accepted socialist view of vegetarianism is that it’s a ‘lifestyle choice’. What this means is that, while a future socialist society may choose to be vegetarian or vegan as it pleases, the question has no immediate relevance to the class struggle we need to win right now, and therefore it’s not for us to tell workers what to do.Yet this view is arguably being overtaken by events in wider society, which is having to face the realities of climate change including the huge and unsustainable impact of meat production. The anti-meat propaganda movement is gaining muscle in the wake of the 2009 Stern report, the 2010 UN call for a global move towards veganism, and just recently Simon Amstell’s controversial BBC mockumentary Carnage (see May Socialist Standard TV review). Perhaps it’s no longer a question of socialists telling workers what to do, but of workers telling socialists what to do. How should we react to this? After all, if meat production is unsustainable in capitalism it is likely to be just as unsustainable in socialism. Does it make sense, in that case, for us to remain aloof from the debate?This session explores the various arguments with a view to clarifying what our position as socialists ought to be.
I'm happy to announce that Janet Surman will be giving a talk at Summer School on the following topic:WORLD MILITARY versus THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAs citizens of the world contend with almost perpetual war there are various schools of thought about the real motives of those who promote, start or continue war somewhere on the planet. The military is just one arm of the global capitalist industrial complex, and vital to the hegemonic aims of powerful individuals and groups determined to funnel the profits into their own coffers.It is also one of the most profitable arms of capitalism, one which reaps increasing profits on each successive annual assessment. Not taken into consideration, however, is the havoc wreaked on both people and environments worldwide.The aim of this session is to investigate the increasing negative impacts of militarism on the global environment and identify the basic cause.Further updates are on the way!
We’re looking to have a stall outside the venue, as we’ve done in previous years. If anyone’s interested in helping to run it, please email spgb.campaigns@worldsocialism.org. Any assistance, even if just for an hour or two, would be gratefully received.
