rodshaw
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SocialistPunk wrote:Although I think John Lydon has produced a lot of good music over the years, (his best stuff without a doubt when in the Sex Pistols) in general he himself is a muddled "bumhole" when it comes to joined up political thinking. So far, Russell Brand is more consistent and interesting when it comes to political thought, than Johnny.
So you wouldn't say Lydon is a socialist punk then?
Well, I did suggest way back,"maybe a better policy would be for us to push the recently re-vamped WSM umbrella website as the flagship, and put more content on there. Maybe, for example, the general bit of this discussion forum should be on there rather than here."
Lidl, Waitrose or Fortnum & Mason?The working class – middle class – upper class categorisation is generally thought of as an economic or social one, which is ok as far as it goes. I seem to remember Barltrop using the term 'middle class' in The Monument, having qualified his use first. It's the political aspect people don't get .And it somehow just doesn't sound right that the more well-heeled, affluent types, though not capitalists, are part of the working class.In many ways we are strait-jacketed by our own terminology.
Nothing changes because the real increase in awareness – socialist consciousness – hasn't happened yet. The question is, can tactics be evolved and 'bigger connections' be made that will increase socialist consciousness, rather than consist of reformist or 'single issue' activity?
"We're socialists, we want to nationalise public services". No, I don't think that helps us at all. But there again she wasn't claiming to represent the WSM or the SPGB. Just a party with a similar name.At least we got a voice in the first two broadcasts, with as much air time as the other speakers.So what happened to Steve Clayton? I was looking forward to it.
"Harry insisted we should not allow the enemy to define the space within which we solve problems."I love that. It sums up the difference between reform and revolution.
Unsurprisingly, no mention of the capitalist class, or of owning and controlling the means of production and distribution.
I'm sure the likes of Morales are not far from knowing what the real solution is, if they don't already. In the article on Morales in the SS a few years ago he sounded in many respects like us, apart from the money thing: http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/2000s/2008/no-1246-june-2008/material-world-evo-moralesa-call-socialismBut to attack capitalism outright on the world stage must be tricky. His views wouldn't go down too well with the governments with real clout. One could say that, in a sense, Morales is in the position socialist MPs would be in in the UK – seeing the need for socialism but in the meantime, presumably, supporting and helping to implement favourable reforms.
Wow! There can be no doubt that something is spreading. I wonder if the PLM in the Philippines, and Morales in Bolivia, are aware of the WSM?It would be nice to think of us as intermediaries between these 'socialistic' parties in various countries, and having enough clout to get them to work together and see the need to think worldwide and abolish government itself. I don't think groups such as Zeitgeist will be concerned with that sort of thing, being non-political.Dream over.
SocialistPunk wrote:I'm not really sure what is meant by "No man will stand for another"?Perhaps it refers to the practice of men giving others, usually women and the elderly, your seat on a full bus?Hmmm…I don't think it can mean that, because how can a system, as opposed to a man, give up its seat on a bus?I may be wrong but I think Paramjeet means that as individuals we are weak and divided and liable to be greedy, and so we need a benevolent state to look after us all and keep us in line. But maybe he will enlighten us with another essay.
