Today's the day for people to vote for TUSC. It will be interesting to see the results. Although we are not expecting to win, it is a very definite statement of intent from us.
On a stall last week a guy came up to the stall and asked how long we were there for. As Andy said, "until we achieve socialism!"
This is how we see TUSC and the Socialist Party in general.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
There's...Something on the Wing.
But at the moment I'm watching the Original Series on CBS Action. Not because I haven't seen them before, but because like the anally-retentive soul I am, they are in order.
Though I remember them being shown (repeated, obviously) on BBC2 at some point, probably on Wednesday evenings and after the ill-fated Def 2, it's that old adage of vaguely remembering what happens in an episode and from what season - this time, to quote Kirk in Generations, I'm doing it right.
I'm not a comic book guy-esque individual who can quote dialogue ad verbatim, (I've not even seen an episode of Deep Space Nine) rather the opposite, I actually find these episodes hilarious in their stiltedness. But I am writing this blog to highlight what I see as interesting differences between the Original series and later series', not necessarily stylistically, but culturally.
The main thing that crops up in the 60's show is the fact that all strange situations/characters/events tend to be 'unexplained' - ie "somehow", "unknown", etc. Only this morning I was watching (on planner) the episode 'Miri'. (featuring a young Michael J Pollard! He of Scrooged, Bonnie and Clyde and Tango and Cash fame!) The ultimate line was delivered by Kirk to his log when describing a replica of Earth - "it seems impossible, and yet there it is", as if "there it is" solves the need for any feasible explanation!
I'm not even halfway through the first season and I'm 'lol'ing already. "Seems unlikely, but what the hell!"
The Next Generation on the other hand, started the trend actual Trekkies refer to as 'technobabble' - the gobbledegook that usually involves sensors, replicators, warp core, etc. Only in the first season do some of the old habits creep through. Even in '87 sometimes "something", or "unknown entities" creep through, or some other variation of "Captain, somehow, against all laws of physics, the planet has disappeared". Makes the Death Star explanation look credible! But by and large, the Next Gen gave some attempt of scientific explanations for causes and effects, even if they were unintelligible. By the time we get to Voyager, these scientific explanations and technobabble seem to be the only rationales given - in this respect the series goes from ridiculous to being so rooted in actual physics or theories that I as the viewer just don't care!
Still you've got to admit, the remastered Enterprise looks pretty damn good. (The ship, not the sacreligious series)
It's life Jim, but not as we've known it.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Newcastle Election Campaign.
Everything's registered, officially standing under the TUSC banner for the ward of Wolstanton. I will be out leafleting on Friday.
Other comrades have already started in the other ward of Kidsgrove, so this will be a good opportunity to go out into my ward.
Other comrades have already started in the other ward of Kidsgrove, so this will be a good opportunity to go out into my ward.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
TUSC Election Campaign Launch in Newcastle!
TUSC STAFFORDSHIRE
Trade unionists & socialists prepare for May elections
* * * Public Meeting * * *
“No to Cuts & Privatisation
Make the Bosses pay!”
Speakers include (all in a personal capacity)
Matt Wright – Unison Combined Health Care
Steve Wheeler – NHS Unite rep
Ritchie Steele – CWU
Wednesday 29th February – 7.30pm
Holy Trinity Community Centre
London Road, Newcastle, Staffs ST5 1LQ
* * * * * All Welcome * * * * *
www.tusc.org.uk
Trade unionists & socialists prepare for May elections
* * * Public Meeting * * *
“No to Cuts & Privatisation
Make the Bosses pay!”
Speakers include (all in a personal capacity)
Matt Wright – Unison Combined Health Care
Steve Wheeler – NHS Unite rep
Ritchie Steele – CWU
Wednesday 29th February – 7.30pm
Holy Trinity Community Centre
London Road, Newcastle, Staffs ST5 1LQ
* * * * * All Welcome * * * * *
www.tusc.org.uk
Monday, 23 January 2012
Monday's Branch Discussion.
The Struggle For a Free Press
Murdochgate.
The News International (NI) phone-hacking scandal went right to the top of society. NI's billionaire owner Rupert Murdoch's bullying tactics exposed the rotten deals and self-serving manoeuvres of Britain's ruling class. The trail of guilt leads from the capitalist media through the tops of the police force up to establishment politicians including Tory prime minister David Cameron.
Murdoch had already been forced to close his News of the World (NoW) rag and to give up trying to totally control BSkyB broadcasting when he bought advertising space to 'apologise' for what he had done.
People who had suffered at the hands of Murdoch's press rejoiced at a 'Gotcha' moment. Next day NI chief executive Rebekah Brooks resigned and was later arrested.
Then top Metropolitan Police officers with close connections to NI, Sir Paul Stephenson and John Yates, both bit the dust.
Former NoW editor Andy Coulson was until January David Cameron's communications director. Coulson was arrested over "allegations of corruption and phone hacking". Cameron himself was also in Murdoch and Brooks' dinner party set.
Labour MPs were at first told not to oppose Murdoch's total takeover of BSkyB and the party's leaders have long bowed their knees to him and his reactionary anti-working class politics.
So it's no surprise that Labour leader Ed Miliband merely wanted Cameron to 'apologise' for his misdeeds. But Brooks and the Met Police chiefs were forced to resign.
The impact on the mass consciousness after the whole Milly Dowling saga underlined and exposed the corruption of the establishment. This was not a case of a one-off scandal, here the difference is that scandals such as this were normally hidden from the public eye and this was the corruption that happened to be exposed. This was described as our equivalent of Watergate. What’s more, despite the closure of the News of the World, and all the surrounding scandals, even now police operations have uncovered Sun reporters paying for information. The victims of the 7/7 London bombings and the families of soldiers in Iraq can testify to this.
However, Murdochgate has more repercussions than first meets the eye to the average members of the public. For instance, although Murdochgate came out only last year, the police sat on incriminating information for 5 years. Politicians of all parties did not expose this information because of their level of involvement with Rupert Murdoch to get elected. Only after the Milly Dowling scandal came out did they perform a u-turn and ‘condemn’ the cover up between police and News International.
Before the scandal broke it was well known that Murdoch was trying to get his hands on BSkyB, and sought to get the green light from the Con-Dems. When the story broke this was put on the back burner.
As socialists we question the ownership of the media, and the amount of power given to one individual, as this is not just a question of a consolidation of power for power’s sake, but can be a dangerous monopoly of an ideology.
For example, Murdoch’s son tried to get the BBC to open up the market, similar to the Fox network in America. This would mean a push by the Murdochs to a right-wing ideology. Consider the news coverage, or lack thereof, of the Occupy New York movement. Beyond a simple virtual blackout of coverage by the media in America, the coverage afforded was particularly negative towards the protestors. Murdoch’s ideology influences the stance taken by the media not only in America, but worldwide.
The reason for this is the fact that 10 Media companies own and control 75 percent of the media. This has led to a certain method of producing news called ‘churnalism’. News and figures are churned out from agencies such as Reuters. In his book Flat Earth News,[1] the journalist Nick Davies reported a study at Cardiff University by Professor Justin Lewis and a team of researchers[2] which found that 80% of the stories in Britain's quality press were not original and that only 12% of stories were generated by reporters.[3] The result is a reduction of quality and accuracy as the articles are open to manipulation and distortion. For around 20 years now genuine investigative journalism has been at a minimum, or non-existent. For example only 1 in 10 stories in the Guardian actually come from journalists. Not only is this a reduction in the quality of the media itself, but this is a symptom of a capitalist system – a system that requires ever faster demands from its media. As a capitalist tool, its own ideology is spread through these news agencies – racism, attacks on the working-class, immigrants and of course, the public sector. Indeed the private sector is used as the stick to beat public sector workers, with reference to the recent pension issues and strikes.
This is sadly not a new phenomenon, but merely a continuation of the capitalist machine attacking the public. During the Miners’ strike The Sun described the miners at the time, so eloquently, as ‘scum’. There are no longer any journalists, left or otherwise, who question the establishment.
However, it is possible to challenge the authority of the capitalist machine. During the Miners’ strike the National Union of Journalists refused to print their newspapers with Scargill apparently giving the Nazi salute. This was successful and highlights the need for a strong union presence in the Media.
Despite a negative and pessimistic outlook, there is hope for us as socialists and the media. Although we know from previous experience that the capitalist media will do their best to minimise our party and policies in the public sphere, the changing technologies and habits of its users mean that we are striving to build our own media through the use of sites such as facebook, twitter and youtube. Through outlets like these we can reach potential supporters directly. In today’s digital age people can actually bypass the ideology of the mainstream media and choose which information to receive in a way that we never could before.
Under a socialist government the above-mentioned methods of production that the capitalist machine produces is not needed. We would of course strongly oppose the monopoly of only a few individuals or organisations controlling all of society’s media output. The current control of a right-wing mogul and empire highlights the danger of a negative ideology being foisted upon the working-class, and it makes it harder for us to operate under such a regime. However, we would also oppose a state-controlled media, as this is not a position we would operate from. History shows us that this could lead to a dictatorship. We would argue for a nationalised media, and one that means free expression of all aspects of media resources. Under socialism there would not be a singular viewpoint. The criticisms and discussions that could occur within the media would enable all to express ideas, and ideas that are free from capitalist influences and demands, which always seeks to defend the system it operates under.
Like other establishments and workplaces, under socialism the media could be publically owned. Even the local media is now part of a national news organisation. The Sentinel is one such outlet, and as part of a national group it becomes harder for working-class people to see through capitalist ideology. A privately owned media machine allows capitalists to have more outlets for their ideologies and the status quo remains. A socialist media, rather than be a tool of the state to control all, as the perception may be from the ruling-class, would be the most perfect expression of a truly free media.
Murdochgate.
The News International (NI) phone-hacking scandal went right to the top of society. NI's billionaire owner Rupert Murdoch's bullying tactics exposed the rotten deals and self-serving manoeuvres of Britain's ruling class. The trail of guilt leads from the capitalist media through the tops of the police force up to establishment politicians including Tory prime minister David Cameron.
Murdoch had already been forced to close his News of the World (NoW) rag and to give up trying to totally control BSkyB broadcasting when he bought advertising space to 'apologise' for what he had done.
People who had suffered at the hands of Murdoch's press rejoiced at a 'Gotcha' moment. Next day NI chief executive Rebekah Brooks resigned and was later arrested.
Then top Metropolitan Police officers with close connections to NI, Sir Paul Stephenson and John Yates, both bit the dust.
Former NoW editor Andy Coulson was until January David Cameron's communications director. Coulson was arrested over "allegations of corruption and phone hacking". Cameron himself was also in Murdoch and Brooks' dinner party set.
Labour MPs were at first told not to oppose Murdoch's total takeover of BSkyB and the party's leaders have long bowed their knees to him and his reactionary anti-working class politics.
So it's no surprise that Labour leader Ed Miliband merely wanted Cameron to 'apologise' for his misdeeds. But Brooks and the Met Police chiefs were forced to resign.
The impact on the mass consciousness after the whole Milly Dowling saga underlined and exposed the corruption of the establishment. This was not a case of a one-off scandal, here the difference is that scandals such as this were normally hidden from the public eye and this was the corruption that happened to be exposed. This was described as our equivalent of Watergate. What’s more, despite the closure of the News of the World, and all the surrounding scandals, even now police operations have uncovered Sun reporters paying for information. The victims of the 7/7 London bombings and the families of soldiers in Iraq can testify to this.
However, Murdochgate has more repercussions than first meets the eye to the average members of the public. For instance, although Murdochgate came out only last year, the police sat on incriminating information for 5 years. Politicians of all parties did not expose this information because of their level of involvement with Rupert Murdoch to get elected. Only after the Milly Dowling scandal came out did they perform a u-turn and ‘condemn’ the cover up between police and News International.
Before the scandal broke it was well known that Murdoch was trying to get his hands on BSkyB, and sought to get the green light from the Con-Dems. When the story broke this was put on the back burner.
As socialists we question the ownership of the media, and the amount of power given to one individual, as this is not just a question of a consolidation of power for power’s sake, but can be a dangerous monopoly of an ideology.
For example, Murdoch’s son tried to get the BBC to open up the market, similar to the Fox network in America. This would mean a push by the Murdochs to a right-wing ideology. Consider the news coverage, or lack thereof, of the Occupy New York movement. Beyond a simple virtual blackout of coverage by the media in America, the coverage afforded was particularly negative towards the protestors. Murdoch’s ideology influences the stance taken by the media not only in America, but worldwide.
The reason for this is the fact that 10 Media companies own and control 75 percent of the media. This has led to a certain method of producing news called ‘churnalism’. News and figures are churned out from agencies such as Reuters. In his book Flat Earth News,[1] the journalist Nick Davies reported a study at Cardiff University by Professor Justin Lewis and a team of researchers[2] which found that 80% of the stories in Britain's quality press were not original and that only 12% of stories were generated by reporters.[3] The result is a reduction of quality and accuracy as the articles are open to manipulation and distortion. For around 20 years now genuine investigative journalism has been at a minimum, or non-existent. For example only 1 in 10 stories in the Guardian actually come from journalists. Not only is this a reduction in the quality of the media itself, but this is a symptom of a capitalist system – a system that requires ever faster demands from its media. As a capitalist tool, its own ideology is spread through these news agencies – racism, attacks on the working-class, immigrants and of course, the public sector. Indeed the private sector is used as the stick to beat public sector workers, with reference to the recent pension issues and strikes.
This is sadly not a new phenomenon, but merely a continuation of the capitalist machine attacking the public. During the Miners’ strike The Sun described the miners at the time, so eloquently, as ‘scum’. There are no longer any journalists, left or otherwise, who question the establishment.
However, it is possible to challenge the authority of the capitalist machine. During the Miners’ strike the National Union of Journalists refused to print their newspapers with Scargill apparently giving the Nazi salute. This was successful and highlights the need for a strong union presence in the Media.
Despite a negative and pessimistic outlook, there is hope for us as socialists and the media. Although we know from previous experience that the capitalist media will do their best to minimise our party and policies in the public sphere, the changing technologies and habits of its users mean that we are striving to build our own media through the use of sites such as facebook, twitter and youtube. Through outlets like these we can reach potential supporters directly. In today’s digital age people can actually bypass the ideology of the mainstream media and choose which information to receive in a way that we never could before.
Under a socialist government the above-mentioned methods of production that the capitalist machine produces is not needed. We would of course strongly oppose the monopoly of only a few individuals or organisations controlling all of society’s media output. The current control of a right-wing mogul and empire highlights the danger of a negative ideology being foisted upon the working-class, and it makes it harder for us to operate under such a regime. However, we would also oppose a state-controlled media, as this is not a position we would operate from. History shows us that this could lead to a dictatorship. We would argue for a nationalised media, and one that means free expression of all aspects of media resources. Under socialism there would not be a singular viewpoint. The criticisms and discussions that could occur within the media would enable all to express ideas, and ideas that are free from capitalist influences and demands, which always seeks to defend the system it operates under.
Like other establishments and workplaces, under socialism the media could be publically owned. Even the local media is now part of a national news organisation. The Sentinel is one such outlet, and as part of a national group it becomes harder for working-class people to see through capitalist ideology. A privately owned media machine allows capitalists to have more outlets for their ideologies and the status quo remains. A socialist media, rather than be a tool of the state to control all, as the perception may be from the ruling-class, would be the most perfect expression of a truly free media.
Sunday, 18 December 2011
75 Years since the Spanish Revolution
75 Years Since the Spanish Revolution.
What follows is my rough notes hastily scribbled from Socialism this year, and I shall be doing a lead-off as of tomorrow, starting at Newcastle branch.
We have seen the re-enactment of the Jarrow March. As we know this is a recreation of the march undertaken 75 years ago, during which time workers faced mass unemployment and struggled in their everyday lives. Workers in Spain at the time also faced poverty and struggle. Marx, Lenin and Trotsky all looked back at past attempts at revolution when looking at Spain. Spain should have moved over from the peasantry to a more capitalist class, but there was a strong monarchy, army and church which were all a weight on the peasantry. Spain has also been famous for oppressing much of South America. The Catholic church also sided with Franco and the fascists. This was a key area in influencing the population of Spain, as the church was responsible for the education of the children.
As some lefts wanted to join with the popular front – made up of liberal capitalists – there were echoes of the Russian revolution when Trotsky returned from exile. This had happened to the Bolshevik party. In Spain the heroism of Anarch-Syndicalists were crushed by the right.
A lot of left parties were in league to smash workers. There were illusions of peace with parliament. We can see this echoed today in some sense with Labour-led councils. However, the Popular Front led to conditions of fascism, and also gave the green light for Hitler.
1 month into the war, Stalinist leaders in Russia began the Moscow Trials. These leaders wanted a capitalist government, and many Spanish workers who fought were murdered in these trials. It has been stated many times that anarchists in Barcelona could have taken power but allowed weak capitalist leaders to take it back. Trotsky later said that no party at the time could have led a revolution.
The most socialist organisation at the time, the POUM, had no independent programme. Trotsky elaborates on this in Class, Party and Leadership.
When the Popular Front took over in 1936, workers saw it as a victory and immediately released prisoners and took over without waiting for the leadership. This is the main lesson to learn from this – we need to create a workers’ party before revolution, similar to the experiences of the Bolsheviks. Anarchists, different then than the anarchists of today, expressed themselves through trade unions. However, Stalin’s communists misled them.
A key lesson to learn from the war is that there was a tremendous amount of heroism and bravery of the Spanish fighters and international workers who joined them, 4000 of whom were from Britain. Because of this immense sacrifice, it is important to build a true socialist revolution. Not through fighting, but through the party.
Could it happen again? Southern Europe is the “weak link in capitalism”. People in Spain were suffering in living standards as today. Today left leaders are in bed with the Tories and big business.
There was also a lack of co-operation between left parties in the civil war, and this looks true today, and why it is important for us as a party to form alliances in organisations like TUSC.
In Grenada in Andalucia 8 million people supported the 15th May movement and the government sent in police to break it up. But an hour before this they were told that 2 police unions were not enforcing the law and refused to arrest protestors. Again, no revolutionary party was big enough to take this forward. It did show the unity needed of working people. The strikes that took place on November 30th was a major step in united the working-class under one banner.
What follows is my rough notes hastily scribbled from Socialism this year, and I shall be doing a lead-off as of tomorrow, starting at Newcastle branch.
We have seen the re-enactment of the Jarrow March. As we know this is a recreation of the march undertaken 75 years ago, during which time workers faced mass unemployment and struggled in their everyday lives. Workers in Spain at the time also faced poverty and struggle. Marx, Lenin and Trotsky all looked back at past attempts at revolution when looking at Spain. Spain should have moved over from the peasantry to a more capitalist class, but there was a strong monarchy, army and church which were all a weight on the peasantry. Spain has also been famous for oppressing much of South America. The Catholic church also sided with Franco and the fascists. This was a key area in influencing the population of Spain, as the church was responsible for the education of the children.
As some lefts wanted to join with the popular front – made up of liberal capitalists – there were echoes of the Russian revolution when Trotsky returned from exile. This had happened to the Bolshevik party. In Spain the heroism of Anarch-Syndicalists were crushed by the right.
A lot of left parties were in league to smash workers. There were illusions of peace with parliament. We can see this echoed today in some sense with Labour-led councils. However, the Popular Front led to conditions of fascism, and also gave the green light for Hitler.
1 month into the war, Stalinist leaders in Russia began the Moscow Trials. These leaders wanted a capitalist government, and many Spanish workers who fought were murdered in these trials. It has been stated many times that anarchists in Barcelona could have taken power but allowed weak capitalist leaders to take it back. Trotsky later said that no party at the time could have led a revolution.
The most socialist organisation at the time, the POUM, had no independent programme. Trotsky elaborates on this in Class, Party and Leadership.
When the Popular Front took over in 1936, workers saw it as a victory and immediately released prisoners and took over without waiting for the leadership. This is the main lesson to learn from this – we need to create a workers’ party before revolution, similar to the experiences of the Bolsheviks. Anarchists, different then than the anarchists of today, expressed themselves through trade unions. However, Stalin’s communists misled them.
A key lesson to learn from the war is that there was a tremendous amount of heroism and bravery of the Spanish fighters and international workers who joined them, 4000 of whom were from Britain. Because of this immense sacrifice, it is important to build a true socialist revolution. Not through fighting, but through the party.
Could it happen again? Southern Europe is the “weak link in capitalism”. People in Spain were suffering in living standards as today. Today left leaders are in bed with the Tories and big business.
There was also a lack of co-operation between left parties in the civil war, and this looks true today, and why it is important for us as a party to form alliances in organisations like TUSC.
In Grenada in Andalucia 8 million people supported the 15th May movement and the government sent in police to break it up. But an hour before this they were told that 2 police unions were not enforcing the law and refused to arrest protestors. Again, no revolutionary party was big enough to take this forward. It did show the unity needed of working people. The strikes that took place on November 30th was a major step in united the working-class under one banner.
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Blue Blistering Barnacles.
I have mixed reservations about the new Tintin movie coming out shortly. Firstly, why start with Secret of the Unicorn? Surely starting with The Land of the Soviets or Tintin in America is a more sensible option which sets the series up in order.
Secondly, this is an unnecessary invasion into my childhood memories. To me the books are indeed the sacred texts; I long remember the experience of walking to Newcastle library with my Hassell Street class, and down into the childrens' section and heading for 'picture books for older readers.' Along with Asterix, Tintin was the series I read. Even the old cartoon, in which an unseen narrator proclaimed, "Herge's adventures of Tintin" loudly didn't have the same appeal. Even in my teens, I regularly cycled from Penkhull to Newcastle to continue this trend, as Stoke library was rubbish, unless I wanted to read TekWar, which I did not.
And now, up pops Tintin, for the HD 3D DVD generation. Do I want to see it? Yes. Will it taint my 25-year love affair with the ageless kid and Snowy? Doubtful. But I'd rather continue with the books, and even pass this on to my son.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)