Events are speeding up and the underlying conflicts, antagonisms, and complete lack of a coherent strategy forward on behalf of the ruling class OR the workers movement are the most pertinent features in this mass of confusion, uncertainty and divisions our class are left in.
Terrorist atrocities, a farcical and unrepresentative General Election followed by a minority tory government propped up by bribbing one of the most reactionary of right political parties (the sectarian, terrorist supporting democratic unionist party,) the corporate slaughter of the poorest and most oppressed working people in GrenfellTower which has sent shockwaves of horror, anger and fear throughout the class (the starkest and most disturbing reminder that our rulers literally do not care if we burn to death for them to make profit), austerity ongoing in our communities and workplaces and finally the impending disaster of Brexit with a gambling, reckless extremely weak and discredited May government utterly incompetent as negiotators and very possibly actually believing in Farage and co’s far right british nationalist fantasy that an E.U. free U.K. could somehow compensate for the loss of trade by returning to a mythical and utterly reactionary hayday of alternative alliances with the so-called ‘common wealth’ countries which in reality would mean an even greater exploitation of both the indigenous populations of these former ‘colonies’ and the working-class here.
Except this is the 21st century and the U.K. is a joke, a long declining world ‘power’ and the world economy is still in a depression, not having recovered from pre 2017 recession levels of growth and very likely heading for another crash.
I’m not a supporter of the E.U. and the capitalist single market but what alarms me is that Corbyn’s Keynesian policies, total lack of a strategy for what then to replace the E.U. and find alternative trade routes and unwillingness to call for mass mobilisation of working-class across europe to overthrow their right wing governments and the E.U. as the only possible way out of this nightmare. A Corbyn government would enter secretive negiotations with 27 hostile governments (apart from Syriza in Greece which itself has long capitulated to austerity and capitalist trade rules).
Seriously, what are the chances of a Corbyn gov winning for us? Why are so few revolutionary leftists not identifying, let alone critiquing the revival of the second international politics which the Corbyn mass phenomen undoubtedly represents? Why is there this ongoing silence about the racism mixed in with the anti-establishment mood of the leave vote in the first place?
The answer lies not just in the historic failure of Labour and social democracy but also the failures of the Leninist hard left, not least The Socialist Party and the Socialist Workers Party, both now in deserved existential crisis and long term decline. To be continued where I will address more fully the….
Politics of second internationalism and keynesianism, including
• No such thing as national interests (cross class alliances) – need internationalism
• Dereliction of duty to abandon the non-native to the U.K. population – class unity crosses borders
• Polorisation of right and left
• Brexit – immigration a significant factor – inchoate, nationalist driven popular revolt against E.U.
• SENSE OF NO FUTURE OR PAST (history of labour movement not generally known / no real optimism about the future / wishful thinking – looking to leaders working within parliament to solve our problems
• Dangers for Corbyn – compromising with labour right – would there be a split along rejecting Brexit lines
• Ireland – PEACE PROCESS AT RISK / BORDER ISSUES
• Competition for resources – DUP 1 billion deal
• Role of the Leninist hard-left, esp. SP and SWP
• REPUBLICANISM – ABOLISH THE MONARCHY
• Capitalist economic crisis – profitability. Not returned to pre-crisis livels of growth – technically a depression with another slump very likely
• Secretive negiotations with 27 EU countries, dominated by Germany and France (recent election of pro-EU Macron) – how is Corbyn and McDonnell going to win for the class with these people. Again, look at capitualtion of Syriza
• Denegerative role of traude union bureacracy – defeating austerity (can they even bring themselves to support demo on sat –no!)
• Growth of Islamaphobia
• Grenfill fire – product of decades of neglect by both parties
• WORKING CLASS ORGANISING ITSELF – LEFT USELESS, ORGANISING MTS AT UNIS!
• State of labour moivement – long term historic decline and no signs of it reversing. TUC way more right wing than Corbyn and McDonnell – nothing on their website to promote Sat’s demo
• Catastrophic, gambling policies of the Tories – reflects a ruling class in disarray, similar to U.S. ruling class’ problems with Trump – short-sighted, imperialistic fantasies. Hard brexit – disater for Brit capitalism, with terrible knock on effects for Ireland and whole euro zone. Loss of trade – terrible consequences for working class. ‘Common wealth’ trade fantasy
• E.U. is no haven for workers rights either – again, look at Greece
• Problem is that left have no exit strategy – only continential working class unity could provide a potential basis for alternative trade / economic system – which is exactly what TU bureacracy don’t want – FOR OVER A CENTURY NOW
• Progress – Labour ‘centrist’ or right-wing behind Blair. Lost Sainsbury’s funding, ha. Pro-Israel. People of Gaza are under seige. Israel regime is based on apartheid
• Youth vote for Corbyn – anyone born in last 25 years won’t remember Labour in the 80s (Michael Foot similar policies to Corbyn now) so Corbyn really does seem like a ‘revolution’ against the neo-liberal consensus of Blair and co
Research:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jun/21/slow-wage-growth-down-to-return-to-the-past-bank-of-england-chief-economist
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017r-politicians-join-forces-to-fight-against-tories-hard-brexit
https://www.rt.com/uk/394220-grenfell-death-toll-riots/#.WVLRtcUl0z8.facebook
Company that did Grenfell renovation about to get £65,000,000 London housing contract
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40409490
https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/corbyn-sceptic-think-tank-on-brink-of-collapse-1.440559
sakollantai 