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Scottish Leftreview ScottishLeft Review Issue 97 January/February 2017 - £2.00 'best re(a)d' LRD TUC Sept15_Layout 1 10/07/2015 14:09 Page 1 FIGHT ANTI-UNION LAWS www.rmt.org.uk General Secretary: Mick Cash President President: PSeaneter P iHoylenkney ASLEF CALLS FOR AN INTEGRATED, PUBLICLY OWNED, ACCOUNTABLE RAILWAY FOR SCOTLAND (which used to be the SNP’s position – before they became the government!) Mick Whelan Tosh McDonald Kevin Lindsay General Secretary President Scottish Ocer ASLEF the train drivers union- www.aslef.org.uk 2 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 97 January/February 2017 feedback comment Part 1: Red star rising and dead Russians ne hundred years ago, a red star late 1920s onwards. But it is important to initiated as state policy in 1934. was rising. The spectre haunting hold on to the fact that for a short period of Inspired by the October revolution, Scotland Europe that Marx and Engels talked time, the alternative that many arguments O has made its own small contribution to of in the Communist Manifesto of 1848 was make the case for did exist. It was - and the socialist creed with the likes of John about to come true with a vengeance. The remains - the only successful example of a Maclean, Harry McShane, Mary Barbour, October revolution would spark revolutions new, post-capitalist society being made. reviews Willie Gallacher, Helen Crawfurd, Jimmy around Europe, mostly obviously in Italy To celebrate and commemorate such a Maxton and the like. Their ilk grappled (1919-1920) and Germany (1918-1923). momentous event, we have decided to get with the issues of fomenting revolution in Soviets (workers’ councils) sprung up in in early with our contribution. Our cover an advanced capitalist economy far before Vienna, Limerick and Budapest in these uses the rather ill-tempered retort of ‘what independence became a live issue. years as well. The October revolution was can we learn from dead Russians?’ as the pretty bloodless. Indeed, more were killed We hope the collections of articles will hook. So with Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin as and more damage done re-enacting the help facilitate a discussion about what a the leading examples, John Foster looks at storming of the Winter Palace to arrest the revolution is, what it would look like today, the impact upon Scotland of the October Kerensky Provisional Government for Sergei why do they happen, will it be brought revolution, William Bonnar the roots of Eisenstein’s 1927 filming of the adaptation about by a party or a social movement, the revolution, and Dave Sherry and Pat of John Reed’s Ten Days that Shook the can it survive in a single country and why Kelly look at its achievements and legacy. World book on the October revolution than revolution is still necessary for not just Meanwhile, Stephen Collins considers a happened in October 1917. workers but also for humanity and the lesser known, dead Russian, Maxim Gorki, planet we inhabit. To discuss those issues The October revolution was to be the only with regard to an attempt to make culture inevitably brings one to also discuss what successful revolution where workers took reflect the lives of the majority of citizens. is meant by ‘socialism’ and ‘communism’. power – even if that success was turned into This is called social realism and is not to be Without delving any further, we can say something quite different by Stalin from the confused with socialist realism which Stalin at least there are two distinct types of Cover: ScottishLeftReview Nadia Lucchesi Issue 97 January/February 2017 ([email protected]) Contents Proofing services: Bob Thomson and John Daly Editorial comment ...........................................................................................................3 Communications and So what does revolution look like? William Bonnar ........................................................5 organisational development: From February to October – how revolution unfolded Dave Sherry ...............................7 Carole Ewart By default, the triumph of neo-liberal capitalism? Pat Kelly ...........................................9 Editor Email: Red October and communists in Scotland John Foster ................................................ 11 [email protected] Gorki in Glasgow: Glasgow Unity’s production of The Lower Depths Stephen Collins . 13 Web: www.scottishleftreview.org Putting the politics back into local government Dave Watson ..................................... 15 Tel: 0141 424 0042 For a people’s local democracy Phil McGarry ............................................................... 17 If democracy is anywhere, it should be local Willie Sullivan ......................................... 18 Address: ‘Viva Fidel’ - without Castro, Cuba would not be ‘libre’ Colin Fox ............................... 20 Scottish Left Review, What’s left after Sanders, Clinton, and Trump? Gerry Friedman .................................. 21 741 Shields Road, Pollokshields, Music lessons for the movement? Martin Cloonan and John Williamson ................... 23 Glasgow G41 4PL Progressive power of poetry Mike Quille ..................................................................... 25 Printed by Poets’ progressive page Adil Bhatti, Gilbert Alomenu & David Betteridge .................... 26 Hampden Advertising Ltd, Book reviews – Stephen Smellie and Robin Jones ......................................................... 28 70 Stanley St, Glasgow G41 1JB, Vladimir McTavish’s Kick up the Tabloids ...................................................................... 30 Tel: 0141 429 1010 3 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 97 January/February 2017 conceptions of socialism – one from above interpretation of how socialism comes into the arms of the Soviet Union, with the by parliament, and one from below by about, brought Fidel Castro to power in Cuban Communist Party not established workers. The former approximates to social 1959. But it was a war against US imperialism until 1965. Undoubted advances in living democracy, the latter to socialist revolution. and its puppet, Batista. Castro was part of standards, education and health care have a middle class nationalist resistance and it been made but persecution of minorities In a strangely ironic sense, the death of was a measure of weakness of the Batista Fidel Castro fits well into the theme of regime that Castro’s tiny forces were able to existed and a well-to-do state ruling class this edition on the impact and legacy of bring it down. Reforms were introduced but emerged. Free markets reforms have been the Russian revolution. Guerrilla war, not so was a new authoritarian-inclined state. introduced under the rule of his brother, a working class revolt as per the classic It was the US blockade that drove Cuba Raul. Part 2: Challenging conditions continue he New Year has begun as the their disposal’. Just as there was no Brexit of Momentum supporters who are also old one ended – with challenging bounce for the independence cause, such Labour members suggests two things. The Tconditions for the left at the Scottish, a budget does little either – unless people first is that the level of support for Corbyn British, European and international levels. can see past the SNP to understand that is not as deep seated as it might at first This edition covers a number of these there is a radical independent form of seem. Thus, those that are Momentum aspects but most obviously focusses upon independence. It remains to be seen if supporters are likely to be largely the forthcoming local council elections in the relaunch of the Scottish Independence comprised of those that were registered May. These elections present the SNP with Convention this month has a role to play Labour supporters (so potentially allowing the opportunity to deliver upon the ‘one here. a vote in the election to re-elect Corbyn party state’ that many have accused it of Notwithstanding electoral success in the but nothing more in terms of participating running – the parts being the Holyrood, local elections in May, 2016 may be looked within Labour). Whilst it would be Westminster and European parliaments. back as the year in which the wheels did inappropriate to suggest that they are Glasgow will be a key battleground as the really start to fall on the SNP bandwagon. merely ‘armchair socialists’ or ‘clicktivists’, Labour council there continues to attack the On health, education and transport, the because they may well be involved in many conditions of its own workforce. In a series SNP is weak and on Brexit its strategy of actual, physical campaigns and activities, it of articles, Dave Watson, Willie Sullivan saying much but doing very little other is probably the case that they do not see and Phil McGarry examine a number of the than releasing umpteen press releases the Labour Party as the beginning and salient issues. Dave Watson shows how is beginning to grow a bit wearisome. Its end of their political activities. There are councils could rethink local democracy in political management and strategy is now equal numbers of pros and cons to this order to stop the centralisation carried out being exposed as being unable to paper perspective. by Holyrood, Willie Sullivan asks us to re- over its programmatic cracks. imagine local government and Phil McGarry The second is that the Labour Party may not develops a set of priorities to tackle With the re-election of Jeremy Corbyn as constitute the most inviting environment immediate challenges. We shall consider Labour leader last year, the British road to in which
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