A paper of Marxist polemic and Marxist unity

Mike Macnair: legislation to n Letters and debate n GB News buffoonery ‘protect free speech’ is part n US Marxist Unity Slate of Tory ongoing culture wars n Deniz Poyraz killing No 1353 June 24 2021 Towards a mass Communist Party £1/€1.10 Batley and Spen: DON’T VOTE AGAINST STARMER VOTE FOR MARXIST STRATEGY weekly 2 June 24 2021 1353 worker LETTERS

are building a partition wall between delegate conference being held as a result, taken out of national happy-clappy atmosphere, where Letters may have been South Asian heritage British subjects online (Covid prevented it being strike action over pay. The HMRC everyone just does whatever shortened because of space. Some names and their families and friends in the held at all in 2020) and most of has been vicious against PCS the NEC proclaims is good for  may have been changed subcontinent. Can they succeed? my misgivings were correct. reps, trying to get them sacked. the PCS - rather like the Labour Even the partition wall of Starmer’s Although branches this time could It is hypocritical for Serwotka to Party and the TUC then. The friends in the Israeli state, in spite register as many delegates as they condemn ‘fire and rehire’, whilst NEC elections, the motions from Anti-Semitism? of splitting families and forbidding wanted, only one for each branch accepting the deal for worse terms the NEC and restrictions on Those who receive circular the cohabitation of Palestinians with could actually vote and every and conditions. membership democracy represent reminders from Labour HQ will their spouses, have not yet succeeded vote was based on their branch Then there was the Labour a clear move to the right - and to have seen this recent pep-message: in destroying the Palestinian and membership. This means the NEC Party. Previous PCS policy was think this is where Mark Serwotka “Polling day is a week away, and indeed the entire Arab community. could simply rally their largest to recommend members vote for came in, when the rightwing every party is focused on the Batley Can the “100% Zionist - no ifs, no branches to get their favoured a Corbyn-led government (even ‘moderates’ controlled the PCS at and Spen parliamentary by-election. buts” Starmer succeed in inflicting motions through and I think though the PCS is not affiliated to its formation. “We know the Tories will be such damage on British subjects? this happened a few times. At a any party, past conferences having Dave Vincent digging into their deep pockets As for the libel that all British physical conference delegates can voted against affiliating to either Manchester to splash out on advertising. We Muslims are anti-Semitic, I have see the hall and the balance of Labour or Momentum). Clearly know that George Galloway will be seen no evidence that this piece of voting for and against, but now this policy needs revising. There Overkill cosying up to people in a community carefully anonymous Goebbelsry all we could see was either the were no motions wanting us to Readers can decide for themselves he’s barely spent a month in. has been repudiated. president, Fran Heathcote, calling affiliate to Labour under Starmer, about Daniel Lazare’s argument “But we have the force of our Perhaps the Labour Party game for delegates to vote/move/speak nor urging a vote for Labour. that the firing of Jeffrey Toobin - a movement, thousands of Labour plan is to outdo Thomas Mair, the on motions or the speaker on the NEC Motion A38 suggests leading writer for the New Yorker members who, just like Kim - our local ‘premature’ advocate and motion under debate. conducting a reassessment of our magazine until accidentally incredible candidate - care about the practitioner of Red Wall politics. Motions were decided by policy concerning parliamentary, caught on camera fondling community.” It would, and perhaps will, be branch memberships, so we could mayoral and council elections for himself in a Zoom session with Arguably, the activities of interesting to learn. My personal not see or be told how many a further decision in 2022. The colleagues - is a major symptom Galloway - who has shown good take is (slightly) more charitable: it delegates voted for or against assessment will concern itself of ruling class decline (‘Paralysis taste in praising at least one is the imperial instincts that make motions. No emergency motions with how political campaigning of ruling elite’ Weekly Worker Weekly Worker letter analysing Labour secretaries of state (actual were allowed and all delegates can assist members to win June 17). I am rather writing to anti-Semitism and its purported or shadow) yearn to be ‘honest wishing to speak on a motion disputes, how this could build take issue with his assertion that opponents (December 10 2020), and brokers’ re Palestine, Africa, had to register in advance. So our union, etc, and might take us Christine Blasey Ford’s 2018 who has spent time canvassing and Northern Ireland and indeed some only the president knew who back to seeing which candidates accusation of attempted rape then representing many Muslims voters in Batley and Spen - not to they were - we didn’t know how support PCS policies. against Donald Trump’s Supreme in Bradford and indeed in Tower mention the West Midlands. Many many of those wishing to speak Criticism was made at Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh Hamlets - are far less pernicious than will find that Kim Leadbeater’s local were called. And delegates who conference that PCS had dropped - since elevated to the court - was those of the longstanding Yorkshire and professedly unpolitical history decided they wanted to respond to this policy in favour of simply “no more convincing than what tyke, Keir Starmer, who has put does not stop them from finding points made during a debate could supporting all Labour candidates liberals had to say about Russian up a “senior Labour official” to her “incredible”. The solar topee not then ask to speak. in the 2019 general election - collusion …” On the contrary, I rubbish Muslims (and us), depicting or pit helmet do not suit genuine Conference did discuss the even those on the right hostile to found Blasey Ford’s accusation them as collectively anti-Semitic. democrats - nor does prating about move to a Zoom conference, Corbyn. So the PCS focus will no eminently believable. You may have noticed a fairly full the ‘White Man’s Burden’ (second criticising the undermining of longer be just on what the Labour The absence of corroborating account in the Groaniad (June 21), edition). membership democracy, but that Party is doing and tying us to them testimony in this case was hardly which clams that Starmer’s “stated Jack Fogarty motion was lost. alone. Good! Interestingly the out of the ordinary. Rape is intention” is not allowing an “issue email Readers may know that general Morning Star on June 14 carried seldom attempted in the presence of the subcontinent to divide secretary Mark Serwotka’s a feature by Ian Hodson, the of witnesses, and the only other communities here ...” Voters there Moving right previous open interference in the BFAWU union president, stating person said to have been at the may well recall the speed with Although I’m in the retired section elections for assistant general that a majority of its members do crime scene was a male classmate which Starmer endorsed Modi’s of PCS members, I was able to secretary had split Left Unity not trust Labour now or think they of Kavanaugh’s, Mark Judge, breach of the constitution of India observe the union conference held down the middle, with a new represent their interests or values. whom Blasey Ford alleged to and of international agreements on June 13‑14. group called Broad Left Network Most would not vote Labour if be his accomplice (Blasey Ford about Kashmir. I have written previously about (BLN) of mainly Socialist they still promise another EU testified that she knew Kavanaugh So Starmer and the Labour Party the arrangements for the annual Party members and ‘Socialist referendum. I think a similar and Judge - then students at a View’, being Serwotka loyalists. survey of members should be boys’ school near the Maryland The unprincipled pact called taken by Unite, Unison and the girls’ school she attended - by Democracy Alliance (Left Unity GMB. name at the time of the incident). Online Communist Forum and PCS Democrats) dominated Turning to the strategic Judge’s subsequent failure to the NEC elections as usual, with future of the union, I previously remember the event was therefore 14 new members getting elected. thought that the NEC would drive hardly remarkable. BLN had some limited success, through a merger with Unite, Nor was it suspicious that Ford but overall lost some previous but the leadership has decided to could not recollect the address places, The Independent Left persevere with PCS for a while of the beer-drenched soirée at (dominated by the Alliance for (motion A9) - £1.4 million has which the assault was alleged Workers’ Liberty) went their own been saved due to using Zoom to have taken place, or the route way again. instead of physical meetings, so by which she got there or went Let me go through the main there is no longer any urgency home. It is understandable that motions I found of interest. As apparently. Motion A9 listed the particulars of the assault - usual Mark Serwotka, with his the areas where we are looking being forced into a bedroom by fan club on the national executive to improve turnout, whether in Kavanaugh and Judge, who were committee, dominated conference elections or strike ballots, Three both drunk, thrown onto a bed, and got through everything he other motions were lost (because while Judge played loud music wanted with little dissent. I hear A9 was carried): A10, calling for to drown out her screams, then that PCS Left Unity - the majority a recruitment review on where we mounted by Kavanaugh, who of which today gushingly lauds are losing/picking up members tried to rip her clothes off and, Serwotka - had no model motions, and why, while A11 and A12 groping and grinding, covered so content are they with the NEC. concerned the election of more her mouth with his hand until she Sunday June 27 5pm A motion from the NEC full-time officers. There were the feared being smothered to death on national pay policy was usual arguments against, citing the - were more firmly etched in her A week in politics “overwhelmingly carried”. This low 2021 NEC elections turnout memory than the topographical Political report and discussion from contained a lot of the usual aims, of just 7.5% , which demonstrated details of an evening in 1982, 36 such as seeking coordinated that ‘the members aren’t interested years before she went public with CPGB’s Provisional Central Committee strike action with other public- in this’. A damning indictment, her account. Register in advance for this webinar: sector unions (something the PCS you may think, of the record of Blasey Ford’s accusation, us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MA78RwDKQpSY4LmjI-0FBw continually asks for, but never the ruling NEC factions since the moreover, was not without sees delivered), with another creation of PCS in 1999. supporting evidence. She Sunday July 4 5pm national strike ballot to be held Overall I am concerned that volunteered for, and passed, a A week in politics “at the earliest appropriate nowadays the NEC comprises a lie-detector test. In 2012 - six Political report from CPGB’s opportunity”. PCS has failed to number of activists I have never years before she came out with Provisional Central Committee and discussion win two national ballots in a row - heard of or seen speaking at her charges - her therapist noted the most recent got a 48% turnout, conference. I did not like it when that she recounted in one session Previous OCFs can be viewed or heard at these places: when Tory legislation now SPEW and the Scottish Socialist being attacked by pupils “from an YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/communistpartyofgreatbritain requires a 50% turnout for strike Party dominated the NEC, but the elitist boys’ school”, who went on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/cpgb-pcc action. There was some justified calibre now is actually weaker. to become “highly respected and Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/412z90d6iSHN3bqwxAaP8h criticism of the union leadership Anyone daring to criticise high-ranking members of society Apple Podcasts: for having negotiated multi-year Mark or the NEC is condemned as in Washington”. podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/marxist-report/id1494068795 pay deals both in the department being ‘sectarian’ and just ‘having More importantly, however, for work and pensions and in a go’. Those doing so may well Lazare and others who doubt Organised by CPGB: www.cpgb.org.uk and revenue and customs (HMRC), have been in the BLN or IL, but Blasey Ford’s story must account Labour Party Marxists: www.labourpartymarxists.org.uk which sold terms and conditions their comments were legitimate for her motives. They must For further information, email Stan Keable at of service for an above-inflation and shared by many outside their explain why a prosperous and [email protected] pay rise. These are two of our factions. But those controlling the successful academician and biggest departments, which were, NEC and conference now want a research psychologist would, BCM Box 928, London WC1N 3XX l 07379 532160 l www.weeklyworker.co.uk l [email protected] weekly worker 1353 June 24 2021 3

after nearly four decades, bear oppression without being a black of the permanent revolution ACTION false witness against a powerful nationalist, and uphold gender signifies that the complete and Restore Bristol NW CLP to members’ control jurist - especially when her equality without being a feminist. genuine solution of their tasks of Friday June 25, 11am: Protest at Labour Party South West Regional accusation was sure to expose Identity politics should not be achieving democracy and national Office, Unit 8, Bradley Pavilions, Pear Tree Road, Bristol BS32. Bristol her to intense public scrutiny… combated by denying or deeming emancipation is conceivable only NW CLP has been taken over by party bureaucrats, with the chair and and worse: Blasey Ford, in fact, insignificant actual instances of through the dictatorship of the secretary suspended on bogus grounds along with 20 other officers received multiple death threats, extra-class oppression. Lenin proletariat as the leader of the across the region. forcing her to move house four taught us that, among other subjugated nation, above all of its Organised by Labour In Exile Network: times during the ordeal. things. peasant masses … The democratic www.facebook.com/events/213666560601530. Kavanaugh did not claim that Jim Creegan revolution grows over directly Blasey Ford was exaggerating or New York into the socialist revolution and Oppose the far-right in Batley and Spen misremembering a real incident. thereby becomes a permanent Saturday June 26, 12 noon: Protest demonstration. Assemble Batley He flatly and indignantly denied Dictatorship revolution … The completion of Town Hall, Market Square, Batley WF17. Oppose the far-right march everything. Does Lazare believe This is a belated reply to Tony the socialist revolution within backing the For Britain candidate in the by-election. that his accuser invented her lurid Clark’s letter (May 20), which national limits is unthinkable.” Organised by Stand Up To Racism: tale out of whole cloth at the itself was a reply to my obituary Comrade Clark is a convinced www.facebook.com/events/155409543288931. bidding of Nancy Pelosi or the letter for Cliff Slaughter the popular frontist despite the Democratic National Committee previous week. appalling record of that ‘tactic’, or After Covid - demand a new normal to keep Kavanaugh off the Tony Clark says that Marx rather its outright abandonment, Saturday June 26, 12 noon: National demonstration against the Supreme Court - or perhaps raised “dictatorship into a principle in both the semi-colonial world Tory government. Assemble Portland Place, London W1 and march imagined the incident out of her of socialism” (we mustn’t mention and in the imperialist heartlands. to Parliament Square. Demands include: Renationalise key industries. own intense political animus the dictatorship of the proletariat, “Class alliances are based on the Decent housing for all. No Tory crony corruption. Properly funded, fully toward Kavanaugh and the lest we distinguish between the political goals for the revolution,” publicly owned NHS. Keep the market out of education. A green new Republicans? Readers can also Russian Revolution and Hitler’s he correctly informs us, but if deal. Safe workplaces, save jobs. End ‘fire and rehire’. Fully funded weigh the plausibility of such coup of January 1933). Trotsky you want an alliance with the social care. Kill the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. conjectures. advocated “socialist revolution in ‘democratic imperialists’ you must Organised by Peoples Assembly: Lazare takes aim at some backward countries, which were murder all the militant anarchists, www.facebook.com/events/1014040739128410. of the right targets, then not ready for it”, explains comrade Trotskyists and other Marxists, perpetrates overkill. It is true that Clark, and so he is responsible because the goal is to save Beauty magic: the first art Democratic politicians often take “for most of the things which went democratic capitalism and prevent Tuesday June 29, 6.30pm: Online talk presented by Camilla Power. refuge in anti-racism and anti- wrong in the Russian Revolution socialist revolution, as in Spain Explores the evidence of a social and sexual revolution in Africa, as we sexism to appear ‘progressive’ and the Chinese revolutions” - in 1936-39. Such was the fear became modern humans about 200,000 years ago. without offending their corporate and also for the crimes of Pol Pot, that Stalin’s counterrevolutionary Organised by Radical Anthropology Group - register at: benefactors. Identity politics etc, because of that rotten and bureaucracy had of revolution in radicalanthropologygroup.org/evening-talks. is indeed an obstacle to class- ridiculous theory of permanent Spain that it was in 1936 that the Free speech - unrestricted or not? consciousness, especially in its revolution. He must really hope Great Purges began in earnest in Wednesday June 30, 6pm: Online all-members meeting. Includes more extreme iterations. Some that his readers do not take the the USSR, where every remaining debate on whether to support ‘unrestricted’ free speech. Speaker for: ideologues of the Black Lives trouble to look up the theory or member of Lenin’s 1917 central Kevin Bean; against: Tony Greenstein. Join by June 29 to attend. Matter movement view the first read how Trotsky defended it until committee, with the exception of Organised by Labour Campaign for Free Speech: importation of enslaved Africans he was assassinated by Stalin’s Alexandra Kollontai, was executed www.facebook.com/events/864041421134594. to the colonies in 1619, rather agent in August 1940. Oh, why as a counterrevolutionary, along than the War of Independence, would he assassinate his own with every other direct participant Nazi Germany 1933-39 as America’s founding act, inspirator if comrade Clark’s in the revolution, apart from Stalin Thursday July 1, 6pm: Weekly online political education series. and tend to view black-white analysis is correct? himself and Molotov. Organised by Labour Left Alliance: conflict as the motor force of the Of course, central to permanent But to abandon the popular www.facebook.com/events/211467213892082. country’s history. More than a revolution are two inextricably front is “an ultra-left approach few Me Too spokespersons fail to linked ideas: combined and uneven to revolution”, opines comrade Bust the transport pay freeze distinguish between minor sexual development; and the international Clark. We must defend the good Friday July 2, 6pm: Public meeting, Maldon Hotel, Newgate Street, misdemeanours, ill-chosen words nature of all - socialism is name of Dimitrov, who explained Newcastle NE1. Defend rail services and jobs. Speakers include RMT and sexual assault. Censorious, impossible in a single country, just so well to the seventh and last general secretary Mick Lynch and Laura Pidcock (Peoples Assembly). moral self-righteousness and as today we understand that the congress of the Comintern in Organised by RMT Newcastle Rail and Catering Branch: virtue-signalling are now rampant battle against women’s oppression, 1935 why we must abandon class www.twitter.com/RMTNRC. in universities and professional against racism, against climate struggle in order to keep the middle class circles. change and against the Covid-19 ‘democratic imperialists’ happy. NHS birthday protests None of this, however, means virus cannot succeed within single And if you couldn’t do that, then Saturday July 3: Demonstrations demanding NHS pay justice, patient that black people are not routinely countries or even continents. why not have a go at keeping the safety and an end to privatisation. brutalised and murdered by police, And the class-consciousness of fascist imperialists happy, as in London: Assemble 12 noon, University College Hospital, Gower Street, or young women not preyed upon workers internationally is global the Stalin-Hitler pact of August London NW1. March to Parliament Square. and raped by powerful men. also as a consequence. 1939? Organised by NHS Workers Say No to Public Sector Pay Inequality: Socialists, in my view, need to Trotsky explained in his Theory And that - together with Mao’s www.facebook.com/events/530053088180070. make a point of opposing these of permanent revolution (1931): Great Leap Forward of 1958 and Ipswich: Assemble 11am, Christchurch Park, Fonnereau Road, Ipswich things. There is a difference “With regard to countries with a his Cultural Revolution from 1966 IP1. Organised by Suffolk NHS Pay Justice Hub: between events themselves and belated bourgeois development, - is all Trotsky’s fault. Really? www.facebook.com/events/681633979296062. how they are understood and used especially the colonial and semi- Gerry Downing Brighton: Free party from 2pm, The Level, Lewes Road, Brighton BN2. politically. One can fight black colonial countries, the theory Socialist Fight Organised by Sussex Defend the NHS: www.facebook.com/events/236180167911598. UFOs guff Bristol: Assemble 11am, College Green, Bristol BS1. March to Castle Are other readers of the Weekly Park. Organised by NHS Workers Say No Bristol: Fighting fund Worker not jolted to the bones, www.facebook.com/events/514479356360452. as certainly I am, by how letters Colchester: Assemble 12 noon, St. Botolph’s Priory, Colchester CO2. as well as main articles recently Organised by Essex NHS Workers Say No: You can do it! have been devoted to such matters www.facebook.com/events/379322786834903. e are continuing to gain total increased by £440 over the as UFOs, aliens, their ‘genetic Leicester: Assemble 1pm, Nelson Mandela Park, Welford Road, Wnew subscribers following last week. So now it stands at engineering’ of homo sapiens, etc? Leicester LE1. March into the city centre. our return to printing, which £1,687, with exactly a week to Do the generators of suchlike Organised by Save Our NHS Leicestershire: resumed three issues ago on go to reach our £2,000 target. guff see no other priorities for www.facebook.com/events/896810170914645. June 3. But unfortunately over Well, that means just another consideration and development? Sheffield: Assemble 12 noon, Barker’s Pool, Sheffield S1. the last week donations to our £313 would see us over the line, In turn, does no comrade out Organised by Sheffield-NHS Workers Say No: fighting fund have been very so we really should be able to there in the vast shit-heap that www.facebook.com/events/1735005510012776. few and far between. get there. is the capitalist paradigm not Manchester: Rally 11am, Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester M1. For instance, over the last But I’m not taking anything ask themselves that simple but Organised by Greater Manchester Keep Our NHS Public: seven days there’s been not for granted - I’ve had my hopes stark question of how the hell did www.facebook.com/events/316366029976303. one contribution via PayPal dashed too often in the past! scientific/dialectically materialist Nottingham: Assemble 11.30am, Old Market Square, Nottingham NG1. - that’s the first time I can Comrades, now of all times, Marxism get to this? Equally so, March to the Forest Recreation Ground. remember that happening since after our expenses have shot how any amongst us holding this Organised by Unison Nottingham University Hospitals branch: just after we set up our PayPal up so much because of the type of attitude is promptly shot www.facebook.com/events/781649955882557. account all those years ago! As cost once more of printing and down by the very same sterile and Online Communist University for standing orders and bank mailing the paper to subscribers, insulated hyper-intellectualism Saturday August 14 to Sunday August 22: Online school of Marxism. transfers, there were just four let’s make sure we reach that that generates such nonsense in The Weekly Worker goes live for a week, with lots of time for genuine of them - but the consoling £2K target at the very least! the first place - needless to say, in debate and discussion. Timetable and registration available soon. factor is they were at least If you agree, you know what that combination of self-mutilating Speakers this year include: Anne McShane, Kevin Bean, Jack Conrad, quite substantial. That applies to do. Click on that PayPal and decadent manner. Nothing Paul Demarty, Mike Macnair, Yassamine Mather, Lawrence Parker, first and foremost to comrade button on our website or - better whatsoever of ‘virtue signaling’ is Sandy McBurney, Marc Mulholland, David Broder, Chris Knight, Moshé SK, with his magnificent £230 still - make a bank transfer to intended here, because, of course, Machover, Hillel Ticktin, Daniel Lazare, Ian Wright, Lars T Lih, Tina donation, while those from account number 00744310 (sort we’re all in one boat when it comes l Werkmann and Tony Greenstein. PM (£100), MM (£75) and GB code 30-99-64). You can do it! to near-total isolation. And when Organised by Communist Party of Great Britain and Labour Party (£25) are certainly not to be Robbie Rix ‘decadence’ is referenced that’s not Marxists: communistuniversity.uk. sneezed at. in any horribly bourgeois moral Finally, comrade Hassan Fill in a standing order form sense, but purely insofar as decay CPGB wills donated a tenner to one of our (back page), donate via our is maybe the inevitable stage we’ve Remember the CPGB and keep the struggle going. Put our party’s name comrades, which means that website, or send cheques, reached as a result of that isolation. and address, together with the amount you wish to leave, in your will. If our June fighting fund running payable to Weekly Worker Bruno Kretzschmar you need further help, do not hesitate to contact us. email weekly 4 June 24 2021 1353 worker ELECTIONS Blue and red walls crack Should the left refuse to call for a Labour vote because of crap politics and crap candidates? Eddie Ford calls for strategic thinking, not knee-jerk reactions gniting media excitement, last second referendum stance, precisely week’s stunning Chesham and by Keir Starmer himself. IAmersham by-election saw the All of this has to be understood Liberal Democrats overturn a 16,000 in the broader context of chatter Tory majority by just over 8,000 about a centre realignment - not votes - a swing of 25% and almost just a Lib Dem revival. The recent 57% of the total vote. In another by-elections have set certain minds humiliation for Keir Starmer, with racing, especially in publications like Hartlepool a recent memory, Labour The Guardian, about the feasibility slumped into fourth place behind of a ‘progressive alliance’ under the Greens, with 622 votes or just which so-called ‘centre-left’ parties 1.6%. This represents the lowest ever would stand down to help other ‘left- share of the vote by a Labour Party leaning’ parties beat the Tories. It has candidate in a by-election. to be said that the idea is problematic The reasons for the Lib Dem arithmetically and electorally. success are not hard to fathom - Voters do not automatically tend proposed planning laws, HS2 and to the centre. Far from it. More Brexit. For instance, 55% in the importantly, the whole ‘centre-left’ Chiltern district voted ‘remain’ on strategy dovetails with the long-held an 83.6% turnout - the highest figure ruling class project of delabourising for any area in the UK. And anyone Labour. In other words, eliminating who knows Chesham and Amersham Labour as any kind of workers’ party. can confirm that HS2 is a big local What is still a bourgeois workers’ issue. As for planning, nimbyism is party will thereby become simply a a definite factor. Large numbers of bourgeois party. well-heeled voters want to defend Starmer has been promising to their leafy idyll from urban sprawl. travel round the country over the That hardly means that we are in summer to ‘hear what people think’. favour of HS2 and projects like it. The end result, presumably to be There is no pressing need to knock presented to the truncated Brighton 20-30 minutes off a journey from conference in September, will, of Birmingham to London, just as there course, owe nothing to ‘what people was no need to waste huge amounts think’. Instead, expect, well, at least of money on Concorde to enable the the possibility of Starmer pledging wealthy elite to jet off to New York to complete what that ‘great election at more than 30 times the cost of Sir Keir: delivering bad news winner’ Tony Blair started. the cheapest option. Anyway, with Paddy Ashdown revealed in Chesham and Amersham you had issue on the doorstep: not surprising, there have been very few candidates that would be a good reason to back 2000 that he and Blair “jointly a strong ‘remain’ constituency that as Batley and Spen has a large who have held to a genuinely it. But it does nothing of the kind. prepared” for forming a coalition had always voted Tory since the seat Muslim population. Given the recent principled position. The CPGB As for LCfFS, its political remit for up to 18 months before New was first created in 1974 - therefore Israeli bombardment of Gaza and Labour candidates in the early really ought to be focused on the Labour’s landslide victory in May it is fair to conclude that someone Labour’s ongoing witch-hunt against 1920s can be mentioned. Militant question of free speech - under 1997.2 According to the ex-Lib Dem like Jeremy Corbyn must have been supporters of Palestine (under the Tendency had three MPs until they severe attack in the Labour Party. leader, Blair would have actively their worst nightmare, for all their cover of fake anti-Semitism charges) were purged. Leave aside Militant’s Is it telling us not to vote Labour “preferred” to be at the head of a suspicions of Boris Johnson. This there is widespread disgust at Sir crass economism, its clause four in Batley and Spen? Surely that is Lib-Lab coalition government rather time round, it is easy to see why the Keir and his pro-Zionist regime. reformism and claims that the Soviet what “refuse to support” means in than governing with his large Labour Lib Dems were such an attractive Another likely reason for the Union, China and eastern Europe, plain English. Is it calling for a vote majority. Now, once again, we have option. Tory lead is Labour’s candidate, even Syria, were workers’ states. The for Galloway’s Workers Party? Is it rumours of forming a Democratic or As we all know, by-elections Kim Leadbeater. She is an ardent likes of Dave Nellist were genuine calling for an abstention? An active Progressive party. allow people to kick the government remainer, which does not bode class fighters. But the vast bulk of boycott? What about the next general The treatment handed out to even if they view it traditionally well for Labour, considering what Labour MPs - and candidates - are election? Howard Beckett - who was standing as their government - then they happened in Hartlepool. Leadbeater and always have been pro-capitalist Labour Party Marxists will be for the leadership of Unite - seemed normally revert to type in a general is also a political lightweight. She and pro-imperialist. Certainly when submitting an emergency motion to suspiciously like a manifestation election. Thus the last three by- only rejoined the party when they it comes to Israel and Palestine, there the next LCfFS meeting condemning of that line of march. He was elections won by Lib Dems all went offered her the Batley seat. Her only is been a long and sorry history of this unfortunate, strategically suspended from the Labour Party back into Conservative hands at the ‘recommendation’ is that she is the overt pro-Zionism. Kim Leadbeater disorientated and politically for his supposedly ‘racist’ remark following election. This is not to say sister of the late Saint Jo Cox. is no different in that respect. damaging statement on Batley and in response to the threats of home that history will automatically repeat Under these circumstances But the reason why the left should Spen. secretary Priti Patel to deport itself in Chesham and Amersham, or some on the Labour left have put support Leadbeater in Batley and migrants, that it was those like Patel to rule out a Lib Dem revival of some on display their profound strategic Spen has absolutely nothing to do Walls who support such ideas who ought to sort, but many readers will remember disorientation. Take the Labour with her. No, we have a strategic Well, if the thesis is that Brexit- be deported. Top union officials do that every by-election victory by the Campaign for Free Speech. Not only perspective of transforming the supporting former Labour voters in not normally get treated like ordinary party is always portrayed by the does LCfFS not know whether or not Labour Party into a united front of the north are changing the political members who can be suspended. leadership as heralding a new dawn. it is a campaign for free speech: it a special kind. From that strategy, map, then why cannot it work Treating Beckett in such a fashion There has been a lot of talk, mainly does not even know whether or not it tactics flow. the other way round? South-east indicates some sort of central journalistic, about a historic shift in is a Labour campaign. True, the key question is building England, especially London, can decision - it could not have been British politics - with the ‘Red Wall’ Responding to a “senior Labour a mass Communist Party. Without also change the map, because it Labour’s general secretary, David still continuing to crumble in the source”, who told the media that that there is no possibility whatsoever strongly voted ‘remain’ in 2016. In Evans, acting off his own bat. There north, as shown by Hartlepool, and Labour was “haemorrhaging” of transforming Labour into a united a certain sense, nearly anything can must have been an agreement to deal now possible cracks appearing in the Muslim voters, because of “what front of a special kind, a vehicle in happen - making me a bit reluctant to with troublesome union officials. southern ‘Blue Wall’, as in Chesham Keir has been doing on anti- the struggle for socialism. Hence say that the Chesham and Amersham Almost since the moment Sir Keir and Amersham. Is this the beginning Semitism”, it issued a public we come to George Galloway and by-election was simply a flash in got elected, there has been chatter of the end of the old two-party statement on June 22, which charged his Workers Party. Galloway was, the pan. On the other hand, we do about a leadership challenge. But system dominated by the Tories and the “senior Labour source” with from his earliest political days up in have a two-party system - almost he knows that this is not going to the Labour Party? Indeed, there has implying that “Muslims are anti- Dundee, a Stalinite. But the Workers by definition because of the ‘first happen. Not only is the ‘official left’ been renewed speculation about that Semitic”. This might or might not Party is ultra-Stalinite. At its core is past the post’ voting system, which in no position to do anything on that old favourite, the ‘death of Labour’ - be the case. The language is vague the old Communist Party of Great is not going away any time soon. score. More to the point, those who at least as the natural second party of and it could be a simple statement Britain (Marxist-Leninist), a Stalin Third parties normally get punished fancy taking over as Labour leader government. This sort of speculation, of fact. It is certainly true that “many worship society founded by Harpal electorally. will bide their time. Boris Johnson which we have heard as many times voters” seem to be turning against Brar. Actually, in terms of the last looks set to get rid of the Fixed Term as a Lib Dem revival, is bound to go Labour because Starmer “is bowing It is not that a vote for the general election, it was surprising Parliaments Act and go for a ‘you’ve into overdrive, thanks to the July 1 to the Israeli government and refuses Workers Party should be ruled out on that the Lib Dems did so badly. In never had it so good’ general election by-election in Batley and Spen - a to support the Palestinian struggle”. principle. We supported Galloway some ways, conditions should have in 2022 or 2023. If Labour loses, Sir constituency that voted by 60% It is also true that this “is not anti- when he bravely stood in Bethnal been ideal for them - with Boris Keir will fall on his sword and the for ‘leave’. According to a recent Semitism, it is anti-Zionism”. Green and Bow in 2005 in protest Johnson triggering an election usual suspects will line up to replace opinion poll by Survation, the Tories No, the problem with the LCfFS against Tony Blair and his wars in squarely around the Europe question, him - not least, of course, Andy are ahead on 47% - up 11% from the statement is the political conclusion: Afghanistan and Iraq. He also stood and ‘getting Brexit done’ eating like Burnham l 2019 general election - while Labour “In the forthcoming Batley and Spen successfully in Bradford West in acid into Labour votes. You would is on 41%, similar to its 43% winning by-election, we refuse to support 2012. Brilliant. But it is all too clear have expected the Lib Dems to make [email protected] share at the general election.1 the Labour candidate, an incredible that in 2021 Galloway is not about to a bigger impact, since they had a A big difference in this by-election apolitical and nondescript candidate win again. He could, though, cause much clearer and less ambiguous Notes could well be the George Galloway who was chosen by Keir Starmer Labour to lose. If the Workers Party position on Brexit than Jeremy 1. survation.com/conservatives-lead-new-polling- factor. Galloway’s Workers Party is directly.” pointed in the direction of a mass Corbyn. He had to be dragged almost for-batley-and-spen-by-election. on 6% in the polls. Palestine is a real In the entire history of Labour Communist Party, even falteringly, kicking and screaming towards a 2. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/985728.stm. weekly worker 1353 June 24 2021 5 MEDIA Dim end of the wedge The buffoonery of GB News’s first weeks should not be confused with failure, warns Paul Demarty e cannot deny ourselves governance of cultural norms: the a giggle at the teething bourgeois professional class. Its Wtroubles of GB News - long ideology may be conservative or hyped by its backers and front men liberal. Eton slang can do the job (mostly indeed men) as an antidote of policing the closed shop quite as to the unpatriotic dogmas of the well as intersectionalite jargon. But, irretrievably woke BBC, Channel 4 in America and Britain, it is clearly and, er, Sky. the latter that actually is dominant. Barely an hour passed without It is still Pride month, and there is some microphone malfunction or scarcely an in-house PR person in dropped Zoom stream. The content all the corporate world who has was frequently digressive and not gushed pro-gay copy into the occasionally hilarious. The most vortex of social media; so it has also notorious moment came when, been with the Black Lives Matter in the channel’s inevitable first movement and many other bugbears sally at the Duke and Duchess of the GB News set. of Sussex, the eccentric royal biographer, Lady Colin Campbell, Wrong choices aggressively corrected host Dan The socialist left is thereby presented Wootton’s characterisation of with a choice: to back the liberal Jeffrey Epstein as a “paedophile” bourgeoisie or the right bourgeoisie. - he was an “ephebophile”, she Unsurprisingly most choose the snapped back. Her use of the former, but not all - there is a distinction is technically correct, subculture, let us say, of leftwing but quite comically outside the people so disillusioned by the ‘good old British common sense’ tediousness of woke liberalism that that supposedly motivates all this they sympathise more instinctively drivel. with its critics, and accept parts of Add it all up and there were the rightwing narrative - that the left plenty of insiders prepared to talk What a shambles has become wholly divorced from anonymously to the website Politics broad masses. Home, using vocabulary that at and bureaucrats, the government etc), and other methods (principally store in an obscure province. Both these choices are wrong, least overlaps with the bar-room opted to restart the process from the advertising subsidy to bourgeois What won’t you find here - cheap naturally. To take the anti-woke bores who are presumably the target scratch and hope to engineer the media). in price and in quality still lower! brigade first: even we must admit, audience. “When it comes to the right answer this time. Far from There is secondarily the narrowly Recollections of the ‘happy’ days ourselves, to the occasional live TV side, it’s a clusterfuck,” one being a plucky underdog fighting political matter of what this all of free competition, and hazy murderous fantasy when somebody said of the frequent technical screw- back against the elite, in other words, appears to be about - the battle that evocations of the stability of class talks about ‘decolonising’ something ups. Apart from that, the channel’s GB News is merely the thin end of a is supposed to be going on between society; hopes for the regeneration other than an actual colony. The enemies have resorted to the Bart giant wedge. conservative working class citizens of the colonial empire, and dreams underlying analysis, however, is Simpson tactic of emailing in with If that is the case, of course, there in the provinces and cosmopolitan of a shut-in economy; phrases incredibly partial. We do not find, on fake names like “Mike Oxlong”, and is no reason why it should itself liberal professionals in the cities about a return from Roman law the one side, middle class liberals and, his old friend “Cleo Torres”.1 emerge as a hegemonic rightwing - what usually goes by the name back to the Germanic, and pleas on the other, the working class, who In spite of all this nonsense, the GB media apparatus. So far its talking ‘culture war’ politics. The left has for an American moratorium; an hate them and have gone to the right. News people will be quietly satisfied points trickle down from print, coped very badly with this, but in envious hostility to inequality in We find, instead, a divided middle with how things have gone so far - rather as do those of its incumbent order to understand why we must the person of a proprietor in an class and a divided proletariat. Lazy indeed, not so quietly. Their flagship rivals. But even where TV news look at things at a slightly higher automobile, and animal fear of analysis of, say, Labour’s electoral programmes topped the ratings networks have a stronger record of level. equality in the person of a worker fortunes - that it has lost the ‘working among comparable channels three agenda-setting, as with the cable The bourgeoisie is, among in a cap and without a collar; the class north’ and become a middle days in a row - exploiting curiosity, news giants in the United States, its many other defects, small. It frenzy of nationalism, and the fear class party of the great cities - simply to be sure, but also indicating that the picture is not necessarily rosy. cannot rule without the assistance of world creditors …2 misrepresents the cities, as if every it has an audience of some kind of With the exception of one or two of sections of the masses - even if one of London’s 10 million people size. The technical glitches will be shows on Fox, ratings across all it is only enough to act as soldiers, GB News is unlikely to organise was a self-care-obsessed marketing worked out. “Mike” and “Cleo” will the major players in that market are police and bailiffs. The emergence a fascist regime any time soon, executive. It just is not true. (Some take their merry pranksterism off to rock-bottom and have been more of liberal-constitutional political of course. But the atmosphere of of) the metropolitan elite voted some other target. The project will be or less since the end of the Donald regimes poses bigger problems still, political crisis it feeds on is quite Labour in the last few elections, but judged on its success or failure over Trump presidency. They became so since some political decision-making as laughably contradictory as that so did their Deliveroo drivers. months or years, not days. dependent on the high drama of that power devolves to broad layers of mobilised by Hitler and friends If the liberal-baiters are off-beam, There are reasons enough for period (and, indeed, are now - with the masses. The structure of those under far more severe circumstances. though, so are the liberal-adjacent. the bullish and bearish alike. The the exception of Fox - so laughably regimes ensures that the plebeian We are supposed to believe that the The completely unqualified support optimists will cite the fact that there obsequious to the new regime) that classes cannot in fact impose their snowflakes want to destroy free offered to bourgeois anti-racism, for certainly is widespread alienation its end posed something close to agenda within the rules of the game; speech, and therefore that stringent example, by the Socialist Workers from the existing establishment an existential question. What on but it cannot, by definition, prevent controls on political speech in the Party commits it to an ideology that broadcast media, much of it fed by earth is Rachel Maddow for if she the popular classes from setting out academy are necessary; that the is just as much a legitimation of tabloid hysteria of a rightwing sort. can no longer relitigate Russiagate to overthrow the rules of the game. appearance of a single, vaguely bourgeois rule as the harrumphing of For all its laughable chatter about conspiracy theories ad nauseam? Consent is necessary to ensure liberal junior prince is a catastrophe Andrew Neil. It supposes that simply ‘bringing the country together’, the The power of new digital media any level of smooth functioning, that will undo thousands of years of by performatively ‘challenging new channel is straightforwardly platforms is - we have often argued and consent must in the end be ‘Anglo-Saxon liberty’ and bulldog racism’ (etc) it is possible to defeat a culture war initiative. On offer is in this paper - often overstated, but obtained by the appearance of unity spirit; and so it goes on - pair after the right; but, if anything, at the strictly the sort of ‘bringing together’ the factor that is itself overstated of interests between the bourgeoisie disconnected pair of opposed moment the opposite is true - the that is accomplished by the sacrifice is, precisely, the ability of internet- and sections of the popular classes. grievances, united only in their more hysterical official anti- of the scapegoat. The metropolitan only outlets to set the wider media But that appearance is necessarily vulgarity and their superficially racism gets, the more prone it is liberal elite woke thought police agenda. Until GB News can get out false by the sheer logic of capitalist seamless assemblage in rightwing to embarrassments, and the more are not invited to this party, except from under tabloid talking points, society. The proletariat is reduced to media discourse. energised its reactionary opponents inasmuch as they are the main course there is no reason why it should a slave class; the petty bourgeoisie The utility of this sort of thing become. at the great feast. triumph over a professionally-run tends to be dissolved into the is, first of all, that it is divisive: in A worthwhile political project Besides these ideological YouTube channel - which, after all, proletariat, so its fate is hardly better. submitting to it, one assumes that would offer a response to racist, conditions are the institutional ones. is not subject to Ofcom regulation or So all bourgeois political regimes there is an enemy to be fought, and sexist and other oppression that GB News has an air of ‘officialness’ the overheads associated with over- must offer concessions - and ideally tacitly assents to this enemy’s endless was not only independent from but lacking in the YouTube ranters; it is, the-air broadcast. At the same time, sectional concessions that provide shifting in scope. Just as ‘Judeo- sharply counterposed to that of the after all, regulated by Ofcom. But there is no reason why the press the semblance of a stake in the extant Bolshevism’ could, in the 1930s, liberals; and it would offer a critique the regulation of the broadcast media should continue to play that agenda- regime. include everyone from freemasons of the liberals that gave no quarter is changing, and it is plain that the setting role more or less exclusively. Such ideological blocs are built to Zionists to council communists, to reactionary ‘common sense’. To government wants to start backing (The print media are hardly in better up piecemeal, and hardly need to so ‘cultural Marxism’ today may as offer such things, of course, demands its kind of media. In the background health than US cable networks.) make any sense. It is admittedly an well be defined as ‘the sum total of what we do not have - a robust set to this story is the question of who, over-sensational comparison, but things to have annoyed Ben Shapiro of media of our very own, up even exactly, is to be the regulator’s new Right v left Trotsky’s sarcastic description of the this week’. to the shaky standards of GB News chair. It is plain that the government Whether GB News or some other programme of the Nazis captures There is a reality, of course, to the thus far l favours Paul Dacre, the notorious ghoulish outfit ultimately succeeds, well the sheer stupidity of these constitution of this ‘enemy camp’, former Daily Mail editor, scourge we must confront the fact that assemblages: which is an important part of the [email protected] of liberals and a BBC-phobe. His it is far easier to imagine the story. There is a section of the middle application for the job was rejected breakthrough coming from the right The programme with which class whose means of life is obtained Notes 1. politicshome.com/news/article/gb-news-first- by Ofcom’s interview panel at the than the left. Partly that is a matter National Socialism came to primarily by control of ‘intellectual week-chaos. end of May, but instead of proceeding of the institutional support we have power reminds one very much property’ in the form of skills 2. marxists.org/archive/trotsky/ down the list of uninspiring ex-MPs mentioned (the suborning of Ofcom, - alas - of a Jewish department monopolies, but also of informal germany/1933/330610.htm. weekly 6 June 24 2021 1353 worker LAW No-platforming fraud Government proposals for legislation to ‘protect free speech’ in universities are part of the ongoing culture wars designed to please the rightwing press, argues Mike Macnair. This article is adapted from his June 20 Online Communist Forum talk he government announced in always possible to argue that it raises the May 11 queen’s speech ‘difficult issues’, which need to go Tthat it would legislate to to the high court - or to run up costs protect “free speech” in universities by appealing. Indeed, these claims and other higher-education are probably going to be treated as providers (HEPs). The proposal analogous to defamation claims: is accompanied by an escalating because certainly what a speaker ‘culture wars’ campaign in the Tory who has been no-platformed is really press, which complains of both complaining of is the reputational ‘wokeness’ and ‘cancel culture’. damage of being accused of being a But these proposals arrive racist, or a trans-exclusionary radical contemporaneously with the same feminist (Terf), or whatever - not the Tory press campaigning for ‘cancel loss of the price of a rail ticket and culture’ in relation to pro-Palestinian such-like expenses. So, although this speech. At the university where I claim is not a defamation claim, it happen to work, Oxford, March is very much like one - and it will this year saw a no-platforming almost certainly wind up being taken campaign mounted in the name of over by the specialists in defamation. ‘political correctness’ - ‘anti-racism’ The best description of the activity - against Ken Loach being invited of these specialists is to say that to speak at St Peter’s College. In the house of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha this context, the idea that we should (Windsor) has since the middle believe that the Conservative Party is of the 19th century been selling committed to freedom of speech and and denying justice in violation of academic freedom in universities Magna Carta chapter 29, which is and other HEPs would become one of the few parts that have not frankly laughable if it were not for been repealed: the crown promises the evident success of these ‘big lie’ not to sell or deny justice. True, you techniques in recent years do not personally pay the queen, ‘Leon Trotsky was a fascist, and I as people used to personally pay know it for a fact. First I said it, then I King John for expedited treatment, read it in the Hitler-Stalin pact.’ And or to stop their opponents’ judicial then you have: ‘Saddam Hussein proceedings. Queen Victoria, had weapons of mass destruction’; Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, ‘Barack Obama was not born in the George VI and Elizabeth II have not USA’; ‘Jeremy Corbyn is an anti- Big mouth: advertising-funded media personally been taking money for Semite’; ‘Donald Trump is a Russian selling and denying justice. Rather, agent’; ‘Brexit will allow a massive administrations against campaigns does not propose to change that the OfS as opposed to the Charity they have been franchising the sale increase in health spending’; ‘British like the attempt to no-platform Ken requirement, and I do not think that Commission is supposed, according and denial of justice to the Bar of success with vaccination is the Loach, and St Peter’s College was it will insist on student assemblies at to the government’s consultation England and Wales and the Law product of the private sector’, and so tough-minded enough to see this which the vice-chancellor will stand paper, to produce a more hands-on Society through the ‘free market in on, and so on … one off. The government proposes up and read out the government’s regulatory operation through the free legal services’ - and in particular in The government already trailed to ‘tighten up’ the section 43 rule, favoured text about free speech speech tsar dealing with complaints relation to defamation claims. The the idea of legislating for ‘free although it does not say exactly how policy. against student unions that they have extortionate charges of barristers and speech in universities’ and ‘academic it proposes to do so. Fourth, student unions will be promoted anti-free speech operations solicitors dealing with defamation freedom’ in February.1 If what it Secondly there will be a new directly regulated by OfS. The in some way. claims operate to price both lower- now puts forward is even remotely ‘director of free speech’ within the present position is that student Fifth and finally, there is going class claimants and lower-class similar to its February proposals, it Office for Students regulatory body. unions have the rather ambiguous to be a new tort liability against defendants out of the right to their will in substance be sham legislation, Now the OfS technically already character that they are in theory universities for violation of free day in court. which serves merely to support the requires universities to lay out how charities, and as such are regulated speech duty under section 43. Thus It is, of course, not just in Tory press’s culture-wars agenda they are going to comply with section by the Charity Commission. In the a civil action for damages will lie defamation, but more generally and win favourable headlines in the 43 as a condition of their registration 1970s it used to be a fun activity in favour of people who claim to true that usually in litigation ‘deep Daily Hate Mail, without making and hence their being entitled to for rightwing law students to bring have suffered loss as a result of pockets win’ - the research has not any significant difference to what award degrees. But all that means judicial review proceedings against a cancellation: the organisers of been done in this country, but in the happens in the real world. is that universities have to submit student unions which tried to pass meetings which have been cancelled USA it turns out that it is predictable Even if the government had forms and tick boxes to show that anti-apartheid motions and such-like, and have then still had to pay who will win in public nuisance had a serious and honest intention they have a pro-free speech policy. on the ground that this was political money for rooms they have booked; cases in connection with pollution of increasing freedom of speech The new director of free speech activity which student unions are speakers who have incurred travel on the basis of who spends more. Out in universities and other HEPs, it within the office for students will be not allowed to engage in! There costs, and so on. of court, Hazel Genn’s 1987 book would be radically inconsistent to a person who will be responsible for is a curious conflict between the The background to this is that Hard bargaining4 demonstrated run a campaign in favour of no- promoting this regulatory framework idea that, on the one hand, student the courts have ruled that section 43 empirically that tort claimants platforming people like Ken Loach, and further will be responsible for unions are charities and, on the other, does not create a civil (tort) liability. in relation to industrial and road campaign against so-called ‘anti- hearing and dealing with complaints they represent student interests in This is part of a much more general accidents usually wind up settling Semitism’ (meaning merely support from students and others about negotiation with universities. In phenomenon of the courts trying for much less than the law says for the Palestinians) and demand that violation of the section 43 duty. addition, it is generally part of the to limit the scope of tort liabilities they should get for their injuries, universities adopt the “International The OfS is to be given increased culture of higher education that for breach of statutory duties. The because the ability of the defendant Holocaust Remembrance Association power to sanction universities student unions are supposed to be purpose of this general policy, which insurance companies to exhaust the definition of anti-Semitism”. which are not compliant with its autonomous bodies and not simply started in the late 19th century, is resources of the claimant’s lawyers This activity, backed by the Tory free speech instructions. But, given emanations of the university or to protect businesses against being is so effective. Again, Vince Cable’s government, is from beginning to that it already has the power to take state; and in consequence they are liable to compensate workers for wizard wheeze choked off most end a no-platforming/‘cancel culture’ away the degree-awarding powers also supposed to be the institutions breaches of the factories acts and employment tribunal applications campaign on the basis of political if there is non-compliance with the through which students learn how to later safety legislation; or neighbours by pushing the fees up so much that correctness. The political correctness section, it is not clear that ‘enhanced do politics (albeit the politics of the in relation to ‘statutory nuisances’; people could not afford it - to the in this case being that anti-Zionism powers’ will make any difference. labour bureaucracy). or ‘statutory undertakers’ like water point that finally the UK Supreme is allegedly anti-Semitism, and By analogy with similar figures, It is true that they are not companies against liability for Court struck it down as being an therefore racism, and that it therefore the ‘director of free speech’ could financially autonomous. This has failing to maintain a sufficient water abuse of the power to set fees.5 ought to be no-platformed and so on. be known as the ‘free speech tsar’ a history, connected to the issue of pressure for fire brigade use (the So my point here is that what the (like the ‘drugs tsar’), which would political action. Because student original case).3 Because there is not government proposes in creating a Proposals be a nice contradiction in terms - the unions have not been reliably a tort liability, the only remedy is tort liability is carefully designed What then are the concrete proposals February consultation paper avoided Conservative, Tory governments judicial review proceedings. There to be under the control of this which government is making this problem by calling the official have gradually attacked their is merely a right to apply for the mechanism. Tort liability as such is for legislation on ‘free speech in the “free speech champion”. practical autonomy.2 But the Charity decision to be quashed by the court necessarily controlled by the use of universities’? The background Thirdly, there will be tighter Commission, while promoting - useless after a meeting has been legal fees to choke off or facilitate context is that already - by virtue regulation of universities’ free speech “independent” trustee arrangements cancelled, for instance. So creating access to justice. We can see that of the Education (No2) Act, 1986, policies: ie, a body of text prescribed and lawyer control of student a new tort liability is supposed to be also in relation to the Labour Party’s section 43 - universities and other by the OfS to be compulsory in union decisions, has been relatively beneficial from the point of view of disciplinary proceedings in the ‘anti- institutions of higher education are university free speech policies. The hands-off in practice - reflecting deterring anti-free speech decisions. Semitism’ campaigns, where the under a statutory duty to secure OfS already requires universities to the underlying conflict between How will a tort liability be litigation brought by supporters of and promote freedom of speech on tell students about their free speech charity status, and representative and enforced? In theory, if it is for a small the witch-hunt has been heard very campus. This section can indeed policies every year; HEPs merely put political-training purposes. Bringing amount of money, it can be brought rapidly and this has been backed up help put backbone in university them on websites. The government student unions under the remit of in the small claims court, but it is by no doubt very substantial sums weekly worker 1353 June 24 2021 7

of money spent on litigation. The background to the fact that under ‘within the law’, without proposals continuation of the press campaign reverse the Blair-era (and possibly people who are penalised, on the the Gordon Brown administration to restore the range of permitted against the Inner London Education some of the Thatcher-era) expansion other hand, had much less time (and the Equality Act, which generalised freedom of speech by cutting down Authority and the Greater London of higher education and send money). discrimination law, included a the vague limitations on it, leaves Council under Ken Livingstone, more school leavers straight into St Peter’s College saw off the definition of harassment so broad intact most of the real reasons as well as teachers using the book ‘apprenticeships’, training schemes, attempt to no-platform Ken Loach, that it is actually inconsistent with actually offered for suppressing Jenny lives with Eric and Martin etc. So we can read quite a lot in the but how many universities will be any general freedom of speech. speech in universities and other (which presented a gay male couple rightwing press at the moment about able to do that? And, if it came to Secondly - and probably equally HEPs, and puts the question wholly with a child as a family).7 how universities are a waste of money litigation with someone backed important in practice in limiting into the hands of ‘m’learned friends’ The press culture-wars character and that students would do better to by the government (as the ‘anti- freedom of speech and association and the deep pockets that pay them. of the project and the subordination get jobs and so on. In this context Semitism’ no-platform advocates in HEPs - is the ‘Prevent duty’ under of the legal changes to the Tory campaigning against universities as are), would the institution be allowed the Counterterrorism and Security Effects news management agenda can also (alleged) centres of censorship aims to spend the money to litigate? Christ Act 2015. This is a general duty The proposals are, then, designed to be illustrated by a couple of other also to silence voices which might be Church college, which is one of the on public institutions of one sort or be regulated in the interests of the current ‘Oxford stories’. The first critical of Tory policies. richer colleges in Oxford university, another to have due regard to the Conservative Party and their friends. is that Magdalen College ‘Middle has had a fight going on between need to prevent people from being But it is very questionable what effect Common Room’ (the equivalent Press v speech the dean, the head of the college, drawn into terrorism. It includes there will be beyond an additional of a student union for postgraduate My final point is this. This on the one side, and some of the HEPs, and the governing body of the level of bureaucratic paperwork students) took down their photograph phenomenon of freedom of speech academics, on the other. The Charity institution is required to have regard for university administrations and of the queen on the basis that she advocacy interplaying, in the name Commission has now intervened to to guidance issued by the home wasting court time and pseudo- is associated with recent British of bureaucratic regulation, with Tory query whether the academics have secretary when carrying out the duty. judicial bureaucratic operations in colonialism (which is, of course, press-led moral panic, illustrates a inappropriately spent the college’s We had some discussion about this the OfS. true). For the press, this was a brief point that has been made by Slavko money on litigating with the dean in Oxford, and the original proposals The section 43 commitment has scandal. The second is ‘Rhodes must Splichal, and which I have also made in relation to allegations of personal which were brought forward by the been in place since 1986. It did not fall’: there is a statue of Cecil Rhodes myself: the freedom of the press and misconduct made against him, and administration to comply with the choke off student no-platforming at the north end of Oriel College, freedom of speech are counterposed whether that expenditure might be ‘Prevent duty’ would fairly clearly campaigns then and there is no reason hidden behind netting which is there ideas.8 a breach of trust. Suppose that the have shut down Islamic society to suppose that the new scheme will to stop pigeons defecating on it. The For example, with the no- Board of Deputies of British Jews, meetings, anti-war meetings and so do so now. The underlying issue campaign against this statue began in platforming of supposed transphobes which backed the campaign to no- on, as they might potentially involve remains the contradiction between 2015-16 before fizzling out, but then by trans rights activists we are platform Ken Loach at St Peter’s, ‘drawing people into terrorism’. the claim that, on the one hand, revived last year in connection with unambiguously concerned with had actually litigated: might the Fortunately colleagues in the law student unions are charities and Black Lives Matter. The campaign campaigns supported by small Charity Commission not have said faculty were able to point out that the their financial dependence on the has been demanding the removal of minorities. Why do they impact on to the college that ‘it is your duty act does not impliedly repeal section institutions of which they are part; this statue of the infamous colonialist university bureaucracies? Why is as charity trustees to roll over and 43 of the 1986 act and certainly that and, on the other hand, their role as and armed-robber raider (backer notice taken of them? The answer comply with the demands rather than the guidance issued by the home representing student interests and as of the ‘Jameson raid’), who gave is because they are amplified by waste pounds on legal costs’? secretary in relation to the ‘Prevent training grounds in politics. his name to the white-supremacist the advertising-funded media in duty’ does not impliedly repeal The point that the proposals will ‘Rhodesia’, which eventually the interests of their funders and Within the law section 43 of the 1986 act. However, not improve free speech is not unique became Zimbabwe. in the interests of the Conservative All through the February consultation that is Oxford. I guess that an awful to me. Tory peer Lord (Daniel) Oriel has been dithering about what Party. ‘Freedom of the press’ is paper - which is now to be acted upon lot of other institutions will just have Finkelstein made the same point in to do in response to the ‘Rhodes must freedom of the concrete physical - we are concerned with freedom of complied with the home secretary’s The Times, in a comment headlined: fall’ campaign. It is historically one of and business assets of corporate speech within the law. What does guidance. But the February “A new free speech law will harm the most rightwing colleges - the last media institutions. Freedom of the this mean? In fact, the consultation consultation paper interprets the free speech” (May 19). Finkelstein, to admit women (in 1985). Back in press is not freedom of speech; it paper discusses two areas in which ‘Prevent duty’ substantially more of course, makes the point because the 1970s there was an organisation is freedom of amplified speech - speech may be said to be ‘outside narrowly than the home secretary’s he is a supporter of the ‘anti- called the ‘Oriel Reactionary freedom of the amplified speaker to the law’ and equivocates on both of guidance did. Semitism’ no-platforming and smear Caucus’, which adopted as its symbol drown out contrary points of view. them. The first is the Equality Act It should be added to the ‘Prevent campaign. But it is nonetheless valid. the SS’s double lightning bolts. A lot of the cases giving rise to the 2010 and the related ‘public-sector duty’ point that, as well as very widely By increasing reporting obligations The alumni, who are an important evidence of there being a chilling equality duty’. drawn ‘harassment’ legislation, and making actual cancellation source of income for the college, are atmosphere and so on and so forth Now in point of fact it is the there is also similarly very widely of meetings risky, it will become therefore hostile to the removal of is entirely about the amplification of Equality Act and the public-sector drawn anti-terrorism legislation: for attractive to the bureaucrats to the statue. The latest media ‘scandal’ relatively small protest movements equality duty which is the principal example, the Terrorism Acts 2001 simply decline to take bookings at arises from the fact that, because by the media and the responses of ground given for no-platforming. and 2006, passed under Blair, which the first stage or push the pricing of Oriel has yet again postponed a clear the image management bureaucrats The argument is that anti-Zionist are so widely drawn as to criminalise student-organised meetings up to the decision, around 150 academics have in university corporate management speech is anti-Semitic and in as ‘terrorism’ most of the activities of level of charges of the commercial signed an open letter saying they will of one sort and another. consequence Jewish students are Extinction Rebellion, or - for example conference business, thus shutting not give tutorials to Oriel students. But the government consultation made to feel unsafe and so permitting - hacking for any political purpose. down a lot of public meetings. Under the peculiar regime which paper has nothing to say about this anti-Zionist speech is ‘harassment’ That these acts have not been used Maybe anti-Zionist speech will prevails in Oxford. there is no breach aspect of the story about free speech contrary to section 26 (and various in this way results from the fact that be taken to be ‘unlawful’ and pro- of contract or illegality involved in and no platforming in universities. other provisions) of the Equality Act. governments have thought the result colonialist speech ‘protected’ - thus this, because everybody is contracted That is because actually this process Equally, permitting Terf speech can would be a political embarrassment Nigel Biggar - famous or infamous to supply tutorials to members of of amplification of small minority be argued to be harassment of trans and juries would be unwilling to for asserting ethical justifications for their own college. Hence the only points of view by the advertising- men and women, while permitting convict. the British empire - is a CBE on the people who are obliged to teach Oriel funded media is not in the interests the use of overt racist arguments Other forms of speech not queen’s birthday honours list, and students are Oriel tutors, so that the of knowledge or the truth, nor in constitutes harassment of black mentioned in the consultation the academics’ open letter criticising academics boycotting Oriel tuition the interests of the campaigners, students, and so on. But, equally, paper are also ‘outside the law’. him is taken by Tory ministers to be are merely exercising their freedom but simply in the interests of the permitting a black supremacist Defamation, for example, is an example of ‘harassment’. But it is of contract (which you might imagine government and Conservative Party argument could be ‘harassment’ on unlawful. But what is defamation? more likely that the proposals just do would be dear to the Tory press …). news management. The advertising- racial grounds - and, of course, when Until Robert Maxwell fell off nothing except increase box-ticking Nonetheless, this boycott has also funded media amplify some voices this stuff started with the incitement the back of a boat, to say ‘Robert paperwork, without serious practical become a cause célèbre for the Tory in order to suppress others. to racial hatred provisions of the Maxwell is a crook’ was defamation impact. press. Communists stand for freedom Race Relations Act 1965, one of the - and a there is a whole raft of other This is common to a good deal In essence what is happening of speech in general. We are equally first people convicted was the black examples of one sort or another of legislation passed in recent years. is that the Conservative Party is for the right to publish without state power advocate, ‘Michael X’. of uses of ‘gagging injunctions’ Some of it has been designed to do now trying to adopt the American control. But we have to recognise The appendix in the February 2021 adopted by various people and firms the minimum possible in the way Republican Party policy of culture that this is a fight we have to conduct consultation paper poses the question wealthy enough to afford defamation of actual change, while at the same wars. In this context, the Tories against the claims of the freedom of of speech as harassment, and says litigation to prevent speech. Speech time making good headlines for the can combine demands for freedom the advertising-funded media. Under that in the government’s view it is or publication which is in contempt Daily Hate Mail. I wrote in March of speech for conservatives with capitalist class rule, our only means only harassment under the Equality of court is also ‘outside the law’ - about the Police Crime, Sentencing demands for the preservation of of pursuing this fight is to build Act if it is targeted on a particular not merely in the case of ‘gagging and Courts Bill, against which there ‘traditions’ and ‘traditional values’ our own media. And that requires individual. That could be plausible injunctions’ then, but also in the has been a ‘Kill the bill’ campaign; (and here the Terfs can serve as ‘useful a principled mass party - which we if it were not for the fact that the case of violation of the courts’ but the reality is that the only legal idiots’, just as Andrea Dworkin and have yet to achieve l harassment crime under the Equality indefensible extensions of rights to change resulting from this bill, as far Catharine MacKinnon served as Act is unwanted conduct related to enforce non-reporting of judicial as I can see - other than wasting an ‘useful idiots’ for the Christian right [email protected] a relevant protected characteristic proceedings. awful lot of police time on making in the 1980s), with demands for the and the conduct has the purpose or So my point here is that, when completely pointless reports of suppression of anti-Zionist speech Notes effect of violating a person’s dignity the government insists that the offences of violence, which the as a figure for ‘wokism’. The ‘big 1. gov.uk/government/publications/higher- or creating an intimidating, hostile, legislation must protect freedom police would have to make in a lie’ nature of this combination does education-free-speech-and-academic-freedom. 2. wonkhe.com/blogs-sus/the-war-on-students- degrading, humiliating or offensive of speech within the law, that different form anyhow - is to abolish not, as yet, matter, and may never do unions. environment for that person. expression certainly constitutes the public nuisance liability of so. The loss of independent labour 3. Atkinson v Newcastle Waterworks (1877). Thus, the argument that there is weasel words: it does not propose polluters by requiring the offender media, by way of the right social The Conservative lord chancellor, Lord Cairns, a lot of speech which is offensive cutting down the over-broad scope of to have intended or been reckless democrats and Eurocommunists unusually sat in the Court of Appeal to rule against the claimants. to people but is not illegalised by the harassment definition, getting rid as to the actual effects of the public being persuaded that ‘good PR 4. H Genn Hard bargaining: out of court settlement 6 the provisions of the Equality Act of the ‘Prevent duty’, reducing the nuisance activity. technique’ made it unnecessary, in personal injury actions Oxford 1987. is not true. The reality is that in that courts’ powers to restrict reporting It has that character because the means that the advertising-funded 5. Discussion in my article, ‘Rhetoric and political act the term ‘harassment’ is defined of their proceedings or making point of the current bill is simply to media is less likely to get caught out realities’ (Weekly Worker August 3 2017). 6. ‘Police Bill spin’ Weekly Worker March 25. excessively broadly, because the prior clear that freedom of speech within get good headlines. The same was in its lies. And advertising-funded 7. On the legal content of section 28, see M legislation under the Protection from the law means freedom of speech true way back in the 1980s, when ‘social media’ has radically reduced Macnair, ‘Homosexuality in schools - section 28, Harassment Act 1997 did require the subject to the risk of being sued for section 28 of the Local Government the attention span of its users, so that Local Government Act 1988’ Education and the conduct to be targeted on the person defamation, but that risk of being Act 1988 prohibited local authorities the disproof of last month’s lies is Law Vol 1, pp35-39 (1989). 8. S Splichal Principles of publicity and press harassed, and in addition required sued for defamation is not a reason from ‘promoting homosexuality’. quickly forgotten. freedom Maryland 2002; M Macnair, ‘Marxism and a “course of conduct” involving why the institution should shut down This bill had no practical teeth to It is also part of the background freedom of communication’ Critique No37, 2009, more than two occasions. This is the public meetings or discussions. So it; its sole purpose was to serve as a that the Conservative Party wants to pp565-77. weekly 8 June 24 2021 1353 worker USA Build on solid foundations Socialists need a programme, but not just any old programme. Donald Parkinson of Cosmonaut magazine and the Marxist Unity Slate in the Democratic Socialists of America sets out the history and great advantages of the minimum-maximum programme n this essay, I am going to talk about and civil rights. Following the tour, following list of demands. Before press, where the working class is an important part of Marx that is Guesde travelled to London to meet exploring these demands, a certain able to freely associate. Questions often ignored: his contribution to up with Marx and Engels and draft the point must be pressed: the preamble of shutting down the capitalist press I 3 the art of political programme. programme itself in May 1880. can be understood as a maximum were secondary and contingent to the There is no lack of literature The preamble of the party programme. It represents the final goal circumstances of revolution. exploring the theories and written by Marx is one of the most of the party that will be attained after a Mentioned next is the livret - philosophical ideas of Marx. Yet effective yet to-the-point summaries period of economic reconstruction and essentially a form of bonded labour we often forget that Marx was of communist politics ever put on social transformation. It describes the that existed in France until 1890. not only a political strategist, paper. Engels himself called it “a general aim of human emancipation The livret was essentially a passport but someone who contributed to masterpiece of cogent argumentation and that this must be achieved one needed in order to change existing political movements. The rarely encountered, clearly and through the proletariat and its party employers. It took the form of a card Communist manifesto is probably succinctly written for the masses: coming to power and collectivising that listed one’s outstanding debts the most famous of his contributions I myself was astonished by this the means of production. In other and obligations to former employers, of this type, written in the midst of concise formulation.”4 Marx begins words, it proclaims the long-term goal meaning that in order to change the struggles of 1848. However, this the preamble with a simple summary of moving beyond capitalism into a employers these debts and obligations was early in Marx’s political career. of the communist thesis: “that the communist society. must first be cleared. Such a system If we want to attain an understanding emancipation of the productive class The demands that follow are both shows the backwardness of French of his most ‘mature’ political is that of all human beings without political and economic in character, capitalism - not yet able to use the contributions, a key document is the distinction of sex or race”. Right representing a minimum programme. ‘carrot’ of unemployment to control Programme of the Parti Ouvrier,1 here is a clear rebuttal of all claims These represent immediate changes the labour force and instead relying on co-written with Jules Guesde. This that Marx’s communism was only of that the party will fight for before the ‘stick’ of internal passports. document stands not only as an concern to industrial workers, refuting taking power and will collectively The abolition of the livret is then expression of the political views of in one simple phrase that Marxism is institute before taking power. While followed by the destruction of all laws the mature Marx, but as a model to mere ‘workerism’. The struggle of the taking a closer look at these demands, of the Napoleonic code that ensure not base the construction of a minimum- proletariat - the productive class under we will see two important things: only the “inferiority of the worker in maximum programme, which in my modern capitalism - is seen not as an (1) that, taken individually, they do relation to the boss”, but also those opinion is the model that today’s end in itself or related to particularist not entail a break with the capitalist that enforce the inferiority of woman socialist movement should orient interests in class society, but as a economic system; and (2) if instituted in relation to man. While these itself around. means towards the emancipation of in totality they would entail a break demands may not necessitate a break The reason I am focusing on this universal humanity. And, to make with capitalist rule over the state and with bourgeois governance, they are question is not to perform an exercise it clear, Marx emphasises the truly the establishment of the political rule nonetheless necessary. in historical archaeology, but to shed universal nature of this humanity by of the proletariat. In short, the aim of After discussing press freedom and light on modern issues regarding the clearly stating that he means humanity a minimum program is not to simply the livret, Marx and Guesde move on question of a political programme without distinction of sex or race. The create a list of reforms that a party to what is essentially an anti-clerical for today’s socialist movement. It internationalist and anti-patriarchal will fight for to gain support and demand, calling for the “Removal of is my opinion that the Programme character of Marxist politics is thus popularity, but to provide a roadmap the budget of the religious orders” of the Parti Ouvrier holds up to this made clear from the beginning. for the proletariat to seize state power and the “the return to the nation of the day as a model - not simply because The next section states the Paris Commune: provided entirely in a revolutionary break. ‘goods said to be mortmain, movable it was a Marx’s contribution after condition upon which the productive vindication This minimum-maximum format and immovable’” (citing the example his experiences with the First class can be emancipated: that is not unique to the Programme of of the Paris Commune), as well as International and the Paris Commune, “they are in possession of the means words, only the proletariat as a class the Parti Ouvrier. As Jack Conrad the “suppression of the public debt”. but also because its minimum- of production”. This may sound will be compelled through a struggle to has pointed out, it can be found in These demands are both inspired maximum structure is superior to other straightforward from our standpoint, take hold of the means of production, the Communist manifesto, the Erfurt by the example of the Commune programmatic methods commonly but in Marx’s time it needed to be as they have no property titles that programme and the 1902 programme and essentially compatible with a used by the socialist left today. clarified. This is why the next line of give them a stake in the maintenance of the Russian Social Democratic thoroughgoing bourgeois-democratic One such method, which I will the preamble differentiates between of the system of private appropriation. Labour Party.5 The reason for my revolution, but not necessarily examine later on, is the transitional two forms, through which the Therefore, the proletariat must particular focus on this historical demands that require a dictatorship of programme favoured by the means of production can be under organise its own political party with document is that it is a very simple the proletariat. Trotskyists at the US publication Left the possession of the producers: politics that express its needs as a class and clear expression of this format It is the next two demands that Voice, which took aim at the minimum- the individual and collective. The and not the needs of the property- that clarifies many confusions about best help us understand the nature maximum model in a recent critique. individual form is a reference to holding class. its nature if one gives it a close and of the minimum programme as the peasant and artisan, who own This does not mean that only attentive reading, particularly its not simply reformist demands to Parti Ouvrier their own means of production as proletarians can be a member of the political demands. rally the workers, but rather carry To begin, I will take a close look at individuals. This form of ownership party or that only proletarians can a revolutionary content. First is the Programme of the Parti Ouvrier. was seen as an ideal to be strived for benefit from the politics put forth. Demands the classic socialist demand for the Its origins can be found in a workers’ by the followers of Proudhon, who Peasants, intellectuals, professionals, The first demand in the political people’s militia: “abolition of standing congress eight years after the fall of the were dominant in French socialism even class traitors of the bourgeoisie section is instructive, in that it is armies and the general arming of the Paris Commune - the French Workers’ until this time. can be members. Yet when they focused on the democratic rights of people”. This is then followed by Congress of 1879 - which declared the Marx’s argument is that this form of enter the party they must leave their the working class: calling for “the commune to be the formation of an independent workers’ ownership is increasingly antiquated particular class interests at the door and master of its administration and its party and the necessity of collectivising and irrelevant with the development fight for the needs of the proletariat, Abolition of all laws over the police”. the means of production. This was of capitalism, which itself socialises even when those needs come into press, meetings and associations What is important in these demands a blow to Proudhonian trends that the means of production within the contradiction with their own class. and above all the law against the is that they would require a break had previously dominated socialism framework of private ownership The preamble then states that International Working Men’s with the existing state in France - the in France and represented the rise of and market competition. As a result, this class independent party of the Association. Removal of the livret, Third Republic that was denounced Marxist politics as an organised force. the means of production can only proletariat shall pursue its goals by that administrative control over by French radicals as “the monarchy The two main figureheads of be appropriated collectively, by all means necessary. Yet the example the working class, and of all the without the monarch”.6 Breaking Marxist (or what would come to be moving beyond the framework of given of such means is not armed articles of the code establishing down the standing army and the known as Marxist) ideas in France at private ownership in favour of social struggle or a general strike, but the inferiority of the worker in general arming of the people, coupled the time were Paul Lafargue and Jules ownership. Capitalist development universal suffrage - “transformed from relation to the boss, and of woman with the transfer of administration Guesde. Lafargue was Karl Marx’s has proletarianised the labouring the instrument of deception that it has in relation to man. and control of armed force to the son-in-law, while Guesde became the population by separating them from been until now into an instrument of commune, would have meant a leader of the newly formed Federated the means of production, developed emancipation”. It is through mass Marx and Guesde here are primarily transfer of sovereignty and a rupture Socialist Workers’ Party. Both sought the forms of labour themselves to politics, not the action of militant concerned with political freedom - the in the general form of the state. The collaboration with Marx himself be far more cooperative, and closed minorities, that the proletariat must light and air of the proletariat, without reference to the Commune makes this in writing the party programme in off the possibility of restoring small struggle as a class, and this entails which it cannot breathe. Considering clear, as Marx pointed out that the main preparation for the national legislative ownership if the current forms of contesting elections with the parties of the history of ‘actually existing lesson of the Commune was that “the election in 1881.2 production are to be maintained and the bourgeoisie. Marx was aware of the socialism’, this may be surprising for working class cannot simply lay hold The process of drafting it began improved upon. A return to individual limitations of the electoral process and some. After all, should the suppression of the ready-made state machinery, with Marx drawing up a 101-item ownership is impossible, making the knew that it was used as a legitimation of the bourgeois press not be the focus? and wield it for its own purposes”.7 questionnaire for working class only possibility for the emancipation apparatus for the bourgeoisie. Yet he Certainly, we should not allow the These minimum demands, taken as a readers of the socialist paper La of the producers to come in the form also realised that universal suffrage capitalist monopolies to hold control complete package, are therefore not Revue Socialiste. The aim of the of collective appropriation. had massive potential as a tool for the over the media as they do now. It is also mere reforms - they are a call for a questionnaire was to find information From this flows the next section proletariat that could be subverted. clear that Marx here is most concerned radical break with the existing state about the living and working of the preamble, which states the The electoral arena must not be left with the press freedom of the working and a transfer of power to the working conditions of the French proletariat need for the class independence of in the sole hands of the bourgeois, class, as he says the focus should be on class in a new democratic republic. that could help inform the drafting the proletariat and its organisation but must be contested by the workers’ laws against the International Working The radical nature of these political of demands. Guesde toured the as a political party: “collective party, bringing its politics into the Men’s Association. demands was lost on Guesde, who country to organise local and regional appropriation can arise only from the national arena. The focus here is on ensuring that saw the planks of the programme as groups, finding that most workers’ revolutionary action of the productive The preamble then ends, the working class has the capacity mere slogans to rouse the workers groups were primarily interested in class - or proletariat - organised in proclaiming that the Parti Ouvrier to govern, and in Marx’s mind this into action in the hope that they would reformist demands for greater social a distinct political party”. In other must enter into elections with a must mean the establishment of a take up a truly revolutionary struggle. weekly worker 1353 June 24 2021 9

Marx himself had no time for such tasks of the Fourth International how to achieve it. Mass actions of the changes necessary for the working to the democratisation of the state and “revolutionary phrase-mongering” and later reprinted under the title class are no substitute for this, and in class to hold power front and centre, the constitution. Loyalty to the US and emphasised the practical yet The transitional programme and the the end the transitional programme allowing us to build a majority that is constitution is a fixture in American also transitional nature of these struggle for socialism. as imagined here can only fall back aware of what it is fighting for. politics, yet a proper political demands. They were meant to provide A recent article by Nathaniel on spontaneity when pressed on how It promises no short cuts to that programme in this country would a practical roadmap for the workers’ Flakin in the Trotskyist publication its demands are actually transitional power, no false hopes that if the masses nonetheless call for its abolition and movement in taking political power, Left Voice is one example of such a toward socialism. are roused into action by radical the drafting of an explicitly socialist not mere slogans to shout in order negative comparison, taking aim at Flakin admits that the version of slogans they will create a potential constitution as the basis of a new to inspire mass strikes that would the approach of myself and comrades the minimum-maximum programme revolutionary situation. It clarifies that democratic republic. It would address throw up workers’ councils. It was in Cosmonaut magazine and the espoused by Marxist Unity is meant to revolution will see the establishment the necessity of developmental this disagreement with the empty Marxist Unity Slate in the Democratic lead to a break in the class rule of the of the workers’ democratic republic, reparations and self-determination for sloganeering of Guesde that inspired Socialists of America.10 Flakin bourgeoisie. So what is the problem? opening the path for the economic internal neo-colonies. Its economic the chronically misused statement argues that the minimum-maximum That there is no explanation of what reconstruction of society on socialist section would lay out the basic from Marx that, if this was Marxism, bifurcation was adopted due to the this transition would look like; and that lines, and that the seizure of power by socialisation of the commanding “What is certain is that I myself am immaturity of capitalism at this era, there is an arbitrary division between the proletariat is only the beginning heights of the economy, as well the need not a Marxist”.8 accepting the common understanding the minimum and the maximum. of a new stage in the class struggle for radical overhauls in infrastructure A possible source of confusion that the demands of the Programme Regarding the first objection, rather than an immediate leap into and urban planning. It would abolish as to the revolutionary nature of of the Parti Ouvrier were meant to the transition that the transitional communist society. It brings to the the current labour law regime and this programme is the nature of the be mere day-to-day reforms, which I programme espouses, between its surface the still relevant battle for institute a new labour regime based economic demands. They include hope to have demonstrated as a falsity. demands and the direct struggle for democracy and excludes revolutionary on the initiatives of workers on the things such as: the reduction in the Flakin also goes on to claim that the socialism, is illusory. It presses upon phrase-mongering and empty calls to shop floor. By refusing to only take up working day to eight hours and the minimum-maximum programme was the workers to take militant action in action. Clarity and openness must be demands that are already popular and working week to no more than six days; a cause of passivity and reformism, the hope that such action will spill the hallmark of all our movement’s therefore winnable in the immediate the responsibility of society for the and a source of the Social Democratic over into a revolutionary situation, agitation and education, and the term, the party is forced to fight for its deaf and disabled; the supervision of Party in Germany own degeneration or at least inspire mass action that minimum-maximum format best lives beliefs among the masses and explain apprentices by workers’ associations; into supporting World War I - a will produce one at a future date. The up to these ideals. the necessity of revolution rather than the abolition of inheritance above simplistic historical narrative, to say hope seems to be that transitional The minimum-maximum format, mere reform. a certain amount; the prohibition the least. demands will mobilise the workers however, is simply that: a format. We By making the minimum part of the of immigrant labour being hired at Flakin’s argument is that the into action, creating the need for cannot take programmes fossilised programme a description of the basic wages below that of French workers; minimum-maximum programme workers’ councils or soviets, which in time, and cut and paste them onto tasks the working class must perform and other demands that are essentially contains no bridge between minimum then gives the revolutionary vanguard our own political situation. Political if it is to take power, our movement is reforms. These individual demands do and maximum demands and is an opening to guide these councils in programmes need to be based on able to insert these basic questions of not necessitate a break with capitalism therefore not suitable for an era the proper direction. Such scenarios both the accumulated experience and institutional change into our agitation. as an economic system, whereas the where capitalism’s contradictions are a pipedream at best: at worst they theory of our historical movement and This will forever be preferable to an political demands taken as a whole do have developed to an intensified are attempts to trick the working class a deep understanding of the current approach that simply echoes reformist necessitate a break with the capitalist degree. The crisis of capitalism has into making revolution. political situation. In developing demands or makes calls for militant state. intensified so much that there is no The second objection - that if our such a programme today, an aspiring action that fall on deaf ears. Our The reasoning behind this is simple. time for “several decades in which the proposed programme is actually socialist movement would have to movement can tell the public with an Marx essentially saw revolution socialist movement can win political revolutionary then a minimum- embrace demands that speak to the honest and straight face the political as a two-stage process - first, the and economic concessions from the maximum division is pointless - misses current needs of workers and their and economic transformations that we proletariat is to seize political power bourgeoisie, and leave the question the fact that a socialist revolution is a existing struggles. But it would also hope to enact upon coming to power and establish the democratic republic, of socialism to the distant future”. two-stage process.12 The minimum have to include demands that may and articulate the long-term goal of and then afterward within this newly Therefore, it is necessary to raise demands, taken as a whole, are meant not be immediately popular, but are human emancipation they are meant established framework can now take demands that will somehow lead to a to establish the power of the working ‘correct’, in the sense that they are to bring us towards. up the tasks of reconstructing society revolutionary situation if taken up and class. Yet, as I clarified earlier, this is necessary measures for the working The minimum-maximum on a communist basis. The seizure of pursued by the working class. not the same as the establishment of class to take power. The aim of a programme in the spirit of the political power by the proletariat does This idea is rooted in Trotsky’s own a socialist economy. It is merely the programme should not simply be to Programme of the Parti Ouvrier not inevitably lead to the victory of transitional programme, which begins creation of a political framework that give expression to popular demands is not a wish list for the capitalist socialism. What is accomplished with by stating that the objective criteria for establishes the rule of the working from the masses, but to also inject state, but a roadmap for building a the seizure of power is the inauguration revolution have been fulfilled, leaving class and opens the possibility of revolutionary demands into mass revolutionary workers’ movement that of a new phase of the class struggle, only the subjective factor of leadership an economic transformation. Class politics. Often such demands will is conscious of what it is fighting for where the proletariat holds control to be put in place.11 This leads to an struggle does not end, but merely be in contradiction to prevailing and confident in its political aims. And over the general means of coercion. approach where what the workers enters a new stage, where the class popular consciousness, which is to be to make such a programme more than Classes still exist, the capitalist mode need is essentially better leaders struggle takes on the character of a expected. But the programme should a fantasy we must fight for the unity of production is still intact. The who will provide better slogans and movement for the abolition of classes be an educational tool that explains of the Marxist left and bring the good ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’ as a demands than those of the reformists themselves through the transformation the necessary steps for achieving a news of socialism to the masses of phrase entails the existence of classes. and Stalinists. The latter hold back the of the relations of production. The genuine socialist transformation. workers who have yet to be politically One enters a contradictory situation working class masses, who would be minimum programme corresponds Let us take the question of the police activated l where the exploited class now holds in a revolutionary situation if not for to the first stage of this process; the as an example. Popular consciousness power over the exploiters. It is only their misleadership. maximum to the second. Unless we in the United States today is very Edited version of article which first through the victory of communism Flakin uses the example of housing: believe that revolution itself will much divided on that question: some appeared in Cosmonaut in May 2021 that this contradiction can be resolved. rather than demanding public housing immediately see the creation of polls claim 67% of Americans are When writing on the Paris from the bourgeois state, a genuine communist relations of production - a opposed to abolishing or eliminating Commune, Marx argued that a general revolutionary party would call on proposal of various ultra-leftists such the police, while 43% of Americans Notes form of the proletariat in political power workers to take part in the “occupation as the obscure French pamphleteer, support transferring funds from police 1. marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1880/05/parti- 13 14 ouvrier.htm. had been uncovered by the motion of of luxury condos and office buildings Gilles Dauvé - then the separation budgets to other social services. 2. See L Derfler Paul Lafargue and the founding of history. The Commune hardly laid its to house all working class and poor of the minimum and maximum is not To programmatically address this French Marxism, 1842-1882 Massachusetts 1991, hands upon the institution of private families”, so that “Such occupations arbitrary but rather a clarification of question we cannot fall into the trap pp184-85. property. What made it revolutionary can be integrated into a plan to make the process of revolution itself. of chasing opinion polls; nor can 3. Ibid. 4. wikirouge.net/texts/en/Letter_to_Eduard_ was that it radically transformed the all housing public, administered by In the end, what the approach of we simply take up slogans from the Bernstein,_October_25,_1881. form of the state, establishing a radical renters and their representatives via Flakin amounts to is revolutionary popular movement without further 5. J Conrad, ‘Our republic’ Weekly Worker democracy that allowed the wage- direct democracy”. What organisation phrase-mongering - only with slogans consideration. A proper Marxist November 23 2006: weeklyworker.co.uk/ earning class to rise to a position of will lead such an occupation is left more radical than the ones Guesde programme would clarify the tasks of worker/650/our-republic. 6. S Bernstein, ‘Jules Guesde, pioneer of Marxism political supremacy. Measures such to the imagination - it is almost as was stuck with in the Programme the proletarian revolution in regards in France’ Science and Society No1 (1940). as the recall of delegates, the levelling if such demands are simply a way of the Parti Ouvrier. The working to the question of law enforcement, 7. K Marx Civil war in France (1871): www. of wages and the people’s militia were to rouse the workers into action class does not need radicals telling which has classically meant the marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1871/civil-war- all meant to politically expropriate the with hopes that such a struggle will them to occupy luxury condos in the abolition of the current armed forces france/ch05.htm. 8. Quoted by Engels in a Letter to Bernstein, 1882: capitalist class. organically develop into a struggle for hope that they will see the necessity in favour the arming of the working hiaw.org/defcon6/works/1882/letters/82_11_02. By placing the working class in socialism itself, when they realise that of socialism. What they need is a class through the organisation of a html. power, Marx wrote that the Commune occupations of luxury condos will not vision of the kind of changes that are popular militia. 9. Quoted in M Johnstone, ‘The Paris Commune “affords the rational medium through be tolerated by the bourgeois police. necessary to break with the political Marxists have taken up this and Marx’s conception of the dictatorship of the proletariat’ The Massachusetts Review Vol 12, No3, which the class struggle can run What we have here is essentially rule of the bourgeoisie - and a party demand because we recognise that 1971, pp447-62. through its various phases in the most a strategy of impatience - rather than that can fight for these changes in the if the working class is to genuinely 10. leftvoice.org/in-defense-of-the-transitional- rational and humane way”.9 This, using the programme as a means arena of mass politics and provide command state power through its program. combined with Engels’ comments that to unite the working class around a the organisational basis for a new own institutions it must smash the 11. See L Trotsky The death agony of capitalism and the tasks of the Fourth International (1940): the Paris Commune was an example of vision of political change, the aim is proletarian sovereignty. repressive bourgeois state apparatus “All talk to the effect that historical conditions the dictatorship of the proletariat, sets to provide slogans and tactics that will The modern Trotskyists at Left instead of hoping to wield it as an have not yet ‘ripened’ for socialism is the product the first steps of a theory of transition get the masses into action, hoping it Voice are certainly not opposed to instrument. Simply raising the slogan of ignorance or conscious deception. The objective as a class struggle itself. A state where will somehow lead to a “transition” building a workers’ party, but their of police abolition as a transitional prerequisites for the proletarian revolution have not only ‘ripened’: they have begun to get somewhat the proletariat rules is still a situation towards a genuine struggle for straw man of “several decades in demand, hoping that it will mobilise rotten. Without a socialist revolution - in the next where the proletariat exists as a class, socialism. How this transition is which the socialist movement can win the masses into a collision course historical period at that - a catastrophe threatens the and is therefore not a classless society. supposed to happen is unclear - political and economic concessions with capitalism, when they realise the whole culture of mankind. The turn is now to the It is merely the first step towards such Flakin mentions workers’ councils from the bourgeoisie” comes off as necessity of its abolition to achieve this proletariat: ie, chiefly to its revolutionary vanguard. The historical crisis of mankind is reduced to the a society, but this makes it no less of a and factory committees, suggesting a dismissal of the years of patient goal, does not provide the clarity that crisis of the revolutionary leadership” (marxists.org/ rupture with the existing social order. that perhaps the demands raised by a struggle and education that it will take a programme needs to provide. Nor archive/trotsky/1938/tp/transprogram.pdf). Trotskyist party will help lead to their to form such a party - one that has the does simply calling for the defunding 12. This is masterfully explicated in Kautsky’s Transitional formation. Even if this is true, and legitimacy to govern. of the police in favour of social excellent pamphlet The social revolution (1902): marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1902/socrev. The minimum-maximum programme, the workers are roused into action, services suffice; while it may be more 13. See G Dauvé and F Martin Eclipse and re- as exemplified by the Programme of forming workers’ councils through Today’s needs palatable to existing popular opinion, emergence of the communist movement (1974) for the Parti Ouvrier, is often negatively their struggle, their mere existence is The minimum-maximum format of it does not explain the necessary tasks a statement of this perspective: libcom.org/library/ compared to Trotsky’s transitional not an actual substitute for a working Marx’s and Guesde’s Programme that the working class must perform eclipse-re-emergence-communist-movement. 14. See eu.usatoday.com/story/news/ programme, originally titled The class majority that desires a regime of the Parti Ouvrier is suited exactly upon coming to power. politics/2021/03/07/usa-today-ipsos-poll-just-18- Death agony of capitalism and the change and has an actual roadmap for for such a task. It puts the political It is the same for questions related support-defund-police-movement/4599232001. weekly 10 June 24 2021 1353 worker IRAN Same old, same old The election of Ebrahim Raisi hardly signals a major change, writes Yassamine Mather. Yet, while the left remains confused, opposition to the regime is palpable he result of Iran’s presidential their attitude to personal freedom, and profiting from pre-existing approved by the supreme leader” - supported by Donald Trump, and elections, held on June 18, including ‘un-Islamic behaviour’. [business] activities) that is not a claim repeated in the presidential by extension was used by Raisi Tcame as no surprise. In a low In fact Raisi tried to present covered by principle 44 to the debate of June 12 2021, when he against the entire (and genuine) left turnout of just 48.8%, 62% voted himself as a ‘unity candidate’, cooperative, private or public added: “The nuclear deal should too. However, all those executed for Ebrahim Raisi, while there bringing together the two main non-governmental sectors, be implemented by a strong were already in prison, serving were an unprecedented 3.7 million factions of the regime. at the latest by the end of the government. You cannot execute| long sentences, so the claim that spoiled votes. That was more As a result (and given the fourth five-year development it” - a reference to the position of the mass murder of prisoners was than the votes for Raisi’s two support he got from the Guardian plan ...1 Abdolnasser Hemmati. necessary to save civilian lives is closest rivals: Mohsen Rezaei, Council), the result was inevitable. As I have said before, the US simply absurd. a senior conservative general, In other words, like all Shia clerics is aware that, irrespective of The slaughter took place after picked up 3.4 million - mainly Economic policies he is a supporter of capitalism and who is president in Iran, it is the eight years of war, when Iran’s from the countryside and small Historically Raisi has made the market. supreme leader who decides what Islamic Republic had been forced towns - while the only ‘reformist’ comments about Iran’s self- Regarding the current situation happens on the nuclear question. to accept a humiliating peace candidate permitted to stand, sufficiency and the ‘resistance he has said it is a mistake to blame The Biden administration is no with Saddam Hussein (at the time Abdolnasser Hemmati, received economy’ - an echo of supreme all of Iran’s economic woes on doubt keen to make negotiations supported by the west). Khomeini just 2.4 million votes. leader Ali Khamenei. In reality the sanctions imposed on the with Raisi’s foreign minister as said that signing the peace deal There are two main points to the claim that a country in debt country by the US: “Inflation short as possible, having spent the was the equivalent of “drinking draw from the election. First, as far to international organisations is one of the serious problems last few weeks finalising details poison”. So he took his revenge as I can tell, the supreme leader and and requiring World Bank and people are facing today. The price of a possible deal that is currently on political prisoners who had his allies were not too concerned International Monetary Fund of basic products has gone up being scrutinised in various nothing to do with the war. about the level of participation. approval for its economic policies considerably.” In one broadcast capitals. After Raisi’s comments, the Initial estimates of the possible (including the sensitive issue of he compared government officials spokesperson for the US state turnout were as low as 42% - and subsidies) could actually pursue blaming all problems on the US to Executioner department gave a vague reply that was before the pro-Trump such policies is just sloganeering. “a goalkeeper who lets in 17 goals Most of us remember Raisi for about Raisi’s role in political Iranian royalists and the trashy However, during the election … and then says, ‘Without me it his involvement in the mass executions - and then passed on TV station, Iran International, campaign itself Raisi did not would have been 30 goals’!” execution of Iranian political quickly to the next question. This funded by Saudi Arabia, waged a say much about a ‘resistance Raisi claims that the campaign prisoners in 1988. Thousands, surprised some Iranian reporters concerted campaign to encourage economy’ - instead, promising to against corruption he started as mainly leftwingers, were killed on and commemorators. Clearly a boycott. Their intervention end sanctions by pressing for the head of the judiciary will play a the orders of then supreme leader these people have serious illusions created an inevitable backlash Iran nuclear deal to be reinstated significant role in reviving the Ruhollah Khomeini. The final about western ‘democracy’. The - actually increasing voter (see below) and making sure Iran economy. The slight problem is execution orders were signed by US has put or kept in power some participation. Until a couple of can join the Financial Action Task that, for all his talk, he did not a commission that included Raisi of the most cruel dictators of weeks ago, when I started to Force. mention the role of religious himself, when he was deputy the last century and its attitude listen to ‘clubhouse’ meetings He made it clear that he foundations or of those close to the prosecutor general. On Monday towards Raisi will depend on state that debated the forthcoming supports privatisation, echoing supreme leader - where, according June 21, replying to a reporter interests. If the US administration elections, I had not realised how Khamenei’s approval of changes to some accounts, corruption is who asked him about the issue, can get a nuclear deal, it will many people inside Iran hate the to article 44 of the constitution, as bad as within the sections of Raisi said: “It is my honour that forget about Raisi’s past. But if it royalists and the commentators of which approved privatisation the new bourgeoisie close to the I fought against hypocrisy”, cannot or does not want to strike a Iran International. They call them in almost every sector of the ‘reformist’ faction. adding that executions were deal, it will no doubt go on about traitors and mercenaries. In those economy: On the nuclear deal, Raisi based on a “fair decision” and his role in the executions. election meetings speaker after was previously committed to were “necessary save lives”! He Unfortunately, illusion about speaker expressed revulsion at The government does not have the 2015 agreement, which went on: “In Tehran, there were western powers has permeated those who in 2019-21 were calling the right to new economic specifies that Iran must limit its 100 to 120 assassinations a day sections of the left too. When for sanctions against Iran to be activity outside [those nuclear programme in order to by the revolutionary forces ... it’s it comes to Iran’s foreign and increased! activities] listed in the beginning avoid sanctions. He said: “We my honour that I fought against regional policy, you can often The second point is that, even of principle 44. It is required will be committed to the Joint hypocrisy.” hear ‘left’ activists using exactly before the intervention of the to transfer any kind of activity Comprehensive Plan of Action as This is a reference to the the same arguments and the Council of Guardians, banning (including the continuation an agreement that was Mojahedin-e Khalq, a group same terminology as are used by various ‘reformist’ candidates, imperialism and its many media it was clear that this faction of outlets. Iran’s regional policy is the regime had come to the end ‘interventionist’, ‘adventurist’, of its political life. The online ‘dangerous for world peace’ … debates in the last few weeks I am hardly a fan of its have shown to anyone paying foreign policy, which is aimed at the slightest attention that the Ebrahim Raisi: elected from advancing sectarian Shia politics difference between the two main a short list of carefully in, for example, Iraq and Lebanon, factions has diminished: the hard- or in Syria, where support is given line Islamist ‘principlists’ are not selected candidates, the to a dictator. However, we have as conservative as they used to be, real power is not in his to express our own opinion about while the ‘reformists’, who were such issues - repeating word for never, of course, ‘radical’ in the hands. That belongs to the word BBC or CNN propaganda is first place, were trying to reconcile supreme leader just as appalling as supporting the their support for an unelected all- Tehran regime. powerful ‘supreme leader’ with We need to remind everyone ‘electioneering’. They clearly that it was the US/UK-led wars are not even as ‘reformist’ as and occupations in Afghanistan they were under the first term of and Iraq that played a significant Mohammad Khatami’s presidency role in making Iran a regional (1997-2001). power. It is imperialist aggression Of course, outgoing president that remains the main danger Hassan Rouhani was a late on a global scale. Third-world converter to ‘reformism’, having tin-pot dictatorships, such as been very much a conservative Iran’s Islamic Republic, are not in his earlier political life, and it in a position to present a serious could be argued that his second danger when it comes to regional term, marred by incompetence peace. For instance, Iran has been and corruption paved the way for unable to retaliate after successive the death of ‘reformist’ politics in Israeli attacks against its military the Islamic Republic. and nuclear plants, Nor could it In fact during the election do much after the assassination of campaign, the more you nuclear scientists, military leaders, listened to supporters of etc. It was the rise of Islamic both ‘principlists’ and State - no friend of the Islamic ‘reformists’, the more Republic - that paved the way for you followed their chaos, the rise of sectarianism and articles, the more you various Iranian interventions in came to the conclusion the region l that there were no major differences Notes between them 1. irandataportal.syr.edu/the-general-policies- - the possible pertaining-to-principle-44-of-the-constitution-of- exception being the-islamic-republic-of-iran. weekly 11 worker 1353 June 24 2021 What we TURKEY fight for n Without organisation the working class is nothing; with the highest form of organisation it is everything. n There exists no real Communist Death of an activist Party today. There are many so-called ‘parties’ on the left. In The campaign to outlaw the Kurdish opposition involves all sorts of dirty tricks. Esen reality they are confessional sects. Members who disagree with the Uslu looks behind the most recent killing prescribed ‘line’ are expected to eniz Poyraz was murdered by gag themselves in public. Either a gunman associated with the that or face expulsion. Dfar-right Grey Wolves back n Communists operate according on January 17. A Kurdish activist, to the principles of democratic Deniz, was working as a volunteer centralism. Through ongoing debate for the soft-left Peoples Democratic we seek to achieve unity in action Party (HDP) in İzmir, the third largest and a common world outlook. As city in Turkey. She was brutally long as they support agreed actions, gunned down at the party’s office in members should have the right to broad daylight. This despite the fact speak openly and form temporary that it is situated in a business centre or permanent factions. and has a regular police presence. n Communists oppose all impe- She came from a village in Mardin rialist wars and occupations but province, which has a majority- constantly strive to bring to the fore Kurdish population. The villagers the fundamental question–ending war were burnt out of their homes in early is bound up with ending capitalism. 90s. One of her uncles was crippled n following torture he suffered under Communists are internationalists. detention, while another uncle was Everywhere we strive for the closest killed. unity and agreement of working class The family migrated to the and progressive parties of all countries. Kadifekale district of İzmir, which We oppose every manifestation had become a refuge for displaced of national sectionalism. It is an Kurds. They are poor, and her father internationalist duty to uphold the has been working as a street peddler, principle, ‘One state, one party’. while her mother was recently n The working class must be employed by the HDP. Deniz herself organised globally. Without a global was named after Deniz Gezmiş - Communist Party, a Communist the Turkish revolutionary who was International, the struggle against hanged in 1972. Her two brothers capital is weakened and lacks have been detained for several years coordination. and she herself had spent months Popular protests erupt after brutal assassination n Communists have no interest in jail after taking part in a protest. apart from the working class Deniz was to appear in court on the provisional firearms licence from the İzmir, who was supposed to be one arm could be twisted by the US, as as a whole. They differ only in very day she was killed. İzmir authorities a few months ago of the leaders of CHP’s ‘left’, spoke well as by the Islamists of the Gulf recognising the importance of In 2008, when she was quite and claims he purchased the gun and about an “exchange of fire” in the countries, to accept a compromise Marxism as a guide to practice. young, Deniz was attacked while 10 bullets from a friend. It seems that HDP’s office! which includes the role of Turkey. That theory is no dogma, but at home alone, by anti-Kurdish nobody in the media has bothered to Erdoğan’s participation in the must be constantly added to and neighbours, who attempted to throw query the inconsistencies of his story. Dirty war Nato summit, as well as bilateral enriched. her from the balcony. Her father has HDP has reported its initial So summer has arrived with more meetings with his counterparts, has n Capitalism in its ceaseless also been attacked more than once findings. The assailant, it says, had bloodshed - at the same time as the produced other benefits too. When search for profit puts the future within the last couple of months. at least two armed accomplices, who bill of indictment to close down he was asked if Biden had followed of humanity at risk. Capitalism is Deniz Poyraz was by herself in had then disappeared. They had been HDP was beefed up, reshaped and up his recognition of the Armenian synonymous with war, pollution, the HDP office when she was killed. sent to attack a meeting of around 40 resubmitted to the constitutional genocide, Erdoğan replied: “Thank exploitation and crisis. As a global She was just about to eat breakfast HDP activists, which was due to take court (the original version had been god, that issue was not mentioned system capitalism can only be when the office was attacked. She place that day (but, unknown to them, found wanting in March), This at all.” And it seems that many other superseded globally. managed to call an HDP member of had been cancelled). They were time the rapporteur of the court has disputes were put into the freezer parliament to report that someone going to kill as many as possible. advised the presiding justices that the so as not to scupper Nato plans in n The capitalist class will never had broken in before she was shot The massacre was to be reported revised bill now has the necessary Afghanistan. However, Erdoğan willingly allow their wealth and in the head. When she was lying on as an intra-party fratricide, and to procedural requirements and should was forced to toe the line in Ukraine, power to be taken away by a the floor, the gunman took a photo be used as one of many excuses for be accepted. from where the withdrawal of parliamentary vote. of her and shared it on WhatsApp closing HDP down. Meanwhile, the dirty war against Turkish forces and mercenaries will n We will use the most militant with the remark, “the carrion”. He The similarity of the Deniz’s the Kurds in Turkey, Iraq and Syria be required as a prerequisite for any methods objective circumstances then tried to gain access to other killing to the killing of three Kurdish is continuing, with airborne raids, peaceful solution. allow to achieve a federal republic rooms by shooting off the locks, women activists in Paris in 2013 is aerial bombings and long-range Meanwhile, the recent easing of England, Scotland and Wales, and attempted to set the premises striking. They were shot by an MIT artillery fire. The invasion and of precautionary measures against a united, federal Ireland and a on fire. Finally he kicked her in the (national intelligence organisation) occupation of Syrian territories is the Covid pandemic, following the United States of Europe. face and emptied his magazine into agent who had infiltrated local being promoted as a regular and success of the long period of strict n Communists favour industrial her body. There were more than 30 Kurdish groups. This too was acceptable state of affairs, while the lockdown (not to mention the start unions. Bureaucracy and class bullets fired. portrayed as an intra-organisational protection of jihadists in Idlib from of the much-delayed vaccination compromise must be fought and The gunman was arrested in the feud. But the French security forces Syrian and Russian forces continues. programme), has produced a degree the trade unions transformed into HDP office, although it seems the arrested the gunman and unmasked The well-documented deployment of optimism amongst the middle schools for communism. police did not check whether or him as an MIT agent. of multinational jihadists from class. However, the rising living n not he had any accomplices. They For days neither president Recep Syria to Libya and to Karabakh costs and high unemployment Communists are champions of subsequently released the gunman’s Tayyip Erdoğan nor his minister for is apparently now just a part of a remains unabated, and any hopes of the oppressed. Women’s oppression, statement saying he had acted internal affairs, Süleyman Soylu, larger picture. They have been sent election success for Erdoğan remain combating racism and chauvinism, alone because of a personal grudge commented on Deniz’s assassination to the southern borders of Libya, dim. and the struggle for peace and against the Kurdistan Workers Party and the subsequent cover-up and especially into the Sahel region, Those in power are unable ecological sustainability are just (PKK). The press was quick to echo operation. That despite growing to the chagrin of France. They are to maintain their grip, but the as much working class questions this ‘lone wolf’ story. The police public condemnation. But eventually also in other African countries where opposition is not ready to push them as pay, trade union rights and collected the CCTV footage from Erdoğan was forced to utter a few there is a Turkish military presence - out. In this situation, it seems that the demands for high-quality health, the premises overlooking the office, words of condolence and warned or a Turkish ‘vital interest’. fascist gunmen of the Grey Wolves, housing and education. and then formatted the hard drives against “provocation”. Devlet Nowadays, following the meeting along with paramilitary jihadis, can n Socialism represents victory to delete all evidence - a trick they Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist between Joe Biden and Erdoğan be employed as useful tools to keep in the battle for democracy. It is learned from the 2007 assassination Movement Party (MHP), also during the Nato summit in Brussels, the opposition at bay. As for the left, the rule of the working class. of Hrant Dink, editor of a Turkish- spoke about the killing. The MHP a new role for Turkey is being it seems totally unable to respond Socialism is either democratic or, Armenian newspaper. Dink’s friends is a junior but important partner in discussed in the international arena. with a meaningful programme and as with Stalin’s Soviet Union, it used independent CCTV footage to Erdoğan’s ruling coalition and the It is proposed that Turkey could plan of action. turns into its opposite. refute the story the state services had gunman allegedly has links to the provide ‘security’ and ‘management’ Actually, the speech of Deniz’s n Socialism is the first stage tried to sell to the public. party. But, as you might expect, for Kabul international airport - the father after her death provides clues of the worldwide transition to Just glancing at the social media Bahçeli’s condemnations were gateway of the west into Afghanistan. as to the line of action those who communism - a system which footprint of Poyraz’s murderer shows reserved for the victim: “Let me tell Previously Turkey had shown an listen may take: knows neither wars, exploitation, he had previously been employed by you who the slain Deniz Poyraz was. interest in providing training for the money, classes, states nor nations. the ministry of health, which sent him She was a collaborator of militia Afghan security forces and army, but Come together and unite! My Communism is general freedom to occupied Syria for a time. There who dispatched those who wished now the withdrawal of Nato forces Deniz was not mine alone - she and the real beginning of human he received military training from to join the PKK to the mountains. has provided an opportunity for it is the Deniz of Kurdistan. We history. jihadists to improve the firearm skills A collaborator of militia means a to win brownie points within the owe a lot to those lions who are The Weekly Worker is licensed by he had acquired at shooting ranges. terrorist!” Nato countries (which also means resisting in the mountains. They November Publications under a Creative He claims he quit his employment by While the leader of the business opportunities for Erdoğan’s are resisting against the enemy’s Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence: the time he joined the Grey Wolves, Republican People’s Party (CHP), cronies). While the Taliban has tanks and artillery. Despite the creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ but his association with them is the main parliamentary opposition, refused to accept that any Nato force heavy toll we have paid, we still legalcode. ISSN 1351-0150. all too apparent. He received a condemned the killing, the mayor of should remain in Afghanistan, their owe them a lot l No 1353 June 24 2021 Real power lies in Westminster, not Stormont

SoWill the DUP be able runs to restore its former dominance underthe its new leader? Derek tide James is doubtful ven by the bizarre standards of January 2020, so, despite the sham This has been reflected in the shifts recent Northern Irish politics, fight and outrage of the DUP in electoral politics, which have put Ethe events of the last week at hardliners directed at Poots, the the DUP’s once dominant position Stormont take some beating: principle of the legislation was not amongst unionist voters at risk. The n The crisis over the Irish Language the real casus belli at all. Rather it continuing controversy over the Act. was anger at the way Sinn Féin had protocol and the manner in which n The midnight press conferences outmanoeuvred the DUP by going to Boris Johnson stitched up the DUP by Sinn Féin and the secretary of the British government and securing over the deal has revealed both the state for Northern Ireland, Brandon a promise that Irish language DUP’s real impotence at Westminster Lewis, announcing a deal on new legislation would be passed through and the true relationship between the language legislation. Westminster if the DUP dragged its British state and unionism. n The hurried nomination of the heels at Stormont. The irony of all This is the difficult situation Democratic Unionist Party’s Paul this - supposed Irish republicans, who facing the bold Sir Jeffrey, as he Givan and Sinn Féin’s Michelle abstain from taking their seats in a takes over the DUP leadership. O’Neill as first and deputy-first UK parliament, asking Westminster He has promised to overturn the minister respectively. to pass laws to secure their policy protocol and has even obliquely n The frenzied DUP meeting which objectives, whilst ‘loyal’ unionists threatened to collapse the executive resulted in the resignation of party Sir Jeffrey: tilting at windmills complain about London interference and provoke fresh elections in leader, Edwin Poots, followed by in the internal affairs and devolved pursuit of his strategy. A risky calls within the party for Givan to between his government and the EU, the DUP, Traditional Unionist Voice government of Northern Ireland - approach for the DUP to take, given stand down as first minister. the economic border established by (TUV), which is making the running was not lost on too many people!5 its current opinion poll rating. Even n The leadership ‘election’ that in the protocol remains very much in in the rallies against the protocol The Johnson government’s Donaldson must realise the weak the end became a coronation. place and is likely to remain so for the and gaining electoral ground at the willingness to do a deal over the hand he has been dealt. All this marked a truly chaotic foreseeable future - further extended expense of the DUP in opinion polls. Irish language to keep the Stormont The decisive factor in the months pattern of events - which, as it grace periods and sausage wars There is a certain historical justice executive up and running shows who ahead will not be the unionist unfolded at super-speed in the full notwithstanding. To the impartial that a party that built its electoral really calls the shots in Northern campaign against the protocol. As glare of the media, only served to observer it is clear that Boris Johnson base from the 1970s onwards by Ireland - and it is neither Sinn Féin ever, the fate of the unionists lies in highlight the fundamental crisis will continue to sacrifice Northern attacking ‘establishment’ unionists nor the DUP, but No10 Downing hands other than their own. It will now facing both unionism and the Ireland and the political interests of as traitors and Lundies3 is now being Street and the British state. Sinn be for the Johnson government to institutions established by the Good the DUP and other unionists to ‘get attacked by the TUV from its right Féin’s leadership pulled some decide how far it wants to continue Friday agreement. Brexit done’. with the self-same accusations of smart strokes and showed some to use Northern Irish unionists, and The DUP leadership must be Having opposed the May betrayal and backsliding! fancy footwork during last week’s their threats, as a bargaining counter hoping that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, government’s Brexit deal, which However, the dynamics shaping crisis, although, to be honest, with in British negotiations with the EU. Westminster MP and defeated obviated the need for an Irish Sea politics in Northern Ireland have opponents as poor as Edwin Poots As the ‘traditional’ unionist leadership contender, having secured border, and then apparently been changed and Allister’s hopes that the and the DUP, it would be hard for marching season draws near, what the crown without challenge, can taken in by Johnson’s promises TUV can replace the DUP and go on them to appear otherwise. Despite we may be seeing this summer is not now rally the divided ranks of the and protestations of undying to overthrow both the Good Friday dire warnings of growing unionist the triumphant parade of strength, DUP to his standard and rescue the commitment to the union, the agreement and the protocol are alienation and threats of large but rather the ragged stragglers of party from meltdown. However, DUP have been blamed by many illusory. Last week’s furore over the protests and violence, the unionist an army in disarray. Faced with the behind all the warm words of unionist and loyalist critics for their proposed Irish language legislation and loyalist campaign against the historical cul-de sac in which they welcome, his task as DUP leader and political ineptitude and their half- shows both why this is so, and how protocol has not really taken off. now find themselves, Donaldson first minister designate is a daunting hearted opposition to the protocol. the new dispensation operates to Recent protests are nothing like the would seem an unlikely saviour. The one. The DUP has plummeted in the Publicly expressed disquiet by manage and contain the fundamental mass mobilisations of the 1980s tide appears to have turned decisively polls and faces challengers both to its loyalist paramilitaries organised in divisions and contradictions at the against the Anglo-Irish agreement or against them and it seems it will take right and left.1 So is he the person for the Loyalist Communities Council heart of the Six Counties. One of the over Drumcree in the 1990s. Loyalist much more than Sir Jeffrey’s tilting the job? (LCC), some small-scale riots in criticisms levelled at Edwin Poots paramilitaries may threaten that ‘It’s at windmills to restore their old It is true that in comparison with April and over 40 demonstrations by his DUP (and other loyalist) peace or the protocol’ and talk of ascendancy l the rather wooden and maladroit against the protocol have added opponents was that in order to secure regarding the Dublin government Poots, Sir Jeffrey appears more to the pressure on the DUP.2 The support for the DUP’s nominee as ‘the enemy’, but unionists are no Notes tactically aware and even politically defenestration of Arlene Foster for first minister, Paul Givan, the longer in the powerful position they 1. irishtimes.com/news/politics/support-for- dup-falls-to-16-after-poots-election-poll- astute - although that is not saying and the similarly brutal deposition DUP leader had made far too many once were. shows-1.4572608. much in a party dominated by of Edwin Poots both point to the concessions to Sinn Féin over an Long-term deindustrialisation 2. weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1343/ghost-dancers- rather colourless apparatchiks and difficulties the party faces, and the Irish Language Act.4 Given the and the waning of local unionist- of-loyalism. narrow Protestant fundamentalists. somewhat limited options open to its symbolic significance of the Irish owned business, combined with the 3. ‘Lundy’ is a traditional unionist term for a traitor and turncoat. The original Lundy was the governor However, the solution to the political leadership. language in the perennial culture conscious strategy of the British state of Derry, who wanted to open the gates of the city bind in which the DUP currently wars and identity disputes that now under direct rule since 1972, has to the forces of the Catholic king, James II, in 1689. finds itself goes far beyond simply Crisis constitute much of what passes for fundamentally weakened unionist 4. ft.com/content/0d359513-d105-4040-bc30- the leadership. To lose two leaders in such rapid politics in Northern Ireland, two power and its ability to impose its d9425de1bb39; www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/ northern-ireland/next-dup-leader-warned-to-stop- Readers will know that, as part succession looks more than other aspects of this particular spat own political solution in the Six concessions-to-sinn-fein-by-loyalists-40555891. of Boris Johnson’s final Brexit carelessness - it suggests a seemingly need to be remembered. Counties. So behind these threats lies html. agreement with the European Union, terminal crisis for the DUP. This, The DUP had agreed to Irish a growing feeling of impotence and a 5. newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/ Northern Ireland was to remain at least, is the hope of Jim Allister, language legislation in the New sense that history is leaving unionism ben-lowry-it-seemed-barely-possible-for-the- appeasement-of-sinn-fein-to-get-even-worse-but- within the single market and be former DUP Member of the decade, new approach document, behind - a feeling given added weight somehow-it-did-3279322; belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ subject to the EU’s customs and other Legislative Assembly (MLA) and which was the basis for the by the shifting demographic balance news/northern-ireland/sinn-fein-tells-westminster- regulatory arrangements in order to now leader of a party to the right of resumption of power-sharing in in favour of the Catholic population. to-legislate-for-irish-language-40539688.html. avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. Instead, there would be an Subscribe Name:______Standing order ‘economic border’ down the middle 6m 1yr Inst. To ______Bank plc ______of the Irish Sea between Northern Address:______UK £30/€35 £60/€70 £200/€220 Ireland and Great Britain. From the Branch address ______Europe £43/€50 £86/€100 £240/€264 ______beginning, the political symbolism Rest of £65/€75 £130/€150 £480/€528 Post code ______Account name ______and implications of this Irish Sea world ______Sort code ______Account No ______border were not lost on unionists, New UK subscribers offer: and the DUP strongly opposed the 3 months for £10 ______Please pay to Weekly Worker, Lloyds A/C No 00744310 sort code 30-99-64, the sum of ______every month*/3 months* protocol at Westminster and during until further notice, commencing on ______This replaces any previous order from this account. (*delete) the 2019 general election campaign. UK subscribers: Pay by standing order and Tel:______save £12 a year. 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