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LU leadership: Despite the Corbyn floodtide it’s business as usual 2 weekly November 26 2015 1084 worker letters

Letters may have been is tug of war rather than a civil war. under Left Unity’s feet. Hence LU is now more social democratic approach will not time and recall the words of the then under- shortened because of Pulling to the right are those seeking to facing an existential crisis of purpose as its be keen about this being on the conference secretary general of the United Nations, space. Some names merge with the Corbo-movement. The right right wing follow the logic of 1945 politics. agenda, especially as the motion calls for Martti Ahtisaari, who prepared a report  may have been changed trend has been proposing various tactics, The Left Unity’s left wing has to re- the policy, if adopted, to be included in any on March 20 1991 on the effect upon Iraq from resigning and joining the Labour Party evaluate, redesign and realign as a smaller manifestos, ‘What we stand for’ statements of the most massive air bombardment Block vote to turning LU from a party into a network, to organisation with stronger politics, from or similar policy documents published by in history. In a period of four weeks, the There was a minor, slightly amusing, affiliating to Labour and no longer standing which renewed growth will inevitably the PA. But we shall see what happens on United States and its junior Nato partners fracas on Saturday afternoon at the candidates. Pulling to the left are those who come. If LU is not going to be pulled December 5. used more explosive tonnages on Iraq, a LU conference. We were in the middle recognise that politics has moved in that down Labour’s plughole, it has to make a Steve Cooke relatively small nation of 17 million people, of voting when teller Ben Lewis (of direction. A left turn means sharpening the sharp break with Labourism. Its survival Teesside than in the entire seven years of World War the Communist Platform) stopped politics and programme and drawing a clear depends on an ideological purge of all II in Europe, north Africa and Asia. proceedings. One of the members was ideological differentiation between Labour vestiges of Labourism: that is, social Not for profit In a language that conveys a dread and holding up six voting cards, he informed and LU. monarchism and left unionism. To put Comrade Nick Rogers’ article, horror rare in bureaucratic reports, Ahtissari the chair. Surely that was not on? Conference saw a concealed struggle it simply, Left Unity has to become a ‘“Revolutions in value” and capitalist wrote: “Nothing that we had seen or read Trying to use a block vote was between Labour and Scotland, which ended republican socialist party. Scotland has crisis’ (November 19), contains some had quite prepared us for the particular form none other than Leeds LU member with a good old British fudge. At the extreme- turned the improbable into the possible. interesting ideas on the subject. But I must of devastation which has now befallen the Matthew Caygill, who revels in right end of the spectrum was the call for LU Steve Freeman correct him on one point. He attributes to country. The recent conflict has wrought attacking the organised left within LU to become a pro-Labour network, securing Left Unity and Rise me a proposition he calls “Machover’s near-apocalyptic results upon the economic as “undemocratic” and “sectarian”. about 10 votes. At the opposite end was a proposition 4”: namely “Machover’s infrastructure of what had been until January Five of his friends had left conference resolution calling for realignment with the Armed militia implicit conclusion … that the LTFRP 1991 a highly urbanised and mechanised early to catch a cheap train back new Rise party in Scotland, which gained There was an interesting debate in last cannot contribute to an explanation of society. home and left their voting cards with 13 votes. The centre ground won the day by week’s meeting of Teesside People’s capitalist crisis.” “Now, most means of modern life comrade Caygill, who then attempted passing three resolutions with contradictory Assembly, with an outcome I certainly I must disclaim this attribution. I neither support have been destroyed or rendered to vote for all of them. messages. Left Unity would carry on as an didn’t expect. stated nor implied any such proposition. tenuous. Iraq has, for some time to come, This is, of course, the same Matthew independent party. But it would not stand The PA has called a national conference In fact, the article to which Nick refers - been relegated to a pre-industrial age, but Caygill who (together with his comrade candidates against Labour. “Left Unity for December 5 and each branch is ‘Saving labour or capital?’, October 6 2011 with all the disabilities of post-industrial Nick Jones) organised the division of gives up its fight with Labour” was how the invited to submit a motion for debate - was not about what he calls ‘LTFRP’ (law dependency on an intensive use of energy Leeds Left Unity branch on purely Daily Politics show headlined it. at the conference. And so, given recent of the tendential fall in the rate of profit). and technology” (UN report S/22366). political grounds. They found it In the last year the biggest challenge to the murmurs about armed-forces resistance This is evident from his explicit remark that The report describes the results of “intolerable” to continue working with ruling class was in the Scottish referendum, to a Corbyn-led Labour government and he does not think that “LTFRP is intended to indiscriminate incineration through the handful of Workers Power members which mobilised and politicised millions the speculation about a military coup in theoretically predict a long-term fall in the fuel air-bombs and weapons, which in Leeds and subsequently set up their and shook the foundations of the state. The Greece against a Syriza administration that rate of profit”. Since my article contained obliterated all means of sustenance for the own branch: Leeds North and East. referendum had its extended impact on the had (initially) promised to end austerity a specific refutation of what I described civilian population of Iraq’s major cities. Caygill also initiated a conference result of the general election and the defeat policies, I proposed that the Teesside branch explicitly as “the traditional Marxist Reservoirs and water pipes disappeared in motion (52), which, if successful, would of New Labour. It was the revolt against submit a motion advocating the abolition theoretical argument claiming to prove Iraq. Virtually all hygienic facilities were have committed LU to a McCarthyite New Labour in Scotland by the working of the standing army and the formation of that the average rate of profit has a long- decimated. Electric power ceased, leaving code of conduct, demanding that class in the ‘yes’ cities of Glasgow and a people’s militia under democratic control. term tendency to fall”, it cannot have been Iraq without the means to restore it. Neither members of minority factions “do not Dundee that gave the Tories the opportunity I thought it was important to make about what Nick calls ‘LTFRP’, which, as water nor sewage could be conveyed, as no promote the politics and practices of to defeat Miliband in England. the point that the capitalist class will he tells us, makes no such prediction. We pipelines remained, nor was there power to another organisation … in public, in So, instead of prime minister never respect the democratic mandate must have been talking about two different pump liquids. branches, in the open social media”. Miliband, we now have Jeremy Corbyn of a government that attempts to things, despite the verbal similarity. Civilian communications were Horrible, unacceptable, totally as leader of her majesty’s opposition. implement an anti-austerity programme By the way, my real view about the destroyed. Transportation for the population misdirected control-freakery. “A recipe The bigger picture has not impinged on and socialist policies - even one elected causes of the cyclic crises of capitalism - were obliterated, as were roads, bridges and for witch-hunts and a police regime”, as the thinking of Left Unity’s right wing. with majority support. It will use all which does not contradict the one proposed tunnels. Iraq, dependent upon imported Jack Conrad described it quite rightly in The strange aspect of the Left Unity the means at its disposal - legal or by Nick - is explained in my article, ‘Too food, lacked the oil revenue with which to last week’s Weekly Worker (‘Charting conference was its focus on recent events otherwise - to defeat any policies that big not to fail’ (September 5 2013). buy it. All refineries were reduced to rubble. our future’, November 19). Conference in England in the Labour Party. Perhaps threaten its privileges and power. Moshé Machover As the grain and food sheds and warehouses did not get to the motion, but I am sure that reflects a conference where 95% or I anticipated this would provoke an email were targeted and destroyed, there were it would have been voted down by a higher of delegates were from places such interesting debate in the meeting, but would simply no more foodstuffs to distribute. large majority. as London, Brighton, Wigan, Stockport, find little support among comrades and Real terrorists The same was true of medicines, Of course, one can imagine how Leeds, Birmingham and Liverpool. ultimately lose out to the other motion on the But a few days after the series of murderous pharmaceutical products, bandages, outraged the hypocritical Caygill and We have to look beyond the blinkered table, which advocated union cooperatives attacks of November 13 took the lives of antibiotics, general hospital supplies, Jones would have been if WP or the view of the English left. We have to dig as a means to strengthen ‘democracy at at least 129 people and gravely injured surgical equipment, equipment for blood Communist Platform had tried to pull a deeper into the ideological foundations work’. That motion contained broadly hundreds, the French government seized the typing, blood supplies, anaesthesia and block vote. There is some confusion as of Left Unity and re-evaluate the original supportable positions, but it was not all opportunity to wrap itself in the collective means of sterilisation, Medical treatment, to whether any of the people leaving had politics. At the founding conference in that different from the Teesside motion shroud of the victims, while - hands on as such, for the population came to an end. clarified their voting intentions with the 2013 there were three basic positions approved without dissent at the national heart, eyes raised to heaven - imperialist The banking system was destroyed. standing orders committee: Caygill says signalled by historical markers. First was conference in 2014 and therefore already rulers with the blood of millions on their No-one had the currency with which to they had, SOC member Roland Rance Labourism, identified with the 1945 Labour People’s Assembly policy. hands proclaim a ‘war upon terror’. buy whatever goods still existed. The says they hadn’t and he would have government. The second was communism A dozen people attended our meeting, It is important to examine in what these irrigation systems in the countryside advised against it, but Phil Pope says or Trotskyism, identified with the 1920 which is a slightly below average official state proclamations consist and who were obliterated. Organised agriculture, on Facebook: “I did suggest it would be foundation of the CPGB. The third was turnout, but sufficient for a decent is their real target. The ‘state of emergency’ which depended upon them, ceased to OK if they got their proxy to come and the call for a republican socialist party, meeting. Six were members of the declared by president François Hollande exist in Iraq. The international sanctions, identify them and if it was agreed by the identified with 1649 and the Levellers and Labour Party (though several had joined ordered warrantless searches and seizure even before the bombardment, had cut chair and conference.” In the end, the Diggers in the English revolution and the only recently), two in the Green Party, of any inhabitant of France, citizen or not. off Iraq from pesticides, fertilisers, feed “proxy” (Caygill) did not come to the Commonwealth of England. one Left Unity and one CPB. A couple It authorised detention without indictment, and animal vaccines. Thus, livestock SOC and conference certainly did not Left Unity rejected the Trotskyist- were also supporters of Counterfire. formal charge, notification of family, timely had been subject to epidemic disease agree. Following howls of objections communist model for the idea of a militant I explained how the people did not have recourse or the right to legal defence. and were dying en masse. from all quarters, chair Simon Hardy working class politics forged around uniting genuine democratic control over the army Its underlying political thrust was to Martii Ahtisaari wrote like a man in ruled that Caygill could only cast one democratic socialists (social democrats) and and the police, and these would be used target with arbitrary repression people or shock: “The Christian Aid Society of Great vote (the same as everyone else present). communists into one party. This idea has to undermine a left government seeking organisations opposed to the anti-working Britain calculated that at least 70,000 Iraqi Pulling this stunt did little to improve been called a ‘broad left’ or ‘halfway house’ to end austerity and challenge capitalism. class policies of the rulers themselves. The children were killed in the air bombardment. the democratic credentials of Caygill, party. In practical terms ‘communism’ is not Much of the discussion focussed on state of emergency text banned private Half of Iraq’s population is under 15. The Jones and others in this small political the official ideology or programme of the whether the motion put forward stances gatherings, public meetings, strikes, press disease and starvation so prevalent now in bloc. Earlier in the day, a point of order party, but communists were free to organise more appropriate for a ‘pre-revolutionary’ conferences and rallies. The legislation, Iraq will claim hundreds of thousands of had to be raised against them. While their own platforms. So far, so good. situation than current circumstances and already prepared, was rushed through the additional lives in the ensuing months.” the debate on the Labour Party was But then Left Unity combined this a reformist organisation like the People’s lower house, where it passed with 551 votes The Iraq of this era manifested conducted in a relatively friendly and with the ideological foundations of Assembly. However, the motion’s to six with one abstention. virtually no religious conflict. Political comradely manner, they thought it Labourism and the ‘British road to seconder and I argued that we ought to The major parliamentary groupings and organisation was not structured around prudent to loudly clap and cheer when socialism’, as represented by The spirit be arguing for what we thought would parties, including the Socialist Party and religious affiliation. Sunni and Shia any of the motions they opposed were of 45 captured in Ken Loach’s film. actually be necessary. Recent events in the Greens, marched in lock-step support intermarried and shared public activity. defeated. People in the audience started The 1945 Labour government created relation to Corbyn and Syriza had shown of this architecture of a police state. Every The systematic devastation of Iraq and to complain, but Jones for one continued a very British type of ‘socialism’, that even reformist programmes would deputy of the Left Front voted for these the fostering of ethnic and religious to clap defeated motions. symbolised by the NHS, which is face anti-democratic obstruction and measures. Listen to the instructive words conflict was externally imposed. The Finally a very annoyed Eve Turner, identified constitutionally as the social threats from the state’s security apparatus. of prime minister Manuel Valls: “This is imperial agenda for the region followed who can’t be accused of being on monarchy or Elizabethan welfare state. The proposer of the alternative motion the rapid answer of a democracy faced with an imperial plan to divide each Middle the revolutionary left of LU, raised a The Labour Party is not and has never said he supported mine too and people barbarism - the effective response when Eastern nation in turn into its ethnic and point of order to stop this uncomradely been a republican party. It is loyal to the actually changed their views during the faced with the ideology of chaos, providing religious components, based, as Abba behaviour. The chair agreed. principles of constitutional monarchy debate. There was also some appreciation the modern and effective tools with which Eban noted, upon the millet system of the Lee Rock and unionism. that it would be beneficial to have a debate to confront the terrorist threat.” Ottoman empire. Sheffield Now, two years later, it should be clear at the conference rather than a boring These words were invoked as well by This plan was set out by Oded Yinon that this 1945 plan has been torpedoed. consensus around everything. Belgian prime minister Charles Michel, in a document entitled ‘A strategy for Ideological purge First the Scottish referendum and the 2015 In the end both motions were supported who called upon parliament to allow state Israel in the 1980s’ and was taken up by Last weekend Left Unity conference took general election have seriously undermined by overwhelming, albeit not unanimous, authorities to create a “terror watch list”, US policymakers as a model for imposing place in a fairly comradely spirit despite the ‘British road to socialism’ and the majorities. We then had to decide which with those targeted by the state compelled imperial control. Nations were destroyed. the strong views on either side of the very idea of resurrecting the British social one of the two proposals we wanted to go to wear ankle bracelets. Belgian authorities Retrograde and fanatical religious factions debate. There is no doubt that the Corbyn monarchy. The general election wiped out to conference and the standing army motion added mandatory registration of all were financed, armed and set into motion movement has put real pressure on LU. Just Labour in Scotland. The Corbyn movement won by six votes to five. passenger trains and planes to a steady by imperial sponsors. Secular regimes as there is a sharpened left-right division in the Labour Party has reclaimed the ‘spirit I suspect that some of those involved in expansion of warrantless searches. from Syria to Libya were targeted for within the Labour Party, so LU is divided. It of 45’ and quite simply pulled the rug from the People’s Assembly who emphasise a Let us take a moment to go back in dismantling. BCM Box 928, London WC1N 3XX l 07704 903382 l www.weeklyworker.co.uk l [email protected] weekly 3 worker 1084 November 26 2015

The real terrorists are in power today the plight of black people to that of German declares: “... quite honestly it doesn’t matter across Europe and in the United States. Jews during the holocaust. Arguing that if Marx missed this or not”. Oh really? He The wars they engender, and the maniacal the number of young, black men dying claims that only if you have a doctrinaire CPGB podcasts religious factions they arm, sponsor and in prison, the army or of drugs was not interpretation of Marx does this matter. This Every Monday we upload a podcast commenting on the current political demonise in turn, serve primarily to terrorise accidental, Baldwin said: “Americans will, is the same argument of Ted, who thinks situation. In addition, the site features voice files of public meetings and working people from New York to London of course, deny, with horror, that they are that anyone who dares to criticise Marx other events: http://cpgb.org.uk/home/podcasts. and from Paris to Berlin. dreaming of anything like ‘the final solution’ doesn’t understand the doctrine. Ralph Schoenman - those Americans, that is, who are likely to On the one hand, David confesses that London Communist Forum email be asked. What goes on in the great, vast, my point is 100% accurate and that the Sunday November 29: No forum private hinterland of the American heart can productive forces could not have advanced Sunday December 6, 5pm: Weekly political report from CPGB Bogus only be guessed at by observing the way the without fossil fuels and that energy really is Provisional Central Committee, followed by open discussion and Contrary to what some on the left have country goes these days.” the material base for the expansion of the reading group. Calthorpe Arms, 252 Grays Inn Road, London WC1. claimed, Islamic State are not anti- Similarly, describing government productive forces. But, on the other hand, Study of Ralph Miliband’s Parliamentary socialism. This meeting: imperialist. They didn’t become big in repression against the Black Panthers, he says, if Marx was not aware of the issue ‘Introduction’. Iraq by fighting the invader, but by being Baldwin said, “Now, exactly like the this doesn’t matter. The British economist, Organised by CPGB: www.cpgb.org.uk. the most brutal proponents of a vicious, Germans at the time of the Third Reich, William Stanley Jevons, writing at the sectarian civil war. though innocent men are being harassed, same time as Marx, was aware of the role Radical Anthropology Group Bush’s illegal war facilitated IS. In Syria, jailed and murdered in all the northern of energy in the development of society An introduction to human origins where they really came to prominence, it cities, the citizens know nothing, and wish and even thought the depletion of coal Tuesday December 1, 6.45pm: ‘Are apes persons? Demanding rights is true that their massive boost came as a to know nothing, of what is happening would lead to the collapse of the industrial for our next of kin’. Speaker: Volker Sommer. Daryll Forde seminar result of western hypocrisy, when Congress around them.” Baldwin makes more of revolution - but Marx had no awareness of room, Anthropology Building, 14 Taviton Street (off Gordon Square), and parliament voted to turn its back on such analogies in the book, and a quick this issue and it doesn’t matter! London WC1 (nearest tube: Euston). Talks are free, all welcome. the Syrian revolution and ignore the mass, internet search reveals he did so frequently Marx thought modern capitalism was Organised by Radical Anthropology Group: radicalanthropologygroup.org. indescribably brutal slaughter of his own in other works as well. the result of the circulation of money, people by Assad in favour of rapprochement These comparisons are, of course, and this is why the political economy of Cinema Palestino with Iran, despite having imposed years appropriative, by the standards of those who Marxism contains no understanding of Finishes Saturday November 28, All Day: Void, Sheffield Hallam of sanctions to induce said revolution. But take offence at such things. One can quibble how fossil fuels made capitalism possible. University, City Campus, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 1WB, UK and what did IS do with their new-found fame? with the accuracy of the analogies, but I Saying it doesn’t matter is like saying it the Showroom, 15 Paternoster Row, Sheffield S1 2BX, 0114 275 7727 They land-grabbed in those parts of Syria don’t see anything wrong with Baldwin doesn’t matter if the man who built the Organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign : http://www. that had been liberated from Assad and, trying to make them. He’s establishing for house forgot the foundations. Yet this is palestinecampaign.org/events/cinema-palestino-sheffield-11th-to-28th- wherever they moved, they slaughtered the reader the utterly dire situation facing the doctrine which controls the minds of november-2015/ revolutionaries, democrats, socialists, black people in the United States. Most most communists, with the North Koreans trade unionists, workers and minorities in leftists, I believe, don’t have a problem possibly the only exception. Another Lambeth is possible the manner of the fascist shock troops of with such comparisons. It’s only when Unlike Marxists, the ruling class is Saturday November 28, 1pm to 5pm: Housing conference, Pop Mussolini in 20s Italy. human suffering is compared to animal aware of energy, because they have built a Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, London SW9. They most assuredly are anti- suffering that these analogies become truly society based on cheap oil. Now their fear of Organised by Lambeth Housing Activists: liberal, but they are definitely not anti- objectionable. peak oil has already driven them to invade a www.facebook.com/Lambeth-Housing-Activists-1423191814647676. imperialist. To suggest that IS is some As to whether comparisons between number of oil-relevant countries under the kind of response to imperialism, let human injustice and animal exploitation are pretext of the ‘war on terror’. Don’t bomb Syria alone a legitimate one, rather than a insensitive, all that can really be said is such The most important question to ask Saturday November 28, 12 noon: Protest, Downing Street, London SW1. wannabe player, would be to suggest comparisons are offensive only to those who, is what will happen when the cheap oil Organised by Stop the War Coalition: www.stopwar.org.uk. that Zionism is a justified reaction to in opposition to everything we know about runs out. The best answer is to point out Combating climate change the holocaust or that Nazi Germany was biology and evolution, believe humans how an energy crisis led to the demise Sunday November 29, 12 noon: National demonstration. Assemble anti-imperialist. Their terrorist forays are fundamentally different from animals. of feudalism. Unfortunately, trapped Park Lane, London W1, for march to Millbank, London SW1. into the west are purely for domestic More simply, the only people offended by by Marxism, most communists are Organised by Time to Act: www.timetoact2015.org. consumption as defenders of the faith, such comparisons are speciesists. And in unaware of capitalism’s impending whilst dragging that faith through the the absence of Realpolitik concerns - which energy crisis. Those who have some After the Paris attacks mud and slaughtering Muslims on an I don’t believe apply at the moment, given awareness of this issue, like Ted, Tuesday December 1, 6.30pm: Public meeting, Conway Hall, 26 Red industrial scale. how little support animalists receive from seem to think that Marxism is a magic Lion Square, London WC1. Speakers include: Tariq Ali, Salma Yaqoob IS have thrived on the bogus anti- the broader left - I don’t think there’s any talisman which can bring the oil back. and Lindsey German. tyranny of western imperialism, but also reason we should cater to speciesists. Tony Clark Organised by Stop the War Coalition: http://stopwar.org.uk. on the bogus anti-imperialism of the left, The truth is, we do enslave animals Labour supporter half of which supports Assad against the and they are suffering a holocaust at our People’s Assembly revolution, while the other half supports the hands. Over 65 billion land animals are In and out Saturday December 5, 10am to 5pm: Annual conference, Friends Islamists as some kind of understandable slaughtered every year, according to 22 people attended a forum on Europe and Meeting House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1. response to imperialist war. Farm Animal Rights Movement. To put the left held by Wakefield Socialist History Organised by People’s Assembly: www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk. David Ellis that in a bit of perspective, the Population Group on November 21. The aim was to Independent Socialists Leeds Reference Bureau estimates only 107 debate how socialists should vote in the Saturday December 5, 12 noon to 5pm: Annual general meeting, billion humans have ever lived. So if no referendum. The Meeting Place, 2 Langley Lane, Vauxhall, London SW8. Theme: There were four speakers covering a Worse suffering comparison should be made between Corbynism - debating the next steps for independent socialists. It’s an endless debate, inside and outside animal and human suffering, it’s because range of positions. Paul Bennett from the the animalist movement, whether it’s the former is infinitely worse. Socialist Party of Great Britain argued that Organised by Independent Socialist Network: acceptable to compare animal exploitation Jon Hochschartner “in and out of the EU” are “exactly the www.independentsocialistnetwork.org. to the worst human injustices, such as email same”. It would make no difference to the Zetkin’s life and letters slavery and the holocaust. Those who life of the working class. Any differences Saturday December 5, 2pm: Book launch, Room SU-GR3, University criticise such comparisons say they are Magic talisman would be “fairly marginal”. He advocated of Sheffield students union, Western Bank, Sheffield S10. With co- appropriative, and, especially in the case of David Walter’s contribution to the energy writing ‘socialism’ or ‘world socialism’ on author Ben Lewis. the slavery analogy, insensitive, as violence debate was excellent and his understanding the ballot paper. The real choice we should Organised by Left Unity Sheffield: http://leftunity.org. and oppression against marginalised people that everything relates to energy was spot on be interested in was between capitalism or is generally preceded by dehumanisation. (Letters, November 19). However, I would socialism. People’s Assembly This debate perhaps most came to like to say a few things about what may well John Westmoreland from Counterfire Saturday December 5, 10am – 5pm: Anti-austerity conference. the fore in 2003 and 2005, when People be a misunderstanding on his part. said he was for ‘Brexit’ and for a “left Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London for the Ethical Treatment of Animals While agreeing with my criticism of campaign to get out of the EU”. The EU is a Event page: http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/people_s_ launched high-profile campaigns making Ted Hankin, David says he thinks this “neoliberal dictatorship”, not a democracy. assembly_national_conference_dec_5. such comparisons. The national director ‘chicken and egg’ argument over which The EU and Nato are wedded together. Organised by the Peoples Assembly: www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/. of the Anti-Defamation League said the came first - feudalism being done in We need to “come out and build a real holocaust analogy was “outrageous, by the development of the productive internationalism”. Open Bethlehem offensive and takes chutzpah to new forces or the productive forces being Kevin Taylor from the Communist Tuesday December 8, 7pm: Screening of Leila Sansour’s documentary, heights”. In response to the slavery allowed to develop because of feudalism Workers Organisation stated that he Observer Building, 53 Cambridge Road, Hastings, East Sussex. analogy, the director of the Intelligence - is overly scholastic. And “Tony misses was against the division of workers Organised by Hastings Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Project with the Southern Poverty Law the entire dialectic point that these two along national and transnational lines. www.facebook.com/Hastings-Palestine-Solidarity- Centre said, “Black people in America things are intertwined and they are both The CWO stood for a global socialist Campaign-618273321571713. have had quite enough of being compared true.” Since I never discussed feudalism society, where production is for need, to animals without PETA joining in.” allowing the productive forces to not profit. Where the EU referendum Prevent? I’d like to address the question develop, perhaps David can explain was concerned, his advice was: “Don’t Thursday December 10, 7pm – 9pm: Public meeting to discuss of whether such comparisons are what he means. David is suggesting vote - organise instead”. governments controversial ‘Prevent’ anti-radicalisation strategy. London appropriative in a manner of which we I do not understand the relationship The final speaker, John Tummon, Interfaith Centre, Salusbury Road, London, NW6. should disapprove. Recently, reading between productive forces and relations a member of the Republican Socialist Event page: http://heyevent.uk/event/aurxn6qerglbaa/prevent- the work of James Baldwin, I was of production in a Marxist way. If Alliance, said he was for critical but protecting-our-liberty. reminded that all movements compare productive forces determine production unambiguous support for staying in. He Organised by an umbrella of organisations. themselves to struggles of time past - relations, as Marxists claim, why does backed Jeremy Corbyn’s position. We need both to confer legitimacy on themselves the ruling class need a state to enforce to defend the rights of migrants and the right Scroogenomics and establish the urgency of their cause. it, and without the state, how would they to free movement. Saturday December 19, 6pm – 11pm: Seasonal night out, comedy, For those not aware of Baldwin, he was defend these exploitative relations? There then followed a lively question against austerity. the most celebrated black writer in the No, relations of production are and discussion session which focused on Book tickets: https://www.philosophyfootball.com/scroogeonomics.html. United States of the civil rights era. determined by the class which wields the various aspects of social protection and Organised by the People’s Assembly in association with Philosophy Football, Toni Morrison could offer no higher sword. Surely people realise that without union/disability rights. supported by the RMT and FBU: www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk. praise of Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of the state capitalism would disintegrate, so The group’s next event is a meeting on the recently-published and phenomenal how can production relations be determined the Levellers and the Diggers on Saturday CPGB wills Between the world and me, when she by productive forces? February 13 at 1pm in the Red Shed, Remember the CPGB and keep the struggle going. Put our party’s name likened him to Baldwin. While understanding the important Vicarage Street, Wakefield. and address, together with the amount you wish to leave, in your will. If In No name on the street, Baldwin’s role of energy, which puts him light years Alan Stewart you need further help, do not hesitate to contact us. 1972 book, Baldwin repeatedly compares ahead of most Marxists, David then Wakefield Socialist History Group 4 weekly November 26 2015 1084 worker LEFT Unity Going nowhere fast Despite Corbyn’s victory and a dramatic loss of members, Left Unity intends to continue as if nothing has changed. Peter Manson reports on last weekend’s conference

ore than 150 comrades cooperating with the movement to post’ electoral system and partly Labour machine and Parliamentary South, which, while not calling for attended the first day of Left support him, particularly Momentum, because of the existence of the Labour Labour Party are still dominated affiliation, was for LU to constitute MUnity’s 2015 conference on it seemed it was a case of carrying on Party and its connection with the trade by reactionaries and it is our job to itself as part of a “Marxist current” Saturday November 21 - although there as before and building Left Unity on unions. defend Corbyn against both the right within the Corbyn movement. were around half that number on the virtually identical politics to those of However, he asked, “what can and the likes of the unnamed general Comrade Rogers said it could be Sunday. But the first day’s attendance Corbyn. be achieved by Labour”, which is who has talked about a coup if Labour argued that Labour was already a was slightly more than this writer was She reminded us that the Tories are dominated by the right? “Even if is elected in 2020. united front of the working class in expecting, given the sizable contingent responsible for a lot of very bad things, the Labour Party returns to social However, our aim should not “deformed form”. He warned that, that has left to join the Labour Party. but LU has “played a part” in many democracy”, it will have many be a Labour government. Corbyn’s while Corbyn was Labour’s most Unfortunately, however, the (rather exciting and successful conferences, “differences with the radical left” advisors are Keynesian, who want to leftwing leader, “programmatically diminished) faction around national day schools and demonstrations, (which he did not specify). So LU is “save capitalism from itself”, whereas he is not particularly leftwing” - secretary Kate Hudson and treasurer while internationally we have “a vital part of the political spectrum” we are for the rule of the working which is why we need to “organise as Andrew Burgin managed to win “observer status” in the European Left - part of a “radical political wave class. Comrade Conrad pointed to the Marxists” to defend him. conference to its totally inadequate, Party. So obviously we are doing very across Europe”. lessons of the Mitterand government After all the motions had ‘business as usual’ approach to Left well indeed, despite losing several Doug Thorpe from Haringey in France in 1981 and more recently been proposed, it was the turn of Unity in the aftermath of Jeremy hundred members to Labour. It is as proposed another motion welcoming of the Tsipras government in Greece: amendments, and comrade Pearson Corbyn’s election as Labour leader. though those like comrade Hudson Corbyn’s election, but proposing that “Who’s to say the same thing won’t was first up to speak in support of LU Conference voted down motions, really believe that, when the Labour LU “explore ... the possibility for happen” to Corbyn and McDonnell? continuing to stand candidates against including the one from the Communist right eventually reasserts its control, Left Unity to affiliate with the Labour Socialism is international, pro-cuts Labour right-wingers, which Platform, which called for a serious people will turn to us and LU will Party”. He expected the “main flow of continued comrade Conrad - the he said was an example of putting attitude to Labour - not least the aim become a real force. Just be patient the anti-austerity movement” to pass working class needs to capture “the “principle above tactics”. Apparently of transforming it into a force capable and wait for the inevitable … through Labour, not LU. However, commanding heights of the global it is a “principle” to oppose Labour of advancing the working class cause: After we heard a short speech while LU was “not perfect” it was “so economy” and, to start with, we need right-wingers in elections, irrespective as a permanent united front, to which from a representative of - yes - the much better than anything I’ve been to aim for “working class power of the concrete circumstances. Sounds LU itself could affiliate. European Left Party, who said that involved in for the last 30 years”. So across Europe”. As part of that aim more like dogma to me. A tiny minority of comrades - a “broad socialist left is needed it needed to continue as a party, while Labour must be transformed - not Chris Hurley then moved another including, however, principal speakers everywhere” and praised “our sister using the call to become an affiliate by ‘reclaiming’ it along the lines of amendment to the Hudson-Burgin Salman Shaheen and Pete Green, and party” in Portugal for helping to form as a tactical shield when faced with the 1945 pro-imperialist, pro-war, motion, supporting Momentum. media officer Tom Walker - wanted to a government (resistance to austerity Labour members asking why we are pro-capitalist administration, but In this context, and referring to dissolve LU into a “network”. But the is taking place, “be it in government not taking part in the real battle. into a “permanent united front of the the motion proposed by comrade motion to this effect won precisely 10 or on the streets”), the conference After this Salman Shaheen working class”. Shaheen, he said we was “not quite votes, provoking the resignation from proper began with the consideration proposed the motion that comrade Fred Carpenter moved the motion sure why we need two networks”. Left Unity of comrade Shaheen. He of all the motions and amendments on Pearson had wanted to stop us proposed by himself and Fred Leplat And Ed Potts moved an amendment was subsequently joined by national “The future of Left Unity”. discussing. This called for LU to (both are supporters of the soft-left trying to “strengthen” the same council member Edmund Potts and But first John Pearson challenged “dissolve itself as a political party Socialist Resistance), which basically motion along clearer socialist lines. two leading Independent Socialist the standing orders committee because which contests elections” and for those called for uncritical support for Ben Lewis spoke for a CP Network comrades, Nick Wrack and it had allowed the ‘network’ motion present to “reconstitute ourselves as a comrade Corbyn. Comrade Carpenter amendment to the Waltham Forest Nick Rogers. from comrades Green, Shaheen and Left Unity Network”, open to those urged LU to be “not just spectators, motion, which, while generally In her report Walker onto the agenda. He said inside and outside Labour. but actors” in a mass movement to supportable, ended with the absurd as national the motion was advocating He contended that, while previously defend the new Labour leader. He call that LU, if accepted as an affiliate, secretary, an “unconstitutional way to “the need for a party to the left of was followed by Steve McSweeney, should make it its “first priority” to Kate dissolve the party”. Instead Labour was clear”, now the “central who described himself as “a member “ensure that all Labour Party branch Hudson’s there should be “agreement priority” was to “ensure Jeremy of the organisation formerly known as meetings are fully accessible” to paid lip with all members” (no Corbyn is the next prime minister”. Workers Power” (WP has announced disabled people. Comrade Lewis service to doubt to be obtained Rather disingenuously, he claimed its dissolution and is working argued that the Labour Party is already the need through an internet vote) that this was “not a liquidationist within the Labour Party). Speaking committed to accessibility, and, to “change before such a change motion” - the “only change” would for Waltham Forest and Lambeth, anyway, surely our “first priority” the context could take place “in be that we would no longer stand in comrade McSweeney said that LU ought to be to “transform the Labour in which we accordance with the rules”. elections. In that case, as comrade “ought to seek affiliation to the Party into an instrument for working work” as a Thankfully his challenge was Thorpe later commented, why did the organisation that proclaims itself [sic] class advance and international result of Corbyn’s overwhelmingly defeated - it motion not simply state that, instead a working class party”. Norwich’s socialism”. He said that, as it stood, victory. But, apart was essential to hear and fully of calling for LU’s dissolution into motion also called for Labour to this was a good motion “undermined from defending debate all the alternatives. a network? Contradicting himself, be democratised, so that LU could by a foolish ending”. him against The leadership’s motion, comrade Shaheen said that the new affiliate. Another CP speaker, Tina Becker, the right ‘The future of Left Unity’, network would become a Labour Next we had Steve Freeman, sought to strengthen the Glasgow and was then presented by Party “pressure group like Compass proposing his motion to remodel LU South motion by adding, amongst comrade Burgin. He or Progress”. along the lines of the left-nationalist other things, the call for affiliation. emphasised that LU He concluded by saying that if Rise in Scotland. He began by saying She pointed out that LU was “losing shared “many of the his motion was not adopted LU will that he had received “a letter from many individuals” to Labour - it policies” of Corbyn “continue to fragment”. Therefore, the national secretary begging me would be much better if we aimed “as - his victory was “far from dissolving Left to resign” - he had stood against the an organisation” to work inside the “part of a new Unity, LU-backed candidate in Bermondsey party. mass struggle this in the general election - “but I’m across Europe”, motion still here”. (The reason no action As usual which he said is about could be taken against him was that After all motions and amendments was saving it”. LU’s hopeless constitution renders it on Labour and LU had been heard, taking impotent in such matters.) According the debate was opened up to the floor. to comrade Freeman, LU was set up NC member Eve Turner was typical to take us back to the ‘spirit of 45’, but of those advocating a rather apolitical, Transform instead we need to “reclaim the spirit movementist approach to supporting Presenting the Communist Platform of 1649” and follow in the footsteps Corbyn: she “totally disagreed” with motion, which called for a campaign of the Diggers and Levellers. A working inside Labour. Instead we to transform Labour into an “an central part of this is, in his eccentric should be “building a mass movement instrument for working class advance opinion, the demand to break up outside”. and international socialism”, Jack the British state - to be replaced by Tom Walker repeated comrade place Conrad spoke in support of the call separate English, Welsh and Scottish Shaheen’s assurance that their motion largely for Labour to become an “umbrella capitalist states. wanting to “dissolve” Left Unity was through organisation for all trade unions, The motion from Lambeth, moved not about “winding up or destroying” formations socialist groups and pro-working by Stuart King, called for all unions to it. They were just trying to point out like the ELP. class partisans”. LU should “seek to affiliate, while saying nothing about that it was “strategically wrong to In Britain, affiliate” to Labour. political organisations like LU, but stand against Labour”. however, Comrade Conrad said that Lenin demanded that affiliates be allowed Another CP speaker, Sarah things are was right in his description of Labour to “support other workers’ parties in McDonald, said that, while it was different as a bourgeois workers’ party - but elections as well as the LP”. However, correct to reorientate ourselves, there and the today it is a “bourgeois workers’ party comrade King said that LU “shouldn’t never had been a “golden age” when broad left of a special kind”, in that it has a stand in elections or we would be out” Labour was a party fighting for the is weaker, mass working class membership but - it would “kill the idea of affiliation working class. She also stressed Kate partly with Corbyn and John McDonnell at stone dead”. that we should oppose the aim of a Hudson: because of the very top. No longer can it be said The final motion on LU after Labour government until we had “the business the ‘first that Labour is led by “reactionaries Corbyn’s victory was proposed by majority of the people on our side” as usual past the of the worse type”. However, the Nick Rogers on behalf of Glasgow and there was a strong possibility of weekly 5 worker 1084 November 26 2015

building a successful movement of comrade Hudson herself was, very comrade Hudson, this is outrageous. anyone could be expelled at the in part to the amendment from her solidarity across Europe. conveniently, last to speak. She She contends that it should be rank- drop of a hat if it is alleged they are own Liverpool branch, some of Nick Wrack said our aim should opposed the amendment attempting and-file members who decide who “bringing the party into disrepute”. In this intersectionalism was inserted be a “communist society in the to give her motion some socialist teeth should be, say, LU’s media officer, fact, while our document lists among into the motion proposing a code of original sense” and our tactics should on the grounds that it was “an attempt even though most of them will know possible violations of discipline conduct, including a “commitment be subordinated to that objective. As to destroy its politics”! And she nothing, or next to nothing, about “behaving in a way that brings to safe spaces” and an instruction to for Left Unity, it may use the word described affiliation as a “red herring” the talents and capabilities of the discredit to the party”, it stipulates the leadership to “facilitate a party- ‘socialism’, but its policies were not - it is against Labour’s constitution, candidates for the job. that “any member of the party who is wide discussion on this issue and distinct from those of Corbyn - “a so “it’s a waste of time voting for Another thing she complained subject to disciplinary procedures has bring to next year’s conference policy distinct view is a Marxist view”. Our it”. And there we were thinking that about in the CP alternative was the the right to appeal to higher bodies proposals for safe spaces”. duty is to support Corbyn from the left the idea was to radically rewrite that absence of any “proper process to elect of the party, up to and including the against the right - it is “not enough to constitution. the NC or delegates to conference” - conference”. Comrade Farnos said Disappointing cheerlead”. In the end her motion was as if the precise procedure for taking a that our constitution was an example The only other debate of significance But a comrade from the south coast clearly passed, unamended, on a vote at conference or electing branch of democratic centralism and “I don’t was over our attitude to the in/out could not understand all this concern show of hands, but all motions and delegates needs to be laid down in the want to be in a democratic centralist referendum on the European Union. about “party politics” - instead we amendments advocating the affiliation actual constitution. Comrade Hudson party.” Turning to the CP comrades, It was gratifying that nobody in LU is should be “fighting against cuts”. of political groups were defeated. also ridiculed as “crazy” the CP he asked: “Why don’t you leave and advocating ‘out’, in line with a large The comrade said that LU had been Apart from Hudson-Burgin, the other clause that states: “Branches should make it?” part of the left, including the Socialist campaigning for Caroline Lucas: successful motions were the Socialist be kept as small as possible to allow Sarah McDonald agreed that Workers Party and Socialist Party in “In Brighton the Labour Party is Resistance-inspired call for a Corbyn maximum flexibility and maximum our proposed constitution was England and Wales. So the debate rightwing and the Green Party is on government, moved by the ‘two efficiency.” She seemed to believe democratic centralist. In fact the two was between those who want us to the left” - presumably in relation to Freds’; and - much more narrowly (69 that this meant we were advocating aspects of the phrase complement vote ‘in’ and those, like ourselves, their attitude to cuts. Stephen Hall votes to 65) - the Lambeth motion, a limit on the overall membership each other: more centralisation who advocate an active boycott. from Wigan said we should be able which, against the wishes of the numbers rather than calling for those actually means more democracy. Speaking in favour of the latter, the to stand against Labour candidates “if leadership, agreed to “temporarily members to be divided into many There must be leadership, but there CP’s James Turley pointed out that they might as well be bloody Tories”. suspend our national electoral work” small, efficient units. must also be accountability - neither the two alternatives on offer in the Another, referring to those who (Hudson-Burgin wanted to “reassess The CP’s Yassamine Mather can be achieved without centralism. referendum were equally reactionary believe Labour can be transformed, our electoral strategy”, which is not replied that, on the contrary, it is the She also argued that decisions should and we should “not endorse David said, “We dream!” quite the same thing). current labyrinthine constitution that be taken not by atomised individual Cameron’s political theatre”. We Another of LU’s four principal After this, and following is not democratic. It urgently needs members via the internet, but by should decline the invitation to speakers, Felicity Dowling, was, consultations with the standing replacing and it was a “waste of democratic gatherings following a “choose the butcher”. as expected, in support of the ‘as orders committee, comrade Hudson time” to set up another commission, full discussion. However, two ‘in’ motions were you were’ Hudson-Burgin motion: announced that, “until the national when there had been “plenty of Replying to the debate on behalf clearly carried, while amendments “Because of the Tory government council has discussed this, we will not time to make amendments” to of the CP, Jack Conrad stressed that aiming to commit Left Unity to more and more people will be moving stand in any parliamentary elections. either the current monstrosity or the LU does not have enough centralism at least “raise socialist ideas” and into politics”, she said, which is why But existing local campaigns can CP alternative. She stated that the and as a result it is often incapable “promote its distinctive socialist LU needed to remain a party, not a continue.” conference has the right to discuss of acting. He emphasised that we policy on Europe” were very “pressure group”. But Simon Hardy Commenting on this subsequently, the constitution, but “some comrades are for a mass party divided into narrowly defeated. took a different view. That motion a member of the standing orders have taken a decision” to try and stop small units, which are more capable In conclusion, it was a rather represented “business as usual” despite committee, Phil Pope, wrote on his that happening. of involving masses of people than disappointing conference, in that the favourable noises towards Corbyn. Facebook page: For her part, Terry Conway of branches with hundreds of members. LU hardly looks set to advance. Comrade Hardy could understand Socialist Resistance declared that, He pointed out that the existing With the departure of the former why some people did not want to “go The outcome of the LP debate is while “no-one would argue the present constitution stipulates that, once Workers Power comrades, along with back through the Labour mill”, but that we have suspended standing constitution is perfect”, the members the LU membership reaches 2,000, supporters of the ISN, who are also that is where the fight is now going in parliamentary elections until a “couldn’t put amendments” because conference must be organised on the intending to work within Labour, the on. He quoted The Guardian, which review of our electoral strategy people’s minds had been focussed basis of delegates. What was that two organised forces that remain are had reported that LU was going to can be carried out. As there are instead on “what’s happening in about ‘one member, one vote’ for all SR - whose comrades seemed to be go in and “help transform the Labour no parliamentary elections until British politics”. So we now need decisions? all over the place in their voting - and Party”. To which comrade Hardy’s 2020 and we have never stood to “take the time collectively” - ie, But in the end the vote on the the CP. answer was: “Yes, we will!” in a by-election, this amounts to hand the whole discussion over to a constitution commission was taken LU is sure to continue losing When it came to the movers’ doing nothing. If the NC wanted to commission. first and, when this was carried, it was members to the Labour Party, yet replies, comrade Freeman was the review our electoral strategy in the Here is Phil Pope again: ruled that the CP alternative would our attempts to give it distinctive, only one who was not really interested light of Corbyn, it could have done not be voted on and instead would be Marxist politics and a clear sense of in Labour (despite the nod in the so before this conference and got The SOC requested that the NC referred to said commission. direction were rejected. The CPGB direction of Corbyn’s victory in his any new strategy approved. form such a commission back At the beginning of day 1 comrade will discuss what conclusions we own motion). He thought it was in July, so it could report to this Dowling had complained about draw at a members’ aggregate this paradoxical that everyone in the hall conference, but there was no action the exclusion from the agenda of coming weekend l wanted to talk about Labour Party Constitution taken. Now, although everyone her latest ‘safe spaces’ motion. She democracy, but no-one was “interested Absolutely right. But the Hudson- agrees that the constitution needs admitted that it had been sent to the [email protected] in the democracy of the country”. Burgin faction do not work like that. reform, we have to wait another wrong email address two hours after That’s because the debate was about Which is why they did not propose year before anything is done about the deadline, but still described the Notes the Labour Party, Steve! But for him any amendments to LU’s absurd it. attempt to “sideline safe spaces” 1 . See ‘Huge cheers for Corbyn’ “turning to the Labour Party is a move and unwieldy constitution, which I found the manoeuvring as “a scandal”. However, thanks Weekly Worker June 25 2015. to the right”, while “politics is moving stretches to some 6,000 words, or to of Kate Hudson to ensure that no to the left”. To prove it he talked about the Communist Platform’s concise constitutional reform got debated not the thousands of working class alternative, which comes in at under slightly cynical - she first tried people who have joined Labour just 900. to get a strange interpretation of Fighting fund before and after Corbyn’s victory, Comrade Hudson once more began motion 50 adopted and when this but about the “250,000” on the June proceedings on day two with her call failed suggested that emergency demonstration called by the People’s for a constitution commission, which motions (that weren’t really Assembly (in fact there were around would drastically reduce the role of emergencies) were taken instead Big spurt 60,000 on that demonstration - and conference in determining matters of constitutional stuff. This despite hat’s more like it! After a couple second comrade was wondering very many of them had been inspired relating to the constitution. She had her being one of the few people Tof disappointing weeks, our why I didn’t mention his donation by the Corbyn campaign1). wanted this motion taken first and to see the agenda in advance of fighting fund for November picked last week (sorry - I forgot about it!), In his own reply, Jack Conrad was voted on before, for instance, the conference. up considerably last week, with a so I promised he would get pride of scathing about the Hudson-Burgin CP’s alternative was heard. Then, ... If people think the total of £457 coming in. However, place this time - and you can’t say motion. Many in Left Unity are happy according to her interpretation, the constitution needs changing, while that takes us up to £1,178, we I’m not a man of my word. to talk about the “revolution in the CP’s motion would fall, because all then, for goodness sake, suggest still need just shy of £600 in only In addition we received two workers’ movement” and the “historic constitutional proposals would have changes to it rather than choosing five days. cheques - both KD (£20) and LC opportunity” provided by Corbyn’s to go before the new commission. to ignore it when it suits your The Weekly Worker relies on (£10) added a little something victory, but what were our leaders Fortunately the SOC did not agree political objectives. donations from supporters and to their subscription. And finally proposing? An online journal, a spring with her interpretation and it was readers - the fighting fund is easily there were the same number of conference and a reassessment of our accepted that the CP proposal, plus Anyway, comrade Mather on behalf our biggest source of income. Of PayPal donations - thanks go to electoral tactics next year! But we amendments to it, could be put. So of the CP was allowed to present course, all of our team are unpaid JN (£25) and TF (£20). They were need a strategy towards Labour - and comrade Hudson spent most of her the alternative constitution, which volunteers, so we don’t have a two of our 3,611 online readers that is what the CP motion provides: speech criticising our alternative she described as “short, precise wages bill to think about. But we do last week. a strategy for transforming Labour - before it had even been moved - and practical”. She pointed to just have to cover the costs of printing, But now we need a big spurt into a weapon for socialism. Let us rather than actually arguing the case a few of the practical failings of mailing out the paper every week to take us over the line by next actively join those inside the party for a commission. the current version: the fact that the and running our office - none of Monday. Please either send your who are fighting to get rid of the right. She said that two things were NC - supposedly sovereign between them cheap! That’s why we need cheque straightaway or make Then it was the turn of Pete Green, missing from the CP proposal: first, conferences - meets only once every £1,750 every month - and why we use of the internet. Click on the who said he would be resigning as the “principle” of ‘one member, one three months and so cannot respond hope you’ll help us get there by PayPal button on our website or principal speaker if the ‘network’ vote’; secondly, the notion that all to events; the fact that there were 5pm on Monday November 30. (better still, as we don’t pay a motion was unsuccessful. He members should have the right to very few officers (and now, following Once again the biggest block commission!) transfer us your gift commented that in one way “it’s still elect national leaders and members the resignations, there will be fewer), of donations came in the form of using your online bank account. the same old Labour Party” - and then of national committees. Our because the NC has no authority standing orders, worth just under Help us get there! l added: “Except that it’s not, is it?” He alternative constitution does away to replace them. This means we £300. Thanks very much to SK, Robbie Rix did not know if the fight to change with internet voting and enshrines are “signing off democracy to four PM, ML, DT and RC for their Labour would be successful, but be the right of conference to decide people”. contributions big and small. Then Fill in a standing order form did know that “it’s not going to take upon “the numbers and composition Speaking against our alternative, there were two bank transfers (back page), donate via our place in rooms like this!” of the national council”. It stipulates: Richard Farnos said it was “a joke”. - from PM (£70) and BL (£20) website, or send cheques, The replies were taken in “The national council elects its own Who wanted “tiny, little branches”? respectively. By the way, the payable to Weekly Worker reverse order, which meant that officers and sub-committees.” For He implied that under our constitution 6 weekly November 26 2015 1084 worker Left unity A missed opportunity Left unity continues to dodge the issue of its constitution, writes Paul Demarty - except for all the others. Quite merely from the fact that we are down two what comrade Hudson’s problem principal speakers after the resignations with it is we do not know. She was, of Pete Green and Salman Shaheen - after all, a member of the ‘official’ the latter not just from his position, but CPGB, and until pretty recently of from the organisation. There is a crying the Morning Star’s Communist Party lack of accountability here. Yet the only of Britain. She left, so far as we effective constitutional proposal passed understand, not over any question of was ... to create yet another committee, the organisational regime, but over when the ones we have could barely be the CPB’s ‘sectarianism’ on Greek filled before a quarter of the membership politics (that is, the CPB’s support quietly walked this autumn. for its fraternal party, the Communist The result, as we have always Party of Greece, whereas she wanted argued, is an unworkable constitution to support Syriza). that is necessarily ignored. Towards Her specific problems with the the end of the weekend, treasurer Communist Platform’s alternative Andrew Burgin gave his financial constitution were specious in the report. “Doesn’t the constitution say extreme. It was too centralist and the accounts have to be audited?” hierarchical. It would “get rid of one comrade asked. “I know that,” ‘One member, one vote’” in favour of comrade Burgin replied, with a conferences electing the leadership. It helpless shrug. (I did not - reading that would reduce us to a “laughing stock” damnable document always brings up by declaring a preference for small a fresh surprise.) If the constitutional branches. And so on. provision that all bodies must have Comrade, this is absurd. Who wants a minimum of 50% women on them large branches? Small branches allow was honoured, there would have been comrades to rededicate themselves no conference at all - all remaining to becoming embedded within their standing orders committee members communities. They allow more were male. active participation in discussions Most of these defective features and activity at the atomic level of the were motivated, of course, by the organisation. “Do you want a branch shortcomings of soi-disant democratic of 10,000 members?” replied the CP’s centralist organisations. There cannot Jack Conrad. No - we want a branch in be an organisation in the history of the ever tower block and on every street! post-war British left that does not have The business of ‘One member, at least one embittered ex-member in one vote’ is hardly better. Our draft LU. Many will have been genuinely constitution was quite clear - the treated like dirt by their supposed supreme body in the organisation is leaders, in the name of a centralist conference, to which all leadership political regime. The instinct, then, is bodies are subordinated. While we are to go in the opposite direction. small, conference is a meeting that any But add it all together and you do member can attend; when delegate not have democracy. You have an conferences are necessary, branches organisation based on a complex web get to vote for their delegates. One of checks and balances, which can member, one vote (we note that the only function if its executive bodies current Left Unity constitution allows ignore its rules on an ad hoc basis. Kate, were Lenin and the Bolsheviks undemocratic? for delegate conferences anyway). No matter: you have the right as a As for centralism in general, we member, apparently, to ignore any here was a moment, towards the This is democracy in action. organisation turned sour on the idea defy anyone to take a brief glance at democratic decision, provided you can end of the second day of Left Unity It was hardly our finest moment, of taking up the whole of the second the chaotic internal functioning of LU put up with the ensuing ‘mediation’. Tconference, where a superficially of course; from a (some say day on discussing the constitution. So and conclude that it is too centralist. This is the worst of all possible worlds uncontroversial motion came up, and notoriously) solid, disciplined bloc, there was immediately a debate on a We cannot even expel people who - an anarchistic bureaucracy, over temporarily caused a little confusion we descended briefly into urgent, ‘non-priority’ motion (more on those straightforwardly scab on party which the membership can exercise within our ranks. deliberative babbling and confused anon) to defer all this discussion to actions like Steve Freeman. Nobody very little meaningful control. Submitted as an ‘emergency shrugs. Democracy, after all, is the a new “commission”, which would knows this better than a certain Kate The greatest failing of LU’s motion’ condemning Russia’s worst possible system, apart from all make recommendations to the next Hudson, who has been reduced to leading faction is that it knows this bombardment of Syria, it closed with the others - to cite the words of a vile, conference. Comrades may remember writing impotent letters asking him is not working, but it allows it to a call to oppose British intervention bigoted anti-democrat. Yet we have, that this is exactly how we got the politely to resign! continue. Terry Conway of Socialist in Syria. It came from Socialist in the CPGB, a functioning regime monstrous beast of a constitution we Resistance claimed that people had Resistance comrades, who last year that allows for disciplined collective have today. Better way been too busy discussing the Corbyn called for the west to intervene in action without denying anyone the Nobody who submitted the motion In fact centralism is necessary to campaign to think up amendments support of the Kurds against Islamic opportunity to exercise meaningful bothered to turn up on the Sunday, elementary democratic functioning. either to the existing constitution or to State (and were thankfully sent control over such action. however, so someone had to be found to The case of comrade Freeman is the Communist Platform’s alternative, packing); so apparently some progress This is not a regime we thought move it. With unbecoming eagerness, up particularly clear. Southwark branch which is truly ridiculous. Comrades, had been made. up ourselves, but one we pinched stepped national secretary Kate Hudson, made a democratic decision to back you had eight months to come up with Yet there was something just a bit from the great parties of the Second who instead of actually motivating one candidate in Bermondsey, at a proposals, and two years of bureaucratic off about it; it still talked as if there was International, most especially the the motion, proceeded to attack our properly constituted and hotly debated hell to give you ideas. Yet apart from some revolutionary upsurge against Social Democratic Party of Germany alternative constitution. meeting. Steve, however, had “made a one motion calling for the national Bashar al-Assad’s tyrannical regime and the Russian Social Democratic The end result was, I suppose, promise to the people of Bermondsey” secretary to have the right to summarily which needed to be protected, rather Labour Party. It is best known as as expected - the committee was to stand again in 2015, and that expel individuals (in ‘consultation’ than a war waged very clearly at this democratic centralism. duly created, the alternative draft promise was more important to him with the disputes committee), no core point between contending reactionary was defeated, and we will have at than his party duties. leadership members had any motions forces, with the partial exception of Who’s afraid of least another year to wait until we This is a snub to the comrades on the constitution. The only substantial Kurdish nationalists (whose attitude have basic rules and procedures in the branch, and a middle finger documents came from the CP. Thus we to Assad, not to mention the west, is centralism? at all fit for ongoing political to the organisation. It is a denial of lope onwards, as disorderly as we were at this point ambiguous). The motion I begin with this long excursus to better organisation. (Comrade Hudson democracy. That he continues to be before, but with yet another committee was taken in parts and one sentence address events earlier on Sunday, which bizarrely interpreted the motion as a member is a disgrace - for which, to fill somehow. To LU’s leadership, this alone was controversial (an ‘Assad saw LU finally come to discuss its only remitting the alternative draft, however, it is primarily the rest of was the lesser of two evils compared to must go!’ clause, which in a context utterly dysfunctional constitution. This rather than other minor changes to the us, not him, who are to blame. We … having more, smaller branches. that did not even mention Gulf State was an event heralded long in advance constitution; thankfully conference do not defend our democracy. We We reassert that there is a better funding of Jabhat al-Nusra and IS, - the national council decided (at our disagreed on that point, and we were cannot very well complain when way: the subordination of lower to very strongly unbalanced it.) urging) to make this year’s conference able to vote on everything, even if it it is violated by some opportunist, higher bodies, individuals to the Some of us, including your faithful a two-day affair, with the second day was unclear exactly what the effect of looking for a cheap platform for his collective; the absolute sovereignty correspondent, wanted to abstain dedicated to sorting out the constitution. passing constitutional changes would latest wheeze. of the highest body - conference; (after all, he must go, even if he is not Somewhere in the intervening be, given that we had just created a Rather than electing a just-small- the accountability of officers to the the only one); others wanted to vote months, however, the election of new committee to look at the matter). enough leadership structure at leadership and the leadership to the against. In the end, the leaders of our Jeremy Corbyn turned everything Democratic centralism rather conference, as we (again, copying more membership; full liberty of factional caucus went for a full thumbs-down. upside-down, and we in the Communist makes people blanch in LU (“This is prestigious examples) recommend, Left and other agitation; and unity in action. I grumbled, and put my hand up. My Platform were among those arguing a democratic centralist constitution!” Unity elects a vast tranche of individuals In other words: democratic will had been thwarted. My judgment that the first day should be dedicated Richard Farnos of Croydon branch on an entirely atomised basis using centralism l had been slighted. After all these years to LU’s future in the light of that event. exclaimed - “Yes,” we agreed). But internet tools - many to named positions. of loyal service to the cause ... Now comrades in other factions of the it remains, alas, the worst system How bad an idea this is can be glimpsed [email protected] weekly 7 worker 1084 November 26 2015 comment

A leadership that is disintegrating and directionless

HeadsCommissaress gives her impressions ofin Left Unity’s Novemberthe 21-22 national sand conference o … the Left Unity national a little kerfuffle to do with the chair can actually do to counter the loss of its decent culture and organisation on pleased that the decision was made conference happened over the of one of the sessions interrupting a influence and excitement that comes supporting social democrats who are to campaign for an ‘in’ vote, because Sweekend, and it was the first party contributor because she apparently was with a decrease in membership, but it is never ever going to deliver on their I doubt how effective a boycott of conference I had ever been to. not allowed to call Left Unity’s national absolutely imperative to do something, own meagre promises, let alone take the referendum would have been and Every time I give my impressions secretary by her name - a tiny objection, or else Left Unity will risk becoming any step towards socialism. It would think a campaign oriented around the on an event like this, I start by which led me to believe that it was just like one of the many Leninist splinter be much more productive to engage working class case for staying in the describing what I expected at first, an excuse for the chair to interrupt groups around: tiny, insignificant and in grassroots activism and make the EU, as opposed to caving in to the overt but in this case I can honestly say someone with whom they disagreed - uninspiring. And the very reason I argument that elections are futile and xenophobia of the ‘out’ campaign, but that I had no expectations. At all. the conference was well chaired and joined the party was precisely that meaningless. But that would be too I do think it is extremely important to As much as I wanted to sound all very, very democratic. I mean, we had it was not like one of these sects; ultra-left, wouldn’t it? clarify that our case for ‘in’ is entirely knowledgeable and prodigious and a vote on when to take our afternoon that, in contrast to the other socialist This leads into the other big different from that of the bourgeois pretend I knew everything I needed break after discovering that the coffee organisations consisting of more than problem I had, and I think this issue parties, that we do not ‘like’ the EU to, to tell you the truth, I had no idea shop closed at 3 o’clock - how much a handful of members, it seemed to is also something about which I have and that, yes, our end goal is socialism. what a party conference entailed, what more democratic can you get? The fact have a genuinely democratic and free- previously written. The fact that it An amendment which would have the voting procedures were, what the that Left Unity could succeed where the thinking culture. seems to recur, from my experience, gone some way towards doing this jargon meant (‘movers’ sounded like vast majority of socialist outfits fail - at in leftwing organisations and events of was rejected on the grounds that it was a technical breakdance term to me) or democracy - is seriously encouraging. Ultra-left? every stripe indicates that it is something “just adding the word ‘socialism’” to anything. But after spending a day at But, let’s face it, negative feedback is I am now questioning why I joined. I of a conundrum for the entire left. I our position. And why exactly is this the conference, and hearing retellings more useful to read and much more fun am not pleased, in the slightest, with the am talking about ideologically driven a bad thing? Is this not ‘doing politics of the past couple of conferences, I to write, so I am going to start discussing policies decided on at the conference criticism. The main instance of this was differently’ either? In both of the cases have a good few first impressions to the things I found objectionable or, in or, perhaps more importantly, the during a debate over the organisation I mentioned, ideas were rejected on share. Here we go again! most cases, disheartening, about the underlying themes and motives of of Left Unity and whether it should be the grounds of completely immaterial First of all, I do not want to give the conference. First of all, I got the sense these policies. The first of these, as you more centralised. As I kept saying in objections, and these immaterial impression that the conference was a let- that Left Unity was really feeling the may be anticipating, is the response exultation afterwards, I had never felt objections led to completely wrong down or badly organised or bad overall, impact of the exodus of members, to Corbyn’s election as Labour Party more Bolshevik than I did during that decisions being made, which is quite because that is not true. Apparently which happened at around the time of leader. I was not there when this was debate. The chief problem the advocates worrying. Then again, supporting there was much less heckling than there the election of a certain social democrat discussed, which may have been for of decentralisation seemed to have with social democrats is nothing new; this had been last year, which I have to say to the position of Labour leader. the best, since I would certainly have the idea of centralising Left Unity more is not ‘doing politics differently’. So it I am secretly slightly disappointed by, Normally, my reaction to the parting needed a ‘safe space’ so as not to be was that it resembled the Leninist (what seems that being different and modern since I really do love a good, heated of these members would be ‘good mortally offended by all the reformism. a terrifying word) strategy of democratic only matters when an excuse to dilute argument, but a lack of heckling could riddance’. If these ostensible socialists But I knew - and I think everyone else centralism too much. the socialism of the party is needed. also mean that the party has become want to throw their support behind yet did too - what the decision was going This is a ridiculous argument. That does not bode well. less sectarian and more - heh - united, another social democratic leader of yet to be. Left Unity is indeed going to Obviously centralisation can go awry In conclusion, last weekend’s which means we will get things done another bourgeois party with yet more become a Corbynite echo chamber. if central organs are not democratically conference was not bad, but a lot of more easily. I do also feel as though we empty rhetoric, so be it: the fewer social Apparently, the party is now going to controlled, but we were merely things disheartened me and made me got a lot done at the conference. democrats there are in socialist parties, stop running in elections, so that it can proposing making Left Unity less question, multiple times, whether I It was just my luck that I missed the the better. concentrate all its efforts on supporting of a sprawling bureaucracy, not should just quit the party and find an day of the conference when electoral But it seems that Left Unity was Corbyn and thus telling us all that next putting it under some kind of Stalinist organisation in which I would not feel matters, particularly Labour Party- feeling the pinch, both financially time it will be different and the workers management. Nor were we idolising like an ultra-leftist for supporting actual related ones, were discussed, because and otherwise. The hall was not full will not be screwed over like they were Leninist strategy, as some other groups socialist ideas. This would be hard I imagine that would have been a little and was apparently a lot calmer than under every single social democratic do: Lenin just happened to be right to do, though, because pretty much more dramatic. However, the lack of during the last couple of conferences, government in history. Well, I love about a few things, and we should not every other socialist organisation has a (so much) drama on the day I attended there motions whose movers had the ‘not running in elections’ part, but be afraid to learn from these things horrible internal culture, is stuck in the meant that everything ran smoothly, we actually left the party - presumably to … seriously. I do not want to argue because they may conflict with an past, or both. could get through a lot of motions and join Labour - and some of the people against supporting Corbyn here, image of ‘doing politics differently’. Left Unity’s lack of these things have a sensible and civil discussion, who might sometimes have voted with because I have already done that, but A similar thing happened during the means it has a lot of potential: it just which made me feel quite accomplished the Communist Platform had also left. Left Unity needs to get its collective debate on Left Unity’s European Union needs to realise it. Which, I’m afraid, it at the end of the day. And, apart from I do not know how much the party head out of the sand and stop wasting referendum policy. I am relatively has not really done yet l 8 weekly November 26 2015 1084 worker crisis Profitability and the dynamics of capitalism The faster the rise in productivity, concludes Nick Rogers, the more likely it is that the rate of profit will fall n the first article last week1 I discussed 82), the contours of the economic economy. A fully rounded discussion of the debate in Marxist economics landscape have shifted to become the LTFRP gives us the tools to model Iabout the role of Marx’s law of much more unstable, as the business real economic behaviour. the tendential fall in the rate of profit cycle returned with a vengeance. Most I suggest that, broadly speaking, (LTFRP) in cyclical capitalist crises. I recently, the very deep slump of 2008- there are five ways in which the rate outlined Moshé Machover’s critique of 09 has been followed by such a weak of profit can be raised in the face of the LTFRP, particularly his thesis that recovery that in Britain output did not capitalism’s drive to raise productivity the future trend in the rate of profit is regain its 2008 levels until 2014. Across by squeezing living labour from indeterminate. Machover argues that the United States, Europe and Japan production. capitalists strive to make savings on all unprecedentedly low interest rates  First, the distribution of the new the inputs into the production process - close to zero percent and the printing value created can be altered in favour equipment and raw materials as much of money by central banks (previously of capitalists, so that they capture more as workers - and that we cannot predict a taboo option that, according to the of it at the expense of workers: ie, the the impact of increases of productivity economic textbooks, is supposed to rate of surplus value can be raised. on the ratio of living labour to overall lead to hyperinflation) coexist with  Second, as Machover points out (and investment. prices that threaten to actually fall. The Marx concurs), the value and even the I developed a hypothesis that the next downturn in the business cycle physical quantity of constant capital savings capitalists make on the fixed- will strike economies that are already can be reduced, rebalancing the ratio capital element of constant capital - on their knees. between the investments capitalists particularly investments in machinery So, as far as the post-war history make and the new value created: ie, and equipment - add to the instability of the global economy is concerned, lowering the composition of capital. of capitalism. The profits of investors the phenomenon of decades-long  Third, new labour-intensive sectors at the beginning of the business cycle economic phases, straddling multiple can be incorporated into the economy, are progressively undermined by business cycles, which share common also lowering the composition of competitors, who invest later in the features of economic behaviour, is real capital. This may happen if a new field cycle in cheaper and more efficient enough. Many economic historians of production emerges that requires the versions of the same technology (as discern similar periods stretching back use of a greater proportion of labour a result of continual productivity to something like the 1780s, with the Explaining the downturn than the previous average. Or new increases). I proposed that this “moral first long boom of the early industrial countries may enter the world market depreciation” (as Marx termed it) revolution. It is not my intention return and made debts more difficult obsolescence suffered by investors competing on the basis of cheap (but may be critical in generating the here to discuss the relative merits to pay off. Greater economic instability early in the business cycle), is fairly less productive) labour. Alternatively, short-term, five-to-10-year business of Kondratiev’s approach (and his was the consequence. limited. the high availability of workers forced cycle acknowledged by bourgeois eponymous cycles) and that of Trotsky Kliman does not maintain that the On the other hand, when average to accept low wages (perhaps after economists and mainstream politicians in the 1920s, or Ernest Mandel’s LTFRP proves that the rate of profit profitability is already comparatively a sharp increase in unemployment) alike. The suggested mechanism is discussion of ‘long waves’ in the 1970s must fall over the long-term - the thesis low, the downturn phase of the business may delay the introduction of new a widening of the spread of the profit - let alone Paul Mason’s interpretation that Machover sets out to disprove. cycle will have much more damaging technology. rates of individual capitalists from the in his recent book.3 Whether the Kliman’s interest is in investigating the effects, with a greater number of For example, privatisations that average during the upturn phase of the transition from a period of relative role of the LTFRP in capitalist crisis. companies going bust, more workers shift labour-intensive processes, such cycle, as moral depreciation takes hold, stagnationary growth to one of relative Alan Freeman, another temporal being laid off and the contraction in as education, health and social care, with the downturn serving to narrow the expansionary growth is due to features single system interpretation (TSSI) economic output deepening. Kliman from the non-commodity-producing spread, as those capitalists with lower internal (‘endogenous’) to capitalism or theorist - in a paper that succinctly notes that Farjoun’s and Machover’s state sector to private hands lower profit rates are forced out of business whether external (‘exogenous’) shocks analyses the role of the rate of profit exposition about the spread of profit the economy-wide composition of and the technological advances of the are responsible, and then whether in post-war history and leans heavily rates represented by the average capital. The emergence of the Chinese previous period are standardised (the there is anything automatic about the on moral depreciation - is scathing (rather than the uniform profit rate that economy on the world stage in the impact of moral depreciation is thus supposed 50- or 60-year length of such about the argument that “the rate of is usually assumed) accentuates the 1980s and 90s, based on low wages temporarily blunted). ‘cycles’ or ‘waves’ (in fact, whether profit must fall for ever”. He regards impact of low or falling profitability. and generally more labour-intensive My hypothesis builds on a finding there are cycles or waves at all lasting this as a “catastrophist view” that has Those firms with profit rates below the production techniques, would have had of Machover and Emmanuel Farjoun in decades that mimic the business cycle) taken on a “millenarian form”, finding average are more likely to be tipped a similar impact. their Laws of chaos that the “standard is not my concern in these articles. I “theoretical currency in those places into absolute losses.8  Fourth, the rate at which capital turns deviation” from the average profit rate simply intend to agree with Mandel where the practical prospects for In conditions of generally low over tends to speed up over time, either during the crash of 1981 was four times (and also Mason, as it happens) that political change were weakest: namely, profitability even the upturn phase of through faster production techniques or higher than usual.2 Further analysis the rate of profit is the most important the Anglo-Saxon countries.”5 the cycle will see only relatively weak improved transport and communication of fluctuations in the distribution of determinant over any given timescale Marx himself does not discuss the economic growth. And, the more profits links. If the time from purchase of individual profit rates, testing whether as to whether economic growth is going falling rate of profit in these terms. For are directed to speculative investments inputs (both constant and variable they correlate with the business cycle, to be relatively fast or slow. And, that him a fall in the profit rate “promotes in an attempt to compensate for lower capital) to final sale of outputs shortens, and attempting to isolate the effect of being so, to assert that Marx’s LTFRP overproduction, speculations and returns on productive investment, the capitalists recover their outgoings and moral depreciation in the fluctuations, can help us explain successive turning crises”6 and he discusses the impact of more economic instability will ratchet can reinvest them in a new production would be needed to lend weight to the points in economic history. the LTFRP on the capitalist economy up. Assets and other forms of ‘fictitious cycle sooner. Over any given timescale hypothesis. The reason why the rate of profit exclusively in terms of cyclical crises. capital’ will form bubbles waiting for the same capital can be deployed over A merit of the hypothesis is that it is is the critical variable in explaining As I explained in my first article, any sign of panic (perhaps occasioned more production cycles and will make consistent with the role Marx attributed historical economic trends is quite the actual behaviour of industrial by a widening distribution of profit more profit. to the rate of profit and “revolutions in simple. There is a direct relationship capitalism over more than two hundred rates and therefore an increase in the However, the faster turnover of value” in determining the behaviour between profit and the resources years - a regular, short-term business number of capitalists experiencing capital impacts primarily on circulating of the capitalist economy: capitalism’s capitalists have available for investing cycle mapped onto longer phases of low or no profits as a result of moral capital. This plays a less important role incessant search to increase the in the growth of their businesses. The variously vigorous or more feeble depreciation) to burst and precipitate a in determining the rate of profit than productivity of labour and reduce rate of profit - the return on total capital economic performance - would not new crash. fixed capital - and, as turnover speeds constant capital inputs periodically - is the same ratio as the maximum lead us to expect a continual decline up, will form a yet smaller component checks growth and the accumulation of potential rate of accumulation - new in the rate of profit over those two of total invested capital. capital. investment as a proportion of existing centuries. Counteracting  Fifth, the distribution of surplus capital. And the rate of accumulation That is why I question Esteban factors value among different capitals may Long waves directly determines the rate of growth Maito’s findings that the global rate If profitability and its interaction with alter in such a way that some capitalists In this article I intend to demonstrate of the economy. of profit during most of the second all the other phenomena of capitalism achieve a higher rate of profit. Marx that the impact of productivity changes It is important to remember half of the 19th century was higher is the key to understanding both the discusses shareholders who are on composition of capital (best defined that the maximum potential rate of than at any point in the 20th (even regular cyclical return of crisis and satisfied with a return equal to the rate as the ratio of living labour, or new accumulation serves as a ceiling - it than the post-1945 period, which successive phases in the economic of interest. Certainly, if a portion of value created, to capital invested would be reached only if all profits saw the highest growth rates in the history of industrial capitalism, it is capital is happy to earn a lower rate of rather than the ratio of constant to were productively reinvested. The history of capitalism).7 Maito’s 19th obviously important to understand profit than the average, then the mass of variable capital that Marx deployed as actual rate of accumulation will never century growth rates do not correlate what determines the rate of profit. surplus value available for distribution a measurable proxy) remains relevant match it and, therefore, the economy with actual economic performance. This is where Marx’s LTFRP comes among the remaining capitals will be to the dynamics of capitalism. For not will never achieve its maximum His measurements for the UK, for into its own. For not only does Marx greater.9 all downturns in the business cycle are potential growth. Nevertheless, the instance, give no indication that profit uncover the way in which rises in Equally, a reduction in the capital equally destructive and not all upturns rate of profit is crucial to analysing rates contributed to the post-1873 labour productivity can depress the allocated to unproductive sectors will display the same exuberance. In the aggregate economic behaviour. long depression. Tellingly, his US rate of profit, but he examines the increase the proportion of total capital 1950s and 1960s, for instance, the Indeed it is Andrew Kliman’s profit rates, for which the best records “counteracting factors” that can that is generating surplus value. Marx business cycle was heavily dampened: contention4 that it was the lower probably exist, do substantially follow increase it. This is exactly the kind of thought that the specialisation of some recessions (officially at least two rate of profit in the 1980s and 1990s broader economic trends. dynamic (we could say dialectical) capitalists as merchants (we would successive quarters of economic compared with the post-war boom Kliman’s and Freeman’s thesis, interaction that we would expect to think in terms of wholesalers, retailers decline) were short and shallow, while (rather than any tendency for the rate of with which I agree, is that the level of underlie the complex economic history and advertising companies) and robust economic growth was quickly profit to fall yet lower over this period) the rate of profit is the decisive factor of capitalism. financiers would allow unproductive resumed. Downturns in Britain and that meant there was a smaller pot of in determining the rate of economic In chapter 14 of the third volume of but essential functions to be carried out elsewhere sometimes registered as resources to invest. This explains the growth and therefore the relative Capital, Marx identifies a total of six more efficiently and with a smaller slower growth rather than an actual fall fall in growth rates compared with the strength of the economy. When the counteracting factors. This fascinating, proportion of aggregate capital. If, on in output. post-war boom. Lower profitability economy is recording consistently but all-too-brief discussion should be the contrary, the resources allocated Since the 1970s-early 1980s decade also encouraged capitalists to resort to high growth, the impact of the business read alongside chapters earlier in the to unproductive (non-surplus value- of stagflation, which witnessed two speculative investments in an attempt cycle (driven in my hypothesis by the same volume and other discussions generating) activities has increased sharp contractions (1974-75 and 1981- to improve their individual rates of losses attributable to the technological throughout his writings on political since 1945, as many believe, this weekly 9 worker 1084 November 26 2015

counter-development will have value, nevertheless, did serve to only meaningful definition of labour civilian production after their turbo- be “no profits and no profit 20rate”. served to lower the average rate of amplify other developments. productivity. However, by reducing charged development during World However, this is a long-term prediction profit. the quantity of inputs that are required War II. War production was tightly (and a debatable one) about the fate of The relationship between the to produce each commodity, they may controlled by the state and directed capitalism and has no bearing on the counteracting factors and the rate Composition of reduce the effort and quite possibly to military (department two) output - role of the rate of profit in capitalism’s of profit is highly dynamic and capital the time involved in their production so outside the normal circuits of the cyclical crises. contradictory. Some operate over the It is the impact of those counteracting and facilitate an increase in labour reproduction of capital. Technology In contrast, using Kliman’s example, very long term - equivalent to the life- factors constraining or reversing rises productivity. that had been in phase one of its life- I find there is a continued direct cycle of capitalism. For instance, Marx in the composition of capital that are Machover makes a wider point cycle, or was just a twinkle in the eye relationship between productivity points out how the concentration and most critical to the direction of the rate about the nature of technology. He cites of a laboratory scientist, was tested and increases and the value composition of centralisation of capital can lead to of profit. To really get to grips with the the example of the rapid reduction in the matured and already falling in price by capital (and therefore an inverse relation savings in the use of constant capital.10 dynamic at play, we need to return to price (and size) of printing technology, the time capitalists were freed to invest to the rate of profit), so long as the Others have a fluctuating or cyclical Machover’s summary of capitalism’s as the hot-metal typesetting printing on a large scale after 1945. increase in the productivity of workers impact on profitability. capital-saving tendencies12 that I press gave way to the electronic photo- Machover’s second example of is maintained at a high enough pitch None of the counteracting factors discussed in the first article. printer. Actually, all technologies pass “capital-saving” technological changes in each successive production cycle. invariably work in the interests of Here it is helpful to be more through life-cycles in which their price is related to the way that productivity Only if the increase in productivity capital. Nor are capitalists aware of specific about Marx’s definition of the tends to fall and the extent to which they increases in any industry producing slackens (or temporarily halts) do profit concepts such as the composition composition of capital. Marx called the are adopted rises. As Marx explains, means of production (Marx’s department rates rise - this is the behaviour that of capital, or of the way labour- ratio of physical quantities of means “When machinery is first introduced 1), lowering the price of inputs into the Carchedi models. So, the faster the saving changes can impact on overall of production to workers the technical into a particular branch of production, rest of the economy (other department rate of continuous increase in labour profitability - the fetishistic veil composition. The ratio of constant to new methods of reproducing it more 1 industries and the consumer goods productivity across the economy (even behind which commodity production variable capital (two value categories) cheaply follow blow upon blow, and industries of department 2). The if it is concentrated in department 1), the obscures the source of profit makes was the value composition. Marx so do improvements which relate not composition of capital may rise in more likely it is that the tendency for the sure of that. defined theorganic composition in these only to individual parts and details the industry introducing the new rate of profit to fall will outstrip those Take attempts to raise the rate of terms: “I call the value composition of of the machine, but also to its whole productivity-boosting technology, but it counteracting factors that tend to raise surplus value. Workers’ hours can be capital, in so far as it is determined by construction.”16 will fall in the industries that purchase profitability. increased without a compensatory rise its technical composition and mirrors In simple terms this life-cycle its cheaper output. To be precise, the Once fixed capital is added back into in wages (absolute surplus value) or the changes in the latter, the organic could be said to involve initially the technical composition of capital (the the mix (Kliman’s example excludes wages can be forcibly reduced (below composition of capital.”13 emergence of relatively expensive actual physical quantities involved) it), moral depreciation comes into their value, as Marx says). Increasing Machover refers throughout his (and often physically bulky) prototypes across the whole economy rises, but the play, not only providing a possible wages by a smaller percentage than article solely to the organic composition that are not widely adopted, followed value composition (the values involved explanation for the short-term business the rate of inflation has this effect. A of capital. I think he means the same by the development of cheaper, more in production) falls - in the case of this cycle, but also serving over longer rise in consumer debt, with workers thing as the value composition. Kliman efficiently constructed machinery type of capital-saving change there is periods, if there is an acceleration paying more of their wages in interest means by the organic composition a and equipment that spread rapidly an inverse relationship between the in the rate of innovation, such as the payments, effectively transfers a special “constant-price” version of the through an industry (or create new technical and value compositions. information technology revolution, to portion of the new value previously value composition that has a direct ones), and finally a phase of rapid price However, the impact of the undermine existing investments and accruing to workers to the interest- and equivalent relationship with the reductions, including reductions in the effects Machover discusses are not their profitability.21 earning faction of capital and so technical composition of capital. To quantity of physical constant capital instantaneous. It takes time for the new, The fact that rapid increases in the increases economy-wide exploitation. avoid confusion, I will dispense with the and the ubiquitous distribution of the cheaper commodities to be produced productivity of labour can impact on But attempts to increase the use of the term, ‘organic composition’, technology. and sold. This is where a temporal profitability, but that there are also a extraction of surplus value from and refer only to the technical and value Machover’s description of the analysis is useful in understanding range of counteracting factors that workers by raising their productivity compositions. Kliman’s constant-price printing industry follows something what happens. In Reclaiming Marx’s can serve to raise it, gives us greater (the method most intrinsic to the value composition can usefully serve of this pattern - all information ‘Capital’ Kliman uses the corn model confidence that Marx’s analysis of the nature of capitalism) are the source as a measure of changes in the technical technologies certainly do. It is likely beloved of classical economists to dynamics of capitalism (especially in of the tendency of the rate of profit to composition: ie, the use-values that the transition from the first to the model the impact of increases in labour the disputed volume three of Capital) fall - a more productive worker will involved in production. I take the value second of these phases will involve the productivity at the level of the whole provides a solid foundation for tend to process more constant capital composition as fully measuring changes shedding of labour and an economy- economy. His purpose is to demonstrate explaining capitalism’s real behaviour. and thereby raise the composition in the values of the composition of wide increase in the technical and value that physicalist and simultaneist Given that the contradiction between of capital. Early adopters of new capital. compositions. The transition from the measures of the rate of profit both what is possible as a result of the technologies can capture a surplus Over time the value composition second to the third phases may well measure the increase in use-values as achievements of human creativity and profit from their laggard competitors, will tend to diverge markedly from the involve a fall in the technical and value a result of increases in productivity.18 what capitalism delivers is becoming but, once the technology is taken up technical composition. Marx discusses compositions, as more savings are Their rate of profit must always rise. increasingly stark, a Marxist by most capitalists, everyone’s profits this divergence: made in constant capital inputs than Once values based on labour time are economics enriched with a cogent and will tend to sink towards the average. workers. This pattern overlaps with calculated, the rate of profit (in value powerful explanation of capitalism’s The rate of profit of capital as a whole The value of the capital employed technologies in different sectors to be terms) can fall as a result of increases in crisis tendencies and the turning benefits only if the productivity today in spinning is 7/8 constant found at varying stages of evolution and labour productivity and the consequent points in its life-cycle would provide rise contributes to the production and 1/8 variable, while at the is constantly recreated. fall in the prices of outputs (measured the working class with a powerful of workers’ consumption goods. If beginning of the 18th century it was Perhaps this schema can point us in values). theoretical weapon in the struggle for the price of these commodities falls 1/2 constant and 1/2 variable. Yet towards discovering the holy grail of The point in the context of the human liberation l (because less labour is involved in in contrast to this, the mass of raw economic history: an explanation of present discussion is that Kliman is their production) and workers do not material, instruments of labour, etc the foundations of the post-war boom. measuring what happens to the rate Notes secure wage increases that reflect their that a certain quantity of spinning I think we can improve on Mandel’s of profit as a result of cheaper outputs 1 . ‘“Revolutions in value” and capitalist crisis’ increased production of use-values, labour consumes productively today thesis about a rise in the rate of surplus feeding into the next production cycle. November 19 2015. then the economy-wide rate of surplus is many hundred times greater than value - or the main alternative: a fall in In an extreme simplification, all corn 2 . E Farjoun and M Machover Laws of chaos: a probabilistic approach to political economy London value can rise. at the beginning of the 18th century. price (devaluation) of the fixed capital outputs are recycled as seed corn 1983, p174. However, Marx demonstrated The reason is simple: with the elements of production resulting from inputs into the succeeding cycle. So the 3 . N Kondratiev The long wave cycle New that an increase in the rate of surplus increasing productivity of labour, the slump of the 1930s. The latter has whole economy is devoted entirely to York 1984; L Trotsky, ‘The curve of capitalist value can only “check the fall in the the mass of means of production no effect on technical composition and, producing means of production (only development’ (1923): www.marxists.org/archive/ trotsky/1923/04/capdevel.htm; E Mandel Late profit rate”: “two workers working consumed by labour increases, therefore, can only temporarily lower department 1 exists), workers receive capitalism London 1975 and Long waves of capitalist for 12 hours a day could not supply but their value in comparison with the value composition of capital, which, no wages (the capitalists have secured development: a Marxist interpretation London 1995; the same surplus value as 24 workers their mass diminishes. Their value all things being equal, should rapidly the maximum rate of surplus value) and P Mason Postcapitalism: a guide to our future each working two hours, even if they therefore rises absolutely, but not return to its pre-slump levels. Although and all surplus value is reinvested (the London 2015. lived on air and hence scarcely need in proportion to the increase in their falls in the price of constant capital rate of accumulation equals the rate of 4 . A Kliman The failure of capitalist production 11 14 London 2012, chapter 5, pp74-101. to work at all for themselves”. But, mass. inputs (and in workers’ wages, for that profit). Highly unrealistic, but it is an 5 . A Freeman What makes the US profit rate fall in combination with other factors, matter) are part of the process by which example that allows Kliman to isolate (2009), p15: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/14147. changes in the rate of surplus value Remember that Machover specifies two capitalism overcomes downturns in the very specific effects. And it allows us 6 . K Marx Capital Vol 3, London 1981, p350. 7 . EE Maito, ‘And yet it moves (down)’ Weekly can contribute to the swing from ways in which the value of constant business cycle, such an explanation is a to test what happens when productivity Worker August 14 2014 and The historical transience one phase of capitalist development capital (and therefore the composition thin theoretical basis for understanding increases in department 1 feed through of capitalism: the downward trend in the rate of to another. Mandel argues that a of capital) can be reduced. First, new a boom that lasted for close to three into the rest of the economy - note also profit since the 19th century (2014): www.academia. sustained rise in the rate of surplus productivity-boosting technologies decades. that this test maximises the impact of edu/6849268/Maito_Esteban_Ezequiel_-_The_ historical_transience_of_capital_The_downward_ value (due to the smashing of labour might be cheaper than the equipment What needs to be explained is two important counteracting factors, trend_in_the_rate_of_profit_since_XIX_century_ movements under fascism) was the and machinery they replace - indeed, Kliman’s finding: creating the most favourable conditions final_draft_. principal factor behind the launch of capitalists do their best to save on all for a rising rate of profit. 8 . A Kliman op cit pp17-19. the post-war golden age. The profit- constant capital inputs. Marx was very US corporations’ physical stock I reach a conclusion that is the 9 . David Harvey discusses in The limits to capital (Oxford 1982, p 199) the work of the French theorist squeeze theorists argue that a rise in aware of these tendencies - he discusses of fixed capital fell during the opposite of Machover’s supposition of state monopoly capitalism, Paul Boccara, who working class militancy in the 1960s, at length the various ways in which depression and didn’t rebound that “even if all technological change speculated that state-owned industries which produce and its success in raising wages, capitalists try to reduce their expenditure thereafter, even during the war. were labour-saving, overall organic commodities and generate surplus value but operate improving conditions and placing on constant capital.15 Reductions in the It was smaller at the end of 1945 composition can still go down, at close to zero profit rates could play a similar role. 10 . K Marx Capital Vol 3, p172. tight constraints on the freedom of physical quantities of constant capital than at the end of 1929. But, right provided the productivity of labour in 11 . Ibid p356. manoeuvre of capitalists, cut the rate reduce both the technical and value after the war ended, corporations department one increases sufficiently 12 . M Machover, ‘Saving labour or capital?’ Weekly of profit and brought the long boom to compositions of capital - there is a were producing roughly twice as fast”.19 Guglielmo Carchedi, who Worker October 6 2011. an end. direct correlation between the two. much output in physical (inflation- examines the same process in Behind 13 . K Marx Capital Vol 1, London 1990, p762. 14 . K Marx Capital Vol 3, chapter 25. Neither tells the whole story. I question whether entirely capital- adjusted) terms, as they did right the crisis, reaches a conclusion similar 15 . Ibid chapter 5, pp170-99. Mandel does not explain increased saving changes increase the productivity before the depression. This means to Machover’s that higher productivity 16 . K Marx Capital Vol 1, p528. profitability in the United States of labour, as Machover asserts. They that physical capital investment per increases are more likely to lower 17 . A Kliman, ‘Crisis, theory and politics’ Weekly (the core economy in the post-war will definitely reduce the quantity of unit of output fell by about one-half. the value of means of production in Worker September 27 2012. world), where workers were newly ‘dead labour’ entering the production This helped raise the rate of profit subsequent production cycles and 18 . A Kliman Reclaiming Marx’s ‘Capital’: a 17 refutation of the myth of inconsistency Lanham 2006 emboldened - nor the ‘spirit of process and therefore reduce the value tremendously. increase the rate of profit than lower - see tables 7.1 to 7.5, pp120-32. 45’ in Britain. And Alan Freeman and price of the commodities that productivity increases. Carchedi goes 19 . M Machover op cit. demonstrates that a fall in the rate emerge, but they will not in themselves Such a dramatic shift in the technical on to argue that ultimately the cost of 20 . G Carchedi Behind the crisis: Marx’s dialectics of value and knowledge Chicago 2012, pp95-97. of surplus value explains only part increase the number of commodities composition of capital must have means of production will tend to zero 21 . A Kliman The failure of capitalist production: of the fall in the rate of profit during (in physical use-value terms) that each been built on a suite of new (cheaper) and we can then expect all labour to underlying causes of the great recession London the 1960s. Shifts in the rate of surplus worker produces, which is surely the technologies being released into vanish from production and there will 2012, pp138-48. 10 weekly November 26 2015 1084 worker momentum Turn the Momentum inwards As the hard right readies for phase two of Operation Discredit Corbyn, James Marshall outlines the tactics and strategic goals of Labour Party Marxists abour’s civil war is ongoing and Not ‘boring stuff’ like parliament, intensifying at every level. constituency Labour Party meetings, L Using the agenda-setting annual conferences and party rules. power of the capitalist media, the No-one on the left would want to Blairites are sniping, leaking and downplay the importance of fighting throwing accusations at every possible austerity. However, as well as street opportunity. Quite possibly a planned work, getting people onto the electoral operation, with strings being pulled register and supporting this or that deep within the establishment. action called by the People’s Assembly, A small sample. Lord Alan West, Momentum needs to be firmly directed Labour peer and former security towards winning the civil war in the minister, condemns Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party. Not that members of the over his disrespectable failure to sing SWP, SPEW or LU should be turned the royal anthem at the St Paul’s Battle away. But they should be encouraged to of Britain service; a ‘private’ paper join the Labour Party and stop standing written by Lord Peter Mandelson comes aloof from what is a concentrated form to the barbed conclusion that electing of the class struggle. Corbyn is like “putting two fingers We have argued that Corbyn’s election up” to voters; shadow defence minister as leader gives the left the historically Maria Eagle rounds on Corbyn for unprecedented opportunity to fight the staying true to his life-long opposition pro-capitalist hard right both from above to nuclear weapons; the Nigel Farage- and below. While Labour Party Marxists admiring Simon Danczuk announces want the abolition of the Bonapartist he is willing to serve as a ‘stalking post of leader, we welcome the fact that horse’ candidate against Corbyn; for now Corbyn has decided to keep various grandees, including Chris the dictatorial powers long favoured by Leslie, former shadow chancellor, past Labour leaders. After all, these are condemns Corbyn over his refusal extraordinary times. It is therefore worth to advocate that the British police noting that Corbyn seems to be using should shoot first and ask questions his position as leader to exert control later; John Mann denounces Corbyn’s over the national executive committee, appointment of that “appalling bigot”, supposedly with a view to “giving the Ken Livingstone, to co-chair the party’s party back to its members”. defence review; Chuka Umunna noisily Peter Willsman’s report of demands that Corbyn should allow November’s NEC makes interesting a free vote over bombing Syria; Lord reading.11 Amongst its decisions was John Reid declares Corbyn neither to “develop a Labour Party code of “competent, “coherent” nor “sensible”. conduct in relation to the use of social The first stage of the operation media”. News of this produced a rabid is pretty obvious. Discredit Corbyn. Daily Telegraph headline proclaiming: Make him appear in the popular mind a “Labour MPs who criticise Jeremy combination of prize idiot and terrorist- Jeremy Corbyn: the nuclear option Corbyn online to be ‘silenced’.”12 loving monster. The underlying There are also going to be “wide- assumption being that you can fool Not that we should bank on the Oldham for Labour, but - as is almost Corbyn’s much publicised ranging” party reforms covering most of the people most of the time. hard right going for a breakaway. Yes, certain, even in the best-case scenario admiration for Karl Marx, his the national policy forum, gender And so far Operation Discredit today’s gang of ten - Yvette Cooper, Liz - he does so with a substantially campaigning against US-led imperialist representation, bursaries for working Corbyn seems to be working. Kendall, Chuka Umunna, Chris Leslie, reduced majority, this will be blamed wars, his opposition to Nato, Trident and class candidates, political education, According to The Times, three out of Tristram Hunt, Emma Reynolds, on Corbyn. nuclear weapons, his commitment to youth review and the implications of five people believe “he should stand Shabana Mahmood, Mary Creagh, For many in the party, and not only increase the tax take from transnational the Trade Union Bill. A working group down now”. Furthermore, only 28% Jamie Reed and Rachael Reeves - on the right, the sole purpose of being corporations, the banks and the mega will begin meeting before Christmas want him to lead the Labour Party into have in effect constituted themselves a in politics is getting elected. “The worst rich, his republicanism - all mark him and is due to report to every NEC the 2020 general election. Welcome shadow shadow-cabinet. Despite that Labour government is better than the out as “a danger for Britain” (Financial meeting. It will be jointly chaired by news for the Tories. A recent ComRes a 21st century version of the 1980s best Tory government” - a well worn Times editorial).8 Jeremy Corbyn and Tom Watson and national poll puts them on 42%, with Social Democratic Party should be phrase that just as easily trips off the be open to all NEC members. The Labour trailing badly at just 27%. A discounted. Unlike the early 1980s, lips of Luke Akehurst5 as Owen Jones6. Vital actual members will be Angela Eagle, 15-point lead - the highest recorded by the political centre is not enjoying a The idea of a good Labour opposition, The civil war is not only being fought Ann Black, Jennie Formby, Johanna any pollster since 2010. sustained revival.2 Eg, at the last general a Labour opposition committed out in parliament and the national Baxter, Andy Kerr, Cath Speight, Alice However, within the party, the election the Lib Dems were decimated. to socialism, being better than a media. Perry and Jim Kennedy. Comrade right’s unremitting attacks on Corbyn They remain marginalised and widely bad Labour government, a Labour The hard right’s Labour First says Willsman stressed that the NPF should have predictably backfired. It is the loathed. Except as an antechamber government committed to running it is getting reports from up and down be “accountable to the NEC”, as it once hard right that is being blamed for the to the Tory Party, a breakaway has capitalism, simply does not occur to the the country that the left is now on the was. He further argued that the “NEC civil war … and traditional Labour nowhere to go. And, of course, minor reformist left. offensive.9 The AGM in Lewisham must be restored to its central position loyalists do not take kindly to anyone all-Britain parties tend to suffer Unless our candidates go from one Deptford saw narrow victories for the in the party that it held for some 80 damaging Labour’s chances with the “significant under-representation”.3 election triumph to another, which is hard right in officer elections and a 23- years before it was downgraded and electorate. So, given the punishing logic of the just not going to happen, then the well 23 draw on Trident. Walthamstow’s sidelined by Tony Blair”. Less than a fifth of Labour members ‘first past the post’ election system, an prepared clamour will begin. Corbyn is AGM had mixed results - the left made Showing the Corbyn effect, general and supporters think Corbyn ought to SDP mark two outcome, no matter how a loser. Corbyn is a liability. Corbyn is gains, but some hard-right officers secretary Iain McNicol reported that, resign as leader. Even worse for the welcome for us on the left, is not to be hopeless. Corbyn must go. Replace him hung on. In Portsmouth there were while in November 2014 membership right, YouGov reports that two thirds expected. The abject failure of Roy with a responsible, election-winning three votes for the chair. Labour First stood at 192,707, now it is almost of the party’s full members, registered Jenkins, David Owen, Shirley Williams Blairite - a man, or woman, who can complains that the left is “running full 400,000, with some 1,000 joining supporters and affiliated trade unionists and Bill Rodgers is surely instructive. finally kill off the Labour Party asa slates for every position, including last week alone. This makes Labour “approve of Corbyn’s performance”. It is probably true that “more than labour party. positions like fundraising officer”. bigger than all the other UK parties This rises to 86% among those who two” Labour MPs are considering Of course, if - and in my mind it This shows “that every vote at every put together. The largest increases in voted for him. An approval rating that defection - either to the Tories, the is highly unlikely - Corbyn leads the meeting is now vital.” membership being in London, the is higher than the 59% who voted Lib Dems … or Ukip.4 Nonetheless, Labour Party to a victory in 2020, there What is true for the hard right is true north-west, south-east and south-west, for him. And the YouGov poll also political suicide remains an unattractive is always the nuclear option. After for the left too. and the largest increase by age are those reveals that he has impressed 49% of proposition for most Blairites. unleashing a ‘strategy of tension’, MI5 This bring us to Momentum. between 20 and 29 and those between Andy Burnham’s supporters and 29% Constituents would probably turf them - the institution that John McDonnell Launched in October, the organisation 70 and 79. I would guess that most of of Yvette Cooper’s. As The Times out at the first opportunity. Instead wants to grant “additional funding” boasts well over 60,000 members. the 20-29-year-olds are new members, gleefully comments, this makes it of the glories of high office it will for7 - will oversee the surgical removal Despite being committed to making while the 70-79-year-olds are mainly “almost impossible” for rightwing therefore be the musty corridors of the of Corbyn from office. A state of “Labour a more democratic party”, returnees. McNicol also told the NEC MPs “to remove their leader”. All that House of Lords. That is why the hard emergency declared by the monarch Momentum activists claim not to want that the “conversion rate” of registered would happen is that Corbyn would be right is determined to stay firmly put or the privy council, charges of high the deselection of MPs. Instead the supporters to full members is something re-elected with an even bigger majority. and fight till the bitter end. treason, a fatal road accident … or emphasis is on campaigning against like 30%-40%. Furthermore, the “present cohort We should therefore expect maybe even blackmail and a diplomatic austerity and turning outwards.10 And, Finally, comrade Willsman assures of Labour members and supporters” Operation Discredit Corbyn to enter illness, as imagined by Chris Mullin, funnily enough, when they turn up at us that the NEC was not “locked in back automatic reselection, which its second stage. When a Labour the former Bennite, in his A very British Momentum meetings, Socialist Workers combat” over the issue of Andrew would undoubtedly lead to “waves of candidate succeeds, or otherwise does coup (1982). Whatever its exact form, Party, Socialist Party in England and Fisher. Corbyn’s political advisor was mainstream MPs” being ousted. Nearly well, that will be in spite of Corbyn. the nuclear option will be hatched with Wales and Left Unity members serve suspended because of a light-hearted two in five said that there should only When a Labour candidates fails, or the active involvement of the CIA, to reinforce this orientation. Typical tweet “supporting” Class War in the be a vote if the MP “fails badly or is otherwise does badly, that will be while the military high command, contributions go along the lines that the May general election. Rest assured, the very unpopular”, while 52% agreed because of Corbyn. A case of ‘Heads, key leaders of the opposition and PLP is dominated by the right, Corbyn matter will be “satisfactorily resolved with automatic reselection of MPs in the right wins; tails, Corbyn loses’. Eg, the top judiciary will give it their full is isolated and the ‘real class struggle’ very shortly”. each parliament.1 if rightwinger Jim McMahon maintains cooperation and backing. is about demonstrations and strikes. However, all is not well. Both weekly 11 worker 1084 November 26 2015 What we review fight for

Corbyn and McDonnell have been in n Without organisation the full retreat over a range of symbolic working class is nothing; with issues. Refusing to sing the royal the highest form of organisation anthem, praising the bravery of IRA it is everything. fighters, not bowing before Elizabeth nThere exists no real Communist Windsor - all have already been Party today. There are many sacrificed on the altar of respectability. so-called ‘parties’ on the left. Indeed, burdened as he is with an In reality they are confessional unstable left-centre-right coalition sects. Members who disagree cabinet, there is a distinct danger that with the prescribed ‘line’ are Corbyn will have his whole agenda expected to gag themselves set for him by the need to maintain in public. Either that or face unity. Put another way, in the final expulsion. analysis the centre and the soft right n Communists operate sets the political limits and therefore according to the principles of determines the political programme. democratic centralism. Through Why? Because they are quite prepared ongoing debate we seek to achieve to walk. unity in action and a common world outlook. As long as they Reorganise support agreed actions, members So Momentum needs to respond to the should have the right to speak hard right’s civil war independently openly and form temporary or of Corbyn. Support him against pro- permanent factions. Tory MPs, yes. Support him against a Rachel Weisz: atomised n Communists oppose all hostile capitalist media, yes. Support imperialist wars and occupations him against a coup organised by the but constantly strive to bring to secret state and the establishment, the fore the fundamental question yes, yes, yes. But do not support his Is this a Greek new wave? - ending war is bound up with conciliationism. ending capitalism. Tactically, Momentum should, at Yorgos Lanthimos (director) The lobster general release n Communists are least for the moment, concentrate its internationalists. Everywhere we fire on the soft right in the shadow ilm maker Yorgos Lanthimos Lanthimos is animated by a for over 100 years; it has blue blood strive for the closest unity and cabinet. ‘Blairites, out’ should be our has the ability to reach out to a dystopian, as opposed to a utopian, like the aristocracy (which I like); it agreement of working class and slogan. The mass of Labour members Fwider audience from his native world view - not without precedence remains fertile throughout the whole progressive parties of all countries. clearly trust the Corbyn-McDonnell Greece - just as his compatriot, Theo vis-à-vis modernist literature and film of its adult life.” We oppose every manifestation leadership, but they have an instinctive Angelopoulos, did a generation ago. history itself. The hotel is a metaphor As if the pressure of finding a of national sectionalism. It is an distrust for those who supported the But there the comparison ends. Whereas (surely) for an authoritarian society, new mate within 45 days is not internationalist duty to uphold the 2003 invasion of Iraq, those who are the humanism of the latter - eg, in his wherein failure to conform leads enough, the idea of a compatible principle, ‘One state, one party’. closely associated with Tony Blair, Travelling players (1975) - was marred not just to ostracism, but to dire couple is based on the (erroneous) n The working class must be those who threaten to quit over this or by a Stalinist perspective, the former has punishment in every case. Moreover, principle that each person must bear organised globally. Without that. An obvious target is Lord Charlie freed himself from this tag, albeit at the the victims are willing or unwilling similar characteristics, which places a global Communist Party, a Falconer. expense of a direct form of humanism. participants in their own oppression extreme demands on the erstwhile Communist International, the Certainly MPs proven to be in the For artists, filmmakers, etc, so far (eg, they join in the hunt for anyone participants: a person who is prone to struggle against capital is weakened pay of big business, MPs sabotaging disillusionment with Stalinism leads who tries to escape). nose bleeds must find a partner who and lacks coordination. our election campaigns, MPs who vote to only one thing: a postmodern world This leads to another theme: the has the same problem (even if one of n Communists have no interest with the Tories on austerity, Trident view which abandons any attempt at a idea of a dialectical struggle between them has to bang his head to get the apart from the working class and bombing Syria - all should face grand narrative altogether, wherein hope opposites within society. On the one desired result). The inmates are also as a whole. They differ only in the threat of deselection. We should gives way to despair. At least on the basis hand, we have an ideologically driven instructed to inform on each other. recognising the importance of take full advantage of our current rules. of his two most successful films to date, social form, which seeks to enforce Woe betide anyone who is discovered Marxism as a guide to practice. The ‘trigger’ mechanism allows local Dogtooth (2009) and The lobster (2015), couple relationships. On the other to be cheating! A heartless woman That theory is no dogma, but party units, including both individual Lanthimos seeks to project a dystopian, (without giving too much away), the seeks a heartless partner: to test him, must be constantly added to and members and affiliated organisations, cynical view of both present and future. only alternative is a social form, wherein she insists that he looks at her when enriched. “to determine whether the constituency Yet, when asked about Dogtooth after its strict celibacy is the order of the day. they make love. (Pretend that you are n Capitalism in its ceaseless holds a full open selection contest release, he insisted that his film is not an It is based on comradeship, if only at just mowing the lawn!) search for profit puts the future for its next candidate, in which other allegory for anything (although he does the platonic level! But in Lanthimos’s Many fail in their quest. In the of humanity at risk. Capitalism is potential candidates are nominated, or not deny the use of satire). He prefers to imaginary world, there is no possibility ‘liberated’ zone various animals are synonymous with war, pollution, reselects the sitting MP without such a stress the acceptable idea that it is up to for these dialectically opposed forms seen wandering through the forest: eg, exploitation and crisis. As a contest”.13 Ironically, if it happens, both the audience to find their own individual to end in a synthesis on a higher social a peacock, a flamingo and a camel. global system capitalism can David Cameron’s proposed reduction meanings. Hopefully he would not plane (ie, a social revolution); they The Stalinist guerrilla leader asks only be superseded globally. in the number of MPs from 650 to 600 disagree with the idea that, at the very are destined to continue in opposition the ‘hero’, “Why did you go Awol?” n The capitalist class will never and the expected boundary changes, least, there are a number of obvious to each other, without a favourable “I went behind a tree to masturbate.” willingly allow their wealth and due to be announced in October 2018, themes in his work; which points to outcome for humanity. The guerrilla leader is a sort of female power to be taken away by a could prove a golden opportunity for something. So here goes. In the case of the celibacy scenario, Che Guevara. But for R and R, she parliamentary vote. us. We should deselect hard-right MPs Let’s start with the universal in the one is reminded of the novels of travels with a few select comrades into n We will use the most militant and democratically select tried and particular: Dogtooth is a low-budget Orwell and Huxley. In 1984 free love the city, where they take tea with her methods objective circumstances trusted leftwing replacements. film set in contemporary Greece. But is forbidden upon pain of torture and middle class parents. allow to achieve a federal republic If that results in a smaller PLP in the it could be any developed capitalist death. Whereas in Brave new world Music plays an important, albeit of England, Scotland and Wales, short term, that is a price well worth society: rich businessman goes to normal procreation between men and conventional, role - as a means a united, federal Ireland and a paying. extreme lengths to protect his family a women (let alone sexual desire!) of ratcheting up the drama and United States of Europe. Meanwhile, obviously, we need to from the harmful effects of the outside has been superseded by laboratory the horror of these events. Here n Communists favour industrial set our sights on “wide-ranging” party world (including incest to satisfy methods - test-tube babies (which Lanthimos reveals a high-brow taste: unions. Bureaucracy and class reforms that go far beyond anything the burgeoning sexual needs of his prefigured in-vitro fertilisation, long he has chosen fragments of famous compromise must be fought and being considered by the NEC at the teenage offspring); which, of course, before this became a reality). quartets, ranging from Beethoven the trade unions transformed into moment. The Labour Party must be ends in tragedy. This film was only As for examples from cinema to Shostakovich and Britten, which schools for communism. radically reorganised from top to released in 2009; therefore Lanthimos history, Lobster echoes John works very well. n Communists are champions bottom. We need a new clause four, we can be forgiven for not using the Greek Frankenheimer’s Seconds (1966), But I was disconcerted to find of the oppressed. Women’s need a sovereign conference, we need crisis (then only in its early stages) as in relation to the theme of myself laughing during scenes which oppression, combating racism and to be able to easily reselect MPs, MEPs a basis for his story. But what about transformation. Here a man seeks combine human ingenuity, on the chauvinism, and the struggle for and councillors. 2015, wherein, during the intervening to throw off the shackles of his one side, with human cruelty towards peace and ecological sustainability Clearly, it is going to take time to period, the Greek people have been existence as a dull, flabby, middle- others - and pets! - on the other. This is are just as much working class change the political make-up of the subjected to the most draconian aged businessman. Once again, how Lobster will affect you too (unless questions as pay, trade union rights PLP and subordinate it to the wishes austerity measures in modern times? given that we live in an unequal you are like the ‘heartless’ woman and demands for high-quality of the membership. But, with force In The lobster he eschews this society, only people like him have who turns out, unsurprisingly, to be a health, housing and education. of numbers, tactical flexibility and altogether for a ‘comedy’ about the financial means to pay for a champion hunter of escapees). But rest n Socialism represents victory ruthless determination, it can be done l contemporary relationships. Yet in its surgical operation, which gives him assured: such a reaction is OK. Even in the battle for democracy. It own way, this is a disquisition on the a new identity as a hunky, bohemian if Lanthimos denies it, this is not just is the rule of the working class. Notes atomisation of bourgeois society, within artist, à la Rock Hudson (in his pre- another film made for laughs. It has a Socialism is either democratic 1 . The Times November 24 2015. which the age-old need for individuals HIV days!). But this second chance serious agenda. Even though he has or, as with Stalin’s Soviet Union, 2 . From a 2.5% historic low point, the Liberal Party saw a revival in the 1970s, which saw it win to form a couple relationship is not proves to be just as unfulfilling. chosen to ignore the elephant in the it turns into its opposite. 19.3% of the popular vote in the February 1974 immune. So Lanthimos offers us a So ‘Rocky’ checks in to the same room (Greek austerity), at least for n Socialism is the first stage general election. scenario whereby a group of disparate private clinic to have the operation now, he has tackled a long-standing of the worldwide transition 3 . A Blais To keep or to change ‘first past the individuals find themselves single reversed; which leads to “one of the and, arguably, a deepening problem: to communism - a system post’? Oxford 2008, p66. 4 . www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34305994. again; however, they are desperate to most chilling endings in American the atomisation of human relationships which knows neither wars, 5 . Progress February 15 2012. find a new mate. Those who have the cinema” (Time Out film guide). under late capitalism, which reinforces exploitation, money, classes, 6 . Left Futures March 2 2011. means - of course - can check into a At least in Lobster the individual an existing division within the ranks of states nor nations. Communism 7 . The Guardian November 19 2015. hotel, somewhere in rural Ireland, knows from the beginning what the the masses. is general freedom and the real 8 . Financial Times November 21 2015. 9 . Labour First November 20 2015. where they can try their hand. (Note, ‘transformation room’ will lead to, if Perhaps it’s enough for an artist/ beginning of human history. 10 . www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34609114. this is a progressive enterprise, so all his/her quest fails! filmmaker to ask tough questions and The Weekly Worker is licensed by 11 . Left Futures November 23 2015. sexual preferences are catered for!) Lanthimos’s dystopian theme goes not provide the answers (leave that to November Publications under a Creative 12 . The Daily Telegraph November 23 2015. But there’s a catch: You only have 45 hand in hand with dark, Kafkaesque the audience!). Maybe he has created a Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 13 . www.grassrootslabour. l 4.0 International Licence: http:// net/index.php?option=com_ days; If you fail, you are transformed humour: “Why have you chosen to allegory, after all - which is no bad thing creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ legalcode. ISSN 1351-0150. content&view=article&id=200:how-labours- into an animal of your choice. That’s become a lobster in the event of your Rex Dunn trigger-works&catid=43:forum&Itemid=60. the deal! failure to find a mate?” “A lobster lives rexdunn.co.uk No 1084 November 26 2015 Turkey weekly covers its backing of worker Isis Danger of escalation Has Ankara overextended itself? Esen Uslu looks at the possible repercussions of the downing of the Russian Sukhoi 24 arlier this week Turkish airforce includes Assad. F-16 fighter planes shot down a Taking on a stronger opponent ERussian ground attack Sukhoi 24 is not a good tactic even in street jet on the pretext that it had violated games and Turkey knows it. It Turkish airspace - for 17 seconds. The has been rebuffed by Nato several Russian plane crashed in Syria and times, particularly when the AKP the crew ejected from the plane. One government showed its intentions of them was shot and killed while he in the region and overreached itself. was descending by parachute; the other This time the initial reaction of its was rescued by a Russian-Syrian joint allies in the west has been to advise operation. restraint and the avoidance of any The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip escalation. Lip service has been paid Erdoğan, immediately publicised the to the defence of airspace, but there incident, while he was speaking at an has been strong advice not to rock the assembly of teachers’ organisations boat at such a delicate time for the and the news of the downing of a region. Russian plane was met with rapturous The Russians seem to have adopted applause. That moment is sufficient in a measured response - advising itself to explain why the government its citizens not to travel to Turkey, favours such organisations as that of because it is as dangerous for them as the teachers. Su-24: ground attack Egypt, where Metrojet flight 7K9268 However, Erdoğan appeared was blown out of sky on October 31. startled by the reaction of the audience humanitarian organisations. A military utilised the radar shadow cast by preferential treatment and has been This will, however, have an immediate and scolded them that it was not a border operation stopped one such high ground on the border between heavily involved in importing and effect on the Turkish package tour matter for applause. But he defended convoy and searched the heavy Turkey and Syria. The entry and exit selling IS oil. In the recently formed industry and impact upon Turkey’s the shooting down by stating that the goods vehicles, in which arms and route was undetectable by ground- government a representative of that foreign currency reserves. Also airspace and territorial integrity of ammunition were found, but the central based Syrian radar. Eventually the group was awarded the post of minister Moscow has indicated that Turkish Turkey was sacrosanct. Following his government intervened. A cloak of Russians helped Syria replace its radar of energy and natural resources, at the companies operating in Russia will not comments, the whitewash crew went secrecy was once more thrown over tracking system and enhance its air‑to- instigation of Erdoğan. The group be looked on favourably when it comes into action. such actions, but not before charges ground missile targeting capabilities. A has amassed billions and helped plug to new contracts, while investments in The new cabinet, which was to of revealing state secrets relating to Turkish reconnaissance plane gathering the gap in Turkish foreign currency Turkey will be curbed. take office on the same day, and the the inspection of the vehicles had intelligence about the efficiency of the reserves. Just like the sanctions- But Russia has not employed the outgoing caretaker ministers, went into been drawn up. Since then the genie system was shot down in June 2012. busting operation in Iran, the illegal potent weapon of natural gas supplies, action. The ambassadors of permanent has been out of the bottle, even though trafficking of oil was apparently not upon which Turkey is fully dependent. members of the UN security council prime minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has Oil and regional detected by the various international Nor has anything been said about the and Nato countries were informed. railed against the ‘treachery’ of those institutions overseeing the Turkish fate of a nuclear energy plant being An extraordinary meeting of the North who disclosed the weapons shipments hegemony economy and advising policymakers. built in Turkey with credit supplied by Atlantic Council was called. The to Turkoman militia. The Russian air war on Syria has However, last week the Russian Russia. Turkish military released radar images The predominantly Sunni Turkoman changed the balance of forces on the airforce started to bomb IS oil However, Moscow may respond of the path of the Su-24 over Syrian region is a contested area not only for ground in many respects. The Russian production facilities. Then it attacked by bringing a navy vessel carrying territory, followed by the momentary the various vying parties in Syria. It airforce has targeted the facilities convoys of oil-carrying tankers advanced anti-aircraft and anti-missile incursion into Turkish airspace, as has been considered an extension of of the non-IS Salafi-jihadi forces. (videos are available on YouTube). capability into Syrian waters. It may well as of Turkish fighters patrolling Turkey by generations of nationalist Some of those forces were drawn The Americans followed suit by also add air-superiority jetfighters to the area, ready to pounce. and expansionist politicians. Bear from Chechens and other Caucasian attacking oil convoys in Deir Ez-Zor its ground attack aircraft, which would Russia claimed it was apparent in mind that the bordering province, nationalities, as well as other Russian province in Iraq. As Russia started to represent a significant escalation. Just that their plane had no hostile intent Hatay, was part of the territory left to Muslims with combat experience intervene directly in the Syrian war, as the Turkish side had waited for an against Turkey. Turkey replied that the French under the UN mandate after against Russia. Even the Muslim the possibility that it might come opportune moment to shoot down a Islamic State had no presence in a World War I, and in 1939, following Uyghur rebels from the Xinxiang to terms with the US-led ‘alliance’ Russian plane, now the Russians may Syrian region mainly inhabited by Hatay’s declaration of ‘independence’ region of China have a presence there. was wide open. Carrying Iran along, deliberately provoke another attack Turkomans, and so Russia had no from newly formed Syria, it was During a counterterrorism operation a Russia could become a big thorn in which would be met by Mig-31 or reason to attack. gobbled up by Turkey. bunch of Uyghur jihadists with false the side of the AKP government and Su-27 fighter aircraft, to which Turkey The direct intervention of Russia Up to recent years Syrian school Turkish passports were arrested. These Turkey’s nationalist military. would have no answer. But for its part into the Syrian conflict has resulted maps showed the region as a territory examples give an indication of how The deliberate shooting down of the the US has a number of its own fighter in several incursions into Turkish occupied by Turkey, while on the deeply involved Turkey is in the dark Russian Su-24 has thrown a spanner in aircraft at the Incirlik air base in Turkey. airspace, which have created a Turkish side the province has been art of exporting terrorism through its the works of the imperialist-backed If the US puts a brake on further diplomatic storm, but no military considered a land lost and its people support for various Islamists. International Syria Support Group. Turkish adventurism, or if the response until now. The Russian side as our kin. In any case, it has great However, the game in Syria was It represents an attempt by Turkey to Syrians bring their formidable anti- had suggested a joint forum to avoid strategic value if one wishes to control quite obvious. Syrian oil has been create circumstances not conducive aircraft capabilities into play, Russian such incidents, but Turkey’s response the north-eastern seaboard of the controlled by IS and exported through to a peaceful settlement of the Syrian domination over the regional airspace was to change the rules of engagement Mediterranean. friendly countries - first and foremost conflict. The danger for Turkey and will become more secure. The AKP for planes patrolling the Syrian border We should also remember that an through Turkey. One of the finance- its allies in the Muslim world, in the government, in its abject desire to - which included the go-ahead for a Israeli bombing raid on a suspected capital groups closely associated with aftermath of Paris atrocity, was that a be one of the prime movers in the military response against any future Syrian nuclear facility in September the AKP government and Erdoğan temporary deal over Syria might be regional power game, may have over- ‘violation’. 2007, known as Operation Orchard, himself is renowned for receiving struck, with an interim regime that extended its hand l The Russians were, of course, carrying out ground attacks supporting Subscribe Name:______Standing order the advancing mobile infantry of the 6m 1yr Inst. To ______Bank plc ______Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. 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