Socialist Standard June 2015 1 socialist Contact Details SPGB Media: [email protected] UK BRANCHES & CONTACTS Frankfi eld, Cork. Tel: 021 4896427. Email: [email protected] LONDON Newtownabbey : Nigel McCullough. standard North London branch . Meets 3rd Thursday Tel: 028 90852062. 8pm at Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano SCOTLAND Ave, NW5 2RX Edinburgh branch . Meets1st Thur. 7.00- Contact: [email protected] or 020 9.00pm. The Quaker Hall, Victoria Terrace JUNE 2015 7609 0983 (above Victoria Street), Edinburgh. South London branch . Meets 1st Tues. J. Moir. Tel: 0131 440 0995. 7.00pm. Head Offi ce. 52 Clapham High St, [email protected] Branch SW4 7UN. Tel: 020 7622 3811 website: contents West London branch . Meets 1st & 3rd Tues. http://geocities.com/edinburghbranch/ 8pm. Chiswick Town Hall, Heathfi eld Terrace Glasgow branch . Meets 3rd Wednesday of (corner Sutton Court Rd), W4. Corres: 51 each month at 8pm in Community Central FEATURES Gayford Road, London W12 9BY. Tel: 020 Halls, 304 Maryhill Road, Glasgow. Peter 8740 6677. Email: [email protected] Hendrie, 75 Lairhills Road, East Kilbride, Magna Carta 10 Glasgow G75 0LH. Tel: 01355 903105. Email: MIDLANDS [email protected]. Stressed Out 12 West Midlands Regional branch . Meets last Dundee . Ian Ratcliffe, 12 Finlow Terrace Sunday of the month, 3.00pm, the Briar Rose Dundee, DD4 9NA, Tel 01382 698297 pub, 25 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham B2 5RE. Indian Bandh Strikes 14 (Check before attending). E-Mail:vincent. Kilmarnock .Meets last Thursday of month [email protected]. Tel:01242 675357 7pm-9pm at the Wheatsheaf pub (about 2 Complicity 16 minutes from bus station). Paul Edwards. Tel: NORTHEAST 01563 541138. Email:rainbow3@btopenworld. Northeast branch . Contact: Vin Maratty, 22 com Greystoke Avenue, Sunderland, Tyne and Lothian Socialist Discussion @Autonomous Wear, SR2 9DS, tel: 01915 250 002. Email: Centre Edinburgh, ACE, 17 West Montgomery [email protected]. Place, Edinburgh EH7 5HA. Meets 4th REGULARS Wednesday of each month 7.30-9.00pm. Tel: NORTHWEST F.Anderson 07724 082753. Pathfi nders 4 Lancaster branch . Meets fortnightly 8.30pm. P. Shannon, 10 Green Street, Lancaster WALES Halo Halo! 6 LA1 1DZ. Tel: 01524 382380 Email: spgb. Swansea branch . Meets 2nd Mon, 7.30pm, Cooking the Books 7 [email protected] Unitarian Church, High Street. Corres: Manchester branch . Paul Bennett, 6 Burleigh Geoffrey Williams, 19 Baptist Well Street, Material World 8 Mews, Hardy Lane, M21 7LB. Waun Wen, Swansea SA1 6FB. Tel: 0161 860 7189 Tel: 01792 643624 Greasy Pole 9 Bolton . Tel: H. McLaughlin. 01204 844589 Cardiff and District . Corres: Richard Cumbria . Brendan Cummings, 19 Queen St, Botterill, 21 Pen-Y-Bryn Rd, Gabalfa, Cardiff, Cooking the Books 18 Millom, Cumbria LA18 4BG CF14 3LG. Tel: 02920-615826 Email: Carlisle : Robert Whitfi eld. Email: robdotbob@ [email protected] Mixed Media 19 gmail.com Tel: 07906 373975 Llandudno Reviews 20 Rochdale . Tel: R. 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Tel: 01603 814343. ‘E’ Block (East), Kolkata - 700086, Tel: 033- Committee will be on Saturday 4 July at Cambridge . Andrew Westley, 10 Marksby 2425-0208, Email: [email protected] the address above. Correspondence should Close, Duxford, Cambridge CB2 4RS. World Socialist Party (New Zealand) P.O. Tel: 07890343044 Box 1929, Auckland, NI, New Zealand. be sent to the General Secretary. All articles, World Socialist Party of the United States letters and notices should be sent to the IRELAND P.O. Box 440247, Boston, MA 02144 USA. Editorial Committee. Cork : Kevin Cronin, 5 Curragh Woods, Email: [email protected]

2 Socialist Standard June 2015 Introducing The Socialist Party

The Socialist Party is like no other political to make new socialists. We publish ideas across, the more experiences we party in Britain. It is made up of people who pamphlets and books, as well as CDs, will be able to draw on and greater will be have joined together because we want to DVDs and various other informative the new ideas for building the movement get rid of the profi t system and establish material. We also give talks and take part which you will be able to bring us. real socialism. Our aim is to persuade in debates; attend rallies, meetings and The Socialist Party is an organisation of others to become socialist and act for demos; run educational conferences; equals. There is no leader and there are themselves, organising democratically host internet discussion forums, make no followers. So, if you are going to join and without leaders, to bring about the fi lms presenting our ideas, and contest we want you to be sure that you agree kind of society that we are advocating elections when practical. Socialist fully with what we stand for and that we in this journal. We are solely concerned literature is available in Arabic, Bengali, are satisfi ed that you understand the case with building a movement of socialists for Dutch, Esperanto, French, German, for socialism. socialism. We are not a reformist party Italian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish and If you would like more details about with a programme of policies to patch up Turkish as well as English. The Socialist Party, complete and capitalism. The more of you who join The Socialist return the form on page 23. We use every possible opportunity Party the more we will be able to get our socialist standard JUNE 2015 Editorial The aftermath

CONTRARY TO expectations, there was no hung parliament It is true that some sections of the capitalist class in Britain and there isn’t a coalition government. Just a one-party Tory – those producing mainly for the home market or mainly for government with a small majority. No moulds were broken export outside Europe – are in favour of withdrawal but they except of course in Scotland where there was a near clean are a minority. It’s a dispute between two sections of the sweep for the SNP which now holds 56 of the 59 seats there capitalist class. This is why as socialists we shall be urging reducing the number of Scottish Labour MPs from 41 to just people neither to vote Yes nor to vote No. Even so, as world one. socialists who stand for a world without frontiers we will be The Tory victory means that there will now defi nitely be particularly opposed to those leftwingers who will be beating an in/out referendum on whether the UK should withdraw the nationalist drum for a No to EU vote. from the EU. In promising this Cameron took a big risk: that a Labour’s failure even to obtain more seats than the Tories majority might vote to withdraw whereas Big Business, whose led to Ed Miliband throwing himself into the dustbin of history, interests the Tory party traditionally champions, wants to stay starting off a contest for the leadership of the Labour Party. All in. Given the prevailing mood of xenophobia which he helped the candidates seem to have come to the same conclusion: to stoke up to try to stop people voting UKIP instead of Tory, that to win again Labour will have to become a nasty party he is going to have to prove to be an astute politician if he’s like the Tories. One says that Labour lost because they going to serve Big Business well and also avoid the fi nancial weren’t tough enough on immigration. Another that they were and economic crisis that a No vote would provoke. too tough on business. A third says it was a mistake to have For socialists the issue of whether or not capitalist Britain concentrated on promises to end zero-hour contracts and withdraws from the capitalist EU is irrelevant from the point of raise the minimum wage as these don’t concern most voters. view of those forced to work for a wage or salary. The EU is It looks as if the Labour Party is going to get the Leader it an intergovernmental arrangement between capitalist states deserves. the dominant section of whose ruling class perceives it to be The only positive outcome of the election was what in their interest to create a vast tariff-free single market for happened in Scotland. Not of course the vote for the their goods with the same common standards; also to pool petty-minded, subsidy-seeking Scottish Nationalists but a some of their sovereignty to be in a better bargaining position demonstration that it is possible for people’s political views to in negotiations with other capitalist states and blocs over trade change dramatically in a relatively short period of time. and other economic matters.

Socialist Standard June 2015 3 could meet all his proposed criteria for fairness. Since then Post-election blues new contenders have come forward, or at least old ones in new livery. One of these is ‘range-voting’, a style of voting used in RUSSIA HAS been claiming since late last year that the Scottish medieval Venice and more recently to rate YouTube videos, referendum on independence was rigged by Westminster in where you give candidates a score out of 10, or give them no favour of a ‘no’ vote (Guardian, 19 September 2014). Following score, or the same score, with the highest aggregate score up this exercise in pots calling kettles black, they have hailed giving the winner (New Scientist, 12 April 2008). But there are the landslide victory of the SNP in the general election as proof downsides to every system. In many, a candidate can win even positive that they were right. How, their propagandists want to if they were not most people’s fi rst choice. Plus the systems can know, could Scotland be split down the middle on independence be gamed by strategic voting, a tactic quite likely in capitalist one minute, and then vote unanimously for the Scottish National elections if not in socialism. Party the next, if there wasn’t substantial monkey business Still, this is not a question for socialists to get bogged down in. going on? Many confused UK voters may be wondering the People in socialism would choose the system which delivered same thing. the greatest fairness to the greatest number. If it turned out Let’s put aside the obvious retort that if Westminster was not to work, they’d try something else. Formal voting might going to rig the independence referendum why didn’t they rig not even be a large factor in socialist society, since for all we the Scottish vote in the general election as well? The real know people might devise more informal ways of operating answer to this conundrum is not nearly so cloak-and-dagger, society which did not require it. How often do you see hands- though it does remain puzzling to many. Greens and especially in-the-air voting systems employed in groups organising a UKIP voters woke up wide-eyed with shock and cries of ‘We picnic or a volunteer building project, after all? It might be that wuz robbed’ on post-election day upon fi nding that their votes had gone en-masse down the toilet while only Tory votes had the magical power to produce MPs. People just don’t seem to get how fi rst-past-the-post works, despite having the whole business out at tedious length in a special referendum in 2011. If your vote isn’t for the winner, it’s the same as if you hadn’t bothered voting at all. The 2014 Scottish referendum was a close-run thing, with a 55.3 percent No vote against a 44.7 percent Yes vote on an 84.59 percent turnout. In the General Election, assuming just a two-horse race between the SNP and Labour and assuming the same voting ratio in each seat, the result would still have been a SNP landslide. That’s not how it was, of course, because there were several horses in the fi eld to split the anti-SNP vote. In the event, Labour had just under 25 percent of the vote, Cons had 15 percent and Lib Dems had 7.5 percent. When you add this lot up and throw in the dreg Other votes it comes to about 50 percent. So the SNP landslide of 56 out of 59 seats was derived from just 50 percent of the votes. Which represents just 5 percent more nationalist fervour (or dislike of Miliband’s pink Tories) than we saw in the referendum. voting would only occur, on the whole, on the rare occasions No need for Kremlin Konspiracies then. But it is still surprising when disputes arose, or things went wrong, rather than as a how surprised people are about this FPTP system. It’s as if regular and ritualised social institution. How this might work, nobody can remember the debate anymore. Matters seemed and work transparently, is not for us to guess. What is true is clear enough back in 2011. Aside from a lot of guff about fair that we can’t make assumptions about democratic structures in representation and the hallowed ideals of democracy, the choice socialism based on structures which exist in today’s capitalist was between a political system that was forever locked into a world, where an elaborate apparatus exists mainly for show. swinging pendulum between two identikit parties which spent Opponents like to caricature socialism as endless meetings their entire decade-long terms undoing each other’s works, and getting in the way of real work. Socialists who are accustomed a Euro-style consensus politics where political horse-trading, to today’s procedural complexities have sometimes projected coalitions and compromises were the order of the day. In the similar procedures into the future, scaling them up to the level one system you get a periodic rollercoaster of drama and of global super-conferences and the like and thus inadvertently convulsion ultimately culminating in no change, while in the lending support to the caricaturists. What gets forgotten in all other you get a lot of humdrum sameness culminating in no this is the issue of trust. As we have learned to trust scientists change. Around 70 percent of British voters chose the drama. to do a good job, and the scientifi c method to expose those And now they act surprised when they get it. who don’t, so we might learn to trust other socialists to do a Socialists have varying opinions on this matter. Ultimately good job, and the socialist political method to uncover bad jobs though, for socialism to be established across the world, and where necessary, rather than set ourselves the impossible for it to work, support for it would have to be so massive that it task of personally scrutinising every decision, every resource wouldn’t make any difference what voting system was in place. budget and every policy document for signs of weakness. The There is the more vexing question of how to do voting in a emancipation of humanity from wage-servitude doesn’t have socialist society, given that mathematically-speaking there is no to mean we all become full-time nit-pickers and bureaucrats. It voting system which can be ‘fair’ to everyone. This sobering fact could just as easily mean a welcome release from obsessing was fi rst established in 1950 by Nobel prize-winning economist about the democratic process itself. Kenneth Arrow, whose ‘impossibility theorem’ surveyed all PJS the possible voting systems then known and found that none

4 Socialist Standard June 2015 Letters Who’s spreading Analysis in late 2014 (when my book also know of Positive Money and have was already in press, hence it is not in fact debated against them (video confusion? cited). It is written by Richard A. recording here: www.youtube.com/ Werner from the London School of watch?v=bUHZVbbJkpw) Dear Editors Economics which you may or may You appear to be unaware that I wish I could say thank you for your not be familiar with. there are two rival theories which review of my book The 1% and the As it turns out, banks do indeed claim that ‘banks can create money Rest of Us (May Socialist Standard). create money out of thin air when out of thin air’. One, favoured by But I can say thanks for bothering to they make a loan. It appears as an Martin Wolf and Positive Money read the book. So thanks. asset on their balance sheet and a among others, that it is only the I’m sorry, however, that you (deposit) liability for the borrower. No whole banking system including the are extremely misguided and it is reserves are checked with the central central bank that can do this. The people like you who fail to do proper bank and money does not move from other, favoured by Richard Werner research that keeps up the confusion a saver to a borrower. and wilder currency cranks generally, around money and the problems I doubt you have seen or heard is that an individual bank can do faced by the working classes of this of the article or probably care given this, and have done so since banks world. How we produce money in our your penchant for Biblical Marxism fi rst came into existence. We don’t society and how it is allocated is of and love of this 19th century agree with using the term ‘out of thin incredible consequence for inequality economic religion. air’ as it is confusing and opens the and the future of the planet (e.g. So, given the evidence (of which door to all sorts of currency crank what we invest in like energy/food/ you martial [sic] absolutely none) the ideas. shelter etc). Your review gives me bad news is that your review is bad The empirical study you direct little hope that this one day might be . . . really bad. In an honest world, us to is of a small savings bank in addressed based on evidence rather after you’ve actually considered the Germany. Werner’s conclusion is: than conjecture. evidence you’d retract your review, or ‘This study establishes for the Not only does Martin Wolf of the at least amend it. But following the empirically that banks individually Financial Times recognize that banks Church of Marx and blind faith might create money out of nothing. The create money out of thin air but so be easier for you. I just wish you’d money supply is created as ‘fairy too does Positive Money (I wonder stop spreading confusion. dust’ by the banks individually, “out whether you even visited their site Cheers mate, of thin air”.’ (www.sciencedirect. or read their literature) among many Tim Di Muzio, Editor, RECASP, com/science/article/pii/ others who have bothered to actually Senior Lecturer, School of Social S1057521914001070) do research rather than pontifi cate Inquiry and Humanities In fact it doesn’t show this, but out of conjecture on the web. University of Wollongong, merely that when a bank makes a Moreover, I wrote my book in Australia. loan those immediately in charge late 2013 early 2014, which Zed’s of granting it do not check that the production team did not get out until Reply: We are well aware of the bank has the money in its reserves. this year. What we have known for a theory put forward by Richard This may well be the case for a while thanks to various statements, Werner and discussed it in, for single loan, but the study doesn’t go leaks and logic, has now been instance, the October 2012 Socialist on to examine what then happens empirically confi rmed and published Standard. Incidentally he is not ‘from afterwards. The March 2014 issue in the peer reviewed journal: the the London School of Economics’ of the Bank of England Quarterly International Review of Financial except that he once studied there. We Review continued page 18

Socialist Standard June 2015 5 from fi ve to twelve, and even in Britain, bishops who have previously not bothered to keep an exorcist on the books are now trying to fi ll the vacancies. But maybe there’s some method in the Pope’s madness. They can’t afford to let the devil die out can they? What would Pope Francis and the Devil happen to the church if suddenly there was no more Satan, and WE DON’T know whether Satan employs a spin doctor, or has therefore no more sin for them to save us from? Not only do his own PR team to boost his image and keep himself in the they need him, they should put him on the payroll. As Satan’s public eye, or how many believers he actually has these days; own website www.churchofsatan.com says ‘Satan has been but if he does, they haven’t been doing a very effective job for, the best friend the Church has ever had, as he has kept it in well, the last couple of hundred years at least. Now though, his business all these years!’(Nine Satanic Statements). public image is taking a sharp upturn. The devil, apparently, is When we last visited Satan’s website (see Halo Halo January enjoying a sudden surge in notoriety, if not in popularity, and 2012), to be frank he did seem a little bit mad; liable to attract believe it or not, it’s all down to the Pope. entirely the wrong type. Now, although there is no mention of According to the Independent (14 April) this new understanding he has a recent gathering of exorcists in Rome with the Catholics, he does seem have concluded that Pope Francis has a bit more restrained in his aims prompted a rise in the number of Catholics and claims. (Although he does who believe themselves to be possessed still advise ‘When walking in by the devil. Most recent popes, it seems, open territory, bother no one. If were in the habit of treating Satan like an someone bothers you, ask him to embarrassing and rather dodgy uncle who stop. If he does not stop, d estroy was never to be mentioned outside the him’ (Eleven Satanic Rules of family, and only in very hushed tones – a the Earth). That one seems a bit bit like a randy Catholic priest – only worse. harsh, even from Satan. Francis, however, has no such inhibitions And unlike the Catholic about Old Nick and apparently keeps Church, he does seem to be banging on about him in front of anyone trying to get out of the 17th who happens to be listening. century. The old membership He recently informed a delegation from application form with questions Mexico that the Mexican drug wars were such as – ‘Are you satisfi ed with due to the Devil’s infl uence. The confl ict your sex life?’ – ‘How many years in the Middle East too, he announced was would you like to live?’ – ‘Do you all down to Satan. And if visitors express feel oppressed or persecuted surprise at his views he sternly warns them in any way?’ has gone, and is ‘Look out, because the Devil is present’. replaced by a simple requirement And so much faith do Catholics have for applicants to send a cheque in their leader that the demand for more for $200. The Pope would be exorcists is sharply on the rise. The proud of him. Rome diocese has doubled the number it NW provides, Milan has increased its number

The principles of revolutionary socialism were formed over a hundred years ago. Then, capitalist growth was being fuelled by the technological and logistical developments following the Industrial Revolution. Since then, the history of capitalism has been marked by economic peaks and troughs, two World Wars, the rise and fall of state capitalism, massive advances in science, and widespread shifts in culture and beliefs. The Socialist Party argues that its original principles are still valid despite all these changes. This is because the basic structure of capitalism persists, regardless of differences in the way it is organised. But is this right? Has society changed so much that class structure and the role of the state are signifi cantly different now compared to previous centuries? What effects have these changes had on class consciousness and the likelihood of revolution? And how should revolutionary socialists respond through their theory and activity? It’s always healthy to re-examine our beliefs, to see if they still apply to our ever-changing world. This weekend of talks and discussion will be an opportunity to take a fresh look at several important aspects of the socialist viewpoint. Sessions: • As A Marxist, Frankly, I’m Skeptical – Simon Wigley • The X Factor: Revolutionary Political Consciousness – Brian Gardner • The Argument Clinic: Logical Fallacies and Cognitive Biases. How thinking about thinking can help give new perspectives to old arguments – Darren Poynton • Revolutionary Action - Johnny Mercer • Gaming the Revolution – Bill Martin • Imagine a Boot Stamping on a Human Face, or Givin’ it Str8 on da St8: Socialism and the State in the 21st Century – Steve Clayton Full residential cost (including accommodation and meals Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) is £80. The concessionary rate is £40. Day visitors are welcome, but please book in advance. To book a place, send a cheque (payable to the Socialist Party of Great Britain) to Summer School, Sutton Farm, Aldborough, Boroughbridge, York, YO51 9ER, or book online at http://spgb.net/summerschool2015 E-mail enquiries to [email protected]

6 Socialist Standard June 2015 PUBLICATIONS ORDER FORM

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Marx and the SNP An Inconvenient Question: Socialism and The Environment...... £2.00 x____

‘THE “SNP are Marxists”, says Conservative MP’ was a What’s Wrong With Using Parliament?...... £1.00 x____ headline in the Independent (11 May). The MP in question was Owen Paterson, who sits for Shropshire North, a Ecology and Socialism...... £2.50 x____ buffoon who even Cameron had to sack from his Cabinet for incompetence. From Capitalism to Socialism: how we live and how we could live....£2.50 x____ A minimum defi nition of a ‘Marxist’ would be someone Africa: A Marxian Analysis...... £2.50 x____ who agreed with Marx’s theories of economics, history

and social change, and also with his aim of a society Socialism As a Practical Alternative...... £2.50 x____ based on common ownership and democratic control of the means of production. There might, perhaps, Some Aspects of Marxian Economics...... £2.50 x____ be some individual SNP members who share Marx’s materialist approach to society and history. After all, How the Gods Were Made...... £2.50 x____ Marx himself acknowledged that the so-called ‘Scottish Marxism and Darwinism by Anton Pannekoek...... £2.50 x____ Historical School’ had foreshadowed to some extent his own ‘materialist conception of history’. In The German How we Live and How we Might Live by William Morris...... £2.50 x____ Ideology, he and Engels wrote that, in contrast to German history-writers: ‘The French and English … have The Right to be Lazy and other articles by Paul Lafargue...... £2.50 x____ nevertheless made the fi rst attempts to give the writing of history a materialistic basis by being the fi rst to write Marxism Revisited...... £2.00 x____ histories of civil society, of commerce and industry’. Since Socialist Principles Explained...... £2.00 x____ the writers in English they had in mind (Adam Ferguson, William Robertson, John Millar) were all from Scotland calling them ‘English’ was the sort of faux pas that gets Scottish Nationalists hot under the collar. All the above pamphlets (25% discount)...... £22.00 x____ But no one in the SNP stands for a society of common ownership and democratic control, as Marx did. The BOOKS SNP’s aim, rather, is the establishment of a separate Strange Meeting: Socialism and World War One ...... £4.50 x____ capitalist state in Scotland. As such it represents the interests of smaller capitalists producing for the home A Socialist Life by Heather Ball...... £3.75 x____ market there, as opposed to the larger capitalists producing for export who want to remain part of the UK. Are We Prisoners Of Our Genes?...... £4.75 x____ It is true that in his day Marx did support the separation of Ireland from the UK, though not as an end in itself but Socialism Or Your Money Back (reduced from £9.95)...... £4.00 x____ as a means to the end of furthering political democracy All the above books (25% discount)...... £12.00 x___ in the rest of the UK by weakening the power of the landed aristocracy. He didn’t take the same position with regard to Scotland. He was well aware that the Scottish DVD landed aristocracy was just as ruthless as their English Capitalism and Other Kids’ Stuff...... £5.75 x_____ counterparts and devoted a section of Capital (at the end of Chapter 27 on ‘The Expropriation of the Agricultural Poles Apart? Capitalism or socialism as the planet heats up...... £5.75 x_____ Population from the Land’) to movingly describing the fate of the Gaelic clansmen at the hands of their chiefs, TOTAL ...... £______who had transformed themselves into absolute owners of For six or more of any publication, reduce the price by one third. the one-time clan land, clearing them off it as part of the process of ‘the primitive accumulation of capital’. Return this form along with your cheque or money order to: Not that the SNP itself claims to be socialist. The most The Socialist Party of Great Britain, FREEPOST, London, SW4 it claims is to be ‘social-democratic’ like the Labour Party 7BR, United Kingdom. used to be. As such it proposes to tax the rich in a bid to (No postage necessary if mailed within the UK) bring about a less unequal society. It is maybe this that has led Paterson to think they are ‘Marxists’. But Marx did not stand for a redistribution of wealth away from the rich NAME...... as this would still leave private ownership as the basis of society. He stood for the common ownership of wealth. ADDRESS...... Which is something quite different. Nor is there any such thing as a ‘Marxist tax policy’ ...... or a ‘Marxist economic policy’ (whatever some left-wing ...... supporters of Scottish separatism, and not just Paterson, imagine). This would imply that Marx favoured putting City...... forward policies for capitalist governments to pursue; in ...... Postcode...... other words, of advising them how to run capitalism. But Marx was not into that. Insofar as Marx could be said to County...... have had an ‘economic policy’ it was to end the capitalist PHONE (optional)...... economy altogether. It’s an aim we share but the SNP does not. E-MAIL (optional)......

Socialist Standard June 2015 7 Indigenous suicides

THROUGHOUT THE world indigenous peoples suffer from same age group in Australia. high rates of alcoholism and suicide. Relocation, epidemics, Among the indigenous peoples in Brazil, the suicide rate depopulation, and subjugation have put indigenous peoples was six times higher than the national average in 2013. In the everywhere at high risk of depression and anxiety. Every culture Guaraní tribe, Brazil’s largest, the rate is estimated at more than provides ways by which individuals may satisfy their needs for twice as high as the indigenous rate over all, the study said. In meaning, prestige, and status. Small-scale, hunter-gatherer fact it may be even higher. The Guaraní have long made their societies provide several: excellence in hunting, storytelling, home in the fertile land of Brazil’s southwest, where swaths of or as a healer. Whatever its size, complexity or environment, vast forests and savannas have been transformed into farms a central task of any culture is to provide its members with a and ranches. In the process, the tribe has been dispossessed sense of belonging and purpose. What happens, then, when a and uprooted from its traditional way of life. Many in the tribe people’s way of life is destroyed through disease, genocide, loss face extreme discrimination and live in abject poverty close to of territory, and repression of language and culture? It leads to the farmers and ranchers who occupy land that was once theirs. self-destruction. James Anaya, former United Nations special ‘Living in this non-place, they commit suicide,’ said Professor rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples said suicides Alcantara, an anthropologist at the University of São Paulo among indigenous youth, across the globe, are common in who has studied adolescent suicides among the Guaraní. situations where tribe members have seen the upheaval of Nearly 100 years ago, the Guaraní, who today live primarily in their culture, which produces in the indigenous a lack of self- Brazil and Paraguay, were forced off their ancestral land when confi dence and grounding about who they are. ‘They see taking the Brazilian government granted farmers and ranchers the their own lives as unfortunately and sadly an option,’ he said. legal title to that land. Tribe members were placed in crowded In the United States, suicide is the second leading cause of reservations, and often separated from family members. death for American Indian and Alaska Native men ages 15 to Distress, poverty and violence against tribal leaders have led to 34, and is two and a half times higher than the national average despair among Guaraní teenagers, who feel they don’t have a for that age group. 75 percent of Native American men and one future. Professor Alcantara said that over the past 10 years tribe third of Native American women can be classifi ed as alcoholics members have come to live between two cultures — the culture or alcohol abusers. These numbers are amazing, and do not of nearby cities, where they are discriminated against, and the even accurately refl ect the far-reaching effects of alcohol abuse, culture of their own tribe. Young tribe members, in particular, such as physical problems, mental illness, community violence, feel that they don’t belong either to the city or to the tribe, she unemployment, and domestic abuse. Indians die from alcohol- said. related causes at a rate four times higher than the rest of United Professor Colin Tatz of the Australian National University States citizens. In fact, four of the top ten causes of death suggests that when you are engaged in a struggle, a struggle to among Indians are alcohol related. survive, suicide rates are very low Australian Aboriginal people commit suicide at a far Dr Norm Sheehan, from Swinburne University of Technology younger age than non-Aboriginal Australians, with reports of sees suicide as the direct result of colonialism: prepubescent children, some as young as eight committing ‘Colonialism deprives the colonised of positive self-images suicide. Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and for me, that’s a crucial part of the Aboriginal experience. … ages 25 to 29 have a suicide rate four times higher cultural disconnection was a major cause of suicide especially than the general population in that amongst Aboriginal youth,’ Sheehan explained ‘… Aboriginal people were deprived of a true understanding of self because their biological make-up was seen as an impediment, something that had to be erased. That’s a crime against humanity. But Aboriginal people have had to live with that legacy and develop a concept of self in a zone like that, so understanding what culture is in that context is almost impossible.’ Psychiatrist Professor Martin Graham from the University of Queensland, believes ‘There is a deep sadness among Aboriginal peoples and that translates to a sense of anomie perhaps. A kind of deep sense of sadness and boredom and dispiritedness relating to loss of land, loss of culture, loss of languages in some cases and a sense that none of it can be changed.’ Historians and politicians should stop boasting about progress and civilisation of capitalism until they understand the brutality and falsehood it brought yet while we call for a new understanding, it’s more important to advocate social change to make real Pai Tavytera Indians, Paraguay change. ALJO

8 Socialist Standard June 2015 Wandering in Wolverhampton

EVEN WITHOUT the Dockers demonstrated their support in a march – even entertainment of 2010 although that reference to the River Tiber was a reminder – like Gordon Brown of Powell’s reputation as a classical scholar. As a youth misunderstanding the word at King Edward’s School in Birmingham he had been ‘mobile’ to mean using his one of a select few to be awarded a 100 percent mark in phone as a missile aimed at his underlings – this year’s an end-of-term examination. Later at Cambridge he sat general election was historically exciting. If we were an examination in Greek prose which was timed to last not moved by sympathy for the defeated leaders such three hours but he was able to leave after an hour and a as Miliband, Clegg and Balls and gratitude for their half because in that time he had produced appropriate justifying this system of poverty, disease and confl ict translations. He went on to accumulate several classics there was also the matter of the marginal constituencies prizes and ended with a Double First degree, presented to with their particular tension between some desperately him at a ceremony disciplined in the university traditions participating tricksters. Prominent among these was of dress, speech, demeanour and the like. Wolverhampton South West, famous as a hyper-marginal but regarded as safe Conservative until it fell to Blair’s Ulster Unionist runaway victory in 1997. In 2010 it reacted to give the Before the protests over his ‘river foaming with blood’ Tory Paul Uppal a majority of 691 over Labour’s Rob speech Powell’s contributions in the Commons often Marris who had persistently declared his intention to aroused a torrent of adoring praise: ‘The cleverest person win the seat back. In all it was enough to satisfy the I have seen in this place’ was the opinion of Bruce hungriest psephology obsessive. Grocott, who in the 1970s was Minister of Agriculture and PPS to Tony Blair. From the other side the venomous Immigrants ex-Etonian Tory MP Alan Clark sneered at the style It turned out to be one of the few Labour gains, giving of some of the MPs in a debate: ‘...bellowing any point Marris a majority of 801. He was delighted: ‘It’s not concerning which his conscience made him uneasy...’ been a good night for Labour nationally, quite a good and ‘...cannot speak or even read particularly well’ night for Labour in parts of the West but when it came to Powell’s contribution: ‘...perfectly Midlands and of course a great night brilliant; what a superb Chancellor he would make’. for Labour here in Wolverhampton’. But Powell was not consistent in his opposition to For Uppal, perhaps because the late immigration. During his time as one of Edward Heath’s Enoch Powell was once the local ministers he campaigned for policies which were designed MP, it was not so good. He describes to assert the superiority of market forces above state himself as a ‘Smethwick-born Sikh’ planning in matters such as housing, social services and whose father came from East Africa the level of the exchange rate. At this time one opinion in 1961 and he was a babe in arms of him was Andrew Gamble’s ‘...the foremost critic of the when Powell declared himself to be new interventionist state the Conservatives developed ‘fi lled with foreboding’ at the prospect to help restructure capital and contain wages’. But in of unchecked immigration from the this Powell took no account of the Commonwealth. He can recall the Above: Rob Marris. fact that immigration, as a response Deputy Head of his school enquiring Right: Enoch Powell. to the demands of the market and of his class if they were planning the availability of opportunity, was to spend time during the week-end ‘Paki-bashing’ but an expression of market forces; now he says there are ‘various groups’ which get on indeed during his time as Minister of ‘incredibly well’ so that Powell’s widow ‘tells me that Health there was an active drive to he would have loved me’. However there is still anti- recruit immigrants to fi ll vacancies immigrant feeling there, directed against those coming in hospitals and the like. And during from Eastern Europe for roughly the same reasons as his closing years he confusedly did Uppal’s father all those years ago. For all is not well turned his back on the Conservative in the Midlands: 32.4 per cent of the employed people Party and, in the general election in Wolverhampton South West receive below the offi cial of October 1974, became an Ulster living wage of £7.86 an hour, so that the single food bank Unionist MP while advising the voters to support the which was there to help the most needy people in 2010 Labour Party. When he died in February 1998 along with has sprouted into fi ve. his reputation as a political fi rebrand there were rumours that he had been involved in a Westminster paedophile River Tiber network. Powell’s biographer Simon Heffer strongly The immigrants were at fi rst welcomed by Powell disputes the allegations but the matter had been passed but in April 1968, when he was Ted Heath’s Shadow to the police by the Bishop of Durham. Defence Secretary, he responded to the Race Relations The voters of Wolverhampton South West and of all Act and the prohibition of discrimination in matters the other constituencies have questions to consider now, such as housing on grounds of race by his controversial, after their votes have returned a Tory government with enduringly quoted speech which included the passage an avowed policy of tightening the screw of poverty as ‘Like the Roman, I seem to see the River Tiber against the Labour Party alternative to do roughly the foaming with much blood. That tragic and intractable same. They should now ask themselves if this is the most phenomenon which we watch with horror on the other effective use of their power to alter this society in the best side of the Atlantic ….is coming upon us here by our interests of all its people. own volition and our own neglect. Indeed, it has all but IVAN come...Only resolute and urgent action will avert it even now’. This was ominously attractive; notably the London

Socialist Standard June 2015 9 Hype and hypocrisy –

King John’s Great Seal, 1215 Magna Carta

of 12 year-old Abraham Charlston It was only after a few more for Luddite activity in 1812. battles in the following year, Democracy? including those of Lincoln and Clearly not democracy. So what Sandwich, that peace was agreed are Surrey Council, Runnymede with the Treaty of Lambeth in Borough, Royal Holloway and any September 1217, and the French number of other organisations prince left the country with a bribe celebrating exactly? of 10 thousand marks. King John, known as Lackland The document was issued for a (king of England from 1199-1216) third time, with further tweaks, and had had many disagreements with named ‘Magna Carta’ to distinguish his richer subjects. Things came to it from another, smaller, issue, the a head in London on Sunday, 17 Charter of the Forest. This latter May 1215 when, whilst many people document took the bits in the were in church, the City gates were previous document that pertained opened to the rebel landowners by to the forests – that is, land set sympathetic rich Londoners. With aside for royals to use for hunting. the capital full of his opponents It has been said that this document and too diffi cult to take by siege, relates more to ordinary people than he good the king had to negotiate. For a does Magna Carta. It is true that, burghers of few weeks, a peace was brokered amongst its demands that foresters Tthe borough between representatives of Lackland mutilate their dogs’ paws so they of Runnymede are getting and the barons; a document can’t chase deer, there is a clause excited, and Surrey county was put together, agreed to, and that bans the removal of limbs, or council is thrilled to bits, given to the spigurnels (chancery life, for stealing venison. However, because on 15 June 2015 clerks responsible for sealing the document does not explicitly they will be celebrating documents) to do their work. Copies ban blinding, a punishment at that th the 800 anniversary of this document would have been time. The prescribed punishment in of the sealing of Magna distributed throughout the country, the Charter of the Forest was a fi ne Carta. A committee and an signifying this accord between the as heavy as can be levied according advisory board has been king and the barons. Peace, then, to the thief’s means, and if it could set up. Members of these had broken out. not be paid then it’s a year and a bodies range from Trevor A few weeks later the document day in prison followed, if the money Philips, the chairman of was made ‘null, and void of all was still not available, by being the Equal Opportunity validity forever’ by the Pope, in kicked out of the country (i.e., they Commission, to Mrs. response to a request from the King. must ‘abjure the realm’). Franklin D. Roosevelt, Nine barons and all the citizens of These documents were regularly Jr. who, according to the London were excommunicated. The reissued throughout the thirteenth website magnacarta800th. civil war was back on. In response century, generally when the king com, is a ‘Magna Carta to resistance throughout the was in need of more revenue. From private owner’. Nearby country, John’s soldiers destroyed starting its life as an attempt to Royal Holloway College is villages, raped and thieved fi rst in negotiate a peace with a king, preparing quite an array the North, and then down to East Magna Carta seemed to turn into a of events, courses and a Anglia and across to Oxford. But not way of generating taxes. smartphone app to mark the long afterwards, the French prince By the sixteenth century, with anniversary. Louis, having been invited to invade the Reformation and the rise The strapline for the by the barons, entered London in of Protestantism, it is hardly celebrations? ‘Commemorating June 1216. Then on 18 October surprising that a document that 800 years of democracy’. Imagine, the King died from dysentery and spoke of the rights of the (Catholic) democracy for 800 years, within ten days his son Henry III church, and drawn up in a time encompassing the evisceration was crowned. The document was in his reign when Lackland felt of John Ball after the Peasants’ given a few tweaks and reissued in it expedient to submit to papal Revolt in the second century of November as a peace offering by the authority, would not be something ‘democratic’ England, the shooting new King, but with little immediate to fl ash around. Shakespeare’s King of leveller Robert Lockyer by effect. John, for instance, does not mention Cromwell in 1649, and the hanging

10 Socialist Standard June 2015 Magna Carta. When the Chief Justice, Edward Coke, suggested that the king was not above the law, James I had him dismissed, leaving him with free time to write The Institutes of the Lawes of England, which expressed his view that Magna Carta was the basis of the common law. In the seventeenth century, with the confl icts between parliament and king, it became fashionable, although not with the Lord Protector Cromwell, who is said to have referred to it as the ‘Magna Farta’. Levellers such as John Lilburne and Thomas Overton saw it differently, Lilburne invoking it at his trials for treason against Cromwell, quoting Coke’s Institutes, and Overton quoting the charter in An Arrow Against All Tyrants. The leveller William Walwyn, however, had a more astute understanding. In A Remonstrance of Many Thousand Citizens he says: ‘Magna Carta itself being but a beggarly thing, containing many marks of intolerable bondage, and the laws that have been made since by parliaments have in very many particulars made our government much more oppressive and intolerable…’ Onwards into the 18th century, we see the United States considering it as a basis of their constitution King John’s real opinion of and Bill of Rights. The symbol of civil rights - medieval toilet at the state of Massachusetts is a man Carrickfergus Castle holding a copy of Magna Carta. So there we have it. This is the focus of the celebration. A document land occupied by the group Diggers hissy fi t between royalty and rich that lasted in law for a few weeks in 2012, land that has been vacant men. a failed attempt to prevent handbags and otherwise unused since 2007 And perhaps freedom will be at dawn between a king and his rich when Brunel University left the celebrated by the force of the law subjects, which was then split into area, having sold it to a property booting a few hippies off nearby two documents over the course of developer, who soon afterwards land. the century, and reissued whenever was given planning permission. For And two fi nal commentaries a thirteenth century monarch around three years these hippies written not so far apart: wanted more money. These bits of have been building shelters, setting vellum have become a fetish that up solar electricity and growing ‘...it is implied that here is a signifi es democracy. vegetables. Or, as the Daily Mail law which is above the King and It offers protection under the website puts it, ‘Dope-smoking which even he must not break. law for free men. By free men, of anarchists sully site where King This reaffi rmation of a supreme course, it doesn’t mean the likes John sealed the Magna Carta with law and its expression in a general of us (putting gender aside for the litter-strewn shanty town’ (odd charter is the great work of Magna moment). It means protection for that the Mail believes that the king Carta; and this alone justifi es the the rich. sealed Magna Carta with a litter- respect in which men have held And it is argued that this is the strewn shanty town and not some it.’ fi rst time a king has been held kind of wax on a stick). Winston Churchill to account, and a limit set to The landowners are in the process his power. Yet the Anglo-Saxon of going to court to evict Diggers ‘… it’s through that there Magna Chronicle tells of the power of the 2012. Charter, Witan – the councils of ‘wise’ men – And on 15 June there will be As were made by the Barons of in pre-Norman England, and their a celebration of democracy in old, infl uence on the monarchs. Runnymede, in the presence of the That in England today we can do Meanwhile, back in Surrey… Queen – a non-elected hereditary what we like, In woodland, close to where head of state, it seems, is the perfect So long as we do what we’re told.’ Magna Carta is purported to have example of these ‘800 years of Marriott Edgar been sealed, lies the Runnymede democracy’. That and a thirteenth VINCENT JONES Eco-Village community. It is on century document resulting from a

Socialist Standard June 2015 11 Stressed Out

eneral practitioners are is, in a word, stress. GPs work In fact this is just part of the highly-qualifi ed, do obviously long hours, are subject to various ever-mounting stress problems Gimportant work and are paid pressures, and experience affecting health service workers, well above the average wage. So decreasing amounts of job nurses as well as doctors. In you might expect them to be very satisfaction. A survey from 2013 London in 2014, almost 1500 contented and motivated workers, found that around nine thousand nurses took time off because satisfi ed with their lot and well- GPs were expecting to quit the of stress, with an average of 38 respected by their patients and by profession in the next fi ve years: days (Observer, 18 January), and society at large. But in fact GPs are ‘A total of 86% of GPs reported perhaps as much as 30 percent leaving their posts in droves, taking considerable or high pressure of all NHS sick leave is caused by early retirement or whatever. from rising workload, 81% from stress. Jobs are frozen or even Medical students are increasingly paperwork and 78% from having cut, while an ageing population unwilling to go into general too little time to do their job justice’ and poorer health in general in practice, preferring specialisms of (gponline.com, 16 September the recession mean an increase one kind or another, though some 2013). Earlier this year, the British in patients, and all these lead will end up as GPs anyway if they Medical Association published to overwork by the staff who do not make the grade in a more guidance aimed at ‘fi nding remain. In some disciplines, this specialised area. The number of ways of freeing up GPs’ time for may involve lengthy spells of solo unfi lled GP posts has quadrupled patient consultations by halting working. One senior A&E nurse in the last three years, and one inappropriate, excessive and described the pressure placed on doctor said he felt that ‘general unresourced work’ (bma.org.uk, 14 staff as worse than what she faced practice is on the verge of being January). Doctors in all jobs are on the front line in the Iraq War. irreparably broken’ (BBC Online, 2 subject to similar pressures, with In September last year, a nurse in March). relatively high rates of depression Walsall killed himself after months The reason behind this situation and anxiety. of working 14-hour days, six days

12 Socialist Standard June 2015 “One senior A&E nurse described the pressure placed on staff as worse than what she faced on the front line in the Iraq War”

a week. that their general level of stress of stress-related illness or injury The health industry is of course was high or very high. to employees, though of course not the only one where workers In 2013–14, there were 487,000 that does not imply that such experience high levels of stress, cases of work-related stress in minimising will take place. though the Health and Safety Britain, resulting in over eleven Inevitably the EU has set up a Executive (HSE) lists it as one of million working days lost. To be body to deal with these matters, those with the highest prevalence more precise, these fi gures are for the European Agency for Safety (the others are given as education, ‘work-related stress, depression and Health at Work. This is social care, public administration or anxiety’, defi ned by the HSE currently running a campaign and defence). The charity Mind as ‘a harmful reaction people ‘Healthy Workplaces Manage reported in December that, more have to undue pressures and Stress’, launched in April last year generally, 87 percent of emergency demands placed on them at work’. and due to culminate in a summit services staff and volunteers Sometimes a distinction is drawn this November. It is intended to surveyed had experienced stress, between pressure (when you feel provide ‘the support, guidance low mood and poor mental health you can cope with the demands and tools needed to effectively at some point in their work; but placed on you) and stress (when manage work-related stress and they are less likely than other you feel unable to do so). The psychosocial risks’. Employers and workers to take time off for poor HSE sees stress as a problem for workers need to work together to mental health. A report last year employers as well as workers, combat stress, supposedly, and the for the Prison Offi cers’ Association since it can lead to increased whole enterprise is based on the found, unsurprisingly, that many absences and staff turnover, and assumption that things will go well were subject to verbal and physical to more mistakes by staff. So it as long as reasonable people are abuse from prisoners. But in gives out various kinds of advice, well-informed and co-operate and addition, many felt impelled to go for instance that line managers show genuine concern. There is into work when unwell and were (who may be stressed themselves) little or no awareness of the power unable to ‘switch off’ outside work should be aware of issues of that employers exercise and of the subordinate position of workers, not that we would expect it from such a body. Someone suffering from stress, whether work-related or not, may have a range of psychological, emotional and behavioural signs, from lapses of memory and mood swings to insomnia and loss of libido. Behind all these symptoms and causes of stress, from overwork to depression, is the basic factor of people lacking control over their working lives. They have little or no choice in how many hours they work, how much they are expected to get through in their working time, what sort of breaks they can take, the kind of work they are required to do and so on. Changes to their schedule or reorganisation of workplace structures and how they relate to managers and colleagues are Work-related stress: over eleven million working days lost to it in 2013-14 generally imposed on them with little or no consultation. All that is hours. Over a third had been workload and harassment, handle the consequence of being a wage diagnosed with a stress-related sensitively people returning to work worker under capitalism, of being illness while working in the prison and generally provide appropriate employed by a system that is service. A similar report for the support. Companies have a general interested in profi t and cost rather University and College Union found duty of care to their workers, than the health and well-being of that 87 percent of respondents in and under the Health and Safety workers. further education felt their job was at Work Act of 1974 employers PAUL BENNETT stressful, and 64 percent stated have a duty to minimise the risk

Socialist Standard June 2015 13 ‘Bandh’ strikes: not the answer

A statement on the one-day general strike tactic, commonly applied by political parties there, from the World Socialist Party of India.

n this era of capitalism’s class, has tended to fall. From class under the servitude of capital decadence the general strike then onwards the task of making in general and of all-powerful I(or ‘bandh’) for more reforms or history has become the exclusive overweening dictatorships in mere protest is futile. It has lost its responsibility of the working class, particular. Up until now this class- edge. Its usefulness has become since the productive forces have collaborationist ‘vulgar socialism’ ineffective vis-à-vis world level outgrown the capitalist relations of (state capitalism) has stolen over a productive abundance. It is not the production, signifying that the way century from genuine socialism’s answer to the problems produced by of life under capitalism has grown life. As far as human freedom is the potential and from time to time old, antiquated, causing extreme concerned, a century has been lost. actual ‘epidemic of overproduction’ inequality, harrowing austerity, So, now without further delay, (Communist Manifesto) that is unrelenting impoverishment, the working class prevalent today. abysmal poverty and dehumanizing has to tear off the During its rising phase capitalism, suffering for members of the snare of Leninism- ie. the capital/wage labour relation, great producer class. You cannot reformism, was spreading out by swallowing up rejuvenate capitalism with its own ruthlessly criticise antiquated pre-capitalist economic rules, but can only understand it; and reject all relations and transforming the feudal it is anachronistic; it has become reformist maneuvers social classes into two great modern utterly reactionary; it has to be done as useless and antagonist classes – the minority away with lock stock and barrel; it organise world collective capitalist class vis-à-vis has to be abandoned on the dumping socialist parties and the majority collective working class ground of history. groups everywhere – or as in recent parlance 1 percent for self-emancipation vs. 99 percent. Feudal relations of The wasted century of Leninism and thereby the production were giving way to the The working class, the class that emancipation of the capitalist relations of production. has the power (pending unity) and whole humanity The capitalist class got the working the means (organisation and ballot) from the clutch of class to help them to accomplish to change the world, has transiently the division into their historic assignment of socio- lost their revolutionary vision and classes. The working economic and political change, which wisdom generally in the blind alley class is the producer had been effectively accomplished by of Leninism, and in the quagmire class; we produce, the beginning of the last century. of leftism. They have, for now, due store and distribute Until that juncture, despite ongoing mainly to the Leninist distraction, everything needed exploitation and periodical economic forgotten about the responsibility to sustain society; crises – booms and slumps – the which history has conferred upon we secure, defend, working class had benefi ted from them. Leninism has been a deadly protect and run some overall rise in real wages at infectious blight over all revolutionary the society and the expense of profi ts in this phase. principles and messages of Marxism the state. Then Thereafter, despite periodical rises which declared: ‘the proletariat why should we in real wages in times of booms, alone is a really revolutionary class’ beg anything from their relative wage ie. their share in (Communist Manifesto). Leninism our exploiter and the total global wealth they produce has utterly distorted the lessons oppressor parasites in relation to that of the capitalist of history and kept the working who actually are

14 Socialist Standard June 2015 takers, and not givers? We can get ways. Firstly, as the people have to struggle. They ought to turn everything we need simply by taking live on during the strike period, when themselves from their present status possession of the entire affairs shops too are closed, they will require as a class-in-itself into a revolutionary of life. We have to become class- to buy and store food and all other class-for-itself as an independent conscious and united for socialism necessaries for consumption whereby political party and peacefully and here and now. Why should we settle a part of the overstocking will be democratically seize political power for anything less when abundance sold out before the strike begins; state-wise and worldwide. They is knocking at the door? Abundance secondly, during the strike period must self-organise and take decisive for all, that is socialism. However, production will remain suspended political action via universal suffrage, the task of taking possession of making no further addition to the via ballots sending mandated and abundance remains pending. Its stocks. Moreover, the daily wage re-callable MPs as socialist delegates historical taker – the working class workers, ie. the lowest strata of the to the parliaments to make the one is still lacking this revolutionary will. collective working class become historical declaration: annulment of Hence decadence. hard hit owing to their loss of wages; all property and territorial rights and they become more impoverished. all that is on and in the Earth will Unsold stocks Further, a bandh called by the become the common heritage of the The all-round application of science leaders of some minority group, whole humanity. and technology has created potential party or parties (as is often the case) The basis of the society that abundance and, from time to time, boils down to an imposition on all, Marx envisaged as going to replace unsold overstocks at world level, including those disinclined, hence is capitalism will be: ‘an association of on the one hand, and devastating undemocratic. In addition, during the free men, working with the means of unemployment on the other. Then strike period people have to remain production held in common’ (chapter goods remain unsold; means of confi ned at homes due to absence 1 of Capital); ‘a co-operative society production and machines remain of any transport, but the capitalist based on the common ownership of idle, while work-hands remain government bosses are at liberty to the means of production’ (Critique of jobless. This situation has become move about and deploy the armed the Gotha Programme); ‘abolition of a regular problem for the global forces as they deem necessary. private property’, ‘the Communistic capitalist class. In their ultra-modern abolition of buying and selling’, ‘the factories, farms and workplaces a Beyond reformism conversion of the functions of the continually decreasing number of Therefore the working class has State into a mere superintendence of workers are daily producing huge to raise their consciousness and production’ (Communist Manifesto); amounts of goods and services organisation, beyond and above and ‘abolition of the wages system’ and adding to the already existing their ongoing conservative, defensive (Value, Price and Profi t ). In short, potential and actual plenty. and reformist state, to revolutionary a classless, stateless, moneyless, Under this circumstance a bandh consciousness and organisation, wageless, leaderless society based can sometimes actually bring some breaking through the barriers of on the common ownership of the relief for the capitalist class, by reformism. They ought ‘to win the means of production and articles for helping them to relinquish at least a battle of democracy’ (Communist distribution. part of their overstocking, and in two Manifesto) through political class BINAY SARKAR

Opposite: 5 day shutdown in Srinagar, Kashmir, 2013. Only lake vegetable sellers were allowed to trade.

Socialist Standard June 2015 15 Complicity

hilst discussing the Atlantic continuity and importance of history for committing inhuman acts. After slave trade of the past and this fact also illustrates the diffi culty they came to power there’s no Wthe part played in it by the in allocating collective responsibility doubting the level of fear that forced British a friend said that he felt some for the actions of some members of a many into actions they would never guilt about it. This, no doubt, was community. That there must be some otherwise countenance but there due to the part that his ‘nationality’ level of collective culpability is surely were many who were, to some degree, plays in his sense of identity. The indisputable since we would all take ideologically sympathetic – and not ‘sins of the fathers’ were, for him, some moral responsibility for our just in Germany. Some would shrug visited upon all who are ‘British’. In actions (or inactions) and this must or throw their arms in the air saying contrast to this I felt that the guilt include our political activities. something like: ‘That’s an extreme was to be focused on the ruling This year sees the 70th anniversary example which could never happen class of the time and that he was of the liberation of the Nazi again’ or ‘Any attempt to explain blameless for their crimes. concentration/death camps and the the Holocaust would be merely a However a case could be made complicity of the German population rationalisation since the magnitude that if we do not oppose the criminal in their existence is still hotly of the crime is incomprehensible’. actions of the ruling class of our own debated by historians. Nobody would In contrast to merely despairing time then we are, indeed, complicit. dispute that the members of the Nazi about ‘the human condition’ This is compounded by the fact that Party were complicit in these terrible socialists seek to explain Nazi rule much of the wealth that gives the crimes but what of those who voted in its historical and political context capitalist elite their power in this for them originally and can those because of its importance in warning country was derived originally from who did nothing to oppose the Nazis us of what can happen during one the slave trade. While underlining the gaining power be exonerated from of capitalism’s inevitable episodes some culpability? Merely pointing at of extreme economic and political ‘On the Inhumanity of Dealers in human Hitler and Himmler and claiming to instability. This period also has fl esh...’ A 1792 cartoon of the slave be ‘just obeying their orders’ provides important lessons for us in respect of trade. no moral or political justifi cation keeping a close eye on the actions of

16 Socialist Standard June 2015 that the murder they committed was somehow diminished by the volume of the other murders carried out that year or that the person they beat up suffered less injury than the victim of another thug. We socialists are appalled by the level of complacency shown by the mainstream political parties, voters and the politically cynical in this regard. How and why did we get to such a position where seemingly nobody takes responsibility for their political actions? At the heart of this we have the contradiction inherent within capitalist culture where, on the one hand, we are told that everyone is a competitor and there’s ‘no such thing as society’ and on the other hand we are told that we’re part of a ‘nation’. The latter designation is usually only called upon in times of war or when some group are to be demonised as ‘immigrants’. Liberals tend to think of the world purely in terms of individuals as their ideology forbids any group or class consciousness and this is partly why they fi nd the concept of collective complicity so diffi cult. Another reason for absence of any feelings of political responsibility for the actions of the state is because of the ‘professionalisation’ of politics. Westminster seems to many to Complicit: Dr. Fritz Klein, a German Someone who would suffer great guilt be another world where ex public doctor at Bergen-Belsen concentration if their actions or inactions were to school boys play some kind of exotic camp, stands in a mass grave. cause a family member, friend or role playing game that somehow those who would take advantage of neighbour an injury (let alone their decides national policy. The majority such instability, both of the left and death) does not feel the same level are completely alienated by this right wing. Above all it teaches us of responsibility for the deaths and anachronistic theatrical nonsense that any level of moral and political injuries that occur in a war that they and feel no relationship with (or complacency towards the activities supported (or did not oppose). responsibility for) the strange of our ‘leaders’ can and does After the confl ict dies down (wars decisions that are made there. lead to disaster – we must accept rarely end neatly) the subsequent In an integrated global economic responsibility for the actions of those analysis might reveal that the causes and political structure like who do so in our name unless we were not quite what was claimed capitalism nobody can escape the oppose them politically. (as with the recent Iraq war) and consequences of its existence. We It has long been recognised that so a debate ensues where blame are all responsible for what happens people acting in a group can behave is apportioned. The leaders and in the world because capitalism has differently than they would as their advisers are questioned but truly made it ‘one world’ – in this individuals. Lynch mobs and football rarely condemned or punished for respect, there’s no ‘third world’ or hooligans are classic examples of their mistakes or crimes. But what ‘developed world’. As long as we allow this type of tribal behaviour. Nation of the people who let it all happen the political elite to do the bidding of states rely on this psychology in in their name? This is when the the parasite class we are all complicit times of war as the individuals who ‘dilution’ of moral and political in their crimes. Only working for compose their armies would never responsibility comes into focus. socialism can provide you with an ‘cold-bloodedly’ murder another Bush and Blair take the lion’s share ‘alibi’ should one ever be needed. human being in their everyday of any guilt (which, of course, they When the majority feel morally and lives. Of course all kinds of political strongly refute) then the ‘intelligence’ politically responsible for the world, conditioning are needed for this to community (for ‘sexing up’ the WMD as most do about their actions in happen but perhaps we can pick dossiers), then perhaps the military their ‘private lives’, then we are all out one that might help explain the leaders or even the oil companies fi nally motivated to change things. seemingly complacent attitude that etc., so that any culpability that is ‘What did you do during the war many exhibit when nations murder in left is felt to be so negligible that daddy?’ their name. Because of the numbers it’s not worthy of consideration. ‘I opposed the war and what involved – sometimes millions when Such a contrast to individual moral caused it before it began, my son’. nations are at war – there is a kind responsibility – nobody would defend WEZ of dilution of moral responsibility. their immoral activities by claiming Socialist Standard June 2015 17 from page 5 provides an answer, as well as confi rming our view that banks don’t make profi ts by simply creating money from nowhere and charging interest on it: ‘A bank’s business model relies on receiving a higher Property poverty interest rate on the loans (or other assets) than the rate it pays out on its deposits (or other liabilities). (...) The ‘PROPERTY POVERTY’, read a headline in the Oxford commercial bank uses the difference, or spread, between Mail (30 April): ‘Soaring rents leave workers no chance to the expected return on their assets and liabilities to cover buy their own home.’ The article explained that workers its operating costs and to make profi ts (…) In order to were unable to save money for a deposit to begin buying a make extra loans, an individual bank will typically have house or fl at because ‘soaring housing costs mean Oxford to lower its loan rates relative to its competitors to induce workers are spending increasingly high proportions of their households and companies to borrow more. And once it wages on renting a place in the city.’ has made the loan it may well ‘lose’ the deposits it has Capitalism is in fact based on ‘property poverty’ for the created to those competing banks. Both of these factors vast majority, but not necessarily of a ‘property’ to live in, affect the profi tability of making a loan for an individual but property in the means of production, property in assets bank and infl uence how much borrowing takes place. (...) that yield an unearned income. Workers will never be able Banks therefore try to attract or retain additional liabilities to afford to buy enough such property so as to be able to accompany their new loans. (…) Alternatively, a bank can to live off the income without having to sell their ability to borrow from other banks or attract other forms of liabilities, work on the jobs market. at least temporarily. But whether through deposits or In that sense, the wage and salary working class is a other liabilities, the bank would need to make sure it was property-less class even if some do, after years of hard attracting and retaining some kind of funds in order to keep work as an employee, eventually come – by fi nally paying expanding lending’ (Our emphasis). off the mortgage – to own the house or fl at where they In other words, a bank does have to cover its new loans live. But even this seems to be becoming ‘unaffordable’ for by attracting more funds (which will appear on its balance increasing numbers of better paid workers. Not that owning as ‘liabilities’, i.e what they owe to those who provide your own home makes you a capitalist any more than them). In his study Werner doesn’t appear to have asked owning your own car does. Neither are income-yielding the managers of the bank he studied whether they felt assets. they could go on indefi nitely creating ‘fairy dust’ loans of ‘Affordable housing’ was a term much bandied about €200,000 without attracting extra funds. during the election campaign. It’s one of those things It is repeating currency crank theories and advocating nobody can be against: who would not be in favour of banking and monetary reform that is spreading confusion. lower house prices and rents? But the term also has a The solution to the problems facing the wage and salary precise, legal defi nition: any rent which is less than 80 working class the world over is not Monetary Reform. It lies percent of the market rate (still unaffordable for many of in making the means of wealth production commonly owned course). by all, which would make banks and money redundant. – Property companies building houses and blocks of fl ats Editors. for profi t are not going to invest in building any for people who can’t afford to pay a rent that will bring them the going rate of profi t. Left to themselves, in the present state of the market they would build only luxury fl ats. To try to Party news : get round this, planning law allows councils to make it a condition for getting planning permission that the property our election campaign company agrees to provide some ‘affordable’ housing as well. Councils can’t impose this and so have to negotiate For the fi rst time since 1997 we fi elded more than a single token it, with the property companies being in the stronger candidate in a general election. In 1997 it was 5; this time it was bargaining position as if a council asks for too much 10. Although this was not enough to qualify for a Party Election ‘affordable housing’ they can simply walk away. In effect, Broadcast (a party needs over 100 for that) it was enough, at least they are being asked to pay for planning permission, for the BBC, to grant us a couple of fi ve-minute interviews on the a modern, institutionalised, legal equivalent of the BBC2 Daily Politics Show and on the BBC Parliament channel, backhander that notoriously used to be paid to councillors respectively at: and council offi cials. http://tinyurl.com/pd8jbu4 The Labour Party’s election promise to make housing http://tinyurl.com/now7cko ‘affordable’ was to bring in rent controls. The proposal was At this stage the main purpose of us contesting elections is modest enough: no increase in the rent above the rate of to put the socialist case to more people than usual as well as increase of infl ation for three years (and then the landlord to build up and consolidate socialist activity in and around the could ask for what the market would bear). It was met by places contested. A total of a half-million leafl ets were distributed, howls of protest by those investing in housing for profi t. mainly free by Royal Mail, in the ten constituencies. In addition, ‘The Association of Rental Letting Agents (ARLA) said local members and sympathisers held street stalls, took part in that three-quarters of its members feared the plans would hustings (sometimes attended by over 200 people), wrote to and “see landlords exit the market and reduce supply” … were interviewed by the local press and radio. A new feature was The British Property Federation has warned that the rent the number of emails from pressure groups, from 38 Degrees in control plans “could deter much needed investment in the particular. This provided an audience of self-selected participants. housing sector”’ ( Daily Telegraph, 27 April). 3000 or so email replies must have been sent (the modern equiv- But it’s true. Rent controls, by keeping rents below what alent, and not so time consuming, of knocking on doors). the market would bear, would mean that there would be In terms of votes, these confi rmed that only about 1 in a thou- less profi t to be made out of building or letting housing for sand are prepared to vote for socialism. Over 300 in a thousand rent. Inevitably, given the nature of capitalism as a profi t- were not prepared to vote for any of the capitalist parties, no doubt driven system, this would mean less investment in housing largely because they knew from experience that it would make no building. Less profi t = less production. It’s simple, if stupid. difference to their daily life.

18 Socialist Standard June 2015 MI XED Holocaust.) Paris, 2009 Bowie’s Piano Man Garson was a MEDIA Scientologist in the 1970s but Slapper Bowie’s Piano Man: The Life of Mike does not elaborate Garson by Clifford Slapper is a musical biography of on Bowie’s 1997 Q the avant-garde jazz pianist who has worked with David magazine interview Bowie over the last forty years. where he says Garson came of age musically in the 1960s when people Scientology had would ‘listen to Bartok, John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix caused ‘one or two all in the same day’, and he had his big break in 1965 in problems’, although Greenwich Village when Elvin Jones, renowned drummer Garson does say he with John Coltrane called on Garson to replace a pianist. ‘went through a period Slapper describes the infl uences of jazz pianists Cecil of being overbearing Taylor, Erroll Garner, Herbie Hancock, and Bill Evans in his attempts to on the young Garson. Jim Merod concluded that Garson persuade others to is ‘within the circle of genuinely masterful jazz pianists take an interest in including Bill Evans, Art Tatum and Thelonius Monk.’ his spiritual beliefs.’ Slapper details Garson’s work with Bowie beginning David Buckley wrote with the 1973 album Aladdin Sane, which he expressively that Garson’s ‘ describes as ‘the arrival of Aladdin Sane was the 1970s proselytising efforts equivalent of joining the fi rst passenger jet into space.’ had converted both The album lyrics describe New York City’s urban decay, Trevor Bolder and Woody Woodmansey’, and D’Agostino decadence, drug addiction, violence and death just in Glam Musik quotes Bowie: ‘He tried it on with me a prior to some catastrophe. Garson’s piano parts on bit until we had a fi ght about it. He was so po-faced. Aladdin Sane are exquisitely beautiful cascading notes. Very serious guy. We used to call him Garson the Nicholas Pegg wrote that ‘Garson’s breathtaking jazz/ Parson.’ William S Burroughs believed that Scientology blues infl ections forcibly steer away from pure rock’n’roll, might help where psychoanalysis had failed, and creating a vigorous hybrid somewhere between the Stones that auditing techniques could do more in ten hours and Kurt Weill.’ The song Time is Brechtian Cabaret, and than psychoanalysis could do in ten years but he was it is interesting to compare with the cabaret music of ‘disgusted by the authoritarian organisation and the Jacques Brel and Weimar Marxists Brecht-Weill. Garson stupidly fascistic utterances of L Ron Hubbard. The aim used the old stride piano style from the 1920s which of Scientology, complete freedom from past conditioning, ‘sounds like those old-fashioned rinky-tink bar-room was perverted to become a new form of conditioning. He pianos.’ There are a number of links between Brecht-Weill had hoped to fi nd a method of personal emancipation and and Bowie-Garson; Brecht-Weill’s Alabama Song was had found another Control System. It was like a State, recorded by Bowie in 1978, Bowie had the title role in with its own courts and own police’ (Literary Outlaw, Ted the 1982 BBC TV dramatisation of Brecht’s Baal, and at Morgan) his father’s funeral at his request Garson played Weill’s Garson ‘has a lot of faith in humanity and the September Song and Brecht-Weill’s Mack the Knife. goodness of human nature’, and the need to spread Garson’s sweeping piano runs were a key feature on the the idea of connecting to something bigger and deeper songs We are the Dead, 1984, and Big Brother on Bowie’s through an exploration of artistic creation. Garson says 1974 album Diamond Dogs which was based on George ‘everybody is innately connected to God, and is God’, and Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty Four. The lyrics describe ‘We are indeed all deeply interconnected’ which evokes a dystopian post-apocalypse nightmare, and highlight Jung’s ‘collective unconscious.’ Garson, and Slapper to Bowie’s political anxieties about leadership, submission some extent, appear to have sympathy for the Jungian to authority and conformist beliefs. Bowie later said it concept of ‘synchronicity.’ was an ‘apocalyptic kind of view of our city life... it just Garson’s spirituality can fi nd echoes in Erich Fromm’s coincided with the fi rst economic disasters in New York.’ Marx’s Concept of Man: ‘For Spinoza, Goethe, Hegel, as Allan Tannenbaum’s New York in the 70s describes how well as for Marx, man is alive only inasmuch as he is ‘economic stagnation coupled with infl ation created a productive, inasmuch as he grasps the world outside of sense of malaise’, in 1975 New York City was on the himself in the act of expressing his own specifi c human verge of bankruptcy, then AIDS devastated the gay and powers, and of grasping the world with these powers. In artistic community (see Larry Kramer’s Reports from the this productive process, man realizes his own essence, which in theological language is nothing other than his Garson (left) with Bowie, 2002 return to God.’ Garson sees creative artists ‘projecting what the future society is supposed to be’, and the positive social signifi cance of art and creativity which we see in William Morris’s Art, Labour and Socialism. Slapper writes ‘there is plenty of evidence showing how the human brain is capable of great cooperation and collective creativity. Every performance by every orchestra bears testimony to this.’ Bowie’s Piano Man is a welcome addition to my bookshelf and sits between the bookends of The Complete David Bowie by Nicholas Pegg, and Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Defi nitive Story by David Buckley. STEVE CLAYTON Bowie’s Piano Man can be ordered at www.fantomfi lms.co.uk/ books/cliffordslapper_mikegarson.htm

Socialist Standard June 2015 19 Book Reviews Worker take-overs need to win control of political power 3. Offi cial knowledge is to permit this and/or to back it up. incompatible with the proposition An Alternative Labour History. ALB that A, Worker Control and Workplace 4. and yet some evidence can be Democracy. Edited by Dario assembled which does tend to show Azzellini. Zed Books. 2015. Would you believe that A. it? 5. Therefore, A. This is a collection 6. Therefore, offi cial knowledge is wrong. of articles Towards A Science of Belief describing – and 7. Therefore, we are once again free Systems. Edmund Griffi ths. to imagine for ourselves and to feel advocating – Palgrave Macmillan. 2014. ‘workers control’ wonder’ (pp.123-4). Griffi ths has developed his at various points Edmund Griffi ths in history and in descriptive logical method in a way has recently been that is underpinned by the Marxist various places, a Research Fellow particularly Latin materialist conception of history at Wolfson College, though he argues that his method America, today. Oxford and this The authors see is in its early stages and much philosophical work more work has now to be done workers spontaneously taking over was written as workplaces as the way to a new (including logical annotations of a product of his key representative texts to illustrate society without private or state research there. His capitalists. how the ideas presented develop, aim is a laudable interlock, and link with similar types In times of economic and political one: chaos when factory owners lose of argument presented elsewhere). ‘How other people think and feel, In style, the book verges from control or abandon their factories, both generally and individually, workers do not just sit back and do the wry and whimsical at times seems to me to be one of the things to the diffi cult – it is, after all, a nothing. They take over the factories in life that are most urgent and most and try to keep production going. theoretical work and one which is compellingly worth knowing’ (p.154). academically rigorous. Griffi ths is This shows, as Azzellini points out in As such, this is a study about sets his introduction, that ‘workers do not also exceptionally well read and the of ideas, their component elements text is illustrated by references that need bosses to organize production’. and how these elements interlock But this has never lasted for any range from the pronouncements of and lead on from one another. the North Korean state to quotations length of time. Griffi ths contends that the most Sooner or later ‘order’ has been from ancient poetry. effective way to understand belief The general method and standpoint restored, either by the old ruling systems – irrespective of their content class re-establishing control or by of Griffi ths is not incompatible or nature – is through a method he with our own. In terms of its a new ruling class taking over, and calls ‘descriptive logic’. This is an ‘bosses’ have come back, whether objective (if not method) it also has objective method that can be used some similarity with the theory of the old private ones or new state regardless of whether one agrees with ones. In some cases, however, the systematic ideology developed by the belief systems being analysed or Harold Walsby, George Walford and ’recuperated’ factories have been not. given a legal basis as cooperatives others. This was a group who left the He uses it to discuss belief systems SPGB in the 1940s and who became producing for the market. But as varied as Fabianism, Gnosticism, this is no solution. Cooperatives, motivated by a need to understand and fl ying saucers. Here, below, is the ideologies of the modern world Azzelini writes in the section an illustration of it with regard to of his introduction ‘Limits and – their defi ning features, how they alternative historiography, where interlock and particularly the contradictions of the cooperative the proposition A could range, for model’, ‘tend to operate within the limitations on their spread and instance, from the view that Giza is development. capitalist logic of productivity and really modeled on Orion’s Belt, to profi tability … the pressure on them We have sparred with the advocates ‘9/11 Truth theories’, to the view of this theory many times in the past, to a adopt a capitalist business that the moon is really an artifi cial logic is immense … cooperatives are though ironically this is one book construction: that might have benefi ted from a embedded in the framework of the ‘1. Offi cial knowledge is drab, capitalist economy and compete on consideration of their ideas. This is conformist, monolithic, and an because – whatever the fl aws in their the capitalist market following the obstacle to the free exercise of the logic of profi t-making … ‘ arguments – theirs was one of the imagination and of the sense of very few other attempts to traverse This is a better fate than being wonder. forcibly suppressed but is still a dead this type of terrain. In essence, they 2. Therefore, offi cial knowledge attempted to use a dialectical method end. Which is why Azzelini favours a should be refuted. revolution in which there is a general to account for why people think as movement of workers to ‘take and they do, why types of ideas recur hold’ the means of production (to persistently in society, and why some use the terminology of the old IWW, seem to attract more adherents than which surprisingly doesn’t get a others. mention). Nevertheless, it is clear Edmund A revolution led by workers’ Griffi ths has produced a very useful councils would certainly be better and informative book that represents than one led by a vanguard party a signifi cant contribution to the but still underestimates the degree of study of belief systems, both ancient understanding of those involved as to and modern. where they are going and ignores the DAP

20 Socialist Standard June 2015 Silk Roads, Old and New become operational by 2020, and will be run by Chinese companies for thirty years. The other major project is the 21st Century Maritime Silk Route Economic Belt (Maritime Silk Road for short). The plans here seem to be less detailed at present, but they involve a route via the South China Sea, then two separate parts, one to the Indian Ocean and one to the South Pacifi c. In September last year, President Xi Jinping visited the Maldives and Sri Lanka in order to push this scheme. Sri Lanka has in fact already received $1.4bn from China to improve the port facilities at its commercial capital Colombo, as a rival to Singapore and Dubai. China will also be fi nancing the upgrading of the Maldives’ international airport and the improvement of transport links within the island chain. The two umbrella projects, the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road, are known collectively as the Belt and LONG-DISTANCE trade existed well before the growth of Road Initiative. The intention is that, within a decade or so, capitalism. The Silk Road was a series of routes, some on trade between China and the Belt and Road countries will be land and some by sea, that linked China and India to the over $2.5 trillion. However massive the investments are, the Mediterranean region. It emerged gradually, so it is hard to date hoped-for profi ts are even greater. The funds come from various its origin precisely, but it was well-established by the second Chinese investment vehicles, such as the Silk Road Fund, and century BCE. Along it travelled not just Chinese silk to Europe, banks like the Export-Import Bank of China. Economics and together with many other goods (pottery, for instance), but also politics are of course closely linked, and co-operation in terms ideas such as Buddhism from India to China. of security and coastguard operations will all be part of the deal The original Silk Road was in decline by the 15th century, and with the aim of reducing tensions and disputes over maritime Chinese capitalism, in its grab for wealth and power, now has resources. something along similar but far more ambitious lines in mind. The area for the envisaged Economic Belt has a population Nowadays, though, a great deal of planning and investment ‘close to 3 billion people and represents the biggest market has to go into such developments. One such structure is the in the world with unparalleled potential’, Xi said at a talk in Silk Road Economic Belt, an overland route through Central Kazakhstan in September 2013. As for the maritime route, a Asia, and part of this is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Cambodian minister stated last year that for China and nations This involves a series of infrastructure projects, costing as in South-east Asia, ‘it is necessary to build a maritime silk road much as US $46bn, that will link the Chinese city of Kashgar in order to bolster economic cooperation, particularly in the to the Pakistan seaboard. In addition to roads and upgraded fi elds of trade, investment and tourism’. rail lines, this will include an international airport and various So the Chinese ruling class’s plans for economic expansion energy projects in Pakistan (including wind farms and gas and rivalry with the US cover not just the other BRICS countries pipelines). In April came the announcement of the fi rst stage, (Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa), but also Pakistan and a 720,000-kilowatt hydroelectric power project in the Punjab other places in Central, South and South-east Asia. Capitalist province of Pakistan, which is expected to cost $1.65bn. It competition is forging new struggles over trade routes and is fi nanced by various state-owned Chinese banks, should resources. PB ‘I Love The Smell leave behind. The programme reminds us that even waste can be a Of Rubbish In The commodity, like anything else that gets bought and sold. Morning’ Waste has more value if it’s reused, but recycling facilities vary according to levels of investment across the country. THERE’S A lot of trash on Not many waste processing plants are set up to recycle the telly, especially if you tune as much as the one in Byker. And these days, councils in to BBC2’s fl y-on-the-wall are likely to be cutting funding for recycling rather than documentary Wastemen . This increasing it. If services aren’t there for people to use, lifts the wheelie-bin lid on how we deal then more rubbish will get illegally dumped. Newcastle with the rubbish we chuck out and then forget. council tackles this with its neighbourhood wardens and the Every hour, Britain produces enough refuse to fi ll the Albert snappily-monikered ‘Enviro-crime’ team. They try to identify Hall, which someone has to deal with. Wastemen follows fl ytippers from CCTV footage of tyres and furniture being the various scrap merchants, bin men, wardens and waste hoyed out of vans, and by snooping through bin bags for processing plant staff who handle what the people of something showing an incriminating address. Newcastle throw away. So, the way we manage our rubbish is shaped by market 1,200 tons of rubbish arrive each week at the Byker Waste forces and dictates from the state. We’ve got the technology Processing Plant, where it gets sorted by hand, by magnets to reuse and recycle much of what we throw away, but its and by sieves, and then composted, recycled, or turned into use isn’t encouraged enough by our current system. Before fuel to produce electricity. Oddly, there isn’t a local market for we can fi nd more sensible and practical approaches to using this fuel, so it gets exported to Sweden, which can’t produce our resources, capitalism itself needs to get thrown on the enough rubbish for its own waste-to-electricity power plants. scrapheap. The cameras also follow the offi cial and unoffi cial scrap MIKE FOSTER dealers who try to make a living from what others

Socialist Standard June 2015 21 Meetings

For full details of all our meetings and events see our Meetup site: http://www.meetup.com/The- Socialist-Party-of-Great-Britain/

Kent & Sussex Regional Branch Kent & Sussex Regional Branch Tuesday 16 June 2015 7.30pm Saturday 18 July 2015 from 12 noon ‘An Introduction to the Socialist Party’ Canterbury street stall, The Brighthelme Centre (Activities Hall - The Parade pedestrian precinct, Canterbury Basement), North Road, Brighton BN1 1YD Socialist Party Head Offi ce Sunday 19 July 3.00pm West London Branch ‘What became of Labour’s “socialism”?’ Tuesday 16 June 2015 8.00pm Speaker: Pat Deutz ‘Magna Carta, did she die in vain?’ 52 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN Guest Speaker: Vincent Jones Chiswick Town Hall, Heathfi eld Terrace, Lambeth Discussion Group London W4 4JN Thursday 30 July 2015 7.00pm Trade Unions: ‘centres of resistance against Manchester Branch the encroachments of capital’ Saturday 20 June 2015 12 noon Speaker: Steve Clayton Hike - Etherow Country Park, George Street, 52 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN Compstall, Stockport SK6 5JD

Socialist Party Head Offi ce Sunday 21 June 2015 3.00pm ‘The New Dust Bowl: Soil and Survival’ Speaker: Gwynn Thomas 52 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN Picture Credits Lambeth Discussion Group p4: Ibiza party, 2008, Alex Harries, CCA 2.0 Thursday 25 June 2015 7.00pm p6: Church door, 2010, Charlesdrakew, PD ‘TTIP- the Transatlantic Trade and Investment p8: Pai Tavytera Indians, Paraguay, 2005, Partnership’ FrankOWeaver, CCA-SA 3.0 Speaker: Steve Clayton p9: Rob Marris - © Alex Latham 2015, CC BY-SA 3.0. Enoch Powell - © Allan Warren 1987, CC 52 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN BY-SA 3.0. p10: Magna Carta and Great Seal, British Kent and Sussex Regional Branch Library,PD; John on the toilet, 2012, Adam Bishop, Saturday 27 June from 12 noon CC-SA 3.0; Canterbury street stall, p14: 5 day shutdown in Srinagar, Kashmir and vegetable seller on Lake Dal, 2013, The Parade pedestrian precinct, Canterbury Rudolph.A.furtado, PD p16: Slave Trade: Public Domain. Socialist Party Head Offi ce p17: Mass grave: Public Domain. Sunday 5 July 3.00pm p19: Mike Garson in Paris, 2009, Alex Boyd, PD; ‘The Failure of Capitalist Production: Political Garson (left) with Bowie, 2002, Mark Jeremy, CC- BY-SA Implications of the Great Recession’ p20: An Alternative Labour History - www.press. Guest Speaker: Andrew Kliman uchicago.edu. Towards A Science of Belief Systems 52 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN – amazon.co.uk p21: Silk Road - Creative Commons Attribution- Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. p24: Stalin, 1949, Bundesarchiv Bild, CC BY-SA 3.0; Camerons, 2010, Rsloch, CCA-SA 3.0

Declaration of Principles

This declaration is the basis of our a class struggle between those who possess the powers of government, national and local, organisation and, because it is also an but do not produce and those who produce in order that this machinery, including these important historical document dating from but do not possess. forces, may be converted from an instrument the formation of the party in 1904, its original of oppression into the agent of emancipation language has been retained. 3.That this antagonism can be abolished only and the overthrow of privilege, aristocratic by the emancipation of the working class and plutocratic. Object from the domination of the master class, by The establishment of a system of society the conversion into the common property 7.That as all political parties are but the based upon the common ownership of society of the means of production and expression of class interests, and as the and democratic control of the means distribution, and their democratic control by interest of the working class is diametrically and instruments for producing and the whole people. opposed to the interests of all sections of the distributing wealth by and in the interest master class, the party seeking working class of the whole community. 4.That as in the order of social evolution the emancipation must be hostile to every other working class is the last class to achieve its party. Declaration of Principles freedom, the emancipation of the working The Socialist Party of Great Britain holds class will involve the emancipation of all 8.The Socialist Party of Great Britain, mankind, without distinction of race or sex. therefore, enters the fi eld of political action 1.That society as at present constituted is determined to wage war against all other based upon the ownership of the means 5. That this emancipation must be the work of political parties, whether alleged labour of living (i.e. land, factories, railways, etc.) the working class itself. or avowedly capitalist, and calls upon the by the capitalist or master class, and the members of the working class of this country consequent enslavement of the working 6.That as the machinery of government, to muster under its banner to the end that a class, by whose labour alone wealth is including the armed forces of the nation, speedy termination may be wrought to the produced. exists only to conserve the monopoly by the system which deprives them of the fruits of capitalist class of the wealth taken from the their labour, and that poverty may give place 2.That in society, therefore, there is an workers, the working class must organize to comfort, privilege to equality, and slavery antagonism of interests, manifesting itself as consciously and politically for the conquest of to freedom.

22 Socialist Standard June 2015 starts in life. Pacquaio once slept on 50 Years Ago ACTION REPLAY beds in a gym and fought for 5 dollars in The Big Fight scraps organised for gambling. If he won Where we stand he bought rice, if he lost he starved. AFTER ALL the ballyhoo and Floyd’s childhood was brutal, his mother was a drug addict and his father SOCIALISTS ADVOCATE a world where razzmatazz the big fi ght was a loose cannon prone to violence. The the whole of humanity is united about disappointing. All three judges scored story goes that when barely a year old, social relationships of equality and co- Floyd Mayweather the winner by a Floyd senior used his boy as a human operation. The identity of the Socialist unanimous decision against Manny shield when his uncle (mother’s side) even now is not with any national Pacquiao. came seeking retribution. He hoisted grouping, brand of religion, any alleged Pacquiao’s best period was the Floyd into the gun sight forcing the ‘race’ or local culture. The Socialist has early part of the fi ght, his bustling style assailant to shoot him in the leg. no loyalties to Britain or America, to unsettling Mayweather but Floyd kept As far as money is concerned early Protestantism or Catholicism, to white Pacquiao at bay with some stinging indications of pay-per-view sales in men or brown men, to Welsh culture or jabs. In round 5, Floyd started to dictate the US suggest that Mayweather will African culture. By his perspective of the fi ght, using his speed, footwork and earn $200m and Pacqiao in excess history, by his knowledge of the economic superb defensive skills to outpoint his of £120m - not bad for one night’s nature of modern society, the Socialist opponent. work. Floyd’s next scheduled fi ght is has gone beyond the shallow allegiances It later transpired that Pacquiao had in September against an opponent of that misdirect the attitudes of those who entered the ring with a shoulder injury. his choice. Several fi ghters are ‘lining are still burdened by nationalism, religion Revealing that he had suffered a ‘torn up’ to take on Mayweather including or racism. Our argument is that if the rota cuff’ in training but had decided to Britain’s Amir Khan and Kell Brook but majority were Socialists, the security of continue with the contest. The Nevada Floyd may prefer Miguel Cotto or Saul all men in material comfort in a world State Commission (NASC) was unaware Alvarez both previous opponents or of harmony and freedom would at last of this until they received a request from perhaps Danny Garcia who defeated become a reality. Pacquiao to have an anti-infl ammatory Amir Khan. Whoever the opponent is, It is true that the world picture of racism injection 90 minutes before the fi ght you can be sure it will be the opponent at present is gloomy; it is a running sore started. Pacquiao could now face NSAC who generates the most money at the of a problem, frequently accompanied by penalties and possible law suits, after box offi ce and pay-per-view, because in outbursts of physical violence. Apart from not disclosing the injury in a medical Floyd Mayweather’s world, it’s all about its form as widespread prejudice, in some questionnaire prior to the fi ght. the ‘Money, Money, Money’. parts of the world it is still maintained Before taking up professional boxing KEVIN as offi cial government policy. Although Floyd and Manny experienced diffi cult it is the product of different historical conditions, and although up to now the South African Government has not begun to build gas chambers, apartheid is in FREE direct descent from the Gestapo’s ‘fi nal 3-month trial subscription to the solution’. Racism may be dormant in Socialist Standard Hamburg, but its ugliness has reappeared in Smethwick and Notting Hill. Socialists have no hesitation in taking a stand. We condemn racism. To us it is repugnant. We are opposed to any attitude that discourages the unity of the working class. Even so, our disgust is extended by an understanding of the problem. Disgust without knowledge is impotent. The racists of Johannesburg, Salisbury, Birmingham Alabama or Birmingham, England, are not inherently evil men. They are men who are moved by fear, insecurity, frustration and ignorance, all of which are attitudes conditioned by social forces. The working For more details about The Socialist Party, or to request a 3-month trial subscription class of Smethwick have a social history to the Socialist Standard, please complete and return this form to 52 Clapham High of struggle and insecurity. They are on the defensive, they are anxious to protect Street, London SW4 7UN. jobs, a standard of living, a standard of housing, that they feel has been hard Please send me an info pack won. Mere condemnation will not help Please send me a trial subscription to the Socialist Standard. them. They have to realise that they are victims of a universal situation that Name...... impinges on members of the working Address ...... class wherever they exist...... (from editorial of special issue of Socialist Standard on the Race Question, ...... June 1965) ...... Postcode......

Socialist Standard June 2015 23 Minimum wage, ‘living’ wage or a comes as no surprise to socialists, after secretly worked with the George W. world without? all, the class which has the means of Bush administration to justify a post-9/11 In Congress, Sen. Patty Murray, material production at its disposal, has torture policy (Time , 30 April). D-Washington, and Rep. Bobby Scott, control at the same time over the means D-Virginia, have introduced the Raise of mental production. In Stalin’s case, They won, you lost the Wage Act, which would increase the process started long ago. Here is ‘The question is: who is this country the federal minimum wage $1 an hour one example, part of a poem which was going to be run for?’ Mr Axelrod said. starting in 2016 to $12 by 2020, and published in Pravda on 28 August, 1936: ‘Cameron is absolutely right about the thereafter base increases on the growth question. But it is not a question of of the federal median wage. ‘No one O Great Stalin, O Leader of the Peoples, whether the country is going to be run for who works hard in a full-time job should Thou who didst give birth to man, Scotland. It is a question of whether the Thou who didst make fertile the earth, country is going to be run for the wealthy have to live in poverty,’ Murray said in Thou who dost rejuvenate the Centuries, introducing the legislation (Herald Net, 1 Thou who givest blossom to the spring... and powerful interests, who have thrived May). No more crumbs! Not even a slice and prospered under Tory policies while of cake! Workers should demand what is everyday working people have struggled rightfully ours: the whole bakery. just to keep up’ ( Independent, 2 May). Labour, Liberal, Tory - same old boring Earning a wage is a prison story. The Greens, SNP, UKIP etc., are occupation part of it too. One in three full-time employees in some of the world’s largest economies say From the horse’s mouth maintaining a healthy work-life balance David Cameron’s former chief strategist has become more diffi cult in the last has launched a stinging attack on the fi ve years...’It’s really important in a ‘insular ruling class’ threatening Britain’s sustainable 24-7 global marketplace democracy. Steve Hilton said too many to be able to offer people the ability to of those at the heart of government go to ebb and fl ow to make life work while the same dinner parties and send their they’re working so hard,’ says Karyn children to the same schools. He said Twaronite, an Ernst & Young partner the UK’s political system is now in ‘crisis’ and global diversity and inclusiveness because the same type of people stay offi cer. ‘The workday is vast. There in charge whatever the outcome of the really aren’t start and end times, and elections. it does have a signifi cant overlap into In what will be seen as a criticism of everyone’s personal life in a signifi cant the ‘chumocracy’ of his former boss, Mr way. You no longer can leave your work Hilton warned: ‘Our democracies are behind at the end of the day’ ( US News, increasingly captured by a ruling class 5 May). 9 til 5? More like 24/7, except for that seeks to perpetuate its privileges. the unemployed 1 percent! Socialists, ‘Regardless of who’s in offi ce, the same like Marx, by contrast, claim that in a Like the Moonies, only with labour camps people are in power. It is a democracy in communist society there would be more name only, operating on behalf of a tiny leisure time, more time for education and Drapetomania elite no matter the electoral outcome’ that everyone would participate in the There is a long history of science being (Daily Mail, 17 May). running of society. It’s time to break free. used to support the status quo. Russian psychiatrists famously aided Stalin by Deifi cation of a dictator diagnosing dissidents as insane. In ‘Over the past fi ve years I’ve often 1850s America a Dr. Cartwright identifi ed watched documentary fi lms about Stalin, a ‘condition’ that caused black slaves to about that time on television and learnt fl ee plantations. More recently, a report more about him,’ the 29-year-old told written by six health professionals and AFP. ‘And now I don’t have any negative human rights activists claims that the feelings towards him. He had good American Psychological Association intentions’ (Yahoo! News, 5 May). This

ISSN24 0037 8259 Socialist Standard June 2015 Produced and published by the Socialist Party of Great Britain, 52 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN