A paper of Marxist polemic and Marxist unity Humans of one generation have n Letters and debate n Iran and the Donald to pass Earth on to succeeding n US Kautsky debate generations in an improved state n Stan Keable case No 1265 September 5 2019 Towards a Communist Party of the European Union £1/€1.10 Parliamentary cretinism weekly 2 September 5 2019 1265 worker LETTERS Letters may have been usually followed the Labour Party line. the tremendous development of the shortened because of Professor Davis asked what the forces of production since Marx’s day, space. Some names principles, strategy and tactics were in capitalism can now be transformed into may have been changed this struggle, and answered her own socialism/communism fairly quickly - Summer Offensive question in this way: and that exchanging quotes from Marx Principle: the road to socialism (she settles only the academic, historical Leave now! did not specify if this was the British question of what Marx thought, not On September 2 I attended a public road ...). what should be done today. Over the meeting organised by the London Strategy: Brexit was part of the Adam Buick district committee and North London necessary strategy to achieve socialism, Socialist Party of Great Britain Communist Party of Britain (before because it is impossible to transform the the events of this week in parliament current order within the EU. We (eg, the China programme finishing line obviously). left) want Brexit because we want that Paul Demarty’s article on the The leaflet for the event - entitled change to socialism. continuing crisis in Hong Kong ‘Brexit for the people. No to EU Tactics: yes to a general election, yes undoubtedly raised the key problem of Austerity! Why Labour should to no deal, unless there is a good deal. the protest movement there - the lack support leave’ - promised an action- “We” are committed to parliamentary of a programme for China (‘We need packed discussion, proving that sovereignty, so the need is to oppose the a game plan’, August 15). However, Brexit - or Lexit, as proposed by prorogation of parliament. In addition the article didn’t put forward any such the CPB’s new front, Leave, Fight, “we” need an international Brexit, so programme, so we are left wondering Transform (LeFT) - was needed for that there is a social transformation if Paul has it in mind to write a second “the people”. The Marx Memorial leading to socialism. article, in which he might suggest the Library and Workers School meeting Questions and statements followed, outlines of such a programme. hall was crowded. which included a remark from the KKE If he does plan to do so, he may well International speakers had been speaker that the EU was passing laws need to start with a clearer analysis of invited. Thassod Mangelis from the leading to “modern slavery”. However, the class nature of China. Throwaway KKE (Communist Party of Greece) one question unanswered by this phrases such as “the capitalist elite” spoke about the situation in Greece, and meeting was how nationalist interest or “the Stalinist-capitalist dictatorship argued that the European Union cannot could be transformed into socialism, of China as a whole” just create more be democratised because of its relations and another asked at the end (which confusion than clarity. And an unclear with Nato - they are the leading anti- seemed to sum up the questions not analysis of the situation in China will communist organisations that equate asked or answered by this meeting) inevitably have a limiting effect on any fascism with communism - and that was: “How do we win the unity of the programme. the benefits go mainly to Germany. working class?” Actually, the Chinese regime’s own He ended his statement with the cry, There will be a fringe meeting of the definition of their system as “market “Workers of the world, unite!” LeFT group at the TUC conference, at socialism” is a reasonably accurate Next spoke Andreas Gregoriou, which Arthur Scargill will be coming assessment of the current system in secretary of the Cypriot Progressive out of retirement to speak, alongside the China. It is as if Lenin’s New Economic Party of Working People (AKEL) in general secretary of the CPB, Robert Programme of 1921 has been taken to Britain. He stressed the “needs of the Griffiths. the ultimate level. people” in Cyprus, with unemployment Gaby Rubin Given that the public sector is still and poverty rising; the shrinking of London dominant in China (80%, including the public sector. He said that austerity state ownership of the banks), the revealed the real nature of the system State capitalism central demand needs to be for the - one-third of the population is living Despite what Jack Conrad writes, democratisation of the state, society on or under a living wage and that the I have never claimed that Lenin and the economy. But not along unemployment rate for youth is 30%. innovated when he called post-capitalist the competitive lines of capitalist think that from many comrades’ hands of many SOs, so it was Mick Carty, general secretary of society ‘socialism’ (‘The two phases democracy: rather in a collectivist form, I point of view, this year’s extremely encouraging that the the Connolly Association, changed the of communism’, August 15). This based on participatory democracy. That Summer Offensive - the CPGB’s young comrade, OP, managed tenor by speaking about the situation was standard practice amongst first- is something we also need in the west. annual fundraising drive - was £590. Ditto our cohort of in Ireland with respect to relations generation Marxists and, in fact, shows Pat Byrne very encouraging. Not vintage, comrades from the Netherlands between the north and south, and that for them the words ‘socialism’ and Labour International (personal capacity) but a definite move forward from (who attended the CPGB’s the EU. He amused the audience by ‘communism’ were interchangeable. recent years. There are several Communist University and took claiming that the EU’s free mobility of Lenin’s ‘innovation’ was to see New world reasons for this. a lively and engaged part both labour gave Irish workers “a choice of ‘socialism’ starting at the beginning of Banks are closing down local First, there was the simple fact in the formal sessions and in the places to emigrate to”. He stated that the the period Marx envisaged when the branches and removing cash services. that we hit and went beyond our informal, boisterous discussions Connolly Association worked for Irish working class would be using its control Customers wishing to withdraw target of £30,000 over the two- that - occasionally fuelled by a unity and independence and as such did of political power to transform capitalist money as cash are directed to cash month period of the campaign. small sherry or two - stretched not take a position on the backstop. society into ‘communist society’ (or, machines, but the number of ATMs is When all the last-minute shrapnel on into the night). Our Dutch The long-awaited main speaker the same thing, ‘socialist society’): ie, declining. Mobile payments - either and notes had been totted up, comrades contributed £1,200 of the evening, Labour peer Maurice a period during which socialism (or for bill paying or person-to-person we had powered through to an to the SO and - reflecting the Glasman, spoke next. He argued that communism) had yet to be established. transactions - will be the last nail in impressive £31,257 (well over affection the comrades were held the difference between globalisation Lenin further ‘innovated’ by the coffin for cash. £6,000 more than the SO of in by CPGBers - were given a and internationalism was being eroded extending this period into what Marx In countries that lead this transition 2018). boisterous round of applause at in the discussion. The EU, he argued, had called the “first phase of communist to a digital economy - Iceland, Second, this successful our celebration meal to mark being a great capitalist enterprise, society”. As a result he has the state Norway, Sweden and Denmark - campaign was noticeable for a the ending of the fundraising “makes resistance to capitalism illegal”. and the wages system continuing to nearly all transactions, both in volume rather more rigorous approach campaign. The EU gives priority to capital over survive into socialism/communism. As and number, are digital. Today, to contacting comrades in our A small flurry of donations labour. he put it in State and revolution, in this less than three percent of consumer immediate periphery, plus from supporters and sympathisers Internationalism was solidarity phase “all citizens are transformed into payments in Norway are in cash. And the more distant friends our was also very useful in getting with the oppressed. Globalisation was hired employees of the state” (chapter what has happened in Scandinavia is organisation has. One recurrent us over the finishing line and defiance of working class agency, 5, section 3). In other articles from the now happening in the UK too. weakness of our culture that this beyond - many thanks for the despising working people. It is not same period Lenin frequently confused We must support the move to a year’s SO has reminded us of is last-minute donations by TDB the uneducated who are opposed to state capitalism and socialism in this cash-free society. But it should mean our amateurism, when it comes and JC (£200 each) and the Brexit (after all, teachers voted against way, as all Leninists have done ever that all people, including the unbanked to keeping active links with others who rushed cash to us, as Brexit): even the Labour leadership since.