Thanks for this blog.
It was great to be at that regional meeting of Socialist Alliance comrades. I also learned a great deal about the extent of the assault on workers' rights and trade unions in Australia. Much worse than in most of the advanced capitalist world.
A brief and comradely response:
Other comrades at the same meeting heard me clearly say that we live in a capitalist class system comprising two objectively antagonistic classes: the capitalist class and the working class (characterised as it is by various strata, but with a common objective- if not currently subjective, class interest). I used the phrase ' I hold to a binary analysis of social class'.
I have recently co-written about this at length, I hope with some clarity, in Kelsh, D. and Hill, D. (2006)The Culturalization of Class and the Occluding of Class Consciousness: The Knowledge Industry in/of Education, in the Journal for Critical Education Studies, vol 4 no 1, which is available free online at http://www.jceps.com/index.php?p...le&
articleID=59.
Perhaps next time I'll try to make this clearer in my speech, this binary concept of class.
On the comrades' second point, about what he assumes is my over-enthusiasm for 'regulated capitalism', defending workers' rights, and social democratic reforms, the perspective and analysis I was attempting to project was that we Marxists need to fight for reforms and to defend and advance workers' rights, and to regulate capitalism- but that this is not enough.
Indeed, I thought this was one of the main points of my speech. Perhaps I didn't emphasise it enough... I'll take note of that point next time I make a speech like that (in fact to trade unionists in Adelaide this coming week). And that point is actually similar to the point you are seeking to counterpose.
That is, that social democracy is not enough...as I said 'it alibis capitalism', 'it provides a fig-leaf for Capital'.
That what we need to work for, in RESPECT, in the Socialist Alliance in Australia, in the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) and in Marxist parties and coalitions, and broader political projects (such as RESPECT in England) and United Fronts (such as anti-war organisations and other campaigns... though how United Front they are is questionable)... we must work for, organise for, speak out for the necessity of Marxist analysis and organisation.
We're aiming for Socialism, not reformed capitalism. We need to break away from/ encourage and organise others to break away from social democratic and former social democratic parties (such as Blair's New Labour, and Beazley's and others' ALP) setting up and strengthening a Marxist (non-sectarian) alternative.
That's what my beliefs/ analysis are. That's what I was trying to say.
In Solidarity
Dave Hill
Thanks for this blog.
It was great to be at that regional meeting of Socialist Alliance comrades. I also learned a great deal about the extent of the assault on workers' rights and trade unions in Australia. Much worse than in most of the advanced capitalist world.
A brief and comradely response:
Other comrades at the same meeting heard me clearly say that we live in a capitalist class system comprising two objectively antagonistic classes: the capitalist class and the working class (characterised as it is by various strata, but with a common objective- if not currently subjective, class interest). I used the phrase ' I hold to a binary analysis of social class'.
I have recently co-written about this at length, I hope with some clarity, in Kelsh, D. and Hill, D. (2006)The Culturalization of Class and the Occluding of Class Consciousness: The Knowledge Industry in/of Education, in the Journal for Critical Education Studies, vol 4 no 1, which is available free online at http://www.jceps.com/index.php?p...le&
articleID=59.
Perhaps next time I'll try to make this clearer in my speech, this binary concept of class.
On the comrades' second point, about what he assumes is my over-enthusiasm for 'regulated capitalism', defending workers' rights, and social democratic reforms, the perspective and analysis I was attempting to project was that we Marxists need to fight for reforms and to defend and advance workers' rights, and to regulate capitalism- but that this is not enough.
Indeed, I thought this was one of the main points of my speech. Perhaps I didn't emphasise it enough... I'll take note of that point next time I make a speech like that (in fact to trade unionists in Adelaide this coming week). And that point is actually similar to the point you are seeking to counterpose.
That is, that social democracy is not enough...as I said 'it alibis capitalism', 'it provides a fig-leaf for Capital'.
That what we need to work for, in RESPECT, in the Socialist Alliance in Australia, in the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) and in Marxist parties and coalitions, and broader political projects (such as RESPECT in England) and United Fronts (such as anti-war organisations and other campaigns... though how United Front they are is questionable)... we must work for, organise for, speak out for the necessity of Marxist analysis and organisation.
We're aiming for Socialism, not reformed capitalism. We need to break away from/ encourage and organise others to break away from social democratic and former social democratic parties (such as Blair's New Labour, and Beazley's and others' ALP) setting up and strengthening a Marxist (non-sectarian) alternative.
That's what my beliefs/ analysis are. That's what I was trying to say.
In Solidarity
Dave Hill
Dave, thanks for replying.
You did indeed say "'social democracy is not enough...as I said 'it alibis capitalism'...'it provides a fig-leaf for Capital'" - those phrases are in my notebook.
I should have quoted those parts of your speech in the original article, and made clearer that you did say you rejected the Labour Party.
Still think though, the examples of France, Italy, India, Venezuela and so on are not in themselves enough. Even Venezuela has not thrown out the bosses.
They'll find their own path, but it is for me to suggest how leftists in the west should read the situation.
What concerns me more than anything else is the romantic way that many of the Australian activists you will speak to idealise Chavez, Castro, Che (_especially_ Che), and so on. You said nothing on this either way, so I can't fault _you_, but I see signs of this at every rally I go to.
It's not that Chavez is bad. I know nothing about Venezuela. Chavez may well be far, far better than any practical option anyone is offering right now. Even if all he aims at is renovating capitalism, that might mean a better life soon for millions of people. So I will try not to be more 'revolutionary than thou'. Well, any more.
But I see signs of people in the west wanting to romanticise anyone who makes the bosses slightly nervous.
I should say that your style was a breath of fresh air. It's rare to hear an engaging, relaxed speaker at a political event - anger is the usual emotion.
Obviously we have no real-world examples to give to workers in advanced Western countries about how to take over, but you can see I think we need ways to spread the culture of responsibility and power.
You'd have to build organisations like that, that could win battles first, and then people might actually listen when you say that you want to throw out the bosses, not just get better ones. I'll have to temper my dreams with reality.
BTW, I am not a member of Socialist Alliance - my alignment is with the 'Marxist-Leninists' (most leftists would use the shorthand 'Maoists' but its more complex than that) of Last Superpower and so oppose SA's (and presumably your) line on the Iraq war.
But your speech sounded interesting, and it was.
It's true you catch more flies with honey, so I I'll be approaching the United Casual Workers Alliance people who spoke before you for any stories they want shared.
Regards David J
Dave, thanks for replying.
You did indeed say "'social democracy is not enough...as I said 'it alibis capitalism'...'it provides a fig-leaf for Capital'" - those phrases are in my notebook.
I should have quoted those parts of your speech in the original article, and made clearer that you did say you rejected the Labour Party.
Still think though, the examples of France, Italy, India, Venezuela and so on are not in themselves enough. Even Venezuela has not thrown out the bosses.
They'll find their own path, but it is for me to suggest how leftists in the west should read the situation.
What concerns me more than anything else is the romantic way that many of the Australian activists you will speak to idealise Chavez, Castro, Che (_especially_ Che), and so on. You said nothing on this either way, so I can't fault _you_, but I see signs of this at every rally I go to.
It's not that Chavez is bad. I know nothing about Venezuela. Chavez may well be far, far better than any practical option anyone is offering right now. Even if all he aims at is renovating capitalism, that might mean a better life soon for millions of people. So I will try not to be more 'revolutionary than thou'. Well, any more.
But I see signs of people in the west wanting to romanticise anyone who makes the bosses slightly nervous.
I should say that your style was a breath of fresh air. It's rare to hear an engaging, relaxed speaker at a political event - anger is the usual emotion.
Obviously we have no real-world examples to give to workers in advanced Western countries about how to take over, but you can see I think we need ways to spread the culture of responsibility and power.
You'd have to build organisations like that, that could win battles first, and then people might actually listen when you say that you want to throw out the bosses, not just get better ones. I'll have to temper my dreams with reality.
BTW, I am not a member of Socialist Alliance - my alignment is with the 'Marxist-Leninists' (most leftists would use the shorthand 'Maoists' but its more complex than that) of Last Superpower and so oppose SA's (and presumably your) line on the Iraq war.
But your speech sounded interesting, and it was.
It's true you catch more flies with honey, so I I'll be approaching the United Casual Workers Alliance people who spoke before you for any stories they want shared.
Regards David J
This article has also been posted, and is being discussed, at
Last Superpower.net
This article has also been posted, and is being discussed, at
Last Superpower.net
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