Ian Bone's take on the various factions involved in this Left Unity thing
http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/why-i-support-left-unity/
http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/why-i-support-left-unity/
14th November Movement for Left Unity
- Thread starter chilango
- Start date
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Might have the correct line on beards then.
barney_pig
Po-cha-na-quar-hip
Paul always insisted on a complete ban on facial hair in class war. But this may not have been official cw policy.
he collects them, bit like his extensive record collection...
One of Moazez's mates and serial joiner
“Nope, no march has even been floated. That report is just factually wrong.” Owen Jones commenting on John Rees interview in the Independent today. Rees has gicven the game away on the undemocrartic decisions he and German have taken – there will be a march on October 26th except no one but Rees and German know it yet.He has probably not told Owen that he has written the final declaration either. Better ask him Owen."
Bloody hell, I was right about the PA, rally in late June, then a mass march in late October, nothing but predictable.
you do have to wonder if Rees is a stooge...
Bloody hell, I was right about the PA, rally in late June, then a mass march in late October, nothing but predictable.
you do have to wonder if Rees is a stooge...
ska invita
back on the other side
i dont know much about Die Linke or Syriza but as far as i understand they are coalitions of pre-existing left parties/groups. Left Unity has been talked about as a UK form of the same, but at the moment far from uniting existing groups it seems to be off on its own trajectory, and possibly pissing off certain groups (and egos) as a result. I wonder how much left unity will arise from this, or if it will instead be its own beast. ??
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
It is what it says -Left Unity aka 2013 version of Beyond The Fragments . First stop on a medium haul flight to soft left Labour.
barney_pig
Po-cha-na-quar-hip
If I was still capable of enthusiasm I would be enthusiastic about this. As it is I am quite impressed, but concerned it will become crushed by the weight of past failure.
love detective
there's no love too small
they've been consistently getting around 10%-20% in local by elections here for the last few years - and these have all been largrly in the mainly white working class wards in the south of the borough which is a bit out of their natural comfort zone
If it wasn't for the presence of a strong green party I could see them getting at least 2 to 3 times that vote in any contest in the more leafer more middle class wards in the north of the borough. I think they are seen as a bit too middle class in the south of lewisham and a bit too working class in the north
they've done some good things (taking possession of empty council houses in lewisham and bringing them up to liveable standards and then offering them to families on the council waiting list) but they've also done some horrendous things (i.e. one of their leaders is an estate agent who setup a lefty type cafe in the area which then went on to victimise and sack workers for union organising there, he also looked to replace them with workfare workers)
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Just don't make him treasurer.
Maybe they need more like this guy, hell we all need more people like this!
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Best of British
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Could be viral by the time the Easter egg hunt finishes Easter Sunday
oh dear, did he do a runner with the membership fees?
not getting involved then I take it...
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
He did a runner to russia on massive IWW fronted bail money, leaving a lot of lesser known faces in the shit. OT i know.
ska invita
back on the other side
sorry dont know what this means, could you explain.
its pretty 'anarchist' (non-centralised) in that respect in that if you want to be the coordinator for the Nether-Wopping region the job is yours - I dont think there's much of a vetting process going on
chilango
Hypothetical Wanker
It's not anarchist in the slightest.
It's the tyranny of structurelessness.
Ok. Not really. But it is both this efforts biggest weakness and it's main strength.
It is open for anyone to grab it and run with it.
That could be a bunch of ordinary pissed off folk, or it could be homeless Trots.
My money's on the latter.
But if things get out hand, spiral out of control etc. it could be quite interesting.
I'm still watching closely in case there's a chance for my one man autonomist entrism tactic to be deployed!
It's the tyranny of structurelessness.
Ok. Not really. But it is both this efforts biggest weakness and it's main strength.
It is open for anyone to grab it and run with it.
That could be a bunch of ordinary pissed off folk, or it could be homeless Trots.
My money's on the latter.
But if things get out hand, spiral out of control etc. it could be quite interesting.
I'm still watching closely in case there's a chance for my one man autonomist entrism tactic to be deployed!
ska invita
back on the other side
oh yeah i agree, hence the "" marks.It's not anarchist in the slightest.
It's the tyranny of structurelessness.
Ok. Not really.
i think there definitely is! I think this is what Ian Bone is getting at with his support - he's saying the door is open for anarchists (or anyone else for that matter) to get on board and make of it what they can. I think that's true for now, and from what I can tell most of the usual SWPies and ex-SWPies who tend to dominate have already pinned their colours to different masts, so for a good time, a year at the very least, they won't be around to takeover. Remaining homeless Trots are a lot better than landed gentry trots IYSWIM.
Im sure before too long it will start to take on a more recognisable structure, but i dont think its there yet.
^^all impressions
chilango
Hypothetical Wanker
Aye.
At the moment it "looks" full of unreconstructed lefties, old and new. Who will hop from issue to issue with a megaphone, a trestle table and a bunch of Palestinian scarves.
But I might be wrong, very wrong, about that.
As yet it isn't passing my "would I introduce my mates to them in the pub" test.
(Again, just impressions)
At the moment it "looks" full of unreconstructed lefties, old and new. Who will hop from issue to issue with a megaphone, a trestle table and a bunch of Palestinian scarves.
But I might be wrong, very wrong, about that.
As yet it isn't passing my "would I introduce my mates to them in the pub" test.
(Again, just impressions)
sihhi
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered
I find this an odd idea, unless I'm misreading you - surely people should introduce them to mates so they - the lefties with a programme as I think of them - at least start to snap out of their condescending behaviour?
chilango
Hypothetical Wanker
I don't get many evenings down the pub. I can't waste them with awkward/embarrassing "meet the Trots" scenarios!
ska invita
back on the other side
its hard to talk to anyone about this yet as its hard enough to work out what it is - or more importantly wants to be. UKIP for the left isnt the best rallying cry, but its the most concrete thing ive heard about it. Im sure all will become clearer soon.Similar threads
