RCP/Spiked/IoI

[butchersapron]

Yeah and look where Weller ended up, the cunt.

Sending his 7 kids to private school. All hooks up.

 

[imposs1904]

Paul F? It always surprises me he was one of theirs, as he is remarkably sane

nice bloke.

 

[past caring]

Sorry mate but Sonik Kicks is shit. So was Wild Wood.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Despite being something of a bully, and whilst considered a senior cadre, Claire Fox never struck me as an intellectual powerhouse.

Her commitment to Party, to Campaign, to Institute, to whatever, always felt more about a means to an end, with that end seemingly being to let everyone know I am Claire fucking Fox.

The RCP had a superficially effective organising ability (all those conferences, all those papers and mags and leaflets, all so beautifully typeset and printed) but scratch the surface and it was just run like a typical municipal authority, albeit one with a rather efficient in-house printing service. Lots of rushing around for the illusion of busyness: the churning out of half-baked articles & speechification, all full of the latest buzz words - acting super cool for the team leader/section supervisor/boss/Big Frank - I'm-more-enthusiastic-than-you fawning - a Fast Track for the grooming of a chosen few meeting never-openly-specified criteria...

Fox fitted in to this perfectly, like a sour-faced school teacher who resented kids (which is, you know, quite ironic...): harassing junior members or associates; shouting down people placed under her tutelage; framing same-old-same-old ideas as box-fresh innovation; preferring aggressive assertiveness ("It WILL be like this!") over basic research ("Perhaps I should first check whether Government Building X will be open on the day I intend to call a demonstration?"); absolutely no sense of humility. But then, in this she was like so many senior cadres, mistaking being an ignorant arsehole for being a radical thinker.

As well as The Angle in Birmingham, they also had a similar meeting space-cum-bookshop in Kings Cross called The Edge.

 

[imposs1904]

Found this fascinatingly irrelevant blog based around this studenty bloke living in a flat with members of the RCP. Its a minor work of art, wish i had written it.

http://universitypseud.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=rcp

That's a fascinating read.

I'd also recommend this piece by Don Milligan, who was a member of the RCP in the 80s.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

I think this lot are connected to those who were formally 'preparing for power'

http://www.manifestoclub.com/

Patrick Hayes did an approving piece on these for Spiked earlier this week so yup.

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/12265/

 

[treelover]

For some reason RCP/LM/Spiked, etc have got involved with the science(such as it is) and certainly the politics of M.E/CFS, they have established the Science Media Centre
which has become the conduit for disseminating and spinning research on the disease from a psycho-somatic angle and sadly has become the first point of call for journos. It's director is Claire Fox's sister, Fiona Fox...

baffled as to why though...

 

[treelover]

What a bizarre blog, is it contrived or real, why has he done it?, anyway, anyone remember the Gulf War demo where the RCP revealed a Victory To Iraq banner in Hyde Park, i was amazed how many booted up cadres(maybe some paid?) they then marshalled to defend it, which when we confronted them, they tried to do so...

 

[The39thStep]

That's a fascinating read.

I'd also recommend this piece by Don Milligan, who was a member of the RCP in the 80s.

What is needed, is not attacks on this or that
example of folly or mendaciousness, but a
preparedness on the left to engage in a thorough-going
analysis of contemporary capitalism and to determine
what ways actually lay open to us for the promotion of
social solidarity.

Which of course is a very much an ambiguous conclusion.
The social solidarity of working class communities to become the agent of history or
the social solidarity of a middle class would be intelligentsia from what they see as a dumbed up state that gets in the way of their lifestyle ?

 

[The39thStep]

 

[Idris2002]

What a bizarre blog, is it contrived or real, why has he done it?, anyway, anyone remember the Gulf War demo where the RCP revealed a Victory To Iraq banner in Hyde Park, i was amazed how many booted up cadres(maybe some paid?) they then marshalled to defend it, which when we confronted them, they tried to do so...

That really does sound like the sort of spoiler tactic an MI5 pseudo-gang would engage in.

 

[Paul Martindale]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to visit my blog. And in response to treelover, yes, it is real. All of that stuff took place in the early 80s when I was a student at a southern university. I changed the place names and personal names to protect the guilty, as there's a bit of mild criminality and socially deviant behaviour here and there, and most of the people are still alive. A few of my friends were RCP and the members I ran into generally were narrow-minded, ideologically rigid c*nts who delighted in belittling and mocking us "students" rather than attempting to persuade. Often we deserved it, but often we didn't. Plus, the blokes all dressed like members of Joy Division. I was terrified of them, on the whole. I went to the IFM conference and march in Leeds in 1983 and the Afia Begum rally in Brixton in late 82. Most of the members I met back then seem to working at the University of Kent these days.

Thanks again.

-pfm

 

[imposs1904]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to visit my blog. And in response to treelover, yes, it is real. All of that stuff took place in the early 80s when I was a student at a southern university. I changed the place names and personal names to protect the guilty, as there's a bit of mild criminality and socially deviant behaviour here and there, and most of the people are still alive. A few of my friends were RCP and the members I ran into generally were narrow-minded, ideologically rigid c*nts who delighted in belittling and mocking us "students" rather than attempting to persuade. Often we deserved it, but often we didn't. Plus, the blokes all dressed like members of Joy Division. I was terrified of them, on the whole. I went to the IFM conference and march in Leeds in 1983 and the Afia Begum rally in Brixton in late 82. Most of the members I met back then seem to working at the University of Kent these days.

Thanks again.

-pfm

Paul, cheers for a fascinating blog.

 

[butchersapron]

[/quote]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to visit my blog. And in response to treelover, yes, it is real. All of that stuff took place in the early 80s when I was a student at a southern university. I changed the place names and personal names to protect the guilty, as there's a bit of mild criminality and socially deviant behaviour here and there, and most of the people are still alive. A few of my friends were RCP and the members I ran into generally were narrow-minded, ideologically rigid c*nts who delighted in belittling and mocking us "students" rather than attempting to persuade. Often we deserved it, but often we didn't. Plus, the blokes all dressed like members of Joy Division. I was terrified of them, on the whole. I went to the IFM conference and march in Leeds in 1983 and the Afia Begum rally in Brixton in late 82. Most of the members I met back then seem to working at the University of Kent these days.

Thanks again.

-pfm

Don't let imposs put you off

 

[imposs1904]

Don't let imposs put you off

[/quote]

Did my comment come off as sarcastic? That wasn't my intention.

Btw, is that a picture of the redoubtable Mick Talbot? Are we all allowed to like Style Council again? It's been too long.

 

[butchersapron]

No, too soon. Ask fed.

 

[imposs1904]

No, too soon. Ask fed.

He looks like a beefy Vince Clarke in that pic, anyway.

 

[The39thStep]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to visit my blog. And in response to treelover, yes, it is real. All of that stuff took place in the early 80s when I was a student at a southern university. I changed the place names and personal names to protect the guilty, as there's a bit of mild criminality and socially deviant behaviour here and there, and most of the people are still alive. A few of my friends were RCP and the members I ran into generally were narrow-minded, ideologically rigid c*nts who delighted in belittling and mocking us "students" rather than attempting to persuade. Often we deserved it, but often we didn't. Plus, the blokes all dressed like members of Joy Division. I was terrified of them, on the whole. I went to the IFM conference and march in Leeds in 1983 and the Afia Begum rally in Brixton in late 82. Most of the members I met back then seem to working at the University of Kent these days.

Thanks again.

-pfm

To be honest we used to go RCP baiting at demos and scare the shit out of them but your blog was well written and captured the mood at the time. Back to the suburbs for them ;forward to the suburbs for the rest of us.

 

[Karac]

I remember meeting them in the late 80s -around the Poly of North London -they reminded me of SWPers on speed.
Very interesting and disturbing how theyve developed

 

[audiotech]

Patrick Hayes did an approving piece on these for Spiked earlier this week so yup.

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/12265/

"...what unites us all [at Liberty League] is we are all working towards having small state where people can live more independent lives and where power is given back to the individual’, says Shiner."

Milk and suger?

 

[treelover]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to visit my blog. And in response to treelover, yes, it is real. All of that stuff took place in the early 80s when I was a student at a southern university. I changed the place names and personal names to protect the guilty, as there's a bit of mild criminality and socially deviant behaviour here and there, and most of the people are still alive. A few of my friends were RCP and the members I ran into generally were narrow-minded, ideologically rigid c*nts who delighted in belittling and mocking us "students" rather than attempting to persuade. Often we deserved it, but often we didn't. Plus, the blokes all dressed like members of Joy Division. I was terrified of them, on the whole. I went to the IFM conference and march in Leeds in 1983 and the Afia Begum rally in Brixton in late 82. Most of the members I met back then seem to working at the University of Kent these days.

Thanks again.

-pfm

Er, wasn't criticising it, its a work of art, just wondered about its provenance...

 

[treelover]

"...what unites us all [at Liberty League] is we are all working towards having small state where people can live more independent lives and where power is given back to the individual’, says Shiner."

Milk and suger?

Enemies of the People....

 

[treelover]

any students on here? is this all bollocks, do they societies on every campus, this brand of libertarianism is dangerous, despite what she says, it leads to people cheering Ron Paul whe he said in the republican leadership debates that he would leave an unisured traffic accident victim to die, more toxic long term than the EDL if they grow...

 

[The39thStep]

I remember meeting them in the late 80s -around the Poly of North London -they reminded me of SWPers on speed.
Very interesting and disturbing how theyve developed

We put their book stall, and the RCP member staffing it, in a lift at PNL when I was there in the mid 80s

 

[sihhi]

The annoyingly non-ending media bubble phenomenon of the RCP continues.

1 There is now a 'watch' blog dedicated to them called RCPWatch http://rcpwatch.wordpress.com

2 Brendan O'Neill really has outdone himself with this.

Only one person is responsible for Aaron Swartz's death, and that is Aaron Swartz

The politicisation of suicide is a cowards' game, yet sadly it happens a lot these days. Activists opposed to David Cameron's welfare cuts claim he is pushing the poor and disabled towards suicide, effectively killing them by taking some of their money away. When Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse caught up in the Australian DJs / Kate Middleton hoax phone-call, committed suicide, that was held up by some as hard evidence that low-rent, tabloid-style media outlets can harm individuals and society. There is a strong whiff of moral blackmail in this politicisation of suicide, where the message is in essence "Stop cutting welfare or people will die", or "Stop making prank calls or people will die". Pushing suicides to the forefront of political or moral campaigns takes opportunism to a new, unprecedented low.

'There's no jobs our Adam Smith Institute mates screwed that up, let us know cut benefits in peace.

3 Over the summer I heard Claire Fox arguing against hosepipe bans on account of them being a 'moral panic' and each human had their own moral personhood to determine the appropriate level of water usage and doesn't everyone pay water bills anyway?

 

[William of Walworth]

Nice bump

That anti-hosepipe ban thing fits in with them being climate change deniers, also.

 

[nino_savatte]

any students on here? is this all bollocks, do they societies on every campus, this brand of libertarianism is dangerous, despite what she says, it leads to people cheering Ron Paul whe he said in the republican leadership debates that he would leave an unisured traffic accident victim to die, more toxic long term than the EDL if they grow...

No, they don't have much of a presence at the post-1992 universities. The only one at which they have a presence is Oxford Brookes. Back in the 80s, itwas once known as the most right-wing poly. So no surprise there.

You can find their student network here
http://uklibertyleague.org/network/students/

I had some chinless wonder from the Lib League tell me that some "left anarchists" attended one of their meetings at Manchester Uni. When I pointed out that the anarchists that I knew wouldn't be seen dead associating with a network that included the ASI and The Freedom Association, I got no reply. The same person also claimed that the IoI and Spiked were "left libertarians".

 

[eoin_k]

Circulated for your derision.

Dear All,
Do you have a passion for the greatest works in the classical, literary, historical and philosophical canon? Does the idea of grappling with the complexities of human nature through the works of Cicero and Plato, Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Franz Kafka and Thomas Mann, Sigmund Freud and Friedrich Nietzsche, appeal to you? Would you like to spend a long summer weekend in a stimulating and open environment, with interesting, like minded people from all walks of life? If so, then The Academy, organised by the Institute of Ideas is definitely for you.
We are aware that the full price of the weekend may be a challenge for students, so for the second consecutive year, we will be running the Academy Scholarship Programme, which is open to full time university students of any academic discipline. The scholarship will allow successful applicants to attend the Academy weekend for a fraction of the price.
The Institute of Ideas Academy is a three day residential retreat from Friday 19 July to Monday 22 July, in which we aim to get away from the overly prescriptive nature of education in society today, and be unashamedly esoteric and intellectual for a weekend, in the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. This year, there are three parallel lecture series on Classics, Literature and History as well as a plenaryHistory of Ideas series on the Human and Nature.
The lectures will explore texts as diverse as Plato’s Gorgias, and Milton’s Paradise Lost, right through to Goethe’s Faust and Freud’s Civilization and its Discontents.Together, we will consider questions such as; are humans natural or unnatural? Are we noble savages corrupted by society? Or made human through law and civilization? Driven by unconscious urges? Or the makers of our own nature?
As well as this, prior to the main programme which will begin on Saturday 20 July, the Academy Scholars will have three additional lectures organised for them onWestern Civilization, Original Sin, and Classical Music on the afternoon of Friday 19 July.
University students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply to the Scholarship Programme, and whether you are an arts, humanities or science student, you will be joining Institute of Ideas members from every possible walk of life; from Professors and academics, to other students, Barristers, film makers and writers. The one thing that all Academy attendees share is a passion for knowledge. And as such, the atmosphere is one of free thinking and discussion, in which everybody will have the opportunity to cultivate themselves in beautiful surroundings, with good books, good food and drink, and in good company.
The scholarship programme offers a limited number of full time University students the chance to attend for the heavily subsidised price of £60 for three nights’ accommodation and full board at the luxury Wyboston Lakes complex in Bedfordshire.
To apply for an Academy Scholarship, please submit a 500-word (max) essay on the question: “Should we celebrate the death of Western High Culture?” Please also submit a 300-word (max) motivation on why you in particular deserve to attend The Academy.
Submit applications online by 11am Monday 13 May 2013. Once we have successfully received your application, you will be sent the reading list so that you can start preparing while we evaluate all of the submissions.
All successful candidates will be notified on Friday 31 May 2013
For more information on the Scholarship Programme, please emailscholarship@instituteofideas.com
To learn more about the Academy itself, and to see full details of the lectures and schedule, please visit: http://www.instituteofideas.com/academy2013.html
We hope to see you there.
Best Wishes,
Claire Fox

 

[nino_savatte]

Circulated for your derision.

I found this in my university webmail inbox and I was tempted to make a sarcastic reply.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Circulated for your derision.

Duly given:

...you will be joining Institute of Ideas members from every possible walk of life; from Professors and academics, to other students, Barristers, film makers and writers...