swappies & having a laugh

[flimsier]

there are three letters in this week's sw on the subject of drinking. and all three are uniformly against it. one letter against drinking's one thing - two- hmm - three, all on the same side of the argument? i'd say it's a fair bet that the swp high command and drinking are not best mates.

i would have hoped that, if there are any fun-loving swappies out there, one of them would let their paper know that ol' karl marx was not averse to drunken nights out and late night drinking.

The letters were fuckwitted, but because there was an equally fuckwitted article suggesting the rulers of the UK would be quaking in their boots at the prospect of 24 hour binge drinking, and that binge drinking was a political act, capable of challenging the ruling class.

Or something like that. I thought it fuckwitted when I read it but may be remembering the exact content slightly wrong.

Oh, and Boro got some more luck...

 

[Pickman's model]

Oh, and Boro got some more luck...

could you please keep yr comments on topick?

 

[cogg]

Or the famous circular in 1990 ( I think) that criticised members for not attending branch meetings when the World Cup games were on tv the same night.Branch Commitee members were ordered to confront the 'Terry Butcher' faction.

I rember that as well as the much voiced argument that SWP members shouldn't support England. Despite this when England were knocked out I was watching the gane with the Full-timer, Mark Fraenkel and he was almost in tears at the end.

On a more personal note I was discussed at a branch committee meeting and warned about my conduct. What had I done that was so bad? I'd split up with one woman in the branch, a joint decision, and started living with someone else. Apparently it was bad for morale...

 

[flimsier]

This is getting a bit silly. I know for a fact the SWP CC is full of people who in certain states of the US would be defined as alcoholics. I agree that the editor of SW has got it a bit wrong this week. But hold your horses collective critics of the SWP.

Did you read the article the week before?

 

[flimsier]

could you please keep yr comments on topick?

Who are you, Loki?

 

[Nigel Irritable]

On a more personal note I was discussed at a branch committee meeting and warned about my conduct. What had I done that was so bad? I'd split up with one woman in the branch, a joint decision, and started living with someone else. Apparently it was bad for morale...

That seems very weird but does remind me of something.

When a friend of mine was in the SWP, a couple in her branch split up. They proceeded to bicker relentlessly with each other through branch meetings and activities. If one said up the other said down, you know the kind of thing I'm talking about. As far as I know nothing was ever done about it by the organisation but I certainly think that the branch as a whole would have been well within their rights to take them aside and tell them that either they should grow up a bit or that one of them should move branch.

The don't support England line always makes me laugh out loud. Can Bolshie or Flypanam tell us if the Irish SWP have a similar don't support Ireland policy?

 

[Pickman's model]

Who are you, Loki?

if yr suggesting i post under that name, i hope you have some evidence.

 

[sevenstars]

[QUOTE=cogg]On a more personal note I was discussed at a branch committee meeting and warned about my conduct. What had I done that was so bad? I'd split up with one woman in the branch, a joint decision, and started living with someone else. Apparently it was bad for morale...[/QUOTE]

Yes ive come across a few examples of the attempted politicisation of break ups by the SWP, usually to undermine someone who speaks their mind, i'm sure other closed communities behave in a similiar way

Also, apparently Bambers used to scribble Celtic doodles when he operated in Scotland. Although if he also did this when he was an Edinburgh public school boy that could be taken as a principle

 

[cogg]

[QUOTE=cogg]On a more personal note I was discussed at a branch committee meeting and warned about my conduct. What had I done that was so bad? I'd split up with one woman in the branch, a joint decision, and started living with someone else. Apparently it was bad for morale...

Yes ive come across a few examples of the attempted politicisation of break ups by the SWP, usually to undermine someone who speaks their mind, i'm sure other closed communities behave in a similiar way

Also, apparently Bambers used to scribble Celtic doodles when he operated in Scotland. Although if he also did this when he was an Edinburgh public school boy that could be taken as a principle[/QUOTE]

Even more bizarre was the investigation by the Central Committee of a National Committee member who was being accused of 'rough sex' even though the alleged victim had no complaints.

 

[audiotech]

[/I]

Even more bizarre was the investigation by the Central Committee of a National Committee member who was being accused of 'rough sex' even though the alleged victim had no complaints.

Does 'rough sex' involve the wearing of a donkey jacket?

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Even more bizarre was the investigation by the Central Committee of a National Committee member who was being accused of 'rough sex' even though the alleged victim had no complaints.

Oh come on, you have to be making that up. Apart from anything else, how would the Central Committee even know about something like that unless the "alleged victim" had said something about it?

 

[Pickman's model]

Oh come on, you have to be making that up. Apart from anything else, how would the Central Committee even know about something like that unless the "alleged victim" had said something about it?

like big brother, the cc are always watching, the filthy voyeurs.

 

[bolshiebhoy]

The don't support England line always makes me laugh out loud. Can Bolshie or Flypanam tell us if the Irish SWP have a similar don't support Ireland policy?

Not in my day (10 years ago) they didn't. Mind you Bambi gave me shit one year at Marxism for wearing an Ireland shirt, something about me caving into populism. Which whatever else you can say proves that the 'main enemy at home' line on football was consistent.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

I hope you told him to fuck off.

 

[bolshiebhoy]

Nah fraid not, still wanted to have my own meeting at Marxism then

Plus I knew he was right!

 

[Chuck Wilson]

I rember that as well as the much voiced argument that SWP members shouldn't support England. Despite this when England were knocked out I was watching the gane with the Full-timer, Mark Fraenkel and he was almost in tears at the end.

On a more personal note I was discussed at a branch committee meeting and warned about my conduct. What had I done that was so bad? I'd split up with one woman in the branch, a joint decision, and started living with someone else. Apparently it was bad for morale...

On a coach I was telling someone that I had bought New Orders 'World in Motion' and one of the 'cadre' informed me that I was giving in to soft nationalism. He then went on to announce that if that record was played at any club that he was in in Manchester that he would march across to the DJ and ask for it to be taken off as it reinforced Thatcher and the fascists. Strange boy.

 

[sevenstars]

A comrade once 'outed' me at a SWSS educational Tony Cliff was speaking at for wearing a sinn fein badge at the may day event at ally pally.

My defence was that as we had allowed the shinners to have a stall there, how come we couldnt make use of their produce? Have to say at least Tony Cliff laughed and blamed Chris Harman for this, and that was the end of it. Though I was also young and daft then and no-one listened to me anyway.

 

[cogg]

Oh come on, you have to be making that up. Apart from anything else, how would the Central Committee even know about something like that unless the "alleged victim" had said something about it?

I'm not making this up at all. Presumably the woman mentioned something to someone else and that got to the CC. The guy and the woman involved both personally told me the story separately and I also heard the story from a CC member to whose credit thought the whole thing was madness.

 

[Chuck Wilson]

Andy Strouthous, a full timer in both London and Manchester, denounced me at a national committee for going to watch Duran versus Hearns at Liecester Square at 3.00am hence me missing some national union caucus in Liecester the next morning.

Members of the CC cancelled the final of the football competition at Skegness so that we could have the benefit of boosting the demo at a peace camp in Molesworth or somewhere. Five minutes after a very determined Bamberry gave our car directions as to how to follow the coach he was on we drove round the back of the Miners Welfare Camp spent an hour in the pub before hitting the camp bars.

Me and another comrade were admonished by Julie Waterson when the party perspective of making links with left labour again was set back locally when we went to sell papers at their Xmas do. The caretaker thinking we were the Labour Party let us in to a function room with a very pleasant buffet and a table laden with alcohol.As no one else had turned up we decided it would be rude not to eat the ham and chicken and walk off with a bottle of scotch and some beers.

 

[hibee]

I'm very envious of Chuck, my branch in the 90s was basically orientated around the local university and the strongest thing being drunk at any meeting was hot water with a slice of lemon. Except by me.

However, I was given a dressing down by a full timer who found out I'd shagged half the female students in the branch. Bad for morale apparantly (wasn't bad for mine).

 

[Groucho]

I'm very envious of Chuck, my branch in the 90s was basically orientated around the local university and the strongest thing being drunk at any meeting was hot water with a slice of lemon. Except by me.

However, I was given a dressing down by a full timer who found out I'd shagged half the female students in the branch. Bad for morale apparantly (wasn't bad for mine).

I don't believe you.

 

[Patty]

Non affiliated socialist

I find the SWP swing from one thing to the next and change what they say more regulaly than I change my knickers.
They seem to have dumped their princaples along with the ANL. Favoring cross class aliances with religious leaders and carrerist poloticians over making socialist demands.
Take George Galloway for example, what is his stance on a womans right to abortion? Why are he and "RESPECT" favoring religious conservatism over class polotics?
I recieved a RESPECT leaflet during the election campain in my home town of leicester reading "vote for your islamic candidate, vote RESPECT" in a town with a working class made up of sikhs, hindos, irish, english. So much for class unity eh.
As for UAF the SWP's new braded anti facist front organisation it has endorsments from Tory poloticians, vote any body but the BNP? does that include the very parties who's polocies play in to the hands of the BNP?

A far cry from the bunch of revolutionaries, crying "down with capitalism" and calling for workers malitias who I first came across a few years ago.

 

[Patty]

oh, i forgot

Get pissed all ya like, it wont change a dam thing. Other than the shares in beer.

 

[audiotech]

Keep your knickers on.

Workers power is the 'polotical' party for you girl. Let us know how you get on forming those 'workers malitias' you talk about?

Getting pissed does change things - your perceptions. Try it, might help improve your spelling, but then again.

 

[tollbar]

I was once told by an SWP supporter who was a recovering alcoholic that Tony Cliff had a problem with alcohol, any comments ?.

 

[LLETSA]

Workers power is the 'polotical' party for you girl.

You reckon?

....

 

[Groucho]

I was once told by an SWP supporter who was a recovering alcoholic that Tony Cliff had a problem with alcohol, any comments ?.

He was tea total but did not object to other people drinking. He did feel that the death of David widgery who appears to have choked on his own vomit after a drinking binge to have been 'a bloody waste'. He also felt that the alcoholism of cc member for years Duncan Hallas to have had a dreadful affect on the man and to have seriously weakened his contribution and health. Both fare points.

 

[JHE]

Alcohol was not the only drug involved in David Widgery's early death.

 

[james_walsh]

Nah fraid not, still wanted to have my own meeting at Marxism then

Plus I knew he was right!

God thats annoying, i hate having to agree with an swp cc member!

 

[audiotech]

You reckon?

....

Or?