SWP expulsions and squabbles

[butchersapron]

First came to prominence as a member of the IS National Student Committee. He was co-opted to the committee because of his "orthodoxy" not because of his student activism. He had already embarked on his academic career at LSE. Later was a supporter of the "revolt of the organisers" challenge to the CC slate in the late 70s who tried to add Paul Holborow to the CC. They lost, but Callinicos was added to the CC not too long afterwards.

Cheers. All revolt is useful to someone isn't it?

I wonder what his reputation is amongst those he directed internationally is.

 

[treelover]

You need a link to find the Weekly Worker? What sort of rabid sectarian are you?!?!

http://cpgb.org.uk/home/weekly-worker/993/pot-calls-kettle-black

I think its a retrograde step SPEW leaving the NCAFC, however justified, they were actually moving forward, didn't the SP leave the SA when it was just taking off?, the non party activists must be bewildered by all this, at a time when students and many graduates are worried sick about the student fees privatisations.

 

[treelover]

In the early days he seemed to be a bit on the sidelines of the CC, there to provide intellectual cover and deep theoretical justification. Given the choices seemed to be him or John Rees, its not that surprising he came out on top. He only became more central as the other died off. Combined with the fact that he only took responsibility for international work - which most members (and I suspect CC members) were unaware of - then there was little to explicitly tarnish his star.

Very prominent in the ESF/Globalise Resistance period, he was at every planning meeting, queuing to speak, etc (must have been a novel experience for him)

 

[butchersapron]

Very prominent in the ESF/Globalise Resistance period, he was at every planning meeting, queuing to speak, etc (must have been a novel experience for him)

Of course, there was the negri confrontation in which he was intellectually destroyed after telling many many lies about Negri and his politics.

 

[treelover]

Btw, what does Ed Maltby do, Oxbridge then what?

 

[treelover]

Of course, there was the negri confrontation in which he was intellectually destroyed after telling many many lies about Negri and his politics.

I witnessed that, sort of, couldn't hear much, exciting times.

 

[treelover]

http://cpgb.org.uk/home/weekly-worker/online-only/swp-resignation-of-recent-cc-member

Who is this?, sounds a decent sort, initial only ok

 

[treelover]

At the weekly Sparks picket lines in London, student comrades turned out in force and ‘electrified’ the picket lines. There are naturally autonomist and movementist pressures on these comrades in the same way that there are pressures on our trade union comrades to accommodate with the trade union bureaucracy.

bizarre comparing trade union bureaucrats with autonomists, unless he sees them as a threat.

 

[benedict]

Of course, there was the negri confrontation in which he was intellectually destroyed after telling many many lies about Negri and his politics.

Is there a link for this? What was the context?

 

[butchersapron]

Is there a link for this? What was the context?

It was a debate about the idea of the multitude - probably 10 years ago now at one of the esf meetings. Callinicos basically openly lied and used the autonnomist spectre notd above to argue that all others in general and Negri in particular abandoned the idea of class. It was a series of lies that he knew were lies. And Negri told him so. There is vid of part of it - let me have a look. This confrontation caused real consternation across europe as many people could not believe that someone would just openly lie - on the level of talking about ideas and also so instrumentally (stay away from the autonomists!)

 

[butchersapron]

Negri part here.

Some dodgy translation mind.

 

[benedict]

It was a debate about the idea of the multitude - probably 10 years ago now at one of the esf meetings. Callinicos basically openly lied and used the autonnomist spectre notd above to argue that all others in general and Negri in particular abandoned the idea of class. It was a series of lies that he knew were lies. And Negri told him so. There is vid of part of it - let me have a look. This confrontation caused real consternation across europe as many people could not believe that someone would just openly lie - on the level of talking about ideas and also so instrumentally (stay away from the autonomists!)

Thanks, butchers. I wish I understood more about Negri's work. Is there a great deal of continuity between his early work and the most recent trilogy of books with Hardt?

 

[butchersapron]

Thanks, butchers. I wish I understood more about Negri's work. Is there a great deal of continuity between his early work and the most recent trilogy of books with Hardt?

There is in one key continuity - this is the idea of the section of the working class engaged in the most technically advanced section of capitalist production providing a vanguard (a mass vanguard) that disciples and organises the classes political responses (formally and informally). This was what Negri called the Leninist thread. Today, the spread of the use of technology essentially means the class has become this vanguard in itself, in its own (and capitals) reproduction. It was an idea that had good practical use in the 50s and up to the early 80s. It's a very silly idea today.

 

[SpineyNorman]

I think its a retrograde step SPEW leaving the NCAFC, however justified, they were actually moving forward, didn't the SP leave the SA when it was just taking off?, the non party activists must be bewildered by all this, at a time when students and many graduates are worried sick about the student fees privatisations.

The SP were never in NCAFC in the first place - always been a stitch up between the awl and student broad left. And it's a total fucking basket case - there is absolutely nobody in it who you can have a sensible discussion with, let alone actually do anything.

 

[Trotter]

I wonder what his reputation is amongst those he directed internationally is.

Not great from what I hear in a number of countries.

 

[Combustible]

I would guess he was supposed to be. Was this the equivalent of the infamous edl kfc invasion?

He was meant to and as far as I can tell it went ahead.

 

[J Ed]

Isn't it weird that Callinicos was talking about Marx's Capital in a departmental French seminar? Am I missing something?

 

[AKA pseudonym]

js21 thread yet?

 

[butchersapron]

Isn't it weird that Callinicos was talking about Marx's Capital in a departmental French seminar? Am I missing something?

After negri he doesn't bother with adults.

 

[benedict]

Isn't it weird that Callinicos was talking about Marx's Capital in a departmental French seminar? Am I missing something?

His professorial chair's in European Studies, isn't it? Maybe academic French has been colonized by post-Marxist theory in a similar way to postmodernism in English departments?

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

I think its a retrograde step SPEW leaving the NCAFC, however justified.

The biggest confirmation of your stupidity in years, fuck off.

 

[SLK]

This has turned into a lefty gossip thread then? It's actually boring now the SWP are pretty much nothing.

 

[SLK]

On Negri v Callinicos, the interesting part is interpretations. In debates no-one ever seems to take account of cognitive bias - which means that the "winner" is announced by someone who you knew took that side, as if they were independent. It's especially interesting to see that when the recorded evidence is sketchy and the afterwords (eg, "s/he doesn't debate at this level any more") is demonstrably about attacking character.

 

[emanymton]

I've always defended his books - on here and elsewhere

Speaking of which I got hold of a copy of Making History recently. Looks quite interesting if rather academic. Anybody read it? Is it worth my time and effort.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Hist...390040081&sr=8-1&keywords=Making+history+alex

 

[emanymton]

http://cpgb.org.uk/home/weekly-worker/online-only/swp-resignation-of-recent-cc-member

Who is this?, sounds a decent sort, initial only ok

Edited out, pm me if you really want to know.

 

[killer b]

seeing as he's asked for his name not to be shared, isn't it good manners not to?

 

[emanymton]

seeing as he's asked for his name not to be shared, isn't it good manners not to?

Yeah your right I just skimmed over the first para when I read it and missed that. I think I named him somewhere up thread as well, I'll see if I can do anything about it when I get back on my laptop. Although I don't really get the issue, his name is already out there as a ex member of the SWP CC.

 

[butchersapron]

Speaking of which I got hold of a copy of Making History recently. Looks quite interesting if rather academic. Anybody read it? Is it worth my time and effort.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-History-Agency-Structure-Change/dp/0745601804/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390040081&sr=8-1&keywords=Making history alex

I enjoyed it, there's no breakthroughs or anything and it's mostly an update/synthesis of his books Social Theory and Theories and Narratives: reflections on the philosophy of history. To be honest though, it could have been written by almost any left wing theorist over the last 30 years, does help to led you to important debates and thinkers on them though. It's very useful in that sense. Copy here btw.

 

[emanymton]

I enjoyed it, there's no breakthroughs or anything and it's mostly an update/synthesis of his books Social Theory and Theories and Narratives: reflections on the philosophy of history. To be honest though, it could have been written by almost any left wing theorist over the last 30 years, does help to led you to important debates and thinkers on them though. It's very useful in that sense. Copy here btw.

Cheers, from skimming a few bits, it did strike me as being a discussion of others writing, rather than at attempt to offer anything original. But then, I have always felt he is a decent scholar rather than an original thinker.

 

[dennisr]

I think its a retrograde step SPEW leaving the NCAFC, however justified, they were actually moving forward, didn't the SP leave the SA when it was just taking off?, the non party activists must be bewildered by all this, at a time when students and many graduates are worried sick about the student fees privatisations.

Spiney answered the student question. As for the other bit - the SP left the SAs after people desperate for some fantasy 'unity' voted for a non-federal setup (the demand of the SWP before they were to join - after 4 years of refusing to to involved with this unity project...) The SWP then proceeded to use their majority vote to destroy the SAs - to close down the SAs about a year and a half later when they went off on their next opportunist stunt and debarcle - Respect. The SP saw the writing on the wall and walked before they were stitched up. It was an eminently sensible thing to do leaving the poor fools who confused 'unity of lefties' with genuine 'unity' to deal with the consequences of the actions naive they were warned about. Its a shame they try and avoid their own partial responsibility for the results by trying to make out the SP were being sectarian.

This has been repeated endlessly on this website - but the lies - without any irony - thrown by the SWP trying to blame those who did their best to build a genuine SA that could not be controlled or fecked over by one group - including by the SP - still stick.