What's the Spartacist League up to these days?
- Thread starter Idris2002
- Start date
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Historical trough
steeplejack
trapped lbw for a duck
Like the last Japanese soldier found in the Borneo jungle in the mid 1970s.
Idris2002
Christmas Eve, you know?
Guild socialism, you might say.
The war situation has developed, not necessarily to Japan's advantage.
charlie mowbray
The Enforcer
I think the death of their leader James Robertson is having its effects. We won't know what's going on in this secretive grouping for some time, but eventually Robertson's behaviour and control of the group will be revealed , including the frolics in the hot tub and "playroom", just as Gerry Healy's behaviour in the WRP was revealed.
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charlie mowbray
The Enforcer
Don't know if it's been mentioned on here already, but the International Bolshevik Tendency, which split from the Sparts in the late 80s, also itself split over a year ago, with one group departing to found the Bolshevik Tendency (BT)
Here's their obit of Robertson:
bolsheviktendency.org
Here's their obit of Robertson:
Jim Who? - Bolshevik Tendency
There is something a bit odd going on with the Spartacist League (SL), a group I joined at the tender age of 22 and have since maintained an interest in. In the 1960s and 70s…
bolsheviktendency.org
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The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
There's some good stuff in that article but clicking on somelinks in there I found the answer to a question that used to puzzle me ie how come there was always an American amongst them when you had the misfortune to bump into them,Don't know if it's been mentioned on here already, but the International Bolshevik Tendency, which split from the Sparts in the late 80s, also itself split over a year ago, with one group departing to found the Bolshevik Tendency (BT)
Here's their obit of Robertson:
Jim Who? - Bolshevik Tendency
There is something a bit odd going on with the Spartacist League (SL), a group I joined at the tender age of 22 and have since maintained an interest in. In the 1960s and 70s…
I was also more than pleased to find out the Sparts had also had a look at the 'interpenetrated peoples' issue
And a Spart library Prometheus Research Library
kenny g
Sheeple Awake!
In the early 1990's the only Sparts I met were extremely attractive females with US accents and flirt mode turned up to 101%. Pretty scary to be honest considering it would be in some Coventry Trade Union council meeting with various teacher trots and "disillusioned labour" people.
Idris2002
Christmas Eve, you know?
It's OK, kenny g, I also get the Fear when fit birds try to flirt with me.
Anyway, back when Jeffrey Epstein (didn't) kill himself last summer, all the talk centred around the breaking of his hyoid bone, this being the tell-tale sign that another hand was behind that one.
This reminded me of an Irish Times thing I'd read back in the early 90s about an American Spart in Moscow who'd been sent to organise the post-Communist proletariat, but was instead found dead in her apartment. She'd been stabbed, but her hyoid bone was also broken. . .
Here's an LA Times article about the poor woman: Who Killed Martha Phillips? : Was it an assassin, a former lover or a thief? The death of the onetime Oakland activist is a Moscow mystery.
The whole thing is desperately sad, and a terrible waste.
Anyway, back when Jeffrey Epstein (didn't) kill himself last summer, all the talk centred around the breaking of his hyoid bone, this being the tell-tale sign that another hand was behind that one.
This reminded me of an Irish Times thing I'd read back in the early 90s about an American Spart in Moscow who'd been sent to organise the post-Communist proletariat, but was instead found dead in her apartment. She'd been stabbed, but her hyoid bone was also broken. . .
Here's an LA Times article about the poor woman: Who Killed Martha Phillips? : Was it an assassin, a former lover or a thief? The death of the onetime Oakland activist is a Moscow mystery.
The whole thing is desperately sad, and a terrible waste.
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mx wcfc
Well-Known Member
On a slightly less serious point. when I was SWP, at the LSE freshers week thing the Sparts came over and "engaged us in comradely discourse". This involved an American Spart thumping our table and shouting at us. I pointed out that he was in danger of breaking a copy of Mike Carter's double A side single "Brixton/Ordinary People" that we had for sale at which point he apologised profusely and went away.
I was 19. It was my first "interaction" with Sparts, and I won!
I was 19. It was my first "interaction" with Sparts, and I won!
Shechemite
Be the sun and all will see you
But you were in the SWP. So you lost
Shechemite
Be the sun and all will see you
Freshers fair is when you leave the SWP rape cult, not where you go back to to promote the fucking thing
Idris2002
Christmas Eve, you know?
Sparts get a namecheck in this Guardian review of a "gay in Thatcher's Britain" novel:
www.theguardian.com
A Small Revolution in Germany by Philip Hensher review – a rebel’s tale
Youthful radicals shed their convictions in a novel that moves between Thatcher’s Britain and the present
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
Even in Coatbridge, just outside of Glasgow, there was a yank Spart.
Idris2002
Christmas Eve, you know?
Did he refuse to get divorced?
Idris2002
Christmas Eve, you know?
Is that the SNP groomer?
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
It is mate aye.
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
No he just came out as a Spart
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
I remember doing a Sat morning papersale and we went to the offy to get some cans, as we were going round someone house for a barbecue late afternoon , and some Yank spart selling their paper came up and says 'you guys gonna partry at this time of day, wheres your political commitment to revolutionary politics?'
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
To be fair it's his entire identity.
Idris2002
Christmas Eve, you know?
"It's a furry - don't let it touch you"
Idris2002
Christmas Eve, you know?
Ah lads.
"The Sparts built their organisation in Britain on splits engineered firstly in the WSL, and then the IMG. Prior to these, they relied upon good old “primitive accumulation of cadre”. For reasons which have always escaped me, I was the subject of two such approaches, both (as I recall) in 1976/77.
The first occurred when I was introduced in London to an American woman doing post-grad research into rank-and-file movements in the building trade. This having been my field of activity for several years, I was invited to interview and assist with research. I was happy to do so and found we got on well at both the working and personal levels. Arrangements were made for me to come down to London for a weekend and stay with her to continue work.
We had an enjoyable supper and then retired, whereupon my companion revealed herself to be a plenipotentiary of the International Spartacist Tendency, authorised to bring me into its ranks. An uncomfortable night concluded with the end of our research and relationship."
redmolerising.wordpress.com
"The Sparts built their organisation in Britain on splits engineered firstly in the WSL, and then the IMG. Prior to these, they relied upon good old “primitive accumulation of cadre”. For reasons which have always escaped me, I was the subject of two such approaches, both (as I recall) in 1976/77.
The first occurred when I was introduced in London to an American woman doing post-grad research into rank-and-file movements in the building trade. This having been my field of activity for several years, I was invited to interview and assist with research. I was happy to do so and found we got on well at both the working and personal levels. Arrangements were made for me to come down to London for a weekend and stay with her to continue work.
We had an enjoyable supper and then retired, whereupon my companion revealed herself to be a plenipotentiary of the International Spartacist Tendency, authorised to bring me into its ranks. An uncomfortable night concluded with the end of our research and relationship."
Expulsion of the Communist Faction
Ian Parker’s amusing take on the Spartacist League reminded us that this organisation’s British section was largely built, in the late 1970s through stimulating splits in other revoluti…
redmolerising.wordpress.com
Idris2002
Christmas Eve, you know?
Mrs. Idris has run into him a few times, and seemed to find him one of the good guys - and she normally takes a dim view of all things Trot (esp. the SWP and its Irish branch).
imposs1904
Thread Killa'
I remember seeing him speak in New York for Socialist Alternative about 10/11 years ago.
I remember encountering a couple of Sparts outside Brooklyn College when my wife was a student there. Both Sparts were German.
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
I remember seeing him speak in New York for Socialist Alternative about 10/11 years ago.
I remember encountering a couple of Sparts outside Brooklyn College when my wife was a student there. Both Sparts were German.
I met him a few times, liked him.
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