- RSW 02 Page 2 -
Previous Article
Next Article
Index
Red SW has come about through cooperation between socialist and anarchist individuals and groups across the SW including - the Exeter Left group, the former Somerset Socialist/Somerset Clarion, Bristol Marxist Forum and Anti-Fascist Action. The aim of Red SW is to encourage dialog, debate and active co-operation throughout the region. Our pages are open to all and the articles contained within Red SW represent the views of the individual authors.
The Crisis of Labour
At a time when the defenders of capital have lost their way (who is William Hague?) the whole opposition movement has fallen into crisis. Anarchy has taken in the fall of Class War while the Marxist left has had to face the implosion of the Workers’ Revolutionary Party (WRP) and the transformations of the Militant into the Socialist Party. There is nothing more like a corpse than the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) and its glossy Living Marxism. The style conscious Living Marxism has decayed into LM and the RCP is dead.
A glance at the audience of any meeting of the left shows something very interesting (in serious need of a sociological study?). The left is growing old. Well, we all do. But it has not renewed itself. We old codgers often say ‘When I was a lad' (others may say ‘when I was a lass’). The next part of the sentence shows how much better the ‘good old days’ were. I’ll have a go. When I was a lad I joined Gerry Healy’s WRP. In my early 20s I was one of the movement’s ‘middle aged’. The bulk of the activists were young students and workers. It ain't like that now.
Behind this is a real problem. Then the left then seemed new, aggressive and radical. We, in the WRP, like most of the left had a body of ideas that would turn granny and granddad’s world upside down. We were determined to see a better world than the one we lived in. An insight into our radical thinking comes in James D. Young’s piece on CLR James.
These days, like Ian Paisley, our preferred word is No! Our politics have been defensive. We have opposed cuts, fought fascism, condemned unemployment, etc. On all of these issues we have been right. The snag is that we have told under half the story. We have pointed out that capital has undermined useful services, spawned racists and been unable to employ the whole workforce. This is because it is in a mess.
What we need is to show that only a communist future can overcome these problems. It is on this that we differ not only from the old Labourists but especially the New Labour donkeys. The corrective comes, in part, from an article, which ironically looks back. A leading member of the Bristol Marxist Forum, Jeremy, has written a reminder of Marx and Engels’ Communist Manifesto, published 150 years ago. Sometimes we need to track back if we are to go forward. Young Karl Marx and Fred Engels offered some pointers that Jeremy shows are well worth examining now.
The strength in depth of our movement comes over in Dave Chapple’s interview with Graham Short and Mick Parkin’s exchange with Bob Richie, a Liverpool docks shop steward. Both show (in very different ways) the ability of workers to fight the old enemy. They implicitly pour scorn on those who tell us that the movement is dead and all that is left is to crawl around New Labour.
Get Involved!
We hope that Red SW will help to revive the Left throughout the region and for this to happen we need to learn from the mistakes of the past. There is diversity on the Left and we need to recognise this and accept collaboration and alliances with others we don't entirely see eye to eye with. If you wish to get involved then contact us or meet us at the Revolutionary Socialist Network conference in Bridgwater Sat, Sun 14th, 15th November.
Help Red SW - make it yours! We need articles, news, help with production and sales. Any able cartoonists would be a great bonus. Finally, we aim in the future to produce a web site to complement the work of the magazine, with links to local organisations. We welcome any able cyber designers and technicians to help with this.
Red South West is part of the larger revival of our movement. As readers will see it is rooted in the South West. It is also part of a movement of hostility to capital. This movement offers a future in which we can express our humanity in a way that is impossible under capitalism.
Contributions and Subscriptions
Please send articles to:-
Dave Chapple & Glen Burrows
1 Blake Place,
Bridgwater TA6 5AU
Phone 01278 450562
or to:-
Exeter Left Group,
c/o ‘The Flying Post’,
PO Box 185,
Exeter EX4 4EW
Suscriptions: £5 for 4 issues
Supporters: £10 (includes subscription)
Cheques payable to Red South West
- RSW 02 Page 2 -
Previous Article
Next Article
Index