tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28924640.post115506910850847772..comments2023-06-22T02:27:01.854-07:00Comments on Shiraz Socialist: Well, they don't look like ringers...voltaires_priesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00346308174248473666noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28924640.post-1155241222588679612006-08-10T13:20:00.000-07:002006-08-10T13:20:00.000-07:00Has it won the world to socialism? No. Have I alwa...Has it won the world to socialism? No. Have I always agreed with it? No. Did I leave it? Yes. Has it done things that I thought were bloody awful? Yes. <BR/><BR/>But... has it done and achieved rather more than certain other groups which have stood aloof from political life, writing pamphlets and turning up in Hyde Park every Sunday for a century? Yes. ;-)voltaires_priesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00346308174248473666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28924640.post-1155239204047759722006-08-10T12:46:00.000-07:002006-08-10T12:46:00.000-07:00VP,there are many ways to diss the SPGB and its tr...VP,<BR/><BR/>there are many ways to diss the SPGB and its tradition. We both know them off by heart, but I don't think our longstanding commitment to transparent democracy is one of them. <BR/><BR/>And anyway, the AWL tradition that we were both linked to is marking its fortieth anniversary this year. What's its balance sheet? Answers on a postacard, please. ;-)<BR/><BR/>regardsImposs1904https://www.blogger.com/profile/04043116442576404667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28924640.post-1155218959305249832006-08-10T07:09:00.000-07:002006-08-10T07:09:00.000-07:00The most interesting thing about his "lifestyle" i...The most interesting thing about his "lifestyle" is that he must be pretty well off...<BR/><BR/>Guilty or not (he certainly is) I was not pleased to see him win, since it will galvanise him to be a Bonaparte in a "broad" (nationalist, anti-feminist) party, the real Left being kicked out and the SWP being the "radical" element.<BR/><BR/>The SWP's attitude is totally opportunist. It denounces the "scabs" as if Alan McCombes had not been to prison - of course, Sheridan wanted McCombes to give up the minutes, so that he wouldn't get a share in the "martyrdom".<BR/><BR/>The United Left has the answers...David Broderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519934479228292062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28924640.post-1155194069186266722006-08-10T00:14:00.000-07:002006-08-10T00:14:00.000-07:00Yeah but you've gotten nowhere in the past century...Yeah but you've gotten nowhere in the past century-and-a-bit that you've been practising the "get 50%+1 to join the party and say 'I'm a Socialist'" school of revolutionary politics.voltaires_priesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00346308174248473666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28924640.post-1155142754265465842006-08-09T09:59:00.000-07:002006-08-09T09:59:00.000-07:00One of the more over-looked elements of the Sherid...One of the more over-looked elements of the Sheridan farce is the question of political party democracy . Secret minutes of EC meetings . Star Chamber interrogations . <BR/>The SPGB minutes of EC meetings are posted on our website for all to see .The EC meetings of the SPGB themselves are open to the public .The SPGB don't have the party leader position such as a convenor , one , who on oath said he was prepared to tell lies to his members and voters concerning another member's indiscretions .<BR/><BR/>THAT IS our commitment to party democracy .<BR/>THAT IS one of our ways of maintaining membership control of our party .<BR/>THAT IS the lesson of the Tommy Sheridan court case .<BR/>Lets ram THAT message home .ajohnstonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09874891810770297962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28924640.post-1155086969128569382006-08-08T18:29:00.000-07:002006-08-08T18:29:00.000-07:00I don't understand the issues; I only know it's tr...I don't understand the issues; I only know it's tragic.Frank Partisanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03536211653082893030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28924640.post-1155080659507599042006-08-08T16:44:00.000-07:002006-08-08T16:44:00.000-07:00The bourgeois court has made its decision, just as...The bourgeois court has made its decision, just as it did with Mr Galloway. and who are we, who have not heard all the evidence, to disagree? But today's 'Guardian' (G2 section) carries a fascinating description - from former SSP activist Catriona Grant - of the behaviour of Sheridan's (male) SWP supporters within the SSP (including 'Sonic'?- I don't know), towards female critics at an emergency council meeting in May: "they were shouting 'You cunt', and 'Shut up, you bitch', says Grant. 'It was really scary'".<BR/><BR/>None of which goes to prove anything - one way or the other - about Sheridan's guilt or innocence as an alleged "swinger": But it does tell you a lot about his supporters and their attitude towards women; and their willingness to destroy the SSP in defence of a posturing demagogue's ego. Mind you, having grovelled before one vain demagogue (Galloway), the SWP has obviously got the habit. And at least Sheridan (unlike the Moseleyite Galloway) is a little bit left-wing. but it's still nauseating.Jim Denhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00364272346989690845noreply@blogger.com