A revealing letter under this heading was published in the Sunderland Echo last Thursday (2 November):
"In his slightly separatist letter (Oct 10), Steve Colborn tells us that the "only way forward" is socialism, but that the Respect Party is not the way to achieve it.
Well of course it isn't. Steve knows as well as I do that the only way to real socialism is through revolution and smashing of the capitalist system and all its machinery.
As a member of the revolutionary Socialist Workers' Party I would like nothing more than to see this happen. Unfortunately though, a mass uprising just isn’t on the cards right now.
Yes, many people are dissatisfied with mainstream politics, but how many are clued-up on the system and are ready and willing to fight for the alternative in the way that is necessary?
It is a sad fact, but the masses are doped with materialism and entertainment, and while Corrie is on the telly and there's a lager and pizza in the fridge we are not going to see revolution. Therefore, there is a need for the next best thing, Parliamentary reform.
The Respect Party aims to fight for the best possible deal for working people within the present system. And it's essential such a party exists, even if only as a fringe party, to prevent the rich from being all-powerful.
I sincerely hope Steve manages to stir the masses and wake them from their slumber. Till then though, all we have is our vote.
Gary Duncan, Respect Party, Hylton Castle, Sunderland."
What an admission from a member of the SWP/Respect Party! That because socialism is not on the agenda we should lower our sights and just go for what reforms we can get within the capitalist system! Yes, most people today don't want socialism, but we in the Socialist Party draw the opposite conclusion: that we should step up our efforts to spread socialist ideas, not retreat into reformism.
And we don't agree that socialism has to be come through some violent mass uprising to smash "the capitalist system and all its machinery". That's just romantic pseudo-revolutionism. Once there's a majority against capitalism and for socialism they can use the ballot box to get their way. But thanks, Gary, for the admission that Respect is just a reformist front for the opportunist SWP.
"In his slightly separatist letter (Oct 10), Steve Colborn tells us that the "only way forward" is socialism, but that the Respect Party is not the way to achieve it.
Well of course it isn't. Steve knows as well as I do that the only way to real socialism is through revolution and smashing of the capitalist system and all its machinery.
As a member of the revolutionary Socialist Workers' Party I would like nothing more than to see this happen. Unfortunately though, a mass uprising just isn’t on the cards right now.
Yes, many people are dissatisfied with mainstream politics, but how many are clued-up on the system and are ready and willing to fight for the alternative in the way that is necessary?
It is a sad fact, but the masses are doped with materialism and entertainment, and while Corrie is on the telly and there's a lager and pizza in the fridge we are not going to see revolution. Therefore, there is a need for the next best thing, Parliamentary reform.
The Respect Party aims to fight for the best possible deal for working people within the present system. And it's essential such a party exists, even if only as a fringe party, to prevent the rich from being all-powerful.
I sincerely hope Steve manages to stir the masses and wake them from their slumber. Till then though, all we have is our vote.
Gary Duncan, Respect Party, Hylton Castle, Sunderland."
What an admission from a member of the SWP/Respect Party! That because socialism is not on the agenda we should lower our sights and just go for what reforms we can get within the capitalist system! Yes, most people today don't want socialism, but we in the Socialist Party draw the opposite conclusion: that we should step up our efforts to spread socialist ideas, not retreat into reformism.
And we don't agree that socialism has to be come through some violent mass uprising to smash "the capitalist system and all its machinery". That's just romantic pseudo-revolutionism. Once there's a majority against capitalism and for socialism they can use the ballot box to get their way. But thanks, Gary, for the admission that Respect is just a reformist front for the opportunist SWP.
4 comments:
Reminds me of the Eugene Debs dictum :-
" I'd rather vote for something I want and not get it than vote for something I don't want, and get it."
Also interesting to note is the the letter writer's nonsense of smashing the system and mass uprisings , proof that the SWP street-fighting man still exists -if only in his own head , since in reality most would run a mile from a molotov cocktail .
I've just came across the bollocks you've written regarding my letter to the Sunderland Echo and I can't believe how fucking petty you lot are! No wonder you have less members than there are people living in your street!
I want the same thing as you do. I'm fighting for the same sort of Socialist world you are. Difference is though,I'm not in a party the size of a small nursery school and you ARE! Come to think of it,you ACT like members of a nursery school too.
Get a life saddos!
Gary Duncan
Respect and SWP
Sunderland
I suspect the reason that the SPGB is generally criticized for its size is that there's nothing much of import to criticize it for.
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