All meetings/talks/discussions are currently online on Discord (unless it is stated that the meeting or talk is on Zoom).
Please contact the
spgb@worldsocialism.org for how to join.
spgb@worldsocialism.org for how to join.
Members of Central Branch are advised that there is an informal discussion group hosted fortnightly on a Sunday by Paul Edwards at 7.00pm (BST) in the Discord online server. The next date for your diary will be 13th September at 7.00pm (BST); and, then every second Sunday thereafter. Please, do consider joining in. This is a great opportunity for all.
Wednesday 2 September, 7.30pm BST
The FAQ Workshop
CONSPIRACY THEORIES
At least 50% of Americans believe in one or more conspiracies, from flat earth to moon hoax to an engineered coronavirus pandemic. Religions offer an uplifting experience, but conspiracy theories make believers more depressed, paranoid and fatalistic, all the more so in the fake-news environment of social media. What can we do to talk people out of this no-hope and do-nothing attitude?
Friday 4 September, 7.30 BST
FRIDAY NIGHT TALK
WHY NOT REFORMISM?
Keith Graham throws some light along a political blind alley.
Wednesday 9 September, 7.30pm BST
The FAQ Workshop
IS PROPAGANDA DIFFERENT FROM MARKETING?
Personal communication is a matter of personal preference, but propaganda is communication for a group objective. Marketing is communication for a group objective, using a professional approach with evidence-based rules about what’s effective and what isn’t. Many socialists dismiss marketing as dishonest by design and insist that personal preference is valid as we are not in the business of ‘selling’ the socialist case. But is that true? We are attempting to persuade, just as marketing attempts to persuade. Are we behaving like enthusiastic amateurs when we should be looking for tips from the Mad Men of marketing?
Friday 11 September, 7.30 BST
FRIDAY NIGHT TALK
ROADMAP TO SOCIALISM
Binay Sarkar of the WSP India, live from Kolkata
Sunday 13 September, 7.00 BST
CENTRAL BRANCH CHAT
With Central Branch Secretary Paul Edwards
Wednesday 16 September, 7.30pm BST
The FAQ Workshop
SOCIALISM AND MORALITY
Socialists generally think morality is a bad way to make a good argument, and some years ago after a big debate we decided that socialism was not, even partly, an ethical case. Despite this, it’s arguably impossible to be a socialist without having a well-developed sense of moral justice. Are we doing the right thing by constantly avoiding the moral debate, or do we risk doing ourselves a disservice by making socialism seem soulless and mechanistic? How could we achieve the best of both worlds?
Friday 18 September, 7.30 BST
FRIDAY NIGHT TALK
TBA
TBA
Wednesday 23 September, 7.30pm BST
The FAQ Workshop
THE POLITICS OF ENVYSome people call socialism the politics of envy, often when they themselves have got nothing that anyone else would envy. Is this fair comment, or egregious insult? We could repudiate the idea and point to the global poor, which makes us look moralistic. Or we could agree that they’re right and complain that workers aren’t envious enough, which makes us look like wannabes and sore losers. Is there a good way past this argument?
Friday 25 September, 7.30 BST
FRIDAY NIGHT TALK
TBA
TBA
Sunday 27 September, 7.00 BST
CENTRAL BRANCH CHAT
With Central Branch Secretary Paul Edwards
Wednesday 30 September, 7.30pm BST
The FAQ Workshop
10 DESERT-ISLAND BOOKS FOR WOULD-BE SOCIALISTS
We all remember books we liked, but which ten would we recommend as absolute must-reads for someone exploring socialist ideas, on a desert island or elsewhere?
No comments:
Post a Comment