tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post6691420429976935228..comments2024-03-29T17:12:19.648+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: Who's Left?Chris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-79550573286288930102010-02-18T16:02:33.176+13:002010-02-18T16:02:33.176+13:00You may be interested in some of the discussion ov...You may be interested in some of the discussion over on this blog post: http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/2010/02/clevedon-socialist.htmlSkylerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06868954885230155638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-34138904689724170232009-12-20T15:26:42.112+13:002009-12-20T15:26:42.112+13:00“Smouldering embers” I would suggest Chris, as a s...“Smouldering embers” I would suggest Chris, as a substitute for your ‘husk’ label of the small NZ hard left sects. They unarguably have a low organizational capacity at present. The social democratic (LP) “holy grail” of somehow arranging class peace, getting bosses to behave “reasonably” likewise remains beyond reach at this time.<br /><br />Disproportionate emphasis on international matters has generally been implicated in difficulties for NZ communists most significantly the 50s/60s Sino Soviet schism. Left social democrats too. The Alliance, which had helped produce useful pro working class reforms, effectively squandered it’s parliamentary influence over Afghanistan deployments.*1 As a pleasantly dogmatic leftist, I know there is no getting around the fact that the current NZ marxist groups are the offspring of splits of splits, ideological DNA diluted, one ideologue or several minors maybe at the helm of each if they are lucky. Several veteran CPNZ members told me they felt the ‘rot’, in terms of a seriously skewed relationship between specific New Zealand and international revolutionary requirements, set in around the late 50s at certain party educational forums. Documents from which, I have sighted. The usefulness of the Marxist Leninist analysis is undimmed as hundreds of writers worldwide confirm daily. Just when socialism is declared moribund for the thousandth time some indigenous Maoist led struggle flares up, May Day gets celebrated in obscure locations, and the red flag comes out even on Queen Street. Wish away the socialist consciousness which exists if you want to.<br /><br />Pablos’s previous illumination on the ‘atomization’ of communities into groups of competing, unorganised individuals, has relevance here. The subjective societal factor has long been the bane of the Marxists and social democrats. Many people are so plugged into the ‘matrix’ via finance capital-jobs, mortgages, credit, and commodity fever, that the underlying private ownership structure of society lies unobserved or unquestioned. <br /><br />Capitalism in general terms has massively failed in many terms bar those of money bags and exploiters personal gains. As for ‘general progress’ I maintain science and technology, funding not withstanding, tends to proceed somewhat regardless of prevailing political superstructures. Capitalism has failed to feed millions, failed to protect our only planet and needs to be ended. Tipping points will continue to occur with rapidity. Bourgeois strategists had to use taxpayers dough to bail out the major capitalist economies over the last two years.<br /><br />So why have the socialists not achieved ascendancy in the political ‘market place’ as KiwiPolitico’s Lew might contend? Why do not Maori nationalists run this country? Well because of the objective strength of the class forces opposed. Standing armies, enforcement of property rights (violently if required) interlocked systems of education, religion, surveillance and mass media tilt the playing field to cliff like angles (at this time). <br /><br />My caveat to the Marxists is sort out your attitude to reforms as opposed to reformism. This issue is primary to advancing hard left progress. The Marxists have to give qualified support to the social democrats not stand off or proclaim them the main enemy. Work with and struggle against.<br /><br />*1: knowledgeable comments on why Laila Harre never delivered J. Andertons bugger off letter to the speaker would still be of interest.<br />Heh.Tiger Mountainnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-20837958798294170252009-12-15T17:36:10.830+13:002009-12-15T17:36:10.830+13:00The SUP numbered 400 tops, not 500. Their unappeti...The SUP numbered 400 tops, not 500. Their unappetising paper mostly piled up in union officies, unread. For two or three years SUP leading lights got a few pro soviet resolutions passed at FoL conferences- to what practical effect? The SUP mostly stayed out of the radical movement, because they were not radical. They shaped the direction of union officialdom for a while, both for good and ill, mostly ill. Like Muldoon, you inflate the real weight of the SUP.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-10652634588694573612009-12-14T20:44:23.910+13:002009-12-14T20:44:23.910+13:00"The parties and organisations of the Marxist..."The parties and organisations of the Marxist Left have become a row of empty seed-pods, mournfully rattling in the dry neoliberal wind."<br />Gee, quite poetic there. If a little ungenerous and over hastily dismissive.<br />Like the man said, the answer is blowing in the wind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-38627284244291115502009-12-14T17:38:07.457+13:002009-12-14T17:38:07.457+13:00Thanks Chris, for the critique. The post was desig...Thanks Chris, for the critique. The post was designed to be food for thought rather than an absolute template, but I still think that the idea of trying to establish some common ground between the political Left and the social movement progressive/Left is worth considering in spite of the flaws that you outline in my argument. I am not, however, as sanguine as you about Labour continuing to be the flagship political representative of Left/progressives, simply because I do not think that it can be until it distinctly separates itself from the market-driven model and offers a genuine social democratic alternative. I do not see that happening anytime soon.<br /><br />I do agree that Left/progressive disunity and parochialism (to say nothing of ideological diffusion) continue to relegate it to the sidelines of NZ political discourse. That, again, was a motive for the post.Pablohttp://www.kiwipolitico.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-4231735803549182482009-12-14T17:29:03.433+13:002009-12-14T17:29:03.433+13:00Gays and lesbians are still shackled you twit. The...Gays and lesbians are still shackled you twit. They're not allowed to get married.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-67371978003508913862009-12-14T17:10:34.994+13:002009-12-14T17:10:34.994+13:00I went to hear Michael Cullen speak at Mt Roskill ...I went to hear Michael Cullen speak at Mt Roskill a couple of weeks ago, and his thesis seemed to be that it was necessary for Labour to move toward the centre in order to be electable - he said that this was as true of the 1935 party as of the party in its present form. At the same time, he semed to endorse the idea of a party to the left of Labour under MMP, such as the Alliance were before they imploded. I guess the Alliance was in part fuelled by the rage induced by the nineties, which no longer maintains the same force. If something else were to emerge from the ashes, Unite looks the most capable of building a political momentum.Olwynnoreply@blogger.com