Or, let's be clear, the right-wing press. Socialism is trending on Twitter, apparently, thanks to a spasm of fear, the usual wave of panic anytime there's the possibility of a left-wing challenge to austerity; only this time it's not simple trade unionists (don't they seem tame now?) but The Reds, the real out and out Reds. Dun, dun, duh!
We might find it amusing to suddenly be the subject of the news but this is red-baiting going on, and red-baiting is bad news (remember: baiting does not succeed through logic or clarity but volume, and the Tory press has plenty of that). Though it's great to have the government on the back foot we should demure ever so slightly, not claim all the credit because: (1) many, many other people are campaigning against workfare slavery, not to mention many more are opposed it - it would be simply untrue to suggest socialists are behind it all (2) the government would like to suggest it's all part of the international communist conspiracy because it suits them to make people choose between the government and the SWP.
3 comments:
To be honest, most comrades when interviewed have pointed out that the number of people taking part in the workfare protests was a lot wider than the party or rtw.
i also don't believe red-baiting is anywhere near as effective as it was. most people really don't care if someone's a trot. it's also very lazy to conjure up an swp/bbc/guardian troika, and that's before we mention the absurdity of it.
what is the case is that the tories are rattled over this. there's been furious backpeddling and whst at the moment is a fairly feeble attempt to drive a wedge between the party and the class. doubtless there is a bigger crackdown to come, and indeed the tsg may well be let loose on a demo where we're pretty obvious sometime soon. comrades may find their employers to be even more interested in them than before. it's also the case that we can recruit from this and that a lot of people can gain confidence. the reality is that they're noticing us because we're doing something right.
I'm pleased to hear that, I expected that to be the case, as such this post counts as "following on", which in branch meetings means repeating what the last person just said.
That said, while it's great the government are on the run this sudden prominence is an accident, a frightening one for the government. The Olympics and Mayoral elections are coming up. The Met Police will want them to be leftie free. Take your pick from (1) stalls being smashed up (2) demos being smashed up (3) the party offices being smashed up (4) prominent party members being framed. They will do it because they can, because there has been enough of a shift to the right on the issue of employment. The majority of people, maybe not in the big cities, but the majority of people in Britain are vicious, bestial yahoos who delight in suffering, especially the suffering of the weak and sick. New Labour saw to that.
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/millions-back-removal-of-dirty-hippies-with-whom-they-are-in-complete-agreement-201202284950/
People like Coldplay and vote for the Tories... you can't trust people.
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