Chris Harman: 1968 The Year the World Caught Fire

[bapyou]

A pleasure to listen to this man speak. I discovered him clicking around You Tube. No one comparable to Mr Harman exists in America. If anyone were to give a speech like this in America, someone else would call the police. Americans, by and large, are complete idiots obtaining all of their information from television.

[bhaskie]

RIP Comrade Harman

[Spamhero]

Good old Chris still going strong. One point

Enoch Powell was minister for health in 1967.

He wrote a book about it afterwards. One

or two wards of kidney patients and one dyalisis machine and one doctor with the

power of life and death. Ah the good old

days!

[CliveS59]

>Part1

I am really disappointed that Chris Harman and you indulge in this anti-communist diatribe more fitting coming from the Daily Mail and the neo-conservatives. I presume the purpose is to ensure that the deep fractures between the Party and SWP are maintained. To ensure that there is no unity or the development of a broad Left front, where the Party and SWP put old animosities behind them and move forward!

[CliveS59]

>Part2

Marx said we have a choice between socialism or barbarism. As we do not have a dominant socialist economy or even the small spaces anymore (Soviet Union, GDR, etc). Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, etc are important from a political perspective i.e. to show that 'Another world is possible'. I have to conclude when I see young boys stabbed over a pair of trainers, as Marx stated, that we are moving to barbarism.

[CliveS59]

Part3

The class struggle is a game of two sides, just like football. Marx was clear that the existence of workers or the poor alone did not guarantee socialism.

Firstly the dominant sections of Capital, finance capital who Lenin term imperialists, are actively involved in the struggle for hegemony. The best description of this is in 'How the other half dies' by Susan George.

[CliveS59]

Part4

During the 'Great depression' mining capital in South Africa wanted to deracialise the craft grades, in order to improve productivity and profits. In response white socialists largely from England launched an armed insurrection, calling for a white Soviet. After the insurrection was put down and the racist ringleaders hung, about the only thing I agreed with Smuts! Capital set out to demobilise the organised white working class. White workers were given a job guarantee, higher pay rates.

[CliveS59]

>Part5

That may have seen like a digression. Capital during the Cold War set out to demobilise the working class in the USA and Europe. Because monarchism, colonialism and racism was prevalent within the British working class, Capital was able to carry out it's Anglo-American project. By the 1950's Economism dominated the British working class.

[CliveS59]

>Part6

I joined the T&G as a student when I first came to the UK. T&G shop stewards told me how around 80% of students at the college, I was studying at, during the 1960's were both members of the Labour Party and the T&G. In 1987 when I studied there the T&G had no student members, the majority of students were Neo-conservative.

[CliveS59]

>Part7

1968 The year the world caught fire??

I think not!

Less than 30% of British workers are members of trade unions. The majority of Trades Councils have folded, the rest limp on.

The SWP weekly and The Morning Star each sell way short of 100,000 per month. In contrast, during April 2008 the Sun sold over 3 million while your soul mate the Daily mail sold just over 2 million.

[CliveS59]

>Part7

You are not able to accept that your ideology has no currency within the working class, who are riddled by Economism. Therefore you are forced to blame the Party!

A broad Left Front is needed to rebuild working class structures in the UK. Focusing on building structures instead of student protest politics. Linking up with international projects in Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela...

It appears that Eddie Prevost and you would rather resort to petty sectarian attacks.

[CliveS59]

>Part7

You are not able to accept that your ideology has no currency within the working class, who are riddled by Economism. Therefore you are forced to blame the Party!

[Xephon212]

I really appreciate you posting these. I wish there was an SW branch where I am.