Marxism 2003 conference

by Marxism 2003 - SWP Tue Nov 04, 2003 12:57 swp at clubi dot ie 01-8722682

Trintiy College Dublin 28th- 30th November. Organised by Socialist Worker.
We live in a violent, unequal world where bombs are built instead of hospitals - Bush and Blair spent billions on war while 100 million people go hungry every day. The 21st century has begun with a series of bloody wars to create a “New American Century”.

Behind this ‘war on terror’ our rulers have launched a war on workers. Fianna Fail wants to drive through the privatisation agenda in Ireland starting with the bin tax and the CE cutbacks and eventually moving onto the full sell-off of public services.
Yet this is also a time of great hope and resistance.

A new movement is challenging war and the power of capitalism. On 15th February 150,000 people marched against war in Dublin and 30,000 marched in Belfast. The New York Times had to admit that there are now “two superpowers on this planet- the United States and People Power”.

The bin tax has seen the beginning of mass resistance to the neo-liberal agenda. Thousands of workers have joined in the demonstrations and blockades. Similar resistance is being organised to oppose hospital closures, the sell-off of our public services and the attacks on free speech and public spaces.

The Marxism 2003 conference will bring together the activists and experience of these mass movements and other campaigns for a weekend of debate and discussion. We’ve all got questions; together we’ve got answers. Together we can learn from the history of past struggles and build resistance to this new world order of war and privatisation.

by Advertising Standards Authority Mon Nov 17, 2003 22:17

Date: 28 November - 30 November
Location: Student central

We live in a violent, unequal world where bombs are built instead of hospitals - Bush and Blair spent billions on war while 100 million people go hungry every day. The 21st century has begun with a series of bloody wars to create a ¡ÈNew American Century¡É.

Behind this ¡Æwar on terror¡Ç our rulers have launched a war on workers. Fianna Fail wants to drive through the privatisation agenda in Ireland starting with the bin tax and the CE cutbacks and eventually moving onto the full sell-off of public services. Yet this is also a time of great hope and resistance.

A new movement is challenging war and the power of capitalism. On 15th February 150,000 people marched against war in Dublin and 30,000 marched in Belfast. The New York Times had to admit that there are now ¡Ètwo superpowers on this planet- the United States and People Power¡É.

The bin tax has seen the beginning of mass resistance to the neo-liberal agenda. Thousands of workers have joined in the demonstrations and blockades. Similar resistance is being organised to oppose hospital closures, the sell-off of our public services and the attacks on free speech and public spaces.

Now is the time for open, free discussion about all of these movements. You won't find that at an SWP recruitment fair though.

The Marxism 2003 conference will bring together SWP members and some poor other punters who don't know what they are getting involved in. While desperately trying to lure the unwary from the anti-bin tax and anti-war movements to the Marxism recruitment fair, the role of the SWP in both movements in trying to hold back and stifle real resistance won't ever be mentioned.

Instead limitless SWP hacks will pontificate for hours from platforms. Anyone who wants some real "debate and discussion" will have to come in from the floor. You will get three minutes to speak. If you say anything the SWP find threatening, you will be immediately followed by half a dozen SWP members. Each of them will faithfully parrot the party line to the applause of their fellows.

We¡Çve all got questions; the SWP have answers that they want to indoctrinate you with. Together we can learn from the history of past struggles and stay the fuck clear of the SWP.Otherwise they will try to suck your brain out with a straw and fill your empty skull with moronic chants and platitudes about "resistance" and how important everyone going on a bus to the European Social Forum is.

by Martin Mon Nov 17, 2003 22:25

Funny because we all know that it's true.

by steelie Tue Nov 18, 2003 01:27

hits the nail on the head. boycott boycott boycott.

by Socialist Worker - SWP Wed Nov 19, 2003 12:47 swp at clubi dot ie

The conference will take place on the 28, 29, 30 November in Trinity College Dublin.

More info
http://www.swp.ie/html/marxism2003/Marxism%202003%20update.htm

by Joe Wed Nov 19, 2003 12:57

So what sort of 'debate' are you likely to get at Marxism. One detailed account of previous 'marxisms' to be found at http://anarchism.ws/writers/anarcho/2001.html

A humorous summary follows

Dead Dogma Sketch (apologies to Monty Python)
A revolutionary goes into Marxism 2001

Revolutionary: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint
(the SWP does not respond)

R: 'Ello, Stalinist?
SWP: What do you mean 'Stalinist'?

R: I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!
SWP: We don't have time for your contribution, sorry.

R: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this ideology what I embraced not half an hour ago at this very conference.
SWP: Oh yes, the, uh, the Russian Bolshevik... What's, uh... wrong with it?

R: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. Its dead, that's what's wrong with it!
SWP: No, no, its, uh, . . . its resting.

R: Look, matey, I know a dead ideology when I see one, I'm looking at one right now.
SWP: No no, its not dead, its resting! Remarkable ideology the Russian Bolshevik, idn'it, ay? Beautiful rhetoric.

R: The rhetoric don't enter into it. It's stone dead.
SWP: Nononononono, no, no, its resting!

R: All right then, if its resting, I'll wake it up!
(shouting at the meeting)
'Ello Mister Bolshevik! Do you know that Lenin and Trotsky advocated party dictatorship....
(SWP ignores point)
SWP: There, we replied to you.

R: No you didn't, that was you ignoring what I said.
SWP: We never!

R: Yes, you did!
SWP: We never, ever ignore anything...

R: (making the same point repeatedly)
Lenin and Trotsky eliminated workers democracy in the army and in the workplace. The Bolsheviks disbanded soviets with non-Bolshevik majorities. All before the start of the Civil War. Lenin and Trotsky both advocated party dictatorship. Moreover, they explicitly argued for it and against the idea of class dictatorship. This is your nine o'clock alarm call!
(raises points at meeting and watches them get ignored).
R: Now that's what I call a dead ideology.
SWP: No, no.... No, it was stunned by the counter-revolution!

R: STUNNED?!?
SWP: Yeah, counter-revolution stunned it, just as it was about to implement socialism, workers' power and democracy! The Russian Bolshevik stuns easily, comrade.

R: Um . . . now look ... now look mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. This ideology is definitely deceased and when I embraced it not 'alf an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of freedom and democracy in 1921 was due to it being tired and shagged out following a prolonged civil war, yet these events occurred before it started.
SWP: Well, its... its, ah ... probably pining for 1917.

R: PININ' for 1917!?!?!?! What kind of talk is that? Look, why did it overthrow soviet democracy the moment it got rejected in the soviet elections in spring 1918? Why did it abolish by decree elected soldier committees in March 1918? Why did it reject workers' self-management by factory committees and advocate one-man management with dictatorial powers in the spring of 1918?
SWP: The Russian Bolshevik prefers centralised power! Only that is true democracy-local elections, soldier councils and factory committees don't matter when you have a central government elected by the soviets. Remarkable ideology, id'nit, squire? Lovely rhetoric!

R: Look, I took the liberty of examining that ideology when I got home, and I discovered that the only reason that it was still in power in 1921 was that it had imposed a one party dictatorship, repressed all worker dissent, crushed waves of strikes and protests and, finally, suppressed the Kronstadt revolt (which was demanding free soviet elections). Moreover, it justified party dictatorship and claimed it had to be used in every revolution.
(pause)
SWP: Well, o'course it had to do that! If it hadn't crushed those popular movements then the Whites would have won and no more soviet power. Give it another chance and VOOM! Socialism!

R: VOOM!?! Mate, this ideology wouldn't go "voom" if you put four million volts through it! Soviet Power without soviet elections? Socialism without workers management of production? Secret Police? It is "childish nonsense" to draw a distinction between dictatorship by the party and by the class? (Lenin) The "dictatorship of the proletariat is at the same time the dictatorship of the Communist Party."? (Zinoviev) The "revolutionary dictatorship of a proletarian party" is "an objective necessity"? (Trotsky) Its bleeding demised!
SWP: No no, its pining!

R: Its not pining! Its passed on! This ideology is dead! It has long ceased to be revolutionary (if it ever was)! Its expired and become a dictatorship! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! Its analytical processes are now history! It shuffled away from the socialist movement, imposed party dictatorship, and justified it time and time again! This is an ex-socialist theory!
SWP: Well, I had better ignore what you are saying and keep repeating the dogma.

(he takes a quick peek to the Central Committee)

SWP: Sorry comrade, I've checked and your three minutes are up and we're right out of time.

R: I see. I see, I get the picture.
SWP: Fancy a copy of Socialist Worker?
(pause)

R: Pray, does it talk about anarchism, the real socialism from below?
SWP: Nnnnot really.

R: WELL IT'S HARDLY A BLOODY REPLACEMENT, IS IT?!!???!!?

by Canteen Kevin Wed Nov 19, 2003 13:03

A Marxist conference held in that renowned centre of struggle, Trinity College. Stay there while you're at it and stop trying to hijack and sabotage, when unsuccessful, campaigns with real grass roots involvement (anti -war, anti bin-tax campaigns). "Revolution"

by Degenerate Wed Nov 19, 2003 13:11

Nice one centurion (Joe)!!!

by Bowman Wed Nov 19, 2003 13:40

'We've all got questions and together'....we'll all sit down and be lectured to, wait for the SWP puppies to inanely parrot the party line and yawn through the finale of the guru summing up the correct line. I suppose we've all got to do it once just to get it out of our system and its a good cure for insomnia. Thank the non-existent god for swimmie free zones...Bin Truck Blockades, Direct Action events, democratically organised meetings etc. Enjoy!

PS Recruit one, lost two, recruit three, lost five, oh shit ten hit by burnout who will do the pettion in Foxrock on Friday!

by Major Woody Tue Dec 02, 2003 14:25

How about a brief report?

by Degenerate Tue Dec 02, 2003 14:39

I'm afraid I had better things to do, like get my teeth extracted without anesthetic.

But what I have found interesting is this attached article by Mike Davis who I believe was in attendance.

I can imagine KA frothing at the mouth particulary with his views on GNAW, Shannon blockades etc.