It is fashionable to portray Marxism
as the source of authoritarianism. This accusation is raised repeatedly
by anarchists, reformists and all kinds of opportunists. Bakunin was
one of the more famous exponents of such accusations. But the truth is
concrete and the historical facts reveal that those same elements who
raise a hue and cry about authoritarianism are themselves the worst
bureaucrats and authoritarians… where they manage to rule the roost.
A storm erupted in policy circles in South Africa after Julius
Malema the leader of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL)
boldly proclaimed the need for the mining industry in South Africa to
be nationalized. The demand was predicated on fulfilling the vision of
the Freedom Charter, which was adopted at Kliptown in 1955 as the
‘manifesto’ of the liberation struggle.
This Wednesday, four Unison members are submitting their appeals against being suspensed from office for distributing a leaflet at Unison conference.
The American Revolution shook up the
entire world. The thirteen British colonies that would become the
United States of America, fought and won against the most powerful
imperial power on the planet. In the years following the American
victory over the British, the hopes of the masses were betrayed. As a
result, there were many popular movements and uprisings. But none had
as big an impact on the psychology of the ruling class and the future
structure of the U.S. government as Shays’ Rebellion of 1786-87, which
some have called “The American Revolution’s Final Battle.”
The
crisis of Greek capitalism is clear for all to see. The bosses want
draconian economic policies to be implemented, but the workers have
already given more than they can afford to give. Bosses and workers are
on a collision course as the call for a 24-hour general strike on
February 24 clearly demonstrates.
Monopolisation of big
business is endemic to the capitalist system. Big business has become
wealthier and more powerful today than ever before.The revolving doors between government and industry has ensured the
continued domination of big business over parliament and state. Capitalist economists constantly argue that
privately run industry driven by pursuit of profit is the best way for
an economy to function. But, even a cursory look at the world around us
tells a very different story. Far from being efficient, capitalism is
riddled with contradictions and crisis. You could write multiple
volumes, as Karl Marx did, on the inadequacies of capitalism, but here,
in this limited space, we shall deal with just a few.
When the economy was booming the euro was seen as a source of strength
for those countries that had adopted the new currency. Now it is
transforming into its opposite, as the crisis in Greece demonstrates.
The Marxists warned about this long ago.
Unison has continued its witch hunt by banning Alan Docherty,
Darlington LG’ s Branch Secretary, for 3 years from office. His crime
was defending himself from attack from Unison Northern Region’s
leadership for his involvement in the National Shop Stewards Network
(NSSN) as the Tees Valley Secretary of the NESSN (North East Shop
Stewards Network).
The
discipline that is imposed on the worker through the capitalist system
— through wage labour, through the division of labour and the
development of manufacturing — is the very same discipline that the
workers turn against the bosses through organisation into trade unions
and political parties of labour. Therefore what effect does the theory
and practice of Anarchism have in the attempts by the workers to forge
fighting organisations?
Ireland faces the biggest crisis in
world capitalism since the 1930’s and for that reason there’s never been more
need for a socialist response to solve the problems workers face. With that in
mind, how do the Labour leadership stand up to scrutiny?
Greece, like all the other capitalist
countries afflicted by the recession, is running a big deficit on its
government budget. Tax revenues have
collapsed and more benefits are having to be paid out to the unemployed.
Deficits for the European Union countries as a whole tripled from 2.3% to 6.9%
from 2008 to 2009 because of the slump.
‘Ethical consumption’ and other capitalist ‘solutions’ to the climate crisis are a blind alley. We need a socialist alternative.