Chris Harman 1942-2009

The death of socialist activist and author Chris Harman is a sad loss to the international socialist movement. Chris died yesterday in Cairo having suffered a cardiac arrest. He was a tireless activist, writer and creative thinker. His books introduced thousands to Marxist economics and history with their clear and accessible style. He will be sorely missed, my condolences to his family and friends.

Chris wrote many fine books, my favourite is A People’s History of the World. Selected by the Independent on Sunday as one of the Top Ten History Books. If you have never read any of Chris Harman’s work then check out Bookmarks The Socialist Bookshop or the Marxist Internet Archive.

The best way to celebrate Chris’s contribution to socialist activism is to redouble our efforts to build socialist and trade union organisation around the world. 

Oxfam gets it wrong on Afghanistan

“There should be unified NATO command for all international forces in Afghanistan,

with a permanent mechanism to monitor operating standards of all units, ensure all

detainees are treated in accordance with international humanitarian law, including

those transferred to the custody of Afghan authorities, and strengthen coordination

with Afghan forces.”

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/conflict_disasters/downloads/afghanistan_priorities.pdf 

Is it just me who finds Oxfam’s position on Afghanistan profoundly misjudged? The organisation has had an office in Afghanistan since 1992 (e.g. it was able to operate under previous regimes). It currently takes a position of supporting the occupation of Afghanistan. Surely a humanitarian organisation should simply seek to operate where it can, not take a position on the rights and wrongs of George Bush’s inherited foreign policy?

 

Narco prof slams m'perialists

October 2009- Chomsky on 'unipolar world'

"The turnout for this event was truly extraordinary, and I think it’s a testament to how much Professor Chomsky’s ideas chime with our challenging times,” said Dan Plesch, Director of the Centre for International Studies

watch recording here

A mans word is his...oh sod it.

It's good to know that in these days of distrust and scepticism that there is one shinning light that radiates through the black clouds of parliamentarian self interest. Three cheers for bold David Cameron, the future prime minster of Great Britain, who took a valiant stand in 2007. Telling the nations' favourite daily that he will change the course of British politics and made 'a cast iron garantee' that he would call a referendum on "any" EU treaty on the table. 

David Cameron 26th September 2007 

"Today, I will give this cast-iron guarantee: If I become PM a Conservative government will hold a referendum on any EU treaty that emerges from these negotiations." 

Those tiresome lefties that harp on about the Conservatives being the home of shameless worshipers of money and power have met their nemesis!

Into the Storm: Churchill on the Jewish involvement in the Russian Revolution

In 1920, Churchill wrote a full page article for the Illustrated Sunday Herald detailing the Jewish involvement in the Russian revolution:

"This movement amongst the Jews (the Russian Revolution) is not new. From the days of Spartacus Weishaupt to those of Karl Marx, and down to Trotsky (Russia), Bela Kuhn (Hungary), Rosa Luxembourg (Germany) and Emma Goldman (United States), this world wide conspiracy for the overthrow of civilization and the reconstruction of society on the basis of arrested development, of envious malevolence, and impossible equality, has been steadily growing. It played, as a modern writer, Mrs. Nesta Webster, has so ably shown, a definitely recognizable part in the tragedy of the French Revolution. It has been the mainspring of every subversive movement during the Nineteenth Century; and now at last this band of extraordinary personalities has gripped the Russian people by the hair of their heads and have become practically the undisputed masters of that enormous empire. There is no need to exaggerate the part played in the creation of Bolshevism and in the actual bringing about of the Russian Revolution by these international and for the most part atheistic Jews. Moreover, the principal inspiration and driving power comes from Jewish leaders."

When it came to the conduct of the Civil War in Russia Churchill personally warned White Army General Denikin, whose forces Britain was funding and equipping and who were undertaking pogroms against Jewish communities, that “my task in winning support in Parliament for the Russian Nationalist cause will be infinitely harder if well-authenticated complaints continue to be received from Jews in the zone of the Volunteer Armies“. General Denikin ignored Churchill’s warnings, and the pogroms continued. 

Back to the Labour Future

Under the guise of “Labour Future” New Labour’s right wing have issued a series of policy pamphlets to, in their words, “counter the impression that Labour is intellectually exhausted”. 

To be fair the initiative at least frames itself in the context of the challenge of Climate Change. Nevertheless if you were to draw up a radical agenda for saving Labour from years in the wilderness, would you really start here? 

Some thoughts on the key points drawn from the published documents (yes god help me I did read them)… 

Sensible and responsible banking structures and a strong role for mutuals. 
(Ok, not sure what this means, attack tax havens? Regulate exec pay, intervene to support mutuals in the market place? Give the FSA some balls? Stop ex bankers running the FSA like a club? Ban MP’s from bank exec boards? Put union reps on bank exec boards- where is the meat?) 

All- ethnic minority short lists for MP selection 
(Ok, but as the women only short list proves, unless you allow more party democracy and grassroots input into selection procedures you will get more loyalist robots) 

Constitutional definition of the basic social rights to which the citizen is entitled, and a means of enforcing them. 
(So no new rights then?) 

The NHS has to be empowered with data and willingness to penalise poor performance in hospitals and primary care 
(So more market discipline then?) 

Scrap Trident and some investment in the London airports 
(Ok, now were cooking!) 

Far less rigid approach to public spending is required, including fixing public sector pay and pensions 
(Daw…By fixing you presumably mean cutting?) 

State organisations should be given more independence. Each one should have a tight rolling three-year budget without constant changes of funding formulae. 
(More privatization by stealth) 

Performance incentives of public sector employees 
(Screw over the public sector ethos and introduce performance related pay, because we are all selfish individuals after all- favour bullying managers and the young, screw the tired mothers, older workers, bereaved or sick) 

Creating a fair system of prisons and probation 
(What does that mean?) 

Fixed-term parliaments 
(Ok , not that exciting tho) 

Finishing reform of the Lords 
(So more unelected union busters running the government then?) 

Restoring the balance between national and local government. 
(Unclear on how?) 

Offer a zero VAT rate on all domestic insulation and energy-efficient products. 
(About time!) 

Provide some financial support for schemes to make homes more energy-efficient. 
(Already happening, or was then wasn’t, are you paying attention? This is not new thinking ) 

Cut VAT to 5 per cent for all repair and maintenance work on homes. 
(Ok) 

Rechannelling funds from the child tax credits and childcare tax credits system would take us away from complex state bureaucracies toward easily understood universal entitlements. 
(Not sure I understand, universal benefits or targeted benefits, which and how?) 

Long-term shift of spending to the Army (and ground support) from strategic nuclear defence and the Navy and Air Force. 
(More economic conscription for unwinnable wars) 

Europe as a positive, win-win situation for both British and progressive politics. 
(So in fact less democracy, support Euro trade block presided over by President Blair) 

Marks?... 3/10

Butt out Stelzer!

Does Tony Blair have any friends left beyond his immediate 1997 dinner party circle? Surely the recent press forays of Napoleonic heart throb Silvio Berlusconi and free market grandee Irwin Stelzer , both seeking to make the case for Blair’s appointment as EU president, shows how toxic Blair has become. He can only be praying the old friend Simian Bush Jnr stays the hell out of the media.

Stelzer sets out his case for Blair in today’s Guardian . He thinks Blair is great because 1) He got elected 2) He got rid of Saddam 3) He doesn’t like Trade unions 4) He is not embarrassed to use his public office to make lots of money. Well gee, Irwin, who is you audience here?

Stelzer is widely thought of as Ruper Murdock’s representative on earth. As for muscular and tanned Silvio, well he told the Italian press that "My government and I will work to ensure we do not lose a great political legacy, made with courage, equilibrium and prudence without uncertainty."

The Iraq War? Equilibrium and Prudence? The man is a shitwicket!