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Globalise Resistance: slurs rebutted

Alex Callinicos | 14.02.2002 01:19

Indymedia.org.uk has been the nexus of a new upswing in counter-revolutionary propaganda promulgated by the dis-information forces of Capitalism. Prominent among them have been repeated calls to explain the SWP's role within the anti-Capitalist organisation: Globalise Resistance. This brief rebuttal is aimed at quoshing these accusations so that we can get on with the real work.

Dan,
we have been reading your repeated postings to Indymedia.org.uk and other forums with concern and dismay, but had decided not to respond as this would only inflame the situation. The partisan and sectarian attacks made upon our organization by anarchists and other malcontents only reflects the envy which our effectiveness in raising the consciousness of the proletariat has garnered us from petit-bourgeois Utopian reactionaries.

Your base innuendoes of mis-appropriation of funds and a lack of democracy within Globalise Resistance are best met with a stark statement of the facts which are known to everyone:
1. Globalise Resistance has an open and tranparent structure accessible to all. The members of the steering committee will be glad to hear any concerns that you choose to address to them. It shows a complete lack of respect for democracy on your part that you choose to ignore these leaders. They represent many more people's wishes than your own.

2. The SWP has committed money, activists and leadership to Globalise Resistance. It was created by our party membership and we have never hidden that fact and are proud of our success in leading the anti-Capitalist movement. Guy Taylor's placement on the payroll was done democratically as a consensus decision of the Steering Committee.

3. The purpose of Globalise Resistance is to be a United Front. This is a tried and tested tactic that has worked very well for us in the past and we see no reason that we should be ashamed of it.

4. We call upon you to cease this partisan bickering which diverts us from the very real challenges faced by the anti-Capitalist movement in its struggle against globalisation. We must have unity.

Alex Callinicos
e-mail: membership@swp.org.uk
Homepage: http://www.swp.org.uk

Comments

Hide the following 21 comments

Re: Globalise Resistance: slurs [ahem]

14.02.2002 02:23

hur, hur, hur

let's not get into a tit-for-tat point scoring as always, which doesn't serve to convince or change anyone's mind. I don't agree with/am not convinced by the SWP's rebuttal. However, I'd much rather we all spent our time getting on with campaigning, and putting energy into promoting how we want it to be.

That's it.

anti-hierarchical bod

Worked well for us in the past?

14.02.2002 02:27

Worked well for you in the past?

What did you ever achieve in the past mister socialis workers' party?

The SWP has not overthrown capitalism and replaced it with something nicer. It has not even got anywhere near doing that. How can you say you've got anywhere near doing that in the past or at any time?

--

Aside from that, let's not slag eachother off.

The SWP is a vital part of our movement. We haven't got any where yet but these are early days.

What we need is solidarity.

We may have our disagreements and differences, but don't let's forget - we're all on the same side - against the excessive undemocratic power of the corporations.

So let's keep our bickering to a minimum and focus on what we're all against. Let's ave our aggresion for Mike Moore and George W Bush.

peace, love, unity, respect and rage,

Mr S

Sagitarius and again?

Is this for real?

14.02.2002 02:57

I wonder if this rebuttal is for real, and if it is actually written by Callinicos. This is because the language sounds unlike that which you would expect from the SWP.
For instance the phrase "envy which our effectiveness in raising the consciousness of the proletariat has garnered us from petit-bourgeois Utopian reactionaries" sounds a bit ninteenth century.
Practicing Marxists today rarely use the term "proletariat", prefering instead "the working class". You would sound a right nutcase if you called your fellow pickets "the proletariat"!
It is the language associated with tiny isolated sects, not sizable revolutionary groups with some relationship to todays class struggle like the SWP.
Furthermore to speak of "our success in leading the anti-Capitalist movement" is a little premature. If you are a Marxist, then you believe that there is nothing wrong with 'leadership'. It is a necessary part of the struggle. However, genuine Marxists belive that this leadership must be won through argument and example. It can not be assumed or imposed. This statement assume that the job has been done. Callinicos is usually more subtle and balanced.
The essential point of the statement is also wrong. To call the demands for open debate 'bickering' and a diversion from getting on with the job of building resistance is arrogant. Many activists are doing there best to organise a fightback in their own communities and workplaces, and it is from this activity that constructive criticism of each others tactics should arise. Unity of action can only arise from freedom of debate.

active malcontent

counter revolutionary ...forces of capitalism

14.02.2002 03:18

"counter-revolutionary propaganda promulgated by the dis-information forces of Capitalism" ? ?
This is not how you respond to criticism from other activists, even if it is 'sectarian or partizan'. Otherwise you sound really paranoid! Do you really believe that criticisms of the SWP from other left wing activists are really orchestrated by a capitalist conspiracy?
Do you belive that criticism is counter-revolutionary? Will you shoot these people if you ever take power - for that is what happens to counter-revolutionaries?
If this was really written by Callinicos then he has just seriously undermined our struggle for anti-capitalist unity.
He says Globalise Resistance is SWP property. If you join it and dare openly criticise 'outside the organisation' then you are a counter-revolutionary wrecker. Sorry mate, but Globalise Resistance is not meant to be a democratic centralist revolutionary party, and it will never work if you treat it as such. And its bizarre that the refutation should come from SWP head office, and not Globalise Resistance. That does not help convince people that it really is a united front and not an 'swp front'. Nice one Alex, youve just blown it for those trying to build GR.

Global Resister

don't worry about GR

14.02.2002 03:42

don't worry about GR.
They're alright but it doesn't really matter one way or the other if your're a member of Globalise Resistance.

We don't all have to join any one organisation and obey their leadership. n e 1 who does join in with them will hopefuly find being a member of GR a constructive way to fight this fight. It's up to the individual.

What matters is that we fight against the corporate takeover of the world and that, moreover, we actually win. Some people may feel at home within the SWP, or GR. Some may be better suited to Attac or the World Development Movement or Oxfam or the Green Party or [if you're that way inclined] Christian Aid... or People & Planet, or the Socialist Alliance........... or the W.O.M.B.L.E.S or whatever.

...or some local autonomous group.

Or just on your own or with a group of mates.

Whatever feels right.

If you feel at home in GR then be a member of GR, if you don't then don't. Other than that there's no real need to slag any one organisation off.

What's important is that we all fight this fight and that we win.

So let's not argue amongst ourselves n e more than is strictly necessary. We're all in this together. Our common aim is to Overthrow corporate directed capitalism as it stands and Replace It With Something Nicer - like true democracy for example.

REMEMBER - the powers that be (TPTB) WANT us to bicker and squable - divide and rule, that's their strategy.

So let's all fight this fightm in whatever groups we feel confident in and let's promote loose non-hierarchical links between our organisations so that we have solidarity and unity within this beautifully divrerse movement.

peace,

Tim K

tim

.

14.02.2002 03:48

Nothing wrong with globalise resitance...

... as long as they don't try to insist that we all join.

IF someone wants to be a member then that's fine, if they don't then that's fine too.

As long as they recognise that they don't OWN this movement and that if some people would rather do their own thing on their own or with their friends or in some other NGO then that's fine.

The same goes for the rest of the SWP.

This is a braod and diverse movement.

Let's not argue amongst ourselves but let's not any one try to dominate the whole things either.

Strength in diversity and autonomy and democracy :-)

SWP Claims

14.02.2002 09:39

On the one hand you say, "Globalise Resistance has an open and transparent structure accessible to all." Fine, but I am part of the anti-capitalist movement and I'm not part of GR/SWP so when you claim "..we..are proud of our success in leading the anti-Capitalist movement." I don't remember electing anyone to lead 'the movement' It's a anoying and as rubbish as Norena Hertz claiming on Newsnight that what the 'anti-globalisation' movement want is 'Proportional Representation'. I don't remember agreeing to her manifesto and nor did I agree to your leadership. That's the issue, there are people who claim to lead or speak for the 'movement' when they do no such thing. You might speak for and lead GR, but you don't (any more than I do) lead or speak for the anti-Capitalist movement.

Jebb

Go and die Callinicos

14.02.2002 09:48

If anarchists are such malcontents, how come GR have links to various anarchist groups on it's web site? You're so sure of your own credibility, you have to use real revolutionary organisations who have nothing to do with authoritarian reformists like you to try and bolster it. Go and die Callinicos you hypocrite. (And hurry up about it)

Tommo

I've mailed him to ask

14.02.2002 11:10

I've mailed him to ask him if he wrote this.

If he didn't it should be taken down.

Pete

Callinicos is representing SWP, not GR

14.02.2002 12:16

Callinicos - if it is genuinely him - is representing the views of the SWP and not the GR steering committee. Anna Bragga, the Green member of the steering committee, has told me she has been concerned at the postings on Indymedia and about Guy Taylor's position. She wrote to me yesterday stating that she was taking the matter up with the Green Party executive before making any formal statement on whether any steps should be taken. I doubt whether the steering committee has met to discuss a response. So Callinicos and the SWP are trying to pre-empt the democratic will of the GR steering committee and marginalise the views brought up on Indymedia. It's this kind of behaviour that gives GR and the SWP a bad name.

Daniel Brett
mail e-mail: dan@danielbrett.co.uk

smokin them out

14.02.2002 13:01

this is the sort of the work indymedia should be doing, if this is genuine it is unusuual for swp hacks to publicly defend themselves. Maybe, this a first step in the swp beconming more accountable.

concernedz

Hee-hee

14.02.2002 13:30

That is hilarious!

Well done to whoever wrote that (until it gets shifted to the "edited out" page, at least...).

hannibal

this is a hoax!

14.02.2002 14:54

I can confirm that this is absolutely definitely a hoax. It was not posted by Alex Callinicos or anyone from the SWP.

Actually I'm disappointed at the lack of humour and subtlety. No good jokes, and Alex don't talk like that..

Come on folks; if you've nothing better to do than make up hoaxes, at least put in a bit of effort!

internationalist

Dead Right.

14.02.2002 15:43

Hoax or not, I agree with Tommo. Hurry up and die Alex.

Ronnie.

Ooh, get you Alex

14.02.2002 16:20

Well, the chief of the SWP politburo dares to come crashing in here accusing independent leftist commentators of being counter-revolutionary. How dare you ? You show your true colours Alex, for to slight people in this way, many of them young and coming to the movement for the first time, to call them counter- revolutionary in this way for daring to use their anti- authoritarian critical faculties, you Alex are a STALINIST. How many good revolutionaries went to the gulags coutesy of Stalins KGB show trials on such slurs ?

D Sposa- Balincom

That's how it wil be.....

14.02.2002 16:25

And that's how it will be if Callinicos and his commisars have their way. They moan about the content of Indymedia, but how long do you think Indymedia would operate under the SWP's totalitarianism?

Ivor the Engine.

hoax! hoax! hoax!

14.02.2002 16:37

It's a hoax! A scam! Made up!

It was NOT posted by Alex Callinicos or the SWP!

Read it again. Do we ever talk like that?

internationalist

But it sounds true!

14.02.2002 16:58

But it sounds true! That's the thing about it. It is the sort of thing we have come to expect from the SWP. The sooner you realise you are NOT wanted by genuine anti-capitalists and shove off, the better. Why not start your own news wire seeing as you have failed to take over this one. That's your usual course of 'action' after all.
Is Internationalist an MI5 spook? Would you be surprised if the answer was yes? I wouldn't. Why else would the SWP want to try and run everything? Don't trust any of them or anything any of them say!

Inter-National-Ist

This may well be hidden

14.02.2002 17:01

This post is likely to be hidden. Efforts at verifying identity of poster are being made. It looks like a spoof to me and goes against the Indymedia guidelines.

pnw
mail e-mail: pnw@ziplip.com

Well, I HOPEits a parody

14.02.2002 17:46

Unfortunately, as someone else remarked: "it sounds true !" "Black Propaganda" it could be after all, but its not so very far off what the SWP think, I fear. Ive listened to enough verbiage over the years from false-Marxists attempting to reconcile their false positions. Perhaps this has been gleaned from another text and cobbled together ?

D Sposa Balincom

But the Whole SWP is a Hoax anyway !

14.02.2002 17:52

How can you have a hoax of a pastiche ? a spoof of a piss-take ? a parody of a sham ? sure, if it is a hoax, best to get rid of it, but its telling that so many THOUGHT it was real...

Extremely