looks like they could't squeeze any more posters on the wall, then again, nothing like getting your message across, or is that bombarding us with propoganda for their party. SWP: a product you know you really really want!

marx developed his theory based upon the revolution going through five stages.
funny how the fifth stage, ANARCHY, is always excluded by those who preach marxism.

looks fucking boring to me.

Dear F

Have you ever been to marxism?

If not why are assuming you know what it's like?


Claire the Librarian

Claire I have been to Marxim for the past two years. Some of it was reasonably interesting last year but this year really was appalling.

Their annual "lie about about anarchism" talk (whoops! I mean "Leninism and Anarchism" talk) was even worse than usual, with some Canadian moron explaining how the "three strains of anarchist thought are as follows: Hard anarchism - breaking windows; anarcho-populism - sweatshops are bad; and anarcho-syndicalism".

What a load of fucking bollocks. The they trotted out 40 decrepit old dickheads who droned on for an hour about how "we can't beat capitalism without organisation y'know". Fucking lying bastards. One Anarchist Youth was allowed to speak (the only anarchist who was) and he was excellent, but that was only 2 good minutes in two hours of absolute shite.

Dear Red and Black

I didn't attend the meeting you are describing so can't comment.

As someone who has been to Marxism for the past ten years I always get a great deal out of it(including last nights meeting on Bhopal).

I think you need to stop and think about your need to describe speakers as "decrepit old gits". I'm sure you wouldn't describe someone as a Black Bastard would you?.

All the best

Claire

Claire I didn't mean that they wer actually old or decrepit, it was just that every ounce of originality or enthusiam has been crushed out of them by obedience to the Party Line (which none of them detracted from for a second). They crawled up to the mic and all repeated exactly the same thing over and over like a bunch of mindless automatons.

Some of them were quite young but had the same lifeless expression droning about Lenin and 1917...

The crummy leaders of the SWP we know, but Just as importantly, we should know its source of FINANCE and BACKING. Where does the SWP get its money ? Does it get any material benefit of any kind from its cosying up to the official Labour party and Unions ? These questions should be answered before we start on the arcane discussions of Permanent Revolution..

I have also been to the SWP's Marxism conferences and I have found many of the meetings to be rather boring and patronising. Like all SWP meetings, there was a lack of genuine debate and those who oppose the party line are faced with party loyalists who snigger behind their hands while the person in the chair yawns. It is also intimidating when to put your point you have to stand at a microphone and argue your case in front of a large audience with only a limited amount of time. This puts many people with good ideas off speaking, particularly if their mother-tongue isn't English. It's not a study event or a conference, but a party rally (only there are no motions to discuss and vote on) and I only wish the SWP was honest enough to state this. The question is, will the SWP listen to constructive criticism?

Dear Dan

Public speaking is never easy regardless of environment.

I'm sorry you feel Marxism is intimidating-I don't find it to be so(unlike having to handle situations such as being stuck in a post-office with a guy with a gun like I have).

The reason for the three minute rule is to allow as many people as possible to make the points they want to. What you should do is work out well in advance exactly what you want to say and go for it!.

Having a mild hearing loss and mild speech impediment has never held me back from contributing.

All the best

Claire the Librarian

None of those comments really touch on the essence of this annual SWP 'rally'. As a member of an organisation which the SWP doesn't particularly like, as well as someone who has been at Marxism several times, I can state without restraint that there is no such thing as workers' democracy at Cliffite events. See the guy on the right of the photo holding the pieces of paper? He's handing out speakers' slips. On these you write (or in your own interest forge) the title of the meeting, your name, what you want to talk about and the organisation you represent/belong to. Then Alex Callinicos or some other party hack will sort through the heap (assuming so many people bothered to attend) and try and fit in as many SWP loyal line-towers as is feasible, allowing room for those unlikely to pose too much of a threat. Occasionally someone interesting and in opposition gets to speak. If you're at a youth meeting of course you stand out like a sore thumb and will get excluded or if possible barred from entry; perhaps some honcho will snatch your ticket and give you half a refund. They don't like you talking to the few younger people who gravitate towards the SWP these days.

This is all perfectly in line with the politics of the Cliffites, seeing as it's more than necessary for an organisation that claims to be one thing –'revolutionary' & 'Leninists'– but in fact are quite the opposite –reformist, Social Democractic Labourites. It's no longer necessary to have read Lenin or Trotsky to determine that the SWP would prefer a Bennite Labour Party in partnership with the bourgeoisie and imperialism to any sort of revolution (except of course the counterrevolutionary kind witnessed in Russia in 1991 and Serbia recently).

There are no shortage of Anarchists who will denounce the SWP as statist, Marxist-Leninists who uphold the revolution of 1917 as a victory for the proletariat, and who defend the workers' states; Marxism and Anarchism have very fundamental differences despite such identical finite aspirations, but please, don't confuse the SWP with Marxism. They like to pretend, but given a space free from the scrutiny of the more left-wing and revolutionary elements in their membership who may still associate with them, Cliffites will happily throw off their cloaks and appear as the Labourites that they are. They're not Trotskyists either.