Skip to content or view screen version

TRYING TO REASON WITH THE LEFT IS LIKE SPEAKING INTO THE WIND!

Mike Lane | 01.08.2002 10:18

Were is the left wing really coming from? They hate each other and have always been at each other’s throats. Four or five left wing parties in the UK. It beggars belief. Oh yes I know we now have the Socialist Alliance, but this new entity mainly consists of the Socialist Party and the Marxists and they are always arguing with each other. It matters little anyway, because all of these parties and most of their members have got their heads permanently preoccupied with international issues.

There are many terrible things happening around the world, especially in this day and age. Precarious times lay ahead for most of the world’s population as we witness the death of democracy in our countries, locally and nationally. But we must never take our eyes of local issues. The problem with the left in the UK is they are always putting most of their energy into international issues, and worthy these issues are, but local councils and central government in the UK are more corrupt to day than they have ever been. Then we have the situation connected with the media telling lies on a daily basis.

I’m not saying that we should ignore international issues, heaven forbid. Only that we should be more aware of local issues. Take for instance the situation connected with regeneration and council services. Lets use Merseyside as an example. The Liverpool City Council is so incompetent and corrupt that the running of the council is like a scene from Monty Pythons Flying Circus. And the local parochial newspaper, the Liverpool Echo, tries to make the rest of the country believe that every thing in Liverpool and Merseyside is wonderful.

Why can’t the left understand that when they are involved in international issues all the time they are playing right into the hands of the powers that be in UK government. When the lefts mind is constantly preoccupied with international issues the easier it is for the right and the conniving moderates in the UK to perpetuate the miseries of the poor and the socially excluded. Surely it would be more beneficial if the left helped sort out what was happening in the UK, then they would be even better equipped to help in other countries. But what’s the use of trying to reason with the left. “YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE SPEAKING INTO THE WIND”!

Mike Lane
- e-mail: mickjlane@btinternet.com
- Homepage: www.whistleblower.nstemp.com

Comments

Hide the following 12 comments

Spot on.

01.08.2002 11:14


This point is spot on. I'm not an old-timer but with what little experience i have the conclusion i've come to is that most lefties are basically intellectuals, very often from a middle class background. They are more interested in ideas than people, and they are more interested in moralising, preaching, and heckling people who are unfortunate enough to think differently to them.

I think the other problem as well is that Lefties lack humility. There's an awful lot of arrogance on the Left, and because of this they think (although they'll never admit it) that most people, especially working class, are basically morons and sheep who need to be led to the promised land of Socialism/Anarchism, whatever. To put it bluntly, the Left in the UK (although i come from Wales) is crap.

Jim
mail e-mail: serengoch@hotmail.com


problem is ..

01.08.2002 11:50

...loads of people still believe in the "LEFT" and if you criticise their dream regime they start associatting you with the "RIGHT":Most of the ardent supporters of the left, that i know, are well off middle class types, i'm talking europe.
The ESF in Firenze in november will be hosted by the
so called left, who are in fact a bunch of fascists.
They only score any points at all cos the choice is between them and Berlusconi. I reckon that the sooner we drop the Left right blinkers the sooner we can get on with fighting the power. The ESF is just the next stage of the socialist sell out, they just need to sort out the pecking order, divide up the portions between the likes of ATTAC and the SWP, who's leaders will become the blairs and berlusconis of the future, if the pendulam swings to the left, either way it will make very little difference to the ordinary punters..

radical chicken


Local depends on your point of view

01.08.2002 12:12

But have you noticed that the same people who are, say, against Third World debt and war on Iraq, are usually also the same people who are active in local unions, political parties, schools, charities, churches etc, often keeping these institutions of social solidarity going.
As for local, well... local depends on your point of view.

Visitation


Pardon me!

01.08.2002 12:25

The left in Italy are a bunch of fascists? Where did I hear that one before? Oh, yes. When the CP in Germany was calling the SPD social-fascists while the real fascists were gaining power. Get real! The DS in Italy (assuming that's who you meant) are not particularly good or particularly 'left' for that matter. But they're hardly fascists! And if you're so worried about the ESF being dominated by such parties, why don't you get yourselves down to Florence in November and make sure you have a large enough number of people to influence the discussions?

D


4 D

01.08.2002 13:37

not wanting to het into an argument, but i didn't "hear" that the DS (democratic Sinistra) were a bunch of fascists.
I know from experience. check out the recent history of Tuscany, they, the left, have been in power since 1948, end of WW2. Check out how they run the region. check out the oldest bank in the world The banca dei monte di pasci di siena. Perhaps fascist is the wrong expression, Mafia would be more apt. either way they represent occult power, mafia,freemasons, corporate power....
they certianly don't look after the peoples interests..
This argument will come out big time, in the run up, and during the ESF::::

radical chicken


It makes me laugh so very much...

01.08.2002 15:01

These anarchists are such a laugh. 'Radical Chicken'(!)
First they never admit they are anarchists. Secondly anytime is a good time to slag off the SWP (yawn). And what's this? The ESF (no less) is now an SWP front aswell. Oh please. Crawl back into your hole and stay there.

Michael
mail e-mail: douglas111@hotmail.com


radical chicken

01.08.2002 16:24

Radical Chicken is epitomising brilliantly the orginal point made by the original poster.

Look at the way he's slagging everyone off.

Divide and rule, that's the way it works. We're playing into the hands of our opponents by being at eachother's throats so much. Sure we don't have to agree on everything but that doesn't mean that we need to be having slanging matches.

In particular, the anarchists like to disown everyone else by claiming that they're not even the left. Yeah you are. You're the radical libertarian left - it's still the bloody left, you're one of us whether you like it or not! ;-)

radical cow


..

01.08.2002 17:37

If you really believe that "trying to reason with the left is like speaking into the wind" then the solution is simple: piss off.

mantrastic


Not so radical

01.08.2002 19:41

"Radical Chicken"? - Quote "this argument will come up big time....." in the run up to and "during the ESF". Now, my radical friend, in whose interest do you suppose this would be? After all we are talking the EUROPEAN social Forum here, not the Tuscany social forum - attenders will come from all over Europe to discuss ways forward. What use will it serve if time and energy is spent in slagging the hosts?
I personally smell a big rat - check the similarity of Radical Chicken's diatribe to that of "awd roger" and friend on the Socialist Alliance Bulletin thread on Indymedia's newswire. To those who are tempted by the possibility of striking an ultra leftist pose would do well to look at some other history as well as that of Tuscany - (which may be as conspiratorial and dodgy as you want but should not be allowed to be used as a decoy for the disruption and smearing of an important international gathering.) They should look at the history of Stalin's "Third Period" mentioned by someone above and by someone in response to "awd roger" on the SA bulletin thread. Divide and Rule is as old as hierarchical power itself. It was used by the US ruling class against the radical currents that emerged in the sixties (Cointelpro)and I sense that intelligence agencies are playing similar games again. So before ranting on about finance/freemason conspiracies like some demented Poujadist you should think about whether you are being used yourself!

spooksniffer


spooked

01.08.2002 21:01

well you proved the point anyone who criticises the left is
off the right, or a spook.
but party time is over, common goals would be worth a try .
especially in Liverpool /Tuscany ..

awd chicken


Wot? Proved wot?

01.08.2002 22:04

It is one thing to "criticise", quite another to imply that it will be a good thing if an argument kicks off "big time" at an event that is supposed to be about what unites us, not what divides us. Plus I do not say chicken is a spook or a rightist, simply that the rant about freemasons and banking conspiracy *sounds* rightwing and that the strategy of divide and rule is used by intelligence services, hence chicken needs to think whether he/she is simply playing along at a game which someone else, not the left or even the ultra left is main beneficiary of. The original post makes some interesting points, but really, I have a problem with generalising about "the left" - which in Britain at least is a very varied species. And as for the authoritarian tendencies of the middle class (and how the middle class is defined or whether the term has any meaning beyond a tool of political polemic)- that is another argument completely.
Unity in Diversity ? ;)

Spooksniffer


I smell a rat

03.08.2002 19:11

They come spreading isms and schisms, yea-ay
like they want to divide and conquer

but they don't know about I and I searchlight
I and I BABYLON detector ....

(look there are few enough of us as it is
anyone who wastes time building up internecine strife
should just be ignored

Ras D