Blairism foreseen 50 years ago ! (text)
so what ? | 28.08.2002 13:53
A while ago I found a text written in 1957, which seems to confirm the notion of Blairism as inherent in Labourism. For this reason, it remains relevant and needs to be considered. I tried to post it a couple of times without success, which I hope was NOT as the result of the IMC and any Labour sympathies they may personally hold...
Written in 1957 by Dr Tunje Otegbeye, a Marxist from Nigeria, the article is reprinted in his autobiography "Decade of Turbulence", dealing primarily with Nigeria in the 1960s.
As a student in London at the time, Dr Otegbeye writes:
"My political stand was reflected in an article titled "Bevanism on Trial, written as a funeral tribute to the great man, Aneurin Bevan. The article ran as follows...
The right wing of the Labour party , an offshoot of intellectuals who embraced or appeared to embrace socialism, but who at heart were liberal- conservatives, got hold of the trade union movement which by then had received recognition from the power that be. This group of right- wing socialist, who lacked the background of the working masses...
their new quest today [is] to acquire wealth by virtue of their priveleged positions. Little surprise then, that today we have in the Labour movement people who are opposed to nationalization of industry, and who will kick against effective socialist measures... this new breed of gentlemen emulate the exalted positions of the gentery...
The right wing of the Labour party were able to keep control of the party machinery. There seems to be little doubt that now the shepherd has died [ie, Bevan], the sheep will fall prey to the wolves- the conservatives and right- wing socialists. Political ideology will cease to exist in practical politics. The difference between the Labouyr party and the Conservative party will narrow down> The Labour party may find it difficult to forge any separate personality and may in effect become the shadow of the liberal conservatives..."
That, to remind you, was written in 1957, not 1997. It seems to settle the debate about from whence came Blairism, for very few ideologies reside in one personality alone. I personally have thought the rot set in in the 1980s with Kinnock, and others note the similarities between now the last Labour regime of the late 1970s (breaking strikes, rubbish in the street, in league with the IMF &c &c.. But it now seems incontrovertible that Blairism appeared from the Labour party itself, being there long ago. Sorry, you Labour supporters out there, but time to 'leave home' as it were.
As a student in London at the time, Dr Otegbeye writes:
"My political stand was reflected in an article titled "Bevanism on Trial, written as a funeral tribute to the great man, Aneurin Bevan. The article ran as follows...
The right wing of the Labour party , an offshoot of intellectuals who embraced or appeared to embrace socialism, but who at heart were liberal- conservatives, got hold of the trade union movement which by then had received recognition from the power that be. This group of right- wing socialist, who lacked the background of the working masses...
their new quest today [is] to acquire wealth by virtue of their priveleged positions. Little surprise then, that today we have in the Labour movement people who are opposed to nationalization of industry, and who will kick against effective socialist measures... this new breed of gentlemen emulate the exalted positions of the gentery...
The right wing of the Labour party were able to keep control of the party machinery. There seems to be little doubt that now the shepherd has died [ie, Bevan], the sheep will fall prey to the wolves- the conservatives and right- wing socialists. Political ideology will cease to exist in practical politics. The difference between the Labouyr party and the Conservative party will narrow down> The Labour party may find it difficult to forge any separate personality and may in effect become the shadow of the liberal conservatives..."
That, to remind you, was written in 1957, not 1997. It seems to settle the debate about from whence came Blairism, for very few ideologies reside in one personality alone. I personally have thought the rot set in in the 1980s with Kinnock, and others note the similarities between now the last Labour regime of the late 1970s (breaking strikes, rubbish in the street, in league with the IMF &c &c.. But it now seems incontrovertible that Blairism appeared from the Labour party itself, being there long ago. Sorry, you Labour supporters out there, but time to 'leave home' as it were.
so what ?
Comments
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good post
28.08.2002 15:26
delta-girl
Too right
28.08.2002 22:32
Robert Clough shows in Labour: a party fit for imperialism that these politics go right back to the roots of the party in the last part of the 19th Century and first part of the 20th.
However most of the left have long ignored this and tried to make out that Labour is, or was a workers' party.
'For a view of the Labour Party outside its red rose and double-breasted suit image, this is a valuable work.'
John Pilger
This is the untold story of the Labour Party; how it used the RAF to defend the British Empire against the Kurdish and Indian people; approved the use of battleships against the Chinese people to maintain the gains of the Opium Wars; used headhunters against Malayan freedom fighters; and later on tortured and interned Irish Nationalists
It is the story of its racism: its descriptions of Africans as 'non-adult people'; its decades of connivance with South African apartheid; its continuous support for immigration controls.
It is the story of a left wing which was part of this corruption, and which constantly sanctioned such terror, because it saw its membership of the Labour Party as of far greater importance than the fate of millions suffering the iron heel of Labour imperialism.
It is the story of a Party, which, representing a small, privileged section of the working class, has constantly betrayed the interests of the mass of the working class: unemployed workers, black, Asian and Irish people, all those engaged in a struggle against the British state.
It is the story of a Party which has made a mockery of the words 'freedom', 'democracy' and 'socialism'.
Ed
Homepage:
http://www.revolutionarycommunist.com
Thanks for comments
30.08.2002 12:42
To Delta-Girl: I cant honestly say I had ever heard of Dr Otegbeye until a month ago, when I chanced on his autobiography printed by a Nigerian small publisher, in a junk- shop for 10p. "Decade of Turbulence", to repeat the title). I feel unable to give a full review of the book or his complete political position just yet, but it seems he was a famous socialist campaigner in Nigeria in the 1960s.
Long Live Karl Marx!
The Struggle Continues
original 'poster'