Anti-capitalists attended an anti-war Stop the War meeting in Chesterfield on Monday night - the SWP who control the local Stop the War had invited Paul Holmes MP the local Lib DEm MP and Councillor Paul Barry, the LAbour Mayor of Chesterfield, to speak from the platforem. Whilst the SWP were able to heckle and question Paul Holmes from the audience, when anti-capitalists dared to question the Labour Mayor about his membership of the pro-imperialist Labour Party goons from the SWP laid in to defend him, shouting "shut up" to those questioning this Labour crony.
Once again, the job of the SWP is to protect and defend Labour scum almost instinctively. Those of us fed up with the ongoing machinations of the Socialist Workers Party and their cynical exploitation of Stop the War - where membership recruitment and paper selling is everything - need to begin to get vocal, and propose imaginative and creative ideas to oppose the war effort. When it comes to direct action, the liberals in the SWP will only go so far as candlelit vigils and pointless pro-reformist activities.You will always see them pull away when the state is confronted or autonomous actions threaten the social order. The history of the SWP is well documented - the Schnews pamphlet on their control of Global Resistance being the latest in a number of libertarian critiques. Haven't we had enough of these social liberals, well-paid teachers and lecturers, friends of Labour, people who couldnt last five minutes down the Social - which many of us are used to. Liberals and defenders of Labour - out them and shame them. Let's take this struggle forward with real principled direct action against the war and against capitalism.