So recently I went to the Socialist Worker's Party initiative 'Marxism Festival', and was thus constantly canvassed by members of the SWP.
And I thought, well why don't I join? I'd put myself in the far left, I'm up for trade unionists immigrants and socialism. I'm pretty sure that there's more than a few problems with capatalism. I largely agree with everything that was said.
And for a while I could articulate what was wrong, aside from the blank stares I received from the kid hustling me to join as I answered his questions about my life and views. 'My dissertation? Oh, it was, er, salman rushdie...blah blah blah. I like the way he...erm, are you into this?'
No, he wasn't into it. He was into the socialist worker party, and getting me to join. And I know that this is how politics works, people talk to you, find out what you're looking for in a political party and try to convince you that they can provide it. it's a utilitarian situation. But the single-mindedness of the whole interaction strikes me as creepy. And the SWP mixer picnic - weird. I like my sandwiches free of over-my-head smarmy references to Trotsky.
But all of this is incidental, and doesn't make up the bulk of my reasons for not allying myself to the party. The eventual reasoning that formed itself from my initial discomfort is this: The belief in communism as the eventual end solution to the problems thrown up by capatalism and the perfect expression of a functional socialist society.
As a practical solution, the SWP is alienating. In terms of the left I will say you cannot fault it for diversity - it's not just for middle class students with too much time on thier hands and a head full of utopian images, as is often what lefty movements get branded with being. These people are old and young and from every walk of life, often with very direct experiences of being let down by the real world as it stands. But they have united under such a specific set of terms that it seems unlikely that they will ever influence mainstream society enough to bring everyone under thier banner. I may have this wrong, but the general impression I recieved was 'communism or bust'.
I think it's fair to say that people need to undergo change gradually, and for reasons that make sense to them. You cannot call for the dismantling of capatalism and expect a reaction from most people that isn't laden with an instinctive defensiveness and resistance. Every problem in society needs to be carefully and individually examined. If strict codes of ethics were enforced through social cues and norms in every area of life, which prioritised equality, community and support, we would end up with a society which reflected that.
The problem aspects of the system we currently have need to be isolated and individually dealt with, and if one of those aspects just so happens to be essential to capatalism as we currently define it, then so be it: down with capatalism. This change has to be slow, transparent and focus on aspects that make universal sense - socialism needs the popular and democratic support essential to progress.
As a practical solution, the SWP is alienating. In terms of the left I will say you cannot fault it for diversity - it's not just for middle class students with too much time on thier hands and a head full of utopian images, as is often what lefty movements get branded with being. These people are old and young and from every walk of life, often with very direct experiences of being let down by the real world as it stands. But they have united under such a specific set of terms that it seems unlikely that they will ever influence mainstream society enough to bring everyone under thier banner. I may have this wrong, but the general impression I recieved was 'communism or bust'.
I think it's fair to say that people need to undergo change gradually, and for reasons that make sense to them. You cannot call for the dismantling of capatalism and expect a reaction from most people that isn't laden with an instinctive defensiveness and resistance. Every problem in society needs to be carefully and individually examined. If strict codes of ethics were enforced through social cues and norms in every area of life, which prioritised equality, community and support, we would end up with a society which reflected that.
The problem aspects of the system we currently have need to be isolated and individually dealt with, and if one of those aspects just so happens to be essential to capatalism as we currently define it, then so be it: down with capatalism. This change has to be slow, transparent and focus on aspects that make universal sense - socialism needs the popular and democratic support essential to progress.
