Abandon hope, all ye who enter
Following the appearance of Iraqi Federation of Trade Unionists' London spokesman, Abdullah Muhsin, at the Labour Party conference, that bastion of reaction/last hope for the left (delete as applicable) Harry's Place have rejoiced in their usual sneers at the anti-war movement. Specifically, they criticise former Labour MEP Ken Coates for daring to question Muhsin's credentials. Coates reasonably points out that, despite the grandiose claims of the T&G's pet Blairite, Jack Dromey, Muhsin can no more claim to represent "200,000 Iraqi trade unionists" than, say, Allawi can claim to be head of a legitimate Iraqi government. Muhsin, of course, makes both claims, writing apologetics to the The Guardian on Allawi's behalf.
Naturally, finding an apparently bona-fide Iraqi trade unionist prepared to crawl before the occupation is a source of great delight to the pro-war "left": an Uncle Tom with a trade union badge must be an reassuring figure for these latter-day colonialists. As the (mostly) ex-Stalinists of the Iraqi Communist Party collude with the occupation, their (mostly) tame trade union organisation in tow, the (mostly) ex-Stalinists at Harry's Place can surely only conclude "socialism in one country" is but cruise missile away.
In a similar style of unregenerate wilful illiteracy, there is a peculiar reading of Socialist Workers' declaration that the millions marching against the war were drawn from the new working class in Britain. This leads Harry's Place to conclude a wild lurch to the right has occurred in the SWP, alongside the abandonment of basic marxism and the trendy redesign of Socialist Worker. All nonsense of the highest order: perhaps Harry's Place should follow another tabloid journalist's practice, and start reading International Socialism: John Rees' article on the reformation of the British working class - phrased in the best possible marxist fashion - may prove helpful. Alternatively, they could continue to deliberately misread unambiguous statements. The doublethink involved makes supporting imperialism so much the easier.
Naturally, finding an apparently bona-fide Iraqi trade unionist prepared to crawl before the occupation is a source of great delight to the pro-war "left": an Uncle Tom with a trade union badge must be an reassuring figure for these latter-day colonialists. As the (mostly) ex-Stalinists of the Iraqi Communist Party collude with the occupation, their (mostly) tame trade union organisation in tow, the (mostly) ex-Stalinists at Harry's Place can surely only conclude "socialism in one country" is but cruise missile away.
In a similar style of unregenerate wilful illiteracy, there is a peculiar reading of Socialist Workers' declaration that the millions marching against the war were drawn from the new working class in Britain. This leads Harry's Place to conclude a wild lurch to the right has occurred in the SWP, alongside the abandonment of basic marxism and the trendy redesign of Socialist Worker. All nonsense of the highest order: perhaps Harry's Place should follow another tabloid journalist's practice, and start reading International Socialism: John Rees' article on the reformation of the British working class - phrased in the best possible marxist fashion - may prove helpful. Alternatively, they could continue to deliberately misread unambiguous statements. The doublethink involved makes supporting imperialism so much the easier.
posted by Meaders at
1:34 pm
