Won’t Get Fooled Again or Imagine

Letter from a comrade

George Mackin

Is it just me - or have you felt angry this week? Enraged. Just under third of a million deprived of all benefits this year and worse to come, much worse. What planet are these people on? Tories: lower than vermin; add to the pile the unctuous and venal Liberals. Back to the workhouse, back to the soup kitchen. Targets to be met, after all it is only common sense. George Bush on the perils and joys of water-boarding; a royal wedding; red poppies; student tuition fees; and a certain criminal and less than civil case which shines a whole new light onto the phrase the personal is political.

Never mind I’m not in the Scottish Socialist Party any more. I have done my bit. Thirty years of that political stuff. What thanks do you get? Anyway some of the Left are just bonkers.: one party states and would be little Napoleons handing out truth on high in condescending three hour rants. Gerry Healey and… make your own list of snake oil salesman … Want to know the truth? Read this book. Look no further. The stories I could tell of people on the Left treating other people like feudal underlings.

Never has political quietism been so appealing. Rock Guitar anyone? Hurry up Harry come on, were going down the pub. Dah Dah Dah.

So why do I feel enraged? A soon to be fifty year old whose best days are over. Winter’s breath upon me, not much time left, best to enjoy every sandwich.

There is a big neo-liberal train that has been a rolling all my adult life, like the Terminator it never stops. It is inexorable and loathsome. Vote Labour? Nah! Just a slower train but the same direction and let’s not forget Jim Murphy. Set Scotland Free vote by voting tweedle dee SNP. Nah just a different flag ( mind you I do detest the Butcher’s Apron).

The Labour Party; The SNP; The SSP, I have been in all three. In fact let’s not forget Militant Tendency I was a supporter/ reader of that party/ tendency/paper many years ago.. Another story, comrade. World Prospectus 1981 anyone ? SWP: the non-thinking man’s millenarian cult. That’s the problem with Capitalism : too much choice.

Which party are you in now? Not a question but a sneer riddled with guilt None. None?

Yet out off all the groups left standing which party to I most identify with ? Easy: The SSP. I’m Pleased that the Greens won a seat in England, though. Political parties, not the battle but the echo of the battle as James Connolly used to say.

How do you feel about that? Not being in a political party? Great. Shite. Relieved, Bereft. Depressed. Happy. Bitter. Angry. Enraged. Sad, so sad, what a waste. numb so numb.

Mind you if you think some of the Left are bonkers you should see the SNP.? Another story, comrade.

Imagine or Won’t Get Fooled Again? Which sentiment suits me best?

A credible Left, a Republican Left, a non-patriarchal Left, a smash up the hated British State Left, a radical Left; not content to live within the confines of capitalist Left, a non-neo-Stalinist Left, a Green left, a non-sectarian Left, an anti-nuclear Left, a non-primate dominance in any form Left. A humanist and sceptical Left..

A big rock fell upon us. Devil and the deep blue sea or A rock and a hard place, call it what you like. Hard choices were made. Ken what I mean? No textbook for those difficult paths. Nobody comes out squeaky clean. There is no one to cast the first stones. But let us not to be too hard on ourselves or on others.: we all could have done things better. We forgive as best we can; we learn our lessons as best we can - we move on. We make history but not to our own making.

The struggle continues; we rebuild. Life is green but the truth is grey as they say and life goes on until the end. No consolation for us materialists. One life and one life only. Do we accept? Or do we act? Do we let people exercise power over us or do we challenge their authority?

A Time to rage; a time to grieve; a time for sadness; a time for hope; a time to regroup.;a time for praxical reflection; a time for optimism and pessimism; a time to talk.

Letter sent to West Lothian courier on Saturday's anti-cuts demo in Edinburgh

Last Saturday’s demonstration in Edinburgh against the welfare cuts announced by the coalition Government was a damning indictment against both Labour and SNP. Neither party had a meaningful presence at the demonstration since they both agree with the principle of the cuts differing only with their severity and speed of implementation.

However the Scottish Socialist Party had a significant presence with party members from all over the country in attendance. We organised a street stall with thousands of people signing our petition, taking party literature and talking to party members. The majority of people welcomed our alternative approach to the impending cuts.

As witnessed on Saturday the people of Scotland are opposed to these draconian cuts and the Scottish Socialist Party will be at the forefront of the campaign promoting our Socialist alternative for the people of Scotland.


MORE PHOTOS FROM THE DEMO. 

FIGHT THE CUTS

Fight the Cuts ! Demonstrate in Edinburgh, Saturday October 23rd!!

Called by the Scottish Trades 

Union Congress

11.00 am: Assemble East Market 

Street Edinburgh

11.30am: March off

                                             12.30 pm: Rally Ross Bandstand

POLLING DAY IS HERE!!!!

Time To Really Vote For Change.
Vote Scottish Socialist Party!!!  

Today the 6th of May 2010, sees the British public take to the polls to decided on who runs our next government. We at the Scottish Socialist Party have 10 candidates in various seats around Scotland.
Whilst the media talks about the 3 main parties and the 3 main parties all talk of change. But a vote for these parties is not real change it's still the same. If one thing the prime ministerial debates showed us was that there is very little difference or variety of choice by voting for the any of the big 3 or even SNP who will quite happily jump into bed with any of the potential prime ministers.

We at the Scottish Socialist Party represent Real Change.
We represent the real alternative option to the mainstream capitialist parties. We are a party that promotes a real fairer future. We are the only party commited to bringing a Free Scottish Socialist Republic.

11 point plan from the Scottish Socialist Party

• We want Scotland's wealth shared out equally
• The rich will pay higher taxes
• Our public services, including oil, fuel and transport, will be publicly owned
• Our minimum wage right now would be £8 an hour
• Wages, benefits and pensions will rise by £50 a week, across the board
• All school children will receive free school meals
• Women will get equal pay for equal work
• Young people will get the same national minimum wage as everyone else.
• The abolition of nuclear arms in Scotland and the continued campaign for the worldwide abolition of nuclear arms.
• The council tax will be scrapped in favour of a local tax where the rich pay their fair share
• Free public transport will be brought in to ease congestion, pollution and global warming
• Our troops will be brought home from the killing fields of Iraq and Afghanistan.

We are the only party to have constantly campaigned against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We
 are the party that will NOT only abolish the £100 billion Trident nuclear system but we would continue to campaign against Weapons of Mass Destruction on an international level. We are the only party that opposes all publice sector cuts. We are a party that will support a fairer and cleaner political system based on real proportional representation in which politicians will take a workers salary and we will continue to campaign on these issues. To be the real voice of change in Scotland, on this day the 6th of May we ask you, when it comes time to vote. Vote for a party that will give us a true champion voice for Scotland in Westminster. A party that is on the street listening to the needs of the Scottish people.
This 6th of May vote SSP.  Check Out All SSP candidates here

Ally Hendry on televised leaders debate.

Reflections on the Party Leaders’ Debate on domestic policy

The most striking impression I got from the Party Leaders’ Debate was how similar the so-called ‘major parties’ are when it comes to economic policy. They all agree that there will have to be deep cuts in government spending as a result of the economic recession which will severely affect public services. However, during the debate all three leaders sought to disguise what is in store for families the length and breadth of Britain by putting forward schemes that will supposedly shield the public from hardships.

We in the SSP, unlike the ‘major parties’, maintain that the general public do not have to bear the brunt for an economic recession which was none of their making. There are alternatives to the cuts that would in fact mean an increase in public spending to improve public services and create jobs. These include:

• Taking control of the UK banks assets and capital, estimated to be in the region of £5 trillion and £560 billion respectively.
• Taxing the rich by for example imposing a 90% tax rate on income over £100,000.
• Raising corporation tax which has been cut by successive governments from 45% to 28%. A doubling of corporation tax would yield about £45 billion annually
• Reducing defence spending by withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and scrapping nuclear weapons would save over £30 billion every year.