Socialist Standard October 2010

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1SocialistStandard October 2010

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2 SocialistStandard October 2010

SubScription orderSshould be sent to The Socialist Party, 52Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN.rateSOne year subscription (normal rate) 15One year subscription (low/unwaged) 10Europe rate 20 (Air mail)Rest of world 25 (Air mail)

Voluntary supporters subscription 20 or more.Cheques payable to t Ss p G b.

the SocialiSt party of

Great britain

The next meeting of the Executive Committeewill be on S 6 nvmat the addressbelow. Correspondence should be sent tothe General Secretary. All articles, lettersand notices should be sent to the editorialcommittee at: The Socialist Party, 52 Clapham

High street, London SW4 7UN.: 020 7622 3811

-m: [email protected]

october 2010

3 e

4 ps

Quantum Socialism

6 M WThe Lesser Evil

8 ps tg

8 c ds

9 t ts

9 ckg bks 1Capitalism and the LabourParty

19 ckg bks 2Defending capitalism

20 rvwsCrack Capitalism; PLAN B

4.0; Africas Liberation

22 Mgs

22 50 ys agTelegram to BritishAssociation

23 Gs pMarshmallows

24 V m bk

24 f l

contents

website: www.worldsocialism.org

reGularSfeatureS

t nw Gdp: Gs, ds piiGSWe examine the state of what is euphemistically known asthe public nances.

p sCapitalism is an insane system which cannot be made fairby reform or regulation.

as!Flying saucers? Alien abductions? We publish an articlethat may nally settle such mysteries.

bg S l tk?Camerons Vision Thing is too obvious to fool anybody.

socialist standard

22

13

10

13

16

18

10

i x ms ss:

Measuring World Poverty

Housing

Slums Disability

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The Socialist Party is like no otherpolitical party in Britain. It is made upof people who have joined togetherbecause we want to get rid of the protsystem and establish real socialism. Ouraim is to persuade others to becomesocialist and act for themselves,organising democratically and withoutleaders, to bring about the kind ofsociety that we are advocating in this

journal. We are solely concerned withbuilding a movement of socialists forsocialism. We are not a reformist partywith a programme of policies to patchup capitalism.

We use every possible opportunityto make new socialists. We publishpamphlets and books, as well as CDs,DVDs and various other informativematerial. We also give talks and take partin debates; attend rallies, meetings anddemos; run educational conferences;host internet discussion forums, make

lms presenting our ideas, and contestelections when practical. Socialistliterature is available in Arabic, Bengali,Dutch, Esperanto, French, German,Italian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish andTurkish as well as English.

The more of you who join the SocialistParty the more we will be able to getour ideas across, the more experienceswe will be able to draw on and greaterwill be the new ideas for building themovement which you will be able tobring us.

The Socialist Party is an organisationof equals. There is no leader and there

are no followers. So, if you are goingto join we want you to be sure that youagree fully with what we stand for andthat we are satised that you understandthe case for socialism.

ig

The Socialist Party

Editorial

Are we bgiig t s th dshts f cy i th class stug-gl? It ctaily sms that ay. Thaual cfc f th Tads UiCgss (TUC), hld i mid-Sptm-b, appd mtis callig f itidustial acti, ad ui lads

ha pmisd stt ptsts ada campaig f ciil disbdic tpps plad gmt spd-ig cuts. T-day stiks LdsTub tk ha alady takplac. Ad as th TUC mt, th It-atial Mtay Fud (IMF) adthat Amica ad eup fac thst bs cisis sic th 1930s ada xplsi f scial ust ulssgmts tad cafully.Ths ay f pdictig ith

ay cdc hth this xpctdxplsi ill g ff, tu ut t ba damp squib it all dpds hatmillis f ppl thik ad dcidt d. But th cc th pat fu bsss ad uls is al ugh.Th uis tday may mai ak:mmbship has dclid fm 13 mil-li i th aly 1980s t ust halfthat tday, accdig t th Economist,ad mmbship is cctatd i thpublic sct (57 pct f public-sc-t ks a uiisd cmpadith ust 15 pct i th piat).But, as th Economistpits ut, u-is mai a imptat scial m-mt. Its s milli mmbs a a

bigg fc tha, say, th fu millih attd chuch at last c amth. Alg ith th cctati ffcs i th public sct, this mas

uis ca still caus chas ataspt stik pts th k-s gttig t k, f xampl, ad atachs stik sds millis f pa-ts hm t lk aft thi child.Th Economistccluds fm this thatth is a ital d t kp th gal

public sid i ay cict thyma (as if its bius) th sid fbusiss ad its gmt.

Ad thats th mdias b t aga ppagada a t mak su y-s sid, Th tagdy is that thiicty sms assud bf th ais bgu. why? Bcaus alta-tis t th systm that gt us it thismss a simply uthikabl. e thmst adical f th tad uiists, adlftig cmmtay gally, did lit-tl but ff fms that th ppaga-dists ill ha tubl ptayigas ualistic. If yu accpt th lgic fcapitalism, yu play by its uls adby its uls, saag gmt spd-ig cuts a ust cssay ad ii-tabl. By its uls, t ght agaist cutsad f high ags is as sslss astyig t shak fuit fm a dad t.withut a dct ati-capitalist agu-mt, ad a ida f hat a f, lst bf bgu.

Thats hy scialism is s imptat.Ys, it is, as a ft tld, a icida. But h it taks hld f k-s, it culd bcm much m thathat. It culd bcm th ftilis

d if th d shts f cy agig t tak t, thi ad blssmi a ld byd capitalism, a ldt f humaity.

Red shoots

Oct 2010 Std BDH.indd 3 24/09/2010 09:04


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everY joUrnALIST hack ad idd spap buyks that if yu put sx th c pag yu td tsll m cpis. Scic magazis ad Tv pgammsappa t ha a simila tick ith th d quatum.

Psumably this is bcaus ads udstad as littlabut th as thy d abut th th, ad saliat ia palia x at ay fals pmis f lightmt.

Sic thig i physics is sxi tha th sach fa quatum gaity thy hich might udpi aduit th t gat ach-mis, latiity ad quatummchaics, ay bk hich claims sm isight itth subct ill b isily pmtd by publish admdia alik. Ad all th m s if pducd by StphHakig, th physicist that th UK public haactually had f.

Hakig is alady famusly qutd fm his bkThe Grand Designas cmig utagaist th Gd-squad: It is tcssay t ik Gd t light

th blu tuch pap ad st th uisgig. All ll ad gd, but ads f his ali,suppsdly ppulist k A Brief History of Time(1988) ill k its pbably cssay t ika squad f ctitius supatual itllctsi d t th ay light Hakig. Cal Saga richadDakis h ait.

M-thy is th thy f ythig.It xplais h th uis as catd ut fthig i th Big Bag, ad h it bhas ,Stph tlls us i a ct nsight iti,as if th matt has b satisfactily sld,addig that M-thy is th uid thy eisti as

hpig t d. A asabl i might cclud fmthis that M-thy has actually b fud ad that itsquatis ally d sl th fudamtal pblms fphysics. This h uld b placig th tuth f thmatt it sm quatum suppsiti i th lthdimsi. I fact, as thtical physicist ad icclast

L Smli pitd ut i hisbk The Trouble With Physics(2006), M-thy is a ctitiuslabl t dscib a thy hichds t yt ad may xistad f hich idc is almstcmpltly lackig. It is t a

thy, it is mly a statmtf itt. M ds t stadf aythig, althugh Hakigsuggsts it culd stad f mast,miacl mysty. It culd ust as

ll stad f mumb-umb.Th pblm ith stig this,

hs mutual disagmtsM-thy uld d t sl,is that thy pst us ith auattacti chic bt

th fudamtally ukabl ad th fudamtallyicmphsibl. Th ly ay t ti up all th lsstigy ds it a at packag that ca xplai allths myiad ayig paticls ith xtic ams is a

fmula that dst ust accut f u uis butals 10500 th uiss t (this is a 1 ith ughly thispaagaphs th f zs aft it, sm 410 ds fmagitud m tha th umb f atms i th kuis). Big askd t bli that th a iddthis may uiss xistig i paalll, 48 quadzilli fthm pssibly hidig ud f yu tails, ds td much t ispi cdc. Mst mal ppl uldsuggst that such a thy is thy at all, but thphaps mal ppl dt g it physics.

Still, mayb missig a maktig pptuityh. w culd labl scialism as M-thy, f Max

Matialist, ad iclud u uctaity picipl ust f ths

citics h thik smat-alc

faatics h qustiu idas. Aft all,

said kythig. Ad uldtQuatum Scialism lk

gd th c?Th is als a

M-thy icmics, hichis mtaism, th

ppsit f K-thy.I th , as a sig

, yu gid th p ad cut sics tgt ut f dpssi. I th th, yu idulg

i a Kysia gy f spdig t gt ut f dpssi.Sic bth tid simultausly duig th raga

Thatch yas ad ith kd, scialists td tbackt thm bth ud th gad uid thy kas B-thy. This, i cas yu dig, is amdaft a gtlmas psal appdags.

dwks

WAS THERE a deliberate irony behind the Guardiansdecision to entitle an interview with four prominentscientists, including Richard Dawkins, as Gods of Science(11 September)? If there was any embarrassment onDawkins part he didnt mention it. When asked who his own

favourite living scientic hero was he chivalrously cited hisco-interviewee David Attenborough. Brian Cox, formerly

pop star, now an engaging TV presenter and photogenicprofessor who presents entry-level astronomy to people whoarent sure which revolves around what, would probably byhis own admission not quite qualify as a God. He cited hisco-interviewee Stephen Hawking as his hero. Meanwhile,avoiding any such yuk-factor, Attenborough cited RichardFeynman, whose many sterling attributes do not include being

alive. Hawking grumpily refused to cite anyone at all. Maybenext well get a tour round their kitchens in Hello magazine.Celebrity chemist, anyone?

Oct 2010 Std BDH.indd 4 24/09/2010 09:04


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The World Socialist Movement, made up at the moment ofactive parties in Britain, the US, Canada and New Zealand,has a website at:

www.wssm.g

These parties have their own website which can beaccessed through here or directly:

www.wssm.g/sg

www.wss.gwww.wssm.g/

www.wssm.g/z

The WSM also runs an open discussion forum, to whichanybody, socialist or not, can contribute as long as theyrespect the rules. It has contributors from all over the world:

://.gs..m/g/WSM_fm

The SPGB has its own blog at:

://ssmmk.gs.m/Some branches have their own blogs. For instance the

Scottish branches here:

://ss-.gs.m/

Members have set up MySpace and Facebook pages:

www.ms.m/sss

www.ms.m/ssg

www.ms.m/wssm

www.ms.m/ss

SpGb - www.k.m/g.?v=w&g=

89558217699World Socialist Movement -

://www.k.m/g.?v=w&g=8

9558217699#!/g.?g=4940054730&=sWorld Socialist Party U.S. -

://www.k.m/g.?v=w&g

=89558217699#!/gs/W-Ss-p-

uS/122169628813

Socialist Party of Canada -

://www.k.m/g.?v=w&g=8

9558217699#!/g.?g=2379710336&=s

Some individual members have set up their own blogsor websites. We wont list them all as some have proved tobe ephemeral or are not kept up, but heres a few. As willbe seen, as bets a diary (of which blogs are a variety) theblogs can also contain material about the bloggers musicalpreferences or the sporting team they support:

://msm.gs.m

://msss.gs.mwww..g.k

WSM material is also available on other sites. Past articlesby three SPGB members can be found on Marxists InternetArchive:

://www.mxss.g/v/zg/x.

m

://www.mxss.g/v/s/x.

m

://www.mxss.g/v/

w/x.m

This French site has articles from ourpublications in various languages (not

just French):

://ss.

wss.m/msssm-

g-sx

A 50-minute video Capitalism andKids Stuff can be found here:

://ss-v.gs.

m/2008/02/sm---ks-s.mVideos of meetings can be found on You Tube but

accessed through here:

www.wssm.g/sg/v.mAudio recordings of meetings and debates, some going

back to the 1970s and 1980s, can be found at

www.wssm.g/sg/.mand on the experimental site at

www..g.k/wsmmOther language sites are:French:

://ssm-m.gs.mand

www.k.m/gs/Ssm-m/

54629267263?=mItalian:

://ssm-m.gs.mand

www.ms.m/ssmmSpanish:

://ms-msm.gs.mand

://s.gs..m/g/

mvmssmGerman:

www.wgg.gs.mSwedish: The Swedish section of the Marxist InternetArchive is in the process of publishing all the issues of themagazine and pamphlets published by the Swedish WSMgroup there in the 1970s and 1980s:

www.mxss.g/svsk/sk/vs/x.m

www.mxss.g/svsk/sk/vs/x.mMore articles in French can be found on the SPC site at

://www.wssm.g//.

mAnd in Spanish on the WSPUS site at

www.s.wss.g/The WSM site has articles in these and other, European

and Asian, languages at

://www.wssm.g/g.

SocialistStandard October 2010

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USA: Supporting the

Lesser Evil

MAnY AnTI-CAPITALIST psalitis ug ppl tsuppt f th t mai capitalist patis, th Dm-cats, th guds that thy a a lss il cm-pad ith th rpublicas. o xampl is lm mak

Michal M (s Mach issu, p. 10). Ath is PaulStt, h has itt t usful xpss f obama Barack Obama and the Future of American Politics(2009)ad The Empires New Clothes: Barack Obama in the RealWorld of Power(2010) (bth fm Paadigm Publishs).Althugh Stt calls himslf a libtaia scialist, hcampaigd f Dmcatic psidtial cadidat jhedads.

What they say versuswhat they doH much lss il, th, athDmcats?A mistak that ts ft mak, spcially duig

lcti campaigs, is t cmpa hat th rpublicassayad doith hat th Dmcats say. Th lat

cmpais is ith hat th Dmcats do. Th tubl isthat h th Dmcats ha b ut f fc f a fyas mst ts lg mmb hat thy d. Butths familia ith th cd f th Clit admiista-ti i th 1990s, f istac, ith obamas cdas a cgssma, might ha ticd that bt hatth Dmcats say ad hat thy d yas a chasm

id tha th Gad Cay.I stump spchs i th mid-wst, cadidat obama

thudd agaist gial cmpais such as Maytagad exl. Ad yt ths sam cmpais, ustiablycdt that h uld d thig t ham thi it-sts, mad lag acial ctibutis t his campaig.Spakig bf audics f ks, obama uldduc Maytags dcisi i 2004 t cls th fig-

at plat i Galsbug, Illiis, tailig th lss f1,600 bs t Mxic. But h aisd th issu ithMaytag dicts Hy ad Lst C, thughh yd a spcial latiship ith thm.

Differences that make no differenceMay f th diffcs bt Bush ad obama (

bt McCai ad obama) mak diffc. o ylittl.

obama iitially ppsd Bushs militay itti iIaq hastig t add that h as t agaist all

as, Gd fbid, but ly agaist dumb s.Bf laig fc, Bush iitiatd a gadualad patial ithdaal f tps fm Iaq.obama is pusuig th sam cus, bakig

a ali pmis f apid ad cmplt ith-daal.

Bush as hadig tad aith Ia. obama is t. Pb-ably. Hpfully. Tu, h didback ff fm his pmis tmt ith Iaia lads.Cmmtat St Clmsifms us that hil tha idiiduals i th obamaadmiistati h aitig ith th pssibilityf militay acti agaistIa, thy a f iumb tha xistd ith Bush admiistati(The Hufngton Post, july 23,2010). Hs that f assuac?

At last th smd, bf th lcti, t b a cla-cut diffc th issu f ffsh il. H mayppl must ha td f obama i hid spst th xultat cy f jh McCai ad Saah Pali:

Drill, baby, drill! But i Mach 2010 obama bk hiscampaig pldg ad ga th g-ahad t ffsh pa-tis. Th xt mth a il ig xpldd i th Gulf fMxic. Ath ig caught i Sptmb.

obama tad ui suppt by pmisig a la t facilitat ui gaizig th emply FChic Act. H als said h uld gtiat th nthAmica F Tad Agmt t iclud stglabu ad imtal ptctis. w ha hadthig m f ths thigs. obama, a tld, dst at t lk p-labu.

Ad s th sad litay ctius.

A political cycle

I d t ma t dy that i sm ays i smsituatis it mayb btt t ha a Dmcat aththa a rpublica i th whit Hus. F istac, istit thhil ust t duc, if t limiat, thpbability f a attack Ia?

F th sak f agumt, lt us supps that th Dm-cats area sigicatly lss il. I that cas, hlpigthm it fc ds ad ff a gat il. But ly ith sht tm. F c i fc, Dmcats cm udisistibl pssu fm thi capitalist masts t bakthi ppulist pmiss, t disappit, disillusi adbtay th kig ppl h placd thi tust adhp i thm. Sm sik back it apathy ad dspai,

hil ths fall py t a acist fascist backlash. Thsactis gi th rpublicas thi chac t tu.

This is a cgizabl plitical cycl. w ha bthugh it bf. o ad agai. nt ly i thUitd Stats but (ith aiatis f dtail) i may thcutis. Ths h suppt th lss il play asstial l i cstatly pducig th cycl. Thysha th spsibility f its psistc. Suppt fth lss il als tails suppt idict ad dlayd,but suppt thlss f th gat il.

The difference that mattersF us as athligs, th diffc that matts isthat bt scialism ad capitalism. will c-tiu u pst cus t th isibl d-stucti f u hm ld? o ill mak thfudamtal chag dd t gi us a dct

chac f suial?Fm this pspcti, th diffcs bt

gat ad lss ils d t matt. Sm capi-talist pliticias a ttally subsit t th

il, gas, ad cal cpatisad cklssly bliius t thlmig dag. I thi hads

a dmd. oth capital-ist pliticias a a littl lsssubsit, sh a limitdaass f th situati, adty t d smthig t mitigat it.Smthig, but much lss thais abslutly sstial. I thihads a still dmd.

Pass fail. Th lss il issimply t gd ugh.STEFAN

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A 30-page pamphlet written by socialists living in Africa consisting mainlyof reprints from the Socialist Standard. Marxs materialist conception ofhistory and analysis of society is applied to subjects such as tribalism,religion, race and class, colonialism and capitalism, Sharia Law in Nigeria.

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A series of articles drawn from the Socialist Standardexplaining the realnature of modern economic problems and the failure of conventionaleconomics to solve them.

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A classic reprint of a text defending the materialist conception of history. Indoing so it explains the Socialist opposition to religion.

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A lively document of a series of ve talks given by the members of theSocialist Party as a part of a weekend seminar in 1998. Titles are asfollows: 1) Who the hell was Karl Marx? 2) Was Marx a Leninist? 3) Thefetishism of commodities 4) Has the modern market superseded Marxisteconomics? 5) Is the Socialist Party Marxist?

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Some women who were raped at

the USs Abu Ghraib prison facility inIraq were later honor killed by theirfamilies, says a Jordanian reporter whowrites on womens issues. In AbuGhraib, women were tortured by theAmericans much more than the men,Lima Nabil told The Independent. Onewoman said she witnessed ve girlsbeing raped. Most of the women in theprison were raped some of them leftprison pregnant. Families killed some ofthese women because of the shame.Nabil, who has reported extensivelyon the status of women in the Arabworld and runs a home for runaway

girls, made the comments to renownedforeign correspondent Robert Fisk inan article on honor killings in Jordan.Nabil did not expand on her commentsin the article. Fisk reported that avery accurate source in Washingtonin close contact with military personnelhas conrmed terrible stories of gangrape by US forces at the now-notoriousprison:

://.m/366x2

Former CIA agents have conrmedfor the rst time that the agencytortured prisoners at a black sitedetention center in north-eastern

Poland at the height

of the war on terror.According to theAssociated Press, aformer CIA agent identied only asAlbert tortured the terror suspect Abdal-Rahim al-Nashiri multiple times withan electric drill at the converted StareKiejkuty military base near Szymany inthe Masuria region of Poland:

://.m/396s

The new saddle seat, to be unveiledat a conference this week, increasesthe number of seats an airline can

have in its economy class. Shapedsimilar to a horse saddle, passengerssit at an angle, with their weight takenon by their legs. It allows seats to beoverlapped. The seats would alsooffer storage space including a shelffor carry-on bags and hooks to hanga jacket or a handbag...The makerssay the seat would allow budgetairlines, such as Ryanair, to cram morepassengers into their tight cabins:

://.m/35gjj

Ryanairs Michael OLeary hasfor years endured complaints frompassengers about his famously

no-frills Irish airline. Now a seniorRyanair pilot has taken the rare stepof publicly challenging his boss afterthe outspoken chief executive said hewas trying to convince authorities tolet his aircraft y with only one pilot.A ight attendant could do the job ofa co-pilot if needed, Mr OLeary saidlast week, because the computerdoes most of the ying now. CaptainMorgan Fischer, who trains other pilotsat Ryanairs Marseilles base, sayshe knows the airline is dedicated to

keeping its costs as low as possible, sowhy not go one better and replace MrOLeary with a junior ight attendant?I would propose that Ryanair replacethe CEO with a probationary cabincrew member currently earningapproximately 13,200 net per annum,Capt Fischer has written in a letter tothe Financial Times, which reportedMr OLearys comments last week.Ryanair would benet by savingmillions of euros in salary, benets andstock options, the captain said, andthere would be no need for approvalfrom the authorities.

://.m/34q38

csm l p

ILL MAKe capitalism k f th ppl, pmisded Milibad i his bid t bcm Labu lad(Observer, 29 August). H xplaid:

Bitais big qusti f th xt dcad is hth had tads a icasigly US-styl capitalism m uqual, m butish, m uust hth ca build a difft mdl a capitalism that ksf ppl ad t th th ay ud.

Appatly, i 2008, a cssus xistd that shuld udstad th lsss f th acialcisis, t ust abut gulati, but abut th kid fcapitalism dd t build.

w had this bf. Th Labu Paty has alaystid t mak capitalism k f th ppl but, ytim that it has b i fc, it has faild misably.what is is that piusly Labu lads admittd that this as hat thy tyig t d. Thysaid thy tyig t gadually fm capitalism ut

f xistc, t buildig a kid f capitalism.Still, a p cgiti f hat thy a tyig t d

ca ly hlp claify thigs. It is, h, idicati fh fa Labu has chagd that ed Milibad as thcadidat supptd by th Lft i th paty. e thyha bught it th ida that th is altati tcapitalism, ly a chic abut hat st f capitalism,ad dppd th ati-capitalist htic.

eds bth Daid, th cadidat supptd by thright, dclad that his Labu h as AthyCslad (New Statesman, 30 August). H as th

Fabia Scity Labuit h agud that capitalism lg xistd. which might xplai hy Daid

Milibad, ad Blai ad B bf him, fus t usth c-d.Th as Labu ad idd th Tis h als

talk f a ppls capitalism fail t mak capitalismk f th ppl is that this is a impssibl missi.Capitalism ust cat b mad t k i th itst

f all. It is a pt-makig systm that ca ly k assuch, i th itst f ths h li ff pts ad tth dtimt f ths h li ff ags ad salais, i th absc f ths, stat had-uts.Th diig fc f capitalism is th accumulati

f capital ut f pts. wh this sls d, as atpst, th is a cisis. S, gmts must t daythig that might discuag th makig f ptst accumulat as capital; i fact, if it ast thiigial itti (as phaps, giig thm th btf th dubt, it ast ith sm Labu gmts),thy ha t d up dig all thy ca t cuagthis.

Iitably, this bigs thm it cict ith th agad salay kig class hs labu is th suc

f pts, impsig ag stait ad/ austity thm. This is t bcaus th gmts mmbsa asty icmptt cupt, but bcausthis is h thy a fcd t act by itu f bigth gmt i th ctxt f capitalism. Thy failbcaus thy cat act i ay th ay.

Istad f Labu gadually chagig capitalism itsmthig ls, th xpic f uig capitalismchagd th Labu Paty t th xtt that tday yua lablld a lft-ig if yu ust mti th dcapitalism, t suppt it.

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th makt (s Bond Licence to aKilling).

Such makt gyatis i gilt picsad yilds as dtmid by capitalistists daily ill iuc th ayad cst at hich a gmt cab by issuig gilts, ithshifts i yilds big cucial. Bcausists may b tyig thi my

up f lg pids it is mal fth yild lg-tm bds t bgally high tha f sht-tm bds t. H, pidsf acial uctaity ad liklycssi usually lad t itstats big tmpaily high fshts tha f lgs as ists dt at t ti thi my up fxtdd pids. This lads t hatis calld a itd yild cu,

ith high sht-tm itst atsi th cmy tha lg-tm ats,as happd f a tim at th stat fth cdit cuch (th yild cu isth lati bt itst ats,

i.. th cst f big, ad thtim matuity f dbt).Ths -chagig makt

itst ats at hich gmtsha t issu gilts i d t acthi bigs is f biuscc t thm. But th matuity fth bds is a sigicat issu t.

PIIGS at the troughI th last f mths a

acym has ais i th acialpss ctig th tims. Istadf th talk big f th fast-gigmgig makt BrIC cutis fBazil, russia, Idia ad Chia,

ha th PIIGS istad. Ths acutis that ha b dmd byth itatial bd makts tha issus gadig th amutad/ atu f th gmtdbt thy ha utstadig, thuftuat acym stadig fPtugal, Italy, Ilad, Gc adSpai. Th mst sius situati, accmpaid by massigmt spdig cuts adits th stts, has b thatcutd by Gc, hich hasimplmtd austity masus faud 30 billi us i tu f

a 110 billi u scu packagfm th eU.Itstigly, Gcs aual

budgt dcit its aualxpditu its aual u is pctd t amut t abut 8 pct f GDP this ya, actually lsstha th USs 11 p ct (FinancialTimes, 23 ju). Ad its ttalaccumulatd atial dbt built up tim is, at aud 110 p ctf yas GDP, a lt lss tha

japas at 190 p ct f GDP. Thpblm, h, ith Gc hasb that much f its dbt as du tb tid i th xt cupl f yas(i.. a lag ppti f th bdsit had issud du t matu)ad th as guaat it had

th my t b abl t d this. Thispspct st th bd maktsit fight t th xtt that lg-datd Gk dbt as yildig 10 p ct at stag, mtha dubl that typical f th

st cmis. This as bcausists dumpd thi bds, i thblif thy may t gt thi igialistmt back, sdig th picsf th bds plummtig ad thi

yilds saig.This has b a cla xampl

f th ay i hich th bdmakts a abl t dtmi hich

cutis a abl t cay issuigdbt ists a illig t buy,ad hich cutis istsha lst cdc i. This ispcisly hat has happd t aumb f Lati Amica statssuch as Agtia duig th last30 yas t ad th tibutihas usually b s. wha cuty shs sigs that itcat pay back its dbts maydfault cup paymts itsbds, a stuctuig pgammiitiatd by th ItatialMtay Fud is t fa aay,typically ladig t cuts i statspdig cupld ith tax issad th iitabl scial ust.

oc a gmt dfaults its dbts, th bd maktstd t ha lg mmis, adth fa f futu dfault illpush up itst ats (yilds) f

yas t cm, makig th cstf gmt big high.I such situatis, itatialists tat t saf haslik th US ad UK, cutis thatha had ay sigicatdfault thi dbts duig thihisty.

Just like BP?I this spct, th makts tat

cutis ad thi gmtsath lik thy tat idiidualcmpais. just as cdit atigagcis lik Mdys Fitch gicdit atigs t cmpais (thhighst big Tipl A) s thyat atis t ad this iucsmakt pcptis. Cdit atigagcis ad th acial msi cmpais likly t dfault thi dbt (hth t baks, t ists such as th s fcpat bds) ith th utmstsuspici. Dfaultig dbt iability t pay cup paymts

bds pmisd diidds is

G cmx

Gilts are usually issued for 100 eachbut come in various types and maturities

which means that the issuing and payingback of government debt is a far fromstraightforward business. The deningfeatures of a conventional gilt are i tscoupon (the interest payment) and itsmaturity, both reected in the name of thegilt e.g. 8% Treasury 2013, a gilt whichpays 8 per cent a year in other words 8

and for which the government will pay

back the initial 100 in 2013.Other gilts are index-linked in that

the coupon and nal repayment amountare linked to movements in the RetailPrice Index, while another category areundated or irredeemable gilts such as4% Consols, gilts often originally issuedin the nineteenth century and whichpay a regular coupon but for which thegovernment is not bound to pay back theoriginal sum advanced at any set date.The vast majority nearly three-quarters

of UK gilts in issuance today are ofthe conventional variety and these areclustered into shorts of under seven years

maturity, mediums of seven to 15 yearsand longs of over 15 years.

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f th gatst cpat sisad cmpais dmd at isk fdfault ha thi bds atd asuk ad a puishd by makts.

rct xampls f ths falligful f acial makts bcaus fa pcid iability t sic thidbts uld t ly iclud thbaks but als ma cmpaislik william Hill ad Pmi Fds

hich ha had t g back t thi

shahlds cap-i-had askigf my t duc thi dbt adsh up thi balac shts. Yt,a cmpay lik BP caha a tmpay dipi its sha pic butthis lagly scapth typ f battigfm th makts mtdut t ths dspit itsilmt i fth biggst ad cstlistimtal disastsf all tim. Ad thas . . . ? BPs tdbt is littl

yas typical pts (lastya big $20 billi)ad it has a xibldbt stuctu. Ith ds, it is highlycash gati, hashadm its dbtad s ists ham cdc it camt its acial bligatis.

Little headroomLik cmpais, sm cutis

ha m hadm t tackl thiacial situati tha ths.

wh cdc i gmtacs a high ad h dbtsicig is maagabl, gmts

ill b abl t issu bds at atsthat a t xbitat ad thbyac thi xpditu. Thisals applis t gmts thatha m hadm t icastaxs bcaus stat spdig i thcmy is l (ath as

hy th US ad UK ha b sas saf has f bd ists

tha cutis lik Gc).But i tuth th is a histicallmt t this as ll. Th styf th last 20 yas s ist thatth has b a massi xplsii gmt dbt th xplsii dbt has b ipersonal debt. Ith US this s fm 80 p ct faag dispsabl icm i 1990t 140 p ct, ad i th UK asimila masu f psal dbt sfm 100 p ct t 170 p ct fhushld icm ud n Labu(Financial Times, 9 August 2008). Byctast, hil gmt dcitsi a gi ya a sigicat (a

cd 159 billi 11.4 p ctf GDP last ya i th UK) ad hacausd sm makt bbls, thaccumulatd atial dbts f mstcutis ha t b paticulalyhigh by histic stadads.

Bcaus f iati tim,th big umb hadli gus fbillis ad tillis a misladig,ad pctags gi th bstpictu. By ay f xampl, ttalaccumulatd atial dbt as apctag f yas GDP iscutly aud 70 p ct i thUK. Accdig t gus fm th

Bak f eglad this cmpas ith 250 p ct i 1946 at th df th Scd wld wa. Idd, f

all th pid fm th stat f thFist wld wa i 1914 util thaly 1960s it as fa high tha itis , ad th situati i th UShas b y simila i pctagtms. Idd, ly as ctly as10-15 yas ag gmts i thUS ad UK uig big budgtsupluss h th cmy as

bmig ad payig back thatial dbt as quickly as thyculd, ducig atial dbt t GDPatis t ll bl 50 p ct ibth cutis f a hil.

what this mas pactically isthat it usually tds t b suddupad changesi th at adatu f gmt dbt that

tds t ally spk makts,dai thm f cdc ad ladt th typ f gmt austitymasus a sig, aththa paticula ttal lls f dbtas such. Idd, a cmpaatilyhalthy cmy lik Sigapshas a atial dbt quialt t113 p ct f GDP, hil phapscut-ituitily Ugada, Iaad Mzambiqu ha atial dbtf lss tha 20 p ct f GDP.Aft myiad faild gmtstimulus pgamms th lastt dcads japa has accumulatdth scd highst atial dbt t

GDP ati i th ti ld (aftZimbab) but dspit its gigpblms has cmpaatily littldifculty big fuds ia thbd makts.

You cant buck the marketwhat is ctai fm all this is

that gmts a fa m likcmpais tha thy uld gally lik t admit, ad ctailycat buck th makts admakt pcptis, hich a alayscucial. But th agai, h a thmakts ayay?

Th makt f UK gilts is typicalad is dmiatd (at aud 40 pct) by isuac cmpais ad

dmstic psifuds, flld bysas ists adacial istitutis,hdg fuds, tc (at 35p ct). Th st ismad up f cgisdcllcti istmthicls lik uittusts, by baks adlastly by hushlds(hushlds big

lss tha 3 p ctf th ttal). I thds, th bdmakts lik thquity, cmmdityad cucy makts

a dmiatd byth big capitalistsad istitutialists. Thi s

f istmt capital a substatialad css atial budais atth pss f a butt. Ths a thppl alays th lk ut f gilt-dgd pptuitis i lif. Th lasf th makt cmy dictat that gmt ill ca agu

ith thm f lg.dap

Bond Licence to a

Killing

Generally bonds pay a xed rate ofinterest on issue, eg 4%, or 4 ona 100 gilt, but secondary tradingmight push the running yield up to5% as this is the rate investors want.

To achieve this 5 per cent theprice of the gilt would need to fall to80 with a xed 4 payout (4being 5 per cent of 80 not 100).

What this means is that, when thegilt is nally redeemed at itsoriginal price of 100, the gilt ownerwho bought it at 80 stands tomake a prot of 20. This promisinginformation is factored into therunning yield they receive, giving asomewhat higher redemption yield,as it is called. So in essence, thisredemption yield is the runningyield also taking account of any

capital gains (or losses) due frombuying the gilt at above (or below) itsface value.

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dmcacy is a tmdus p-ttial that is lckd up i thcapitalist systm. I cutis

that hld dmcatic lctis thmaity ha s fa ctiud t ti a capitalist gmt f st ath. oc y fu yasp is put it u hads ad itualistically gi it aay agai.

I capitalism a small miity hasast xta p byd th dm-catic pcss, bcaus capitalismis a systm f acial shipi hich thy , i th capitalist

ss, ad thus ctl, sucs,pducti ad distibuti. what- gmt is td i t b thlads i capitalism thy pstth maity ly i that th maityag, ith hat dg f aa-ss, t thm actig th ill f thismiity ig class. wh th

a gui ittis thlp ks, ptct

th imt tc,ths s cm up

agaist th pbhid th

paliamthich is

t thp-

pl as a ld t bli, but thcapitalist s.This miity capitalist class is

cmpisd f aius gups bthithi ad bt stats that cm-pt f pts t kp p adpsiti. H ths cicts ill af-fct ks is a mi csidatiif it is csidd at all. Th fttagic csqucs f idiidu-als ad cmmuitis h bs autsucd t duc csts, h cmpay lss ut t atha csidd t b accptabl. All

th hs f a a csiddaccptabl. It is ptayd as ac-cptabl, idd glius ad blthat ks shuld g t a; butth tuth is kpt hidd that it is bhalf f thi masts. It is p-std as accptabl ad cssaythat billis if t tillis f dllasb spt aps systms adamis y ya t maitai adicas th busiss dmais f thuls, hilst public sics a cutad ppl a tappd i pty.Ad capitalisms iitabl cmiccssis icas hadship. As

ll as public sics big cut m, small cmmuity-basd busi-sss a hit, cglmats lagcpatis tak ad p isfuth cctatd it th hadsf a f h k littl f th aas

hich thy ha ctl.n d thy much ca xcpt

abut h thy ca ptfm it.

T ag t capital-ism is t ag

t tyay;

t th ctiuac f a systm thatmaitais ad causs iustic adcict ld id. w a tld thatythig uld b a mss ith-ut th capitalist systm, but apatfm th ixabl fcicy fpt makig f a small miity, itis capitalism that is th mss. Itms f th llbig f th kigclass ad f humaity as a hl capitalism hlds us back fm takiggiat laps i fcicy. This is b-caus th acial systm ptsus i umus ays fm cpat-

ig dictly f mutual bt.

Wealth and powerAll acial alth cms fm th

a matials f th plat ad thlabu f th ks h a thmaity, h, this maity isild y littl i dcisi-mak-ig abut h th k is d h th alth is subsqutly usd.

This mas that i th mai lias th capitalist class at us all us t li, d th bs thatth capitalist class at us t d,ad d thm i th ay that thcapitalist class at us t t ithth piity f supplyig f d, butt maximis thi acial pts. Itsms likly that lack f cpati

ith ach th ad u imtusig all u facultis ad dictly f

llbig ctibuts t th mtalad mtial disaffcti fm achth ad fm u imt

hich is palt i md scity.Th capitalist class gts pts

fm th labu f th ks. Sbasically th ks pay f thcapitalist class t ha m my

tha thm lag amuts f hicha usd f th istumts adcduct f a t ptct xtdth itsts f th capitalist class.

Th ha t pay t buy back thcssitis f lif that a pducts fu labu. Th ut f th kidssf u hats gi t chaity. Thismy is lagly usd i attmpts tcla up th mss that th capital-ist class has mad i th ld, i..

pay s capitalism dst lks bad. Th, h d my

ha t b fm th althy ad guss hat? w als ha t

pay s m pt ca b mad. wk, k, k ad pay, pay,pay, ad pay.

Practical PoliticsCapitalism is an insane system which cannot be made fair by reform or regulation.

SocialistStandard October 2010

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It stads t as that f halthyad yabl lif, hat d is tb abl dlp ad us u kl-dg f hat is pactical f halthyad yabl lif. But ha tb f t d s.This is bcaus, astd, th maity f p is hldby a small miity, ad bcausthy ha t pusu acial slf-

itst i th cmptiti capitalistmakt plac ls thi piilgdpsitis. This miity has thacial p t lbby pliticias tgt fauabl plicis f thi ptmakig, but th

hl acial sys-tm is cstuctdt fucti i fauf this ayay; tmaitai th uligclass. Th lg thisctius th mbius it bcmsthat hat is hlp-

ful f maitaiigth class systm ishamful t ks,t cmmuitis, adt lif eath igal.

The exploitationof democracyTh is idc-

tiati simply byliig i th capital-ist systm that it ismal ad ight,ad th capitalist-

ctlld mass mdia tds t hid,distt distact us fm ufau-abl facts abut th systm ad upttial t cm it. rluti-ay idas a usually kpt ut f thpictu, ad h thy d appa itis usually i th ctxt f big mis-pstd, idiculd dmisd.Ppl fall f this t ayig dgs,ad it is qustiabl t hat xttth maity i dmcatic cu-tis bli thmsls t b f a satisd ith th systm, adt hat xtt thy stick ith th

systm du t t kig ughabut h it fuctis abut aiabl altati.

w d f cus ha smfdms that a lackig i thpats f th ld, but h muchf this is fdm as lg as cmply? Fdm t chs btdictatd chics? Ad h much f

hat has b fught f ad thugh pius gatis culd,ad idd is big tak aay?Dmcacy is xplitd by th capi-talist class as disguis f th basicst up, hich is mass xplitati f

ks f miity gai, ad t fth llbig f scity as a hl.

This basic st-up mas that

th fdms that ha i la asly cutaild by th cmicfcs by t haig th mas td hat at. w ha pliticalbut t cmic dmcacy.

Dmcatic idas a als x-plitd as a usticati f as

hich a actually gagd i facial pt. via gmts,

but this much lik ay f thm bius dspts, th capitalistclass ilds th p f amis ad

aps f mass dstucti, ad fth mass mdia. As alady alludd

t, public pii ca b iucdby hat is put i ad hat is lft utf th s, ad by h it is tld.e iasi ad militaily fcdbusiss xpasi ith millis fcasualtis (daths, iuis, tauma,lss f hms, familis, cmmuitisad lilihds), is calld big-ig dmcacy. Th dmcacy thatis bught, f cus cms alg

ith acial ad mass mdia back-ig f th cadidats that supptth busiss plas f th iads.

Prot or waste?Th ictis f saity that c-cu i th ld a dspit capital-ism, bcaus capitalism is a i-sa systm. Capitalism cat bmad ssibl ad fai by fm gulati bcaus it is t basd cpatig t supply hat d,fcit us f sucs, appcia-ti f bauty big huma. It isbasd cmptiti f pt; capitalisig ithut cscic. Thuls f capitalism k f a pii-lgd f, ad t f th cmmgd f ppl ad th bisph.

Calls f quitabl fms gula-tis t ptct u imt afqutly dd by lud dmads

f pt. If thy d mak sm had-ay, thy xist pcaiusly i a saf tubls, ad ca as s b sptaay agai by th xt acial ci-sis stat f a.

Cat pay? Cat ha! ad npt? n pducti! That is hcapitalists ha t fucti. whds a supplid i sm fm this

is icidtal; it happs t b cs-say f th pt makig. Ay b-ts that a claimd t cm fmcapitalism actually cm fm th

ks, h culd d a much bt-t b ithutit. Ths idassm stag tmay bcaus

ha blagly cdi-tid t blithat cat d

ithut it, that d stats,

bds, ul-s ad my

th systm asit is; ad facd

ith th hsthat th systmcats aas fa as pssi-bl cditidt t ca. wa spaatdad st agaistach thby th ptsystm hich

cuags ag, gd ad y, addicts it it atialism, acism,pudic bt m ad lssacially ll ff gups ad iddusympathtic ad iatial udg-mt f y st. All this diisiis y usful f th capitalist classi that it maks us asi t ul. Itmaks us agabl t thi plicisthat caus pty ad a. It makscuits illig t bmb, sht adttu thi fll huma bigs.It tds t dit us fm, ad laudlpd th huma pttials t

qusti, t study caus ad ffct,t mpathis, cmmuicat, uitad gais.

As capitalism has spad audth glb, my has bcm thmai ctllig ad dcidig facti much f u bhaiu. Th ptpiity f th capitalist class sults,amgst th thigs, i ags bigas l as pssibl, ad thus gallyth piity f th ks is t buyth chapst. Bcaus th chapstca b pidd by mass pductiad supply, this als fds it thdmiac f big busiss pduc-

s ad supplis, hich tgthith th di f acial pt hashad, ad ctius t ha, pfud

More people than ever before are being forced into city slums

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ad dastic ffcts scity ad th

imt.F pt lag cmpais/cpa-

tis ca suc ad maufactugds aud th ld h lad ischap, h l ags ca b paidad h th a f i-mtal gulatis. This sults i,f xampl, dfstati, childlabu, subsistc ags, lad ad

at plluti ad lg distactasptati f gds addig ca-b missis it th ai. It is ctial t g alg ith pac-tics hich damag u cmmuitisad u liig imt, ad a

lt f th pts mad fm xplit-ig ks a usd f adtisigpducts that a actually hamful ism ay; thigs that that d td uld t d if culdssibly gais th ay that li.

F pt, th is sacic f qual-ity, abusi tatmt f ks,culty t aimals, ad clgicaldastati. F xampl, a hugamut f ast f sucs isild i built-i bslscc. Thcst f gttig smthig mddlcally is mad phibiti (by thpic f pats ad taspt csts) sthat ust buy a fm thmultiatial. vast amuts f -gy a als astd uig thacial systm, ptctig it,

a, ad t pst th hl thigas th piacl f ciilisati. Thisgy culd b put it hacigth llbig f u cmmuitis.Capitalism is tagically astful fth abudat sucs f th eathad f tchlgy. All that ast tmaitai smthig that allydt at! Smthig that is bud

t b uhalthy; th udmcaticp f a miity.

Stress and scarcityTh a sucs ad tchl-

gy ugh f y t b llsupplid, but capitalism sults ipty. Pty is causd by a; byth sucs f lad ad sa bigtak f pt; by imtaldamag, lcal ad glbal; by disps-sssig ppl f th mas f lif.Ppulati gth is als laglypducd by th aticial scacity fcapitalism. It has b sh that

ppulati gth bgis t dcash ppl ha a asablstadad f liig ad ducati

hich is pssibl. But i capitalism

that csts myIt is a masu f th uhalthi-

ss f th capitalist cmy that itis usustaiabl; it is dstyig thliig imt that supplis it;ad imtal damag is i-casigly a fact i causig ptyad cict.

M ppl tha bf astaig maluishd/lackigcla at/suffig fm cuabldisass/lsig thi lad ad cm-muitis ad big fcd it cityslums. M ppl tha bfli ubbish dumps. M p-

pl tha bf a impisd.

M yug ppl tha bfa impisd. M yug ppltha bf a abadd adhmlss. M yug ppl tha bf a ild i th sxtad. Dpssi ad addicti acmm ad ths ith hatis calld a gd stadad f liigtd t suff i this systm. Thdisass f capitalist afuc, thata lifstyl ad stss latd, apalt.Ths a t ust pblms that

capitalism hast gt aud t sl-ig yt. n is it ust hat capitalismalls, it is hat it pducs.ni-th ds capitalism spd t thd t sl pblms that it haspducd. Ccig glbal am-ig, f istac, th hl systmfciusly sists makig th adicalchags that a dd t ptctu imt. Istad, atak t a t scu m il sup-plis. This is typical f th catast-ph f capitalism.

Majority support

what a gttig is claly that th maity f ppl at, butby xplitig th pudic, spa-

ati ad gal igac that

capitalism bds, th capitalist classctius t ul us ith maitysuppt. Th iumabl pblmsad ills i u scity a blamd huma atu, ad sm suggstthat th pblm is thf dmc-acy. But capitalism by its atudis th maity, i ay ath, f pptuitis f idi-idual ad scial impmt adistad ads midlss cmpliac

ith damagig actiitis ad uth-lss, xclusi, sht-tm slf-it-st.Th pblm is that d t ha

ugh dmcacy. Th kig p-pl supply th gds ad sics iscity, but suff fm th cictsf capitalism ad a cstaid byacial uls ad pssus that dthig xcpt maitai a disastussystm. Istad ca gaisusls t claim cmm sp-sibility f sucs, pducti addistibuti ad f accss t thgds ad sics that pid.Cmmuitis ca th accss thsucs ad tchlgy that thyd. w ca als ap th bts fybdys xpic ad xcisu ps t cpat, dig th

k that ish t d dictly fth llbig f u cmmuitis adth id imt that sustaisthm.

Capitalism is a ptig ad c-uptig iuc ad alays ilsdpiati ad slay i aiusfms. It is i a paticulalyubiquitus phas ad th situatif humaity is dtiatig. Pplu gallat campaigs t hlp th-s ad t ptct th imt,but i capitalism, althugh th

a sm tmpay succsss, thisis a lsig battl. wh uit tm my ad class diisifm th quati, ad plac it ithcmm ship ad dmcacyu gy ill b st f t dlpa halthy scity ad a halthy i-mt.L.B.

W w mv m ss vs

m q, w mm

ws m, g w s

v s

vm

Oct 2010 Std BDH.indd 15 24/09/2010 09:04


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The

descriptionsthey give

of their

abductors

usually tally

closely with the

creatures from outer space which

have appeared in science-ction

dramas on American television.

(Interestingly, America also has

the most religious believers in the

Western world.) These aliens must

have come vast distances before

they land in Wyoming or wherever.The nearest star to Earth (apart

from our own sun) is Alpha Centauri,

more than four light-years away.

If the aliens came from any planet

around Alpha Centauri, they would

have to have a space-ship travelling

at the unimaginable speed of one

hundred million miles per hour

and even so it would take them

twenty-ve years to get here. (If

they dawdled along at only a millionmiles per hour, the journey would

take two thousand ve hundred

years.) So it is strange

that having come so farthey dont hang around a

bit and let us all see them.

A ying saucer landing in

Trafalgar Square during the

rush-hour would settle the

question once and for all. So why do

they apparently scurry back home

so quickly? Here is a document

that may throw some light on the

matter. But whether this is a genuine

account, or merely a bit of ction,

readers must decide for themselves.

If it is genuine, it may indicate whyany aliens would not want to delay

their return trip.

Oct 2010 Std BDH.indd 16 24/09/2010 09:04


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Ias i th middl f thCaigm Mutais i thScttish Highlads, mils fm

ay huma habitati, h I saa gup f m appachig m. Ik thy fm ut spac,bcaus thy all had pity aslik M. Spck i Sta Tk. wh

thy gt a ugh, f thmsaid Gtigs, eathlig! athclu: t may diay humastalk lik that. w big

salutatis fmut spac! I

udstdy d,ad thatas astkf luck,

bcaus utf all th six

thusad

laguagsspk

eath,thy had

happd tla th lylaguag Ik.

w hab adigth s yuitt,th alispksmactiud,ad

ish tcdl ith

yu yucssi.

Hudds fyu schls gig tb built fubishd,ad yf f thma. A sadbusiss! Hshk his had.S th a ppl aailabl

t d all thisbuildig.

oh ys I

assud him.Th a tad a half

milli umplyd i this cuty,icludig lts f builds, plasts,plumbs, lcticias, ad s ad lts m f th blssculd quickly la ths skills. Thcuty is full f ppl h culdtach all ths usful tads.

I s! said th ali. S itsbicks, ad cmt, ad pipk,

ad pait, lctic iig ad s yu a sht f.

nt a bit f it! Sic th cssi,builds mchats yads up add th cuty a full f all thisstuff.

But phaps th authitis akpig all ths matials i sf th imptat buildig bs, icas yu u sht f a matials?

n, , thig lik that. All tha matials clay f bicks,

mtal f pips ad is, cluf paits ths m thaugh, up ad d th

cuty.Th ali ad his fids

appad puzzld. Th hbightd up.Ah, I s hat it must b.

Taspt! Yu gt all thsthigs, but yu cat gt thmt h thy a s dspatly

atd.nt a bit f it, I isistd. I

didt at him t thik that backad. w ha ts f

gat tucks, ud-usd bcaus fth cssi. Th cuty is cssd

ith xcllt ads, ll sufacdith tamac. All ths matialsculd b dlid ayh iBitai ithi hus.Th alis t it a huddl, ad

abbd aay i thi laguag.Th th spksma pipd up agai.

Lts gt this staight. Yu pplh i Bitai all at ths schlst b built paid. Yu haplty f ppl stadig aud idl

h uld l t d all th k,if ly bcaus thi child abig ducatd i iadquat adill-quippd schls. Yu ha all

th matials, ad all th tasptyu d t gt thm h thy aatd. S xcus m if I sm abit btus hy dt yu ust d it?

w hat gt th my, fcus!

A lg paus this tim.e hat is this my?I smild. H culd ay t

k that?Yu k my, dibs,

spdulicks, th ady! Cis littlud bits f mtal, thugh mst fit is pap, adays. High gadpap, f cus, ith ic dsigs

it i clu, t.This pap, said th ali, ith a

bafd xpssi. what ds it d?

Ca yu us it istad f bicks? oistad f slats th f?

n, f cus t! Piatly Ithught that suly spac yags

h ha b abl t uybillis f mils culd gt hld fsuch a simpl ida. I tid t xplai.Ppl had it t ach th. wll-ffppl ha t had sm f ths

bits f pap t th gmt,th sm hads sm f it tth ppl h mak bicks caythm alg th mtay. Th actualbuilds ad pip-lays ad s gt sm bits f pap ach Fiday.

M bildd csatiamg th alis.

This pap high-gad papas yu say, ith clud dsigs

cat kp th ai ut, hld thf up, cay at lcticityud th buildigs?

n, f cus t, I said,laughig. It uld ust cllaps if

yu put ay stai it, ad ayat i a pap pip uld ustu aay. Ad if yu tid t maklctic cabls ut f pap thy

uld pbably catch !But if yu dt ha ths pics

f clud pap, thugh thya ly fbl, uslss stuff, saidth ali, yu cat ha thsschls built ad s ?

exactly, I said. n yu gtit. withut ths pics f pap, fd is g at, clthsa mad, buildigs g up

thig happs. w all ha tpass ths pics f pap audt ach th, ythig cmst a halt. I fact mst f us h eath spd a lag pat f u timhadig ths pics f pap tth ppl. ey gaisati hasmay ppl h spd thi lis

itig d gus abut all thspics f pap: dig sums, all day.I fact sm gat ccs dt daythig ls baks, cdit cadcmpais, isuac cmpais,ppl ccd ith uad taxati all f thm spd

thi lis ddlig ith ths bits fpap.Th alis all lkd at ach th.

I sa sal f thm pitig ag t thi fhads, admakig a kid f cicula mti

ith th g, hil pullig a fac.I d hat that mas i alilaguag?

Aft sm m uitlligiblcsati, th spksma saidthat thy had dcidd t gt back ithi yig sauc ad gt aay ass as pssibl. I thught I hadhim say smthig lik, I thught

tld th as itlligt lif this plat! but phaps I mis-had.ALWYN EDGAR

Oct 2010 Std BDH.indd 17 24/09/2010 09:04


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i

f yu a a pfssial pliticia yu b, as a mi-ist h yu paty is i fc, hth its

i caliti, is t tak pat i maagig th g-al affais f capitalism i yu cuty. Pliticias alctd ad s yu ha t i ppula suppt. just tsay a btt capitalism-maagmt tam thath th lt is hadly ispiig, thugh mstppl d s lctis as big abut chsig thlast bctiabl st f pliticias. natial pliti-cias ha b dscibd as th m middlmaagmt f itatial cpat capitalism.

As a pliticia i fc yuals ha t i a dgf ppula suppt f thplicis capitalism bligs

yu t pusu. Its tugh t b tuthful ad

say Im ust actig that pblms thuctllabl kigsf capitalism plac myagda. Yu ha t gith impssi that yua kig tads abtt lif f y-. Hc thd flt by

pliticias t d hat Gg Bush calld th visiThig. Yu must gi th impssi that yu a -

gagd i dig smthig m tha th m utimaagmt f capitalism. It aly ks, but pliti-cias still ty it fm tim t tim. Th latst is Cam- ad his Big Scity.

State and societyCams Big Scity is basd a disticti

bt scity ad gmt, ctig thatmphasisd by th Gma philsph Hgl btciil scity ad th stat. I sayig h ats s-city t b big h is sayig h ats gmt tb small (, ath, sic that uld b gig t fafm a capitalist pit f i, f it t b small). Hisschm ils tasfig sm f th sics p-idd by lcal cucils t th lutay sct, i.. t

chaitis ad scial tpiss (tpiss that at alld t distibut thi pts). I th ds,a ctiuati f th Thatchit pgamm ad th

pmat agda f big busiss f llig backth stat s that taxs capitalist t-

piss ca b ducd allig thm tkp m f thi pts.

Tasfig sics t thlutay sct ill sa mybcaus ths kig i thissct a gally paid lssad ha lss b scuity tha

lcal gmt mplys.Th Big Scity, th, tus ut

t t b a gad isi but a s-did littl xcis i chs-paig. oath, i s fa as it is a lg-tm i,its puttig a psiti spi th n Ag fAustity aucd by Cam ad hisgmt.

Hgls ciil scity (brgerliche Ges-ellschaft) is ft taslatd, spciallyh usd by Max, as bugis scity,hich i fact is hat Hgl mat: thyday cmic actiitis f ppl ipusuit f thi psal itst, capi-talists cmptig f makts ad pf-its ad ks cmptig f b adags. Th stat h sa as pstig

ad fcig th all gal itstf scity as a hl. Max shd that,hil th stat did idd pst

Camerons Vision Thing

is too obvious to fool

or Little Trick?

Oct 2010 Std BDH.indd 18 24/09/2010 09:04


19/24


dg sm

CAPITALISM IS indefensible (except if you are a capitalist).But that doesnt stop people trying. One recent example isLucy Turnbull, member of the Australian Liberal Party andformer Lord Mayor of Sydney. Capitalism is still the onlysystem that works, she asserted in the Sydney MorningHerald(9 August).

According to her, price signals, fair markets and freetrade are the cornerstones of the capitalist system forcreating goods and services. Prices, markets and tradecertainly are features of capitalism but she manages to omittwo other, key features: the class ownership of the placeswhere goods and services are produced and production forprot. Without these capitalism wouldnt be capitalism.

Prices may signal to people and rms what to buy, butit is prots that signal to capitalist rms what to produce.Unless prices are high enough to allow capitalist rms torealise a prot they can signal as much as they like but noproduction will be forthcoming. In addition, some needs

dont register at all if the person hasnt got the money topay to satisfy them. In which case they go unmet.

Fair markets and free trade are not essential featuresof capitalism but policy objectives that sections of theowning class sometimes want the government to pursue.At other times subsidies and tariffs have been preferred.Turnbull has made the mistake here of identifying capital-ism with a particular policy.

She makes some extravagant claims for her conceptionof capitalism:

It alone harnesses the reality of human nature ourcontinual striving for progress and our competitive instinctsto do our best.

No doubt people do want to do their best, but what hasthis got to do with competition? If it is part of the reality of

human nature, then this would continue if the capitalist rat-race to avoid falling into poverty is replaced by cooperationto ensure that nobodys needs are neglected..

Competition in fact prevents many people from doingtheir best. Capitalist rms compete to make prots by try-ing to keep their costs below the average for their sector;the lower their costs compared with their rivals the moresales and prots they can expect to make. Its a raceto the bottom with speed-up and pressures to get a jobdone quickly taking precedence over taking the time to doit properly.

Turnbull also claims of capitalism: It alone is compatiblewith political and democratic freedoms. Capitalism maywell be compatible with political democracy but its alsocompatible with a restricted franchise (as in the 19th centu-

ry) and political dictatorship (as in many countries now andin the past). Capitalism impedes the carrying out of demo-cratically-expressed wishes to improve housing, healthcare, education, transport and the like as the workings of itseconomic laws force governments to give priority to prot-making over these. When it comes to production capitalismis undemocratic. The moment a worker enters the factorygates or the ofce doors they stop being a free citizen andbecome subject to the authority of the employer.

Socialism alone is capable of ensuring a genuine democ-racy as, with the means of production the common heritageof all, everyone will be able participate on an equal basisas nobody would have a privileged say in how the meansof production are used and nobody would have a privilegedshare of what is produced. Under democratic control the

means of production can be used to satisfy peoples needsnot to make a prot for the few.

a all gal itst, it as t that f scity as ahl but that f th bugisi, th capitalist class, as ahl.

Th stat is dd t ust by scialists but byctial acadmics as a istituti ith a mplyi th mplymt f lgitimat fc ithi a gi t-ity. But th stat is m tha ust fc. It is als thct f scial ctl ad as such has spsibility fcayig ut aius admiistati tasks sstial t th

ctiuati f scity such as, ths days, ducati,halth ca, lkig aft th ulabl, t plaigad may ths.

It is by mas slf-idt that ths cssaysics uld b btt pfmd by chaitis ad thciil scity gaisatis tha by atial lcal g-mt. I fact th liklihd is that i mst cass thy

t b t b sustaiabl. But thats t th pit.Thy ill b chap. Thats th pit.

Voluntary workTh is itstig aspct f Cams pla. rly-

ig luts t d ctai thigs accpts that this such a thig as lutay k, hich th idlgicaldfds f capitalism usually did. Accdig t thm,

ppl a mtiatd t k ly by mtay cmp-sati by th that f staati. I skig t takadatag, if ly t sa my, f th udiablfact that millis f hus f lutay k a gagdi by ppl all th tim, th gmt is uitti-

ally ccdig a imptat pit t scialists. Ppl amtiatd t d scially usful k by ass th thamy ad s culd b lid t d this t i a scial-ist scity.

I a ss scialism ill b a big scity i that it illb all scity ad stat. H, hat ma bybth scity ad stat is difft fm hat Cammas. By scity dt ma bugis ciil scity

h ybdy has t fd f thmsls t gt a liig,but basd th cmm ship f th mas fpducig usful thigs h y ill b guaa-td a dct liig by itu f haig f accss t hatthy d. what ppl d ill b pidd by scityad ill t dpd thi iitiati cmptitifft.

whil th cci aspcts f th stat hat maks it astat ad hich Cam has itti f dsizig ill ha disappad, may f its admiistati fuc-tis ill mai. Th ill still b ctal ad lcal cu-cils, thugh much m accutabl ad dmcatic thatday ad hs psl t b abl t allcat thm-sls ay matial piilgs as y ill ha faccss t hat thy d. I ths chagd cicumstacsth is as hy sm f th sics pidd byths admiistatis tday shuld t ctiu t b. oth th had, th ill b scp f sm f thm t bpidd by gups f luts. It ill b up t th lcalcmmuitis f th tim t dcid. But th dbat th

ill b a gui dbat abut th bst ay t gaisthigs i th cmm itst. nt th smksc t

disguis cst-cuttig i th itst f th capitalist classthat Cams Big Scity is.ADAM BUICK

t bg S, , s

g vs

s xs

s-g

Oct 2010 Std BDH.indd 19 24/09/2010 09:04


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Book Reviews

Dig deeper forsocialism

Crack Capitalism. John Holloway,London: Pluto Press 2010, 17.99.

jh Hllayspius bk,Change The World

Without TakingPower, aslatily ppulaad th fcusf much dbatad discussi,at last i thlatily small

cicls h yu d ati-capitalistactiists. A lt has happd sicth bks publicati i 2002, but

yu uldt k it fm adig

Hllays latst, Crack Capitalism,hich maks m lss xactly thsam agumts.

Hllays mai pit is basicallythat f autmist maxism adth is gat islad f stgthi this, hich ads might dagthmsls t if thy dt std i a sa f biag. It cab summd up i a paagaph. Itis that th lds ks catcapitalism by gig t k.Capitalism is thf t a thigthat stads utsid ad adab us, but a scial latiship

that cat yday thugh udaily actiitis. If udstadthis, ca, if at t dcapitalism, mly stp catigit ad d smthig ls istad.I fact, accdig t autmists,this is actually happig all thtim y tim fus k,g stik, call i sick, , ifHllay is t b blid, dig ugads. Th ks f th ld aalays sistig thi xplitati, if ly i thi , small,psal ays, ad if thyt cscius f xactly hat it isthy dig. Th task is mly txtd ad xpad ad ciculatth stuggls. Hllay calls thsstuggls th cacks i capitalism.what d t d is d thcacks, ad k had t mak thmbigg. Th pig f cacks isth pig f a ld that pstsitslf as clsd, says Hllay.

This is a at ay f summaisiga fudamtal Maxia ppsitiabut class stuggl as th mtthat dis chag. Th stgthf th agumt is that it puts th

p ad pttial f chag backh it blgs ad h it i factally lis: i u hads. Th

akss, h, is a y sius. It is that it isks adig th aldifcultis that mai.

Accdig t Hllay, th aksf th ati-capitalist lutiaisa impssily lag. Thy icludth cmps h xpsss hisag ad dams f a btt scitythugh his music, th k h

buks ff k t g ad a bk ith pak, th gad h catsa gad t stuggl agaist thdstucti f atu, th fids

h fm a chi f gd asxcpt thi l f sigig, adth yug ma i Mxic City hgs t th ugl t gais amdstuggl t chag th ld. Thky t bcmig fully huma, saysHllay, is simpl: fus, disby.If this didt happ, th uld b guds f hp i a scialistfutu at all. But if it as ugh,th suly capitalism uld ha

cllapsd lg ag i fact, culd ha gt ff th gud i thst plac.

Imagi, says Hllay, biga mtaph fm a edga All Psty, that a all i a m. wa all i it tgth sm sittig a cmftabl cuch, ths campdmisably i a c, phaps; buti it tgth thlss. Th afu alls, a cilig, but ids ds. Ad th alls a adacigslly iads, thatig tcush us all t dath. H uld

spd t such a situati?n dubt, says Hllay, sm

uld ust fus t s hat ashappig ad distact thmslsistad ith th latst ffigfm Disy. Sm uld phapsduc th alls, but t ppst d aythig abut it, hil ths

uld lk fad t ad dam f aday h th alls. Thth a ths lik Hllay h

uld istad u t th alls adty dspatly t d cacks, tcat thm. I a uittiallyhilaius cclusi, hich spaks

agaist his hl agumt,Hllay imagis ths actiistsbagig thi hads agaist th all ad agai util th allcms cumblig d. Hllay,f all his staiig aft ptic ffct,dst sm t alis that, i thpatd cuts bt a hadad a bick all, th all y alygts th st f it.T tak ath f Hllays

mtaphs, ad tu it agaist him,phaps th cacks i capitalism am lik th cacks i mud tha thcacks i a all sht spll f

ai ca ash thm aay ithuttac. T udstad this adgais t cut-act it, t gt t

th stag h th class stuggl fu sid culd cciably cut,say, capital ight t th th sid fth ld, th gaisd ilcf stat p, quis xactly thkid f big-pictu thikig adddicatd, disciplid gaisig thatHllay dgmatically ppss.

w i th Scialist Paty d t f

cus pps mst f th actiitisthat Hllay placs his hps i.As idiiduals, sm f us ygadig, f xampl; ad mstf us a acti i tad uis adsimila gaisatis, if d t tak up ams ad had utit th Mxica ugl. But d t att t dci, ddgth mst difcult qustis. Thpblm ha t fac is that,i th class stuggl, th dds aaly alays agaist us, ad thatt build a scialist futu, da mass gaisati f ppl h

k hat it is thy at ad appad t k t achi it. Asegls put it, Th pid f suddslaughts, f lutis caidut by small cscius miitis atth had f ucscius masss, ispast. wh th qusti ils thcmplt tasfmati f th scialgaisati, th th masss mustb csultd, must thmsls haalady gaspd hat th stugglis abut, ad hat thy stad f.Hllays k is i may ays aigius ddgig f this immstask. But th task mais ad illmai as lg as capitalism ds.Its tim facd it.SJW

Saving the planet

PLAN B 4.0 Mobilising to Save

Civilisation. Lester R. Brown.Earth Policy Institute. W.W.Nortonand Company. $16.95. (Bookdownloadable for free fromThe Earth Policy website www.

earthpolicy.org)

Th bk is builtaud hatB ss asfu mutuallydpdt gals

stabilisig thclimat by cuttigcab missis80 pct by2020, stabilisigth ppulati at

8 billi lss (a ath cttiusad difcult ppsiti), adicatigpty ad stig th eaths

Oct 2010 Std BDH.indd 20 24/09/2010 09:04


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atual systms, sil, aquifs,fsts, gasslads ad shis.Pla B is th altati t busissas usual th ambitiusss fth pla is t di by pcidplitical fasibility but by sciticality.Th aly chapts lay ut th

xtt f th challgs h ss

pstd by pssus atad lad, climat chag ad thtasiti t -fssil ful gy,flld by chapts layig ut hissps t ach f ths aas i

ll dcumtd dtail. H ffsplty f idc t sh ust hatculd b achid i a latily shtpid f tim if there is the will to doit. H, i th capitalist systm

li i this, the will, is hat is sft sh t b lackig.Th chapts a cammd ith

slid ifmati, sm citigxampls f gd pactic aud

th ld, xampls hich culdb flld ith adatag t bthppl ad plat. with his us fumtial, dispassiat mattf fact laguag hich pststh pla as alistic ad atial itculd b difcult f sm t gasp

hy ld lads hat aladygabbd th ccpt ad u ith it.

It is i chapt 10, th last chapt,that, as scialists, gt hat k t xpct smh algth li; th lt-d f h a actually xpctd t put thispla it pactic. Up t this pitscialists ad -scialists alikculd ag that h is a plaabut hich culd lagly hacssus. It uld appal t mstatial thikig ppl h bli

ha t addss immdiatly thpblms that a facig us ight. But a abut t b diiddagai. It is th meanst th d thatdiids us.

n-scialists ill accpt ithutqusti that th is a cmicquati t b discussd ad illbli that pliticias ill b

fcussd i this dicti f th gdf th plat, fmig taxs adsubsidis t achi th bcti ad

if thy t th pssu ill dt b bught t ba thm. This

uld b sm f th acti quid.Scialists, th th had, ill

simply at t pit ut that it isth us f such mthds thlg tm that has bught us t

h at ad it is thisy systm hich pptuats

ad dps th pblms. oly am ight aay fm th capitalistpt systm ill sufc t sa thplat. Busiss not as usualmasmig all acial ictis,taxs, subsidis ad my itslffm th quati, ablishig th

ags systm i fau f cmmship i a classlss scity.JS

African Narodnik

Africas Liberation. The Legacyof Nyerere. Edited by ChambiChachage and Annar Cassam.Pambazuka Press. 2010.

If julius ny,Psidt f

Tazaia fmidpdc i1961 till 1985,had b a lat19th ctuyrussia h uldha b labllda nadik, i..sm h

thught that a basically agicultualcuty culd m staight tscialism, th basis f lcalcmmual illags, ithut haigt pass thugh capitalism. Thrussia Maxists did this, butth nadiks gt a chac timplmt thi idas.

ny did, ith th Aushadclaati hich adptd Uamma(scialism ad slf-liac) as thfcial stat plicy f Tazaia. As

pdictd by Maxists it faild. I fact f th ctibuts t this tibutt ny th 10th aisayf his dath i 2009, Issa Shii,c dscibd th sult as thdlpmt f a buaucaticbugisi i Tazaia. Tdayth pst Tazaia gmtply mbacs (is fcd t)capitalist dlpmt.This said, ny cms acss

as sic ad picipld, asguily atig a scity f scialquality, dmcacy ad ithutxplitati, ad ulik aly all th

th histic Afica idpdclads p did t g t his had.H, th fact that h as sic

ad icuptibl shs that thpblm i Afica (ad lsh) ist bad lads but capitalism. nt a sait ca mad capitalism -

hich Afica cutis a cutlybligd t accpt k i thitst f all.

It ly mais t add thatTazaia i 1967 culd ha passd

dictly t scialism but ly ithth st f th ld fllig a ldscialist luti. Gi that thisdid t happ, capitalism dlpdi Tazaia, as i russia.ALB

p cs

2: Telegram - atlantic-cable.com.6: Demonstration - www.democrats.com.10: Bank of England, Adrian Pingstone,2004, Public Domain15: Sign - acreondependence.com17: Alien, Crobard, 2006, Public Domain20: Crack Capitalism - www.plutobooks.com. PLAN B - www.sustainableguernsey.info.Africas Liberation - www.fahamubooks.org23: Marshmallows - Andy Johnson, PD.24: Balls, Bristoldaily.blogspot.com

p nwsThe World Socialist Party (NewZealand) now runs two local radiostations: Radio 88.3 Imagine,Manurewa (located in SouthAuckland) and Radio 106.9Imagine, Brooklyn (located inWellington).

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This declaration is the basis ofour organisation and, becauseit is also an important historicaldocument dating from theformation of the party in 1904,

its original language has beenretained.

ojt ssm ssm s s mm ws m ms sms g sgw s w mm.

d psThe Socialist Party of GreatBritain holds

1.That society as at present

constituted is based upon theownership of the means of living(i.e., land, factories, railways, etc.)

by the capitalist or master class,and the consequent enslavementof the working class, by whoselabour alone wealth is produced.

2.That in society, therefore, thereis an antagonism of interests,manifesting itself as a classstruggle between those whopossess but do not produce andthose who produce but do notpossess.

3.That this antagonism canbe abolished only by theemancipation of the working classfrom the domination of the masterclass, by the conversion into thecommon property of society ofthe means of production anddistribution, and their democraticcontrol by the whole people.

4.That as in the order of socialevolution the working class is thelast class to achieve its freedom,

the emancipation of the workingclass wil involve the emancipationof all mankind, without distinctionof race or sex.

5. That this emancipation mustbe the work of the working classitself.

6.That as the machinery ofgovernment, including the armedforces of the nation, exists onlyto conserve the monopoly by thecapitalist class of the wealth takenfrom the workers, the workingclass must organize consciouslyand politically for the conquestof the powers of government,national and local, in order thatthis machinery, including theseforces, may be converted from aninstrument of oppression into theagent of emancipation and the

overthrow of privilege, aristocraticand plutocratic.

7.That as all political partiesare but the expression of classinterests, and as the interest ofthe working class is diametricallyopposed to the interests of all

sections of the master class,the party seeking working classemancipation must be hostile toevery other party.

8.The Socialist Party of GreatBritain, therefore, enters the eldof political action determinedto wage war against all otherpolitical parties, whether allegedlabour or avowedly capitalist,and calls upon the members ofthe working class of this countryto muster under its banner to theend that a speedy terminationmay be wrought to the systemwhich deprives them of the fruitsof their labour, and that poverty

may give place to comfort,privilege to equality, and slaveryto freedom.

Declaration of Principles

Meetings

Telegram to British Association

Telegram sent to the British Association

for the Advancement of Science at

their September 1960 Conference in

Cardiff.

TODAY YOU WILL DISCUSS WORLD

POPULAT1ON PROBLEMS. MAY

WE EXPRESS TO YOU OUR CON-

VICTION THAT THE PROBLEMS OF

MASS STARVATION AND MALNUTRI-

TION AMIDST POTENTIAL PLENTY

CANNOT BE SOLVED UNLESS PRO-

DUCTION IS CARRIED ON SOLELY IN

ORDER TO SATISFY HUMAN NEEDS,

UNFETTERED BY ANY CONSIDERA-

TIONS OF FINANCIAL OR NATIONAL

GAIN.

IN OUR VIEW IT IS UTOPIAN AND

IRRATIONAL TO ATTEMPT TO SOLVE

THESE PROBLEMS EXCEPT ON A

WORLD-WIDE BASIS OF COMMON

OWNERSHIP OF THE MEANS OF

PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION.

MEN MUST ORGANISE TO ABOLISH

ALL CLASS AND STATE OWNERSHIP

OF THE MEANS OF LIV1NG MON-

EY, THEREBY. BEING RENDERED

REDUNDANT. AT LAST MAN COULD

GRAPPLE WITH HIS PROBLEMS IN

A TRULY HUMAN AND SCIENTIFIC

SPIRIT. THE VISIONS OF BACON

AND MARX WOULD BECOME THE

REALITY.

SOCIALIST PARTY OF GREAT

BRITAIN

(Socialist Standard, October 1960).

lPublic Debate

Saturday o 23, 7.30

POST-CAPITALISM: PARECON OR A

WORLD WITHOUT MONEY?

Michael Albert (ZCom)

Adam Buick (World Socialist Movement)

Conway Hall,

25 Red Lion Square,

London WC1R 4RL

MsMonday 25 o8.30pm

Discussion on Sport

Unicorn, Church Street, City Centre.

am dgMgSaturday 16 and Sunday 17 o

10.30 am to 5.00 pm

Socialist Party Head Ofce,

52 Clapham High St,

London SW4 7UN

Open to public. All welcome.

lvMonday 11 o, 7pm

Meeting for The Socialist Party-curiousCasa Bar,

29 Hope Street, L1 9BQ

SwsMonday 18 o, 7.30pm

Discussion on Zeitgeist Movement

Unitarian Church,

High St, SA1 1LF

nwSaturday 9 o, 2pm

Forum with the Zeitgeist Movement

(Norwich)

93-97 Quebec Road, NR1 4HY

GsgwWednesday, 20 o, 8.30pm

INFLATION Speaker: Vic Vanni

Community Central Halls,304 Maryhill Road,

G20 7YE.

nw Ss p pmWhats Wrong With Using Parliament?

The Cases For And Against

The Revolutionary Use Of Parliament

Addresses arguments put by otherswho desire a classless, moneyless

society but who do not see parliamentas relevent to achieving this.

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lsMonday 25 o8.00pm

DEATH BY 1000 CUTBACKS

Gregson Centre, Moorgate, Lancaster.

2009 Socialist StandardIndexFor a copy send 2nd class postage to:

The Socialist Party, 52 Clapham High

Street, London SW4 7UN

Oct 2010 Std BDH.indd 22 24/09/2010 09:04


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Marshmallows are not the only sweet

IT IS t b hpd that hil sm ppl may dam thCaliti as pssi ad impishig th ill bths h happily ackldg its ital l i ducatigus abut huma bhaiu ad spss. I paticulagmt miists ha b csisttly ag, i

ustifyig thmsls t us, t xami h sc ith matt f Dfd Gaticati, a ccpt c sabsbig t scilgists, child psychlgists, cimil-gists ad ths similaly skig t xplai th d fus t du s may blmishs hat culd b uduigly fulllig lis.

F xampl h is u Dputy Pim Miist ut-liig a mst ct ccpt f fcial plicy: thisGmt is cmmittd t th lg tm t mak-ig dcisis tday that ill pmt a btt futu:a m pspus cmy, ad a fai scity. oudtmiati t x th dcit is matchd by u dt-miati t cat a m scially mbil scityBut i yas tim at t b abl t lk back ad saythat th child b i 2015 a lss cstaid by

th cicumstacs f thi biththat tu pgss asmad i makig pptuity a ight f th may, aththa a piilg f th f. (It is th tig that thiskid f mpty dil is t sputd xclusily by Lib-als ad Tis; i his campaig f th Labu lad-ship Daid Milibad assud usthat h uld big abut thdistibuti f p i Bitai,a assault iquality f lifchacs)

MarshmallowsIt uld ha b btt

a th tuth if Clgg adMilibad had said that if b-ha usls f th pst, ith ss f ctllig u ugst achi a lss pilus liigstadad shall, i du cus,cm by u ad i th fm fa scity hich thugh its scialmbility is a mdl f faiss.

This auss mmis f hat has g d i histyas th Mashmall expimt. At Stafd Uisityi th 1960s a gup f fu-ya-ld child achgi a mashmall ad pmisd that if thy aitdtty miuts bf atig it thy uld b alld tha ath. Sm f thm aitd; th ths quicklyat th mashmall. Sm yas lat, h thy

18, thy assssd as t thi dg f scial adust-mt ad dpdability th xtt f thi cmicadatag agaist disadatag. (It uld ha bm accuat t call this big ptably xplitd i a

b agaist big udmplyd). Th sults shdth child h had stid thi impuls t scff thmashmall scig sigicatly high tha th ths.(Althugh m tha sps dggdly pitd utthat it dd ly sm as t mashmalls tsc highly ugh t ialidat th hl xcis). P-haps nick Clgg ad his gag might ct this, hilusig thi cdc abut th ucitical accptacf thi pldgs f faiss ad scial mbility.

Cameron

T fstall ay imptuus clbatis at jb Ctsh th staff a dd ud th cut iux fclaimats cucil husig stats h dilapida-

tis li udistubd aft acial cutbacks at th lcalt hall, it must b mad cla that, hat nickClgg may imply, scial mbility is t a uisally aail-abl pptuity. Daid Cam, f xampl, uld tb ligibl f this bt bcaus his status is alady

high ugh t disqualify him. His lat fath as bit a family h afuc as igaid ugh fhim t dscib himslf as a ptistic hi. Th ada-tags i this f Cam Si ad f his childicludig th Pim Miist i spit f his bigb ith a physical hadicap hich uld ha bcucially sticti t th ambitis f a disadatagdfamily f thi childs scial impmt. whatClggs glib muthig abut scial mbility th p-ptuity f a family gup t imp thi matialsituati ad pspcts it is ly aly that thy cab immu t pssus hich a ut f thi ctl bybig built it th fabic f this ppty scity.

PovertyAd f ths th mst pful ad psistt is p-

ty; i this cuty th fact has s dastatiga ffct th lif chacs f ppl th liklihdf thm big abl t bt fm Clggs Scial Mbil-ity. F a lg tim this has gud pmitly i th

maiglss maifsts f thcapitalist patis. This as thLabu Paty, askig f a sc-d tm i 2001: A sigl aimdis u plicy pgamm:t libat ppls pttial,by spadig p, althad pptuity m idly,bakig d th bais thathld ppl back. Ad this asMichal Had, th lad fth Csati Paty, i th2005 lcti: F m th hatf plitics is all abut ppl

thi hps ad aspiatis.Ppl at th fdm, scu-ity ad pptuity t gt

i lif. Fi ds f ay h alls thmsls tb s asily impssd. what has happd sic th?Amg th mass f idc, a pt publishd i jau-ay this ya by th natial equality Pal (a baichildf Hait Hama) statd that by th yas 2007-2008icm iquality had achd th mst xtm llsic th Scd wld wa, ith th tp pct

f th ppulati ach ig hushld alth f 2.6milli hil th pst had 8,800. Big p iictsduig, accumulati damag t a childs ducati, t

h thy li ad t thi lif chacs: ppls c-cupatial ad cmic dstiatis i aly adulthddpd t a imptat dg thi igis.

I th ds th pmiss abut scial mbility,abut yt ath plicy t spiit aay th iquality adits scial damag ixticably likd t capitalist scitya th mpty pladigs f plitical lads ith thigm igial ffcti t ff. S lt us t b iu-cd by nick Clgg ad his attmpts t psuad us tbha lik th gd kids ith th mashmalls. Thd f us t chag scity is as ugt as it as.Ad mashmalls a dcpti: ust st ad sticky

ith a y sft ct.IVAN

Go on - you knowyou want to

Oct 2010 Std BDH.indd 23 24/09/2010 09:04


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csm i aCapitalism is a very wasteful society.

When fruit growers have a more thanbumper crop it is common to let someof it rot unpicked. When charities ask

for the surplus they are told that to giveit away would lower the price. Thesecharities at present pay for the cropthat is picked. Here is a recent exampleof this madness in the retail clothingtrade. High Street retailer Primark hasbeen criticised by charities for its policyof shredding damaged and unwantedclothes. Aid organisations have describedthe practice as worrying and a shame- saying items could be used to raisevital funds. Primark said the practice wascommon and was to protect consumers.(BBC News, 13 September) Overlookingthe hypocrisy of Primarks to protect

consumers remark, the purpose ofall production inside capitalism is tosell goods in order to realise a prot.Capitalism isnt interested in protectingconsumers or aiding charities. Fruit canrot while people go hungry and clothingcan be destroyed while people go aboutill-clad. That is how the capitalist systemoperates.

M, b a a aw csThe advance of capitalism has led

to many improvements in technology.None of us would like to imagine a worldwithout mobile phones, computers or

digital cameras, but this being capitalismsuch advances have led to social disasterfor some. A major source of the essentialingredients for such technology is theDemocratic Republic of Congo. It is fromhere that gold, tin, tungsten and tantalumoriginate. It is also from here that wehave had the deadliest conict since theSecond World War with an estimateddeath rate of 5.4 million people.International agencies have describedhow paramilitary groups in the regioncontrol many of the mine producing goldand the 3Ts where locals including

children are forced to work for as littleas $1 a day. The same groups thenhelp to smuggle the minerals out of the

country, where they eventually end up inlaptops, mobile phones and video gameconsoles. (Times,18 August) When TheTimes investigators queried the supplyof such materials with industrial giants

such as Apple, Sony, Nokia, Dell, HPand Nintendo they were very evasive,best summed up by Microsofts reply Itsvery hard to reliably trace metals to mineof origin. It is of course even harder forthem to let their rivals have exclusiveaccess to these cheap sources.

bsss is bmgIt is common nowadays to read of

growing unemployment, businessesfolding and widespread bankruptcy,but there is one trade that is booming .Pawnbrokers will soon be as commonon the high street as coffee shops and

banks, according to the chief executive ofBritains biggest operator. John Nichols,of H&T, saideventuallythere would bepawnbrokersin everytown centre.(Times, 25August) Hisforecastwas madeas his rmannounced a71 per cent

leap in itsprots overthe last sixmonths. It isworthwhilenoting whatthe source of this high street boom isput down to. Slightly more than half ofpawnshop customers use the cash topay for daily essentials, such as foodand groceries, while about six out of tenare not in work, according toBristol University researchreleased yesterday.(Times, 25 August)Some of us areforced to pawn our

sweethearts engagement ring in orderto get some groceries. Isnt capitalismwonderful?

t p o o

We are often told by socialcommentators that capitalism with itswonderful technology and scienticendeavours has made the modern worlda vast improvement on the past, but thehuman cost in injury and death is alwayssoft-pedalled by capitalisms supporters.Almost unnoticed in the paeans of praisefor the prot system is this short newsitem. Employers in the offshore oil andgas industry were urged yesterday toimprove their safety record after a bigincrease in the number of workers killedor seriously injured. The Health andSafety Executive said that 17 workers

died in off-shore-related incidents andthere were 50 severe injuries in the past

year, a stark reminder of the hazards.The combined fatal and severeinjury rate almost doubled, coupledwith a marked rise in the numberof hydrocarbon releases - regardedas potential precursors to a majorincident. (Times, 25 August) When itcomes to prot making human life is nota major factor.

a n l r-aFrom time to time that old banger

that you called the family car needs

renewal. Here is an idea. Lotus hasunveiled the ultimate track-day car - aFormula One-inspired racer calledthe Type 125. The British sports carcompany will show its consumer-focused F1 clone at this weekends

annual Pebble Beach ConcoursedElegance in the United States, withplans to build only 25 examples fromnext April. The 125 will costmuch less than a real

Formula One carbut the price tag

is still expected tobe about $1.1 million.

(Drive, 11 August) Cmon whatis holding you back?

Documents

Socialist Standard October 2010