Challenging left nationalism and left unionism in the SSP 1. Socialist Approaches to History in Scotland i) Book publication produces political storm ii) Scottish marxists and Scottish history – the long silence iii) The Scottish Left begins to rouse from its unionist sleep iv) The symbiotic relationship between British left unionism and Scottish left nationalism…
Rank and File or Broad Left
Workers’ Democracy versus British Bureaucracy Through his experience in the building industry and other working class struggles, Brian Higgins (Building Worker Group, UCATT, TCT) argues for rank and file organisation, not Broad Leftism. Introduction I have been asked as a militant trade unionist and a committed republican to write this article. Recently there has been…
Fight the imperialist drive for permanent war
The Republican Communist Network is proud to be part of the SSP, which has consistently upheld the line of opposition to the threatened war on Iraq. It has led the anti-war movement in Scotland on a principled basis. The SSP and the RCN are completely opposed to any war against Iraq regardless of any subsequent…
Letters
Bob Goupillot’s article on progress in E&L 2 was illuminating. The nature of the communist society of the future is not a matter of crystal ball gazing but, for materialists, should be a matter of some urgency. It will not develop organically if we just let it grow but is there to be determined and…
You are the weakest link! SSP Special Conference, the Left and No to the Euro Campaign
Allan Armstrong (RCN), mover of the active boycott motion assesses the SSP Special Conference How the debate was handled The SSP SC on June 22nd, voted by a 4-1 margin to campaign for a no vote when Tony Blair finally decides to set the date for the Euro referendum. An extended morning session was given…
British Nationalism and the rise of Fascism
While the Anti Nazi League concentrates its effort on fighting German Nazis, fascism has very British roots. In a shortened version of an article he wrote while in the Republican Workers’ Tendency, Chris Ford shows the link between loyalism and fascism. Chris is currently on the Editorial Board of Hobgoblin. The British roots of fascism…
Correspondence Red
Allegiance In this year of Jubilee and celebration of monarchy, a lot will be said about allegiance – allegiance to Queen and country. It slips off the tongue quite readily but carries a heavy message. Allegiance is a powerful emotional attachment to a cause or person or place and experiencing and expressing this deeply felt…
Roads to Freedom or did Marx change his mind?
Karl Marx Favourite maxim – Nihil humanum a me alienum puto (Nothing human is alien to me) Favourite motto – De omnibus dubitandum (Doubt everything) Bob Goupillot examines Marx’s search for new paths to social transformation Who will mend the hole in the ozone layer? Who will reverse global warming? It is quite clear that…
Republican Forum: A way forward for republicanism
This article appeared in The Starry Plough (Dec. 2001/Jan. 2002) the paper of the Irish Republican Socialist Party It was a momentous day for Republicanism in Ireland. Tuesday the 23rd of September 2001- the day the Provisional IRA decommissioned weapons in order to save not only the Good Friday Agreement but also the Stormont Assembly.…
Why Emancipation And Liberation
Emancipation and Liberation are heady words. Yet it is vital that we give serious consideration to what we stand for – not merely what we are against. The left is best known for being anti – anti-cuts, anti-poll tax, anti-Nazi, anti-fascist, anti-war, anti-imperialist, anti-globalisation or anti-capitalist. Some will argue that as long as we stand…