Alex Callinicos: Don’t overstate gains of the right.....

[The39thStep]

Funnily enough there is a piece very very similar to the opening post in this thread. In fact its word for word.

http://www.permanentrevolution.net/?view=entry&entry=2155

 

[cockneyrebel]

Tis fun.

 

[mk12]

Funnily enough there is a piece very very similar to the opening post in this thread. In fact its word for word.

http://www.permanentrevolution.net/?view=entry&entry=2155

Odd that.

I don't think it's overstating the gains of the right to state the fact that this is the best the far-right have ever done electorally in Britain.

 

[cockneyrebel]

Odd that.

I don't think it's overstating the gains of the right to state the fact that this is the best the far-right have ever done electorally in Britain.

Just can't stop the ass lickin' can ya

But don't see why it's odd, I thought it was obvious it was a PR article and why put a link when I've copied and pasted the whole thing? Calm down, tis fun.

And the point you make is the point the PR article is making in the first place......

 

[mk12]

I don't think it's overstating the gains of the right to state the fact that this is the best the far-right have ever done electorally in Britain.

 

[cockneyrebel]

Tis fun.

 

[mk12]

hahaha.

I don't think it's overstating the gains of the right to state the fact that this is the best the far-right have ever done electorally in Britain.

 

[Prince Rhyus]

Interesting how he seems to insinuate the far left as "they" rather than putting his hands up and acknowledging his/SWPs role in achieving the number of votes that they did.

 

[The39thStep]

Just can't stop the ass lickin' can ya

But don't see why it's odd, I thought it was obvious it was a PR article and why put a link when I've copied and pasted the whole thing? Calm down, tis fun.

And the point you make is the point the PR article is making in the first place......

Always reference your quote unless you want to be accused of plaguerism. or having an original thought.

 

[The39thStep]

So how is the no platform debate contributing to the growth of the far right whether we under or over estimate it?

 

[toblerone3]

On the general point of this thread I would have thought that so far the swing to the right that occurred at the end of the 1970s (election of Thatcher and Reagan) was sharper than what is occurring now. At least so far.

 

[poster342002]

On the general point of this thread I would have thought that so far the swing to the right that occurred at the end of the 1970s (election of Thatcher and Reagan) was sharper than what is occurring now. At least so far.

Possibly, but it has yet to even begin to swing back the other way.

The swing to the right at the end of the 70s was just the start of a grim trend that saw the whole country (and much of the world) go lurching rightwards for 30 unbroken years. I'm yet to be convinced that process is even slowing down - let alone reversing.

 

[Frostys Lodger]

Possibly, but it has yet to even begin to swing back the other way.

The swing to the right at the end of the 70s was just the start of a grim trend that saw the whole country (and much of the world) go lurching rightwards for 30 unbroken years. I'm yet to be convinced that process is even slowing down - let alone reversing.

And is not likely to until some sort of left equivalent to Thatcherism, Friedmanism or what ever you like to call the rightist theories of that period emerges. One that is accessible and can be popularised with WC people in the way that Thatcherism to some degree was.

Given the grip of the right over most of the media its difficult to see how this would emerge.

 

[KeyboardJockey]

And is not likely to until some sort of left equivalent to Thatcherism, Friedmanism or what ever you like to call the rightist theories of that period emerges. One that is accessible and can be popularised with WC people in the way that Thatcherism to some degree was.

Given the grip of the right over most of the media its difficult to see how this would emerge.

I think there is a need for a new type of Leftism but it needs to stop being so obsessed with revolutionary messianism and also needs to junk a lot of the previous theoretical basis on which leftism existed.

By clinging to the spectre of the words of a bunch of dead Russians they constantly shackle the left with the image of the failed Soviet Union and the butchery that it contained and engendered.

A new left would need a new academic basis.

 

[audiotech]

By clinging to the spectre of the words of a bunch of dead Russians they constantly shackle the left with the image of the failed Soviet Union and the butchery that it contained and engendered.

How do we learn from the mistakes made then and dare I say it the successes Einstein?

 

[durruti02]

I think there is a need for a new type of Leftism but it needs to stop being so obsessed with revolutionary messianism and also needs to junk a lot of the previous theoretical basis on which leftism existed.

By clinging to the spectre of the words of a bunch of dead Russians they constantly shackle the left with the image of the failed Soviet Union and the butchery that it contained and engendered.

A new left would need a new academic basis.

surely it has a practical basis of basic solidarity with people?

 

[KeyboardJockey]

surely it has a practical basis of basic solidarity with people?

Agree there. It should be the base line.

 

[adc069975]

The right-turn of Europe is alarming. The recent successes of the far-right reflect the growing reactionary and polarizing trend that is extant now - not only in Europe, but globally. The left are unable to put up a challenge to any of this. In Europe, the liberal establishment is beginning to distance itself from multiculturalism. Robert Putnam's recent study has instructed politicians that multicultural society is responsible for the cynicism that plagues mainstream politics, and that ethnic diversity is responsible for declining 'civic health'. Thus, in Britain, politicians search for the means to reconstitute the national idea on a different basis, one that supposedly accommodates this problem.

Global economic downtrend threatens more unrest, and growth of the right, with lack of a viable alternative to global capitalism tangible to most workers. The drum beat of war sounds against Iran, ominously, and, in Europe, we are reminded constantly of the existential threat Islam poses. Against this backdrop, racism is being revived.

It looks bleak from here.

 

[gorski]

Thankfully, Britain is not EU...

 

[adc069975]

Thankfully, Britain is not EU...

So?

 

[gorski]

Sooooo, the rest of the EU is not like the UK... So everything one might conclude - [like this almost] directly [or just "suggested"] from the UK case onto everybody in the EU - is not necessarily directly applicable to a very different political, social and economic context... Thankfully!

 

[The39thStep]

The right-turn of Europe is alarming. The recent successes of the far-right reflect the growing reactionary and polarizing trend that is extant now - not only in Europe, but globally. The left are unable to put up a challenge to any of this. In Europe, the liberal establishment is beginning to distance itself from multiculturalism. Robert Putnam's recent study has instructed politicians that multicultural society is responsible for the cynicism that plagues mainstream politics, and that ethnic diversity is responsible for declining 'civic health'. Thus, in Britain, politicians search for the means to reconstitute the national idea on a different basis, one that supposedly accommodates this problem.

Global economic downtrend threatens more unrest, and growth of the right, with lack of a viable alternative to global capitalism tangible to most workers. The drum beat of war sounds against Iran, ominously, and, in Europe, we are reminded constantly of the existential threat Islam poses. Against this backdrop, racism is being revived.

It looks bleak from here.

Putnams study doesn't just dwell on ethnic diversity though . His data is somewhat dated and his conclusions could be said to arise when there is a drop in community cohesion through migration and arrival by any numbers from anywhere.

As for his book instructing politicians how does that manifest itself here?

 

[adc069975]

As for his book instructing politicians how does that manifest itself here?

Robert Putnam has been an adviser to Tony Blair and GW Bush. His ideas are directly received by the establishment. He's quoted by NuLab on the topic of migration etc. If you're asking me how is this reflected in the right-ward trend of the UK and Europe at large, it is in its undermining of the multi-cultural paradigm, as part of a larger effort to re-emphasise 'European' values.

 

[The39thStep]

Robert Putnam has been an adviser to Tony Blair and GW Bush. His ideas are directly received by the establishment. He's quoted by NuLab on the topic of migration etc. If you're asking me how is this reflected in the right-ward trend of the UK and Europe at large, it is in its undermining of the multi-cultural paradigm, as part of a larger effort to re-emphasise 'European' values.

What is wrong with European values if you live in Europe?

 

[gorski]

Or anywhere else, for that matter...

Provided, of course, we're not talking Nazi ideas...

Rather, the universalistic, generalisable ones, which are inclusive, rather than exclusive...

Which means - wait a minute - mutual recognition, respect, consideration, knowledge and care of the other and... is that by any chance multiculturalism?!?

 

[adc069975]

What is wrong with European values if you live in Europe?

Nothing, in itself. For instance, secularism has some challenges to undermine it, so its defense is a good thing.

But the point is - besides how something 'european values' is defined in the first place - that this effort is motivated largely by political establishment interests as well as Europe's attempt to negotiate its role as a power bloc. Which makes this all very duplicitous.

 

[gorski]

Who is Europe? Which power establishments exactly? So easy to say this but not all EU "establishments" think the same way. Even they vary according to schools of thought, political leanings/movements they belong to and so forth.

Many [interest] groups in EU don't support any such stuff. Loads of EU citizens don't support this type of thinking and acting.

In short: this kind of "realist-type" power analysis suffers from all sorts of blind-spots, as many have warned already...

 

[gorski]

Btw, Callinicos himself warns on the topics [see his "Against the Third Way", for instance], i.e. "realism" as pretty limited in so many respects...

 

[JimPage]

Am disappointed in this article, from someone who should know better. The right have gained, and this is a period of relative stability, which, in my opinion, is rapidly dissapearing.

And moden day Euronationalism cant be understood solely in reference to Hitler and Mussolini, and the ways they came to power.

 

[brasicritique]

Am disappointed in this article, from someone who should know better. The right have gained, and this is a period of relative stability, which, in my opinion, is rapidly dissapearing.

And moden day Euronationalism cant be understood solely in reference to Hitler and Mussolini, and the ways they came to power.

exactly. more head in the sand stuff

it this bloke is a leading light on the left then he is obviously in the tem watt catergory- i did not read the article but it would appear from the bit at the top that anyone with any ability could take it apart very easy which is worrying given his supposed status as a leading lightbulb.