What's the most ridiculous thing you've heard at a political meeting/rally?

[Prince Rhyus]

Mark Steele said that someone said that under a communist state, sport would be banned as people would no longer need it. (Or something like that from his book about the French Revolution.)

Can you better that?

(Again, applies to the entire political spectrum - the sort of statement that makes you think: "Are you living on the same planet as me????")

 

[mk12]

The funny thing, the person who made that comment is in the same party as Steele!

http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/isj73/bambery.htm

Socialism will not be a society where 22 men still play football (far less where another 30,000 people will pay to watch them) or men and women crash up and down a swimming pool competing against each other and the clock

I once heard someone say that all soldiers come home brutalised and beat their wives.

 

[STFC]

So communists are anti-football then? Fuck! I was that close to becoming one...

 

[TAE]

Socialism will not be a society where 22 men still play football (far less where another 30,000 people will pay to watch them)

A bloke who goes to a football match, and neither wants to play nor wants to watch, is probably a football hooligan.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

Neither would socialists dream of banning or prohibiting participation in sports. But socialists should follow the example of the Bolsheviks in pulling out of all sports competitions based on nationalism, such as the Olympics.

From the link to Socialist Review posted above. (My emphasis)

 

[mutley]

'We should condemn all those miserable defeat-mongers who argue that the miners strike ended in defeat' (paraphrased) - Workers revolutionary Party meeting, Reading, circa 1985

 

[Kenny Vermouth]

I've never been to one - thank fuck although I can imagine they are uniquely depressing occasions.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Neil Kinnock pretending to be a socialist.

 

[Geri]

A Militant full timer told me that under socialism, people wouldn't take drugs as there would be 'no need'.

 

[JHE]

'We should condemn all those miserable defeat-mongers who argue that the miners strike ended in defeat' (paraphrased) - Workers revolutionary Party meeting, Reading, circa 1985

It wasn't just the nutjobs of the WRP who tried to claim it had not been a defeat.

Benn and Scargill and others took the same sort of line, IIRC. They weren't bonkers like the WRP. They were just desperately trying to put a brave face on it to underplay the defeat, by emphasising that (most of) the miners marched back to work united, banners aloft, bands playing. I don't think anyone was fooled really. A defeat's a defeat by any other name.

 

[Geri]

Benn and Scargill and others took the same sort of line, IIRC.

That's true, I met Arthur Scargill when I was on a trade union course and he got very uppity with me for suggesting that they had lost the strike. He said he regarded it as a great victory.

 

[Grego Morales]

Once at an Stop the War meeting a member of the CND asked everyone to stand up and sing a hymn.

 

[joffle]

Mark Steele said that someone said that under a communist state, sport would be banned as people would no longer need it. (Or something like that from his book about the French Revolution.)

Although the way thats been put makes it sound absurd, some of Adorno and Horkheimers (Adorno on his own in 'Prisms' i think) work is quite persuasive on this point. Obviously they don't say sport should be banned. They say Sport is a way of man releasing his energy and natural insticts, so as to be ready to work in the boring job on the production line the next day. This is similar to their discussion of the culture industry. Its all very interesting.

ETA...well i think its interesting anyway!!!

 

[mk12]

They say Sport is a way of man releasing his energy and natural insticts

Sport is fun. To watch and play. That's all. You don't any academic bullshit to know this.

 

[TAE]

They say Sport is a way of man releasing his energy and natural insticts, so as to be ready to work in the boring job on the production line the next day.

But sports is also good to train skills which you could use.

 

[mutley]

Sport is fun. To watch and play. That's all. You don't any academic bullshit to know this.

I hated it. And I think its boring. I didn't need to pass any exams to realise this.

 

[Tokyo]

At a local Social Forum meeting, the local SWP organiser turned up solely to say that it was a waste of time and that he was leaving. The other SWP members looked bemused and didn't leave until he phoned them from outside and ordered them to leave!

 

[JHE]

What was the problem? Not enough Muslims?

 

[Grego Morales]

What was the problem? Not enough Muslims?

Naughty!

When I lived in Leicester the non-SWP left/anarchos where regularly slurred as rascizts due to their skeptical approach towards Respect.

 

[joffle]

Sport is fun. To watch and play. That's all. You don't any academic bullshit to know this.

Don't get me wrong, I love sport. Thats just what they said!

 

[TremulousTetra]

Naughty!

When I lived in Leicester the non-SWP left/anarchos where regularly slurred as rascizts due to their skeptical approach towards Respect.

shut up you racist.

 

[emanymton]

Somebody who called themselves an anarchist, I can’t remember what the actual meting was about anymore just that they spoke from the floor and came out with this gem

'The most subversive thing you can do is grow your own vegetables.'

 

[Red Leicester]

Naughty!

When I lived in Leicester the non-SWP left/anarchos where regularly slurred as rascizts due to their skeptical approach towards Respect.

Bothered?!

 

[Red Leicester]

When my Nalgo branch was discussing the forthcoming merger with COHSE & NUPE to form Unison a CP member announced "I'm against this" which surprised me as that was not the "party line".

The comrade went on to explain "I've always called them unions not unisons".

 

[glenquagmire]

I was at a John McDonnell rally last year with all the different micro-groups groups taking turns to give a speech (sorry, ask a question) at the end. The SP, SWP, AWL, CPGB, CPB et al offered their qualified support but when some Workers Power bloke got up and said he wouldn't be supporting McDonnell until he publicly called for the abolition of private property, there was a unanimous groan around the room.

 

[Andy the Don]

At a debate regarding Trident at Lewisham town hall when both the Socialist Party & the SWP stated that there needed to be a unified party of the left. Of course they both meant that this unified party should be their party. I just chuckled to myself..

 

[Simon B]

The funny thing, the person who made that comment is in the same party as Steele!

http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/isj73/bambery.htm

Chris Bambery should be more honest and say that his 'socialism' will be a boot stamping on a human face forever.

 

[butchersapron]

I was at a John McDonnell rally last year with all the different micro-groups groups taking turns to give a speech (sorry, ask a question) at the end. The SP, SWP, AWL, CPGB, CPB et al offered their qualified support but when some Workers Power bloke got up and said he wouldn't be supporting McDonnell until he publicly called for the abolition of private property, there was a unanimous groan around the room.

Not the most ridiculous and far-fetched thing to be said at that meeting i'm sure.

 

[Roadkill]

A Militant full timer told me that under socialism, people wouldn't take drugs as there would be 'no need'.

I've seen swappies trying to claim the same thing. Frequently whilst swigging beer.

 

[glenquagmire]

Not the most ridiculous and far-fetched thing to be said at that meeting i'm sure.

Politically by far the most ridiculous.

But don't let that get in the way of your obsession.