On Partyism

A light reply to Edmund Griffiths essaylette on building a New Left Party (https://www.edmundgriffiths.com/newparmounlab.html) Possibly not in contradiction. I just want to go back to basics on the importance of partyism (as opposed to cadrism, spontaneism, actionism, syndicalism etc.) 

So, what is a party? At heart, it is a participant in a process: a legal term (“The party of the first part”). A party has an interest in the process (drawing up a contract, disputing in court, winning a vote). Interest here means more than intellectual engagement, it means being subject to the material outcomes of the process. 

The working class is a party to the political process: the ongoing contest over who and in whose interest decisions are taken in society. Likewise, socialists and communists are parties to this process, merely through the articulation of their desires and objects. The working class party, or the communist party is the broad category that covers any agency that promotes, pursues or articulates these interests. 

A Political Party, proper, is the corporate expression of this agency. In UK law, this corporation attracts privileges (name and logo protection) and obligations (reporting on donations and spending). This corporate body is mostly what people mean when they talk about a new left/working class party. The left party exists in any case, but how is it best to be championed (or does it need a champion at all?). The incorporated agent provides essential services to the party: it can formalise position, exclude (disclaim) some positions and actions, and provides authority: who can and cannot speak on behalf of the party. This is a blessing and a curse, since power will seek to recuperate this authority and turn it against the broader movement. The corporate body provides continuity beyond the individuals. 

The Labour Party’s clause 1.2 is an excellent and elegant expression of this: “[The Labour Party’s] purpose is to organise and maintain in Parliament and in the country a political Labour Party.” (and of course, Clause 4 defines the purpose of that party). As it stands, its officials and members do an excellent job at meeting those objects. 

So, I wind to my point: Alastair Cambell used to write OST on people’s papers: Objective, Strategy, Tactics. Objective shapes strategy, strategy shapes tactics. A new incorporation of the left needs a laser like focus on the shared objective. The mess of Sultana/Corbyn situation stems in part because the implicit objective is to forge a parliamentary alliance from existing MPs with different electoral bases. The unclarity of objectives and structures itself is derived from the necessity of the object of welding together existing political teams and individuals: the court politics then follows that set up, and is coupled by the recuperation by a media that itself is built around court politics.

Rugby league returns!

So, I need to get back into the blogging habit. It's a curious thing, that Skolars' two pre-season friendlies may be their biggest gates of the season. Wigan XIII (the kids) at the Honourable Artillery Company is a great season opener, and certainly draws in the crowds. Having the Broncos to the New River also brought a great crowd two (and it was good to hear they were in full voice). It was good to be back New River, and my regular seat. Enfield was nice, but the green view around the ground on White Hart Lane is hard to beat. Skolars played well in both games, only losing by respectable margins, rather than 60-nil drubbings (although it was clear from the error strewn Broncos that they are clearly not a Super League team, but maybe the test of the season will tell. They only need to escape the Championship and recruit. Last season showed what the core of their support is, and that will stay while they're in the Championship, and they can only grow from here). A bit of flash basketball throwing here and there they could cut out, bu the basics are in place, and only pace and size will tell against them (and it will). I look forward to some humdingers. (Oh, and seems the New River has been renamed New Camp. Ho Hum). It took me a little while to adjust my head from watching union matches (kept expecting kicks to touch and ten minutes standing around for the next set piece). The pace has been terrific, as well as the physical courage. A new season, loads to enjoy. Howay the Skolars!

On a workers wage...

faintly heartening BBC story doubtless there is some lurking evil somewhere, but a President prepared to stick by his principles (hardly a workers wage, since his wife has property, but still, sometimes the littlest steps make the biggest differences).

The president and his wife work the land themselves, growing flowers. This austere lifestyle - and the fact that Mujica donates about 90% of his monthly salary, equivalent to $12,000 (£7,500), to charity - has led him to be labelled the poorest president in the world.

Blown away...

"CHINA’S political elite has been shaken by a lurid new scandal over the death of a senior official's son who crashed his Ferrari during what appeared to be a sex session with two women." (story here).

So, that kind of speaks for itself, doesn't it. All the analysis of the whispers from the corridors of the Chinese government are neither here nor there. It is symptomatic of a sort of decadence within the second generation ruling elite, the ones with privilege gifted them. (It also shows how the accoutrements of wealth, including almost ritual sexual performances and prestige objects (like Ferraris) are now in available to the elite). For the ruling party, of course, it is the symbolism that matters, if only a handful of their number are so debauched, they will come to stand is as a metonym for the whole.

Brown trousers time

According to the BBC: Chinese growth is falling. Now, you might say, wow, 7.6% growth (however much of that is real), but China has been growing much faster than that recently. Given it's scale, its importance to the world economy, China doesn't actually have to go into recession in order to cause a great deal of damage. Here's former Aussie PM Kevin Rudd explaining why. Couple this with warning squeaks from Germany and we may be seeing the world crisis move into a new phase: first the shock, then the slow down. Bob alone help us if China goes into negative growth (or, such negative growth that it can't massage the stats to look positive). I have my tins of beans and sacks of porridge ready.

Papal endorsement

Official: the Pope loves Fanta - so much, he splashes it around. Nasty accident there, could sink the Titanic.

Bradford bull

It's always terrible whenever a swathe of lay-offs is announced. It's always sad when a town's club dies. I have to confess, at first I thought about digging into my pockets to help the dig-out fund for the Bulls. I checked who owned them, decided they were privately owned, and kept my cash in my pocket. If they were a co-op or a supporters trust I've have chipped in. But I didn't see why I should help someone make a profit (either directly or ultimately).

On top of that, what with the mess at Rangers, I've become less tolerant. Financial mismanagement of a club is cheating, it keeps them in place when other clubs who are working hard and managing on a shoestring could step up and benefit from the earnings. So many families rely on a club for their incomes, it is despicable to play fast and loose with that. Even star league players aren't super rich in this country.

I hope a new club arises from the ashes, even if it has to start from rock bottom. This link leads to a very pissed off fans forum. And they rightly are. I hope that the game with Broncos goes ahead this weekend, even if it has to be played on some local rec.