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Potential of movement against water charges.
international |
bin tax / household tax / water tax |
opinion/analysis
Monday November 24, 2014 22:31 by john throne - Facts for working people
Anti water charges movement: tens and tens of thousands of working class and youth on to the streets. Tens and tens of thousands of Irish workers and youth have taken to the streets and confronted the government and the state. What is the nature of this movement and what is its potential? Should it just be seen as a movement to bring down this government and replace it with another government. Or should it be seen as having the potential to bring down the system and replace it with another system. Sean Throne I support enthusiastically the militant stand of the SP in the water charges struggle. In doing so I would also like to say that I think that it would be important that the SP from its position of increased influence take the lead in building a united front of mass direct action as has been emerging on the ground with the protests all over the country. Part of this is to put aside old conflicts and sectarianism and seek to unite the revolutionary left, such as the SP itself, the United Left, PBP, Clare D, Joan C, and other left and activist groups, into a revolutionary socialist current that puts forward its ideas in the movement as it develops. |
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Jump To Comment: 1"Finally the same question again: Could a revolutionary situation be developed if the left forces got over their sectarianism, came together and sought to win the most combative and thinking workers and youth and oriented these to the mass of the workers and to the middle layers around a democratic anti capitalist socialist program and internationalism."
Based on what we've seen for over more than just my lifetime, little prospect of that. The myriad left factions all seem more interested in fighting each other for recruits to their individual vision of the best approach. Close to zero willingness to ignore (what should be considered minor) differences in the cause of unity. After all, if you win, little reason to bicker that another approach would have been even better.
But please note something very important. Saying that you can get masses united together (recognizing that this is a prerequisite) puts a different approach on the usefulness of parliamentary means. IF you have the vast majority behind you (in a society where voting is possible) then it's up to the other side to try force to disrupt you taking over by parliamentary means. It's the side that DOESN'T have enough ballots that has to try bullets.
Also recognize that it requires MUCH more means to take over a society (replace the ruling order with your own) than it does to disrupt the ruling order. So just looking to accumulate enough to bring down the current version of the capitalist order may not be enough UNLESS you have REASON to believe that it will be your vision that becomes the replacement. Please take careful note of my use of REASON as opposed to quasi-religious faith. A quasi religious ideology that presumes there is only one possible path for history isn't reason no matter how many sacred texts declare it. If the history of the 20th Century (and earliest 21st) teaches us anything it should be that fascism and/or religious fundamentalism can turn out to be the winners when societies collapse in conflict.