RADICAL LEFT DISCUSS JEREMY CORBYN
Scott says---Interesting. Though I think this viewpoint is still too soft. I would go further though and say that really the choice is between a grassroots movement or electoral politics.
When a social movement (any social movement) opens itself to a politician or political party of any kind energy and focus is drawn away from the social movement and channelled towards the politician or political party. This has happened again and again and again from Syriza to the Yes campaign being funneled into support for the SNP.
I guess the reason that happens is time and energy is limited and so much energy is needed for electoral politics but is easier to enter into since there is already structures existing to join in with whereas a social movement requires building and creating structures which is very hard work and a much longer term project.
As they say in the video either the party or politician is not elected or they are elected but are unable to do what they claimed because the system could not/ would not allow it to happen. All governments must ultimately defer to the dictates of the market.
It's worth saying too that electoral politics is the wrong means to bring about the end of a democratic politics. It CANNOT bring about that end by its very nature. To think otherwise is magical thinking. Electoral politics still keeps with the idea that one group or person should be elevated above everyone else and should have decision making power over others lives. If our aim is a society in which ordinary people control their own lives(surely the very meaning of democracy itself) it cannot come about by putting other people in charge of everyone else's lives. That just doesn't make sense
When a social movement (any social movement) opens itself to a politician or political party of any kind energy and focus is drawn away from the social movement and channelled towards the politician or political party. This has happened again and again and again from Syriza to the Yes campaign being funneled into support for the SNP.
I guess the reason that happens is time and energy is limited and so much energy is needed for electoral politics but is easier to enter into since there is already structures existing to join in with whereas a social movement requires building and creating structures which is very hard work and a much longer term project.
As they say in the video either the party or politician is not elected or they are elected but are unable to do what they claimed because the system could not/ would not allow it to happen. All governments must ultimately defer to the dictates of the market.
It's worth saying too that electoral politics is the wrong means to bring about the end of a democratic politics. It CANNOT bring about that end by its very nature. To think otherwise is magical thinking. Electoral politics still keeps with the idea that one group or person should be elevated above everyone else and should have decision making power over others lives. If our aim is a society in which ordinary people control their own lives(surely the very meaning of democracy itself) it cannot come about by putting other people in charge of everyone else's lives. That just doesn't make sense
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