Recently, the world learned of the death of Robert Conquest, a ‘historian’ and author who worked for the Information Research Department (IRD) – an innocuously-named operation set up by the Labour government to produce and spread influential anti-communist propaganda throughout the British media and arts.
Establishment obituaries have been quick to promote Conquest’s credentials as a singularly brilliant scholar who was responsible for revealing the ‘horrors’ of the USSR. They quietly ignore his strong connections with semi-fascist and anti-communist propaganda organisations, and his deeply contentious use of ‘sources’ for his allegations that approach outright academic fraud.
Reproduced below is a statement from renowned Soviet historian Grover Furr on Conquest’s work and legacy, which stresses the importance of understanding biases and motivations behind ‘academic’ works that amount in many cases to ‘propaganda with footnotes’.
It was recently announced that the Supreme Court is to look into issues surrounding the notorious joint enterprise law for the first time. This is a law under which many young working-class and ethnic-minority people have been put behind bars for crimes they did not commit.
As part of the ongoing work this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory over fascism, the CPGB-ML and Red Youth organised two well attended party functions in Glasgow and Birmingham at which Party Chairman Harpal Brar gave his presentation on the subject. Both functions were chaired by young cadres of the Party.
Drew introduces Harpal in GlasgowAustin speaks for Red Youth in Birmingham
Much is written and spoken about WW1 and WW2 – yet it is truly staggering how few people, and particularly how few British workers, really understand the causes and significance of this struggle, in which 60 million workers gave their lives.
The imperialists (Britain, France, USA, Germany, Japan…) fought, and many millions died to preserve and enforce the wage and colonial slavery of the capitalist class. They fought for slaves and booty and nothing more.
Last weekend, the CPGB-ML held its 2015 summer celebration of internationalism and BBQ. THe meeting was attended by over 100 of our members and supporters, and was addressed by representatives from the Cuban, DPR Korean and Venezuelan Embassies, who brought greetings from their governments and people, and updated comrades present on the latest developments in their struggles, and the contemporary situation in their countries.
Each of these countries, stands on the front line of the anti-imperialist struggle, and delivers a message of solidarity from their anti-imperialist, progressive and socialist movements, peoples and governments.
British workers have much to learn from the workers of these countries about how to build and maintain a movement for social emancipation.
What are the beliefs of the Anarchists? How are they different from the socialists and communists? In particular: is capitalism the enemy, or is the state machine the enemy?
What do the anarchists think workers should do if they are successful in getting rid of exploitative capitalism? What are the anarchists’ criticisms of communism? What are the basic ideas and beliefs of the communists that make it a useful guide to action, and empower workers to overthrow the old system of exploitation and build a new, peaceful and truly representative society? In what way is socialism more ‘scientific’ and systematic?
Harpal Brar, chairman of the CPGB-ML gives a historical and contemporary look at anarchism, from its philosophical and organisational origins to the present day anarchists and their ‘activity’, and compares it to the Socialist views of Marx and Engels.
A must watch for every thinking person, every would be revolutionary, and every worker who wants to build a better world.
The following letter was sent by a Proletarian reader to the British Medical Association journal BMA News.
“Readers of BMA News over the last couple of weeks cannot fail to have noticed the BMA’s conspicuous ‘No More Games’ campaign, designed – we are told – to appeal to the UK government to stop “playing games” with the NHS.
With all due respect to the leadership of our trade union, what UK governments – regardless of party political stripe – have done and continue to do to the NHS since 1979 is not a ‘game’, it is a pre-planned step-by-step programme to re-privatise healthcare in this country.
The first step in 1983 was to take NHS executive power away from doctors and place it instead in the hands of new business managers.
Step 2 in 1990 was to replace the old funding system of simple block budget allocation, with an artificial ‘internal market’ whereby ‘providers’ would henceforth compete for funding from ‘commissioners’.
Step 3, from 1997, was the expansion of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), whereby NHS Trusts were encouraged to ‘solve’ their funding problems by – in effect – paying for new (and often unnecessary) infrastructure projects on a credit card.
Step 4 was the introduction of ‘Foundation Hospitals’ – in effect embryonic private hospitals – from 2002: since then the government has decreed that all NHS Trusts must ultimately become Foundation Trusts, or else be subsumed into existing Foundation Trusts.
The final step was the Health and Social Care Act 2011, which in fact formally abolished the NHS as a universal free healthcare system: ‘NHS’ is now little more than the name for a pot of taxpayer money that will increasingly be directed to the government’s friends on the boards of private healthcare providers.
And so you see, the government is not ‘playing games’ here, far from it. It is no more likely to be dissuaded from privatising the NHS by appeal to reason or kindness than it was to be dissuaded from invading Iraq. Or Afghanistan. Or Libya. Or Yugoslavia. Or Ukraine …
Perhaps if anyone needs to be told to stop ‘playing games’ here it’s the BMA?”
CPGB-ML and Red Youth comrades attended Saturday’s demonstration against austerity in London. Comrades cheered Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuiness when he declared that the Tory government were the “real spongers”, he said,
End Austerity Now Demo, London, 20th June 2015
“Unlike the Tory millionaires, I live in the heart of the proud working class community of the Bogside in Derry,”
“The people the Tories are targeting are my friends, my neighbours, my family. They are fine, hard-working, proud and decent – just like our people in working class unionist communities.
“They are not parasites or spongers. It is Cameron’s cabinet of millionaires who are the real spongers given free rein to live out their Thatcherite fantasies at the expense of ordinary, decent communities throughout these islands.”
In the aftermath of what was presented by many as a ‘Tory landslide’, a groundswell of dismay greeted the 2015 election result. From quarters where well-meaning, better-off workers have been fooled into thinking that electing Labour will be Britain’s path out of austerity, much hand-wringing and agonising is now the order of the day.
It has been reported that the demonstration attracted 250,000 people.
The End Austerity Now national demonstration in London this Saturday (20 June 2015) attracted over 250,000 people, by far the biggest single showing of public anger against the British regime in over a decade. Unions, political parties, activist groups, and individuals came together under a single clear message – we won’t tolerate capitalist austerity that puts profit before people.
Join Red Youth and CPGB-ML comrades to mark International Workers’ Day, on Friday 1st May 11:30am at Clerkenwell Green, to celebrate our proud history of working-class resistance!
May 1st is a significant day for workers across the world. It is a time to celebrate the hard-won victories of workers of all countries in our on-going struggle against exploitation and oppression, and show our continuing dedication to education, organisation, and action.
The working class do not march in protest on May Day, although there is plenty to protest about. Rather, the working class marches to demonstrate the power we have, to seize control of our labour, to oust the parasitic ruling class, and to build a future free from poverty and exploitation.
