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IanB 6761 posts |
Edited Jul 30, 2015, 17:48
Jul 30, 2015, 17:45
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riverman wrote: Mark Steel on the Labour leadership election: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-last-thing-labour-needs-is-a-leader-like-jeremy-corbyn-who-people-want-to-vote-for-10411466.html I have been wondering something that you may be able to answer. If Americans have West, Graeber, Zinn, Stiglitz, Nader, Chomsky etc then who do the British have of the same vintage and quality of insight in the same realm? Steve Keen is Australian so that rules him out. Is it really just a troika of "comedians" and the New Statesman brigade of Jones, Lewis, Moore and Penny et al? Paul Mason. He is on my radar. Am I missing anyone who speaks for us from here rather than from there? I keep expecting a heavyweight to weigh in for Corbyn and then I wonder who those heavy weights might be.
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PMM 3155 posts |
Edited Jul 30, 2015, 22:26
Jul 30, 2015, 22:26
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George Monbiot perhaps? Paul Foot? Robert Fisk? John Pilger?
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Lump Of Green Slime 56 posts |
Edited Jul 31, 2015, 08:11
Jul 31, 2015, 07:50
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They aren't necessarily of the same vintage or prominence and I haven't read them all but Tony Judt, David Harvey, Ha Joon Chang (a South Korean economist based at Cambridge) and Terry Eagleton are all worth a look. Chang, in particular, is wonderful at demystifying Economics in order to challenge the neoliberal consensus. And he does it the best way, with easy to understand number crunching. His books 'Economics: A Users' Guide' and '23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism' are seminal. After you've read these titles (and his prose is immensely clear and engaging), when a Tory or Tory-lite neoliberal tells you that something is 'bad for the economy' on the telly you'll know that it's almost certain that they are talking out of their arse. Incidentally, I tend to lurk rather than post in this forum. But I have enjoyed reading this thread and finally felt that I had something to contribute. I'm also not necessarily a fan of Corbyn or all-that politically engaged. My views are that essential services like power, transport, health and education should be under state control while the rest can be left to the vibrancy of the markets. What does that make me? A 'leftie'? A market socialist? I'm asking because I don't feel that I'm all that radical and fairly MOR in fact.
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Rhiannon 5291 posts |
Jul 31, 2015, 08:44
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Ah the press would like you to think that showing even the tiniest bit of humane sympathy makes you an unelectable communist. This morning on radio 4 they were talking to Dave Ward of the communication workers union - he pointed out how the 'centre' of British politics isn't where it was. (He did go on a bit but you may find it worth listening to. He called the Blairites a 'virus' in the party yesterday, and stood by it). There's a great appetite for change, look how people leapt at voting for the liberal democrats (before they started shoring up the tories) and this time the green party. People have been banging on about how a more left wing stance would make labour unelectable. But they're unelectable now because they've got nothing that distinguishes them from the tories as far as I'm concerned. At least a pretence that they defend working people and vulnerable groups would be a start. It's ages until the next election and unless labour works out what it stands for it really will make itself unelectable. anyway I personally feel happy every time I hear more people are backing JC and that it's winding up his opposition. rant over, it's too early (cup of tea mk2 not even finished)
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IanB 6761 posts |
Jul 31, 2015, 09:04
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PMM wrote: George Monbiot perhaps? Paul Foot? Robert Fisk? John Pilger? Monbiot for sure. The others don't really have the academic clout of their American and Canadian breatheren. Paul Kingsnorth maybe. Also forgot about Bookchin and Klein. It's pretty impressive. Maybe it is all happening in other parts of Europe in languages I don't understand!
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IanB 6761 posts |
Jul 31, 2015, 09:05
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Lump Of Green Slime wrote: They aren't necessarily of the same vintage or prominence and I haven't read them all but Tony Judt, David Harvey, Ha Joon Chang (a South Korean economist based at Cambridge) and Terry Eagleton are all worth a look. Chang, in particular, is wonderful at demystifying Economics in order to challenge the neoliberal consensus. And he does it the best way, with easy to understand number crunching. His books 'Economics: A Users' Guide' and '23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism' are seminal. After you've read these titles (and his prose is immensely clear and engaging), when a Tory or Tory-lite neoliberal tells you that something is 'bad for the economy' on the telly you'll know that it's almost certain that they are talking out of their arse. Incidentally, I tend to lurk rather than post in this forum. But I have enjoyed reading this thread and finally felt that I had something to contribute. I'm also not necessarily a fan of Corbyn or all-that politically engaged. My views are that essential services like power, transport, health and education should be under state control while the rest can be left to the vibrancy of the markets. What does that make me? A 'leftie'? A market socialist? I'm asking because I don't feel that I'm all that radical and fairly MOR in fact. These days that would make you, to quote Labour leadership contender Liz Kendall, a fantasist and an extremist. Welcome to the hard left ;-)
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carol27 747 posts |
Jul 31, 2015, 09:07
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Rhiannon wrote: Ah the press would like you to think that showing even the tiniest bit of humane sympathy makes you an unelectable communist. This morning on radio 4 they were talking to Dave Ward of the communication workers union - he pointed out how the 'centre' of British politics isn't where it was. (He did go on a bit but you may find it worth listening to. He called the Blairites a 'virus' in the party yesterday, and stood by it). There's a great appetite for change, look how people leapt at voting for the liberal democrats (before they started shoring up the tories) and this time the green party. People have been banging on about how a more left wing stance would make labour unelectable. But they're unelectable now because they've got nothing that distinguishes them from the tories as far as I'm concerned. At least a pretence that they defend working people and vulnerable groups would be a start. It's ages until the next election and unless labour works out what it stands for it really will make itself unelectable. anyway I personally feel happy every time I hear more people are backing JC and that it's winding up his opposition. rant over, it's too early (cup of tea mk2 not even finished) Hear, hear.
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moss 2897 posts |
Jul 31, 2015, 10:35
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Talking of Paul Mason, very eloquent on Channel 4, but read an essay in the Guardian a couple of weeks ago, from his new book Postcapitalism, link here, might get it. And then there is Will Self of course adding to the 'left chatter' that is now breaking free in the Labour party.... http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/17/postcapitalism-end-of-capitalism-begun
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drewbhoy 2554 posts |
Edited Jul 31, 2015, 10:53
Jul 31, 2015, 10:52
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sanshee wrote: Hi Ian. Yes, us two (me and me 'man') are signing up today. Aside from the fact I think he's the only politician for years to come across as having real ideas and old fashioned conviction, it's all the more crucial for us up here to get rid of these SNP arseholes who give less of a stuff about any sort of political change (or even the day to day running of Scotland tbh)than their own little grubby agenda (rejected by over 2m BTW). I'm with you all for the good fight here. Regards. **Typing as I listen to a bit of Sleaford Mods** ;) These Scottish arseholes (I hope I am one of them) you refer to might be the people who get Corbyn elected.
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drewbhoy 2554 posts |
Jul 31, 2015, 10:55
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Looks like he might work with the Greens. I wonder what his views on Scottish independence/Vote Hope are.
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