Sham inquiry into 'progressive extremism' will not stop movements against capitalism
Queues to sign up to the Socialists at a Black Lives Matter protest in Birmingham, 4.6.20, photo Lenny Shail (Click to enlarge)
Nick Hart, Wolverhampton Socialist Party
Shortly after the 2019 general election, former Labour MP John Woodcock was rewarded by Boris Johnson for his public call to vote Tory with a seat in the House of Lords. In this new role, he has now been appointed to lead an inquiry into "progressive extremism".
In his own words, he plans "to look at the way anti-democracy, anti-capitalist, far-left fringe groups... hijack important causes". This reflects the false idea spread by the far right, amplified by sections of the capitalist media, that the Black Lives Matter protests and the school strikes against climate change have been part of some kind of 'Marxist conspiracy'.
Socialist Party members have been proud to take part in these movements. But there's been nothing secretive about the way we've gone about it.
During the Black Lives Matter protests in Wolverhampton and elsewhere last summer, Socialist Party leaflets and posters were enthusiastically received by large numbers of people looking for ideas that can end the systemic oppression of black people.
Rather than looking to 'hijack' the demonstrations, we boldly and unashamedly raised the slogan that "you can't have capitalism without racism". Banishing racism to the dustbin of history once and for all means doing the same to the class society that breeds division and racial inequality.
Worried about socialism
The desperate attempts by the Tories to create a moral panic around growing support for socialism follows on from their proposals to further restrict the right to protest and strike (see 'State forces want more power to crush the protests that are coming').
Taken together, these are clearly conscious moves to try and undermine support for protests, in preparation for further attacks on the working class through yet more cuts and redundancies, as part of their 'recovery' from the Covid crisis.
But this bid to introduce 'red scare' tactics to the UK may backfire. In the US, completely non-socialist, pro-big business politicians, such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden, have long been labelled 'socialists' by their Republican opponents.
This has only driven more workers and young people to seek out the real ideas of genuine socialism and Marxism. A series of opinion polls have shown that around 40% of American adults now have a favourable view of socialism.
The reality is that the inability of capitalism to solve the issues of racism, climate change and economic collapse, in favour of the working-class majority, will continue to give rise to mass movements against these ongoing crises.
The Socialist Party will be fighting alongside those taking part in these protests and campaigns every step of the way. We link up the different issues faced by workers and young people with the need to replace the system over which Lord Woodcock and his ilk preside.
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The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
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In The Socialist 16 February 2021:
News
Tory consultation on home-use abortion pills
Tory cladding money will not make us safe
Sham inquiry into 'progressive extremism' will not stop movements against capitalism
Cumbria mine: How can we fight for jobs and stop climate change?
Cryptocurrency bubble: Insanity of capitalism
NSSN meeting
Online workers' rally: Taking fight to the bosses
Scotland
SNP's independence referendum 2 'roadmap'
NHS
NHS white paper: no solution to failed Tory policies
Boot private companies out of our NHS
Workplace safety
Derby Toyota plant Covid crisis
Workplace News
Hackney teaching assistants strike against cruel and unnecessary job cuts
Manchester Go North West bus drivers in all-out strike over fire and rehire dispute
London bus drivers set to strike over pay and conditions
Socialist Students
Strike back for free education
Socialist Students conference - Sunday 28 February
Campaigns
Socialist Party Black and Asian caucus
Remembering Mohamud Hassan - continuing the fight against police brutality
How you can amplify the Socialist's voice - Help us build subscriptions to the Socialist
Swarming the London Mayor's question time
Southern new members meeting - a vivid illustration of the appetite for socialist ideas
Doing all we can to fund the anti-cuts stand at the ballot box
Readers' Opinion
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