Whats the Revleft consensus on George Galloway?

[Adi Shankara]

I discovered him about 2 months ago, and I can't help but think he is the kind've charismatic voice the left needs. I can't find a single position of his (so far) that I don't agree with, esp. when it comes to Palestine, Zionism, and racism: (Here is a video of him owning a pro-zionist newscaster)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6QImuSo2eo

also, scottish accents are badass. lol

so what does everyone think about him? is he just a liberal poser, or is he the real deal?

He say's he's not a communist, but he describes himself as a Socialist.

[A Revolutionary Tool]

Well that was a pretty good smackdown right there but I've never heard of him before so I don't really know if he's right or left.

[Leonid Brozhnev]

Ah, a fellow Dundonian. He's quite left... he's popular over here but in an infamous sort of way; he is a very outspoken activist and met Saddam Hussein a few times so many people view him with a degree of contempt, but personally I love the guy... he really does get quite angry in that video :lol:

'What a silly person you are'... had me in stiches.

[Sam_b]

Aah, gorgeous George. The man who shook Washington!

He's a fantastic orator and someone who it is right to ally ourselves with on the issues of the war, Palestine and against imperialism. Many on here will claim the 'cult of personality' thing against George because he loves the limelight and is the definition of a champagne socialist (he won't take a workers wage) but we cannot ignore this fact. I think he gives the anti-war movement decent publicity. But would I support entering into a coalition with him again? No.

[Adi Shankara]

Ah, a fellow Dundonian. He's quite left... he's popular over here but in an infamous sort of way; he is a very outspoken activist and met Saddam Hussein a few times so many people view him with a degree of contempt, but personally I love the guy... he really does get quite angry in that video :lol:


"I have met Saddam Hussein exactly the same number of times as Donald Rumsfeld met him. The difference is that Donald Rumsfeld met him to sell him guns and to give him maps the better to target those guns. I met him to try and bring about an end to sanctions, suffering and war, and on the second of the two occasions, I met him to try and persuade him to let Dr Hans Blix and the United Nations weapons inspectors back into the country - a rather better use of two meetings with Saddam Hussein than your own Secretary of State for Defense made of his."

George Galloway, (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1616578,00.html)The Times, May 18, 2005

Bravo, George. good way to put it.

[ed miliband]

Regarding whether or not he's a socialist, I believe an SWP publication (or maybe it was New Left Review, idk) described him as a moderate social democrat in the traditional sense. I think that's accurate. He certainly isn't working for the same vision of socialism as many people on here and would probably be restricted if he joined (lol). His idea of socialism is nationalising a few key industries mixed up with identity politics, all through parliamentary means.

[Sir Comradical]

They were MURDERED! By your BIG BRAVE ARMY!!

Galloway is awesome, however he does have double standards when it comes to religion.

[Palestine]

YES YES YES
Keep it going Mr. Galloway, You never cease to amaze me.
March as we march behind you.

[ed miliband]

Oh, and he's anti-abortion and doesn't seem to think homophobia actually exists.

Actually, the latter part may be a tad unfair.

[Adi Shankara]

Oh, and he's anti-abortion and doesn't seem to think homophobia actually exists.

I know for a fact he is quite opposed to homophobia, just by listening to his radio show; as far as abortion, he is opposed to it on a personal level, but says he stands by his political party's stance on pro-legality.

[DaringMehring]

George is great, for a bourgeois politician. If it came to barricades, I think he'd pick the left side. He's a definite ally.

[ed miliband]

George is great, for a bourgeois politician. If it came to barricades, I think he'd pick the left side. He's a definite ally.

lol


"Labour
MP George Galloway … said … “these lunatics, anarchists and other
extremists, principally from the Socialist Workers’ party, were out for
a rumble the whole time, and now they’ve got it. If they didn’t exist,
the Tories would need to invent them.”
Sunday Times 1 April 1990

[Adi Shankara]

lol

[/I][/FONT]

he's changed his attitude alot since 20 years ago though; this he admitted.

I think he is a lighting rod for controversy and loves the spotlight, but it's good to see for once someone who isn't afraid of being offensive or non-PC. he calls it as he see's it, and it's true: zionists are bigots.

[DaringMehring]

lol

[/I][/FONT]

Your quote is 20 years old. A lot of things changed from that time. Labour went to the right with the so-called New Labour --- this obviously affected Galloway. He coalitioned with the SWP in Respect for a few years.

[manic expression]

I've seen him speak in person, and he's peerless at a podium. One of the most powerful voices against imperialism and for the freedom of Palestine. I agree with most posters here in that he's an ally.

[ed miliband]

It just seems like he changes his positions on things when it seems to suit him best*. He's a great talker, very charming, but he's hardly somebody to be looked up to, and I severely doubt he'd be on the barricades in some hypothetical revolution.

He's a reformist. He wants to nationalise a few key industries and do so through parliament. Maybe he's an ally for you guys, he isn't for me.

*He needed the SWP, in many ways (and I suppose they needed him).

[Adi Shankara]

Even if you disagree with his stances on religion, or abortion, or economy--his credentials on consistent opposition to racism, zionism, and imperialism cannot be disputed.

[bricolage]

I can't forgive him for his disgraceful line on the Iranian elections.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11B_CTF5JvQ

Or his anti-abortion, anti-euthanasia, reformist, old labour politics.
Or his egotistical hypocritical ways.
Sure he can talk the talk and it's good to have him on Question Time taking down some right wingers but apart from that not interested.

[bailey_187]

He's a great speaker and good for Anti-Imperialism. However he is a Social Democrat with a bit of a fetish for Islam.

[Barry Lyndon]

As someone who's grandfathers best friend was tortured and murdered by Saddam Hussein because he was a Communist, I can't see anyone who had chummy meetings with Saddam AND his lunatic sadist son Uday(the latter meeting he denied ever took place until footage emerged), as an ally. Or the fact that he routinely praises the world's biggest sweatshop the PRC as a model of socialism. I used to like him but after learning these things I became utterly disgusted, and hearing everything that comes out of his mouth about Palestine and Iraq stinks of hypocrisy.

[Sendo]

As someone who's grandfathers best friend was tortured and murdered by Saddam Hussein because he was a Communist, I can't see anyone who had chummy meetings with Saddam AND his lunatic sadist son Uday(the latter meeting he denied ever took place until footage emerged), as an ally. Or the fact that he routinely praises the world's biggest sweatshop the PRC as a model of socialism. I used to like him but after learning these things I became utterly disgusted, and hearing everything that comes out of his mouth about Palestine and Iraq stinks of hypocrisy.

He doesn't properly articulate himself on the issue, but I think he wants to defend the state of the PRC, especially against the West. (Likewise, Kruschevian SU was not the socialism as under Lenin, but it was a hell of a lot better than post 1991 SU.) His big beef was the Free Tibet cries and other attacks launched on China in the Olympics lead up. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but in many ways China does need critical support. A billion Chinese have the capacity to effect the change needed. Any foreign interference would merely result in a post-USSR fractured, Balkanized, poor, corrupt collection of kleptocracies.

[REDSOX]

Galloway is a gifted orator and can hold an audience spellbound. His activism with regards to the palestinian liberation struggle, Cuba, Venezuela and anti war movements is exemplerary. On the downside though he has an enormous ego and a penchant for self publicity.

[RadioRaheem84]

I really don't know a lot about Galloway to speak of him but all I know is that he was in a big debate with Christopher Hitchens about the Iraq War. At the time I was a big pro-war lefty hawk and thought that Hitchens "won" the debate. I should have a listen again and see just who really won.

[Vanguard1917]

Populist egomaniac. (Whatever you do, don't do a Google image search for "galloway leotard".)

[Hit The North]

Let the Bourgeoisie quake with fear!

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/mp_galloway.jpg

[The Idler]

The UK's answer to Al Franken.

[RadioRaheem84]

The UK's answer to Al Franken.


No. Al Franken is a conventional liberal. Not even really a progressive. Galloway would be considered "far left" in this country. Very marginalized.

[Andropov]

Most people have stated here what really needs to be said.
Great on anti-imperialism and great for cutting the right down to size.
But as was stated before is really just very old school Labour, a Social-Democrat at heart but all in all I think his heart is in the right place even if his brain isnt.