Think Tanks?

[Bud Fox]

Is there a general revolutionary left opinion on the academic contribution of think tanks to politics? Are there any UK think tanks that are utilised by radical leftist parties or supported by revolutionarys?

Bonus point: Im guessing that think tanks such as Demos and Fabian are felt to have abandoned any real socialist intent?

[Sperm-Doll Setsuna]

Think tanks are all reactionary. Their contribution to politics is wasting paper and producing terribly bland propaganda.



Bonus point: Im guessing that think tanks such as Demos and Fabian are felt to have abandoned any real socialist intent?

Did they ever have any? :rolleyes:

[Bud Fox]

How about LM (Living Marxism)?

[ed miliband]

Living Marxism is now Spiked, and Spiked is... strange. Sometimes they'll raise a good point or two, and then other times you're left questioning the sanity of certain writers. On quite a few issues they end up to the right of the Conservative Party, arguably.

Demos and the Fabian Society having "socialist intent"? Git tae fuck. Both are essentially wings of the Labour Party, and Demos only deserves respect for not having a history as despicable as the Fabians do (supporting eugenics...).

[Bud Fox]

Living Marxism is now Spiked, and Spiked is... strange. Sometimes they'll raise a good point or two, and then other times you're left questioning the sanity of certain writers. On quite a few issues they end up to the right of the Conservative Party, arguably.

Demos and the Fabian Society having "socialist intent"? Git tae fuck. Both are essentially wings of the Labour Party, and Demos only deserves respect for not having a history as despicable as the Fabians do (supporting eugenics...).

Yes, I heard that LM are really anti-environmental and have an ongoing rivalry with commentators such as George Monbiot.

[Adil3tr]

Think tanks are usually funded by corporations and the right, there might be a few that are more liberal, but there are mostly a negative force in politics

[bailey_187]

I think there should be a think tank of revolutionary leftists. It could provide anlysis of whats going on in the economy etc and offer socialist solutions. Obviously they will not be adopted by the bourgeois parties, but it could put forward our ideas to general public. I mean all we have with the cuts stuff is the SWP with their genius newspaper headline "Tory Scum!", the SP saying how much we could save if we didnt have nukes etc

[Q]

I think there should be a think tank of revolutionary leftists. It could provide anlysis of whats going on in the economy etc and offer socialist solutions. Obviously they will not be adopted by the bourgeois parties, but it could put forward our ideas to general public. I mean all we have with the cuts stuff is the SWP with their genius newspaper headline "Tory Scum!", the SP saying how much we could save if we didnt have nukes etc

A proper theoretical body in a revolutionary party is extremely vital - be it in the form of a regularly maintained theoretical magazine that acts as a platorm for different ideas and analysis to be discussed, or more elementary, a studygroup that studies not just the standard "Marxist canon" but strives for a deeper theoretical understanding, teaching certain skillsets and original theoretical development by the membership - if the party is not fall back in dogmatism and theoretical stagnation. I disagree that an independent think tank would be a solution, at most it would be a temporary one and a first step towards a bigger formation, as such a body would only really florish within a broader party that unites the Marxist formula of agitation, education, organisation into one unity (whereas a theoretical body would obviously focus on education).

[el_chavista]

If there are "think-tanks", by the same token there may be "speak(ing-tanks" :lol:
Chávez seems to never getting tired of speaking about socialism to his audience.

[Adil3tr]

I think there should be a think tank of revolutionary leftists. It could provide anlysis of whats going on in the economy etc and offer socialist solutions. Obviously they will not be adopted by the bourgeois parties, but it could put forward our ideas to general public. I mean all we have with the cuts stuff is the SWP with their genius newspaper headline "Tory Scum!", the SP saying how much we could save if we didnt have nukes etc
Who will pay for it?

[A.R.Amistad]

A proper theoretical body in a revolutionary party is extremely vital - be it in the form of a regularly maintained theoretical magazine that acts as a platorm for different ideas and analysis to be discussed, or more elementary, a studygroup that studies not just the standard "Marxist canon" but strives for a deeper theoretical understanding, teaching certain skillsets and original theoretical development by the membership - if the party is not fall back in dogmatism and theoretical stagnation. I disagree that an independent think tank would be a solution, at most it would be a temporary one and a first step towards a bigger formation, as such a body would only really florish within a broader party that unites the Marxist formula of agitation, education, organisation into one unity (whereas a theoretical body would obviously focus on education).

Bingo, theory and action should not be separated

[Bud Fox]

I just want to dig this thread up one last time. What then are the three best (lesser evil) think tanks in the UK for the revolutionary left?

Visavis Im sure there must be some decently left-wing members of the Fabian society as their written aim is still "to bring communist principals to society through reform rather than revolution'" -or something to that effect. I also heard that Compass are trying to return new labour to its socialist roots somewhere...