Best Left News of 2011

[The Idler]

Please read any replies to this thread then vote for the best news event in 2011 for the left-wing movement and working-class or vote "other" and suggest others in replies below. This is a follow-on from the thread posted last year about last year.

[tachosomoza]

Occupy Wall Street.

[piet11111]

I would say occupy movement because its going to lead to anti capitalist conclusions once they realize that what they are protesting against is the direct result of capitalism.
Though its results so far are not as spectacular as the arab spring that is quite likely to only achieve bourgeois democracy instead of actual socialism.

[Winkers Fons]

OWS and the "Arab Spring" are both very important. However, I predict that the Arab Spring will have a much longer lasting impact while the occupy movement will fizzle out in the next few years.

I think in the long run the Arab Spring means the end of U.S. imperialism in the Middle East. Now that a few popular uprisings have accomplished what a decade of war could not, the people of the Middle East will begin to see that the power rests not with foreign invaders or Western-backed dictators but with the people themselves.

Occupy Wall street is a great movement, but I just don't think the conditions in the U.S. and Western Europe are right for it to really take hold.

[Zbigniew]

Russian protests, and I like the fact that Communist Party is getting stronger in Russia.

[Ocean Seal]

I voted for the Spanish protests being that the assembly and occupying a central square tactics did play a part in how the occupy protests developed. Also the Arab spring was a mixed bag to be honest.

[CynicalIdealist]

I voted the Arab Spring since it came the closest to starting the fire, although I guess the fire was always burning since the world was turning.

[bcbm]

global civil war embroyo

[Chambered Word]

I like the Arab Spring but I loved the Greek protests.

[Rafiq]

Obviously OWS.

Its a clear message to the world that the masses are dissatisfied and that things cannot go on the way they are.

It is the 21st century gateway to a new period of revolutionary activity.

[Tabarnack]

I voted OWS but the poll is flawed because all these protests are linked, this protest movement is international in scope and is about economic hardship brought about by the ongoing capitalist financial collapse, the bad or good news is that this only the beginning of the end or is that the end of the beginning :confused:

[Permanent Revolutionary]

I thik you have to choose the Arab Spring, with particular mention of Tahrir Square, because this was what in part inspired OWS

[bcbm]

but facebook inspired tahrir

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Everything kinda is interconnected and inspired by each other so there is little point in voting as I see it.

[Kornilios Sunshine]

I surely do not think that the Greek protests were done by leftists. Not only this, but I do not think they were actual demonstrations. The only thing everyone saw was a big group of people saying "Fuck you Pangalos!(Vice President of Greece)" and nothing more.

[Dimmu]

While i would name OWS as the most important event, but i cannot ignore the events in the arab world where the youth challenged brutal dictatorships and won.

[piet11111]

While i would name OWS as the most important event, but i cannot ignore the events in the arab world where the youth challenged brutal dictatorships and won.

True but the arab protests are almost guaranteed to only achieve bourgeois democracy where as OWS is a lasting change in western consciousness that capitalism is unfair.

Its not yet anti-capitalist in its conclusions but that will change given enough time.

[Krano]

I would have to say Russian Protests, because when the Russian people rise up agains't there system changes are inevitable we've seen that all throughout history.

[Permanent Revolutionary]

True but the arab protests are almost guaranteed to only achieve bourgeois democracy where as OWS is a lasting change in western consciousness that capitalism is unfair.

Its not yet anti-capitalist in its conclusions but that will change given enough time.

You being overly optimistic I think. In the long run, I think OWS will be a footnote in history, as the movement lacks proper direction.

But if the US cops keep up with their brutalization of protesters, things might change.

[piet11111]

You being overly optimistic I think. In the long run, I think OWS will be a footnote in history, as the movement lacks proper direction.

But if the US cops keep up with their brutalization of protesters, things might change.

OWS is absolutely going to fail (should have made it more clear) but the people that take part in it are learning a lot and they will eventually have to conclude that what they are protesting (inequality mass poverty evictions shutoffs police brutality) is systemic to capitalism and lead to anti-capitalist conclusions.

Its the next mass movement i am optimistic about not the reformist leadership of the OWS.

[Sam_b]

Why? Why should we be ranking working class events (and seeing that list i'm using the term at a stretch) in order of what is apparently 'the best'? What is it 'the best' for, considering that left-wing and the class are non synomymic?

[The Man]

Russian protests, and I like the fact that Communist Party is getting stronger in Russia.

The CPRF is more revisionist than the CPUSA. Why you would be rooting for them is beyond me.. They are nationalists...

[FSL]

The CPRF is more revisionist than the CPUSA. Why you would be rooting for them is beyond me.. They are nationalists...

Says who?


A Forbes contributor has this to say on the matter:

Note how absolutely ludicrous and antiquated much of the following sounds and how undigested little bits of rancid Marxism (“give it… a class character”) still appear from time to time. I dare say that even continued rule by United Russia is preferable to giving these idiots another go at running the country
http://www.forbes.com/sites/markadomanis/2011/12/20/the-communist-party-of-the-russian-federation-has-learned-nothing-and-forgotten-nothing/


Their article on the current demos is worth reading by the way. I disagree with some conclusions but still better then what the rest of the left seems to be doing (like Udaltsov, one of the heads in the left/communists' coalition, walking hand in hand with Kasparov, Limonov and all sorts of liberals and proclaiming "we are the 99%" in a country where communism is a actually a good word).

[The Idler]

Why? Why should we be ranking working class events (and seeing that list i'm using the term at a stretch) in order of what is apparently 'the best'? What is it 'the best' for, considering that left-wing and the class are non synomymic?
The left is part of the working-class, they're not exclusive. Whats good for the left ought generally to be good for the class struggle. Unless you're saying the left ought to or does have different interests to the class?

Since revleft users generally identify as leftists, the poll is a quick way to gauge opinion of revleft users. The events are those which users might disagree on the relative significance for the class struggle. Polling might reveal a different picture of support from a board discussion (since voting can be more accessible) and it is a concise report contrasting users support for events during an arbitrary period of time.

[Zbigniew]

The CPRF is more revisionist than the CPUSA. Why you would be rooting for them is beyond me.. They are nationalists...

They are the only ones (who are not liberals) that have a chance of taking Putin down, so they have my support.

And if they ponder to the electorate to attract more voters with a little patriotism, I dont see why is that so bad. Remember, in WWII a lot of Soviets were driven on by cheers like "for mother Russia", and WWII is in Russia called the Great Patriotic War.
What is important is to stop nationalism turning into imperialism, but I dont think patriotism is neceserely bad.

[The Douche]

They are the only ones (who are not liberals) that have a chance of taking Putin down, so they have my support.

And if they ponder to the electorate to attract more voters with a little patriotism, I dont see why is that so bad. Remember, in WWII a lot of Soviets were driven on by cheers like "for mother Russia", and WWII is in Russia called the Great Patriotic War.
What is important is to stop nationalism turning into imperialism, but I dont think patriotism is neceserely bad.

But the CPRF are liberals, and nationalist ones at that. They have friendly relations with fascist organizations as well.

So what if they pander to patriotism/nationalism? Are you for real? Nationalism and patriotism are reactionary ideas, workers have no country. Internationalism is a foundational element of communism

[Zbigniew]

But the CPRF are liberals

Can you post me some links to support that.



So what if they pander to patriotism/nationalism? Are you for real? Nationalism and patriotism are reactionary ideas, workers have no country. Internationalism is a foundational element of communism

Well, I liked Yugoslav patriotism, so if that makes me reactionary, so be it. :cool:
It is that patriotism that helped to defeat the fascist imperialism, so I am quite fond of it.

[Ele'ill]

I'm interested to see where a lot of these end up once they've reached some full conclusion. I think it's a bit early.

[FSL]

But the CPRF are liberals, and nationalist ones at that. They have friendly relations with fascist organizations as well.

They're liberals who team up with fascists, they are the spawn of Satan.


Links please.

[Threetune]

Clearly the notion of ranking ‘events’ as separate in some way is lazy primitive rubbish.

The dedicated hard working activist poser of the question has not yet bothered to attempt to answer the question which was posed, but has lazily opted for a vox pop answer. Get a job with the BBC.

[The Douche]

They're liberals who team up with fascists, they are the spawn of Satan.


Links please.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Dugin


In 1988 he and his friend Geydar Dzhemal joined the nationalist group Pamyat. He helped to write the political program for the newly refounded Communist Party of the Russian Federation under the leadership of Gennady Zyuganov.[5]

Then the same dude helped to found national bolshevism, after writing texts like "Fascism-Borderless and Red".

http://kommersant.ru/photo/archive/search.asp?L=2&dt=1&ex=y&lang=2&lib=1&ps=10&searchbtn=search&text=labour&pg=27

Photo reports of KPRF holding joint rallies with national bolsheviks...

[LuckyStrikes]

I think any movement that moves the working class forward is a great, great thing. I do feel that some of these movements are given too much leftist credit. Such as Occupy Wall Street. I feel the movement is given a lot of credit, but most of the protesters do not want to change the capitalist system, rather to be more respected within it. But, 2011 was a year of action, which will forever change the face of capitalism and the working class. Viva la revolucion.

[Ele'ill]

I think any movement that moves the working class forward is a great, great thing. I do feel that some of these movements are given too much leftist credit. Such as Occupy Wall Street. I feel the movement is given a lot of credit, but most of the protesters do not want to change the capitalist system, rather to be more respected within it. But, 2011 was a year of action, which will forever change the face of capitalism and the working class. Viva la revolucion.

I saw a lot of liberals shift. It's a shift in consciousness. I have a few liberal friends who tagged along occasionally with the occupy stuff and they're talking about militant action in the work place. They're talking about actual occupations. They weren't before.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I'd say that just generally the rise of resistance to the financial crisis was the best news of the year. The "Arab Spring" in particular...before that happened, I wasn't really sure why I believed that international resistance that wasn't bound by national borders could spread quickly, if given the right impetus. I wasn't sure what it'd look like. I had historical case studies to look at, but that was it. I was really suprised and pleased with how fast the protests spread, how far they spread (from Morrocco to Mosul) and how intense they were, it takes nerve to go out in the streets when there's a very real chance that you'll be shot.

It also finally put the rest the myth that Arabs are some kind of extremely alien culture who value the jackboot on their neck.

[FSL]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Dugin



Then the same dude helped to found national bolshevism, after writing texts like "Fascism-Borderless and Red".

http://kommersant.ru/photo/archive/search.asp?L=2&dt=1&ex=y&lang=2&lib=1&ps=10&searchbtn=search&text=labour&pg=27

Photo reports of KPRF holding joint rallies with national bolsheviks...

By the beginning of the 1990’s, as the Soviet Union was approaching its collapse, Dugin began to assume a more high-profile political role. He formed an association with “statist patriots” in the communist camp and was, for a brief period, close to the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Genadii Zyuganov. According to Stephen Shenfield, Dugin “probably played a significant part in formulating the nationalist communist ideology that was Zyuganov’s hallmark.” http://www.princeton.edu/lisd/publications/wp_russiaseries_dunlop.pdf
This is the source for what you wrote.



From the same source

In 1993, Dugin joined his efforts to those of a charismatic demagogue, Eduard Limonov (born 1943), and founded the National Bolshevik Party (NBP)
CPRF was founded in 1993 with Dugin in another party. His neofascist pamphlet and break with Limonov came later.
Now Limonov is a "progressive" god-knows-what somewhere on the center-left I'd guess who works with Kasparov and other liberals as well as some communists in a common "opposition front" (I'm amazed at the communists who choose to participate in that thing like the "Vanguard of Red Youth"). Dugin probably still leads some pro-Putin fascist group of 20 people.

You're essentially blaming a party for someone who wasn't even one of its members ever and for having a joint demo with the NBP a few years back, something which it no longer does (other leftist forces do just that though, even some ideologically sound ones).



The problem is not there, it's making many mistakes (other leftists are also making many mistakes) but according to you there is no point in trying to pinpoint the actual errors and criticizing them on those, they're enemies because of some guy who wasn't in their party.

I'm not finding that helpful.

[Sam_b]

The left is part of the working-class, they're not exclusive. Whats good for the left ought generally to be good for the class struggle. Unless you're saying the left ought to or does have different interests to the class?

I like how you're trying to set up one of these catch-22 questions, but no, I think (unfortunately) "the left" as we see it fundamentally does have different interests than that of the class, as witnessed through several events we've seen this year.

If your opening statement is the case, then do you believe that the left is made up only of working class elements? If so, why?


the poll is a quick way to gauge opinion of revleft users

No, it doesn't. Asking a question, perhaps, of "what do you believe the turning point this year was and why" would be a quick way of gauging not opinion, but the priorities of several users and their organisational tactics. This one is a list that you've picked what you believe (If I am being correct here I think you've just listed a bunch of things for fun) is somehow 'important' to the left; which includes a bunch of Pirate Bay wannabes winning a seat or two in Germany, a bunch of freemarketeers and fascists anmongst others causing a stir over the state Duma and bunching together a number of Arab countries with vastly different and controversial experiences of this year together in the contested notion of the 'Arab Spring' (in the sense that some of our M-L comrades do not believe Libya to be legitimately part of it). You're then just asking for people to tick a box and move on, with no necessity to start a discussion in the thread, and with results that you won't be able to see aside from pure quantitative numbers. So how is this effective at all?

Some day I hope we can stop polls in Politics on this forum, it really is laziness.

[The Idler]

I like how you're trying to set up one of these catch-22 questions, but no, I think (unfortunately) "the left" as we see it fundamentally does have different interests than that of the class, as witnessed through several events we've seen this year.

If your opening statement is the case, then do you believe that the left is made up only of working class elements? If so, why?



No, it doesn't. Asking a question, perhaps, of "what do you believe the turning point this year was and why" would be a quick way of gauging not opinion, but the priorities of several users and their organisational tactics. This one is a list that you've picked what you believe (If I am being correct here I think you've just listed a bunch of things for fun) is somehow 'important' to the left; which includes a bunch of Pirate Bay wannabes winning a seat or two in Germany, a bunch of freemarketeers and fascists anmongst others causing a stir over the state Duma and bunching together a number of Arab countries with vastly different and controversial experiences of this year together in the contested notion of the 'Arab Spring' (in the sense that some of our M-L comrades do not believe Libya to be legitimately part of it). You're then just asking for people to tick a box and move on, with no necessity to start a discussion in the thread, and with results that you won't be able to see aside from pure quantitative numbers. So how is this effective at all?

Some day I hope we can stop polls in Politics on this forum, it really is laziness.
I don't know what the catch-22 question I've set up is, nor what events you are referring to where you think the interests of "the left" did not have the interests of the class, but I'm genuinely curious.
I can only speak about contemporary Britain, but "the left" is virtually only made up of working-class elements because there are only two economic classes in society (I suspect you disagree with this) and the working-class form the vast majority, the ruling-class are a small minority in Britain.

As for the events mentioned, your interpretation is one which others might reasonably disagree with (many M-Ls lump Libya in with the Arab Spring and support the Russian protests for example).

The events have been chosen by me, except any that people might add in Other (which specifically requests replies). The poll is not asking people to tick a box and move on and it seems to have generated some discussion. Its not a program for action, or the constitution of a new party or organisation. You can propose to ban the odd poll in Politics but I think it would be a shame. I don't know what effective results you are referring to in the last paragraph.

[The Douche]

http://www.princeton.edu/lisd/publications/wp_russiaseries_dunlop.pdf
This is the source for what you wrote.



From the same source

CPRF was founded in 1993 with Dugin in another party. His neofascist pamphlet and break with Limonov came later.
Now Limonov is a "progressive" god-knows-what somewhere on the center-left I'd guess who works with Kasparov and other liberals as well as some communists in a common "opposition front" (I'm amazed at the communists who choose to participate in that thing like the "Vanguard of Red Youth"). Dugin probably still leads some pro-Putin fascist group of 20 people.

You're essentially blaming a party for someone who wasn't even one of its members ever and for having a joint demo with the NBP a few years back, something which it no longer does (other leftist forces do just that though, even some ideologically sound ones).



The problem is not there, it's making many mistakes (other leftists are also making many mistakes) but according to you there is no point in trying to pinpoint the actual errors and criticizing them on those, they're enemies because of some guy who wasn't in their party.

I'm not finding that helpful.

The guy who helped form the party, in the same time period was working with nationalists, and soon after contributing his ideas to the CPRF became a fascist.

The CPRF does still work with the national bolsheviks, look at these fucking rallies going on right now, the CPRF marching next to people with nationalist flags even.


Why don't you post some shit that demonstrates how the CPRF is in any way a communist revolutionary party...

[Sam_b]

I can only speak about contemporary Britain, but "the left" is virtually only made up of working-class elements because there are only two economic classes in society (I suspect you disagree with this) and the working-class form the vast majority, the ruling-class are a small minority in Britain.

So you don't believe there to be petit-bourgeois elements on the British left?
I guess if you're not active you miss a lot of things.


As for the events mentioned, your interpretation is one which others might reasonably disagree with (many M-Ls lump Libya in with the Arab Spring and support the Russian protests for example).

But you don't really care about that because you've put in a ridiculous poll where there are more votes than posts, no doubt, and no onus to develop any political points.


The events have been chosen by me, except any that people might add in Other (which specifically requests replies)

That'll make it a qualitative piece of work, right?


The poll is not asking people to tick a box and move on and it seems to have generated some discussion

Is two pages of 'I chose this' discussion?


You can propose to ban the odd poll in Politics but I think it would be a shame.

I don't. There's a reason the biggest Revleft poll of the year was conducted by Chit-Chat mod after all.

[The Idler]

Check out also
Top ten most read libcom articles of 2011 (http://libcom.org/blog/top-ten-most-read-libcom-articles-2011-28122011)
Top ten libcom blog posts of 2011 (http://libcom.org/blog/top-ten-blog-posts-2011-27122011)

[tom1992]

What about the protests in my country, Chile?
The level of organization was massive, very hard, especially in a country like Chile.
Although they will continue next year, because the goverment does not listen.

[Hit The North]

I've voted 'other' because the answer is obviously 'all of the above'. Everyone of the events of 2011 listed is proof of the international character of the crisis of capitalism and the continued ability of the oppressed to mobilise a diverse defence of their interests.

That is except for the Death of Bin Laden which hardly effects the left or the working class and seems to be a perverse option.

I'd also add the riots and strikes of migrant workers in China (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16161764) this year as a positive development which will present future problems for capitalist accumulation in China.

The demonstrations in Wisconsin (http://www.isreview.org/issues/77/critthink-wisconsin.shtml) also provided evidence of a shift in working class consciousness in the USA.

There are no doubt other omissions from the list.

[Sam_b]

Check out also
Top ten most read libcom articles of 2011 (http://www.anonym.to/?http://libcom.org/blog/top-ten-most-read-libcom-articles-2011-28122011)
Top ten libcom blog posts of 2011 (http://www.anonym.to/?http://libcom.org/blog/top-ten-blog-posts-2011-27122011)

You could, or you could use a post to respond to what I say. Do you deny there are petit-bourgeois elements within the British left, for instance? I'm all ears.

[kevster03]

I think the European riots should've been lumped together, they're more cohesive. OWS isn't forceful enough

[Die Neue Zeit]

His neofascist pamphlet and break with Limonov came later.
Now Limonov is a "progressive" god-knows-what somewhere on the center-left I'd guess who works with Kasparov and other liberals as well as some communists in a common "opposition front" (I'm amazed at the communists who choose to participate in that thing like the "Vanguard of Red Youth"). Dugin probably still leads some pro-Putin fascist group of 20 people.

At the end of the day Limonov is just a hack novelist, and Dugin's National Bolshevik Front thugs are a marginal force among the nationalist reactionaries.