Communist University 2012

[Q]

http://oi40.tinypic.com/2n9fd61.jpg
20 to 26 August
London

As every year the CPGB organises a weeklong summerschool called the Communist University. Speakers include in general a variety which are often experts in their respective fields such as anthropology, history, economy, sex workers, authors, etc. So far confirmed are:


Paul LeBlanc, author of “Lenin and the Revolutionary Party”
Hillel Ticktin, editor of “Critique”
Yassamine Mather, chair of Hands Off the People of Iran
Moshé Machover, Israeli socialist and founder of Matzpen
Mike Macnair, Communist Party of Great Britain and author of “Revolutionary Strategy”
Lawrence Parker, author of “The Kick Inside – revolutionary opposition in the CPGB 1960-1991″
Jack Conrad, Communist Party of Great Britain and author of “Fantastic Reality”


The costs for a full week, including accommodation in shared rooms, is:

£170 normal price
£200 solidarity
£110 unwaged


You can also pay for a day, a session or a weekend visiting.

For comrades with small children a creche is being investigated – if enough people are interested. Please let them know asap if and when you would require this facility.

During lunchtime, there will be more informal sessions where younger comrades can ask questions regarding the basics of Marxism and are encouraged to raise disagreements so they can be debated.

If you want to get an impression of what has been discussed in previous years, you can visit the CPGB vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/cpgb/channels

For more information, you can visit the dedicated CU2012 page: http://cpgb.wordpress.com/

I'll keep this post updated with the latest info.

[Q]

Updated: First speakers included. Also, it doesn't seem there is room for fringe meetings, sadly.

[Q]

Update: I was informed that there is some priority added to fringe meetings after all. So, if people want to hold one they're gladly invited to contact them.

[The Idler]

How does fringe meetings work? How fringe is fringe? If fringe meetings are gonna happen does it matter whether the organisers agree? CPGB fringe meetings at Marxism Festival happen irrespective of the SWP.

[Q]

How does fringe meetings work? How fringe is fringe? If fringe meetings are gonna happen does it matter whether the organisers agree? CPGB fringe meetings at Marxism Festival happen irrespective of the SWP.

The key difference is that the SWP regards the fringe meetings of other groups as an nuisance, while the CPGB gives them political priority. The point is to facilitate sessions from different points of view as to get some indepth debate. So, organisers do not have to agree with the CPGB. I expect longtime visitors like the IBT to certainly organise one.

[The Idler]

But Marxism Festival hosts talks by speakers who take positions contrary to the SWP. If you don't consider these "fringe" then why are CPGB-hosted talks by speakers with whom the CPGB disagree considered "fringe"? Isn't it more accurate to describe "fringe" events as events organised not by the hosts/organisers of the main event?

[Q]

But Marxism Festival hosts talks by speakers who take positions contrary to the SWP. If you don't consider these "fringe" then why are CPGB-hosted talks by speakers with whom the CPGB disagree considered "fringe"? Isn't it more accurate to describe "fringe" events as events organised not by the hosts/organisers of the main event?

I think we follow a different definition of what a "fringe meeting" is. I never found an actual definition (it seems to be a particularly thing confined to the UK), but as far as I get it "fringes" are not part of the official agenda of the event. So, the talks by non-SWP people at an event like Marxism are not "fringe" as they are a part of the proper agenda of the Marxism event. The diverse groups that just rent a room near the Marxism event and hold a meeting are however "fringe".

Likewise, I expect for example the IBT to hold their own meeting, with their own agenda, at the CU. The difference between the SWP and the CPGB here is that the latter facilitates such meetings, by giving them a place to hold it.

[The Idler]

I don't understand.
If the CU host Owen Jones (as they did at CU 2011) but don't publicise it (since you say "fringes are not part of the official agenda"),
then the SWP host Owen Jones (as they did at Marxism 2011) but do publicise it (on their official agenda),
how is that credit to the CU?
Likewise are you saying hosts should bill nearby meetings on the official agenda that they're not hosting?
To be honest, I think I know what you're getting at (fringe meetings that request it from the official hosts should get assistance even if the hosts don't like them), but we're getting definitions muddled.

[Q]

I don't understand.
If the CU host Owen Jones (as they did at CU 2011) but don't publicise it (since you say "fringes are not part of the official agenda")
Uhm, it was part of the agenda. Since I keep such documents, I scanned it for you:

http://oi43.tinypic.com/igam51.jpg

Friday, second session.

So I'm not sure where you got that idea.


Likewise are you saying hosts should bill nearby meetings on the official agenda that they're not hosting?
I'm not sure I follow this question. Could you rephrase?


To be honest, I think I know what you're getting at (fringe meetings that request it from the official hosts should get assistance even if the hosts don't like them), but we're getting definitions muddled.

Yes, that is the point I'm making.

[Art Vandelay]

I have watched some of the communist university videos I have found on the net and must say that I am impressed. I wish there were more groups out there doing things like this. I am kind of coming out of a party-phobic stage of my political development, but I must say that the CPGB is by far the best I have seen.

[The Idler]

as far as I get it "fringes" are not part of the official agenda of the event.
I'm nitpicking now but why was a fringe with Owen Jones part of the official agenda (as it was at both CU and SWP Marxism in which case the same position is being adopted) or wasn't it a fringe?

[scarletghoul]

Would go if it wasnt so expensive :( way to reach out to the working class.. reminds me, lars lih's book on lenin costs like £100 online lol

[Q]

I'm nitpicking now but why was a fringe with Owen Jones part of the official agenda (as it was at both CU and SWP Marxism in which case the same position is being adopted) or wasn't it a fringe?
It wasn't a fringe. There were no fringes last year.


Would go if it wasnt so expensive :( way to reach out to the working class.. reminds me, lars lih's book on lenin costs like £100 online lol
If you're low or unwaged you just pay 110 pounds for the whole week. Also, you're referring to Brill's edition which is indeed very expensive, Haymarket has it for a third of the price (http://www.haymarketbooks.org/pb/Lenin-Rediscovered-What-Is-to-Be-Done-In-Context).

And there is a reason I started this discussion (http://www.revleft.com/vb/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=6221), which sadly didn't receive much response yet. Also, more specifically on the book I started this discussion (http://www.revleft.com/vb/scanning-book-converting-t169393/index.html), but it didn't come much of the ground yet.

[ellipsis]

lol , it only costs 110 pounds/ 170 dollars for "unwaged" people. how accessible for the working class.:laugh:

[Brosa Luxemburg]

This is one of the reasons I hate living in the U.S.

I can't attend this!

[Q]

lol , it only costs 110 pounds/ 170 dollars for "unwaged" people. how accessible for the working class.:laugh:

I'm sorry to not get the sarcasm, but how is that expensive for a whole week, including a room? Even in my days that I still had a €600 a month job I was able to save up for that. The CWI summerschool (which is also a week long) is actually a tad more expensive.

And even if it really is too much to pay at once: Why not plan ahead and pay £10 a month? I don't see the problem. A typical week long working class vacation is way more expensive.

As a matter of fact, there is even much leeway if you're really broke but still want to go. For example, you can sleep with a comrade instead of getting a room for yourself, so you only pay £30 (registration) or some such. For a whole week.


This is one of the reasons I hate living in the U.S.

I can't attend this!
That's too bad. But, while it doesn't give a full impression of course, the videos will be put online :)

[bricolage]

lol , it only costs 110 pounds/ 170 dollars for "unwaged" people. how accessible for the working class.:laugh:
considering you get accommodation in london (where the rent is ridiculous) for a week it's not that much. I'm guessing you could get a lower price if you just wanted to go to the meetings and not have somewhere to stay - I haven't checked hence 'guessing', actually if they don't do non-accomodation prices then yeah it's a bit of a piss take.
I mean I'm not gonna go on account of the fact I don't really care for the cpgb, but I don't think the price is as obscene as it seems.

[scarletghoul]

Ah didnt see the accomodation thing. thats true its not bad for london. might come along depending what im doing at the time

[TheGodlessUtopian]

If you're low or unwaged you just pay 110 pounds for the whole week. Also, you're referring to Brill's edition which is indeed very expensive, Haymarket has it for a third of the price (http://www.haymarketbooks.org/pb/Lenin-Rediscovered-What-Is-to-Be-Done-In-Context).

Damn, I want that book, sounds like my kind of read... maybe later when I am not begging for money I will look into finding a copy.

[Grenzer]

Lenin Rediscovered is pretty much the "bible" for the movement that the CPGB represents. From my understanding, it has a new translation of What is to be done? which actually has some serious political implications. It seems that the book is primarily a reexamination of Lenin the theorist and the politician from the standpoint that his policies were not necessarily novel, but a continuation of the programme set down from those before like Karl Kautsky and the SPD back in the 1890's. It's something like 900 pages long and extremely dense, so it seems to be worth every penny. I haven't actually read it, but I am going to order it online soon. The implication is that essentially if we wish to recreate Lenin's success, we should not look solely at Lenin, but the earlier works of his predecessors and the pre-war SPD.

This causes a lot of hysteria in some people, namely that the reality behind certain figures like Kautsky may be more multifaceted than we might have imagined, and that we may have to confront certain stereotypes that said figures are and had always been the reformist Satan. In any case, it should be a more than interesting read.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

...if any comrades wish to lend me this book to read, send me a PM. :)

[Prometeo liberado]

This is one of the reasons I hate living in the U.S.

I can't attend this!


Don't give up yet! Throughout the spring and summer there will be "Crisis schools" and "Socialism Conferences". PM me if you'd like me to send you info for stuff around your area.

[Q]

A video was brought up introducing the Communist University:

42900362

[The Idler]

What priority is given to fringe meetings,
Do they get a room?
Do they get a morning/afternoon slot?
Do they get on the agenda/timetable?

[Q]

What priority is given to fringe meetings,
Do they get a room?
As far as I know, that is the intention.

Do they get a morning/afternoon slot?
They have their own schedule really.

Do they get on the agenda/timetable?
Not sure, but I think that information about one is passed around in any case.

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

Lenin Rediscovered is pretty much the "bible" for the movement that the CPGB represents. From my understanding, it has a new translation of What is to be done? which actually has some serious political implications. It seems that the book is primarily a reexamination of Lenin the theorist and the politician from the standpoint that his policies were not necessarily novel, but a continuation of the programme set down from those before like Karl Kautsky and the SPD back in the 1890's. It's something like 900 pages long and extremely dense, so it seems to be worth every penny. I haven't actually read it, but I am going to order it online soon. The implication is that essentially if we wish to recreate Lenin's success, we should not look solely at Lenin, but the earlier works of his predecessors and the pre-war SPD.

This causes a lot of hysteria in some people, namely that the reality behind certain figures like Kautsky may be more multifaceted than we might have imagined, and that we may have to confront certain stereotypes that said figures are and had always been the reformist Satan. In any case, it should be a more than interesting read.

Please do Tell me about it if you so read it.

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

As far as I know, that is the intention.

They have their own schedule really.

Not sure, but I think that information about one is passed around in any case.

It Sounds interesting. I live too far away i think though, it wiuld be a Good Idea though to Export These Kind of Meeting models throughout the rest of Europe. It would be very cool if there were a paneuropean Socialist Workers youth organisations that could exchange working class Kids and students to Holiday Camps and read, learn and discuss about reality and Revolution.

[The Idler]

Do they get filmed if they want? Are non-fringe speakers invite-only?

[Q]

Do they get filmed if they want?
Who? The fringe meeting? Dunno.


Are non-fringe speakers invite-only?

I don't know actually. I never asked to speak. The general atmosphere as I gathered is however that the agenda is based on inviting those who tend to have something worthwhile to talk about and where a lot of debate can be had. The debates are never taped, but are are often as interesting as the lectures themselves.

[ellipsis]

Oh my bad, i didn't realize it was a weeks lodging and the conference. so it is a fair price.

[Hit The North]

Oh my bad, i didn't realize it was a weeks lodging and the conference. so it is a fair price.

Don't apologise comrade, it is expensive. Unwaged = £110 for the week, when a week's benefit is half that.

At the SWP's Marxism conference it is £30 for the week for the unwaged and only £55 for waged workers. And there's plenty of free accommodation available across London.

[Die Neue Zeit]

That sounds fairly reasonable to me, as well. Motel stays are more expensive than that.

[ellipsis]

Don't apologise comrade, it is expensive. Unwaged = £110 for the week, when a week's benefit is half that.

At the SWP's Marxism conference it is £30 for the week for the unwaged and only £55 for waged workers. And there's plenty of free accommodation available across London.

I can see both sides, i mean at least you get something besides the lectures or what have you. TBH sliding scale, no one turned away and housing comrades in squats and collective spaces is more my and my comrades style.

[Sentinel]

I've got to admit, that most of the topics of the seminars sound quite interesting. The one about left sectarianism in particular would be nice to see as a video afterwards.

I won't be able to attend this, as I'm already going to the CWI summer school. While I would agree that the prices aren't impossible, two summer schools would be a bit too much even for me.

[Q]

I've got to admit, that most of the topics of the seminars sound quite interesting. The one about left sectarianism in particular would be nice to see as a video afterwards.

I won't be able to attend this, as I'm already going to the CWI summer school. While I would agree that the prices aren't impossible, two summer schools would be a bit too much even for me.

As it so turns out, I do go to both schools this year. So, see you in Ghent :)

[Jimmie Higgins]

I'm sorry to not get the sarcasm, but how is that expensive for a whole week, including a room? Even in my days that I still had a €600 a month job I was able to save up for that. The CWI summerschool (which is also a week long) is actually a tad more expensive.

And even if it really is too much to pay at once: Why not plan ahead and pay £10 a month? I don't see the problem. A typical week long working class vacation is way more expensive.

These things cost money to put on and I work at a hotel where even some spiritual retreat would be about $100 a night without room or board for attendees. Business and University conferences are usually more (though often paid for by the company sending people... it's a total racket, imagine spending 1000s of dollars to train a manager to be more "cost-efficient" - i.e. fire people. Sorry Jack, you've been a good employee but we just can't afford you after attending all those efficiency conferences).

I'd be considered "working poor" but I still manage to spend $80 for a 4 day conference (and then crash on comrade's couches or stay in a hostile) and $100 for a weekend booth at the Bay Area Anarchist book-fair in addition to usually going to some festival concert once a year or something like that which can be $150 per ticket and shit. Though not as much with the festivals anymore because bay area music is really good and you can see some of the best garage and punk bands in the US for $5 in a bar sometimes.:D

At any rate, the point is that it's priorities. If someone thinks it's worth the time-off from work and the cost, then a yearly thing can be planned for. Workers do it all the time from music festivals to weekend get-aways to Comic-Con or whatnot. If the working class movement picks up then alternative ways to do things like this might be needed because radicals could attract a more general audience that may be interested but not convinced enough to pay the fees - and also for other radicals who may want to go to more than one conference a year in a time of increased struggle. As it is I can prioritize one event like this but I wouldn't be able to also go to LaborNotes or other big leftist conventions in the US on a regular basis.

My only criticism is the name: Communist University? It's like the SWP when we had "marxist summer school":thumbdown:. But it's not a big deal just my personal feeling about the terminology.

Anyone who's able to make it should check out Paul LeBlanc, I love his humble and down to earth take on viewing radical figures in history as well as other radicals today. Underlying everything he usually talks about is a real sense of our humanity. I feel cheesy writing this, but I really like his approach: revolutionaries are people we can make mistakes and we need to be understanding towards each-other because we all can play a positive role in the class struggle. It's easy to forget this in the heat of movements or in polemical debates or whatnot.

[Sentinel]

As it so turns out, I do go to both schools this year. So, see you in Ghent :)

Really!? This is just way too awesome Q, finally we will meet!! :)

I can't wait!

[The Idler]

Any idea how much one-day attendance will cost?
The SPGB have agreed to approach CPGB and would like to send a speaker too, hopefully this can be accommodated.

[Q]

Any idea how much one-day attendance will cost?
The SPGB have agreed to approach CPGB and would like to send a speaker too, hopefully this can be accommodated.

According to this page (http://cpgb.wordpress.com/details/): £10 and £5 for unwaged.

If you want on the speakers list, I suggest you contact them directly at [email protected]

[The Idler]

Cheers, I believe a message establishing contact has now been sent.

[Q]

A timetable has appeared on the CPGB website (http://www.cpgb.org.uk/home/action/communist-university-2012/timetable):

Please note that we might have to change sessions at short notice - so please keep checking back if you're interested in a particular event.

Highlights include:


Monday August 20: The CPGB's Mike Macnair will discuss the question of 'Euro Crisis, the Left and the question of Government' and will particularly look at Greece's Syriza: if they could have, should they have taken power? What is a workers' government? Can it exist under capitalism?
Afterwards, Hopi chair Yassamine Mather and Israeli socialist Moshe Machover will discuss the uneasy relationship between Israel and Iran: both fight each other - but both need each other, too, in order to keep their internal oppression going.
If you can only come for a few days, why not come along for the last weekend of August 25-26? On the Saturday evening we will celebrate the end of our annual fundraising drive, the Summer Offensive, with a lavish meal (well...) and a good knees-up.
During lunch breaks, we will again have introductionary sessions to Marxism, aimed particularly at newer and younger comrades.


Download PDF file of this timetable (http://www.cpgb.org.uk/assets/files/communistuniversity/cu2012-timetable.pdf)

Monday August 20


2pm: Euro Crisis, the Left and the question of Government

Mike Macnair, CPGB


4.45pm: Iran & Israel: conflict and symbiosis

Moshe Machover, Israeli socialist
Yassamine Mather, chair Hands Off the People of Iran

Tuesday August 21


10am: Bourgeois liberty and the politics of fear

Marc Mulholland, Oxford University


2pm: The real Lenin and the sectarian caricature

Paul LeBlanc, author Lenin and the Revolutionary Party


4.45pm: Georg Lukacs - philosopher of revolution?

James Turley, CPGB

Wednesday August 22


10am: Building the revolutionary party in the USA

Paul Le Blanc, author Lenin and the Revolutionary Party


2pm: The emergence of capitalism within feudalism

Hillel Ticktin, editor Critique


4.45pm: Eden: Did primitive communism ever really exist?

Lionel Sims, Socialist Workers Party

Thursday August 23


10am: Liberating women: The Bolshevik experience

Anne McShane, Weekly Worker Ireland


2pm: The triumph and maturity of capitalism

Hillel Ticktin, editor Critique


4.45pm: The tower of Babel

Chris Knight, author Blood Relations

Friday August 24


10am: The left in Scotland: what happened?

Gregor Gall, author Tommy Sheridan: from hero to zero?
Sarah McDonald, CPGB


2pm: The decline of capitalism

Hillel Tickin, editor Critique


4.45pm: Book launch: Fantastic Reality, second edition

Jack Conrad, CPGB

Saturday August 25


10am: Anti-German Germans: from “communism” to neo-conservatism

Susann Witt-Stahl, Assoziation Daemmerung (Hamburg)


2pm: Rosa Luxemburg and the politics of spontanaeity

Paul Le Blanc, author Lenin and the Revolutionary Party
Mike Macnair, CPGB


4.45pm: Has the Arab Spring turned to winter?

Moshe Machover, Israeli socialist
A speaker from Rahe Kargar

Sunday August 26


10am: The trouble with ‘economic growth’ and ‘environmentalism’

Gabriel Levy


1pm: What sort of ‘anti-capitalist party’ do we need?

Simon Hardy (Anti-Capitalist Initiative)
Ben Lewis (CPGB)
Nick Wrack (Tusc – tbc)
Mike Phipps (Labour Briefing)


Evaluation of school

[Welshy]

Will Wednesday 10am's talk be video tape and put online?

[Q]

Will Wednesday 10am's talk be video tape and put online?

No doubt it will. It is only by exception that no videos are made (such as when personal security is at stake).

[Die Neue Zeit]

Monday August 20: The CPGB's Mike Macnair will discuss the question of 'Euro Crisis, the Left and the question of Government' and will particularly look at Greece's Syriza: if they could have, should they have taken power? What is a workers' government? Can it exist under capitalism?

Yesssss! I'd like the comrade to flesh out some more his criticisms of the "workers government" slogan!

[Rafiq]

Lucky ass Brits... I only wish I could attend this.

[Art Vandelay]

I'll make it one year out of the next few. Going to take a while to save up for a flight ticket, but it will be worth it.:D

[The Idler]

Any word on fringe events?

[Q]

Any word on fringe events?

Not more than that they're possible.
Mail them?

[Manic Impressive]

The SPGB are confirmed for Thursday the 23rd @ 7:30 so I'll be in attendance. The talk looks like it's on Martov. Q if you're around drop in it would be nice to finally meet face to face.

[The Idler]

Martov's Criticism of Bolshevism (Catford, South-East London - 7.30pm) (http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/event/martovs-criticism-bolshevism-catford-0)
Date:
Thursday, 23 August 2012 - 7:30pm

Event: Community University 2012 Fringe Meeting
http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/event/martovs-criticism-bolshevism-catford-0
http://www.cpgb.org.uk/home/action/communist-university-2012

Venue: Glenthurston Apartments, 30 Bromley Road, London SE6 2TP

Directions: About five minutes walk from Catford rail station



"[Martov] recognized the Russian Revolution to be a progressive, pro-capitalist, national revolution that cleared the way for the solution of the economic backwardness of the country. He recognized the Russian Revolution as a "bourgeois" revolution, directed in part by the proletariat and impregnated with the utopianism typical of the proletariat of a backward country.

He emphasized that the dictatorship of the Bolshevik "professional revolutionists" was not to be confused with the "dictatorship" of the working class, which, according to him, was impossible in a country like Russia. He foresaw that the pretensions to a program of world revolution affected by the Bolsheviks during their "heroic" period served as a sort of camouflage to protect their rule, and would in time give way again to the program of Russian "national socialism," the traditional and real program of Bolshevism.

Martov expected the workers themselves to accomplish their emancipation. He believed that with historic experience, the working class would undergo a political and moral development and overcome in time the current Utopias and swindles in political theory and practice fostered among them by various sets of "leaders."



He understood that the socialist revolution could only take place in countries that were economically ripe for socialism.
He understood that the political setup produced by the socialist revolution could never be the Jacobin dictatorship of a revolutionary minority but could only be the expression of the majority rule of the population.
He believed that after the proletariat of the countries economically ripe for socialism had once seized power, it could never find itself in a situation where its rule was anything else but the majority rule of the population.

"



- from Foreward by Integer (1938) to The State and the Socialist Revolution, articles by Martov written between 1919 and 1923.

[Q]

As published in the latest edition of the WW (http://www.cpgb.org.uk/home/weekly-worker/927/summer-offensive-on-the-fringe), a snippet (click the link for the whole bit):


The content of our school is ambitious, enquiring and challenging. More than that, comrades will be intrigued to hear that Communist University is beginning to generate its own fringe. A number of organisations have approached us directly to organise extracurricular meetings at this year’s event - specifically, the Socialist Party of Great Britain, the London branch of the US Platypus group and the International Bolshevik Tendency.

It goes without saying that we do want to seriously engage with the ideas of such comrades - we have had some of them as lead speakers in previous years. Political priorities shift, of course. However, our commitment to make the CU fringe a success - to facilitate, promote and engage with other organisations - speaks not simply of our attitude to a particular educational event, but more importantly of the sort of party we are in the business to build.

These are small beginnings and - given the latent political strength of the message of the CPGB and of Marxism in general - comrades can sometimes be frustrated by the size and political impact of our schools. However, they are genuine festivals of ideas, unlike the market branding of other left groups! We need to be patient, but not complacent.


Q if you're around drop in it would be nice to finally meet face to face.
I'll wear my Q shirt for the occasion :)

[Die Neue Zeit]

Can attending comrades or other attendants please post regular updates?

[Ostrinski]

@ Manic and Q

Keep it civil, comrades :lol:

[Q]

Ok, home again :)

I'll be posting the videos as they come up and with the handouts that I'll scan.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Ok, home again :)

I'll be posting the videos as they come up and with the handouts that I'll scan.

And anecdotes of your off-session political discussions, too? ;)

[Q]

And anecdotes of your off-session political discussions, too? ;)

'fraid not. I never really "got" your worries - and despite my chat attempts, we didn't really go forward with that - so I didn't address them.

[The Idler]

Was DNZ present?

[Q]

Was DNZ present?

Nope. He can never come due to work.

[The Idler]

http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/audio/martovs-criticism-bolshevism

[Q]

http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/audio/martovs-criticism-bolshevism

There is Q in the third audio ;)

To be perfectly honest, this was really the worst session of the CU, although I didn't hear all of it as I also had kitchenduty. So I'm happy with these recordings. Some SPGB member raised the point that this was all "very historical and abstract" and wondered what relevance this discussion had for today. It was clearly directed at the CPGB'ers, to provide the alternative, to provide "what platform is presented to the working class".

I replied that, for me and surely anyone visiting more CU sessions than this one (read, pretty much all non-SPGB'ers), this was just one session in a bigger school, one that was about Martov. If the comrade wanted an answer, he could visit more sessions.

Also, there was a clear contradiction between John Bridge and the SPGB speaker regarding capitalism in the USSR. John Bridge made the point that there was no capitalism in the USSR because there was no commodity production, no wage-labour and basically all the reasons Hillel Ticktin (http://www.revleft.com/vb/russiai-theories-soviet-t168685/index.html) developed into a coherent narrative. The main SPGB speaker used all the same arguments, but in the opposite, claiming that capitalism was never abolished.

This was a glaring contradiction that was not developed, sadly because it underlines a clear analytical difference (talking of lessons for today), although we're promised a new fringe meeting next year on that very topic.

Afterwards I made the SPGB comrade aware of the fact that there was a book stall with lots of CPGB literature if he was interested in learning more on strategy from their point of view. Somehow, he was no longer though. Strange, not?

[Die Neue Zeit]

There is Q in the third audio ;)

To be perfectly honest, this was really the worst session of the CU, although I didn't hear all of it as I also had kitchen duty.

EDIT: Damn, I thought you were referring to CU 2012 as a whole. Anyway, I'll respond on that faulty ass-u-mption. ;)

I glanced in advance, and it's not surprising. There was not enough "evangelizing" of revolutionary strategy. There was not enough tie-in re. SYRIZA and revolutionary strategy, either, considering their roads further into Alternative Culture. Heck, even last year didn't tie much to the one CPGB book that counts. :(

I asked you to raise municipalism only because I knew by gut instinct that they wouldn't raise this problem.

BTW, Ben Lewis has yet to release some link on where to read and/or buy Kautsky's Republic!!!

[Die Neue Zeit]

Three overseas visitors reflect on the week (http://cpgb.org.uk/home/weekly-worker/928/three-overseas-visitors-reflect-on-the-week)



Comrades attending Communist University spoke to the Weekly Worker about their impressions

Paul Le Blanc, International Socialist Organization (USA)

The educational gathering of the CPGB was a pleasant surprise. There are political differences, yet also common ground: a commitment to all struggles of the oppressed, to the interests of the working class majority, and to the radical democracy represented by socialism.

A comradely exploration of common ground, but also of differences, was of sufficient interest to the CPGB for me to be brought in as a speaker, and I benefited from searching discussions of my presentations on Lenin controversies, on Rosa Luxemburg’s ideas, and on political organising in the United States.

It was also valuable to learn from Moshé Machover and Yassamine Mather on Middle East developments, from Marc Mulholland’s historical survey of ‘bourgeois liberty’, from Gregor Gall and Sarah McDonald on experiences of the Scottish Socialist Party, from Hillel Ticktin’s examination of global capitalism, from Anne Mc Shane’s illuminating presentation on women in the Bolshevik movement, and from Jack Conrad’s bold effort to shed light on the meaning of religion in the midst of humanity’s persistent oppression and liberation struggles.

All this and much more - including the warmth, generosity and genuine comradeliness of CPGB members, as well as others who are decidedly not members. It was a truly good experience.

Susann Witt-Stahl, Assoziation Dämmerung (Hamburg)

I was impressed by the political culture of comradeship, of progressive collectivism and freedom of speech, at Communist University (the great sense of humour among the participants was an infallible indicator of these essential qualities of a communist movement, which the German left, sadly, has partially lost). The debates were conducted at a high intellectual level, and with a keenness to explore controversial issues that is infectious and motivating.

What I missed, however, was any critical engagement with art and culture. The one-dimensional nature of our lifestyle is today dangerously evident. The culture industry is the most effective facilitator of false consciousness and a vehicle for the mass deception (eg, for war propaganda) of the whole of western society. We have to respond with a radical and enlightened critique. The Marxist philosopher, Walter Benjamin, was right to say that a communist movement has to face up to the “aestheticisation of politics” - a warning against the process of fascistisation - and must find the only satisfactory response: the “politicisation of art”.

But what I missed was much less than what I gained and learned at CU. One of so many things I took home with me was the certainty that there are a lot of people ‘over there’ who embody and represent the pride and dignity of the working class. That feels damned good.

Comrades, you are doing a great job - walk on!

Peter Moody, Socialist Party USA

I have been attentive and sympathetic to the politics of the CPGB for a few years, so I was very pleased to have the opportunity to attend this year’s Communist University. It was, admittedly, a slightly intimidating as well as very exciting prospect, considering the high political level of CU sessions.

Nevertheless, once the event got underway, I felt sufficiently able to keep up both with the presentations and the contributions from the floor. In fact, I think physically attending sessions was actually more beneficial, compared to watching recorded sessions online, as the floor debate helped flesh out at least some of the concepts I may have otherwise found difficult. Beyond this, everyone at the school was very approachable in terms of discussion between and after sessions, to help flesh out any questions I had regarding the presentations or something that had come up during the debate.

A spirit of comradeship predominated throughout the week, which was helped by the collective sharing of tasks like food preparation and setting up the venue for sessions. Even during heated debates on the floor of the sessions, there was a general sense that everyone involved was serious about the left (in whatever country we were from) having a positive future, and we were all fighting for the same general goal, even if the strategy and tactics used were under severe criticism.

All in all, Communist University exceeded my hopes and expectations for what it would be, and I hope to continue my engagement with the politics of the CPGB, as well as use what I have learned over the week to help build a strong left and a united Marxist party in the United States.

[Q]

Debate, solidarity and internationalism (http://www.cpgb.org.uk/home/weekly-worker/928/debate-solidarity-and-internationalism)


As comrades assembled on August 20 for the CPGB’s week-long summer school at its new south London venue, the London Olympics were slowly being pushed out of the headlines. The reality of Middle East conflict and financial turmoil was once again making it to the front pages: Syria is on the brink of all-out sectarian carnage and redivision; a horrific Israeli attack on Iran seems more than just a possibility and the euro zone limps from crisis to crisis. A ‘disorderly’ Greek exit from the euro remains a distinct possibility. Given the near apocalyptic economic and social meltdown experienced in that country, it is no great surprise that Syriza (Coalition of the Radical Left) came a relatively second close in the June parliamentary elections.

So it was only fitting that CU was kicked off this year with a talk on ‘The euro crisis, the left and the question of government’ by Mike Macnair of the CPGB. Or, to put it another way, do we want to see a Syriza-led government in Greece? The comrade tried to lend a historical and theoretical perspective to the whole issue, with special reference to the debates and arguments that swirled around on the question of working class parties in office in the First, Second and Third Internationals. Comrade Macnair noted that Marx’s views on whether workers’ organisations should join coalition governments alongside non-working class elements were developed in reaction to the negative precedent set by Louis Blanc. A respected figure at the time, his decision in 1848 to join the bourgeois provisional government (Second Republic) led by Alphonse de Lamartine proved to be disastrous, only acting to discredit socialist politics - so Marx and Engels consistently argued.

Then there were the fierce debates around Millerandism (or ‘ministerialism’) in the Second International and the ‘workers’ government’ slogan at the Fourth Congress of Comintern, the full proceedings of which are only just appearing for the first time in English. Comrade Macnair concluded, to the exasperation of some, that the very last thing communists want is for Syriza - and formations like it - to ‘take the power’, which would surely lead to catastrophe for the Greek working class. Rather they should constitute themselves as parties of extreme opposition, a strategic line of march that was, after all, recommended by Marx with regard to Germany - patiently building up an independent working class movement that today must seek to organise on an all-European basis.

Directly following this debate there was a discussion on Iran/Israel (‘conflict and symbiosis’), jointly introduced by Yassamine Mather, chair of Hands Off the People of Iran, and comrade Moshé Machover, Israeli socialist and a founder of Matzpen (the Socialist Organisation in Israel). Comrade Machover outlined his central thesis that Israel’s real motivation for an attack on Iran, if it were to occur, would not be to deal with the so-called nuclear threat - an obvious nonsense only peddled by the tame bourgeois media and gullible pro-imperialist ‘Marxist’ groups like the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty. Instead, he contended, a hot war with Iran would provide an excuse for the Zionist administration to implement a ‘solution’ to the Palestinian problem - that is, wholesale ‘population transfer’ by force to ensure that an enlarged Israel became an overwhelmingly Jewish state (and in this way consolidate the foundation myth of Israel as a home for the so-called ‘Jewish nation’).

In her contribution, comrade Mather detailed how imperialist sanctions against Iran were having a devastating effect on the working class - not the reactionary regime in Tehran. Workers were becoming more concerned with day-to-day survival, how to feed themselves and their families, than with the revolutionary overthrow of the Islamic Republic. The persistent threat of an Israeli attack clearly serves to maintain the mullahs’ grip on power and in that way imperialism, Israel and Iran are engaged in a deadly dance of death.

War on religion?

Later in the week CU saw the launch of Jack Conrad’s Fantastic reality: Marxism and the politics of religion - extensively rewritten and re-edited, with four extra chapters. Comrade Conrad explained in his talk that he had decided to excise some of the sections dealing with immediate or contemporaneous political questions, which by definition would turn out to be essentially ephemeral or of limited relevance, thereby leaving room for more historical material. Not for the first time, the comrade expressed astonishment at the fact that a question of such vital importance for the working class movement has received such scant attention - barely moving on from Karl Kautsky’s magnificent, though far from perfect, 1908 study, The foundations of Christianity.

Comrade Conrad emphasised how communists have no interest in fighting a Richard Dawkins-like ‘war on religion’, let alone in introducing a hellishly oppressive theocracy along the lines of Enver Hoxha’s Albania or some other Stalinist freak society. He reminded us that Marx’s famous comment about religion being the “opium of the people” has been continually misinterpreted, even though the intent should be more than clear. In the 19th century opium was routinely dispensed in order to relieve pain. Religion, therefore - or at least as Marx saw it - was a coping mechanism, or spiritual sticking plaster, sought after by those suffering from social alienation, exploitation and oppression (“the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions”). Armed with this truly humanist understanding, we can see that all religions - to one extent or another - are promising pie in the sky, or communism, when you die. Trying to ‘abolish’ religion without first abolishing the alienated material conditions that give rise to religion is actually an inhuman policy. And another Stalinist legacy.

There was an interesting minor controversy when a comrade from Socialist Fight advanced the idea that the advent of monotheism was historically “progressive”, presumably on the basis that it was an inevitable stage in the ever forward march of the productive forces and so on, ultimately paving the way for the dictatorship of the proletariat. Such a reductionist viewpoint was strongly rebuffed by a number of contributors from the floor, CPGBers and non-CPGBers alike.

Especially interesting, at least for this journalist - given his prior ignorance of the subject - was the presentation on ‘anti-German Germans’ given by comrade Susann Witt-Stahl of the Hamburg-based Assoziation Dämmerung. This concerned the strange phenomenon of German lefts who claim to be communists - counting Marx as one of their heroes, alongside people like Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer from the Frankfurt school of critical theory - yet are vociferous supporters of the state of Israel, almost equating the Israeli Defence Force with a socialist militia. Some ‘anti-Germans’ even provocatively maintain that George Bush is a communist in the tradition of Marx and supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq on that basis - there are others who back imperialist sanctions against Iran on a similar basis.

Over time, the ‘anti-German’ tendency has become increasingly antagonistic to the German left as a whole, regarding its anti-Zionism purely as the product of a pernicious “anti-Semitism” deeply rooted in German cultural history and hence almost impossible to escape from - meaning Hitler’s willing executioners are now opponents of US imperialism, Zionism and the Israeli state. Or so the ‘anti-German Germans’ would have us believe. Indeed, hostility to the organised left has reached such a point that a number of ‘anti-Germans’ have forged fraternal links with the English Defence League on the grounds of mutual ideological compatibility - ie, shared pro-Israeli/Zionist and anti-left sentiment.

It would be easy to dismiss the ‘anti-German Germans’ as a bunch of half-mad cranks or weirdoes not worth bothering with, but that would be profoundly mistaken. Increasingly, we find ‘anti-German’ activists trying to silence or even intimidate leftwing speakers and gatherings - leading some to suspect that they might have ties with the German secret services. More importantly still, the ‘anti-Germans’ are living testament to the decomposition of the left in Germany - they did not spring from nowhere. Only by rebuilding a genuine mass Marxist movement in Germany can we tackle and defeat non-working class trends like the ‘anti-Germans’.

Stimulating

In what many felt was the best session of the week, comrade Lionel Sims of the Socialist Workers Party gave us a stimulating talk on ‘Eden: did primitive communism ever really exist?’ Of course, this a highly complex subject - incorporating as it does the detailed study of pre-history, anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, etc. Essentially though, basing his ideas on Claude Lévi-Strauss’s conception of invariant syntax, comrade Sims argues that there is a “meta-myth” underlining all origin myths, Christian and non-Christian. This accounts for the universal appearance of dragons (or serpents) in patriarchy myths concerning our origins as a revolutionary species - ie, the human revolution. Many were particularly intrigued by the Hebrew myth of Lillith, originally held to be Adam’s first wife, who was ‘disappeared’ by those who compiled the Bible - eager to remove all traces of our matrilineal communist past.

Another highlight was Gabriel Levy’s fascinating talk on ‘The trouble with “economic growth” and “environmentalism”’. A welcome antidote, it has to be said, to the lingering notion of ‘socialist growth’ that still afflicts some parts of the left - that is, the belief that under a post-capitalist ‘socialist’ society we would churn out more and more stuff. Capitalism on stilts, but this time with red bosses - hurrah, what progress! In other words, our ‘Marxist’ comrades cannot imagine anything other that the continuation of alienated social relations. However, the genuine Marxist understanding of abundance is one of a society that satisfies human needs - not swamps us with things on the basis of production for the sake of production. With real socialism, there will be no such thing as GDP, etc - why would we bother with such crap? Anyway, comrade Levy’s CU introduction is now available in its entirety on his excellent website, People and Nature (http://peopleandnature.wordpress.com).

There were plenty of other extremely interesting sessions, naturally. As per usual, all the presentations given at CU 2012 will shortly be available on the CPGB website (video and audio files) - not to mention the fact that transcripts and articles based on the various talks will appear in forthcoming issues of the Weekly Worker. But it should be mentioned in passing that one popular session was Anne Mc Shane’s opening on ‘Liberating women: the Bolshevik experience’ - where she touched upon, amongst many things, Anna and Maria Ulyanova (sometimes referred to as “Lenin’s forgotten sisters” - though, of course, they were serious revolutionaries in their own right) and gave a quick historical overall of the Zhenotdel, the women’s section of the Russian Communist Party from 1919 to 1930.

Also of particular interest was the debate surrounding Tommy Sheridan and the sad but distinctly avoidable demise of the Scottish left - so many thanks to comrades Gregor Gall and Sarah McDonald for their very good openings. And it almost goes without saying that CU perennial Hillel Ticktin gave a series of talks on capitalist decline and crisis. Appropriately, CU ended this year with a lively debate on ‘What sort of ‘anti-capitalist party’ do we need?’ - which saw sharply contrasting views put forward by Simon Hardy (Anti-Capitalist Initiative), Mike Phipps (Labour Briefing) and Ben Lewis of the CPGB.

A special mention must be made of comrade Paul Le Blanc of the US-based International Socialist Organization. Not only did he stay for the entire week, but he gave three engrossing talks (slide shows included) on the ‘real Lenin’, ‘building the revolutionary party in the USA’ and ‘Rosa Luxemburg’ - revolutionary pedagogy at its finest. In the same breath we also have to praise the comrades from the US Platypus group and the Socialist Party USA, not forgetting comrade Witt-Stahl, who also stayed for the entire week - thus fostering a noticeable spirit of solidarity and internationalism, a legacy we in the CPGB hope to build on for future CUs.

Another welcome innovation of this year’s CU was the introduction of fringe meetings: sessions were held by the Socialist Party of Great Britain on Martov’s criticism of Bolshevism, comrade Paul B Smith on ‘What is Marxist education?’ and the Platypus group.

Finally, total attendance this year was exactly 98, including the 30 or so comrades who stayed for the whole week.

[The Idler]

There is Q in the third audio ;)

To be perfectly honest, this was really the worst session of the CU, although I didn't hear all of it as I also had kitchenduty. So I'm happy with these recordings. Some SPGB member raised the point that this was all "very historical and abstract" and wondered what relevance this discussion had for today. It was clearly directed at the CPGB'ers, to provide the alternative, to provide "what platform is presented to the working class".

I replied that, for me and surely anyone visiting more CU sessions than this one (read, pretty much all non-SPGB'ers), this was just one session in a bigger school, one that was about Martov. If the comrade wanted an answer, he could visit more sessions.

Also, there was a clear contradiction between John Bridge and the SPGB speaker regarding capitalism in the USSR. John Bridge made the point that there was no capitalism in the USSR because there was no commodity production, no wage-labour and basically all the reasons Hillel Ticktin (http://www.revleft.com/vb/russiai-theories-soviet-t168685/index.html) developed into a coherent narrative. The main SPGB speaker used all the same arguments, but in the opposite, claiming that capitalism was never abolished.

This was a glaring contradiction that was not developed, sadly because it underlines a clear analytical difference (talking of lessons for today), although we're promised a new fringe meeting next year on that very topic.

Afterwards I made the SPGB comrade aware of the fact that there was a book stall with lots of CPGB literature if he was interested in learning more on strategy from their point of view. Somehow, he was no longer though. Strange, not?
Thank you for the constructive criticism. Yes, the SPGB contribution that "it was all very historical and abstract" was a bit off the mark.
As you point out with Ticktin, there's more to be discussed which I hope the SPGB will have the opportunity to do at the next CU or future CPGB meeting.
In defence of the meeting, it was running late (7:30pm scheduled start became 8pm). The room where the meeting would be held in wasn't immediately apparent. The bookstall was outdoors so with the only lighting from the rooms so comrades would have been unable to peruse it after the meeting finished around 9:30pm when it was completely dark. Although there is a review of Zinoviev v Martov: Head to Head in Halle in Socialist Standard.
Book Reviews: 'Pity the Billionaire', 'Zinoviev & Martov: Head to ... (http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/socialist-standard/2010s/2012/no-1292-april-2012/book-reviews-pity-billionaire-zinoviev-martov-head-)

[Q]

Update: It seems most videos are now online (http://vimeo.com/channels/405505).

[The Idler]

What about audio?

[Q]

What about audio?

Yes, all videos include audio ;)

But seriously, I haven't seen any podcasts on the CU yet, so I doubt there will be any.

So, if you want audio-only, the only way will be to open a tab and run the video, but don't watch it :p