Communist University 2015 (London)

[Q]

The Communist University this year (http://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/events/80/) will be held from 15 to 22 August at Surrey House, 80 Lewisham Way, New Cross , London SE14 6PB.

Schedule is yet to be announced.

Anyone interested?

[The Feral Underclass]

I will be there.

Are you ready for that experience?

[Q]

I will be there.

Are you ready for that experience?
I'm looking forward to it :cool:

[The Idler]

Another talk on sci-fi would be great.

[Црвена]

Ooh, I'd like to come, that isn't too far from me. Maybe I'll drop in for a day if I'm allowed to.

[Q]

Ooh, I'd like to come, that isn't too far from me. Maybe I'll drop in for a day if I'm allowed to.
Of course you are allowed to :cool:

[Q]

Prices are known and are a bit higher than in previous years due to the price-hiked venue costs...

Full week, including accommodation - £250 (£150 no income, £300 solidarity)
First / final weekend, including one night's accommodation - £60 (£30)
Full week, no accommodation - £60 (£30)
Day - £10 (£5)
Session - £5 (£3)

[Црвена]

The timetable was just put up on Facebook! Here it is: https://facebook.com/events/1575600912710177?view=permalink&id=1607617946175140&src=email_notif#!/events/1575600912710177?view=permalink&id=1607619242841677&ref=m_notif&notif_t=plan_mall_activity&actorid=225543377556075

I'm just going to drop in on the 15th. Looking forward to (and slightly dreading :p) meeting some RevLefters!

[Q]

Just beat me to the punch ;)

https://scontent-ams3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/s720x720/11831671_729846970459044_1511917141132522532_n.jpg ?oh=0f2d9aaeec933b83d81bbd0e9d4b6a9d&oe=5647B5D4

[The Idler]

Some interesting sessions.

[The Feral Underclass]

I really would have liked to have come to this, but unfortunately I just can't get the time off work. Looking at the timetable though, I'm not sure how inspired I am about topics of discussion.

[Q]

On Saturday in the evening and after the main programme for the day, the Dutch Communist Platform will be holding a fringe meeting about the Dutch Socialist Party titled SP: from sect to integral part of the workers movement, to integral part of the state?

Here we'll discuss the history of the SP and workers movement, the Dutch far left, perspectives for the party and how we see our role in it and the wider workers movement.

Be there!

[Црвена]

Meeting you guys today was awesome! I wish I could have attended some more sessions, but it was great. I think everyone had had enough of my confused adolescent philosophical rambling tbh :)

[bad ideas actualised by alcohol]

Meeting you guys today was awesome! I wish I could have attended some more sessions, but it was great. I think everyone had had enough of my confused adolescent philosophical rambling tbh :)

Nah, I don't think anyone was. Twas nice to. meet you

[Sharia Lawn]

Will there be youtube videos posted of the talks for those of us who would want to watch them but weren't able to attend?

[Q]

Will there be youtube videos posted of the talks for those of us who would want to watch them but weren't able to attend?
Yes, they'll be put up on the CPGB website in the weeks after the CU ends.

There weren't any recordings of the fringe meeting on the SP though. Sorry. But if you like we can edit our talk into an article?

Oh and ES: We certainly need more of your rambling. It was awesome how you did that :) Sorry if we didn't talk that much.

[Q]

First video: A debate between Jack Conrad of the CPGB and Salman Shaheen (Left Unity principal speaker) about the right to bear arms:

138056746

Direct link for those sensible people not using Flash (https://vimeo.com/138056746) ;)

[LeninistIthink]

DAMN IT! This is about 20 minutes from my house and I didn't go , damnnnn, is it in the same place every year and open to non members?

[Redistribute the Rep]

The name sounds really dorky

[Q]

DAMN IT! This is about 20 minutes from my house and I didn't go , damnnnn, is it in the same place every year and open to non members?
Well, it has been at the same spot for the last two years and the location is liked a lot, so probably we'll be there in 2016 too. And yes, the more non-members participate, the better the CU gets! :)


The name sounds really dorky
Well, so is "CPGB" somewhat. They have a history :lol:

Anyway, the first issue of the Weekly Worker post-CU is out and it gives some impressions of some first-time attendees (http://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1072/eight-days-of-debate-and-learning/), giving you an idea what you have missed ;)


Hopeful for the future

You know that feeling when you’re joining a new class, club or school, and in some icebreaker game you have to stand up and say something about yourself? Whatever you say is going to form the first impression that all your peers have of you and, ultimately, form the beginnings of your identity in this new part of your life. You’re nervous, you’re apprehensive, you’re excited, but there’s also a vague sense of coming of age. A sense of, quite simply, ‘This is it. I’m finally doing it’.

That was how I felt walking into Communist University, the first large event hosted by the CPGB that I’d attended. I’d come across their comrades as a member of Left Unity’s Communist Platform for the last six months and had sympathised with the CPGB for much longer. It sounds dramatic, I know, but this was my first real foray into leftwing political organisation. And when you’re 14 years old, passionately communist and the only experience you’ve had of leftist discussion is with Che Guevara fetishists on Reddit, your first communist event is a pretty big deal. Granted, my expectations weren’t too high, thanks to the many debates with internet communists which made me want to fetch the ice pick, but I really did enjoy Communist University and the conversation that took place there.

One thing that I particularly liked about this event was the format: it wasn’t based around one person standing at the front talking the whole time, but around discussion and debate. Of course, there was a talk to start with, but a lot of time was devoted to collectively examining the points raised during the talk and responding to each other’s comments and criticisms. As well as simply making the event more exciting (talking is always fun), it emphasised something which I think is often forgotten in politics: dialogue. It seems to me from reading the various papers and activities of socialist groups that a chronic problem with the left is that, despite how much certain groups claim to support ‘freedom of discussion, unity of action’, there is generally a severe lack of engagement with opposing views, with people preferring to call names and emphasise that their tendency of post-Marxist neo-Luxemburgist Trotskyism with Maoist influences (or whatever they’re calling themselves now) is correct yet again. As we all know, this is not the way to build a revolutionary mass movement. At Communist University, the entire focus seemed to be on engaging with each other’s views, which was a refreshing change.

We discussed contentious issues, from the future of the Middle East to the nature of knowledge, to what the Labour Party should do next, and, although everyone had very strong opinions, we managed to have fulfilling discussions without the obfuscations of sectarianism and any sort of strict ‘party line’. This culture of conversation was much appreciated and made me hopeful about what our organisation could do in the future without the communication errors that so many other socialist organisations today are burdened with.

However, there is one thing that I found problematic - and it’s thanks to the open atmosphere and encouragement of debate and criticism, which were such positive features, that I could pinpoint this issue and raise it here. The general outlook of everyone who attended - many of whom were CPGB members and supporters - was a very optimistic one. There was talk of Islamic State being anti-imperialist, Iranian workers being radicalised, Corbyn providing an opportunity to “reclaim” the Labour Party … it’s as though the disappointments caused by the supposedly democratic socialist Ba’ath party, old Labour and, more recently, Syriza never happened.

I’m not suggesting that we should all just be negative about every movement, but a lot of the left seem so desperate that they get overexcited whenever it appears that there is ostensibly a mass movement which is ostensibly fighting against the imperialist powers (the Spartacist League’s position that the proletariat has to give IS “military support” and the Socialist Workers Party’s pro-Scottish National Party stance last year come immediately to mind) and forget that supporting, infiltrating or forming alliances with these reformist or in some cases downright reactionary movements has never worked. We should be looking beyond the progressive rhetoric of movements like the Corbyn campaign and thinking before we blindly give them our support merely for being an apparent lesser evil. My impression was that this wasn’t being done enough.

Overall, though, my first impressions of the CPGB were very positive. I think if we avoid jumping to conclusions about complex matters like the situation in the Middle East or Labour Party, and continue to be undogmatic and have vigorous debates, we could make some real progress. I learnt a lot and look forward to working with the CPGB more to fight capitalism and build a revolution.

Commissaress

Insights

I had an amazing time. There were different points of view on all sorts of different topics - all of them adding a new perspective to try and understand what is going on in today’s world.

The approach is really excellent: first there is the opening talk, but there is ample time for discussion as well on the topic being covered. For me the debates were full of insights and even the historical subjects were very much linked to current issues and events that are happening around us. So I am really happy to have been at CU.

There was, of course, a difference in quality between the various talks, but I suppose this is closely linked to the interests of the person listening. I am still trying to evaluate some of what was said, but many of the discussions I found very interesting and very engaging.

The organisation and structure of the debates was efficient. But one thing - it can be a bit tiring and I would recommend an earlier start and finish to each day. Starting at 10am and closing at 7pm is a bit late, I think. Also if there was coffee and tea available throughout the day, that would make things easier. Sometimes if you are sitting concentrating for a long period of time you can get a bit tired, and a cup of coffee would make a difference!

Other than that, things were really good.

Said Abuhamdah

Learning curve

The range of debate was really excellent - the right to bear arms, the colonisation of Palestine ... as someone who’s coming in fairly new to the theory of Marxism, it’s been a real interesting learning curve. Also, if you’re coming from outside this community, when you see it advertised, unless you see the timetable you might think it’s the same old stuff. But it’s so broad, it’s so varied.

And the level of debate is so good. Yes, people have got their own specialist area of knowledge, but everyone is so approachable and it’s very friendly, and I just wish I’d found it years ago!

There are lots of differences expressed, but the exchanges are comradely in the true sense of the word. As someone who has been a member of Left Unity, I find that quite refreshing. While I’m sure that not all LU branches are the same, in my experience if you say something that someone disagrees with, you can get one dominant alpha male and that just spoils it. But at CU it’s the antithesis of that. If more people knew about the range and style of debate here, there could potentially be an awful lot of people on board.

And the organisation has been pretty good. I booked up at the last minute, but when I arrived the key to my accommodation was ready and someone was there to show you where to go and make you feel welcome. The only criticism I have is that it would be quite helpful for someone coming in from the outside if there was a session where you were actually introduced to each other, so you get an idea of who everybody is.

It’s great the way that the kitchen rota was organised, with all the participants taking part. That’s how it should be. I didn’t know about it before, but when I was asked I was pleased to join in. It helped build that comradeship without it being forced on you.

Ruth Phelps

No fanatics

The debates have been very interesting. I almost didn’t dare to contribute myself, because other comrades seemed to be making lots of notes and it sometimes felt like they could go on speaking for hours. They all seem to have so much more knowledge and I sometimes felt overshadowed by it all.

I had been disengaged from the left in the Netherlands for a while and I know that people who look at the left from the outside - via the internet, for example - often get the impression that they are some kind of fanatics. But if you go to Communist University you find that there are real active people. But they are also bright, intelligent comrades whose analysis is often striking - you get a completely different view of the left.

I was outside when a young girl was dropped off here by her mum. She was a bit nervous, but I showed her where to go and soon she was contributing to the debate! I was 16 or 17 when I got involved with the left and I know you need time to develop.

And I quite liked helping in the kitchen. There was a kind of competition to make the food better every day!

Bart von Holsteijn

[LeninistIthink]

Well I hope to see you there next year Q :grin:

[The Feral Underclass]

Well, it has been at the same spot for the last two years and the location is liked a lot, so probably we'll be there in 2016 too. And yes, the more non-members participate, the better the CU gets! :)


Well, so is "CPGB" somewhat. They have a history :lol:

Anyway, the first issue of the Weekly Worker post-CU is out and it gives some impressions of some first-time attendees (http://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1072/eight-days-of-debate-and-learning/), giving you an idea what you have missed ;)

Lol, the first one: any experience by a 14 year old is going to sound life-altering and amazing because, you know, they're 14. I remember my first Marxism in 1997 when I was also 14 -- I fell in love with a German punk and it was all new and exciting and people sang Internationale in the summer dusk and it was the best week of my life...My life, let's remember, consisted of 168 months...

Sorry to be a dick, but I can't help but be cynical. It's a little disingenuous posting an article by a 14 year old as some kind of indicative feeling of the entire event. I'm sure it was amazing for this person, but give it another 10 years and they'll realise.

[Q]

Lol, the first one: any experience by a 14 year old is going to sound life-altering and amazing because, you know, they're 14. I remember my first Marxism in 1997 when I was also 14 -- I fell in love with a German punk and it was all new and exciting and people sang Internationale in the summer dusk and it was the best week of my life...My life, let's remember, consisted of 168 months...

Sorry to be a dick, but I can't help but be cynical. It's a little disingenuous posting an article by a 14 year old as some kind of indicative feeling of the entire event. I'm sure it was amazing for this person, but give it another 10 years and they'll realise.
You are of course quite right. The only scientifically sound test to see if a 14 year old has it right is to come by next year yourself, unless of course you just want to be a dick ;)

A second video appeared (http://cpgb.org.uk/media/videos/132/the-lessons-of-the-third-comintern-congress/), this time about Ian Birchall talking about the third congress of the Comintern, of which the minutes were only published in English this year (!).

138189884

[Црвена]

Lol, the first one: any experience by a 14 year old is going to sound life-altering and amazing because, you know, they're 14. I remember my first Marxism in 1997 when I was also 14 -- I fell in love with a German punk and it was all new and exciting and people sang Internationale in the summer dusk and it was the best week of my life...My life, let's remember, consisted of 168 months...

Sorry to be a dick, but I can't help but be cynical. It's a little disingenuous posting an article by a 14 year old as some kind of indicative feeling of the entire event. I'm sure it was amazing for this person, but give it another 10 years and they'll realise.

Life-altering and amazing? I wrote that one, and I don't think I ever said that. I said that it was my first big communist event, so it was quite a big deal for me just because of that, and I said that I enjoyed it. Not that it was a revelation and changed the way I think about life, it was just a good event where I met a lot of cool people and there was less sectarianism and crap like that than I expected (and as I said, most of my prior discussions with communists came from the internet, so honestly my expectations were not very high). It's not as though I just gushed throughout that article either; I said that my impressions were positive overall and criticised the people at the event for getting overexcited about reformist groups.

Yes, I may have been viewing the event through rose-tinted glasses because it was my first one, but that's why I prefaced the whole thing by saying that it was my first communist event so as to let people know that I was very excited and am inexperienced, and therefore perhaps not the best person to give a verdict on this event. That doesn't mean that it's not valuable to get opinions on the event from a variety of demographics. And 168-month-olds are capable of impartial-ish judgement, you know.

[LeninistIthink]

I'm surprised that there doesn't seem to be any conversation on the Left Unity project which IIRC CPGB(PCC) is a member of.

[Q]

I'm surprised that there doesn't seem to be any conversation on the Left Unity project which IIRC CPGB(PCC) is a member of.
You mean, besides the right to bear arms debate? No, there wasn't. And the, broadly speaking, two reasons I can think for that are:

1. Despite being a part of the project, a lot of members are quite cynical about the prospects of LU. Given that they've been through the Socialist Labour Party, Socialist Alliance and Respect, I can't really blame them. Also, now that Corbyn is happening, LU's expiration date as another Labour 2.0 project is rapidly approaching. Either LU gets to grips with itself and becomes what it should be, unity on a socialist basis, or it'll quickly be relegated to the dustbin.

2. Besides Salman Shaheen there simply weren't any high cadre of LU wanting to debate the issues. Many of the Trots simply avoid the CPGB like the plague. It's pretty hard to debate LU matters if there's so little choice to debate with, I can tell you.

Besides this, LU is still taken seriously. Just before the CU for example the Communist Platform in LU made a proposal for a new constitution (http://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1071/a-constitution-fit-for-purpose/), a live issue that will be discussed in the November conference of LU.

[The Feral Underclass]

Life-altering and amazing? I wrote that one, and I don't think I ever said that. I said that it was my first big communist event, so it was quite a big deal for me just because of that, and I said that I enjoyed it. Not that it was a revelation and changed the way I think about life, it was just a good event where I met a lot of cool people and there was less sectarianism and crap like that than I expected (and as I said, most of my prior discussions with communists came from the internet, so honestly my expectations were not very high). It's not as though I just gushed throughout that article either; I said that my impressions were positive overall and criticised the people at the event for getting overexcited about reformist groups.

Yes, I may have been viewing the event through rose-tinted glasses because it was my first one, but that's why I prefaced the whole thing by saying that it was my first communist event so as to let people know that I was very excited and am inexperienced, and therefore perhaps not the best person to give a verdict on this event. That doesn't mean that it's not valuable to get opinions on the event from a variety of demographics. And 168-month-olds are capable of impartial-ish judgement, you know.

Okay, it wasn't life altering and amazing. And sure they're capable of it, they rarely put it to use. Anyway, my point wasn't to belittle or dismiss your experiences, it was to criticise the CPGB and Q for using it as some indicator for the whole event. It's called propaganda.

[Q]

Patrick Smith talks about Jeremy Corbyn and his blast campaign:

137929683

Direct link: https://vimeo.com/137929683

[The Feral Underclass]

Patrick Smith :wub:

[Црвена]

Okay, it wasn't life altering and amazing. And sure they're capable of it, they rarely put it to use. Anyway, my point wasn't to belittle or dismiss your experiences, it was to criticise the CPGB and Q for using it as some indicator for the whole event. It's called propaganda.

Fair enough, but I don't think the CPGB were trying to use it as an indicator for the whole event or give the impression that the event was perfect. They published the perspectives of four different newcomers and none of us made out that everything was amazing. But it did happen to be a pretty good event, so there weren't that many criticisms either.

[Ceallach_the_Witch]

next year i'll have some people to crash with in London so I might actually be able to attend

[Q]

Here are a bunch more videos:

Yassamine Mather on the US wars in the Middle East and perspectives for the region:

138441498

Direct link (https://vimeo.com/138441498).

Guglielmo Carchedi on how to think of value in an age based more and more on "mental labour":

138504709

Direct link (https://vimeo.com/138504709).

In a second session comrade Carchedi tackles the question whether the "great recession" was a crisis in profitability:

138953948

Direct link (https://vimeo.com/138953948).

[Spectre of Spartacism]

You are of course quite right. The only scientifically sound test to see if a 14 year old has it right is to come by next year yourself, unless of course you just want to be a dick ;)

A second video appeared (http://cpgb.org.uk/media/videos/132/the-lessons-of-the-third-comintern-congress/), this time about Ian Birchall talking about the third congress of the Comintern, of which the minutes were only published in English this year (!).

138189884

Doesn't Birchall have a long history in the leadership of the SWP-UK/IST? I guess he's no longer in that organization.

[Q]

Doesn't Birchall have a long history in the leadership of the SWP-UK/IST? I guess he's no longer in that organization.
Nope, he left after the rape scandal.

[Q]

Hillel Ticktin's three day talk titled crisis, transition and socialism:

138610886

Direct link (https://vimeo.com/138610886).

140290419

Direct link (https://vimeo.com/140290419).

141035968

Direct link (https://vimeo.com/141035968).

[Q]

Videos are forthcoming now, here are three more:

Kevin Bean about the British state and its national questions:

139737627

Direct link (https://vimeo.com/139737627).

Michael Roberts about the future of the Eurozone:

141035969

Direct link (https://vimeo.com/141035969).

Marc Mulhullond on ‘Gifted and talented: Socialists and the problem of unequal abilities - a history':

141075918

Direct link (https://vimeo.com/141075918).