Morning Star

[luxemburg89]

I was just wondering how many people here read the morning star? im sure a lot of you do but those who don't or don't know about it. its a tiny british newspaper that was established in the 1920s under the name 'daily worker' and has always been the speaking voice of the communist party and other socialist/left-wing groups. In short, the paper is often struggling for funds and i always enjoy reading hardline anti-capitalist rants in the morning. The paper is considered a joke by most of the media but thats cos they're capitalist pigs :D . Soooooo if you're interested you can normally find it in WH Smiths, hidden away somewhere (look for red on the papers) its normally hidden under a guardian or the racing post.

also www.morningstaronline.co.uk (i think) does an online version.

[PRC-UTE]

thanks. will check it out.

[Vanguard1917]

It's the newspaper that supports the Communist Party of Britain - the party of the Stalinists in the old CPGB.

Now, with no working class movement and no Soviet Union to defend, it's a newspaper for which any idiot can write an article, as its editor, John Haylett, admits:

'We have articles from people that at one time we would never have given the time of day to - like the Welsh and Scottish Nationalists, the Greens, and regular contributions from church people...' link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Morning_Star)

[BOZG]

I've heard of it but never bothered to read it. From what Vanguard is saying, it appears that Socialist Worker in Ireland is quite akin to it.

[Okocim]

at 60p it's quite a bit though and not particularly thick. I get it if I've got some time to kill waiting for a train but I don't think it's a good enough read to get often.

[welshred]

Doesnt the communist party of great britain also do a newspaper?

[Okocim]

Originally posted by [email protected] 09, 2007 01:15 pm
Doesnt the communist party of great britain also do a newspaper?
yup, Weekly Worker. It's available online here:
http://www.cpgb.org.uk/worker/index.html

I think it's a good paper.

[welshred]

Didnt Ken Livingstone call the communist party of great britain MI5 agents? Or was that another party?

[Wanted Man]

Originally posted by [email protected] 09, 2007 01:46 am
It's the newspaper that supports the Communist Party of Britain - the party of the Stalinists in the old CPGB.

Now, with no working class movement and no Soviet Union to defend, it's a newspaper for which any idiot can write an article, as its editor, John Haylett, admits:

'We have articles from people that at one time we would never have given the time of day to - like the Welsh and Scottish Nationalists, the Greens, and regular contributions from church people...' link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Morning_Star)
Oh well, people had better read The Socialist then, now that's ground-breaking stuff. :rolleyes:

[welshred]

I looked for morning star in my local WH smiths and couldnt find it anywhere. There was plenty of crap newspapers like the sun and the star tho. If I asked the staff to order them in, do you reckon that they would?

[RedAnarchist]

I've read it before, but it's not really worth doing so IMO.

[welshred]

Originally posted by [email protected] 09, 2007 12:56 pm
I've read it before, but it's not really worth doing so IMO.
Ok Ill forget it then.

[luxemburg89]

is weekly worker better than the morning star? i've never seen it round her - the morning star is the most left paper we have here so i go with it - it also pisses off all the old conservatives - i will look into the weekly worker though, thanks

[Vanguard1917]

Originally posted by [email protected] 09, 2007 09:30 pm
is weekly worker better than the morning star? i've never seen it round her - the morning star is the most left paper we have here so i go with it - it also pisses off all the old conservatives - i will look into the weekly worker though, thanks
Yes, the Weekly Worker is a better paper, at least in terms of content. You can read all of it online for free. Check out the link in Okocim's last post.

[Socialist Dave]

My grandad was on the front page of the morning star once. Cos he used to work in the shipyards before they got shut down, and they were on strike and he was at the front of the picket line.

[Okocim]

Originally posted by [email protected] 09, 2007 10:30 pm
is weekly worker better than the morning star? i've never seen it round her - the morning star is the most left paper we have here so i go with it - it also pisses off all the old conservatives - i will look into the weekly worker though, thanks
the cpgb also have a pretty good section in terms of how easy it is to find information quickly. if you want something about the swp you click swp in their "theory" bit and it gives you all the weekly worker articles written on the swp:
http://www.cpgb.org.uk/theory/index.html

[welshred]

Wasnt the CPB and CPGB one party at one time?

[Okocim]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10, 2007 06:47 pm
Wasnt the CPB and CPGB one party at one time?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Par...up_of_the_party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Great_Britain#1977-1991:_breakup_of_the_party)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Par...al_Committee%29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Great_Britain_%28Provisional_Ce ntral_Committee%29)

there have been a lot of splits, reformings, name changes etc - read them two links. :)

[Socialist Dave]

Originally posted by Socialist [email protected] 10, 2007 04:29 pm
My grandad was on the front page of the morning star once. Cos he used to work in the shipyards before they got shut down, and they were on strike and he was at the front of the picket line.
Makes me automaticly the badman of this thread. BEEEEAAAAAATTTTCCCHHHHHh

[welshred]

Originally posted by [email protected] 11, 2007 02:11 am

there have been a lot of splits, reformings, name changes etc - read them two links. :)
Cheers comrade.

[luxemburg89]

Nah you're no badman I'm still gonna read the morning star so i guess the badman's me :P I will definetely look out for the weekly worker, every saturday right?

[welshred]

I was looking in my local news agents and I found morning star at last! I agree it is a bit thin, but I also discovered socialist worker, anyone read this?

[anti-authoritarian]

I thought it was a tabloid?

[Okocim]

Originally posted by [email protected] 13, 2007 02:49 pm
I also discovered socialist worker, anyone read this?
it's SWP, it's absolute shit.

[welshred]

Ahh I see, Good job I didnt pick it up then!!

[bloody_capitalist_sham]

i try to pick one up whenever i see them. Though, im not sure they go to print everyday....

[BOZG]

I'd just go with the Weekly Worker because you can read it online for free. The last time I read the physical copy, every page had a bit asking for subscriptions because no one bothers to buy it anymore. =D

[farleft]

Anti-Capitalist Action's publication The Underground will be much better than Morning Star.

I've read it a few times, you can pick it up in some Sainsburys.

The Underground will have 12pages and in its first month will produce 10,000 copies.

Though TU will be monthly and cost 50p

The thing that ennoys me the most about the morning star is that it has about 4 pages.

[A.J.]

Originally posted by Okocim+March 10, 2007 04:53 pm--> (Okocim @ March 10, 2007 04:53 pm)
[email protected] 09, 2007 10:30 pm
is weekly worker better than the morning star? i've never seen it round her - the morning star is the most left paper we have here so i go with it - it also pisses off all the old conservatives - i will look into the weekly worker though, thanks
the cpgb also have a pretty good section in terms of how easy it is to find information quickly. if you want something about the swp you click swp in their "theory" bit and it gives you all the weekly worker articles written on the swp:
http://www.cpgb.org.uk/theory/index.html [/b]
Is that group calling itself the CPGB(not in anyway to be confused with the original, now defunct, CPGB) not just a microscopic trotskyite sect with only a about a dozen or so members?!?!

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Well, what a load of sectarian *****ing!


it's SWP, it's absolute shit.

No wonder the far left is 'god's' gift to the ruling class!

[RebelDog]

Originally posted by [email protected] 08, 2007 10:08 pm
In short, the paper is often struggling for funds and i always enjoy reading hardline anti-capitalist rants in the morning.
If the Morning Star is hard up perhaps Anita Halpin can help with a few bob:

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

[luxemburg89]

she's the one who got money from the painting right? Yeah i had hoped she would donate to the paper but obviously not. she better have given most of that to the party - they certainly need it.

[welshred]

Is anyone a member of either the CPB or CPGB here?

[Okocim]

Originally posted by Rosa [email protected] 25, 2007 04:43 am
Well, what a load of sectarian *****ing!


it's SWP, it's absolute shit.

No wonder the far left is 'god's' gift to the ruling class!
have you read it? ;)

[Keyser]

Is anyone a member of either the CPB or CPGB here?

About three years ago, before I became an anarchist-communist, I was a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, which has the Weekly Worker paper. Was never a member of the Communist Party of Britain though.

Here is a brief introduction to both groups:

Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB):

Paper: Weekly Worker

Website: CPGB (http://www.cpgb.org.uk)

The CPGB started off as a faction within the now defunct CPGB, which was dissolved in November 1989, back in 1981. This internal faction published a paper called The Leninist. Originally a hardline Stalinist faction, it graudually evolved ideologically throughout the 1980s and 1990s into a traditional Leninist group, not taking an explicit line of support for either Stalinism, Maoism or Trotskyism. Upon the dissolution of the old pro-USSR and reformist CPGB in November 1989, the new CPGB was formed as the Communist Party of Great Britain-Provisional Central Committee (CPGB-PCC), with The Leninist as it's paper.

During the 1990s and the 2000s, the CPGB has now droped the PCC from it's title and the paper has now been renamed the Weekly Worker. The CPGB has also been involved with many campaigns to obtain unity on the far-left. It was initially part of the Socialist Labour Party (SLP) but left due to the SLP's leader, Aurther Scargill's authoritarian leadership and outright Stalinist ideology and then the CPGB went into the Socialist Alliance. Upon the collapse of the Socialist Alliance, the CPGB has now been involved with the Respect Party, though it has been critical of Respect for it's reformism and class collaboration with both petit-bourgeoisie and bourgeoisie forces, not to mention Respect's siding wih the forces of political Islam.

Though orthodox Leninists, the CPGB has a close working relationship with Trotskyist groups and the CPGB upholds Marx, Engles, Lenin, Trotsky and Luxemburg as valid communist theorists.

Communist Party of Britain (CPB):

Paper: Morning Star

Website: CPB (http://www.communist-party.org.uk)

The CPB was formed in 1988 after they split from the old CPGB over the old CPGB's turn towards Euro Communism and it's gradual dissolution into the social democratic group that supported New Labour and Tony Blair, the Democratic Left.

The CPB basically has kept the ideology of the CPGB of the 1970s and 1980s, that is that the CPB sees Britain becoming socialist via the election of a left-wing and openly social democratic Labour Party government. The CPB tells people to vote Labour, even if the Labour candidate in question is a New Labour/Blairite one an even if there is another leftist group standing in the elections, such as Respect, the Socialist Party or the former Socialist Alliance.

The CPB are a very small group and have no where as near as many members as groups such as the Socialist Workers Party or the Socialist Party have. The CPB also supports the current regime in China and considers China to be a 'socialist' country, despite the evidence pointing otherwise. All in all, the CPB is a reformist and social democratic group, which is neither socialist or communist, as they are opposed to class liberation or social revolution, instead hoping that a social democratic Labour government will just throw a few more crumbs of the cake at the workers.

[luxemburg89]

good post, i applied to join the CPB but never had any response so i consider them backward, slow and useless and will soon be applying to join the CPGB even though i think it is important that all Communist Parties across the world are united. Is it possible to belong to a Communist Party of another country? - i think, as communists, we should be interested in affairs in all countries and as a result should plays our part in the cause of every country.

[welshred]

I applied to join the CPB and found they were very helpful. I also applied to the CPGB but they didnt reply to my application. As for the CPB being not communist and not socialist, then why do they describe themselves as marxist leninist? As for a democratically elected communist party they also believe in armed struggle if it is neccesary.

[Okocim]

Originally posted by [email protected] 27, 2007 05:30 pm
I applied to join the CPB and found they were very helpful. I also applied to the CPGB but they didnt reply to my application. As for the CPB being not communist and not socialist, then why do they describe themselves as marxist leninist? As for a democratically elected communist party they also believe in armed struggle if it is neccesary.
btw, many parties which call themselves "marxist-leninist", for example the CPGB-ML (http://www.cpgb-ml.org), actually mean they are Stalinists or, for example the CPB-ML (http://www.workers.org.uk/), are Maoists



Just be careful about that. ;)

[welshred]

Originally posted by Anarchism [email protected] 26, 2007 04:11 pm
which is neither socialist or communist, as they are opposed to class liberation or social revolution, instead hoping that a social democratic Labour government will just throw a few more crumbs of the cake at the workers.
If you read there manifesto, and their aims and constitution you will see that this is not true.

[Keyser]

I applied to join the CPB and found they were very helpful. I also applied to the CPGB but they didnt reply to my application.

That's strange, usually from people I know, it's the other way round in that the CPB is either slow or do not reply to applications for membership, especially if done via their website.


As for the CPB being not communist and not socialist, then why do they describe themselves as marxist leninist?

Many parties around the world describe themselves as either marxist or marxist-leninist. The Communist Party of China, the Communist Party USA, the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Workers Party of Korea (ruling party of North Korea). Yet none of these parties hold and/or act on a programme that is one based upon overthrowing the capitalist system, the state and fighting for the liberation of the working class.

A true socialist/communist/anarchist/revolutionary should always have a critical and open mind on all aspects of politics, society and ideology. That means looking at things from a class perspective and analysing how certain individuals/groups/states act according to their class loyalties and their position and purpose within class society.

With this, we should always look beyond labels, titles and personalities and look at what certain political forces do instead of just what they say.


As for a democratically elected communist party they also believe in armed struggle if it is neccesary.

Any genuine working class revolutionary movement is a movement that will not participate in the fraud of the capitalist political system and bourgeois parliamentary 'democracy'. Thus elections under a capitalist system are a no go area for us full stop.

And the CPB do not even have the will to fight for a 'democratically elected communist party' they campaign for people to vote for the Labour Party, an openly reactionary and capitalist party and they do not aim for socialism but social democracy. I and many others do not aim for Britain to become another Sweden, but a classless and stateless society of equal and free humans, outside the oppressive complex of the state and capitalism and that is something the CPB has never fought for.

As for armed struggle, and by that I take it you mean the method of armed struggle practised by vanguardist guerrilla groups like the FARC in Colombia or Cuba's 1959 revolution or the war waged by Mao in China to take power, an armed struggle done by an elite fighting force and detached from the masses and the organised actions of the working class is not a revolution but a violent spectacle that simply makes the masses and the working class passive spectators whilst the 'revolutionaries' do their thing.

I am not a pacifist. I support totally the right of the oppressed and the working class to use violent and armed actions against all agencies, individuals and institutions that oppress them.

However, a social revolution for working class liberation is more than just a few guerrillas with guns in the jungles, it's strikes, it's blockades, it's massive demonstrations, it's street battles with the ruling class ans fascist thugs and so much more. All in all, it's the total organised activity of the masses and the working class to fight for liberation via a number of different strategies and tactics.

[welshred]

If they campaign for people to vote labour, why are they standing candidates in the elections?

[luxemburg89]

heres an idea - and if you disagree then it will obviously fail but, as welshred said he applied to both. If we all do this then we are the future of the party and we can hopefully pull them together into one party in the future - which is what needs to be done to mount any serious challenge - agree/disagree?

[welshred]

I agree, both parties are small compared to other parties. But just imagine if all communist parties united, surely then there would be a big party that can actually challenge the other parties. After all they all want the same thing so it seems stupid to have loads of different parties.

[luxemburg89]

whether they'd be big i dunno but we have to try - 'those who do not move, do not know that they wear chains' as rosa luxemburg said. Either way it is a step in the right direction.

[Oscar Wilde]

The CPB basically are what is known as 'revisionist'. that means they have reverted away from the ideas laid down by Marxism-Leninism. They try to be 'respectable' by supporting anti working class organisations like the labour Party. They are quiet about the achievements of the USSR and Stalin in case they upset anyone. On the other side of the 'communist' spectrum are the New Communist Party and the Communist Party of Great Britain Marxist-Leninist. The CPGB-MLis what could be described as the 'old fashioned' party in that it openley declares its support for Stalin aMao and the communist countries whereever they are. It also marches around with pictures of Lenin and Stalin

see www.stalinsociety.org.uk
www.cpgb-ml.org

the ncp websites are pretty rubbish

[welshred]

I emailed the CPB in regards to them supporting labour, and being social democrat this is the reply.

The aim of the Communist Party is to achieve a socialist Britain in which the means of production, distribution and exchange will be socially owned and utilised in a planned way for the benefit of all. This necessitates a revolutionary trans-formation of society, ending the existing capitalist system of exploitation aand replacing it with a socialist society in which each will contribute according to ability and recieve according to work done."

Clearly not social democracy. Further more the Communist Party sees socialism not as an end in itself but as a staging post towards communism.

The Communist Party, in pursuing these aims, is guided by the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism.

The Communist Party has many detractors but few who have taken the time to truely find out what we are about and to test this through study and informed discussion and debate. I would be interested to know where your friends got their ideas from and would encourage you to continuing your own investigations into our theories and policies.

With regard to elections, this a question of tactical advance only - as capitalist democracy will never deliver socialism; but electoral struggle can be used to raise political awareness, to draw people into political struggle and to make tactical advances for the working class.

None of the major political parties is oriented to socialism but the Labour Party was set up as the political voice of the organised working class and, even in its current form, is more open to influence by this section of society. But the Labour Party is a capitalist party and the Communist Party has no illusions about the challenges in moving it in a progressive direction.

[Guest_Fashbash]

Yeah, I get it sometimes. It's a good paper, like any other tabloid but with more politics and a left wing bias. I think it's better than The Socialist (Even though I'm a party member!). You can find it best in places that are traditionally Labour, e.g. I live in Sheffield and it's readily available, but you probably wouldn't find a copy in say Buckinghamshire.

[oscar wilde]

Yeah, you can get the Morning Star even in Sainsbury's sometimes. It deserves support and plays a role, but have no illusions, it is not the radical, communist paper it was years ago, and mostly its pretty bloody dull. Ive heard people call it the Yawning Star, Boring Star etc!

The CPB have replied to you well, why dont you email a whole bunch of the CP's and post their replies? From my experience the CPB guys like to hang out with their pals in theLabour Party, it makes them feel closer to power, closer to this real influence etc etc, you cant blame them really, or the NCP, the communist movement is in such a bad way that they must feel insignificant, supporting Labour is like having a buffer, when they win in elections these communists can say, hey, we helped them do that!

If you think the Labour Party is the way to go, go for it, but I think your wasting your time, you'd be better off in the Socialist labour Party! thats if they're not all in the CPGB(ML) now!

[mac1905]

As I go for 'cash tourism' to Britain, I read sometimes Morining Star (first seeing is this issue worth), buying from newsagents or 'New Worker' of NCP. They both seem rather OK to me with bunch of good reporatires from Middle East etc.

Seen couple of times Socialist Worker, not suprised regarding that a I saw cliffities papers from my country, rather self promotion everywhere than things to read in time for rest with tea/coffee and cig.

WW read it from their website, nearly all issue has around 2 interesting articles that I left and read weekends, but there is also a lot of polemc's and articles bassed on british far left- not always worth for me reading, I am afraid of getting deeper into clashes of british rad left :lol:

Once owned for free (lying on the pavement during some demo) Solidarity and Workers Hammer- that's uh strange? Solidarity for me very poor full of sectarian texts and I get an impression that they support a bit zionism? WH- more adjectives than verbs:P Given my 8-years old sister to learn english, but stopped it after questions: 'what is antisexual, racist opressive reactionary wankers'?:P

However british leftist papers interesting issue.

Once got 'Communist Review', very intersting though, any impressions with CR?

Any more papers to try next time in UK? huh :P

[A.J.]

When my old man was in the communist party(early to mid 1960s) was the time the name changed from the Daily Worker to the Morning Star, incidentley.


But yeah, the modern day paper is about as revolutionary as Ramsey McDonald.


meh, revisionists...... <_<

[A.J.]

Socialist Worker

Nearly, but not quite as good as Andrex.

[Louis Pio]

I enjoy the Weekly Worker, it&#39;s like the tabloid of the british left. Seems CPGB has nothing better to do than to keep track on what the other groups are doing, quite small circle mentality.

[TC]

Originally posted by Vanguard1917+March 10, 2007 04:18 pm--> (Vanguard1917 &#064; March 10, 2007 04:18 pm)
[email protected] 09, 2007 09:30 pm
is weekly worker better than the morning star? i&#39;ve never seen it round her - the morning star is the most left paper we have here so i go with it - it also pisses off all the old conservatives - i will look into the weekly worker though, thanks
Yes, the Weekly Worker is a better paper, at least in terms of content. You can read all of it online for free. Check out the link in Okocim&#39;s last post. [/b]
The weekly worker is definately more entertaining than the morning star, but they&#39;re impossible to compare.

the morning star is the only communist daily paper in the uk and its the closest thing to a &#39;mainstream&#39; communist paper; its the only communist paper sold in commerical newstands and stores.

the weekly worker is an activist weekly, only distributed by activists, not for general consumption. I think its definately the best of this type of paper though, and its also one of the few that are utterly non-sectarian and pluralistic.


I enjoy the Weekly Worker, it&#39;s like the tabloid of the british left. Seems CPGB has nothing better to do than to keep track on what the other groups are doing, quite small circle mentality.

the CPGB keeps track and reports on what the whole left is doing, all of the other activist papers only report on what their own party is doing. It might be insular butits not as insular as the rest imo.