What does the left movement look like in your area?

  1. RHIZOMES
    RHIZOMES
    Just thought I'd kick off the forum by making this post to get a general idea of the state of the left in Oceania.

    I'll start off with my area.

    With Auckland it's mainly the Worker's Party and Socialist Worker, with a few tiny (think 3 members all over the age of 60) ultra-Trot groups noone cares about. the Socialist Worker recently had a split between the bullshit reformist "broad movement" faction and the "revolutionary" faction.

    The Workers Party is the only actual revolutionary worker's party (RAM is not, and I'm not being sectarian by saying this, as a lot of RAM candidates would agree) in Auckland and all of New Zealand that is standing in bourgeoisie elections. We seek to build a worker's movement in NZ, rather than bicker over historical petty power struggles in socialist states that no longer exist. Our party is actually a merger between a pro-Mao and a pro-Trotsky group.

    I don't know much about the anarchists as I am not one, but I do know a few anarchists in the Auckland far-left scene, such as Omar Hamed and Simon Oosterman. There's also the iconic John Minto who is just a general left militant. Both anarchists and communists think he's the best thing since sliced bread.
  2. Bastable
    Bastable
    Practically non-existent in my neck of the woods. My area's very conservative and I don't know of any comrades near by (unless you count our dear friends the Australian Stalinist League ) so yeah apart from a small greens presence (which doesn't really count) there's nothing.
  3. Bilan
    Bilan
    In my city...pretty shitty, really.
    Few anarchist groups, many socialist sect-parties.
    The anarchist groups are predominantly insurrectionary groups (with exceptions).
    The socialist groups are shit. 'nuff said.
  4. Saorsa
    Saorsa
    What coty do you live in B&R?
  5. Bilan
    Bilan
    Sydney
  6. Hiero
    Hiero
    My area goes up and down. Currently the big thing is climate change, since we are the busiest port city in the world, and the major export being coal. Today actually I think they are going to occupy the rail road somewhere, I forgot about it till a friend noticed alot of people (hippies he said) at the uni.

    But basically you have average groups here and there, and they get active when there is a issue to rally around.
  7. superiority
    superiority
    Spending all of my free time in internet cafes as I do (recently moved out of home, no internet where I live), I have no real connections with whatever left scene there is in Hamilton, not that I'm aware of one in Hamilton. The WPNZ did try to recruit me as I waited in line for the Big Day Out up in Auckland this year. Not being big on the whole electoral politics thing, I shut them down.

    Arizona Bay: wow, I had no idea you lived so close to me (I'm a long-time lurker, by the way). If I were a more active member (and therefore more trustworthy/less likely to be a Stormfront plant), I would suggest we meet up.
  8. RHIZOMES
    RHIZOMES
    Spending all of my free time in internet cafes as I do (recently moved out of home, no internet where I live), I have no real connections with whatever left scene there is in Hamilton, not that I'm aware of one in Hamilton. The WPNZ did try to recruit me as I waited in line for the Big Day Out up in Auckland this year. Not being big on the whole electoral politics thing, I shut them down.
    I was there at BDO, but I wasn't able to find the stall. I understand your sentiments about electoral politics, however, we are not parliamentary careerists or anything like that. A good clarification of this is in our blog:

    http://thespark.org.nz/2008/07/07/wo...sion/#comments

    As you can see in our press release statement, we make no bones about the fact that our demands are only achievable throught the complete overthrow of capitalism, unlike those socialists who pretend capitalism can be “reformed”.
    The main point of our election campaign is to put forward the demands that are objectively necessary for the working class and to raise political consciousness, rather than telling the capitalists how to better administer their dirty system.
    If some time down the track we do get elected to parliament, our strategy would be to use our elected positions as a platform for revolutionary extra-parliamentary agitation, rather than trying to extract policy concessions by doing deals with the capitalist parties.
    Even if by some miracle we got a majority of Workers Party MPs elected, no amount of legislation could bring about the kind of radical social and economic transformation that is needed.
    It's just a way to legitimize and spread our politics in this period of low class struggle, where Marxism has been discredited to the vast majority of the working class.

    Arizona Bay: wow, I had no idea you lived so close to me (I'm a long-time lurker, by the way). If I were a more active member (and therefore more trustworthy/less likely to be a Stormfront plant), I would suggest we meet up.
    That'd be cool! Hamilton is about 2 hours south, right? It'd be good meeting a Revlefter than isn't Xiao Banfa for a change.
  9. RedAthena1919
    RedAthena1919
    Shit all around here. Even the Trotskyists don't have much representation in Perth. We're just forgotten about over here
  10. RHIZOMES
    RHIZOMES
    Shit all around here. Even the Trotskyists don't have much representation in Perth. We're just forgotten about over here
    everyone forgets about Perth
  11. Comrade Blaze
    Comrade Blaze
    Hey Comrades

    I live in Perth

    Awww
  12. RedRise
    RedRise
    I'm in Perth too and I must agree there is very little going on.
    I do know two comrades my own age that I met at school and hopefully they will soon get accounts on RevLeft, but other than that it can get pretty lonely. :-(

    Maybe us Perthites should organize a meeting? :-)
  13. AntifaAustralia
    AntifaAustralia
    some skin head anti-racists on aussie myspace, SHARPWA check it out scarlowy and BLAZE. perth being a new CBD boom town might explain it

    Bilan? Anarchists in sydney? i'm in sydney by the way, i never knew about anarchists in syd. they must be that quiet huh? jura books? i reckon that group would be massive! not.

    bilan dislikes pacifist socialist groups, he must be that extreme and that bored, funny guy

    Yeah socialists as billy said is plenty, caouple splinter groups of trots and comms all 50+, all left groups are like that, they salivate at young ones at rallies LOL,

    i reckon the closest thing to anarchy are the Socialist Alternative fellas because they have a young army going, but its a funny army, bloody funny.
  14. LeninKobaMao
    LeninKobaMao
    South east Sydney they are either too poor to care or are too rich to be leftist.
  15. AntifaAustralia
    AntifaAustralia
    South east Sydney they are either too poor to care or are too rich to be leftist.
    yes, bottom class empowerment through education. it doesn't take much for a poor person to realise that capitalism is shit and a fucked system. The poorer the poor the better, the more revolutionary they are. The poor are the true proletariats, the true victims of capitalism.

    Now the poor must be educated, and educated with marxism. we gotta get rid of that nationalism/religion infantile sicknesses and teach socialism, the socialist parties/groups can do barbeques and teach socialism basics.

    i wonder if marxism classes still operate by communists on a volunteer basis. Imagine communist classes in a community centre, makes sense, why not.
  16. Black Dagger
    some skin head anti-racists on aussie myspace, SHARPWA check it out scarlowy and BLAZE. perth being a new CBD boom town might explain it

    Bilan? Anarchists in sydney? i'm in sydney by the way, i never knew about anarchists in syd. they must be that quiet huh? jura books? i reckon that group would be massive! not.

    bilan dislikes pacifist socialist groups, he must be that extreme and that bored, funny guy

    Yeah socialists as billy said is plenty, caouple splinter groups of trots and comms all 50+, all left groups are like that, they salivate at young ones at rallies LOL,

    i reckon the closest thing to anarchy are the Socialist Alternative fellas because they have a young army going, but its a funny army, bloody funny.
    What are you talking about?

    The poorer the poor the better, the more revolutionary they are.
    Err, no.

    The poor are the true proletariats, the true victims of capitalism.
    As opposed to whom?

    Now the poor must be educated, and educated with marxism. we gotta get rid of that nationalism/religion infantile sicknesses and teach socialism, the socialist parties/groups can do barbeques and teach socialism basics.
    This is what the 19thC christian liberals did, they called it catholicism. Uplifting the poor by teaching them your religion.
  17. AntifaAustralia
    AntifaAustralia
    What are you talking about?
    The strange socialist alts have an army going on, some student revolution they are trying to start with young uni intellectuals. i find it interesting and their success in recruitement is not to be denied.

    soc orgs try to recruit so many people desperately, justifiable, and accepatble

    bilan sounded as if he is extremely bored and fed up of australia, he stated that he is disinterested in activism?

    Err, no.
    Cant deny starving masses that want change, venezuela, bolivia, nepal..... 3rd world nations matey, and WW2 fascist victims too, the oppressed will react when provoked, and aussies are plump pigs, we wont revolt unless opressed severely.

    As opposed to whom?
    I should really replace poor with low socio-economic status, or plainly proletariat. I'm pretty anti-capitalist and anti-bourgeoisie w about you?

    This is what the 19thC christian liberals did, they called it catholicism. Uplifting the poor by teaching them your religion.
    oh, didn't the pre WW2 era CPA do similar stuff? Communist philosophy is better than superstitious beliefs, also the archaic abrahamic religions are so sexist, argh, adam came before eve? please, therefore women must be loyal to men, OMG

    i sense you dislike my post for some reason, most elegant black swan, are you a trotskyist, sorry for mocking the SAlts i have nothing serious against them, or perhaps anarchist? Have you got something against antifascsits? are you an anti-reactionary lefty?

    i want to get to know about you too, that is your left scene like, and what sort of left ideologies,philosophys, etc. do you subscribe to?
  18. Black Dagger
    The strange socialist alts have an army going on, some student revolution they are trying to start with young uni intellectuals. i find it interesting and their success in recruitement is not to be denied.

    soc orgs try to recruit so many people desperately, justifiable, and accepatble

    bilan sounded as if he is extremely bored and fed up of australia, he stated that he is disinterested in activism?
    Ok, but you didn't explain how/why the "closest thing to anarchy is Socialist Alternative".

    Cant deny starving masses that want change, venezuela, bolivia, nepal..... 3rd world nations matey, and WW2 fascist victims too, the oppressed will react when provoked, and aussies are plump pigs, we wont revolt unless opressed severely.
    No, you said "The poorer the poor the better, the more revolutionary they are" That is plainly false - whilst there is a strong relationship between material being and consciousness, it's not a simple cause-effect, poor = revolutionary.

    Moreover, the idea that revolutionaries would desire more poverty (because the 'poorer' people are the more likely they are to be 'revolutionary') is a backwards, and likely to be born from a position of privilege (working people not suffering in poverty is a good thing!). Workers revolt when they organise, fight and win - poverty is not a prerequisite.

    oh, didn't the pre WW2 era CPA do similar stuff?
    It wouldn't suprise me, communist parties and paternalism are no strangers.

    Communist philosophy is better than superstitious beliefs, also the archaic abrahamic religions are so sexist, argh, adam came before eve? please, therefore women must be loyal to men, OMG
    Yes, but approaching people as vessels or as things to be taught at - embued with your 'world view'; whether it be materialist, and marxist or religious superstition; is paternalistic/patronising.

    sense you dislike my post for some reason, most elegant black swan, are you a trotskyist, sorry for mocking the SAlts i have nothing serious against them, or perhaps anarchist? Have you got something against antifascsits? are you an anti-reactionary lefty?
    No offense bro, but it's pretty obvious that you're a troll.

    No i'm not a marxist.
  19. Number 16 Bus Shelter
    Number 16 Bus Shelter
    Hmmm, This whole oceania thread is incredibly quiet.
    Well, my area Snells Beach/Warkworth (Small town 40 mins North of Auckland, NZ) Is dead.
    Nothing at all, even the mice are brainwashed into acceptance - they walk right into mouse-traps for the good of society ^^

    I've been at a poster/sticker/spraypaint stencil campaign at the moment. I've been wheatpasting all over the town, covering advertisements and the like. I did do it with a companion once.... However he leaked. Anyway, I'm telling you all this because the police have been sitting in a private car outside my flat for the last hour. very odd. They MUST be bored.

    Anyway, anyone here in wellington? Im moving down there in Janurary next year, and I was interested in what the political 'scene' is like ^^
  20. RHIZOMES
    RHIZOMES
    Anyway, anyone here in wellington? Im moving down there in Janurary next year, and I was interested in what the political 'scene' is like ^^
    If you're a Marxist you'd probably wanna check out the Workers Party, our Wellington branch is fantastic. If you're an anarchist you might wanna get in touch with AWSM or the anarchists at 128 Aro St (the famed anarchist house ).
  21. Anarchia
    Anarchia
    the address is 128 Abel Smith St, in Te Aro, not Aro st :P

    But yeah, if you're into class struggle, getting in touch with AWSM is your best bet.
  22. Number 16 Bus Shelter
    Number 16 Bus Shelter
    ha, Ok, I'll go a door-knocking. What are the Anarchists like over there? I mean on the political spectrum (From Coat-and-tie to life-stylists), where would they place? Unbiased. (Not that any here is biased of-course.)
  23. Chambered Word
    Chambered Word
    i reckon the closest thing to anarchy are the Socialist Alternative fellas because they have a young army going, but its a funny army, bloody funny.
    If an article on their website is anything to go by, they see anarchy as reactionary and silly. I'm not an anarchist, but I must say the article was pretty stupid.
  24. AntifaAustralia
    AntifaAustralia
    i meant to say anarchy as in revolution. my mistake. and SA's Anarchist attitude, or perhaps bordigaist attitude calling every other left group stalinist is something that is very not trotskyistish, or communist. I see the SA is a bougeois uni, sectarianist institution trying to work with anti-communism in the 1st world nation. the International socialist organisation was very irrationally anti-soviet, anti-cuba, china, anti-che...... how great for left unity.

    poorer than poor i think i meant victims of imperialism and colonialism, 3rd world style.
  25. Chambered Word
    Chambered Word
    i meant to say anarchy as in revolution. my mistake. and SA's Anarchist attitude, or perhaps bordigaist attitude calling every other left group stalinist is something that is very not trotskyistish, or communist. I see the SA is a bougeois uni, sectarianist institution trying to work with anti-communism in the 1st world nation. the International socialist organisation was very irrationally anti-soviet, anti-cuba, china, anti-che...... how great for left unity.

    poorer than poor i think i meant victims of imperialism and colonialism, 3rd world style.
    Which 'left groups' are you referring to? I've recently joined and I don't see anything bourgeois and sectarian about SA. We have a few members in Perth who are practically all uni students.

    Anti-Stalinism and anti-Maoism is not irrational, really.

    How are you by the way? I haven't seen you around the boards much.
  26. Sam Da Communist
    Yo comrades. i'm in sydney. Our scene looks pretty lame. Basing the numbers of the left on the quantity of people that attend leftist protests, i would have to say that the trotskyist Socialist Alternative make a large presence. Salts have a lot of students, perhaps this is why, and also they appear to be very militant, also they attack all socialist nations on this earth equally against capitalism it seems! ridiculous!

    I am a fan and very curious of The anarchists which i know they are are hard at work, but i believe they lack numbers and organisation.

    The other non-trotsky groups are not very big. The membership of the Socialist alliance (pro-cuba) is larger than the Salts perhaps, but they dont have much Protesting students, their student base is very small.

    other than the Socialist Alliance, there is the Communist party of australia (pro-soviet, china, and north korea), the Spartacists, trotskyist platform (pro-soviet, pro-china). They are all are damn small, the CPA seems a bit well organised, less than the Socialist alliance.

    I support the groups that support the positive elements of the soviets, china, cuba, korea etc and i support the historical analysis of them nation's and leaders as well. I believe in some sort of unity against capitalism and imperialism and fascism, our main enemy.

    Also There is the Communist party of Ausralia ML (maoist) i am interested in highly, but they seem almost extinct,
  27. AntifaAustralia
    AntifaAustralia
    .......We have a few members in Perth who are practically all uni students.
    Almost all uni students? quite something different to the socialist alliance, CPA, and other small groups.
    Anti-Stalinism and anti-Maoism is not irrational, really.
    depends on how you criticise, at times it is a captialist tool and a trotskyist one. one must not be so anti too. people say that anti-stalin/mao is self destructive to communism. I believe objectivity is needed in such disscussions.
  28. Rousedruminations
    Rousedruminations
    Anyone in melbourne want to meet up, i am a commie, marxist.. still developing my political views ! i am willing to talk to talk and discuss my thoughts and views with anyone from the left - i am desperate here -