I may not be a Marxist, but I am still a socialist.
And hence I attended the May Day March in London yesterday.
I was given a lecture that affirmed that Marx developed a "scientific socialism". This is something I would obviously take issue with. I don't really think that Marx's socialism was "scientific". I don't think that any socialism is really "scientific".
Affirming that socialism is "scientific" can possibly lead to inflexible thinking and intolerance of disagreement. It could be taken to imply that there are no mistakes in the thinking involved and that it is perfect and unquestionable. A recipe for problems.
Also, I told a fervent Marxist that I was member of the Green Party and she indignantly scoffed at this and said - with some anger - that the Green Party was a "bourgeois party". This shows precisely the kind of intolerance and blinkered thinking that Marxism and class-based politics can lead to. It is also a sign of the lack of unity that Marxist politics can lead to - in spite of Marx's call for unity. This is an example of why I have a problem with dividing humanity up into classes, as Marx's philosophy does.
Another seemingly ever present feature of the factions that were present at the May Day March was the factionalism and sectarianism of the movement on the far left that comes under the umbrella of Marxist politics. It takes some skill to keep track of the different parties. Some have exactly the same name as others but with the letters "ML" after them to designate that they are "Marxist-Leninist." "Marxist-Leninst" usually means that they were supporters of the Soviet Union, sometimes including even the crimes of Stalin.
The irony of course is that Marx called for unity among socialists. The left does need unity but there is little sign of it in this factionalism.
The continuing presence of Stalinists was depressing.
As is the attempt to appropriate the current Russian regime as some kind of continuation of the Soviet regime. Some degree of support was shown to the odious authoritarian regime of Putin by the far left, simply because of what preceded it about 30 years ago. This is depressing.
Opposition to the undemocratic Islamic regime of Iran and to Turkish imperialism was very prominent and these are good things. As was support for the cause of oppressed people all around the world. So the far left is doing some good. The only way for oppressed peoples to oppose their oppression can sometimes be through Marxist politics. Hopefully this will not lead to oppression and tyranny in later developments.
Anti-imperialism in general was another good aspect of the thinking on display.
Basically, the day made me yet more convinced that Green Politics is my politics and that is where I think the future of the Left lies. Green thinking does not and should not need a Marx figure to rally around and provide an ideology for it. I think Green ideology has already developed - seemingly organically - to a good degree, without a single dominating ideologue emerging. Which I think is a good thing.
But if politics is all about narratives and stories, as George Monbiot has affirmed in a recent book, then Green politics is my story. Monbiot's contention in his latest book is that what changes people's thinking is stories as much as ideas. What is certain is that Green ideology does not need dogmatic, intolerant and inflexible thinking.
Marxism is of course similar to a religion, as the great Bertrand Russell pointed out in his "History of Western Philosophy". And this is of course a factor in its success and persistence. Politics does not have to be like a religion however in my opinion.
I think that Marxism is to a certain extent an example of "cultural lag" where a culture lags behind its reality. In Marxism, we have a 19th century ideology which is still widespread in the 21st century. Is this a good thing? Green politics is about our 21st century reality.
It may take time, but the left will catch up and the lag will be made up for. The left's future is Green. Humanity's future is green, if it has one. People and Planet!
"If there is a future it will be green!" Petra Kelly.
And hence I attended the May Day March in London yesterday.
I was given a lecture that affirmed that Marx developed a "scientific socialism". This is something I would obviously take issue with. I don't really think that Marx's socialism was "scientific". I don't think that any socialism is really "scientific".
Affirming that socialism is "scientific" can possibly lead to inflexible thinking and intolerance of disagreement. It could be taken to imply that there are no mistakes in the thinking involved and that it is perfect and unquestionable. A recipe for problems.
Also, I told a fervent Marxist that I was member of the Green Party and she indignantly scoffed at this and said - with some anger - that the Green Party was a "bourgeois party". This shows precisely the kind of intolerance and blinkered thinking that Marxism and class-based politics can lead to. It is also a sign of the lack of unity that Marxist politics can lead to - in spite of Marx's call for unity. This is an example of why I have a problem with dividing humanity up into classes, as Marx's philosophy does.
Another seemingly ever present feature of the factions that were present at the May Day March was the factionalism and sectarianism of the movement on the far left that comes under the umbrella of Marxist politics. It takes some skill to keep track of the different parties. Some have exactly the same name as others but with the letters "ML" after them to designate that they are "Marxist-Leninist." "Marxist-Leninst" usually means that they were supporters of the Soviet Union, sometimes including even the crimes of Stalin.
The irony of course is that Marx called for unity among socialists. The left does need unity but there is little sign of it in this factionalism.
The continuing presence of Stalinists was depressing.
As is the attempt to appropriate the current Russian regime as some kind of continuation of the Soviet regime. Some degree of support was shown to the odious authoritarian regime of Putin by the far left, simply because of what preceded it about 30 years ago. This is depressing.
Opposition to the undemocratic Islamic regime of Iran and to Turkish imperialism was very prominent and these are good things. As was support for the cause of oppressed people all around the world. So the far left is doing some good. The only way for oppressed peoples to oppose their oppression can sometimes be through Marxist politics. Hopefully this will not lead to oppression and tyranny in later developments.
Anti-imperialism in general was another good aspect of the thinking on display.
Basically, the day made me yet more convinced that Green Politics is my politics and that is where I think the future of the Left lies. Green thinking does not and should not need a Marx figure to rally around and provide an ideology for it. I think Green ideology has already developed - seemingly organically - to a good degree, without a single dominating ideologue emerging. Which I think is a good thing.
But if politics is all about narratives and stories, as George Monbiot has affirmed in a recent book, then Green politics is my story. Monbiot's contention in his latest book is that what changes people's thinking is stories as much as ideas. What is certain is that Green ideology does not need dogmatic, intolerant and inflexible thinking.
Marxism is of course similar to a religion, as the great Bertrand Russell pointed out in his "History of Western Philosophy". And this is of course a factor in its success and persistence. Politics does not have to be like a religion however in my opinion.
I think that Marxism is to a certain extent an example of "cultural lag" where a culture lags behind its reality. In Marxism, we have a 19th century ideology which is still widespread in the 21st century. Is this a good thing? Green politics is about our 21st century reality.
It may take time, but the left will catch up and the lag will be made up for. The left's future is Green. Humanity's future is green, if it has one. People and Planet!
"If there is a future it will be green!" Petra Kelly.