May Day is now over, on which local elections took place in England and Wales
(which I prefered not to affect). The following text is from the international
edition of a newsletter of my Foundation for PR-based Socialism (where PR stands
for proportional representation):

Foundation for PR-based Socialism
Website: www.PRsocialism.org Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PRsocialism
Newsletter 3 (1/5/2008), international edition

Workers of the world unite
- with the middle class!
May Day is the international workers' day, when there are many events around the
world celebrating struggles of the working class. This year, it's the 40th
anniversary of working class people challenging for power in France.
Capitalist economies throughout the world are in crisis - with the "credit
crunch" resulting from sub-prime mortgages sold to people with poor credit
records in the USA, escalating levels of government debts and massive increases
in food and fuel prices. In the so-called third world, food inflation is so high
that millions of poor people are literally starving to death once more.
In recent years, parties calling themselves "socialist" have taken power in many
countries in Latin America. However, in the West, prospects for workers taking
power seem more remote now than ever before in the history of capitalism! Most
left-wing activists, including supposed revolutionaries, concentrate on putting
forward reformist demands. In Britain, for example, they demand more money for
public services and oppose cuts, at a time when the government is already
borrowing about £40 billion a year!
It is important, particularly at a time of economic crisis, for revolutionary
socialists to talk about the need for revolution and say how we would organise
society better than capitalists do. But what sort of socialist society do we
advocate? Marxist parties like the British Socialist Workers Party (SWP) stand
for a form of socialism sometimes called "the dictatorship of the proletariat"
in which only the working class is in control - via hierarchies of committees
based on workplaces, with a "workers' militia" to try to prevent such a society
from being overthrown. Hierarchical structures, including those in the SWP
itself, make it easy for infiltrators from hostile organisations to reach
positions of power and stay there, because it is generally only those on such
committees who know who the dodgy people are and what they are up to.
Furthermore, in these days of a burgeoning middle class, when there is
overwhelming support for some sort of proportional
electoral system, such forms of socialism are outdated and stand no chance of
receiving popular support.
In contrast, the Foundation for PR-based Socialism stands for a form of
socialism based on proportional representation (PR) by single transferable vote
(STV). Under STV, voters can specify preferences for different candidates so
that votes are transferred to second and later preferences, if the first choice
is eliminated or gets more votes than necessary. It is the fairest form of PR
because it removes the need for tactical voting and allows voters to choose
between candidates of the same party.
What sort of party/network do we need? Join the debate
There has been a tendency in recent years to form broad socialist parties,
uniting revolutionary socialists and reformists around mainly reformist
programmes. This strategy has sometimes resulted in such parties joining ruling
coalitions (such as Rifondazione Communista in Italy and Die Linke on the Berlin
council) and losing support when those coalitions implemented cuts. In some
countries, particularly Britain, there have been splits on peripheral issues
after the parties lost momentum - the Tommy Sheridan defamation trial in
Scotland and a change of tack by the SWP in Respect in England and Wales (away
from encouraging Muslim businessmen to stand as candidates and limiting the
programme to avoid alienating them). It is a good time for a realignment of the
left in many countries. But what sort of party (or "network" if the term "party"
seems off-putting or too hierarchical) can best lead to socialism?
· A broad socialist party, but better reflecting the views of
revolutionaries within it?
· An openly revolutionary socialist party?
· A revolutionary anti-capitalist party, uniting revolutionary
socialists with others opposed to capitalism, like the party being launched by
the French LCR? Anarchists could join and ignore its electoral activities if
they so wish.
· An ethical capitalist party, which forces rich people and companies
to pay their fair share of tax?
· A libertarian party? The UK Libertarian Party, which was formed this
year, wants a very free capitalist society under which a voluntary socialist
mini-state could be created. It currently has a right-wing programme, on many
issues apart from civil liberties and the STV voting system, but if it adopts a
position of redistributing wealth at the start of a libertarian society or
increasing the minimum wage, both of which Foundation founder Steve Wallis
suggested on their forum, their policy of abolishing income tax could be both
good and popular.
We may also need to consider setting up some sort of grouping of like-minded
people, officially recognised or otherwise, within such a party. Our enemies are
organised so we need to be too.
You can debate these issues on the Foundation's internet forum at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PRsocialism. You may go to the Libertarian Party
forum at www.lpuk.org/forum (request access to the main boards - you don't need
to join the party).
For more information, including details of a Glasgow meeting on Thursday the 8th
of May at which you can discuss such issues, or to print off copies of the
newsletter, go to the Foundation for PR-based Socialism home page at
www.PRsocialism.org.

--
Steve Wallis (Glasgow, Scotland)
For important/urgent communications, please email: warcrysteve@...
Blogs: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/steve-wallis-socialist-blog,
http://blog.myspace.com/galaxiasteve
My socialist website: http://www.socialiststeve.me.uk
My socialist musical poetry: http://www.socialiststeve.me.uk/poetry.htm (and at
my MySpace and Multiply pages)
My pages at MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/galaxiasteve, Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=731729407 and Multiply:
http://socialiststeve.multiply.com
Founder, Good Intentions Network: http//www.goodintentionsnetwork.org
Founder, Ethical Capitalism Network: http://www.ethicalcapitalism.net
Founder, Foundation for PR-based Socialism: http://www.PRsocialism.org
Founder, Revolutionary Platform Network: http://www.revolutionaryplatform.net
My socialist band, Red Day: http://www.red-day.net
Author, "Revolution Destroyed? Have I ensured that a world socialist revolution
will never happen?": http://www.revolutiondestroyed.net
For discussion of the credit crunch, go to
http://www.revolutionaryplatform.net/forum/index.php?board=156

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