I've included below the contents of the latest newsletter of the Foundation for
PR-based Socialism (where PR stands for proportional representation not public
relations). Anyone can download the newsletter in Micro$oft Word or PDF format
to print out if they wish, from the Foundation's website (www.PRsocialism.org).
It is particularly intended for the Labour Party conference, anti-war demo and
Convention of the Left which all take place in Manchester (from Saturday). I had
intended to publish a draft first, but there isn't much time; I could
nevertheless do a new version if important issues arise.

I've also written a discussion document on strategy for achieving a socialist
society with a government elected by proportional representation, which
I'm hoping will start a debate on the forum
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PRsocialism) about the way forward. To read the
document, visit that forum or go to http://www.PRsocialism.org/strategy.htm.


Foundation for PR-based Socialism
Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PRsocialism  Website:
www.PRsocialism.org  Newsletter 4 (15/9/08)
 
Struggle for real democracy and socialism – inside and outside the Labour
Party
 
Labour is in crisis, with Gordon Brown and the entire New Labour project deeply
unpopular and many demanding a change of leadership and/or policies.
 
Brown claimed to have ended the cycle of boom and bust – impossible under
capitalism. He borrowed heavily to prolong the boom and we are now entering a
severe recession. Big business and its New Labour allies are trying to make
working class people pay for their crisis – escalating food and fuel prices
and a housing slump, with big cuts in living standards unless we go on strike.
 
The credit crunch is mainly blamed on “subprime” mortgages in the USA , sold
to people with a poor credit history and with high interest rates starting low.
This caught many out, since most US mortgages are at a fixed rate for the entire
term, which (due to high inflation) could lead to many banks around the world
that have lent the money for such “prime conforming” mortgages facing
bankruptcy. New Labour would probably bail other banks out like when it
nationalised Northern Rock (and like the US government recently did with Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac) or lent £50 billion without revealing to whom, but other
governments may adopt a different approach.
 
The problems of capitalism are so severe that mere reforms (entailing greater
government borrowing) are insufficient; we should point out that a complete
change of society is needed. We should also fight for real democracy –
proportional representation, under capitalism or socialism (see below).
 
Convention of the Left
Saturday 20 – Wednesday 24 September, Manchester
For details, visit www.conventionoftheleft.org
The Labour Party conference takes place this month in Manchester . Meanwhile,
the Convention of the Left will bring together activists from a wide range of
organisations inside and outside the Labour Party simultaneously in the same
city. It would be premature for socialists to leave Labour now, with struggles
for the direction of the party just beginning, but the Convention could play a
big role in the creation of a new socialist party capable of challenging for
power at the next general election. If we fail, the Tories will almost certainly
win it (perhaps leading to an independent Scotland , the SNP splitting and
socialism could start in Scotland ). Come along to debate the way forward.
 
Campaign for renewable sources of energy – and point out the need for
socialism
 
In these difficult economic times, it is unsurprising that many ordinary people
give higher priority to maintaining their living standards than saving the
planet. Since thousands are likely to freeze to death this winter due to not
being able to afford to heat their homes, it would be inhuman to ignore their
plight. We are rightly cynical about politicians who sometimes talk green but
help polluting companies or use “climate change” as an excuse for building
more nuclear power stations – with by-products needed for nuclear weapons, and
those politicians supposedly worried about terrorism. [Would they allow a
terrorist attack on a nuclear power station, to excuse such a severe clampdown
on civil liberties that a socialist revolution would become impossible?]
 
Capitalist politicians use talk of climate change as an excuse for
divide-and-rule, with some ordinary people more concerned about the problem than
others. Some fly across Britain while others use trains or coaches; politicians
serious about climate change would tax flights to subsidise public transport.
 
With Scotland having just had the coldest Easter for 46 years (and China the
coldest winter for 50), cynicism about global warming is understandable. Even if
it isn’t mainly caused by mankind, investment in renewable sources of energy
would still be preferable – due to the pollution of carbon fuels (highlighted
by the smog in Beijing before the Olympics) and the fact that such resources are
running out (shortage of supplies have caused recent price hikes). Also, it’s
better to be on the safe side than risk disastrous global warming.
 
Tidal and wind power are probably most suitable for the British climate, but
solar power is ideal in African deserts. An EU committee recommended
concentrating solar power (CSP) plants in Africa, that focus sunlight onto a
tower to drive a turbine, to provide Europe ’s power. The dangers of unstable
African regimes or terrorist attacks on power lines may make it unfeasible in
the current unethical capitalist world – but we should use that as a reason
for socialist revolution, rather than merely suggesting minor reforms that do
little to solve the world’s energy problems or help the struggle for a better
world.
 
For the single transferable vote (STV) form of proportional representation
 
Marxists argue for hierarchies of committees based on workplaces (that were
called “soviets” in the USSR ) backed up by a “workers’ militia” to
enforce the rule of just the working class – “the dictatorship of the
proletariat”.
 
Hierarchies enable those with bad intentions (including infiltrators from the
secret services) to reach and stay in positions of power, because only those on
the same committees know who such people are and what they are up to.
 
STV, where voters specify preferences for different candidates, is the fairest
form of PR, since it eliminates the need for tactical voting.
 
--
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 pages at MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/galaxiasteve and Bebo:
http://www.bebo.com/SteveW519
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
For discussion of 9/11 conspiracy theories, go to
http://www.revolutionaryplatform.net/forum/index.php?board=89

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