British SWP says Churchill was real enemy not Hitler

In the world of the lunatic Marxist left (apologies to non-deranged Marxists out there), anything that capitalists and imperialists do must automatically be opposed, regardless of fact or even reality.

We have a fine new example of this. The British Socialist Workers Party has proclaimed that Hitler was not planning to invade Britain and [...]

Abstaining from bad sects

Sectarianism, left cadre organizations, and ultra-leftism too often create a squabbling, ineffective, sometimes fanatical left, filled with schisms and splinter groups. Chip Berlet explores this in an article written in 1999 but just as true now.

An excerpt.

Ultra-leftism is an egocentric form of mythopoetic martyrdom whereby practitioners anoint themselves as the beleaguered guardians [...]

American Leftist surveys the SWP wreckage in Britain

Recently there was a split, purges, and resignations, with much resultant gnashing of teeth in the Socialist Workers Party in Britain. SWP is a Leninist formation that fancies itself a vanguard party, ready to lead the workers to the inevitable proletarian victory. However, this can only happen after the masses have realized the correctness of [...]

Socialist Workers Party (UK) need a makeover

The dominant figures in the current SWP are very much batten down the hatches, sell the paper, recruit the next generation of students and get involved with whatever demos and industrial battles are going on….i.e the same as the last 50 years of SWPism.

Briefly in the 1970s and 60s the SWPs forerunner International Socialist, [...]

Far left response to Iran protests. Crickets

The response of the far left parties to the Iran protests has been either silence, a noncommittal recitation of the facts, or an accusation that US machinations are or will be involved. None of them, to my knowledge, have endorsed the protests. Why is this?

Mass protests erupt throughout Iran in opposition to an [...]

Response to SWP call for a new left-wing initiative

Louis Proyect

To start with, I think it is a step forward to hear things like “We do not believe we have all the answers or a perfect prescription for a left wing alternative.” This is the beginning of wisdom for such groups and bodes well for the future, at least on the verbal level.

[...]

Open letter from British SWP: Left must unite to create an alternative

Lenin’s Tomb reprints the open letter from the British Socialist Worker’s Party. As always, the comments are, um, lively, and thoughtful too.

Labour’s vote collapsed to a historic low in last week’s elections as the right made gains. The Tories under David Cameron are now set to win the next general election.

The British National [...]