Black Flag 217 index
Parcel of Rogues: The Next Generation
on the scottish parliament
"Parcel of Rogues": The Next Generation
Scotland finally has its own parliament, nearly 300 years after a "parcel of rogues" decided to throw in their lot with the English dominated WestminsterParliament. We do not expect any major changes to occur because of it but afew interesting results were recorded during the election.
The rebel Labour Candidate Dennis Canavan won a stunning victory in FalkirkEast. Canavan, the Westminster MP for the constituency, stood as anindependent after he was rejected as Labour's official candidate list by theBlairite "control freaks" who run the party. This was in spite ofoverwhelming popular support in the local party and area. Given that NewLabour has taken over Thatcherite policies, it comes as no surprise that theyhave also taken over her love of centralism and top-down rule. Free markets,strong and centralised state (which makes Peter Lilley's comments on thecentralising nature of Blairism even more ridiculous -- was he awake between1979 and 1997? Obviously not).
This, and the results in Wales, goes to show that Blair cannot taketraditional Labour votes for granted. Which is a good sign, in its own way.
Canavan is joined, thanks to PR, by two other rebel MSPs -- Tommy Sheriden ofthe Scottish Socialists and a Green. According to Sheriden, the ScottishSocialist Party is now the fifth party in Scotland and was here to stay. Wehave to wonder, however, if this success and the commitment to stand in everysingle constituency in Scotland next election will have the samederadicalising effect on the SSP as it had on German Social Democracy in thelast century, the Labour Party in this one or the German Greens in the 1980s.
All these parties started off as radical (and in the case of the GermanSocial Democrats, Marxist and revolutionary, just like the Socialist Partyclaims itself to be). However, years of working in Parliament paid off andthey became just another mainstream party. Perhaps SSP members and votersshould ponder these (somewhat summarised) words of Alexander Berkman: "[Atthe start, the Socialist Parties] claimed that they meant to use politicsonly for the purpose of propaganda. . . and took part in elections on orderto have an opportunity to advocate Socialism.
"It may seem a harmless thing but it proved the undoing of Socialism. Because nothing is truer than the means you use to attain your object soonthemselves become your object . . . [So] there is a deeper reason for thisconstant and regular betrayal [than individual scoundrels being elected] . .. no man turns scoundrel or traitor overnight.
"It is *power* which corrupts . . . Moreover, even with the best intentionsSocialists [who get elected] . . . find themselves entirely powerless toaccomplishing anything of a socialistic nature . . . The demoralisation andvitiation [this brings about] take place little by little, so gradually thatone hardly notices it himself . . . [The elected Socialist] perceives that heis regarded as a laughing stock [by the other politicians] . . . and findsmore and more difficulty in securing the floor . . . he knows that neither byhis talk nor by his vote can he influence the proceedings . . . His speechesdon't even reach the public . . . [and so] He appeals to the voters to electmore comrades. . . Years pass . . . [and a] number . . . are elected. Eachof them goes through the same experience . . . [and] quickly come to theconclusion . . . [that] They must show that they are practical men . . . thatthey are doing something for their constituency . . . In this manner thesituation compels them to take a 'practical' part in the proceedings, to'talk business,' to fall in line with the matters actually dealt with in thelegislative body . . . Spending years in that atmosphere, enjoying good jobsand pay, the elected Socialists have themselves become part and parcel of thepolitical machinery . . . With growing success in elections and securingpolitical power they turn more and more conservative and content withexisting conditions. Removal from the life and suffering of the workingclass, living in the atmosphere of the bourgeoisie . . . they have becomewhat they call 'practical' . . . Power and position have gradually stifledtheir conscience and they have not the strength and honesty to swim againstthe current . . . They have become the strongest bulwark of capitalism."[What is Communist Anarchism?, pp. 78-82]
Will history repeat itself? It did with the German Greens in the 1980s. Wedoubt that the SSP will be immune to the corroding effects of electioneering-- but, of course, every party that stands for elections assumes that it is.And Marxists call anarchists utopian, a-historic and idealists! Talking ofhistory, those of us in the Poll tax campaign will remember Militant (whatlater became the SSP) arguing that standing anti-poll tax candidates wouldsplit the Labour vote and let the Tories in. We wonder what has changed inthe last ten years. Or does standing Socialist candidates not split theLabour vote?
On a more positive note, Anarchists in Glasgow have produced a "Declarationof Autonomy" concerning devolution and the issues it raises. The declarationcorrectly argues that to claim that devolution or independence could "'tame'capitalism and significantly alter our lives" is "leading people up thegarden path." They also point out that real independence andself-determination is impossible within capitalism:
"To invest our hopes for the future in political change, confined to thelevel at which we are governed and taxed, without a clear approach to theeconomic dynamic of capitalism, which continues to ravage the planet andexploit us all for profit, is frankly misguided. Independence andself-determination is an illusion within capitalism. No amount of fervour fora Scottish republic can escape this reality. We cannot take our desires forreality within the world as it is." Rather, we must work in a wide variety ofworkplace, community and environment struggles in order to create real changeby the only effective means we have -- direct action, solidarity andcollective struggle. The "declaration" is well worth reading and presents theonly real alternative to both electioneering and the current system -- namelyanarchism.
The "Declaration of Autonomy" can be got from
CI (The Anarchist Circle)c/o 28 King StreetGlasgowG1 5QPScotlan