Now that the Hon Paul Foot is dead, the Hon Alexander Callinicos is probably the poshest aristocat in the Socialist Workers’ Party.
So, shut up peasants, and listen to what he has to say:
John Rees certainly has a very powerful claim to have his voice heard in this debate. He was a major protagonist in the Respect crisis. He was consistently advocated a strategy for the party in response to the economic slump – though thoroughly misconceived, this strategy deserves a hearing. Finally, the outgoing Central Committee has not included him on the slate for the new CC we are recommending to January’s national conference. For all these reasons, every member of the SWP will be interested in what John has to say.
Unfortunately, John’s document, ‘Where We Stand’ (already circulated by email in a somewhat different form from the version that appears here) doesn’t really rise to the level demanded by such an important set of debates.
Meow.
The rest of the article is pretty bog standard Trot rambling.
Wouldn’t it be nice to open your Socialist Worker one morning, and read a piece by Callinicos that goes:
I’ve been reading David Ricardo, and I reckon Marx just didn’t understand what we was saying. I dunno why. Makes a lot of sense to me. Do you know, I reckon that for the last 40 years Karl has led me up a bit of a blind alley…
Could happen!