Tony Benn - Some Wisdom for Socialists

The Social Commons

If replacing the capitalist market with the "Social Commons" sounds like a major leap towards a socialist society to you, then you need to watch this video.

Shorter Work Time and Guaranteed Income

An essential component of socialism is the emancipation of the human being from "necessary labor" ... into what Marx described as "the realm of true freedom." In order to accomplish this emancipation the means of subsistence must be decoupled from wage labor. This article has some compelling ideas: "Humanity Needs Universal Basic Income in Order to Stop Impeding Progress" - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-santens/humanity-needs-universal-_b_9599198.html

"Richard Nixon in Drag" versus "Benito Mussolini in Pin-Stripes"

. . . unless we turn this around for Bernie, that's what the November ballot will ask you to choose between. Perhaps there should be an option for "Hemorrhoid Surgery without Anesthesia" on the ballot.

This is only the BEGINNING!

Take it from an aging McGovernite, no matter what happens on Super Tuesday the movement started by the Sanders campaign is only beginning. Let's face the fact that the Presidential bid was a long shot from day one. Let's face the fact that the Democratic Party really is what many of us have said for years: the other half of Corporate America's political stranglehold Machine. But let's not overlook the tremendous accomplishments that have been made so far, and the many more that can be attained in this campaign and in the years to come.

We have actually started a discussion of democratic socialism in the American mainstream ... that's a major accomplishment all its own. The media coverage has been deficient, that's for sure. But considering that the dreaded "S" word could hardly have been spoken in the national media prior to this, something really has changed. Not only that, this campaign has pretty well established that the strongest ideological wave among American youth is democratic socialism (with no particular help from the media, either). The socialist genie has been uncorked at last, and it's our task to keep it from being condemned back to the lamp.

The challenge is not whether one person becomes President. Elections come and go, and political winds have many eddies and currents -- and politics always proves that "what goes around comes around." The challenge is to maximize the success of the Sanders Campaign and then BUILD ON IT! A new wave of progressive, democratic socialist politics is possible. We need more mainstream politicians embracing democratic socialism. But that can only happen if grassroots activists work towards building a democratic socialist MAJORITY! That's the task in front of us. Regardless of the election outcome, a robust and vital American Left must emerge. Bernie has shown us that it's possible by staying true to ourselves and speak truth to power. Don't let the thrill of electoral victory or the agony of electoral defeat divert your attention from that critical understanding.

Some Ideas on Socialism

Having been a "democratic socialist" since 1972 when I first read Michael Harrington's watershed "Socialism, " I have often been pulled into discussions of what "socialism" really is. More often than not, the discussion usually degenerates into some argument with a conservative about "government vs. the private sector" or "the individual vs. the state." Frankly, such arguments are so skew from what socialism really is that they amount to little more than disinformation. So, here are my thoughts.

First and foremost, socialism is about the emancipation of the working class -- and by "working class," I mean those whose only "capital" is their own ability to labor. And by "emancipation" I mean the ability of people in the working class to freely navigate through the social fabric of the society they live in. In that regard, I think we need to recognize that this means a major expansion of free time for everyone. Consequently, I think the most critical issue for socialists to pursue is the reduction of working time -- a much shorter work week. This, Marx and Engels noted in Volume III of Das Kapital, is the prerequisite for "the realm of true freedom."

Second, that private ownership of the means of production gives way to public ownership is a given of socialist thought and politics. But, is that ownership necessarily "ownership by the state"? No. I don't believe so. Capitalist society, as we have known it, encompasses a proliferation of forms of ownership, private and public. Since in a socialist society the dialectic of the individual and the group will not magically disappear (although it will radically change, and hopefully dispense with the inherent capitalist contradictions), I think that we can assume that a truly socialist arrangement will have to include various types of ownership, with particular emphasis on public ownership. I think the common thread will be incremental construction of an economic commons to replace the market. Forms of worker and state ownership should aim to build a commons to allow all individuals free access to the products of their social labor, and the roles they can play in social production. I'll leave the discussion open for comment so as to stay within 3 paragraphs.

As a very active campaigner ..

... in the Obama Campaign in 2008, I find this "artful smear" remark to be one of unmitigated gall.

The Iowa Coin Toss

Just a bit of advice to Iowa Democrats: Next time have the coin toss BEFORE the vote. That way the other candidates can choose which goal they want to defend!

Chris Matthews Needs To Retire

If I hear Chris Matthews spew any more of his red-baiting venom about Bernie being a socialist, I will break my TV set! It's time to move Chris Hayes to 7:00pm, and put Keith Olbermann back in his old time slot. And it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring back Ed Schultz and Reverend Al. But whatever, get rid of Chris Matthews!

I'm sure you'll all be glad to know this!

Friday evening, November 27, 2015 . . . an absolutely poignant observation :

http://gawker.com/ted-cruz-says-christians-pose-no-meaningful-risk-of-ter-1742698000