Musical Interlude: Carpenters

Just time for a quick musical interlude tonight. This one prompted by a friends post on Face Book, I played a few tunes by the legendary Carpenters and decided to post this song, one of my all time favourites.

Enjoy.

Momentum vs Militant

The far-left is renowned for it's squabbling and in-fighting but the latest spat between Momentum, often seen as the new "Militant Tendency" with the Socialist Party which was the original Militant is one of the more bizarre.

Originally established to promote Jeremy Corbyn's election campaign for Labour leader, Momentum has now become the main far-left organisation within the party. Surprisingly the organisation is not as large as could be expected given the numbers of activists who have turned to Labour following Corbyn's election. Estimates range around the 5,000 mark.

Some small Trotskyist organisations have re-appeared in Labour under both new and old banners. Workers Power has re-branded itself as Red Flag and Workers Liberty is the current name of the previously proscribed Socialist Organiser. Most of the other Momentum supporters are just leftists who drifted off into the wilderness during the Blair/Brown years.

However Momentum has attracted the attention of other far-left groups, primarily the Socialist Party, the remains of what was once a much larger, more influential group which published Militant before it was driven out of the Labour Party. The reason for the purge was the well known fact that Militant was in fact a completely separate organisation that had been built up inside Labour as part of what is known as "entryism".



Momentum has made a decision that only Labour supporters can belong to it's organisation. This has resulted in the Socialist Party throwing a tantrum about being "witch-hunted" and "exclusion at the recent meeting of Momentum's Youth and Students. The comrades write:

Bowing to pressure from the right wing in the Labour Party and the capitalist media, the leadership of Momentum has made a number of retreats and climb-downs. They have rejected the Socialist Party's call for a federal, democratic organisation and instead have moved to exclude various socialists and anti-austerity campaigners, including the Socialist Party.

Socialist Party members present made the point from the floor that if Momentum Youth and Students is an autonomous part of Momentum then it can and must reject these restrictions on membership...

After speaking and making clear that we were members of the Socialist Party, the Labour Party and Momentum, the room was whipped up by multiple speakers calling for our expulsion.

In attendance were two self-proclaimed Trotskyist groups - Socialist Appeal and the Alliance for Workers Liberty (AWL). Both groups have recently been targeted by the Labour Party and have received suspensions and expulsions. However neither of them spoke out against the same witch hunt against the Socialist Party in Momentum.

In fact, one member of the AWL proclaimed that he "was not and has never been a member of the Socialist Party" and that there was no place for the Socialist Party in Momentum.

These groups, by their silence, have sided with the right-wing compromisers in Momentum and are complicit in the witch hunt.

Now Momentum is an organisation that is inside the Labour Party. Labour, like all other political parties does not allow members of other organisations that organise outside their ranks and stand candidates against them.

The Socialist Party is registered as a separate political party, though when it stands in it's own right it has to call itself Socialist Alternative as the Socialist Party of Great Britain has long been registered as "The Socialist Party" for electoral purposes. The SP also organises the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) along with the Socialist Workers Party and the RMT trade union which ran large numbers of candidates in both the General and local elections.

The TUSC even got it's own Party Political Broadcast. Of course the votes it attracted were derisory to say the least, but they continue to campaign against Labour both in their press and in elections.

It's hardly surprising that Labour members, even "left-wing" ones do not want them in their ranks. It's a breach of Labours rules and could undermine their own project as a result.

The attack on Socialist Appeal is hardly a surprise either. This group is also a fragment of the old Militant Tendency, just much, much smaller and has perhaps two or three hundred members who have been hiding in the Labour party for a long time.

So there's the "new politics" for you. Just a re-run of old fashioned Trotskyist and far-left sectarianism with the participants just masquerading under new names.

The same old crap that will make Labour unelectable........

Defending Ex-Muslims: Protest for Freedom!

24 JUNE 2016: FAST DEFYING PROTEST DURING RAMADAN

On 24 June, from 17:00-19:00 hours, we will be organising an “eat-in” at the Saudi and Iranian embassies in London in solidarity with those defying fasting rules during Ramadan. This is hugely important given that there are many people across the globe who are arrested, beaten and fined for eating during the month; many others are pressured into fasting, including in Europe. Join us at the ‘eat-in’ if you can.

Alternately, you can upload photos of yourself eating during fasting times or holding signs with messages of solidarity using hashtag: #IWillNotFast #لن_اصوم #روزه خوارى #Ramadan until the end of Ramadan. Happy fast-defiance! More details here.

17 JUNE: MARKING THE 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF RAIF BADAWI’S IMPRISONMENT

CEMB is joining PEN and others in marking the 4th anniversary of Raif Badawi’s imprisonment by calling on people to show their ongoing support for him and his family by sharing a photo of themselves holding a poster of Raif or a message of solidarity. We are aiming to get 1000 images to represent the 1000 lashes to which Raif has been sentenced. Find out more details here. #FreeRaif

HATE CRIMES AGAINST EX-MUSLIMS

CEMB is gathering information on hate crimes against ex-Muslims. We will be submitting this information to a body looking into the matter so please email us any relevant details on your individual experiences as soon as you can.

CENSORSHIP BY FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

We are also gathering evidence of censorship by Facebook and Twitter of ex-Muslims, secularists and atheists so do send us any relevant information. We plan a protest at their offices in the near future.

SUPPORT US!

Please take some time to volunteer with us if you have time to spare. If you can, donate to our organisation. No amount is too small and much of what we do has been made possible with your donations. You can donate to CEMB here.

More info: ex-muslim.org.uk

The EU referendum debate is getting out of hand.

You'd have to be living in complete isolation from any kind of news or social media contact to not know that the final countdown to the "long awaited" referendum on continuing British membership of the European Union had begun.

With the fanatics throwing accusations of a renewed attempt by Germany to take over our country by the Brexiteers or the threat of a new European war if we leave from the remain camp it's all got a bit silly really.

And the problem is there's been far too much of this nonsense from both sides.

Yet on June 23rd you will be asked to go into a Polling Booth and make a reasoned decision on whether we should leave or stay.

Will the threat of "endless hordes" of European migrants frighten you into voting Brexit or will the need for dealing with Europe's growing problems collectively motivate your vote for a brighter future?

Frankly I despair at the nonsense that abounds in the news, the leaflets beginning to pop through my door, the endless Memes on Face Book and the rantings of the "green-ink brigade whenever I go on-line.

It's not just in the UK. It's not just the "Little Englanders". Most countries have their "nay-sayers" in the form of "Little Danes" and "Little Frenchies" as the far right comes to the fore in European politics.

There is little time left for reason and until now except for one short article a couple of years or so ago I've kept out of the debate. But the time has come to make a stand and say how I think we should vote.

History tells us that heading backwards is never a good idea. Nor is speeding ahead with ideas far ahead of what most people are ready for. We need a steady hand.

The European Union is far from perfect. No country, no institution is perfect either. I'm proud to call myself British and rally to the flag in international competitions.

But Britain is no longer a super-power. We can no longer "go it alone". We need allies, political, economic and military in this ever changing, ever dangerous world we live in.

At the same time we need to protect our hard won rights, our human rights and our workplace rights. These are under threat from the Brexit supporters who would turn against ordinary working people and trade unionists the moment we leave.

With this is mind I welcome the mainstream Trade Unions coming out in favour of the EU, those that don't undermine everything we value. And for what?

Life outside Europe would be tough. On all levels.

The EU isn't perfect but inside surely we can reform and slow down it's expansion that has moved far too quickly.

Outside Britain would be isolated, with perhaps the union itself at risk.

But at the end of the day it's your choice. I hope you join me in voting for the right choice which is to stay in Europe.

But whatever you choose to do, please vote.

Momentum: "Crying Wolf"

The battle for the heart and soul of the Labour Party continues unabated as the internal National Executive Committee elections approach. The local constituency of the far-left's replacement for Ken Livingstone Rhea Wolfson decided not to nominate her at their democratically convened meeting.

Enter an apoplectic Momentum.

The organisation founded on the principle that any and all of the non-Corbynite MP's must be purged de-selected  along with any Red Tories Labour members that didn't agree with their road to undemocratic socialism is "outraged".

In an attempt to present themselves in a good light following the exposure of so much anti-Semitism disguised in so many as "anti-Zionism" they shout "foul" as Ms Wolfson is "the only Jewish candidate for the NEC" as if that had anything to do with her rejection.

This is the woman who wrote a now taken down from the Internet peice in which she proudly proclaimed that it "doesn't matter" if Labour loses the election.

Yeah right, like us ordinary working class folk can afford to wait decades for Godot-like socialism while the comrades keep their unbreakable, unbending and uncompromising principles intact. We're the one's that suffer.

we need the Tories out at the next election. It's the likes of Momentum, Rhea Wolfson and the totally useless Jeremy Corbyn that will prevent this from happening because they just have no idea about the reality of politics.

As for being Jewish, that's so irrelevant. As an (albeit atheist) Jew I would never vote for her, far too bloody left-wing.

The reign of the "three pounders" is destroying the only credible opposition to Cameron.

Their subs will run out in due course. How many will re-new or become full members?

Meanwhile Scottish Labour is discussing becoming a separate party. The Herald reports:

KEZIA Dugdale has launched a consultation on whether to create an independent Scottish Labour party in the wake of last month’s crushing Holyrood election defeat.

Going it alone is one of the “options for reform” contained in a document circulated to members last week.

Watch this space for further developments.

How to beat your wife -Saudi Style

The rights of women are virtually non-existent in Saudi Arabia. They are not allowed to drive or go out without a male guardian. The list of restrictions is almost endless. The Wahhabian strain of Islam is so close to the kind of Islam that is imposed by the criminals of ISIS.

Saudi Arabia is truly an Apartheid state, not that the anti-imperialist left will ever admit to it. They are too busy berating the Middle East's only democracy where the only Pride events can take place in the region. Makes you wonder about their motives let alone their degenerate politics.

If you criticise Islam you become an instant Islamophobe just listen that moron who recently became President of the NUS.

If any evidence was needed to expose the violent misogynist basis of Islam just see this video.

Saudi Clerics are Hate Preachers, even when they pretend to be "family doctors".

I did post the to Face Book last night but felt it deserved a wider viewing.

One word for this "man" which is unprintable. 

Germany recognises Armenian Genocide

Around 1.5 Armenians were murdered during World War One by the Ottoman Empire, a crime that introduced the notion of Holocausts to the twentieth century. The modern Turkish state was founded on genocide as the old order collapsed.

Turkey has not only refused to admit to this crime but has made it a punishable offence to refer to the Armenian genocide.

The Turks have reacted with fury RT reports:

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim condemned the German parliament vote and said in a speech in the Turkish capital that a “racist Armenian lobby” was responsible for the decision.

He added that these were, “Ordinary events that could take place in any society or any country… in 1915, under conditions of World War I,” the Anadolu Agency reported.

The Islamist Turkish government as usual misses the point. The Germans have faced up to their cruel actions in the second world war and are a far better people and country as a result. The Turks could learn a lot except there's a problem.

Erdogan is currently on a crusade against another minority in it's lands, the Kurds.

The world must remember the Armenians and before we forget the Greeks of Turkey lest this all happens again.

Just look at ISIS. Islamists are capable of the worst crimes against humanity.