Collector’s Item
I read in today’s Observer an interesting opinion piece by Martin Jacques, who was editor of a magazine called Marxism Today until it folded at the end of 1991. I was a subscriber, in fact, and for some reason I have kept my copy of the final edition all this time. Here’s the front cover:
I note that it says “Collector’s Item” on the front, though I’m not at all sure it’s worth any more now than the £1.80 I paid nearly 25 years ago!
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August 24, 2016 at 10:24 am
I’m always a at loss trying to understand why leftish / marxist type can be so pro-EU. Almost every (western) large corporation is in full moral and economic support of EU – and they wield a considerate lobbying power (just look at TTIP for example). The same corporations are at the same time responsible for outsourcing the national workforces to low-cost countries in Asia, thus having a huge negative impact on the working class.
Now, I’m not calling you a marxist (as if that’d be a bad thing), but I just don’t see where the wholehearted support for a superstate organisation is coming from.
Tx for an interesting blog,
P
August 24, 2016 at 10:35 am
And what so you think the result of BrExit will be other than a lurch to the right, and the further erosion of workers rights, privatisation of the NHS, etc?
TTIP, by the way, has not been agreed by the EU’s democratic structures and in its present form would be vetoed by several countries, including France.
August 24, 2016 at 10:39 am
Unfortunately I don’t think they will brighten to any measurable degree with Brexit. But what (might) happen is that the influence of global corporations is lessened, at least until they come up with the next game to play.
Its a sad fact that its mostly the right that’s anti-EU at the time. The left has dropped the ball and is now stuck in a pro-EU stance mainly to distance themselves from the right. Both sides have valid arguments for Brexit. In fact, my opinion is that the only person who honestly can be pro-EU is a neo-liberal.
August 24, 2016 at 10:47 am
The corporations are multinational and it needs political cooperation at an international level to control their power. BrExit will hugely increase the power of multinationals over the UK. I’ve never heard a valid or even vaguely sensible leftist argument for BrExit. I come from a working class family and the anti-EU sentiments some of them hold are all about immigration.
Ps most leftist parties in Europe are also Pro-EU.
August 24, 2016 at 10:55 am
Interesting, I would take the other stance – the multinational corporations need EU to wield their influence the most effectively. Its easier to influence when power is centralised. Decentralisation is in a sense a safeguard against (widespread – not local) corruption.
Workers rights have degenerated over the last decades, while at the same time, globalisation has increased (and I count the EU as a globalist project).
Anyways, we don’t agree and that’s fine. So lets end this discussion with me thanking you for an interesting blog. In the future I’m sure you’ll see the light and agree with me 😉
August 24, 2016 at 10:58 am
I’m sure I won’t.