Jeremy Corbyn’s latest suggestion is that, perhaps, we could retain Trident submarines (and the jobs that go with them) but have them without the warheads? This would satisfy both his Trade Union allies and his CND chums.

Like most people my initial reaction was – “what?”

But then I started thinking about it and the following story came to mind, which might help explain this bizarre (by normal standards) idea….. Continue reading “Trident without the Warheads? Not as daft as it sounds, at least in the weird world of ‘resolutionary socialism’” →

And what, exactly, is “democratic centralism” I hear you ask?

It is the form of organization pioneered by Lenin and the Bolsheviks and adopted by all communist and Trotskyist organizations ever since.

In this model the political party is not about elections or representation in parliament, although they do that, but about creating a vanguard elite ready to seize power on behalf of the “the masses” when “the time comes”.

Typically a ‘democratic centralist’ party selects its members, who have to go through some sort of probationary period during which they are indoctrinated with the party’s values, ideology and methods before becoming full members.

Once members, individuals get to vote either directly or through delegates on party policy and direction. Often communist and Trotskyist parties have been divided internally into ‘factions’ supporting a particular platform or direction which is presented to the membership. A supposedly free discussion follows before a decision is reached – usually at some sort of congress. That’s the ‘democratic’ bit. Continue reading “Is Corbyn turning Labour into a ‘Democratic Centralist’ Party?” →