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I have been struck by how uneven political consciousness is and how opportunities open up and die off in different spaces at differing times. Pre-WW2 it wasn't until the defeat of the Palestinian revolution of 1936-39 that the present shape of the Middle East was safe. At the same time, despite the defeat of the General Strike in England as early as 1926, there was still a chance for the proletariat until the final defeat in Spain in 1937-39. Similarly, we look like we are about to have a pink tide surge in the UK while reaction is strengthening in South America and that even after the defeat of Syriza and the forward march of Podemos halted, . I remain convinced, as well, that the advent of a Corbyn government is the key to deep political change in Australia (and presumably New Zealand too). Ireland, also, can surely not remain undisturbed by what is happening in the UK and in Northern Ireland. Curiously, the political inflexibility of Sinn Fein around refusing symbolic gestures like taking the Oath so they can sit in the British Parliament tends to preserve their movement. But it is the preservation of a mosquito trapped in amber. They have shown no such inflexibility when it comes to accepting the norms of neoliberalism during their period of joint rule in Northern Ireland: hospital closure yes: oaths of loyalty never. So what do I think will happen? It seems Corbyn believes there will be a General Election this year. If so, he will be swept into office. When that happens, the reaction from the ruling class will be swift and brutal. True, they have already fired off all they had in the media and that did not work. But they have a great advantage in that three quarters of the Parliamentary Labour Party can be called upon to undermine and ultimately split from a Corbyn government. They have in addition economic levers that they will call upon. So I am left with a kind of contradictory message, as befits an old Marxist relic. I welcome totally and absolutely a Corbyn victory. I am overjoyed to have lived long enough to see it about to happen. But. and there is a very big but, this is class war we are talking about. We have had 40 years of class war from above. We are kidding ourselves, if we expect a general election to bring an end to it. I am certain a Corbyn government will come under attack and I worry about whether it has the fighting capacity required to fight off the coming onslaught. But for the moment, let us enjoy the thousands of young people who, wherever they are gathered, spontaneously break into the song of 'Oh Jeremy Corbyn'. It is not the Internationale or even the Red Flag, but for the moment it will suffice. comradely Gary _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
