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Thanks Gary.
It is true my formulation of the Greens as neoliberal is one-sided and doesn't
reflect the very real battles going on in within the organisation over
policies, for example whether to support the fuel tax increases. It is good
they eventually opposed that measure on the grounds it would hit the poor and
low paid workers, and all to fund more roads.
My description had in mind the Greens' support for a neoliberal carbon tax and
neoliberal Emissions Trading Scheme. It was also meant not to label all greens
as neoliberal but to point out to some of them the direction the organisation
is going and the need to link up with others fighting back on the streets and
in their workplaces against the Budget.
I doubt this charterisation is an example of my 'Leninism'. My 'Zinovievism'
perhaps, but not my 'Leninism'.
John Passant
----- Original Message -----
From: Gary MacLennan
To: En Passant with John Passant ; Activists and scholars in Marxist
tradition
Sent: Monday, July 07, 2014 11:27 AM
Subject: Re: [Marxism] Where to now for 'Bust the Budget' in Australia?
As always, I am largely in agreement with John's post and blog. However, I
do wish to interrogate a little his characterization of the Greens as
"neo-liberal". I am no groupie type fan of the Greens having spent years
attacking them here in Queensland. In fact, I despise their slogan "Neither
Left nor Right but out in Front", as a cover for a refusal to undertake the
politics of social justice and to recognize capitalism for what it is.
Nonetheless, if there is to be a broad regroupment of those who oppose some
or all aspects of neo-liberalism, then the Greens could have a role to play.
Moreover, we cannot aid political mobility and growth on the left by labeling
those, who do not agree with us fully, as "neo-liberal".
We should also recognize that popular opposition to austerity has created
tension within the Greens. They may have passed the appropriation bills, but
they are committed to oppose aspects of the budget which they formerly were
going to endorse. It seems that Greens leader, Christine Milne, was rolled in
caucus, and her party will now oppose the rise in petrol prices.
I feel the Socialist Alliance strategy of trying to maintain contact with the
Greens is much better than the Socialist Alternative method of declaring the
Greens anathema.
John is no longer a member of the Socialist Alternative, but he has yet to
embrace fully this as a rupture with the so-called Leninism of the likes of
Mick Armstrong.
comradely
Gary
On Sun, Jul 6, 2014 at 10:29 PM, En Passant with John Passant via Marxism
<marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> wrote:
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Where to now for 'Bust the Budget' in Australia?
Such has been the success from the bosses' point of view of the class
collaboration of the union leadership and movement over the last 30 years that,
by and large, most unionists and concerned community members will not even
think about taking control of their unions and the protests to bust the budget
with strikes, let alone try to do it.
Until such time as we do that we will be in a downward cycle of defeat and
despair and the alternating puppet show of neoliberal Labor and the neoliberal
Coalition in government, aided by the neoliberal Greens. If we don't fight we
lose, now and into the future.
http://enpassant.com.au/2014/07/06/where-to-now-for-bust-the-budget/
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