Marv Gandall wrote:
>
> I've never known of a prominent social democratic or Communist
> intellectual, trade union leader or politician vying for influence and/or
> power who hasn't adapted in some degree to the prevailing reformist
> consciousness of the masses and the economic pressures of the bourgeoisie.
Rather a rubbery criterion ("adapted in some degree"). Often true of social
democrats. A solid, communist counterexample is Reg Birch, the British trade
union leader and founder of the Communist Party of Britain Marxist-Leninist.
And capable of far more piercing sarcasm than that which upsets some people
here:
During Ford pay talks the employers offered only one concession: improved death
benefits but no improvement on wages. After a while Birch started tapping
slowly on the table and began moaning quietly. A concerned Ford executive said:
'Mr Birch, whatever is the matter?' Birch ignored him and continued wailing,
this time more loudly, Birch suddenly shouted: 'Is anybody there? Is anybody
there?' By now the Ford boss was becoming exasperated and said: 'Really, Mr
Birch, have you taken leave of your senses?' Birch replied: 'I am in touch with
my dead members on the other side. They want to know if your kind offer is
retrospective.'
https://www.marxists.org/history/erol/uk.secondwave/birch-obit.pdf
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