The Labour Institutions

Global rage indicates frustration. We have become cogs in the machine - we are wage-slaves, and there is nothing we can do, nowhere we can turn. Let's consider our political institutions for struggle, they are controlled by neoliberal strategies. Politically we have a bipartisan system in which members of the struggle are encouraged to vote for the left-leaning organisation, but if there is a genuine left candidate those organisations turn in on themselves to eschew this true candidate.

This has been evidenced by Corbyn and Sanders. It is no coincidence that such good comrades have arrived on the bipartisan scene at the same time, it is the global rage. And it is also no coincidence that they are both being shafted by the bipartisan organisation.

I will talk about Corbyn as I know about British politics more. Historically he was a Trot - probably the most liked after Tony Benn, and the Trots in the Labour party often alienated membership in the 80s - when I first became aware of Corbyn. But he was a sound MP representing his constituency well so he stayed active within the party. He then recently became a symbol of this rage. But how has the party treated him? Basically he replaced the neoliberal Blair tendency, a tendency that is still there with people like Tom Watson amongst many more - politicians in office not grass roots members. These people are all scared of democracy as they are opportunists in the pockets of neoliberalism. It is evident they are fighting Corbyn, are regularly quoted in the media doing so, and are more concerned with doing their paymasters' duties than ousting the Tories

As a joke I always say that Chris Mullin failed in his book "A Very British Coup". I don't know whether he is anti-neoliberalism but he recognised the power of neoliberal forces. However he failed to recognise that the way that force would now manifest would be "anti-Semitism". It is somewhat ironic that a fierce anti-racist and gender activist is being attacked for anti-Semitism. But all the neoliberal forces are amassed against him. Blairites, the media, all stand up to create division, and I particularly note that the Guardian has shown its true colours with its continued attack. Liberals in the media such as the Last Leg join in but are being chastised by their audience (this is the biassed Express) - it would be good if the chastisement is enough to end the series. That would be a good show of solidarity.

There are many mechanisms in place, particularly alienation, that prevent the Labour party from being a force for change. But we must still promote it. As individuals we need to push for Labour voting.

But we must remember that the voting is under neoliberal control, this was brought to general awareness by Occupy. Firstly there is the design of no significant difference in the parties of a bipartisan system. Secondly there is no intention for democracy. Representational sacrifice is a requisite. And when a movement builds to demonstrate the truth, it is crushed. And the last lesson of Occupy is that there is a need for us to carry on as individuals working in another way to demonstrate the truth, but working with the expectation that in the next Occupy we will be knocked down.

Occupy spoke as the 99% and demanded that the system be fixed in favour of the 99%, they further made it clear that the system was not broken as it was working as designed (evolving design) for the 1%. Of course the 1% prefer invisibility and don't like being "outed" For a current outing check this book.

Trade unions are also compromised as are the various global "Labour" parties. As Occupy noted with its General Assembly approach to democracy, when you have representation you have targeting. The representatives are vulnerable and open to systemic victimisation. At the same time the transnational system moves their factory plants to limit the efficacy of collective action. Yet striking by trade unions remains one of the few tools of effective action we have.

I believe the above is a realistic description of the effectiveness of our Labour institutions. But in terms of our collective action we still need to work within them. Yet we keep a sound assessment, they are neoliberal so we must invest our hearts in their possibly being successful.