Right2Water Campaign is a Bourgeois Campaign!
national |
bin tax / household tax / water tax |
opinion/analysis 
Friday October 31, 2014 20:10
by Paddy Hackett
One issue campaigns are bourgeois.
The anti-water charges campaign is a populist campaign driven by the opportunist politics of the Socialist Party, the Socialist Workers Party and other organisations including the UNITE trade union. The Socialist Party and the Socialist Workers Party merely view the campaign as a means to enhance their popularity within the working class while opportunistically impeding the development of communist consciousness among the working class.
The campaign against the imposition of water charges is nothing but a populist bourgeois campaign that will do nothing to improve the living standards of the working class. This is because it creates and sustains illusions in capitalism. It suggests that capitalism can solve the problems of the working class. However the fact is that capitalism is incapable, with the best will in the world, of solving the problems of the working class. This why a communist revolution is a historical necessity.
Even if the popular anti-water charges campaign succeeds in forcing the government to capitulate and back off the imposition of water charges it does not follow that it has succeeded in defending the living standards of the working class.This is because the state can still deduct the same revenue from the working class by other means. One issue campaigns, such as the anti-water charges campaign, are bourgeois in character and do nothing to challenge the existing social system.
The anti-water charges campaign is a populist campaign driven by the opportunist politics of the Socialist Party, the Socialist Workers Party and other organisations including the UNITE trade union. The Socialist Party and the Socialist Workers Party merely view the campaign as a means to enhance their popularity within the working class while opportunistically impeding the development of communist consciousness among the working class. The latter can only be accomplished by advancing demands among the working class that challenge capitalism as opposed to fortifying illusions as to capitalism's nature.
Within this one issue campaign there exists a diverse range of political currents. Yet as a one issue campaign the facilitation of criticism is discouraged if not suppressed.This absence of critcism cannot assist in the development of class consciousness. Instead of raising the consciousness of the working class the leadership of the anti-water charge movement bows to its bourgeois consciousness.
Comments (1 of 1)
Jump To Comment: 1This campaign does not address the root cause, i.e. capitalism, I agree. That is quite self evident. However, success in this one issue campaign may make many otherwise resigned and passive citizens ( lacking the revolutionary consciousness necessary for an anti capitalist revolution) realise that they DO have power when they join together against the wishes of the establishment to oppress them.
This realisation, that they are not powerless and that united they are strong, is a first and very necessary step towards awakening and galvanising support amongst the people for your anti capitalist revolution.
I have no doubt that revolutions in the past began with wide public disquiet at government behaviour initially manifesting itself in such one issue campaigns of resistance which grew as the confidence of the people grew. This kind of campaign is a necessary first step towards the wider revolution against capitalism which you are advocating.
Yet here you are on the eve of one of these key protests, which has so strongly inspired the people to "rise up", posting a divisive piece undermining this protest which, if people were to take you seriously, would discourage them from participating. I find this very curious behaviour for someone advocating revolution. It's more like the behaviour of a divisive government agent. But that would be no surprise since the left has long since been infiltrated by such people regularly promoting divisive self destructive backbiting and infighting instead of working together for common cause.
I hope you will be taking part in the nationwide protests tomorrow Paddy, despite your stated misgivings, otherwise why should anyone really listen to an armchair revolutionary like you? Because nothing concrete would ever get done. Just talk. And that would only serve the agenda of those in power. Because talk is cheap. Real action by the citizens is what they fear. I'll see you at the protest. Or else you should just hang up your pen in shame.
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