The shattering left

The current issue of the Weekly Worker, paper of the CPGB, features reports on several left conferences which have taken place recently:

Rightist politics and wishful thinking
The Socialist Party-sponsored Campaign for a New Workers’ Party is just about treading water, writes Peter Manson. But that does not stop the SP from claiming that the fight for a new Labour Party is making great strides forward

Time for a radical rethink
CPGB comrades attended the June 26-29 Permanent Revolution school. A good event, but there are some important questions for the comrades to face up to, reckons Mark Fischer

Licence to liquidate
A day school on building broad parties organised by Socialist Resistance provided little in the way of direction, writes James Turley. But the International Socialist Group’s right trajectory is unmistakeable

‘Regroupment’ or rebranding
The International Socialist Group is calling for the establishment of a ‘new revolutionary organisation’ limited to its co-thinkers. Mike Macnair looks at the basis for this new sect

Ivan the terrible
Lawrence Parker discerns a threat that could further dissipate the CPB’s fading influence

No alternative for workers
As the Left List gives its Respect rump a grandiose new name, Jim Moody talks to some of the ‘unity’ coalition’s disgruntled former councillors

No more physical attacks
A Left Alternative member appeals to his comrades for solidarity

Space to breathe
The rank and file needs to think before it can organise, writes Alan Stevens

Moshé Machover speaks on Iran, Israel, and nuclear weapons

This video is from the recent Hands Off the People of Iran (HOPI) weekend school which took place in London over June 14 - 15.

As well as being a member of the HOPI steering committee, Moshé Machover is an Israeli socialist, a founding member (1962) of the Socialist Organization in Israel (Matzpen). In the 1970s and 80s, he was co-editor of Khamsin, Journal of revolutionary socialists of the Middle East. He is on the Editorial Board of Middle East Forum (formerly Iran Bulletin). He is author of many articles on the Middle East and socialist theory, as well as of several books, including Laws of Chaos: A probabilistic Approach to Political Economy (co-authored with Emmanuel Farjoun), Verso, 1983.

David Mather and Amir Javaheri Langaroudi speak on the working class movement in Iran

This video is of one of the sessions from the recent Hands Off the People of Iran weekend school. We will feature a number of other videos from this weekend school over the next couple of weeks, so please check back to see the latest updates.

Marxism Fringe 2008

Meetings at the SWP’s Marxism school, organised by CPGB, Campaign for a Marxist Party, and Hands Off the People of Iran:

Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1
All meetings start 17:00

Friday July 4 - Room 541
Manifesto of the Campaign for a Marxist Party - pre-launch meeting
Hillel Ticktin and Mike Macnair introduce themes to be explored in detail in this forthcoming CMP publication.
Forms for pre-ordering the manifesto will be available at the meeting

Saturday July 5 - Room 403
Iran - how to fight the war drive
Torab Saleth (Hands Off the People of Iran) and Alex Callinicos (SWP, invited)

Sunday July 6 - Room 541
The lessons of Respect
Respect councillors (invited), and Mark Fischer (CPGB)

Some recommended reading

Here are some interesting things to read from around the blogosphere:

Vicky Thompson of the Hands Off the People of Iran steering committee has recently set up her own blog, ‘Infantile and Disorderly,’ so check it out.

Over at ‘The Storm Breaking Upon the University‘ there is an interesting article on academic freedom and the case of Hicham Yezza by Alana Lentin.