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Facebook shuts down the Socialist Workers Party in Britain

swp.org.uk

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Re: Facebook shuts down the Socialist Workers Party in Britain

#441

Post by jjgreen »

coolestuk wrote: post #417
simonh wrote: post #368

For any non-Brits, the SWP is the main left of Labour party in Britain. As a student in the 80s I remember them as an earnest, way too serious bunch of ideological zombies ranting into microphones at the Student's Union about the latest crimes against humanity perpetrated by 'Thatcher'. They're the kind of people that come up to you in the street with leaflets about some atrocity in Africa and shout "Would you murder…

"in no way shape or form a terrorist or criminal organisation". Says you. The SWP are followers of Leon Trotsky. https://socialistworker.co.uk/event/view/10735 Trotsky literally wrote a book advocating terrorism, a rebuke to socialists who deplored terrorism. https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1920/terrcomm/

Trotskists oppose terrorism (generally called "individual terrorism") not on moral grounds but due to efficacy. The book you're linking to is Trotsky's argument against individual terrorism and in favour of mass workers' action.

Re: Facebook shuts down the Socialist Workers Party in Britain

#442

Post by washadjeffmad »

ianai wrote: post #429
chiefalchemist wrote: post #428

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So then it would seem, this is a great "beta test" for FB & Co. That is, pick a fringe meaningless group - but one with enough name recognition - and ban them to grease the skids of societal expectations. The group is small and fringe so few will feel the relevance which makes it a fitting target for FB and its ilk to normalize banning.

Or it’s the smallish act that reveals FBs true pro-far right bias.

FB skews conservative in content because that's who uses and invests in it, not who staffs it (primarily coastal, urban elites).

There have been numerous stories about FB employees lifting their noses at the platform's contents and users only to be reminded by Zuck that those are their users, and they serve them no matter who they are.

Re: Facebook shuts down the Socialist Workers Party in Britain

#443

Post by zpeti »

stiray wrote: post #432
simonh wrote: post #368

For any non-Brits, the SWP is the main left of Labour party in Britain. As a student in the 80s I remember them as an earnest, way too serious bunch of ideological zombies ranting into microphones at the Student's Union about the latest crimes against humanity perpetrated by 'Thatcher'. They're the kind of people that come up to you in the street with leaflets about some atrocity in Africa and shout "Would you murder…

> way too serious bunch of ideological zombies ranting into microphones at the Student's Union about the latest crimes against humanity perpetrated by 'Thatcher' Just to inform you. Reagan and Thatcher have literally f* up the world by allowing banks to devaluate currency and forming a situation where my bank will charge me for having money deposited with them (instead of paying interests) while giving credits with m…

I think you’re thinking of the gold standard abandonment which was in 1976, way before Reagan or thatcher.

They did liberalize a lot of markets but attributing the way banking works specifically to them is a bit of a stretch.

Also during war times a lot of governments printed money. Before the 20th century too. So again, your anger towards Reagan and thatcher, while partly probably justified, is a bit excessive.

Re: Facebook shuts down the Socialist Workers Party in Britain

#444

Post by [deleted] »

simonh wrote: post #397
Emma_Goldman wrote: post #386

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are over-stating the significance of the SWP. Maybe what you say is true of the 80s, but it isn't today. They are not the main party to the left of Labour, the greens are. The greens have 50,000 members and received 850,000 votes in the 2019 election, the SWP has a few thousand members and does not even field candidates. In my experience they have little influence on the Labour grassroots. The SWP's standing amon…

I'm sure you're right. I'm well on the way to being outdated myself.

[deleted]

Re: Facebook shuts down the Socialist Workers Party in Britain

#446

Post by nicoburns »

Emma_Goldman wrote: post #414
Veen wrote: post #399

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given your username, I'm curious. Are there many left anarchist activists in the UK at the moment? I had some tenuous contact with the ACF in the late-90s, but it doesn't seem a very active or impactful part of the political landscape.

They have their causes - Occupy, Rojeve, anti-fascism, mutual aid groups - but no serious political strategy or organisation. A lot of the student movement and extra-parliamentary left abandoned their traditional antipathy of Labour and came into the party after Corbyn's election.

> They have their causes - Occupy, Rojeve, anti-fascism, mutual aid groups - but no serious political strategy or organisation

Extinction Rebellion is arguably the most significant in recent times. I expect that movement will pick up again post-pandemic.

Re: Facebook shuts down the Socialist Workers Party in Britain

#447

Post by angry_octet »

jjgreen wrote: post #439
multjoy wrote: post #402

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sinn Fein had literal terrorists as members and were proscribed by government. This is the exact opposite of what has been seen in relation to the deplatforming on social media sites.

Sinn Fein were never proscribed, they were the political wing of the Provisional IRA (which very-much was proscribed), but were never illegal themselves. This makes sense for both sides, to keep lines of communication open.

The UK Govt at one point passed legislation that meant Sinn Fein voices could not be broadcast. This was circumvented by having the words repeated exactly in sync with the vision by a voice actor.

You have to wonder if the current BBC would have the gumption to circumvent it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1988%E2%80%931994_British_br...

Re: Facebook shuts down the Socialist Workers Party in Britain

#448

Post by jacquesm »

overscore wrote: post #438
stiray wrote: post #432

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> way too serious bunch of ideological zombies ranting into microphones at the Student's Union about the latest crimes against humanity perpetrated by 'Thatcher' Just to inform you. Reagan and Thatcher have literally f* up the world by allowing banks to devaluate currency and forming a situation where my bank will charge me for having money deposited with them (instead of paying interests) while giving credits with m…

More directly, Thatcher was also responsible for a litany of crimes, including murder and torture, and human rights abuses against her own citizens in Northern Ireland. Although Thatcher is hated by swaths of UK society (which turns out to exist after all), there is in Great Britain in general an ignorance or blindness to crimes committed by the State against their own citizenry.

That very much depends on where in Great Britain you are.

Re: Facebook shuts down the Socialist Workers Party in Britain

#449

Post by koolba »

Taniwha wrote: post #425
cm2187 wrote: post #395

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For tax fraud and falling into perjury traps. Not for colluding with Russia.

no one "falls into a perjury trap" - what one does is commit perjury - lie under oath, there's no trap there, all you have to do is tell the truth when you should and you don't get indicted .... in the US you even have the option of pleading the 5th

If you’re John Brennan you can even lie, under oath, on camera, directly to Congress. The trick is to be deeply connected with the political establishment.

For a reverse example, look at the treatment of Michael Flynn. They weren’t looking into a crime, they were look for one.

Re: Facebook shuts down the Socialist Workers Party in Britain

#450

Post by rgblambda »

pjc50 wrote: post #398
simonh wrote: post #368

For any non-Brits, the SWP is the main left of Labour party in Britain. As a student in the 80s I remember them as an earnest, way too serious bunch of ideological zombies ranting into microphones at the Student's Union about the latest crimes against humanity perpetrated by 'Thatcher'. They're the kind of people that come up to you in the street with leaflets about some atrocity in Africa and shout "Would you murder…

"Antifa" is more of a self applied label; you can certainly see antifa logos at demos. The SWP are Trotskyist, in the sense of "March through the institutions". If you're doing anything left wing they will turn up and try to make it about them, take over organization positions, etc. The SWP are mostly your boring old lefty uncle, with a side of institutional rape apologia: https://www.gender-agenda.org.uk/not-my-comr…

>>I suppose the canary for partisan moderation should be Sinn Fein; they were banned from television in the 90s.

Their elected MP's were also banned from travelling to Britain, effectively preventing them from taking their seats in Parliament. Not that they planned on doing that mind.

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