Lenin asked this question in 1902 in his pamphlet which aimed to address the issues of political organisation, form and programme. Fifteen years later after war, revolution and attempt at counter revolution he was at the leadership of the Bolshevik revolution.
It is worth comparing the period we live in now to the early 20th century. There is a strong argument that with the collapse of the communist regimes, it is only now that we are continuing on the path prepared for globalisation at the end of the 19th century. Only now, we can see capitalism at work without boundaries.
Our government is implementing a programme of austerity that is widening the gap between rich and poor, under the veil of addressing the deficit which has been created by the rich. We are possibly a couple of weeks away from the atm machines freezing up. What is to be done?
ICTU are holding a march this weekend in response to the programme of austerity. In one webchat, a poster bemoans the march and says he is not going to the march because it is not going to the Dail. Another says it doesn’t matter where they march, so long as they march. Another poster says it is hypocritical to march with the unions because the union leaders who have big expensive jobs with big expensive salaries.
The British are dealing with consequences of their crisis in part by hiking up the cost of university tuition near to US costs for third level education. Labour criticise this policy when they were the party who very unexpectantly introduced tuition fees and then oversaw their increase up to a capped fee of $3,000. I recall being involved in the very first protests against the introduction of fees. Those of us who protested warned that the fees of 1997 would open the door to massively increase fees which would be modelled on the experience of Austrailia.
In Ireland, the Green Party have just nodded through increase in the student registration fee from €1500 to €2,000. Unbelievably they claim this does not represent the return of fees. As one student union leader said if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck.
The argument in favour of tuition fees goes along these lines. Those who benefit from university education tend to earn more than others so they should pay. Those who train as plumbers, brick layers, carpenters all earn far higher than the average wage yet they did apprenticeships subsidised. These are difficult days for Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, says the report. Protests are getting violent and some students are emoting that a small number are ruining it for the rest.
This crisis is getting ugly. The time for orchestration and grand old Duke of York, marching to the top of the hill and back down type of protests are over. This Saturday ought to see tens of thousands on the streets of Dublin for the ICTU march. However it is highly likely that some will try their own type of protest. The ICTU march script is after assembly on Wood Quay, there will be a short stroll. However there are political groups with ambitions. An audience that does not want to listen to the beards and some who want to try another form of protest.
Speaking of that other type of protest, there is a Community ‘Spectacle of Defiance’ on December 10th. Meanwhile the Socialist Party and the Socialist Workers are finally getting together to launch the United Left. Of course Labour are expected to win a landslide of seats in an easy vote catch which does not require them to outline policies in detail.
The same is said about the Socialist Party. However I suspected that if elected the Socialist Party in government would be similar to that within Liverpool City Council in the 1980s. As one civil service mandarin quaked ‘other politicians made pledges in opposition only to change their minds in government, but they carried on regardless’.
Yet something is changing in Ireland and Britain over the last few weeks and months. In Britain protest politics is back although it has been written off since the defeat of the Miners in 1985. The collapse in living conditions in Ireland which follows years of social partnership and the same modern apathetic political culture as in Britain, the game has changed and new forces will be on the agenda. There will be creativity at play as ordinary people try and take centre stage. This is evident in that the people who will be on the ICTU protest but have contempt for ICTU leaders. As one poster says of union leaders, they are bought and paid for by Fianna Fail.
The protest on Saturday is going to be huge. The interesting element is that there is widespread understanding that there is going to be violence and people are still coming. They don’t care about that because they are so angry.
In Ireland, Fine Gael and Labour are not a new alternative. They have been there for years and people have not been attracted by them. They will be elected as they are the established opposition and people are so angry with Fianna Fail. As for the Greens, they have been a new movement but in 2007 they tied themselves to the fate of Fianna Fail.
The United Left offers an interesting prospect. I was active in the Socialist Party from 1991-2009 throughout 18 years of the doldrums. It was great to be in a party that stood unequivocally with the underdog but as the analysis is being born out the prospect of social upheaval is daunting. A lot is going to happen over the next weeks, months and year. It is hard to portray Ireland politically this time next year. It will all come out in the wash and when I put my clothes in the washing machine, I don’t like to get into the wash. So, what is to be done?
