This blog is written by Alan Gibson, a revolutionary Marxist living in Cobh, just outside of Cork city.
I am actively involved in various united front campaigns (primarily pro-choice and anti-climate change at the moment) and am in general agreement with the politics of the Bolshevik Tendency, a Leninist/Trotskyist propaganda collective (https://www.facebook.com/BolshevikTendency/), as the closest approximation to the programme of revolutionary Marxism as applied today.
revolutionaryprogramme 
Thank you cde for clarifying the ‘imp’ and ‘nimp’ debate. I have just read the first edition of the BTs ‘Bolshevik’ which helps a great deal. The BT is correct yet I hope future events may cause the parties to find common cause again. I have some difficulty at the BT website making contact there. Probably security software and I do not use social media. If I could impose on you to pass my regards on to Cde Tom. I knew him in Toronto in the IBT days. He will find my contact info as below as a request to be put on the mailing list if it went through alright. Under another name but he’ll figure it out.
Revolutionary regards
John, I too would hope that a reconciliation with at least some of the IBT comrades would prove to be possible in the future. I do worry that they will just dig their heels in and see it as a matter of pride despite all the evidence which points against their position. But politics on the far left is very much in flux at the moment and I suspect that we will see all kinds of regroupments in the coming years.
Your contact info wasn’t included with your comment – please email contact@bolsheviktendency.org
I feel just as you do. I’ve been through more splits and regroupments than I think was warranted. Still, actual living comrades, militants molecularly re-gather and carry on. I’ve know Tom a long time and in person he is the most affable and able leader I have encountered. So, having had to stand down for some time due to health, there is no question where I would but my shoulder. I never had any political or organizational differences so that the end of it. I’ll proceed as you direct. I hope we remain in touch. I’m sure you have worthy things to say.
John
John,
I’m hoping that the ecological crisis that confronts humanity will have the effect of focusing minds on the need for revolutionary transformation (as against Green New Deal style reformism). Though doing research for an article on this it seems that many otherwise sharp minds that can both appreciate the urgency of the situation and the inherent incapacity of capitalism to do what is necessary to avert a catastrophic ecological (and social) collapse end up rejecting the need for revolution and instead back Green New Dealism as some kind of necessary first stage. All very depressing.
Anyway we all do what we can. Hopefully there will be more fusions than splits among the revolutionary left and we will manage to build something which has the capacity to meet the tasks which confront us.
Obviously I know nothing of your circumstances but if there is indeed little of political difference between us maybe we will find ourselves in some form of more concrete collaboration in the future.
Alan
Capitalism under pressure is capable of amazing obscenities. Any concern for ecology or restraint, as it were, regarding the environment vanished under the bulldozer of the ‘pandemic’. So long as these drums beat furiously most everything will be subordinated. Forbes writes about the 50 companies most profiting from this. The virus industry is now the pandemic racket. Over here are all the forces lined up that will not let this crisis – as a profit opportunity – subside or be wound down. Over there are the yet-to-cohere forces who suffer loss or harm due to the lockdown business. The World Trade Organization says China will grow by 7.9% in 2021. In the U.S. [and Canada] and EU the programmes is to stay on the road to suicide. This is unsustainable. An ever-locked down population eyeing an ever growing China will somehow by whatever degrees be moved into a state of resistance. So, I reckon that is good for the revolutionary trade and creates an opportunity of momentum impelling groups to reconcile their differences. Sometimes the winds blow towards disintegration. But now, the trends lean towards ‘get your act together’. History doesn’t give us that many such chances.
The nice thing about the internet Alan is that the difference in distance between Ireland [where?] and Kingsville, Ontario is very small. For reasons of health I had to stand down years back. Back in the pink now, hence I have routed through you heading back to the match. A pleasure to make your acquaintance comrade.
I live in Cobh, satellite town of Cork city (the major city on the south coast). I am not Irish though. Born in NZ and came to Ireland 14 years ago via Britain which I moved to from NZ in the mid 90’s to help set up the British IBT group.
I’d agree that a significant recomposition of the left seems as possible now as it ever has (well in my time as an active participant anyway). And not just recomposition as there also seems to be some signs of a wider acceptance of “socialist” ideas among young people than there has been for some time.
Which is all reason for hope in what otherwise looks like a fairly depressing political landscape.
Here’s a story about me becoming a Trotskyist that you will find amusing. In the mid-1970s I participated in the Young Socialists. This was the youth group of the SWP oriented League for Socialist Action. It was just a small study group which was about my speed. No membership, no discipline.
Soon, USec ordered the fusion of their two intermational factions and so the LSA and the Revolutionalry Marxist Group entered into a protracted debate. Us few YS were allowed to attend the debates which were very educational. The two groups were about evenly matched in numbers but it became clear that the RMG had the edge and this would decide the majority in the new leadership. At the last minute and without any notice the higher powers decided that to even the count up the Young Socialists would participate in the fusion as if us 6 were an independent group [there were maybe 3-400 members nationally between the other two groups]. The standard for admission to full membership was quite high in those days. You had to be seriously vetted. I most certainly did not qualify nor had I any firm reason at that time to ask to be a member.
The LSA threw the YS in to even up the leadership. But the RMG got to pick who of the YS would be seconded to the Central Committee and the Toronto Executive. The Toronto Branch was big, had property and published a lot. One day I was just informed that I was now a full CC and TE member. Never saw who voted that. I was well known as not-a-member but that was just ignored. So, I just shut up and served two full terms faithfully. Which was an excellent experience. I never mucked them about, joined no faction. And then, in due course, I met Tom Riley. Haven’t swerved since then.
John,
That sounds a lot different from the political culture I have learnt from the Bolshevik Tendency…
I was wondering if you had a chance to listen to any of the recordings of the BT’s online public meetings we have held over the past 6 months or so? I would be interested in your feedback.
– https://bolsheviktendency.org/2020/05/22/online-public-meeting-covid-19-a-geo-political-watershed/ and associated article https://bolsheviktendency.org/2020/04/11/covid-19-a-geo-political-watershed/
– https://bolsheviktendency.org/2020/07/12/american-upheaval-online-public-meeting/ and associated article https://bolsheviktendency.org/2020/07/03/american-upheaval/
– https://bolsheviktendency.org/2020/08/31/green-new-deal-eco-socialist-solution-or-capitalist-swindle-online-public-meeting/
– https://bolsheviktendency.org/2020/11/23/audio-recording-of-is-china-capitalist-online-public-forum/ and associated article https://bolsheviktendency.org/2020/11/06/the-myth-of-capitalist-china/
Ahh, the ‘culture thing’. Fortunately over here we have the benefit of the bi-national regulatory authority – The Presidium of Certified Revolutionaries – and of course our union. The All-Canada Union of Professional Revolutionaries. Governed by the Red Code of Comradely Conduct. So, everything is just so civilized.
I think some of those recordings might involve Murray Smith. Who is seriously impressive. Thank you. I will report further.