Highlighting Pen

As usual the commenter known as 'Matewan' is worth reading at Harry's. (I was going to cut and paste the lot so it wasn't hidden away in some grubby little box but it's probably better read in context. Just scroll down while trying not to laugh too much at the pathetic Benjie Halitosis.

Future Shock

Ed Rigsby meets 'voice of reason' Lenny when he has finished school in ten years time.

Must be hard being clever like Ed Rooksby. Ooh and he has a policy! Next thing he'll be getting a platform - the Ed-Rooksby-I-can't-quite-make-my-mind-up platform. "I'm against anything that the people I won't link to are for - revolution, errrr, reform, errrr television, oh! and breakfast cereal - that should about cover it. Vote for me, Ed, 'cos I fall over and bang my head a lot."

Who are the Hitchen Sistas?

Solidarity Negated

As every negation is also an affirmation, then the Pseudo Wanker Circle Jerkers are indeed responsible for, and representatives of, the affirmation that even solidarity, that which was once the most honourable mode of conduct of socialism and of socialists, is poisoned.

The Theory:

Once upon a time solidarity was intended to make all the abstract talk of humanism real; by 'acting as if' (to borrow a phrase) and lifting it out of an antagonistic generality. For solidarity to be made more than a comforting illusion (an ideology that changes nothing) meant solidarity was to be placed with the 'particular' of the Party. This was both to act as a catalyst and transcendental vehicle for solidarity, further raising it out of the antagonistic world of generality; the party as the sole and true representative of solidarity where it is manifested and mediated through.

From Quantity into Quality...

The oppostite of Solidarity is blind particular interest. Counting your own concerns as less important than those of others for the possibility of something that can be grasped by the mind and/or have a physical existence requires the waiving of self-preservation. The prerequisites of this 'waiving' are knowledge and freedom of decision, otherwise blind particular interest is reasserted.

The Practice

Solidarity has been excreted by the Pseudos as:

Confidence that 'the Party' is all knowing and all seeing

The essence and practice of solidarity is enrollment into 'the Party'

The 'Party' is everything, solidarity is nothing

The world matters only in its relation to U.S.policy. 'Socialists' mouthing fantastical rhetoric in party meetings; extreme reactionaries holding provincial attitudes with suppressed vision, working to limit the perspectives of socialism and practicing the opposite of solidarity outside of 'meetings'.

The form that Solidarity now takes for the Circle Jerkers is manifested as anti-Humanism.

To repeat myself...a 'left that has turned to the right'.

'Sinners', forgiveness and class enemies

As Hak points to this as she's running out the door, I'll just have to pull her back for a second to say this part disturbs me

Then as now, we should, I suppose, welcome sinners who repent.

Generally that may be the case. But. Not those fecking class enemies. However,the rest of the piece is good so one sentence that's wrong isn't bad...

Science and economy news

Astronomers: Some Planets In Our Galaxy Could Be Covered With Diamonds

Economists: Enough to make everyone on Earth "extremely wealthy."