SPGB Meeting: Hunter, Fisherman, Shepherd and Critic

One for your diary:

And the accompanying blurb:

Hunter, Fisherman, Shepherd, Critic: Karl Marx's Vision of the Free Individual

A lot of nonsense is talked about Karl Marx, most of it from people who have never read him.

Many consider his work to be discredited by the dictatorial regimes that were set up in his name. But what did Karl Marx actually have to say?

Was he in favour of dictatorship? Did he think that the state should impose dull uniformity, rigid regimentation and boring work on its citizens? Did he think that human nature and talents should be suppressed in the name of equality and altruism and for the benefit of a collectivity?

No. In fact, Karl Marx's driving passion his whole life was the free development of the individual. Karl Marx was not opposed to the capitalist ideas of choice, liberty and individual freedom. He supported the ideas, but opposed the society that prevented them becoming a reality.

He wanted to be able "to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic".

In this talk, we will consider whether Karl Marx's vision of the free individual is just an idle dream, or something that could actually be achieved. And if so, how?

Speaker: Stuart Watkins

All welcome.

Free entry. Free discussion. Free refreshments.

I'm sure it will be an excellent talk. The speaker at the meeting is an excellent writer for both the Socialist Standard, and his personal blog, Big Chief Tablets.

I read some Marx (and I liked it)

A boy band not coming to X-Factor soon.

I don't know about their politics being out of date but a Pokemon T-Shirt? 2002 was a long time ago.

File alongside this, and not to be confused with that last disastrous reunion tour by Consolidated.

Hat tip to Louis Proyect.

"The Road to Socialism - Kropotkin, Morris & Marx"

A transcript of an old talk from one of the speakers which may be of some interest to those interested in the subject of the debate:

What Marx should have said to Kropotkin

Old Big 'Ead

Via Giulio Manieri over at Facebook.

Not my favourite scene from Mike Leigh's High Hopes. That would be this scene.

The Original Cockney Red

Before Karl Marx's Normblog Profile, there was his 'interview' with the Socialist Standard from 25 years ago.

Sunday should be a day of rest.

I guess I should take my eye off the MySpace Socialist Standard page more often.

836 views in one day? Bit of a shock when I got back from the Left Forum last night to see the stats staring back at me. And all I did yesterday morning before going into Manhattan was repost the transcript of the 'What Marx Should Have Said To Kropotkin' talk.

Love to claim it was an indication that the thin red line is finally breaking out in a viral like fashion on the net. In all likelihood, what really happened is that an old gnarly SPGBer has finally gone online and discovered the page.

Take it easy, comrade. Space your impossibilism out. 800 views and 600 articles over the course of 12-16 hours adds up to a hell of a lot of carpal tunnel syndrome and a bad case of 'final paragraph syndrome'.*

*My best jokes are SPGB in-jokes.

My Life Story

Just realised that I've had a 'Suzi moment' after clicking on the Marx and Coca-Cola blog.

Of course, I knew that yesterday was the 160th anniversary of Fred and Charlie's classic agit-prop pamphlet. I forgot to mention it on the blog because I just happened to be distracted by a minor mid nineties agit-pop classic.

Marx and Coca-Cola's JM provides the killer quote from said pamphlet, whilst I do a cut and paste job from Mike Leigh's classic late eighties film, 'High Hopes':

Later in the afternoon, CYRIL and SHIRLEY speed along their street on their bike. They overtake SUZI, who is scuttling along, carrying a large, bulging plastic bag. SHIRLEY waves to her as they pass. She waves back.

Moments later, as CYRIL and SHIRLEY alight, SUZI appears round the corner . . .

SUZI: (Saluting) Wotcher, comrades!

SHIRLEY: Hallo, Suzi!

SUZI: Long time no see.

SHIRLEY: You all right?

SUZI: Yeah, I been fine.

(CYRIL and SHIRLEY take off their helmets.)

Where you been?

CYRIL: Highgate Cemetery.

SUZI: Oh! Someone dead?

CYRIL: Yeah - Karl Marx.

(He walks off. SHIRLEY laughs.)

SUZI: Oh, yeah, 'course!

CYRIL: I'd 'ave thought you'd 'ave known that.

SUZI: I did know that - I just forgot.

(SHIRLEY and SUZI follow CYRIL towards their block of flats.)

A Break From The Norm

Interesting.

One throwaway-line-link from Normblog for the 'Leave Karl Marx Alone' post, and the sitemeter has a serious workout, and I once again realise that there are a handful of blogs out there which carry a hell of a lot of weight.

Back to the blogging backwoods.

PS - Hat tip to Will Rubbish for bringing it to Normski's attention via the Drink Sots blog.

Leave Karl Marx Alone!!

Hat tip to a commentator on the WSPUS MySpace page . . . and inspired by this viral video sensation from 2007.

Hobgoblin Soup

Well as the hardy perenniel of 'socialist as cultists' is currently doing the rounds on various discussion boards, I guess it's timely and apt that socialists will see the prophet, Karl Marx, in everything . . . but in a bowl of radish soup?

I wonder if the picture above has any connection with that time I discovered the 1905 IWW Preamble in a tin of Heinz Alphabetti Spaghetti?

Maybe that's the sign we need to confirm that we truly are living in revolutionary times.

Picture from here. Hat tip to the Stationmaster Magnus B for spotting it.