Socialism 2012, University College London

What time is it? Too early for dynamic and passionate speakers, it seems.

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?The Revolution Will Not Be Televised? because it would not make for compelling or, even, interesting viewing if the participants at the Saturday session of the meeting dubbed Socialism 2012 were any indication. ?Perhaps we chose our sub-meeting unwisely, a discussion of whether or not environmentally friendly politics could or even should be sought while inequality is so rampant but neither of the panelists were good public speakers and, in fact, seemed almost addled.

The open discussion after their introductory remarks was a little more lively but, as I suspected/dreaded would happen, too many of the volunteers from the audience were cultists, peppering their diatribes with phrases such as, ?Marx wrote,? or, ?as Lenin said.? ?We know all that, kids, we really do; don?t beg the question of whether or not the fundamentals of 19th Century political philosophies are appropriate to modern challenges OUTSIDE of this little family venue, please.

Several of the speakers really made some compelling points, though, most often on questions of the need for ?growth? of economies if you assume that the insatiable appetites of Capitalism are no longer an issue. ?There were True Believers, too, who were scary not because of the fire-in-the-belly but more so because of the bats-in-the-belfry: in a country with easier access to deadly weapons these?folks could pose a formidable threat.

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The meeting itself had an amusing moment or two. ?Besides the few dangerously mad cranks blathering on about taking to the ramparts and mobilising the masses, there were some very passionate old-school (and quite ancient) reds ready to lecture anyone they crossed on the why they aren?t following the true path (regardless of whether or not you agreed with them or had given them any indication at all of your beliefs). ?By far the best thing I heard, bar none, was one of the staff outside the book stalls hawking wares thus, ?Get your Socialist merchandise in here, folks.? ?Without a hint of irony.

We skipped the rally in favour of some supper since we had an early train. ?I thought it would be appropriate to get a drink at the Red Lion in Soho since this was Karl Marx?s local and where the lectures he gave upstairs with Engels eventually became the Communist Manifesto. ?We walked and talked about the things we observed (more than in this post, certainly) and after about 20 minutes of dodging tourists found our bar, now no longer the Red Lion but a neon chain bar monstrosity serving 2-for-1 shooters to fucked up children (that?s how it appeared, anyway). ?Appropriate, indeed (as well as the new chain?s name: ?Beat One?).

We went to the Lyric at the opposite corner, instead.

Marx was not renowned for his sense of humour, but if that is unfair then he is probably having a good, otherworldly laugh at this.

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Source: http://1pumplane.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/socialism-2012-university-college-london/

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