Tourette's *

Read a report in the Morning Star yesterday about the Labour Representation Committee's annual conference from the weekend. The headline referred to the conference highlighting the twin threats of the BNP and "state fascism". Ok, I do think there are good people involved with the LRC - Benn, McDonnell, et al - but stories like that indicate that those involved are a bunch of nutjobs. State fascism? Come on, there is a hell of a lot wrong with our society and with our government, but we are far from having a fascist state. The trouble with groups such as the LRC is that they believe that, as they get some nutty Trots (AWL), self-styled communists (just who the hell are the International Group of Communists) and social democrats in the same room together, then this in some ways represents a broad movement. No, it just means that, as always done in the past and as is done now, the left talks to the left, but only those sections of the left that other sections of the left agree with. What a waste of time and energy. Well, would you spend your free time organising with a group which a few years ago referred in disparaging terms to the immoral "sex-for-pleasure" mentality pervading British youth? That was the NCP, by the way! As I say, fucking nuts!

And while I'm on a rant, isn't it about time the Stoke the War Coalition wound up. How many conferences is it going to take before they realise they are wasting their time?

* Nirvana