ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS

On Thursday, March 24th, Andy Anderson, author of The Skye Bridge Story - Multinational Interests and People Power, introduced the second of RIC-Edinburgh's EU referendum debates. He provided the economic background upon which to make an assessment of the political options.

Economic fundamentals

How do we decide what the important fundamentals are?

We as socialist have observed a great number of things wrong with the present economic system in this country today. Low pay, zero-hours contracts, unemployment, poverty, poor public services, unequal pay on a discriminatory basis, anti-trade union legislation, ect etc the list is endless.

So where do we begin? What are the fundamental issues we should tackle?

I will suggest that we need to concentrate on three fundamental issues and if we are successful in dealing with them, then the other issues can be dealt with later without difficulty.

My fundamental issues are:

(a)   Government control of land and natural resources.

(b)  Government control of public investment in a ‘managed’ Keynesian ‘free market’

(c)   Government control of currency and banking regulation.

Is the Government (the State) neutral in a democratic society?

For Marxist, such as myself, this question is obvious. The State, every state the UK and EU included is an instrument of the ruling class and will be used by that class to further its aims and objectives. So if the people do not use their democratic power to direct the Government to operate in their interests, then the small elite ruling class will do this and the Government will be used to further their interests.

This means that electing a Government which wants to carry out an economic policy which will meet the people’s objectives is only the first step. This needs to be followed up by an insistence that the Government carries out the economic functions which will meet these objectives.  This leads us to look at the above fundamental issues.

Discussion

Land & natural resources.

We have seen how entrenched the vested interests are in land ownership in Scotland. The SNP Government have started to address this but they have a long way to go on this issue in order to ensure that they can take effective economic control of this natural asset.

We need to ensure that Government has economic and fiscal control of all Scottish land, sea and air resources regulation and tax including zero-rating tax.

Discussion

Government Managed Investment.

The central problem for the Scottish economy is unemployment and underemployment. I am not just referring to ‘registered’ unemployment. This, while bad enough is only a part of the problem. Zero-hours contracts and other types of abuse of labour, disguise massive underemployment.

This can’t be addressed by waiting for ‘effective demand’ in the market to arise by itself. This needs to be addressed by Government directed investment designed to build demand in specific areas of the economy.

This in turn will lead to full-employment which will help us address wages and working conditions and will provide the strength for a more powerful tu movement and the resources for better public services. It will also lead to more equality in incomes.

To say that austerity is an option not a requirement is not just a slogan, it is an economic fact. The choice for austerity is a choice to redistribute income from the many to the privileged few and damages the overall economy.

Discussion

Currency & Banking

Fractional-reserve banking.

This system is corrupt and is falling apart. It has created ‘zombie banks’ which can create ‘phantom money’ and led to the 2008 banking crash. Since all the causes of that crash still exist and are still being worked, then it will happen again, it is just a matter of time.

Is there a way out of this for people in Scotland? Yes there is. We need a new full-reserve Scottish currency and to completely reform our banking system under Government regulation.

How is this affected by being part of the UK? What about the effects of EU membership?

Discussion

The 3rd RIC-Edinburgh debate on the EU referendum - The EU and Foreign Policy -will take place on Thursday, 26th May, 7.00 pm in the Augustine Church, on George IV Bridge.

REPORT BACK FROM THE RIC-EDINBURGH EU DEBATE ON THURSDAY 4TH FEB, IN THE AUGUSTINE CHURCH

REPORT BACK FROM THE RIC-EDINBURGH  

EU DEBATE ON THURSDAY 4TH FEB,

IN THE AUGUSTINE CHURCH

Two of the original billed speakers Professor Jo Shaw (non-aligned) and Neil Davidson( RS21) both gave their apologies. Alistair Black (RISE), Donny Gluckstein (SWP) and Dr. Myrto Tsakatika (Syriza-Scotland) put forward the arguments for and against leaving the EU.  Sally Wainwright RIC chaired the meeting. 50 people attended. After the introductions the meeting was then organised into break-out groups. Instead of time-consuming report-backs from all the groups, each was asked to produce post-its of the points it wanted raised, either as questions or contributions. Below is a compilation of all these points. These will be circulated throughout RIC.

There will be a further opportunity to discuss the issue at the forthcoming national RIC conference in Edinburgh on Saturday 20th February (see http://radical.scot)

published on RIC-Edinburgh blog at:- http://radicalindyedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/report-back-from-ric-edinburgh-eu_13.html

QUESTIONS COMING FROM THE BREAK-OUT GROUPS

1.         Where can we get accurate information about the EU?

2.         How do we bring more people into the discussion?

3.         Is leaving the EU a question of principle or tactics?

4.         Would the UK be better off out of the EU?

5.         How does EU policy actually limit British law/action? What are the economicand worker   right advantages/disdvantages of being in the EU?

6.         How much could we change the EU without leaving?

7.         What would the UK look like out of the EU?

8.         What would the EU look like without the UK?

9.         What are the economic and political forces behind staying in and leaving?

10.       How would migrant workers be better off if the EU left the EU?

11.       Will there be an amnesty for EU citizens currently in the UK if there is out of the EU?

12.       If there is a 'Leave' vote what happens to UK citizens living in Europe?

13.       Would we take in more refugees if there was a 'Remain' a 'Leave' vote?

14.       What would happen the day after a 'Leave' vote?

15.       A number of groups associated with the protection of the environment have said that the UK leaving the EU would have a detrimental effect. So what do people feel about this?

16.       What does the Left in the rest of the EU say about whether the UK should leave?

17.       Would a 'Leave' vote it encourage other countries you leave?

18.       Can we harness the optimism of Syria?

19.       How much potential is there for pan-European worker cooperation?

20.       Should we be taking into account other trends, such as the rise of Bernie Sanders  (US) and Jeremy Corbyn?

21.       Are we heading for another banking crisis and if so how does that affect things?

22.       Is it easier to fight from inside or outside the EU?

23.       Is it easier to fight the Tories than the Tories and EU?

24.       Is Scotland more pro-EU?

25.       What happens if Scotland votes to stay and England votes to leave?

26.       Would getting a 'Remain' vote a second Scottish independence be more difficult if the whole of the UK is outside the EU?

27.       How long would it take to complete Brexit and what effect would a prolonged negotiating period have on UK politics?

28.       Would the EU bureaucracy recognise a Brexit vote or would it push for a rerun, like it did with Ireland over Maastricht?

29.       Why am I still confused?!

CONTRIBUTIONS MADE IN THE BREAK OUT GROUPS

GENERAL POINTS

1.         The referendum opens up a new political option with greater turnout and   interest in politics, where the Left could be influential in the debate.

2.         We need a non-party campaign.

3.         We need country wide political educational programme - popular education.

4.         The economic forces behind Brexit are mainly small businesses, which fear EU competition and have no clout within the EU.

5.         The main economic force for staying in are those larger businesses with markets in the EU and which can have influence on the EU through lobbying etc..

6.         The banks look more split. Some favour the wider market in finance, others fear EU regulation and are turning East (e.g. China).

7.         The Tory Right and UKIP are currently the main forces behind Brexit. They want the UK as an offshore economy able to undercut the EU, and with much fewer migrant workers, and not subject to any progressive EU legislation.

8.         The Far Right, the BNP, EDL, SDL, WDL and the Ulster Loyalists want   Brexit.

9.         Cameron and his Tory backers are the main force for staying in a renegotiated EU, with fewer rights for immigrants and a further weakening of the Social Chapter.

10.       The Blairite wing of the Labour Party and the Lib-Dems want to remain in the EU. They could form a 'Better Together' Mark 2 with Cameron.

11.       Corbyn used to be an abstentionist, but under pressure from the Blairites has become more pro-EU.

12.       The SNP is for a 'Remain' vote, believing the EU benefits Scotland and that Scotland needs more migrant because of an ageing population.

13.       A section of the 45%ers also want a 'Remain vote in Scotland, but a 'Leave' vote in             England to precipitate a second independence referendum.

14.       Jim Sillars, Jim Fairlie and the ultra-Nats want a 'Leave' vote.

ARGUMENTS RELEVANT TO 'REMAIN', LEAVE' OR ABSTAIN

1.         We need to join with the people of Europe to challenge the big institutions of capitalism.

2.         Don't just focus on the institutions it is about movements.

3.         The real issue is building collective resistance. Greece would have been broken by big capital whether it was in or out of the EU.

4.         Separate the legitimate demands for a borderless Europe from the EU as an institution.

5.         The main forces behind the official pro-EU campaign and behind Brexit are both pro-TTIP.

6.         We need a vision of a socialist Europe.

7.         Cameron's decision to not allow the 1.5million EU residents the vote, shows who the Tories are targeting (c.f. the Scottish independence referendum where EU residents had the vote).

'REMAIN' ARGUMENTS

1.         History of peace in Europe since EU formed is important.

2.         The free movement of labour has brought about greater multiculturalism and more vibrant culture.

3.         We should remain for tax justice: EU gives us bank bonus tax. There is an ongoing discussion on a Financial Transaction Tax, and another on EU wider Corporation Tax'.

4.         The Right want greater freedom undermine democratic rights and what's left of the EU's Social Chapter.

5.         Environmental regulation to be successful needs to operate across the EU.

6.         Victory for Brexit would mean more racism weakening the working class

7.         It is the UK not the EU which is putting up barriers at Calais.

8.         It would be the Right and the Far Right who would be celebrating on the streets the day after a 'Brexit' vote, just as they were on September 19th after the 'No' to independence vote.

9.         Brexit would lead to the reappearance of border posts between north and south of Ireland, strengthening reaction, particularly the Loyalists.

10.       It is the Right and the Far Right that form the majority wanting to leave the EU in most member countries.

11.       Varoufakis (Syriza ex-Finance Minister) is organising the Democracy in Europe 2025 Movement to unite opposition across the EU.

'LEAVE' ARGUMENTS

1.         The EU is an anti-democratic bosses' club.

2.         The free movement of labour has led to lower pay and worse conditions in some sections of the economy, e.g. agriculture.

3.         The Common Agricultural Policy mainly benefits rich farmers, is environmentally disastrous and leads to dumping in Third World countries at the cost of poor peasants.

4.         The EU did not stop the war in Bosnia or Kosova.

5.         The EU did not stop civil war in Northern Ireland or Euskadi.

6.         The EU's Schengen Agreement is directed against migrants from the rest of the world.

6.         The EU is renewing internal borders to stop migrants.

7.         Germany's treatment of Greece shows that the EU is an alliance for economic purposes, not for justice.

8.         The humiliation of Syriza shows that the Left can not adopt a pro-EU stance.

9.         The position of migrants is not dependent on EU, Norway and Switzerland have bigger proportion of migrants than many EU members.

10.       The position of workers not dependent on EU agreements but collective organisation of workers.

11.       The Let needs to form its own Brexit campaign.

Other articles on RISE-Edinburgh blog relevant to the EU debate

THE CURRENT SITUATION IN GREECE - KIMON BUKAS (ANTARSAYA)

http://radicalindyedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/the-current-situation-in-greece.html

THE EU REFERENDUM - DEBATE BETWEEN ALLAN ARMSTRONG RCN AND DONNY GLUCKSTEIN SWP

http://radicalindyedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/the-eu-referendum.html

RIC-EDINBURGH ORGANISING MEETING, 21.12.15

There were 6 people in attendance. It was agreed that the current political situation had changed. Without the immediate focus of referendum,most people had become involved in party activity (SNP, Greens and RISE) or single issue campaigns, e.g. Living Rent, anti-Fracking, anti-War.

Therefore it was felt that a more appropriate role for RIC-Edinburgh would be to organise less frequent one-off events to promote eider debate, discussion and education.

The first of these events was planned for Thursday February 4th. This would be a date on the EU - In or Out. It was hoped to get the speakers who addressed the successful RIC-Glasgow event.

Edinburgh would also be hosting the RIC National Conference on Saturday February 20th.

The possibility of organising another RIC Scottish Radical History event, including the centenary of the 1916 Rising was also raised.

22.12.15

RIC-EDINBURGH REPORT

EDINBURGH REPORT FOR DECEMBER 6th RIC NATIONAL FORUM DUNDEE

We now have 94 card carrying members

RIC-Edinburgh meetings

November 2nd - Discussion on Kurdistan speakers, Murat Gulem (Peoples Democracy Party, Scottish Section), Pete Cannell (Stop the War Coalition) - 11 people attended

November 16th - Climate Change, Eric Swanepoel organised activity session 

(Minutes Secretary unable to attend second meeting, so only first event covered on our blog at:- 

http://radicalindyedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk/2015_11_01_archive.html

December 7th, Organising Meeting - 5 people attended

RIC-Edinburgh activities

Banner taken to following events:-

Saturday November 28th- Stop Climate Chaos Demonstration (5-8000)

Monday, 30th November, 17-19.00 Anti-War Protest, East End of Princes Street (250-300)

Members also attended the lobby of Holyrood at lunchtime and East of End of Princes  Street on December 3rd.

Our Members (94) and Contacts list (700) continues to act as clearing house for  wide range of campaigns,  activities, educational and social events in Edinburgh, with our Secretary regularly informing people of these.

                                             RIC-Edinburgh banner on the Climate Chaos demo on November 28th

(photo by Joel Venet)

SOLIDARITY WITH KURDISTAN

Speakers - Murat Gulem - Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) (Scottish Section) and Pete Cannell (Stop the War Coalition) with apologies from Sarah Collins (Kurdish Solidarity delegation to Diyarbakir).

Chair: Pat Smith

Murat has lived in the UK since 2001. He had to leave Turkey because he refused to do military service, which is compulsory. He left when he was 25 and is now 39 and is not able to return to Turkey.

Kurdistan was part of the Ottoman Empire. With the break-up of the Empire after the First World War, most of Kurdistan became divided between Turkey, Iraq and Syria, with a further section in the Persian Empire (now Iran).

The Turkish government denies that the Kurds exist. The Kurds were forbidden to speak their own language. In all four countries where the Kurds live, the governments made them speak the state language - Turkish, Arabic or Persian. During the Iran-Iraq War Kurds in Halabja (Iraqi Kurdistan) were massacred by the Iraqi government in 1988. This was reported in the British but not the Turkish press.

Abdullah Ocalan founded the Kurdish Workers Party (KPP) in 1978 to fight for cultural and political rights for Kurds. When the Turkish military took power in 1980 they targeted the Kurds. The PKK initiated an armed struggle in 1984. This struggle put Kurdistan on the political agenda, but the Turkish state wrote this off as terrorism.

In the 1990s the Turkish government verbally conceded that Kurds should receive some right. However, the Turkish military insisted that any party, in order to gain parliamentary seats, should have 10% support in Turkey as a whole. They also declared Kurdish based parties illegal, so they had to change their names frequently.

In 1991 several Kurdish MPs were elected to the Turkish parliament. Despite supposed Parliamentary immunity, Leyla Zana was arrested for wearing Kurdish colours and speaking a few words of Kurdish, then jailed for 13 years. Other Kurdish MPs tried to stay in parliament but were also arrested. After this, there was a further succession of Kurdish parties, with different leaders, each made illegal in turn. The PKK renewed its armed struggle. In 1998, the Turkish authorities captured Ocalan.

In 2002, the Islamist Justice and Development Party, led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, won the Turkish elections. They made some inroads in Kurdistan by promoting a pan-Islamic, rather than a pan-Turkish politics. However, this led to no improvement in the situation for Kurds. In the 2007 election Kurds stood along with other Independents who won 26 (out of 550) seats in the Turkish parliament. In 2011, Independents won 35 seats.

There were still no substantial improvements for the people of Kurdistan. Ocalan suggested from his prison cell that Kurds should join with wider democratic forces in Turkey to field candidates as the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) for the June 2015 election. The agreed platform recognised the 1915 Armenian genocide (which the Turkish government denies), and women's and LGBT rights. The HDP has 50:50 male/female representation at all levels. The PKK had also declared a ceasefire, hoping that there would be a new democratic opening. In the election the dominant AKP failed to win an overall majority, whilst the HDP won 80 seats.

Erdogan had hoped to use an AKP majority to install himself at the head of a presidential republic. He now felt threatened and worked hard to create the situation to force through another election. The Kurds became his main target. The AKP government had been giving tacit support to ISIS forces and their attempt to overthrow the Assad government in Syria. When US pressure called for action against ISIS, the Turkish government undertook some token actions against them but massively stepped up their real action against the Kurds.

When ISIS attacked Kobane in Syrian Kurdistan, the official Iraqi Kurdistan government, led by the corrupt Kurdish politician Masoud Barzani, gave no help. This was left to the PKK. The Turkish government put many obstacles in the way of PKK fighters trying to join the struggle in Syria, whilst allowing ISIS fighters to travel over the border unimpeded. Erdogan even claimed in Gazientep that Kobane was about to fall. This was a breaking point for Kurds who had voted for the AKP.

On July 20th a suicide bomber killed 36 people and injured a further 104 in Suruc, on the Turkish side of the border near Kobane. Although this was undertaken by ISIS, the Turkish government arrested far more Kurds in their subsequent operations. On October 10th a bomb was detonated in Ankara, at a Labour, Peace and Democracy rally. 102 people were killed and a further 400 people were injured. Although, most likely undertaken by ISIS, the lack of any Turkish security at the event, and the anti-opposition hysteria promoted by the government led many to question Erdogan's role in this.

The Turkish government also imposed 11day curfews in some Kurdish towns. The army killing anyone who broke this, even if they were only going out for food. This included an 8 year old boy and 85 year old man, who were called terrorists.

The main purpose behind the Turkish government's offensive was to break away the HDP's wider non-Kurdish support through accusations of terrorism, as the PKK tried to defend themselves from army attacks; to intimidate other parties before a re-run election; and to win over the Far Right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

The new election was held on November 1st and the AKP succeeded in winning an absolute majority. The Far Right MHP lost 5% of its vote and 39 of its seats as its vote went over to the AKP. The HDP lost 2.5% of its vote and 21 of its seats, particularly in the non-Kurdish areas. However, the HDP was not eliminated from the Turkish parliament, and despite the Erdogan victory, the situation remains unstable, although it is difficult to forecast the future.

(waiting for electronic version of contribution from Pete Cannell)

Discussion

Pat said that she had been very impressed by the HDP's commitment to 50:50 at all levels of the organisation.

Xara asked if after the Suruc and Ankara bombings whether people were getting used to constant death, and also what had been the HDP's attitude to the Taksim Gezi Park protests in Istanbul in 2013.

Murat replied that there had been 3 days of grief after the Ankara bombing, although the state TV channels accepted the government ban on reporting. He compared the lack of a Turkish government sympathetic response to the French government and international response over the Charlie Hebdo killings.

Murat said that at Gezi Park it had been a HDP MP who had first blocked the bulldozers coming to knock down the trees. Subsequent attacks on the HDP for lack of involvement were misplaced, because the HDP wanted to ensure that the protests were not seen as being organised by Kurds, but were a joint protest by Turkish and Kurdish democrats.

Eric said that one thing that could be done was to look into where people's pension funds were invested, and see if they were connected to Turkey.

? asked about the viability of the AKP's economic policy?

Murat said that there has been a bubble of development, which will burst. Saudi Arabia had put a lot of money into Turkey .The AKP government had also imposed n Earthquake Tax, which they have been able to manipulate for their own purposes.

? asked what the relationship was between the PKK and the HDP and what are the Kurds' current political demands?

Murat said that the HDP was an independent political organisation, It had non-Kurdish support including the Armenian MPs, as well as support from Turks who recognised its role in supporting women's and LBGT rights. The PKK is a Kurdish guerilla organisation with its own agenda.

The Kurds want democratic autonomy. However, even when the HDP raised the issue of increasing the powers of local councils they were taken to court by the Turkish government.

Kobane in Syria has its own democratic council. They have won their autonomy in the civil war in Syria.

Iran, like Turkey is ruthless against the Kurds.

Barzani, in Iraqi Kurdistan, is mainly concerned with lining his own pockets. His nephew is the fifth richest man in the world. Barzani  has worked with the Turkish, Iraqi and Iranian governments in the past. He  ees the PKK as a threat to his capitalist interests. There is no real opposition to Barzani in his local parliament. He has refused to attend the Kurdish National Congress.

Steve Kaczynski, who had spent over 5 moths in a Turkish prison this year gave a brief account of hi experiences. A fuller version of this can be at:-

http://republicancommunist.org/blog/2015/10/06/my-imprisonment-in-turkey-steve-kaczynski/

RIC - EDINBURGH REPORT

EDINBURGH RIC REPORT TO NATIONAL FORUM IN GLASGOW ON 31.10.15

RIC Edinburgh meetings

RIC Edinburgh met fortnightly, but is now moving over to two meetings a month on the first and third Tuesday. We now have 92 RIC card carrying members in Edinburgh.

September 14th - General discussion on how to pressurise the SNP government and the likely impact of Corby's election as Labour leader- 12 people attended

September 28th - Terry Wrigley- Education Today in Scotland - 10 people attended

October 12th - Stephen McMurray - Unemployment in the Age of Austerity - 6 people attended

The Minutes Secretary was unable to attend the first 2 meetings, so only the third has a set of minutes with the Discussion Topic on the blog.

(for Discussion Topics see  http://radicalindyedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk/)

The next meeting is on November 2nd and is jointly organised with the Stop the War Coalition and RISE. Sarah Collins who was part of the Scottish Solidarity with Kurdistan delegtion, Murat Gullen from the Peoples Democracy Party and Pete Cannell of Stop the War Coalition will speak on the situation in Turkey and Kurdistan aftwer the Ankara bombing.

This follows the support given by RIC-Edinburgh at its 12th October meeting to the following motion from UNITE.

“We express our outrage at the brutal attack on the demonstration for peace that occurred on Saturday yesterday in Ankara. The blasts have left nearly 100 people dead and hundreds injured and Unite extends its solidarity and deepest sympathy to all of the victims.

“The demonstration was organised by brave trade unionists, NGOs and political activists, all of whom are desperate for peace and demand an end to the violence that Erdogan’s government is perpetrating against the Kurdish population, trade unionists and human rights activists in general.

“Unite issued a statement from its last Executive Council (September 2015) that called on the Turkish government to end its attacks, release the imprisoned Kurdish leader Ocalan and immediately restart the peace talks. We reiterate that call today.

“Unite has always been extremely concerned at the poor record of the Turkish state in relation to human and workers’ rights and has always stood shoulder to shoulder with the brave men and women who have sought to change the situation.

“The recent actions of the Turkish government are deplorable and have been undertaken with its own political self interest in mind. The language and actions used by the government are aimed at creating a climate of fear and intimidation ahead of the pending election and serve precisely to create the atmosphere in which such atrocities take place.

“Unite will continue to stand in solidarity with all those progressive forces that seek to bring about peace and change.”

RIC-Edinburgh Activities

Friday, September 11th, Allan Armstrong spoke on the situation in Scotland at the Desmond Greaves Weekend School in Dublin

Saturday, September 26th, RIC members attended the Edinburgh TUC workshop on anti-cuts/anti-austerity

Saturday, October 3rd, RIC members on anti-SDL demo in Edinburgh

Sunday, October 4th, RIC Edinburgh had members and banner at the TUC organised demo in Manchester on October 4th against the Tories anti-trade union bill

Saturday, October10th, RIC members and banner on in Hands Across Our Forth demo against fracking and underground gasification

Thursday, 22nd October, RIC members attended the Sheku Bayoh public meeting

Thursday, 19th October, RIC members attended the Anti-Cuts Lobby at Edinburgh City Chambers