Walking on the Far Left

With a true revolutionary communist society being loosely considered on a superficial level as a society without any classist hierarchy and emphasis on the collective power of the general masses in the running of society, it would appear that the dismantling of capitalist-led systems through which repression and preservation of these ideals is observed is an important priority in achieving socialist revolution. The aims of the banks would thus appear somewhat counterintuitive and a direct hindrance to effectively bringing about revolution, which begs the question: can they possibly exist in a true socialist society and, if not, what could take their place? When observing the fundamental means by which revolution can take place, it would seem absurd to disregard and refuse to acknowledge the presence of capitalism in society and its existence in the transition (considering socialism would feature the use of the income and products of their operation to the advantage of the lower classes...

With recent voting trends showing a shocking increase in support for the far right amongst the UK and the significant potential for the ultranationalist extremist Reform Party (along with several other extreme minority groups that are even further to the right) to form the next government, one would assume that the left are all in agreement on one thing: the need for the to come together and present a true socially conscious alternative. To some extent, this is true, however the sectarianism amongst the different left wing parties, as well as the infighting that takes place within individual parties themselves, conflict can arise with regard to this. This largely relates to their individual methods and the ways in which they appeal to a specific demographic and work around a niche. As a result, this is clear to see when looking at the recent implosion of Corbyn and Sultana’s new party, and Sultana appearing to have gone under fire for her exclusion of socially conservative people from ...

  The Storming of the Bastille- French Revolution painting by Jean-Baptiste Lallemand (1789). Something that never ceases to amaze me is how a supposedly people centric and class conscious set of communitarian and socialist economic principles can somehow ironically be responsible for the development of some of the most inegalitarian societies that have existed globally. This can be reflected through observing the case of France at the time of the French Revolution during the mid to late 18th century (and even still, to some degree, in more recent times). This was, arguably, the point in time by which the greatest reconstruction and reformation of the social and political dimension of Europe took place, its ever present and significant imprint continuing to be felt throughout the centuries that followed.    While Mao presented the need for the “true” people, as in the workers and peasants, to rebuild society, this was achieved through undemocratic and authoritarian means ...

After much delay, various technical issues and procrastination, this post is finally out for you all to read.                                                    19th-century artwork of police in London In modern society globally, and ingrained in many different cultures and political systems, the role of the police is regarded as functioning as extensions of the state and representatives of the law, to maintain social security and ensure that these laws are abided by. This explains the common perception that the presence of the police acts as a symbol of repression and presents class struggle (which, to a considerable extent, it does). However, historically, the police appeared to be a lot more in line with the working classes, advocating solidarity and unionisation within the workforce, and so appearing to take on the image of ambassadors for trade unions an...

What appears striking is the sheer breadth and diversity of forms in which republicanism can be observed, spanning a range of ideological perspectives, positions along the political spectrum, and uses to fulfil a variety of objectives that satisfy the needs of many differing demographics. Yet, despite this, in today's political discourse, republicanism appears to be used mainly to refer to either the US government's comparatively conservative, economically libertarian, and capitalist values, or, for many European nations, the abolition of the monarchy and the transition to a presidential republic. It is also surprising that there remains minimal implementation of many typical republican values, and their relative merits and failures in resolving the social and economic issues posed by existing political systems. This can be observed when examining the primary interests and means by which several UK MPs who identified themselves as republicans defined their own version of republ...

India is a nation that has undergone significant social and economic growt h, which has been significantly influenced by globalisation, westernisation, and past colonial and neo-colonial activities, primarily driven by US and European influences. However, in addition to the main gains from this, which appear to have been geared more towards supporting the capitalist needs of the already economically successful developed world, the traditional values that remain pertinent in Indian society have also appeared to somewhat hinder this development. A prominent example of this is the caste system. The caste system consists of several castes (defined by Britannica as being "ranked, hereditary endogamous social groups, often linked with occupation") which influence an individual's position and relative social and economic influence on society. Emphasis would be placed on ancestry and family history (including surnames) when determining an individual's caste. Caste differs fro...

  On a superficial level, it is widely assumed that centrists would maintain a comparatively diplomatic and neutral position in situations of debate and political decision making, generally supporting liberal and democratic values as opposed to encouraging the implementation of radical far-left proposals. They would be considered to likely have a selection of both socially orientated policies and those related to promoting economic growth and security of the markets. However, there appears to be a lot more to these centrists than can be observed here. As well as this, I would argue, it appears that a lot of the ideas of a true people-led communism, without the barriers of state and corruption of power, would appear to have a lot more in common with democratic centrist politics than one might assume. Whether this is as a tactical vote, a preference for more pragmatic and less ideologically orientated leadership, having a wide variety of values that span different areas of the politi...

"A school of thought in contemporary political philosophy that treats equality as the chief value of a just political system" This is how the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy defines an egalitarian system, essentially considering equality as the core priority for the successful functioning of a just society. While on first observations this principle doesn't seem vastly different to some of the core ideals advocated within Marxist and socialist doctrines (i.e. in relation to equality in distribution of wealth, land and opportunities, as well as the view meritocracy and meaningful work being the main reason for greater status being awarded to someone), this principle is often far from left wing in practise. This begs the questions: can an individual possessing great wealth (yet not showing any inclination to distribute it amongst others) still be considered as an egalitarian, and why do capitalists in particular like the egalitarian school of thought? Linking back to t...

  In a capitalist society defined by neo-classical economic theory further promoting the mechanisation of the workforce as merely machines and instruments of production, and compromising their rights for the hopes of improved economic efficiency and productivity, there can be no clearer way of proving that capitalism kills. The decadent society we live in in the developed world led by image and status, all of this defined by wealth and material possessions continues to increase in prevalence as much of the world develops and undergoes social and economic transition. This in turn would prove to exacerbate what disparity in accessing resources is observed and further increase their concentration among only the wealthiest members of society. It is also important to note that the regions that are responsible for the majority of the supplying and production of these resources are not within the developed world (i.e. would make up the majority of the world). This would present for a larg...

  In quotidian terms, the proletariat is considered by many to refer to those on the lowest wages and most limited influence in the workplace and that do not own, or, alternatively, often being used by some as a term to describe the working classes. With both uses of this term, the interests and positions of the proletariat are considered to clearly be exploited by and opposite to those of the bourgeois (which are widely considered to have greater wealth and influence in society). However, as we can observe when looking at the proletariat in its purest form and upon only observing it without comparison to the bourgeois, it is clear that wealth does not in any way factor into whether an individual can qualify as a proletarian, as well as the proof that it can be entirely possible to qualify as a proletarian yet still have adopted the income and lifestyle of those considered as bourgeois. As observed by Rosa Luxemburg on analysing the Marxist view on the position of the proletariat i...