[P2P-F] [NetworkedLabour] An Open Letter to the Fabian Society (was: Re: New models of leadership)

Sun Aug 7 04:33:19 CEST 2016

In my opinion "reformism" and gradualism are two entirely different
things -- the difference being that the later envisons a transition to
a system that is fundamentally different, but simply sees the
transition as a medium- or long-term process, whereas the former wants
to stabilize and ameliorate the existing system of power.

On Wed, Aug 3, 2016 at 10:55 AM, Michel Bauwens
<michel at p2pfoundation.net> wrote:
>
> On Wed, Aug 3, 2016 at 5:23 PM, Örsan Şenalp <orsan1234 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> As for your reply, what is very striking that not the lack of clarity
>> of your opinions on Fabians and relation to Fabianism, but rather a
>> weak confirmation you have given only one thing find good in it;
>> namely guild socialism; or cooperative solidarity economy vision. I
>> would guess this means you believe in gradual change instead of
>> full-force attack at the heart of the machine; which kills billions of
>> people and destroy the planet; the main principle of the Fabians.
>
>
> Dear Orsan,
>
> it seems we are re-doing here the 250 year old battle between revoluton and
> reformism, and that your critique of Pat, and sometimes of me, is that we
> are reformists.
>
> Personally, I don't see myself as a reformism in the sense it was defined,
>
> but, I do consider this:
>
> * the record of revolution is abysmal, with at least 100 million death when
> the revolutionaries were in power (the soviet one, but the earlier french
> was almost as dramatic); and an untold number during the ongoing defeats of
> those that did not succeed
>
> * the record of social democracy in its golden age was extraordinary, at
> least for the western working class, but I would argue, if you look at
> national liberation, that was also a fundamental advance, not to mention
> civil, gender rights etc ..
>
> * but even the revolutionaries who were combatting reformism, were not
> against reforms
>
> * now, there is a lot of evidence of social unrest, there were social and
> political and electoral s shifts that brought progressives to power, but is
> there any evidence that global south workers for example are revolutionary
> .. I would argue, they are not, even as they fight radically for social and
> labor improvements
>
> People like Pat Conaty , and myself, want post-capitalist structural
> reforms, and a phase transition, but at the same time, we are not opposed to
> reforms and to any social advances that social movements can win
>
> we want full and real democratization, an end to extractive regimes and
> practices
>
> yet, you continuously paint us as enemies it seems, and use a sliding scale
> that always ends up with the enemies of the people
>
> it always seems that your real enemy is not the 1%, but those of the 99% who
> do not share your views ..
>
> I see pat conaty, john restakis and others in the network for a cooperative
> commonwealth and synergia, as people with a lifelong record of fighting for
> the betterment of their fellow humans
>
> they want reforms, but they are not reformists,
>
> Michel
>
>
> --
> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org
>
> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net  - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net
>
> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens
>
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>
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-- 
Kevin Carson
Senior Fellow, Karl Hess Scholar in Social Theory
Center for a Stateless Society http://c4ss.org

"You have no authority that we are bound to respect" -- John Perry Barlow
"We are legion. We never forgive. We never forget. Expect us" -- Anonymous

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