Letters
Lie-down
In 2017 I wrote a critical review of Domenico Losurdo’s book on western Marxism for
New Left Review, in response to which Gerry Downing posted a rambling, 11,000-word long blog post calling me a Stalinist. Decorated with a photo of him and me together at a demonstration, Gerry’s article systematically failed to tell the difference between quotes from Losurdo’s book, claims which I attributed to Losurdo, and my own comments. Thus, each of Losurdo’s claims for Togliatti’s greatness, on which I poured cold water, was furiously cited as evidence of my own Stalinist renegacy.
Letters
Abolish gender
Comrade Paul Demarty’s article was a welcome breath of fresh air (‘Getting out of the culture wars’, December 10). As a 19-year-old communist, my entire
political life has existed under the shadow of identity politics and the question of gender. It was therefore extremely uplifting to read an analysis identical to the one I have been putting forward to various comrades at the last two Communist Universities: destroy the social construct of gender.
It has always surprised me how some veteran comrades fall into the trap of reaction - on both sides of the current debate - rather than adopting a historical, and indeed Marxist, understanding of gender. Whilst the content of its function in a society may necessarily stay the same, the form it takes is socially malleable. Much like class, gender is not necessary for society - let alone human existence. By altering its form and resolving its contradictions, the social foundations of its content disappear and
Letters
Pretty pathetic
Priti Patel just loves to send planeloads of impoverished people off to Jamaica. They’re all murderers and rapists of course, though there may be the odd car parking offender sent in error. Anyone who objects is either a “lefty lawyer” or a “do-gooding celebrity”. Many of the passengers have been in the UK for decades, have no home to go to in Jamaica and face living, or dying, on the streets.
Why is she so keen? On the face of it, she comes across as an extremely stupid person in a cabinet full of the sort. Perhaps she’s in a competition with Matt Hancock, Dominic Raab, Gavin Williamson, Michael Gove … (you get the picture) for the Chris Grayling award for 2020. It’s clearly a tough field and there isn’t much time left.