"Honestly, I was that close joining the SWP when I was 14 or 15 (lurked around the SWP stall by B'ham New Street station) and nobody tried to recruit me. Darnation, I say! Joined the LP instead and became an entryist."
Despite claims to the contrary from earnest Central Committee members - with the requisite quotes from Lenin, Trotsky and Taaffe Cliff Woods/Grant Conrad and Fischer Sean what's-he-calling-himself-this-week whoever is their proletarian hero of choice to back them up - the throwaway comment above from Louisefeminista on her blog, Stroppyblog, hits the nail on the head when it comes to how the left - all the left -recruit 97% of their membership. For all the pisstake stereotypes about the Trot student with the petition and the paper harassing the shoppers outside Sainsburys on a Saturday morning, you take that scenario out of the equation and you have membership figures that resemble the size of the French branch of the Marco Materazzi fan club. And in truth, if there was a local branch of the Spartacist League peddling their wares outside Our Price in the Marlowes when I was an impressionable youth, who knows I might now be a member of an obscure political sect.
Now, if only the left could admit that for all their bluster, it is the spotty fifteen year old who comes to them, not the other way round then there might have been a purpose for this post.
Rant over.
1 comment:
Cor blimey, only just seen the post. And yeah, I knew that embarassing confession would haunt (admitting to thinking of joining the Swamp). And I do agree with the sentiments in your post. the revo left is such a small, small and small world, sadly
Btw: I never had spots when I was teenager and always had good skin (cleanse, tone and moisturise)but I did have naff 80s fashion (circa 1984-9185)
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