Salma delivers a strong anti-capitalist speech
Salma Yaqoob speaking at Manchester Respect
Salma delivers a strong anti-capitalist speech
1–2 minutes
7 responses to “Salma Yaqoob speaking at Manchester Respect”
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so is salma going to comprise the “left-wing” of the new george galloway outfit? Thornett apparently is the reformist spokesperson so he and the isg would be part of that too
i am not going to any of the respect conferences next sat
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It sounds as though Ms Yaqoob started out by offereing solidaity to victimised health worker Karen Reissmann – excellent. But what, exactly, was “anti capitalist” about that speech? Any middle of the road labour councillor or MP could have made it. I also note that it came from the leading representative of the small businessmens’ wing of Respect, and that the Friend of all Dictators, Mr “Show us the shekels, Richard”, G. Galloway was in attendance, polluting the atmosphere, as ever. Not a pleasant specatacle.
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Jim, your attitude towards Galloway is such that I sometimes wonder if you don’t like him very much…
In the video Salma talks about comitment to people over profit. Watch again.
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The video is introduced thus: “Salma delivers a strong anti-capitalist speech”
I heard not a single word of opposition to capitalism. This was middle-of-the-road liberalism, the pre-Blair social democratic variety. There has to be united fronts between GENUINE anti-capitalists and such people, whenever they extend the hand of friendship to workers in struggle, or against Islamophobia, or against imperailist aggression, or in defence of civl liberties – and much more besides. However, there can be no watering down of socialist politics to keep non-socialists on board. And as her defence of Respect as a coalition between socialists and others (“Muslims, Christians, atheists”) makes clear, this organisation is not simply a retreat from the politics of the fourth international or the third, but even those of the pre-WWI Kautskyism. The politics defended here by Yaqoob are no more progressive than those of the extreme right-wing of the second international: the politics of Eduard Bernstein!
Yaqoob here is every bit as self-consciously pro-capitalist as was Bernstein. She is, however, in a much stronger position. Bernstein, after all, had to put up with losing votes by humiliating margins in the SPD and the Second International. He had to console himself with the knowledge that these organisations were ever-more accomodating themselves to capitalism. Yaqoob, Galloway and co don’t even have to sign up to socialist rhetoric of the Erfurt Program. Finally liberated from the SWP, the Tower Hamlets’ communalist businessmen can embrace the market, wage slavery and the profit system with the enthusiasm of David Cameron, Nick Clegg or Gordon Brown.
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[…] Salma Yaqoob’s speech can be viewed on Liam Mac Uaid’s blog. […]
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OMG SHE NEVER MENTIONED PROLETARIAN REVOLUTION! BURN HER! BURN HER!
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Anti-Capitalist?
Not enough evidence here to judge one way or another.
Socialist?
Well, I’d like to know if she’s said anything about the situation in Pakistan yet.
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Liam redux 
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