I can not understand how anyone claiming an interest in the politics of the Left could start reading George Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia" and not quickly complete reading it.
Yet in this article, Nick Cohen of all people states "....I did start Homage to Catalonia a few years ago, but to my shame I never finished it."
This might help to explain why Nick finds it difficult to oppose both Fascism and Imperialism at one and the same time, even though in his book "What's Left?" he talks of the need to be able to "walk and chew gum at the same time".
A full study of Orwell would put him on this wavelength. Anyone not hooked on Orwell, should start scanning Gauche. And (praise indeed) as good as Orwell himself is Bernard Crick's biography of him.
Showing posts with label Nick Cohen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nick Cohen. Show all posts
Monday, July 30, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
The Ups And Downs Of Nick Cohen
Down With Nick
The current issue of Dissent carries this highly critical review of Nick Cohen's book "What's Left? How Liberals Lost Their Way". The review is by Johann Hari and it centres upon Nick's views in support of the invasion and of continuing Coalition activity in Iraq.
Johann at one time associated himself closely with Nick's views on these matters. Three weeks prior to the invasion, he wrote an article for The Independent entitled "Lefties For the War" and placed himself in the same camp as Nick.
However, Johann unlike Nick was able to see that there were two sides to the coin and three years later he finally wrote an article saying that he had been wrong and that the invasion had been a grave error. He has since looked for ways to find an exit strategy.
He came up with the idea of the occupying forces organising a referendum as to whether they should leave or not. This was a non-starter as the people with formal authority over referendums are the Government via the Iraqi Parliament, who could if they wished ask us to leave (but don't).
He did well, however, to point out the need to remove or firmly control the operation of private security firms in Iraq, whose personnel act as mercenaries and easily outnumber the British troops.
Like most converts to a cause, he goes over the top with some of his criticisms of the views of his former running mate. But what he has to say in his four key sections is well worth reading, as long as the reader retains a critical approach. These sections are on (1) Islamism, (2) Ba'athism, (3) the proper role for the left and (4) Neo-Conservatism.
Up With Nick
In response to Johann's article, Oliver Kamm has rushed to Nick's defence here and here. As Oliver has written a book entitled "Anti-Totalitarianism: The Left-wing Case For Neo-Conservatism", he knows his way around the literature and is keen to protect Nick within his own area of expertise. Oliver has also reviewed Nick's book here. Oliver's left-wing credentials are, however, rejected by those who feel that Blairism was beyond the pale.
It is when Oliver and Nick criticise the thrust of the one-sided arguments which come from people such as Noam Chomsky, George Galloway and Andrew Murray that I am with them.
So Johann can be read as thesis and Oliver as anti-thesis - or visa-versa depending where you come in to this argument. Guess who wrote the synthesis?
Levelling With Nick
My own views on Iraq cut across the divide between Johann and the Nick who is supported by Oliver. On the one hand, I strenuously opposed the invasion of Iraq and was then highly critical of Coalition excesses and shortcomings. But on the other hand, I opposed both terrorism and the insurgency from the start and have continuously supported those Iraqis who have used the new situation to try to build civic society and a democratic nation. This line seems to me to be essential for what is left of the left, whatever our passing thoughts happen to be about the stationing of foreign troops.
My own review of Nick's book appears here and in the Summer 2007 issue of the "Democratic Left", the bulletin of Independent Labour Publications. It differs from Johann and Oliver's approaches in that I'm neither an out-and-out critic of Nick, nor a fully fledged supporter. So it lacks the punch of their intellectual polemics.
I agree with much of Nick's analysis on the dangers of fascism in the world, but I don't wish to fall in line with the norms of Western forms of Imperialism. This is closer to Johann's current analysis than Oliver's. But when Johann changed his stance on the invasion, he seemed to me to be too eager to pick up slogans pushed by the Stop-The-War Coalition. A body which believes that Iraq's problems will essentially be resolved merely by troop withdrawals.
P.S. Norman Geras is now in on the act.
The current issue of Dissent carries this highly critical review of Nick Cohen's book "What's Left? How Liberals Lost Their Way". The review is by Johann Hari and it centres upon Nick's views in support of the invasion and of continuing Coalition activity in Iraq.
Johann at one time associated himself closely with Nick's views on these matters. Three weeks prior to the invasion, he wrote an article for The Independent entitled "Lefties For the War" and placed himself in the same camp as Nick.
However, Johann unlike Nick was able to see that there were two sides to the coin and three years later he finally wrote an article saying that he had been wrong and that the invasion had been a grave error. He has since looked for ways to find an exit strategy.
He came up with the idea of the occupying forces organising a referendum as to whether they should leave or not. This was a non-starter as the people with formal authority over referendums are the Government via the Iraqi Parliament, who could if they wished ask us to leave (but don't).
He did well, however, to point out the need to remove or firmly control the operation of private security firms in Iraq, whose personnel act as mercenaries and easily outnumber the British troops.
Like most converts to a cause, he goes over the top with some of his criticisms of the views of his former running mate. But what he has to say in his four key sections is well worth reading, as long as the reader retains a critical approach. These sections are on (1) Islamism, (2) Ba'athism, (3) the proper role for the left and (4) Neo-Conservatism.
Up With Nick
In response to Johann's article, Oliver Kamm has rushed to Nick's defence here and here. As Oliver has written a book entitled "Anti-Totalitarianism: The Left-wing Case For Neo-Conservatism", he knows his way around the literature and is keen to protect Nick within his own area of expertise. Oliver has also reviewed Nick's book here. Oliver's left-wing credentials are, however, rejected by those who feel that Blairism was beyond the pale.
It is when Oliver and Nick criticise the thrust of the one-sided arguments which come from people such as Noam Chomsky, George Galloway and Andrew Murray that I am with them.
So Johann can be read as thesis and Oliver as anti-thesis - or visa-versa depending where you come in to this argument. Guess who wrote the synthesis?
Levelling With Nick
My own views on Iraq cut across the divide between Johann and the Nick who is supported by Oliver. On the one hand, I strenuously opposed the invasion of Iraq and was then highly critical of Coalition excesses and shortcomings. But on the other hand, I opposed both terrorism and the insurgency from the start and have continuously supported those Iraqis who have used the new situation to try to build civic society and a democratic nation. This line seems to me to be essential for what is left of the left, whatever our passing thoughts happen to be about the stationing of foreign troops.
My own review of Nick's book appears here and in the Summer 2007 issue of the "Democratic Left", the bulletin of Independent Labour Publications. It differs from Johann and Oliver's approaches in that I'm neither an out-and-out critic of Nick, nor a fully fledged supporter. So it lacks the punch of their intellectual polemics.
I agree with much of Nick's analysis on the dangers of fascism in the world, but I don't wish to fall in line with the norms of Western forms of Imperialism. This is closer to Johann's current analysis than Oliver's. But when Johann changed his stance on the invasion, he seemed to me to be too eager to pick up slogans pushed by the Stop-The-War Coalition. A body which believes that Iraq's problems will essentially be resolved merely by troop withdrawals.
P.S. Norman Geras is now in on the act.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Nick Cohen's Myopia
The Death Of Socialism
I would never claim that socialism is in a healthy state in this country nor that it is a serious political force in current circumstances. But how can Nick Cohen begin to reach conclusions about our socialism having died without assessing or even mentioning the role of Labour's parliamentary bodies such as the Tribune and Socialist Campaign Groups? Yet nowhere do these emerge in his book "What's Left?".
He also fails to look at the Tribune Newspaper, numbers of other publications that can be purchased at Compass Conferences or the Morning Star (except in its old guise as the Daily Worker) . Compass itself is ignored for his preferred Euston Manifesto buddies.
At The Fringe
Yet the Revolutionary Communist Party, Socialist Alliance, the Socialist Workers Party and the Workers Revolutionary Party are all delved into; not to mention ye olde Communist Party. When it comes to left-wing personalities we get Perry Anderson, Tony Cliff, Ted Grant, Tariq Ali and Gerry Healy. And whilst this is all interesting stuff for officionados, where are the more recognisable lefties such as Tony Benn and his re-incarnation John McDonnell ? The latter is currently trying to stand for the leadership of the Labour Party, which at the moment provides the additional post of Prime Minister.
I don't agree with what John is doing, even though he has given me an open invitation to pop in to a Socialist Campaign Group Meeting in the Commons sometime. Nick does not seem to know that John even exists and is currently, in fact, using up a great deal of kinetic energy.
Thesis Fodder
The strange thing about Nick's omissions are that (from his own perspective) he could have used these as fodder to feed his overall thesis about the left's self inflicted wounds. For instance, the Socialist Campaign Group spawned "Labour Against the War", which has a close relationship with the "Stop the War Coalition". The latter is a clear target for Nick's polemic. Why does he not spread his net to also take on "Labour Against the War?".
I was on the platform at the launch of Labour's version of the "Stop the War Coalition". I later resigned when I felt that they seriously lost their way as a supposed democratic socialist organisation after the invasion.
The Shape Of Things To Come
I will return to what Nick missed in the future. This includes the strange absence of any analysis by him of the bulk of the hard lefts shortcomings over Northern Ireland. For current failures by many on the left to turn against terrorism in Iraq, follows on from much the same people associating themselves with the Provisional IRA's use of Sinn Fein.
In the meantime, the type of lefty who Nick criticizes over Iraq includes the strange case of Sami Ramadani whom is himself a London based Iraqi. To glimpse at what Sami gets up to scrawl down to question 6 here and then here.
I would never claim that socialism is in a healthy state in this country nor that it is a serious political force in current circumstances. But how can Nick Cohen begin to reach conclusions about our socialism having died without assessing or even mentioning the role of Labour's parliamentary bodies such as the Tribune and Socialist Campaign Groups? Yet nowhere do these emerge in his book "What's Left?".
He also fails to look at the Tribune Newspaper, numbers of other publications that can be purchased at Compass Conferences or the Morning Star (except in its old guise as the Daily Worker) . Compass itself is ignored for his preferred Euston Manifesto buddies.
At The Fringe
Yet the Revolutionary Communist Party, Socialist Alliance, the Socialist Workers Party and the Workers Revolutionary Party are all delved into; not to mention ye olde Communist Party. When it comes to left-wing personalities we get Perry Anderson, Tony Cliff, Ted Grant, Tariq Ali and Gerry Healy. And whilst this is all interesting stuff for officionados, where are the more recognisable lefties such as Tony Benn and his re-incarnation John McDonnell ? The latter is currently trying to stand for the leadership of the Labour Party, which at the moment provides the additional post of Prime Minister.
I don't agree with what John is doing, even though he has given me an open invitation to pop in to a Socialist Campaign Group Meeting in the Commons sometime. Nick does not seem to know that John even exists and is currently, in fact, using up a great deal of kinetic energy.
Thesis Fodder
The strange thing about Nick's omissions are that (from his own perspective) he could have used these as fodder to feed his overall thesis about the left's self inflicted wounds. For instance, the Socialist Campaign Group spawned "Labour Against the War", which has a close relationship with the "Stop the War Coalition". The latter is a clear target for Nick's polemic. Why does he not spread his net to also take on "Labour Against the War?".
I was on the platform at the launch of Labour's version of the "Stop the War Coalition". I later resigned when I felt that they seriously lost their way as a supposed democratic socialist organisation after the invasion.
The Shape Of Things To Come
I will return to what Nick missed in the future. This includes the strange absence of any analysis by him of the bulk of the hard lefts shortcomings over Northern Ireland. For current failures by many on the left to turn against terrorism in Iraq, follows on from much the same people associating themselves with the Provisional IRA's use of Sinn Fein.
In the meantime, the type of lefty who Nick criticizes over Iraq includes the strange case of Sami Ramadani whom is himself a London based Iraqi. To glimpse at what Sami gets up to scrawl down to question 6 here and then here.
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