London communist forum: 4pm, Sunday 13th March at the Artillery Arms, 102 Bunhill Row, near Old St
From SWP to anarchists, Britain's far left is calling for a general strike. Such calls are likely to get louder in the run-up to the TUC demonstration in London on 26th March.
To some, the general strike is a tactic to extract concessions from the ruling class. Others believe a general strike can bring down the Con-Dem government. And then there's those who regard it as a... route towards working class rule and socialism.
What happens when a general strike is declared? How long can we last when everything comes to a standstill? How will the ruling class fight back? Who or what will fill the power vacuum if the government is toppled? Is a trade union based struggle sufficient to overthrow capitalism and establish a socialist society?
Our debate will address these and other questions, touching on topics such as Rosa Luxemburg's seminal text, The Mass Strike, the May '68 strike in France, the 1980 Solidarność-led strike in Poland, and the continuing strikes in Egypt.
Speakers are Mike Macnair (CPGB, author of Revolutionary Strategy) and David Broder (The Commune).
A very good, and timely, choice of topic.