Further to the reports in last week’s issue of the Socialist on the hugely successful Socialist Party’s annual weekend of discussion and debate, Socialism 2013, the Socialist has received some more positive feedback from readers:
First impression is the passion that bowled me over. The day before I had attended the CLASS conference, a Labour think tank, where I was treated to very slick ‘McPolitics’ presentation of selected topics, no feedback asked or desired; we were an audience to their cleverness.
In the Friends Meeting House [the Sunday rally of Socialism 2013], among people I felt comfortable with, I saw feeling, fury, determination – the same things I felt about our current political situation, being expressed in solutions, everything that was lacking the day before.
Inspired I went home on the tube, thinking of ways to raise funds, to make policies, to mobilise these passionate believers.
Karen, London
Congratulations to all those who organised a stunning event. Everyone I spoke to was impressed including comrades and sympathisers from Belgium, France, Israel, Ireland and even Australia.
An Indian Marxist who wandered in from a Computer Fair in an adjoining room, was very interested in all our stalls and bought the Socialist, got a subscription form, and marvelled at how well organised we are.
Keith Dickinson
The whole weekend was fantastic and a great learning experience for me as a new member. My personal highlight though was definitely the inspirational and moving speech made by South African socialist Sebei at the Saturday night rally.
Shona McLean, Socialist Party Dundee
As a newcomer to the Socialist Party I found Socialism 2013 an invaluable experience. It was the ideal antidote to the right-wing bombardments of the neoliberal mass media and its capitalist agenda and a cure-all to the common pessimistic view that there can be no realistic alternative to the three main parties in British politics.
It was fantastic to hear the plans for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and the real hope of a true Socialist alternative to the murky mire of Westminster cynicism.
What really struck me was the amazing spirit of internationalism. Never have I felt national boundaries to be so broken-down and irrelevant.
Socialism 2013 gave a perspective that you simply cannot get from reading about the theories, it gave a dynamic and energetic show of the core values of socialism that you could not get anywhere else.
I would recommend future Socialist Party events to anyone who wants to build a socialist world.