Communist Party UK statement on GRR

[Ingenieur]

https://www.communistparty.org.uk/the-gender-recognition-bill-and-equality-law/

Gender as an ideological construct should not be confused or conflated with the material reality of biological sex. Gender is the vehicle through which misogyny is enacted and normalised.

I think I know who's getting my vote this year!

Oh, since you asked, but it gets complicated.

The original Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was set up in the 1920s after the Russian Revolution through fusion of several existing socialist groups.

It never made much impact in elections, but did get a foothold in the labour movement.

The CPGB declined in the 1970s and 80s and the leadership tried to steer a more reformist course. People opposed to this walked out and founded the Communist Party of Britain (CPB).

When the Soviet Union collapsed, the mainstream CPGB, understandably enough, suffered complete political disorientation, renamed itself and eventually dissolved.

After that a earlier small splinter group decided that since the name wasn't being used any more, they would have it, and started operating as the CPGB (Provisional Central Committee). This is the group that publishes the Weekly Worker paper.

As the biggest remaining group, the CPB now often just calls itself the Communist Party.

There were other groups but I don't know if any are still active.

The Weekly Worker group has published a few rather wishy-washy articles on the subject without coming out with clear conclusions, which is pretty unusual for them. I suspect this means they are divided on the issue.

Don't underestimate the mental gymnastics. If men are women, feminists are nazis, the cat can be the dog and leftist lefties can be the right. But I hope you're right.

Very heartwarming to see too. Thanks for sharing.

This is funny as most of the TRAs claim to be communists lol. Bet they’re not amused 😂

They hurl the insults Nazi and fascist around freely but I doubt they have the first clue about 20th century history. They demonstrate zero understanding of these terms.

Exactly.

Nazi and fascist are simply shorthand for "evil person/organisation" in same way TERF has evolved from trans exclusionary radical feminist to "witch".

In this good old modern day witch hunt I can absolutely imagine a mob of TRAs denouncing the Communist Party as fascists. They decide what floats and what sinks.

Well we agree that it would never work in large countries (and I’d include small countries too!)

the people I spoke to described people used as things

if you grew up in a certain town then you would work in the local mine, no choices. The people there were partly paid in vodka as a way of controlling them. The way they told it, this was in the 80s, within their memory

the most shocking thing was the extent to which people were encouraged to betray each other. You couldn’t trust anyone

I know these things happen under other political systems. But they seem endemic under communism

Frankly, any political system is prone to corruption, being run by humans and all. Capitalism isn't perfect by any means, treats people as commodities, etc.

But this is a good statement. I'm not used to unequivocal clarity on this issue these days!

• We call for ‘sex’ as a protected characteristic under the 2010 Equality Act to be defined as ‘biological sex’.

They even say this!
It is extraordinary that it is this party that has investigated this issue so coherently and intelligently.

For anyone who has not signed this petition yet, calling on the Government to update the Equality Act to make clear that the characteristic sex is biological, there is still time:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4758082-petition-to-update-the-equality-act-thread-3

I might have to vote for the Commies, then! I wonder if they have a candidate in my area, though?

My grandad, RIP, was a member of the British Communist Party. He’d be proud .

Great statement.

The Labour candidate in my area doesn’t believe in gender woo, I have on good authority, but won’t come out and say it publicly. The sitting Tory MP is captured and a nasty misogynistic bastard in all other areas, too.

So…

WUT.

That's quite the non-sequiter.

I just might vote for the Communist Party. First time for everything.

comparisons of the CPUK (and other countries) and the authoritian dictatorships of socialist states are misplaced though.

Stalin didn't have purges because of communism. Stalin had purges to get rid of any possible opposition to his authoritarian dictatorship. likewise Hitler (but facist authoritarian dictatorship)

True communism - without power hungry autocrats - would be a different thing.

I have often thought that the best kind of government in many places would be a benevolent dictatorship. (vote for me, I'd be awesome, btw)

I know these things happen under other political systems. But they seem endemic under communism

I'm guessing there is nobody alive today who lived in Russia under the serfdom of the Tzars, but they would have stories to tell of utter deprivation and destitution and life / death or meagre provisions at the whim of their lord. There is a reason that the revolution in Russia was as brutal as it was.

Avoiding a brutal narcissistic meglomaniac like Stalin, Pol Pot, North Korean Kims, isn't easy. Maybe impossible because only people with that drive and, probably, charisma, can make revolutions like that work.

And yes, denunciations right left and centre: everyone too scared to speak words out loud get denounced and carted off to a gulag. Not exactly the same, but you can see what happens when someone GC stands up to speak.

I have friends who grew up in the DDR (I'm ancient and i live in Germany). Some of whom had parents who were denounced as too liberal and had to work in factories instead of their jobs in education and science. But even the ones who have some realy tragic stories in their past, can also bring up one or two good points. And pretty often it is equality.

I'm guessing there is nobody alive today who lived in Russia under the serfdom of the Tzars, but they would have stories to tell of utter deprivation and destitution and life / death or meagre provisions at the whim of their lord.

While life as a nineteenth-century serf was no picnic, their hardship pales in comparison to the suffering of the 10s of millions who died by famine during the Soviet years. And we haven't even got on to discussing the millions more who died as political prisoners. Communism is evil.

My great grandma’s life was ruined by communism. Her life was great before communism and had a family business. I’m really disgusted that you think communist countries were awful before communism arrived. Communism made their lives awful. People were starving to death and if they didn’t die, they watched their loved ones die. Or they stepped over dead bodies in the street. Or they were burgled because starving people stole rations from other starving people. You clearly have had a very privileged life if you think communism is brilliant and aren’t aware of the way it destroys lives.

the point being it wasn't the communisum but the brutal authoritarian dictatorships that happened due to the meglomaniac men who managed to get to the top of the pile.

Pretty much like the Tsars. And anyone who thinks that people didn't live lives of utter drudgery and penury and starved under the Tsars is deluding themselves.

What happened under Stalin is down to Stalin and those who went along with him for the ride, under the banner of communism. Not actual communism or anything like the socialism that Marx described (which allows for private ownership of small firms, just not the entirety of the means of production)

Well this is an interesting diversion!

I increasingly feel (probably because it has given me a pretty good life all things considered), that the way we do things in Western Europe is probably the least bad.

That is, democratic, capitalist but balanced by influential left leaning politicians and more liberal than autocratic

you would not catch me voting communist in a month of Sundays, regardless of how clear they are on sex vs gender

great to see them nailing their colours to the mast though and I admire their integrity

Hmmm...
I think communism has been tried in enough places, enough times to conclude that the problems that tend to arrive are pretty inherent. That said, l think having some communists/traditional far left types floating about works as a good counterbalance. Like @BernardBlacksMolluscs I think that democratic, capitalist but controlled/balanced with social welfare is the best. In Britain especially that involves a mix of people, including some who are quite eccentric sort of muddling through as best they can.

History hasn't known a Communist government, only corrupt Stalinist or Maoist ones

Exactly

I think the problem for me is that along with a democratically elected government comes the ‘out’

that is, in X years time they have to persuade people to vote for them again. Generally stops them being too extreme

I’m in a bit over my head here, but elections don’t tend to figure largely in communism I think? Where’s the “out” if they turn out to be vicious megalomaniacs?

History hasn't known a Communist government, only corrupt Stalinist or Maoist ones

thank you.

I also don't think anyone needs worry that the communists are going to take over the UK. But if enough people who only want to make their voice heard on this one issue vote for the communists? then the other parties will have to listen.

Resign from the party you're a member of and tell them why.
Join the communists and tell them why. (and read their stuff, you might be surprised at some of the absolutely mainstream things they support)

Disclaimer: I am not now, nor have ever been, a member of the communist party of any country.

BernardBlacksMolluscs · Today 09:47
great to see them nailing their colours to the mast though and I admire their integrity

Yes, I agree and I admire their ability to intelligently analyse the laws about sex and gender.

Not only Kier Starmer, the lawyer, has failed in this.

Our Conservative government’s initial response to the Equality Act petition shows they barely read the petition let alone answered what it asked; and shows that they themselves don’t understand the complexities and contradictions within the laws.

Resign from the party you're a member of and tell them why.
Join the communists and tell them why. (and read their stuff, you might be surprised at some of the absolutely mainstream things they support)

It may be worth considering. I am horrified and scared of totalitarian approaches wherever they come from though.

Disclaimer: I am not now, nor have ever been, a member of the communist party of any country.

but totalinariasm wouldn't get a handle in the UK. That is why there is a 2nd chamber.

And if you really want to vote on this one single issue, it is far far better to go for an outfielder or spoil your ballot (add the communist party at the bottom and tick that) to drive the point home. The communist party will never ever get a seat in the UK parliament. But if enough people vote for them, and make it clear at every oportunity it is on one single issue? at least the point would have been made.