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Paul Mason and Dalia Gebrial was a perfect moment in post-Corbynism last night on Novara. Mason is trying to explain how leftwing or Marxist politics can make themselves useful during the next five years. Gebrial is furious because Labour might try and appeal to normal voters.
I can't get over quite how stupid and illinformed, but confident Gebrial was. Never mind 4 consecutive Tory wins, never mind 80 seat majority, never mind Labour Together research, she is angry that Labour might appeal to "normal voters". The strategy, apparently, is to appeal
to the "marginalised and dispossessed". She's even pissed off that under Corbyn Labour said austerity had led to police cuts.
She's decided Paul Mason is orientalist because he's *been to China* and found out that workers sign contracts agreeing not to commit suicide, or...
She's decided Paul Mason is orientalist because he's *been to China* and found out that workers sign contracts agreeing not to commit suicide, or...
…face restrictions on their human or workers rights. Walker and Gebrial pull faces because apparently the right to strike, form a union, or avoid arrest are Western impositions. Apparently saying that the Chinese love order, have no sense of self, apparently that's how the
Left are supposed to think about China. We are in the upside down.
And then, in a bizarre moment, Mason has previously referred to Western Marxism. A well established term in response to M-L and into the New Left of the 60s, e.g. he might refer to Fanon or CLR James
And then, in a bizarre moment, Mason has previously referred to Western Marxism. A well established term in response to M-L and into the New Left of the 60s, e.g. he might refer to Fanon or CLR James
as part of a category. Apparently Gebrial is a real clever clogs and screws up her face. She thinks Mason is somehow engaging in post-colonial whatever by not calling CLR James a Black Marxist. He's baffled, he agrees, he ends up saying "Look Western Marxism isn't something
I've just invented! If you're going to attack something you could actually find out about it first." She's doing a PhD at LSE and is writing about Decolonising the University. It strikes me that you could get cross about Fanon CLR James or Mandela being described as Western
Marxists without ever having read anything they've written. Instead you are constructing a bizarre defence of the CCP while actual Stalinists inhabit Labour leadership. You are to self-righteous to even understand what is happening around you. Classic playing with fire that
you do not know is hot.
Mason gets his just desserts here, really, every time he speaks you can see Michael Walker not listening and reading the comments, smirking. Well you helped give these twats a platform Paul Mason.
