Just finished reading Tariq Ali's 1990 roman-a-clef Redemption, reviewed here by former Trot Louis Proyect.
At the heart of the novel is an extraordinary congress at which all the Trot sects around the world come together to plan their response to the collapse of "actually existing socialism." In the keynote speech, Ezra Einstein, the book's central character (based on Ernest Mandel), says,
"What then is to be done? The answer is obvious. We must move into the churches, the mosques, the synagogues, the temples, and provide leadership. Our training is impeccable. Within ten years I can predict we would have at least three or four cardinals, two ayatollahs, dozens of rabbis, and some of the smaller Churches like the Methodists in parts of Britain could be totally under our control."
Ali may not be a great writer, but he knows his arse from his entryist.
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4 comments:
Read it years ago, and loved it at the time. (There was also an excellent review of it in the hallowed pages of the Socialist Standard at the time.)
Not sure if Ali got it right, though. Surely it's the MAB who've taken over the SWP, not the other way round. ;-)
Ha ha. Yes, he missed a trick there, didn't he? The fact that religions evangelize too could have provided a nice ironic twist to the plot.
I was looking at that quote thinking: "Something doesn't add up but I don't know what it is".
Then Darren hits the nail square on the fucking head!!
And I can't believe I'm looking at your blog just two minutes before Scotland beat/draw with/get stuffed* by Ukraine.
* Get back to you on that one!
STUFF, surely!!
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