Ideological Commentary |

George Walford: From Politics to Ideology

March 11, 2013

This article follows on from the one entitled THE POLITICAL SERIES in IC34. The six groups spoken of are the main-sequence political movements, those known in Britain as conservatism, liberalism, socialism and communism, with the non-political people preceding conservatism and anarchism (including the (A-)SPGB) following communism. – GW We now have before us six groups… read more »

George Gook: Are Intellectuals Intelligent?

March 11, 2013

Harold Walsby, in several of the talks he gave, insisted on the importance of the difference between intellect and intelligence. I never heard him elaborate the point, but recognition of it is crucial for a grasp of systematic ideology. In those early days I assumed that his distinction was based upon the political terminology of… read more »

George Walford: Any Publicity…

March 8, 2013

Ayatollah Khomeini has done almost as good a job for Selman Rushdie’s book as the British Government did for Peter Wright’s and the Chicago authorities, in their own smaller way, are trying to help two young artists, David Nelson and Scott Tyler. As his graduation exercise for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago,… read more »

Harold Walsby: The Great Man Theory

March 8, 2013

This piece by Walsby originally appeared in the SOCIALIST LEADER for March 15 1952; the argument is less simple-minded than the opening paragraphs may suggest. (In 1989 the Da Vinci exhibition is at the Hayward Gallery; Tetra Associates have built a full-scale model of his flying machine. – GW) Have you been to the da… read more »

George Walford: Editorial Notes (39)

March 8, 2013

OLD CAUSES and old slogans are losing their appeal; the bright young people no longer see themselves leading the masses into violent revolution. Gender and race resonate more loudly than class. Peterloo may still rank above Waterloo, but the emancipation of the slaves shines brighter than either, while the formerly exploited workers of western Europe… read more »

George Walford: Introducing Ideological Commentary (39)

March 3, 2013

Revision of May 1989 IDEOLOGICAL COMMENTARY is devoted to the development and exposition of systematic ideology, a theory originated and largely developed by the late Harold Walsby. We do not claim final or exhaustive understanding of it; the formulation that looked like the ultimate last month needs alteration now, and the partial account given here… read more »

George Walford: The (Anarcho-)Socialist Party of Great Britain (38)

March 11, 2013

IC holds out a continuing invitation: We undertake to print any statement of up to 1,000 words carrying the approval of this party, or one of its branches. Letters from individual members will appear if they are cogent, interesting and concise, and if space permits. If you want your letter to appear unedited or not… read more »

George Walford: Genes Against Generosity

March 1, 2013

Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene (Oxford University Press 1976) sticks to the mind like a burr. His facts and illustrations carry impact. Taking the present population of Latin America (300 million) and the present rate of increase, he predicts that in less than 500 years, if this continues, people standing side by side will… read more »

George Walford: Volume One, Number One

March 1, 2013

The latest journal to hit – well, perhaps not the news-stands, but at least the desks of people interested in social reform, is SAMIZDAT. The editorial tells us that “Russian samizdat publications circulated secretly among a small, advanced public in the face of official disapproval. British SAMIZDAT takes its name from that example… ” The… read more »

George Walford: Various Small Items

August 21, 2014

FEW OVER MANY Those who maintain that society embodies mainly the preferences of the ruling few land themselves with the task of explaining how these manage to impose their will. They sometimes claim that it is done by force, but again, how? In The Politics of Obedience (Montreal, Black Rose Press 1975), Etienne de in… read more »