Our well-stocked stall at SOAS

With a new issue of Communist Student (our 8^th) in hand, CS members have been organising stalls at campuses around the capital during freshers week. The economic crisis and continuing destructiveness of imperialism is definitely making more students receptive to left-wing ideas, and we had many interesting discussions with students about such varied topics as the nature of the crisis, the Russian revolution and Stalinism, and the philosophy of materialism! It would be wrong for the left to assume it will automatically benefit from crisis though; bourgeois politicians have many tricks up their sleeve and a revival of working-class Conservatism seems quite possible. This makes the task of uniting the left all the more urgent. This year, more students than ever were overheard complaining “there are so many of these socialist groups; why are they all divided?”

A perfectly reasonable question, and while the left continues to plough away at their sectarian furrows most of society will simply not take it seriously. The students we met did not want to be used as tools of a party apparatus- they were seriously questioning why the world is in such a mess and what can be done to radically transform it. Reheated versions of Labourism -which we have just endured ten years of– or unthinking ‘revolutionary’ militancy are not attractive options to the thinking youth. For meaningful unity, the left must start taking politics seriously- and our message of a radically democratic Marxism found a fair hearing among those students who could be bothered to interrogate the many left groups competing for their attention.

No half measures; the full Marxism every time

At King’s College, CS members organised a stall for the Hands Off the People of Iran campaign which was very successful, and over 50 people signed up. We hope to organise a meeting with an Iranian speaker at King’s shortly. After almost two weeks of fairs including the University of East London, Institute of Education, and Queen Mary’s, CS held a very successful stall at the SOAS fresher’s fair, our members leafleting and engaging in discussion outside the union and on a stall inside. Over 500 copies of the new Communist Student were handed out, with 25 people signing up. SOAS students were receptive and offered good debate and questions, with some expressing an interest in the Manchester day school, and becoming more involved in general. Our members also built for the series of ‘Introduction to Marxism’ meetings coming up in London. There were stalls for the SWP, AWL, Respect and Conservative Future inside (the last of which were offering gin and tonics for joining the society), and the Spartacists, Militant, and University of London Marxist Group outside. SOAS seemed to live up to its reputation as a political campus and Communist Students obviously has a good future there.

Dave McAllister

More photos:

These chaps wanted to know more about materialism. Fair enough.

Relaxing with a can of capitalism's finest beverage. Don't fall for the consumer power nonsense.

Intensely high levels of debate have caused this photo to blur