I imagine that my last post will bring nothing but tumbleweeds, which is fair enough. However, if I get any response at all... not that I'm an attention seeker, naw, not me guv'nor, naw... it will be something about how socialism will never work. Because of human nature, because it is full of wrongness and so on.

I suppose I might be expected to retort with YES IT WILL, DAMN YOU!

But the fact of the matter is, I have no idea whether it is possible or not. I have seen a lot of farces, a lot of false messiahs and a lot of failures. Not many successes yet. The detractors may be right. In many respects, being a socialist is like belonging to a secular religion. There is hope and there is also the thought that it might all be a lot of bollocks. I have always had both.

But to be honest, whether or not it is possible has never bothered me much. I regard the “ideal” if you will, as a reference framework, by which social and political developments are judged. Ehh, that's a wanky way of putting it but I just mean that if something happens that works and gives people more control over their lives (by my lights) then it is closer to socialism, which means it is good and obviously it works in reverse. Of course phrases like “control over people's lives” means something subtlety different to a capitalist. But I digress. Anything I have done as an activist – and I admit that ain't been much over the last few years – has been with that it mind, rather than “build the party!” or “tomorrow we build barricades!” Stuff the bloody barricades. The school needs to stay open, this group of workers want better pay. I.D. cards are a load of bollocks, etc.

I suppose by preempting a comment I am only hastening the tumbleweeds, but there you are. Thought I'd better get it out of the way now and save time later. ;)

I still have a lot to cover, so with any luck I will actually be arsed to cover it in future posts.