Can we ever have a true Socialist government by people like Joe Higgin's working within the political establishment, or will they just open up themselves to ridicule and opprobrium. Would they progress better, be more relevant, by creating revolutionary working class organisations to fight their cause; maybe through revolution or other means. Is Joe Higgin's being a true Socialist by integrating himself in an institution that, to be honest, is far from being socialist.

Can he and his ilk make a difference for the cause of Socialism!

Should be able to do both: so long as people are taking part in elections, fight them, but at the same time have a perspective for a change of system that is broader than parliamentary elections.

What change of system would you envisage that could serve the people better and be more accountable? Parlimentary elections seems to rampant with flaws.

As Higgins and his comrades are failing to establish revolutionary institutions outside of LH, and are thus failing to establish a Duel Power, they are doomed to failure. The best they can hope for is some reforms in the bourgeois system.

__________________
If voting could change anything - it would be banned.

"The transition from Capitalism to Communism is certainly bound to yield a tremendous abundance and variety of political forms, but the essence will inevitably be the same: the Dictatorship of the Proletariat." V.I. Lenin. The State and Revolution.

So the government isnt valid unless you guys are in charge?

I think I'm starting to concur with you! To change such a monolith of our current establishment from within seems futile. Personally, I think it only weakens Socialism's progress. All they are doing is keeping their enemies closer, if you know what I mean. Socialism can only flourish from fighting from the outside, even if it's through revolution!

Whether this happens in my life, remains to be seen.

Representional "democracy" is set up to keep power in the hands of the bourgeois and to keep the people excluded. To imagine that you could overthrow the bourgeoisie on a playing field that they have designed is naive in the extreme.

__________________
If voting could change anything - it would be banned.

"The transition from Capitalism to Communism is certainly bound to yield a tremendous abundance and variety of political forms, but the essence will inevitably be the same: the Dictatorship of the Proletariat." V.I. Lenin. The State and Revolution.

This is what Albert Einstein had to say on the subject of bourgeois "democracy"

Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights.


Why Socialism? Albert Einstein - Monthly Review

__________________
If voting could change anything - it would be banned.

"The transition from Capitalism to Communism is certainly bound to yield a tremendous abundance and variety of political forms, but the essence will inevitably be the same: the Dictatorship of the Proletariat." V.I. Lenin. The State and Revolution.

And how do you go about leveling such an uphill playing field - if that's possible?

You get a new field - one designed by the Proletariat.

__________________
If voting could change anything - it would be banned.

"The transition from Capitalism to Communism is certainly bound to yield a tremendous abundance and variety of political forms, but the essence will inevitably be the same: the Dictatorship of the Proletariat." V.I. Lenin. The State and Revolution.