AN INDEPENDENT SOCIALIST SCOTLAND? Some Problems of ‘Socialism in One Country’.

Brian Pollitt 

From the time of the Russian Revolution of 1917, it has been recognised that acute problems attend the construction of socialism in conditions of ideological isolation. Before 1924, Lenin, Trotsky and all other Soviet leaders believed that the crucial importance of foreign trade and investment for Soviet development implied the assistance of other socialist countries. When it was clear that Soviet development would have to take place in conditions of the USSR’s international isolation, Stalin advocated the necessity of creating “socialism in one country”. This meant that the primary souces of investment and consumption had to be generated within Soviet Russia itself. The forced collectivisation of agriculture was carried out primarily to break the power of the peasantry while extracting grain surpluses for national consumption and to finance vital imports of foreign capital and technology.

Scottish leftists commonly advocate the creation of an independent socialist republic that is unaccompanied by any serious analysis of what in the Soviet case were termed “the costs of revolution”. If there are no powerful socialist allies with which favourable conditions for trade and investment can be established, what alternative methods are proposed for the generation of vital consumption and investment goods? What sources of international credits are envisaged to finance major new economic projects? If the mechanisms governing the functioning of contemporary capitalism are to be nullified with the implementation of socialist measures of nationalisation and income redistribution, what alternative mechanisms are to govern the “transition” from capitalism to socialism in Scotland? Or is it simply envisaged that Scotland’s existing sources of demand and supply for goods and services will continue to operate notwithstanding any assaults that may be made on national and foreign capitalist enterprises operating within the country?

These are hard questions and neglecting to consider the economic consequences of converting a capitalist into a socialist economy implies a failure to consider the deep crises that can attend an inconsequential project to destroy one socio-economic system in order to replace it by another.

Do we have any discussants? Or is a programme calling for “a socialist Scotland” to be regarded as no more than a rhetorical slogan?

All we Are Saying…

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On this episode, introduced by Neil Scott,  we’ll have the late, great Ron Mackay talking utterly opposing war, Simone Charlesworth discussing fox hunting, Steve McAuliffe’s Spin Cycle, an election night broadcast, Em Dehaney performing Richard Wall’s poem Strong and Stable and Fuad Alakbarov will be speaking about the NHS.

We’ll also have Red Raiph, reminding us to Get the Tories Oot, Teresa Durran will be talking about Making a Difference, and Chuck Hamilton will be telling us The Meaning of Life, Part 2.

With music from Woodie Guthrie, Roy Møller, Kes’s Conscience, Atilla The Stockbroker, The Dolls, Thee Faction, Gladiators Are You Ready, and John Lennon.

Fight The Power!

 

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On this episode of Ungagged, presented by Neil Scott, we’ll hear from Chuck Hamilton, on how we sold our revolution for a pair of trainers, Em Dehaney, talking about how she has never been to America, but America is in her, George Collins, and Eileen Eddy of Radio KRFP talking about cultural and political imperialism.

Red Raiph asks just what exactly happened to that Big Onion,  Debra Torrance casts her mind back to the 80s and finds that we’ve not come along very far. Simone Charlesworth makes her debut on Ungagged, jumping in at the deep end with a brief history of Sarin, and Steve McAuliffe presents his poem America First.

In this episode of Ungagged we are joined by guest speaker Priya, who volunteers at Umbrella Lane in  to tell us about the current laws in the UK regarding sex work, and why she thinks the Nordic model is dangerous.

With Music from XSLF, The Babel Fish Project, Argonaut, Joe Solo, Bratakus, Dolls, IDestroy, Bugeye, and Lilith Ai.

 

(Produced by Victoria Pearson, edited by Neil Scott and Neil Anderson)

 

From No to Yes

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The Ungagged team give their view on the Scottish Referendum, Brexit, George Galloway, the Unite elections and much, much more!

If you enjoy Ungagged – please help us meet costs by donating the price of a cuppa via Paypal HERE

On this episode, hosted by Neil Scott, we’ll have Christopher Graham, Nick Durie, Eric Joyce, Derek Stewart Macpherson, Debra Torrance, Victoria Pearson*, Ruth McAteer, Teresa Durran, Chuck Hamilton, George Collins, Paul Sheridan, Red Raiph and poetry from Steve McAuliffe, with an Independence Live chat between Eric Joyce and Steven Purcell 

With music from The Wakes, Girobabies, Stuart McFarlane, Kes’ Conscience, Babel Fish Project, Roy Møller, Sharon Martin, Dream Nails,  James king & The Lonewolves, Husky Tones, Argonaut, Victoria Långstrump, Joe Solo.

 

* CORRECTION: In her piece “Don’t Be A Twitter Lemming, Think For Yourself”, Victoria states that Iain Allinson currently earns £27k per annum. The correct figure is in fact approx £36k. V would like to apologise for the mistake, and thank Mr Allinson for pointing it out and clarifying the figure.