Walking past Marks & Spencer’s yesterday, I noticed a big new campaign in their front window. It featured Joanna Lumley modelling a t-shirt on which it said ‘We Can’t Afford Not to Shwop!’. Check out more here.

A poster next to her told me that ‘Shwopping’ entailed bringing in items of your old clothing into the store and giving them into M&S whenever you bought a new item of clothing there. M&S will take that item and give it to Oxfam to sell in their shops or clothe poor people in poor countries.

Sounds great, right? I’m not so sure. Here’s what I reckon is going on.

The issue about the limits and problems of ethical consumption have been well made elsewhere, as have the fundamental issues about charity. Check out Slavoj Zizek on this here in this amazing animated video as a starting point. Basically, he’s saying that it’s a way to purge your guilt and to avoid criticism of the system itself i.e. what we should be striving for is a world where the concept and reality of charity could hardly be imagined and that that can only be achieved through systemic revolution not reform.

All that aside, it is, of course, interesting to see M&S fully embracing this ‘Plan A’ ethical consumption stuff and I won’t dismiss it all out of hand. The observation I wanted to make was this…

Is it a coincidence that ‘shwopping’ sounds a lot like ‘swishing’? I think it’s not. I think that M&S are consciously trying to attract the kind of women who go swishing and, furthermore, I think they are very concerned about the growing swishing trend.

For those of you who are now asking yourself ‘what the hell is swishing?!’, see here. Basically, swishing is where a bunch of women get together for a fun, sociable evening and they all bring items of clothes they no longer wear. The women swap clothes so they come away with new clothes at no cost; they’ve managed to pass on unwanted stuff to women who will use it; and they’ve had a fun, enjoyable evening with friends.

I may be naive but swishing is great because it’s a) sociable, bringing people together,  b) anti-consumerist/anti-capitalist, and c) environmentally beneficial. It’s about saving money and avoiding unnecessary, wasteful, excessive, unsustainable consumption. The anti-consumption thing is great for our society and environment, but, however progressive it may be, it’s not good for a profit-making firm like M&S.

I think ‘shwopping’ might be a kind of example of what Gramsci called ‘trasformismo’ (transformation) – crudely put, the process by which progressive ideas and practices are taken in by the system and then regurgitated in a form that strips them of their previous progressive qualities, consequently emasculating them and making them safe for the continued dominance of the current social order.

M&S recognises the danger of the growing popularity of swishing and also the increasing ethical awareness of many of its customers. ‘Shwopping’ constitutes its very shrewd response to these two trends.

Just a thought…

We’re so delighted to say that Positive Politics is back online and in your ears!

Joel started the site and recorded the first two podcasts back in the summer of 2011, but soon found the demand of regularly putting out high quality posts and podcasts too much.

The project has been on ice since October 2011…until now!

Joel has been joined by like-minded comrade Neil Howard.

We’ll be back blogging and, most crucially, we’re returning to the podcasts in a serious way with a series of 12 over the next 6 months.

It’s the same blend of politics and music but now with conversation and interviews with a wide range of people on a wide range of important issues.

Subscribe to the podcast to automatically receive subsequent episodes here

Or listen to the first episode on austerity and austerilisation right here…

Check out ‘Game Over?’ – a new poem by Joel here

This is why the Occupy movements are so important. Their message is honest and clear. It resonates with many sections of society. Yet, beyond the message, equally importantly, the Occupiers are the embodiment of a very different set of ideas and values. ‘Be the change you want to see’ might be their motto. The Occupiers are consciously trying to build the kind of society they wish to see.

The mainstream media first tried to ignore them and has tried to discredit them. Yet, whenever they interview individuals participating in or spokespeople for the Occupy movements they reluctantly give a platform to articulate and informed, passionate yet sober, likeable and peaceful men and women. Whenever the police brutally attack another peaceful Occupation or protest they help to delegitimize the ideas and values of the hegemonic ruling class and strike a blow for the revolutionary counter-hegemonic movement.

Most people participating in the Occupy movements seek radical change by peaceful means. Most have some kind of broadly socialist, post-capitalist vision for society. Yet, there are also many protesters who are inspired and informed by a very different group of people with a very different message and a very different vision for society. I refer to a group we can call the ‘conspiracy theorists’. The influence of people like David Icke and Alex Jones is palpable. Their influence is most probably far greater in the United States.

Reaching out to this group of protesters will be crucial in this war of position. The conspiracy theorists, like the Tea Party, articulate an aggressive anti-government, ultra-libertarian ideology. According to them, it’s not capitalism that is bad. It’s government. Governments around the world, along with international organisations like the United Nations and World Bank, are, they believe, in the clutches of a secret society called the ‘Illuminati’ or a group of elite families, such as the Rockefellers and Rothschilds, intent on building a ‘new world order’.

The conspiracy theorists are ultra-libertarian in the sense that they believe that central government is the mechanism for mass enslavement and that only the end of government – both national and international – can liberate each individual. Thus, their vision for society is anarchic, i.e. for a stateless society where individuals are left to fend for themselves and pursue their own vision of the good life. Yet, in stark contrasts to Anarchists, private not communally owned property is the cornerstone for their ideal society.

Thus, the right-wing conspiracy theorists’ ideology stands in direct opposition to the anti-capitalist Socialist/Marxist/Anarchist visions. Theirs is a vision built on a deeply cynical view of human nature. Ours is based on a deep love for and belief in humankind. Their misanthropy leads to a selfish, privatised, atomised view of society. Our love of humanity leads to communitarian visions of society based on egalitarian principles, self-sacrifice, and co-operation. Their ideology offers little guidance for action. How can you argue for communal organisation when you have such little faith in your fellow man? We say that our emancipation, our very survival can be only achieved by uniting and working together. They advocate a world in which profit is still the priority. We advocate a world in which all people, and all creatures with which we co-exist, take priority. Theirs is a vision based on borders, closed ones at that. Ours is for a world without borders, without nations. In sum, theirs is a deeply conservative, reactionary ideology. Ours is progressive and truly radical.

There is nothing intrinsically toxic or evil about the institution of government. The state is just an instrument of the hegemonic class. It can build a social welfare system or dismantle it. It can attack ethnic, religious or sexual minorities or it can protect them. It can prosecute imperial wars or it can decolonise. What matters is who controls it and how.

Young people are disillusioned and angry. They demand change. Yet the conspiracy theorists and Tea Partiers offer neither a coherent theoretical framework to understand the world, nor a progressive agenda for change. Our message to those attracted by the conspiracy theorists must be clear: The 1% may conspire to maintain and expand their wealth and power, they may use the media, educational and cultural institutions to make us believe in their ideas and values. But the economic power that keeps them on top derives from the exploitative nature of capitalist social relations. Class is the essential factor in any analysis.

At first glance, we all seem to recognise a common enemy. But I am not sure that we even have that in common with the conspiracy theorists. The anti-statist, laissez faire views of the conspiracy theorists serve the interests of the ruling class well. Our only hope of success is to reject the siren call of the conspiracy theorists and come together in unity to struggle against and dismantle the capitalist system – the real cause of human misery and environmental destruction worldwide.

Reverend Giles Fraser, who stepped down as the Canon of St Paul’s over the affair, describes the fight as one between Christianity – the religion of the first few centuries after Christ – and ‘Christendom’ – the religion that served first the Roman Empire and, subsequently, Western European states and empires ever since.

His is a stark dichotomy: anti-imperialism versus imperialism; meaning versus ritual; justice versus order; the people versus the powerful. In times like these, in a situation of grotesque injustice like this, there is no doubt in Fraser’s mind on which side of the line Jesus Christ himself would stand: with the people, with ‘the 99%’. Yet, by their determination to malign and, ultimately, expel the Occupy movement, the leaders of St Paul’s are demonstrating quite clearly that they stand on the other side, with the 1%. Fraser seems right to argue that ‘Christendom has held Christianity captive for several centuries’. The Church serves power rather than speaking truth to it.

Consider, by way of an example, the St Paul’s Foundation – a fundraising charity serving the Cathedral. Its Board of Trustees are filled with the great and good of the City of London. Its ‘supporters’ read like a who’s who of financial institutions. The Foundation facilitates ‘dinners in the crypt’ and ‘private recitals underneath the dome’ in the Cathedral for its ‘Corporate Partners’. ‘Money talks’, ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch’, and ‘he who pays the piper calls the tune’: three sayings that spring to mind. They all capture the reality of the situation: the Cathedral has been bought.

In an interview two years ago with the Sunday Times, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein infamously declared that bankers were ‘doing God’s work’ . Turns out he was wrong: God is doing theirs!

Anyway, I had a go and this short film is the product…

Big thanks to MultiMelissa5 for the film, to Jack Hartcup for the solidarity, and to Stig for the artistic inspiration

Peace

Joel

It’s on multiculturalism and fascism and features some great music alongside my own brand of political commentary.

You will be able to download the podcast from ITunes in the next few days. If you have subscribed to it already, you should receive it automatically.

Not surprising that the government is trying to put off any serious banking reform and is floating the idea of scraping the 50% tax rate.

By the way, if 50% of income is deducted in tax for anyone earning over £150k, how can the tax rate be ineffective in terms of generating revenue unless tax evasion is occurring on a massive scale?!

Based on recent data, that would lead to an average of 25 extra deaths on our motorways each year. There’s also the undeniable fact that the faster you drive the more CO2 you burn. But in this crazy capitalist system we live in, economic growth comes before even human lives and the environment.

The ruling capitalist class is in turmoil and is looking for ways to make us work harder and longer. This is the rationale behind the scheme. It reveals much about the priorities of this government.

Finally, ever since I pledged to Low Carbon West Oxford to stick to 70 in order to minimise my carbon emissions, I have to say that I’m so much more relaxed behind the wheel. I used to try and get everywhere as quickly as possible. Now I just relax and drive sure but steady. That said, however, driving sucks. All driving creates congestion, pollution, stress and misery, and injury and death. The only thing worse than driving is driving fast! I’d rather be on my bike or in a coach or train any day!

You can download the Big Rip Off Day logo here. There are loads of sizes and formats. Just download the zip folder…

Big Rip Off logos

Open them up, print them out and spread the word. Stick the web buttons on your site, print them out and stick them all about town.

You can also download the flyer too…

Big Rip Off flyer (front)

Big Rip Off flyer (back)

Thanks

Joel