ordinary decent communists

It's always worth remembering that opposition to the CPC doesn't pit you against a regime or an ideology but against conventional wisdom, the power of the way things are, ordinarily ambitous people with workaday parochial goals in life and, indeed, the notion of aspiration itself. Whatever your politics, it makes you a kind of existential extremist. What, you don't think people should get on in life? Are you some kind of communist or something? Notice that the chap who takes the whole ideology thing seriously is on the verge of losing his job.

This probably an indication that I should go away and lie down for a while but I sometimes try and transpose CPC membership on to life in the UK. Would everyone in parliament be a CPC member or go off and do something else: no brainer. What is David Cameron if not leader of a Princeling faction? Sir Alan Sugar? Not only a CPC member but a proud ornament of the National People's Congress. The contestants on Dragon's Den? Party members one and all. James Delingpole? Party member. Polly Toynbee? Party member. 

Doing what I do, I wouldn't have to join the CPC if I was doing it in China, which is lucky because it seems to contain 83 million people who I would have hated at school. Doing what she does, Mrs Treasure would, I think. I told her this and she just muttered something about more bullshit bingo.

Comments

[john b]

That's a really good call. It's not the same as "conventional wisdom" in the UK, but it has some traits in common.

(this venue is probably the establishment least blessed with "conventional wisdom" out of all of the ones that I frequent)

[ajay]

Good lord, it sounds like the Oxford Union.

[Chris Williams]

Taking a non-ironic view of the title, I note sadly that Eric Hobsbawm has died. I somehow thought that he would go on for ever.

[Barry Freed]

Oh no. RIP.

[apply now]

this image is certainly the most effective. quick mini credit