Anti-Parliamentarism and Communism in Britain, 1917-1921
R. F. Jones
Authors Introduction - October 1991
This short work was written in 1984 as an article for the
journal 'Black Star'. 'Black Star' expired before the
article appeared and it eventually appeared in print in 1989
in the Grand Rapids based 'Discussion Bulletin' and later in
a slightly revised form in 'The Raven' (No. 11, 1990).
The pamphlet attempts to show how an evolving British
Communist movement was taken over by the Communist Party of
Great Britain (CPGB) and turned into something quite alien.
At the moment when the Communist Parties, and the
authoritarian communism they represent are collapsing
everywhere it is perhaps appropriate that this work should
reappear. While commentators are glibly enthusing over the
end of "communism" and "socialism" it is important to
remember that there was an earlier and very different
communist tradition in Britain. Understanding the process by
which it ws marginalised and in a large part obliterated may
help us to understand what went wrong. It might also help to
undermine the assumption that 'libertarian' and 'communist'
or 'socialist' are mutually contradictory terms.
R.W.Jones
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