This evening I got into an argument with some anarcho-syndicalists ,as you do.

[mongers]

This evening I got into an argument with some anarcho-syndicalists ,as you do. 

It was an 'interesting' discussion, but not sure it was worth the 30 mile evening roundtrip. 

Long story short, it was at some solidarity group meeting which protests at the NHS cuts, workfare and disability cuts. Turns out the chairman and two or three others are anarcho-syndicalists, so at the end of the meeting we have discussion about tactics, and I propose that we look into local and parliamentary elections.
This turns out to be a bit of a red, or at least red and black flag, to a bull and what we get is 'their version' of history.

I won't bore you with the details, but I was fascinated to find another group with such an ossified, internally complex, version of what has happened, why stuff they wanted didn't happen and why it will all happen eventually anyway.  History to them seems to be some elaborate construct that proves their position today, rather than say something uncertain and up for debate, analysis or discussion. 

As you can guess, I got dismissed out of hand, though half of the meeting, the less idealogical ones could see some merit in it.

What they reminded me a bit of were some of the occupy protesters, certain in their own version of how the world works, but having not interest in testing out their hypothesis, like say standing in elections.

The Spanish civil war came up a couple of times, but I didn't feel qualified to make much of a case, saving to say the anarcho-syndicalists where quite as keen as anyone else to commit political violence if the opportunity came up.

So my question is have you encountered any similarly blinkered groups ?

[Sheilbh]

Trots are pretty bad for this too.

Edit:  Having said that almost everyone I've met who is seriously involved in something political - whether a party or a protest movement - tends to be pretty odd.

[crazy canuck]

Splinter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7VaZE

[Darth Wagtaros]

College students. Doesn't matter what the topic is.

[Ed Anger]

College students. Doesn't matter what the topic is.

I once got told by some Antioch college students that I'd be first against the wall when the revolution comes. Srsly.

[mongers]

Trots are pretty bad for this too.

Edit:  Having said that almost everyone I've met who is seriously involved in something political - whether a party or a protest movement - tends to be pretty odd.

But that's a tendency not a blanket statement isn't it Shelf ?

Because these guys came up with a few 'interesting' viewpoints, like that the 'post-war settlement 'in this country wasn't much cop, their activists had already come up with it and the politicians then were just a corrupt as they are now/always have been. 

Which is kinda an odd thing to say at a meeting principle aimed at protesting NHS privatisation and so I'd guess by implication that it had been a rather useful national institution. That didn't go down well.
I also took them to task over the idea that the post war labour government was a sell out, filled with the usual corrupt elite politicians. iirc didn't some of the wartime and post-war cabinet ministers in essence work themselves into an early grave ? 

[mongers]

Splinter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7VaZE

Oh, yes the British far left have always broken apart like a terry's chocolate orange with only the slightest of prompting; I think it's because it's easier to make enemies of people you know and so can more easily deliberately mis-caracterise their beliefs. 

[crazy canuck]

Splinter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7VaZE

Oh, yes the British far left have always broken apart like a terry's chocolate orange with on the slightest of prompting; I think it's because it's easier to make enemies of people you know and so can more easily deliberately mis-caracterise their beliefs.

Its a knock against the left everywhere in the West.  I had a NDP policy sci prof who said the left are like a protestants - whenever they disagree, which is often, they go off and start a new church/movement.

[mongers]

Splinter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7VaZE

Oh, yes the British far left have always broken apart like a terry's chocolate orange with on the slightest of prompting; I think it's because it's easier to make enemies of people you know and so can more easily deliberately mis-caracterise their beliefs.

Its a knock against the left everywhere in the West.  I had a NDP policy sci prof who said the left are like a protestants - whenever they disagree, which is often, they go off and start a new church/movement.

Well the tradition british left is hilarious, there are like two British Socialist Parties that regularly appear at Hyde Park, and as far as I can tell most of the historic, circa 1910 dispute, seems to rest on how the party name should be capitalised.   
Well I might slightly over emphasis the case but, iirc neither group has ever had more than 200 members in total, and are now down to probably a half-dozen to 2 or 3 dozen members each. But the original dispute is still very real and ongoing.

[crazy canuck]

 

That is funny.  So basically Monty Python just had to go down to Hyde Park and make notes for their next sketch.

[Eddie Teach]

College students. Doesn't matter what the topic is.

I once got told by some Antioch college students that I'd be first against the wall when the revolution comes. Srsly.

Do you think they're wrong, Mr. Vineyard and French villa owner? 

[Barrister]

Splinter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7VaZE

Oh, yes the British far left have always broken apart like a terry's chocolate orange with on the slightest of prompting; I think it's because it's easier to make enemies of people you know and so can more easily deliberately mis-caracterise their beliefs.

Its a knock against the left everywhere in the West.  I had a NDP policy sci prof who said the left are like a protestants - whenever they disagree, which is often, they go off and start a new church/movement.

You see the same alphabet soup  of political parties on the right-wing fringe. 

[crazy canuck]

Splinter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7VaZE

Oh, yes the British far left have always broken apart like a terry's chocolate orange with on the slightest of prompting; I think it's because it's easier to make enemies of people you know and so can more easily deliberately mis-caracterise their beliefs.

Its a knock against the left everywhere in the West.  I had a NDP policy sci prof who said the left are like a protestants - whenever they disagree, which is often, they go off and start a new church/movement.

You see the same alphabet soup  of political parties on the right-wing fringe.

Do you have some examples?

[Richard Hakluyt]

They are not aiming for actual government so split as soon as they hit an area of disagreement.

[Barrister]

Splinter!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7VaZE

Oh, yes the British far left have always broken apart like a terry's chocolate orange with on the slightest of prompting; I think it's because it's easier to make enemies of people you know and so can more easily deliberately mis-caracterise their beliefs.

Its a knock against the left everywhere in the West.  I had a NDP policy sci prof who said the left are like a protestants - whenever they disagree, which is often, they go off and start a new church/movement.

You see the same alphabet soup  of political parties on the right-wing fringe.

Do you have some examples?

WCC, CHP, COR, WIP, WBP, SPA, WIPS, SoCred, of course the whole Conservative / Progressive Conservative / Reform / Alliance / Conservative party, Alberta Independence, Alberta Alliance,