Clement Attlee'S Advocacy Of Democratic Socialism: A Reasonable Rhetoricof Revolution. - Page 103 |
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m a j o r i t y . He s p o k e as an e x p e r t on t h e a c t i v i t i e s o f L a b
o u r i n t h e p a s t t h i r t y y e a r s . Even h i s f i r s t w o rd s i n t h e
t e x t c l e a r l y a n d b r i e f l y r e v i e w e d h i s d u t i f u l s e r v i c e t o
t h e c a u s e o f d e m o c r a t i c s o c i a l i s m f o r m o s t o f h i s l i f e :
Some t h i r t y y e a r s a g o , when I was a y o u n g b a r r i s t e r
j u s t down fro m O x f o r d , I e n g a g e d i n v a r i o u s fo rm s o f
s o c i a l w o rk i n E a s t L o n d o n . The c o n d i t i o n o f t h e
p e o p l e i n t h a t a r e a as I saw them a t c l o s e q u a r t e r s l e d
me t o s t u d y t h e i r c a u s e s a n d t o r e c o n s i d e r t h e a ssu m p -
t i o n s o f t h e s o c i a l c l a s s t o w h i c h I b e l o n g e d . I b e came
an e n t h u s i a s t i c c o n v e r t t o S o c i a l i s m . I j o i n e d
t h e F a b i a n S o c i e t y an d t h e I n d e p e n d e n t L a b o u r P a r t y a n d
became a member o f my t r a d e u n i o n , t h e N a t i o n a l U n io n
o f C l e r k s . F o r many y e a r s 1 w o r k e d a s a r a n k a n d f i l e
member o f t h e m o v e m e n t, t a k i n g my s h a r e o f t h e w ork o f
b r a n c h a c t i v i t i e s a n d p r o p a g a n d a m e e t i n g s a t s t r e e t
c o r n e r s . . . .
A f t e r t h e w a r , as Mayor a n d A ld e rm a n o f a B orough
C o u n c i l a n d as a P o o r Law G u a r d i a n , I h a d a f u l l e x p
e r i e n c e o f m u n i c i p a l w o r k . I was t h e n e l e c t e d t o
P a r l i a m e n t . C i r c u m s t a n c e s h a v e c a l l e d me t o o c cu p y a
p o s i t i o n o f h i g h r e s p o n s i b i l i t y i n t h e movement.
T h r o u g h o u t t h e s e y e a r s I h a v e n e v e r w a v e r e d i n my f a i t h
i n t h e c a u s e o f S o c i a l i s m . . . .5
W ith t h i s i n t r o d u c t i o n , A t t l e e c o n c i s e l y s u m m a r i z e d h i s e n t
i r e b a c k g r o u n d i n d e m o c r a t i c s o c i a l i s m . H is p o l i t i c a l e x p
e r i e n c e was u n d e n i a b l e , a n d h e e s t a b l i s h e d i n h i s m o d e s t
way t h a t he a l o n e was t h e p r i m a r y l e a d e r o f L a b o u r a t t h i s
t i m e .
S e c o n d , A t t l e e ’ s r h e t o r i c a l p r o b l e m was f u r t h e r
c o m p l i c a t e d by t h e s p l i t i n t h e L a b o u r p a r t y on t h e i s s u e s
o f p a c i f i s m a n d r e a r m a m e n t . L a n s b u r y ' s e x t r e m e p a c i f i s m
c a u s e d h im t o r e s i g n f r o m t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f t h e P a r l i a m e n t
a r y L a b o u r p a r t y . A c t i v e l e a d e r s h i p o f l a w - a b i d i n g c o u n t
r i e s s u c h a s Germany, I t a l y , H o l l a n d , a n d B e lg iu m h a d
Object Description
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| Title | Clement Attlee'S Advocacy Of Democratic Socialism: A Reasonable Rhetoricof Revolution. - Page 103 |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 98 m a j o r i t y . He s p o k e as an e x p e r t on t h e a c t i v i t i e s o f L a b o u r i n t h e p a s t t h i r t y y e a r s . Even h i s f i r s t w o rd s i n t h e t e x t c l e a r l y a n d b r i e f l y r e v i e w e d h i s d u t i f u l s e r v i c e t o t h e c a u s e o f d e m o c r a t i c s o c i a l i s m f o r m o s t o f h i s l i f e : Some t h i r t y y e a r s a g o , when I was a y o u n g b a r r i s t e r j u s t down fro m O x f o r d , I e n g a g e d i n v a r i o u s fo rm s o f s o c i a l w o rk i n E a s t L o n d o n . The c o n d i t i o n o f t h e p e o p l e i n t h a t a r e a as I saw them a t c l o s e q u a r t e r s l e d me t o s t u d y t h e i r c a u s e s a n d t o r e c o n s i d e r t h e a ssu m p - t i o n s o f t h e s o c i a l c l a s s t o w h i c h I b e l o n g e d . I b e came an e n t h u s i a s t i c c o n v e r t t o S o c i a l i s m . I j o i n e d t h e F a b i a n S o c i e t y an d t h e I n d e p e n d e n t L a b o u r P a r t y a n d became a member o f my t r a d e u n i o n , t h e N a t i o n a l U n io n o f C l e r k s . F o r many y e a r s 1 w o r k e d a s a r a n k a n d f i l e member o f t h e m o v e m e n t, t a k i n g my s h a r e o f t h e w ork o f b r a n c h a c t i v i t i e s a n d p r o p a g a n d a m e e t i n g s a t s t r e e t c o r n e r s . . . . A f t e r t h e w a r , as Mayor a n d A ld e rm a n o f a B orough C o u n c i l a n d as a P o o r Law G u a r d i a n , I h a d a f u l l e x p e r i e n c e o f m u n i c i p a l w o r k . I was t h e n e l e c t e d t o P a r l i a m e n t . C i r c u m s t a n c e s h a v e c a l l e d me t o o c cu p y a p o s i t i o n o f h i g h r e s p o n s i b i l i t y i n t h e movement. T h r o u g h o u t t h e s e y e a r s I h a v e n e v e r w a v e r e d i n my f a i t h i n t h e c a u s e o f S o c i a l i s m . . . .5 W ith t h i s i n t r o d u c t i o n , A t t l e e c o n c i s e l y s u m m a r i z e d h i s e n t i r e b a c k g r o u n d i n d e m o c r a t i c s o c i a l i s m . H is p o l i t i c a l e x p e r i e n c e was u n d e n i a b l e , a n d h e e s t a b l i s h e d i n h i s m o d e s t way t h a t he a l o n e was t h e p r i m a r y l e a d e r o f L a b o u r a t t h i s t i m e . S e c o n d , A t t l e e ’ s r h e t o r i c a l p r o b l e m was f u r t h e r c o m p l i c a t e d by t h e s p l i t i n t h e L a b o u r p a r t y on t h e i s s u e s o f p a c i f i s m a n d r e a r m a m e n t . L a n s b u r y ' s e x t r e m e p a c i f i s m c a u s e d h im t o r e s i g n f r o m t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f t h e P a r l i a m e n t a r y L a b o u r p a r t y . A c t i v e l e a d e r s h i p o f l a w - a b i d i n g c o u n t r i e s s u c h a s Germany, I t a l y , H o l l a n d , a n d B e lg iu m h a d |
