Amidst the po-faced political discussions that abounded after the extraordinaire events of Dublin's Mayday 2004 where the city saw an unprecedeented mobilisation from the anti-authoritarian left, there was a series of discussions on Indymedia around the now expected characteristic sectarianism of the SWP in showing up and condemning the "Thatchers childern" who marched on Farmleigh at a Reclaim the Streets these same childern had organised. A series of emails sent around by some bloke called Landy encapsualted this real myopic Monty Python-esque tendency of some on the left by projecting contempory events back into the diaries of certain embittered Karl Marx. Here's an example of one such piece that deliberately echoes the left unity appeals of the SWP during the anti-capitalist wave post Seattle that disguised so much venom towards what it ill-concievably described as the "autonomists" within in the movement;

Karl Marx, the self-styled "leading theorist of the Anti-Capitalist movement", issued a call today from his London home for unity among his followers. Amidst fears that extremist Parisians bolstered by foreign agitators will march on Versailles and provoke a coup next Saturday, Mr Marx has urged peaceful protests.

"We haff seen", commented the heavily-accented and bearded Jewish foreigner, "the tragic consequences when lightly armed protestors try to confront the armed might of the state. Paris 1848 has shown us the futility of small bands of men, unlinked to the general working class, who use violence to make their voice heard."

These comments were made in the run-up to the controversial Franco-German Summit at Versailles. The summit has angered many sections of the French populace, who see certain provisions of the proposed treaty as infringing on their country?s sovereignty.

"Now is a golden time to build on this popular anger." Mr Marx declared. "Our politicians have betrayed us! Jail the corrupt politicians! We must communicate this anger in an imaginative well-policed fashion, rather than meaninglessly provoking the State to violence."

The rest of Dave Landy's alternative Marx can be read here..

The image to the left is of course from Theory.org.uk's excellent series of philosopher trading cards.

Labels: Internet, Politics