David Osler is a national, socialist treasure, and I stress the comma. There is a place for his thoughts on Left Futures if he ever cares to take up the offer. He writes good, witty copy, his analysis is always intelligent even if a touch cynical, and his judgement, especially considering the dodgier bits of his past, isn’t too far wrong.
Take, for example, this recent piece The general strike demand: time for a revival? In one short blog, he has a pop at the Torygraph, the SWP, WRP and Bob Crow (reasonably politely… sort of):
In the current climate, it is easy to see appeals for a general strike making a comeback. I’m sure that Bob is being 100% serious in raising the question, and would walk it like he talks it if he got the chance, so let me stress that I explicitly exclude him from the criticism that follows. But it has to be said that an abstract proclamation of the need for a general strike, in the knowledge that it ain’t going to happen, is an obvious way for any gobshite union official to position himself as a leftie. Or perhaps I am being too dismissive. Opinions, readers?
You want something for the weekend? You could do a lot worse than Dave.
