Happy New Year or the Long 2023?
Historians are familiar with the concept of long and indeed short centuries.
The categories of the long eighteenth and the long nineteenth century are familiar. Eric Hobsbawm argued that the twentieth century, one of wars and revolutions, really started with the First World War in 1914 and closed with the fall of the USSR in 1989. By contrast I recently posted a piece outing the case for a long twentieth century with the various crisis associated with it around war and the economy still very much with us.
In this context I think its possible to argue that while calendar wise we are clearly in 2024 the various crisis of 2023 hang like a nightmare on the brain of the living (Marx).
Domestically a General Election is both long overdue but apparently not going to be called yet. As Gramsci noted it’s the time of monsters.
There should have been a ceasefire and an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza before Christmas. Instead Biden with UK support continues to green light it.
The climate crisis will not be resolved any time soon, although action on it remains urgent. Urgent that is except for the current Government which is back peddling on measures to address the crisis and the likely next Government which has a good plan but cant it seems decide how long it might take.
How to deal with the long 2023? Clearly while a change at Westminster is needed the real motor for moving into 2024 needs to come from below, organising in workplaces and colleges and on the streets.
Leave a Reply