The Rose and Fist

The rose and fist as a symbol of progress:

In the classic rose and fist representation, red symbolizes the blood spilt by workers the world over in the fight for their emancipation and was directly inherited from the red banner flown at the Paris Commune, the original and hitherto base symbol of the workers' cause. After the 1886 Haymarket Massacre, socialists and trade unionists began wearing red roses or carnations on their lapels to show solidarity with the eight labour leaders who had been convicted of inciting to riot. Four of them were hanged. After this, a red rose was often worn during May Day marches and other socialist events. After World War II the red rose became widely adopted as a symbol of socialism. (adapted from thesocialistring.com).

The rose and the fist is used as a symbol of many Socialist and Social Democratic parties in Europe, including for instance the Socialist Party of France and the Rose in the Fist Party (Rosa nel Pugno) of Italy. In the UK the Socialist Party also uses the rose as a symbol.

Personally, and I think many of my comrades would agree, I preffer the scarlet banner. However, since I also like gardening the fist and rose could have a dual meaning.

Also of interest (to American readers) - the Fist And Rose Tendency of the SPUSA has a blog - check it out: http://fistandrose.blogspot.com/

Well Attired Socialists Unite!

Secular Human over at "A Socialist World is Possible!" states the following:

"Marxism means not only keeping pace with the changes in reality and keeping in step with the people but also being and thinking ahead of the people. So we do not need the benign blessing of the media, or anyone else for that matter, to enter the 21st century and that too adorned in the fashionable attires chosen by congenital anti-communists."

Fashionable self-assured Socialists marching towards a better tomorrow - what could be better!? I shamelessly admit that I myself am something of a slave to fashion, or as Alphonse might say, a dandy. It is also entirely possible that I just misunderstood the last line of the above, but no matter, I shall detourn and use the text for my own enjoyable ends.

The entire post is here: A Spectre - IV