Socialist Challenge No. 122, No v, 1979

Socialist Challenge · 15 November 1979 (dated from the file name) · 16 pages, 22,560 words read by machine

The Marxists Internet Archive lists this as “No. 122, No.v 15, 1979”.

The scan: sc-n122-nov-15-1979.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)

Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.

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Page 1 scan of this page

Socialist Challenge

INSIDE: THE SPLIT IN THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL-7,8, 9&10/PETER HAIN: MY KIND OF LABOUR PARTY-6 CHRISTOPHER PRICE. THE NEW OFFICIAL SECRECY BILL-12/LAMBETH FIGHTS THE CUTS-5

House constitutional conference,

Zimbabwe for a 'transitional period

It has also

leadership tactlessness nevertheless agreed government's parliamentary timetable.

racist

TROOPS

OUT OF

WHATEVER the outcome of the Lancaster Tory government plans to send British troops to

decided to lift economic

was unhappy at the of such a decision, but has not to disrupt the

Stop Tory

plan for

settlement

KEEP BRITISH

ZIMBABWE

Front is involved, agreement will include:

, civil service;

*40 per representation;

land and property.

security forces.

the Patriotic Front

racist settlement.

Sanctions must settlement acceptable Zimbabwe. movement sanctions.

capital. Two thousand people

another Ireland.

No 122 15 November 1979 20p

Both moves are an attempt to force the nationalists of the Patriotic Front into an unacceptable settlement. At the time of writing it is unclear whether the Front will fall in with British plans. But that is now of secondary importance, since, whether or not the Patriotic

the Lancaster House

*retention of the bulk of the white security forces and the existing police, judiciary and

cent white parliamentary

*a guarantee against expropriation of white

These provisions run directly counter to the interests of the people of Zimbabwe - who of course will not be consulted about them. Instead a British Governor will be sent to impose this solution as titular head of the existing

According to plans leaked over the weekend he is to be accompanied by a Commonwealth force in which the largest contingent will be British. This means that the British army could quickly become involved in an open war against

For at least those substantial sections of it who will not accept a

stay until there is to the people Zimbabwe Emergency Campaign Committee has already produced a statement of intent pledging direct action to imposesanctions in the event of a parliamentary decision to lift them. This must be given the

among trade unionists to ensure the immediate imposition of labour

No British troops in Zimbabwe. They will be going with one aim only: to impose an undemocratic settlement which favours British

marched in London last Sunday to demand 'Hands Off Zimbabwe'. That has to be transformed into a

nationwide campaign agianst SIDE presence of Commonwealth troops and the British Governor. Zimbabwe must not become

Page 2 scan of this page

OUR POLICIES

C'apitalism is in crisis. The leaders ofthe Labour Party and the trade unions offer solutions that are in the interests not of lhe workers but of the capitalist class.

Socialist Challenge believes that the two vital tasks confronting revolutionary socialists are:

• To huild broad-based sluggie renucucito m opposinon to class-conaporanonism in inc labour movement. These should

grouping together militants holding a wide range of political views.

• To begin to fight for the creation unified democratic revolutionary socialist organisation which can, through

application united laches. begin lo ne seen as an alternative by thousands workers engaged in struggles.

Such an organisation should be hased on the understanding that: • Seeks to unite the fight on The struggle for socialism

I workers against the bosses with that of other oppressed layers ni' society — women, black people. gays struggling for iberation. This socialism can only he achieved by creating new organs of power and defeating necessary means the power of the

Our socialism will more democratic I than what exists in Britain today. with full rights for political parties and currents that do not take up arms against the socialist state, The Stalinist models of 'socialism' in the CSSR and Eastern Europe have discredited socialism in the eyes of millions of workers throughout the We are opposed to them and will otter fuil support fighting for socialist democracy.

3 на ол на зін. The interests of workers and

on a world scale. Capitalism has not only created market, has created politics. Thus we fight for working class unity international

This unity will in the long Salt run be decisive in defeating both the imperialist regimes in the West and the brutal dictatorships they sustain in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

In Britain it implies demanding the immediate withdrawal British troops from letting the irish people determine

The Communist parties in Europe are in crisis. Neither the 'Eurocommunist' the wings have any meaningful stralegs for overthron of the capitalist state. Ven revolutionary socialist parties are necessary than

Conditions today more farourable than over the preceding three decades. But such parties Call only be built rejecting sectarianism and seeing internal democracy not as a luxury but as a vital necessit!. This means the right to organise factions and

If you agree with these principles and activities by Socialist Challenge supporters in your area, fill in the form below and send it to us.

am interested information about activities in my illa • I would lihe additional literature and enclose 50p io corer costs. (Delete if not applicable)

Address.

Socialist Challenge 15 November 1979 Page 2

decide

IT SEEMS has been set class National Abortion

Creater.

Jean Saint,

and

front

of their be

all

world.

all those

world Ireland and

the

Never are more

EDITORIAL

Let women

likely that the Select Committee that discuss John anti-abortion Bill may make the time limit 24 weeks ralaci Wan eo weeks as briguany proposca. 10e

Campaign is writing to pro-choice MPs who are members of the Select Committee urging them to oppose strongly reductions in the present time limit of 28 weeks.

of the NAC steering a membe committee, told Socialist Challenge why:

'Any reduction in the time limit can only cause suffering to the tiny proportion of women (often young women who are too frightened to deal with the problem quickly) who seek abortion at a late stage. NAC feels that, l4 any situation where a woman is seeking an abortion, the responsibility and therefore the choice should lie with the woman herself. Any restriction on the time limit is a further attack on women's already limited rights.'

Dr Gerard Vaughan, the Minister of State at the Department of Health and member of the Select

and a told

strong

odds.

press.

worth

butchers.

When will this male realise that women are not stupid. terminate pregnancy light-heartedly.

Corrie's And no law on earth

modern day Spain

the any NAC Public Meeting:

7pm.

principles

CELIA PUGH, in the Brent branch of the International Marxist Group

Central Committee member Socialist Challenge how week's paper went down on the 5,000

anti-cuts demonstration Lambeth last Wednesday.

Our 1,000 sales target gave us the added incentive we needed Socialist Challenge despite all the

The demonstration began torrential rain. Waving soggy copies of the paper was no advert for our

At first, many people thought we were selling it for Sp because we were trying to get rid of wet copies!

But when we explained that the cut in price from 20p to 5p was a cut

supporting many marchers bought willingly.

demonsistion was the high profile of, A disturbing about the the police who were used as stewards throughout.

Whilst selling outside Central Hall a cop moved me on remarking: "This is about the twentieth time I've had to move you'. This was a bit of an exaggeration as I had only really beer moved on twelve times!

The police were refusing to-allow people to sell on the kerbside as the | 01-8371.

BOOST YOUR SALES

abortions foetuses that are capable of life. Clearly he is not so concerned about the lives of womem forced to choose between unwanted babies or the backstreet

doministed parliament We do not We are quite capable of making this decision for ourselves

— be it in ancient Egypt or has ever stopped women trying to control their fertility. The question is are women going to be forced to risk their lives in the process. John Corrie says Yes. We say No.

'What a woman's right to choose means'. ULU, Malet St. 20 November at

Of ponds and

IN France, a leading bourgeois politician has

A savage

paper seller

Central

demonstration passed forcing sellers to stand in the dark on the opposite side of the road.

I told the cop it was impossiblé to sell in these conditions. He said that this was tough. When I asked him if last WC still had the newspapers he replied that we did not!

In the same hall there business men's meeting with Geoffrey Howe. Unlike the appreciated our 'Chop cover one of these characters took great offence and cigarette out on the cover. in I found another use for Socialist Challenge — and socked him one with

Despite all these interruptions I managed to sell 80 contribution to the 600 sold on the day.

THE LAMBETH shown that it is possible to boost sales and win new readers. We want every area to adopt the same attitude to the paper.

On every demo, picket and sit-in you should be there Challenge.

Challenge should be seen in shopping precincts. Once a week, at least, you should be visiting local factories to win new, readers.

Make sure you play your part in reaching our 5,000 street sales target.

Phone in details of your Socialist Challenge activities

on

Giscard-Gaullist

pressures to find their own pond.

having driven his wife to drink.

anything in the mass media,

by exposés across the capitalist world.

war in Ireland is getting nowhere.

Britain's policy there, I policy than it does about Kennedy. Friday 45.30pm GLASGOW Central station.

hits

MALANDI Kine and HeAtS

Nicaragua Clive

HAMILTON

1-5pm ГОЛ

Hall

cieve and centre and Middlesbrough. upstairs in Street 'Nicaragua' and were Revolution

BrIstolO

prenuise. right sell

was a

marchers who

Thatcher'

stabbed his

Herne Hill BR kiosk High St.). Also on HACKEY SC group O'Brier pub, Mare St, London Es PADDINGTON papers as my

Iradi

comrades have

r'ouren incrnational. •BAIN: S

selling Socialist Every Saturday Socialist 643-9209

BRADFORD: SC

CUTENIKI.

Bookshop phone 461138 EDINBURGH:

Niddry Stree on

GRAYESEND Detals from Gravesend

caused considerable ripples in ruling circles by immersing bimself in two feet of brackish water and thereby escaping from a scandal over the purchase of a country house. The problem for the rest of the

government is simple: since they all get up to these capers, how do they resist

In Britain things might seem a little different. After all, the media of late have been full of disgust for a leading bonreeois poltician who o aved &l unsavoury role in a drowning and who is accused of

An exemplary exposé by journalists who put principles first? Not quite. If principles counted for

the muck-raking campaign against Teddy Kennedy could be joined

of countless crooks in government

There is just one reason why the British media loathe Kennedy. He has dared to suggest that unity off the Irish nation is a desirable aim and that the policy of the British government in relation to its

Teddy Kennedy is a liar, a crook, and on such issues as abortion an out-and-out reactionary. That he can pose as a progressive on Ireland, in contrast

says more about that

SOCIALIST

CHALLENGE

EVENTS

Square outside Boots, every Thursday 4-5.30pm, 3e available trom Dundee cit! Saturday 11-4pm SC sale Sats s 11-1 outside

Centre Headingley : Clive Turnbull cuo on icard ud wien socaker - SC on sale every Sat, Sainsbury's

OLDHAM - SC Public meeting: "Revolution in Eyewitness Speaker Turnbull Thur Sergeant-at-Arms Pub, King Street (opposite

SUDDUJICE sell SC every the Hamilton

• sales: a Newstare SIoDs I •Linsthorpe Road. and freens Bookstall.

Spencer Market, Stockton High TEESSIDE SC GROUP An eyewitnes account Speaker: Clive Tues Nov at 7.30pm. Teesside Polytechnic Clarendol

Havmarker ror more into contact box a cia Fullmarks, 110 Cheltenham Road, Montpellier,

LEKrool: se group has recenty oblained Merseyside tunates iowaros cost or rent. rates. secufity. gratermy recerved • send to socialso Callenge (Box 64), PO Box 50, London NI •VLKrUt• oc forums every tarniont o ursday. 8 Nov: Trotsky: 22 Nov: Zimbabwe.

vet. tric vuls. zu Dec: Immigration awe Alla

OXFORD: SC sold Fri, Kings Arms, 12-2, Sar, Cornmarket, 10-2. For more info phone 47624

1 sale Sal 11-1, and Thur/Er

Thur 7.30pm, Britannia•

November The Tory Aroack: тогш unionisis respond

Westway Flover, London WIO. SC on sale ever Saturday 11.3012.30 at the Westbourne Road Junction. and every Thursday at 5.15 a Highields Commusty Centre ipm: Why the

2pm-3pm outside Roman Balhs. Phone 20298 for more details.

BRIGHTON: For more info phone 'Nick. 300ADrop. 14sSC ailabic from Fourth lea For more info about local activitie avalabif fron

SC on sale every Sai, Princes 420-2

ABERDEEN: SC sold Saturdays outside C&A - lor more into phone colin, 3 14006 SC Group Gravesend Tigers, BOx

'Fight the racist immigration laws'

Meeting on Tuesday, 20 November, at 7.30pm, Central Hall, Oldham St, Manchester.

Speakers from IWA, Nasera Begun and Said Bibi Defence Committees.

Page 3 scan of this page

BRITAIN IS BARRED a TOBLACKS a In Dacca as at Heathrow

HOMENEWS

By Steve Cohen

IMMIGRATION cases only hit the • headlines when they are particularly 'dramatic'. But the day in day out operation of the immigration laws very rarely involves dragged off the street and deported. They mainly concern the daily battles that black people face to get into this country in the first place that often take several years and span

world from Britain sub-continent.

Here is one example: the history of Bashir Uddin, Ashique Uddin and Alia Miah is taken from a Home Office Report.

Bashir, Ashique and Alia are the sons of Ibrahim Ali who has lived in Manchester since 1958. They applied

There with their Marfush Bibi, and sister Saysta Miah, in early 1972. The whole family, apart from Ibrahim, live in the village of Hamidpur in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Lost

They were eventually interview the British Commission 10 Dacca 1972. It was a 200 mile journey over difficult country and they all had to attend in person. The interview long, but had to be continued two days forcing them accommodation in Dacca.

At the end of it all they were told the Ibrahim would have interviewed in Britain.

[brahim was interviewed in March 1973, and was told there were still doubts, so his family would have to go to Dacca again. They went to Dacca in July 1973, and were told would have to be interviewed again in Britain!

At this point the section of the Home Croydon informed Dacca Ibrahim had become a UK citizen in 1963 and his statement family at that time coincided exactly with what his family were saying now. Delay

However, they still interview Ibrahim again, this time in September 1973. It was accepted that his family situation was as he had stated but all the details were sent to Croydon to be looked at again.

Then, according the

ALL OUT ON

25 NOVEMBER

AFTER reading the article on this page you are

probably horrified by the

personal suffering for those who wish to come

here. This is the situation under the present

immigration laws

Nationality Bill becomes law it will make things

ten times worse for black immigrants, both

before they come and when they are here.

It would mean a significant step towards

establishing the 'migrant labour' system that

exists in much of the EEC. It would mean

immigrant workers ln tis country

denied 'citizenship' and hence lose substantial

democratic rights.

This is why it is vital that every socialist is

out on the streets of London on 25 November to

prolest against the Tories' reactionary plans.

We have to show how disgusted we are with the

Tories' plans for black people in this country.

This means beginning

demonstration in the localities, being involved

in local anti-racist committees or campaigns to

help gather strong local support. We have to

take the campaign into the labour movement

and women's movement to ensure the biggest

possible weight on the side of those who oppose

the Bill and those who have most to lose from i

The International Marxist Group is calling a

national mobilisation for the demonstration,

asking

march behing their local anti-racist campaigns.

- battles

mother called for

High

October

to find

Ibrahim

Certificate Officer's report:

Nationality astray and Office in

that was issued to the whole family. about his

Office said anonymous letters tallily was lying • never been seen.

waited to

moved and the

All promises to

Entry attitude of the

if the Tories'

may be to build for the members to take their banners and

'Unfortunately the Home Office file went

not located until August: 1974.' Finally in September 1974 the precious Entry Certificate

..and immediately withdrawn. The Home

It had received saying that the - these letters have

A new interview with Ibrahim was set up for January 1975 but he had

interview •did journey eventuallv take nace until MMarch.

issue Entry

Certificates were retracted at interview and it was decided to visit the family in Hamidpur — apparently to interrogate other villagers.

The journey was put off until January 197, avoid the season', although the family had been forced to travel to Dacca at ail times of the year. This section of the Home Office report reads like something out of Rudyard Kipling, the Great White Hunters setting out for the unknown The fact that the family had done the twice the opposite direction in the rainy season is not commented on.

STOP THE

TORY

RACIST

LAWS

REPEAL THE 1971

IMMIGRATION ACT

Demonstrate Sunday 25 November

Assemble 12 noon Speakers Corner,

Hyde Park. March to Trafalgar Se.

pep ampign touins Rorist Leex PO Box 15l. Aenden W2

this The officials flew to Sylhet Town,

where they met a Landrover enough provisions for the week and the necessary They travelled nervousty as they bax wel been warned tha

be hostile towards people driving over newly ploughed pady fickcs.".

The officials such Landrover slipped into the ditch and it was a miracle it did not turn over'; Some children threw half and quarter bricks at our Landrover and nearly smashed our rear window; a spade was to be their 'saving grace later on in the journey' as when they came to a

"The When destination happened

the village.

daughter brothers.

Appeal

'with heard in equipment" absenct

protes is fron to aroid the we

In the died thought it worth details as: Our

effective date

If this

CAMPAIGNING

INCOVENTRY

ANNA REESE describes how

in London on 25 November. Leamington

trade union bodies sponsorship and support.

in this country is insecure

longer be able to come.

see it as crucial to begin about

Labour Party.

steep sided stream they "managed to build up a ramp in places'

At the health centre where the stayed the night they were shocked: rooms were filthy and the windows had no glass or curtains They don't comment on how thi affected patients. The canoe they used to cross the river also disturbed them its waterproofing consisted of 'dung straw and earth'. they reached their *Several very odd thine villagos approached them and without prompting said that Ibrahim •25 a liar, and not related to the peopk

/ithout being devoured to see he officials returned and the fam

issued not the tire

The brothers appealed and tareceived an appeal dare of Decoral 1979 — two years after the discassion was made and seven years after th original application. The case will be Manchester bors - the report that this artid de Hors Offo abmission to be af Bast Like la deal certificate stom Torahim is his father Te cign it he mini be appeal to come even if he wins the appeal. recent court decision has said that the on whether a child is admitted to Britain is the date an Entry Certificate is granted nor the date of application appeal fails then almost certainly Alia will also be over-age by the time he applies again.

Coventry building for the Nationality Bill demonstrațion

'A Coventry Campaign against Racist Laws has been set up with affiliation from IWAs, West Indians organisation and many others. We are leafletting the temples; posters are going up in all the Asian shops; and we are leafletting factories. A public meeting is being organised with speakers from the black organisations, Asian women and the Southall Campaign.

'Coaches have been booked from Coventry,

and Nuneaton to take people down to the demo. Letters have gone out to all

• seeking affiliation, This week, on the buses, f145 was collected for the campaign. The Latin American community in the town is also backing the demonstration and sending people down to London. Whitelaw's axing of the refugee programme means that their future

, Political refugees from other countries in Latin America will no

"In Coventry we plan to keep our committee going after the demonstration; in particular we

taking up the nationality and immigration inside the trade unions and the

The demonstration on the 25 November as the first step in that campaign.'

Socialist Challenge 15 November 1979 Page 3

Page 4 scan of this page

Union leaders bow to picketing laws

HOME NEWS

By a Ford worker ON FRIDAY 16 November the Ford Motor Company will reply to the 1979 wage claim 59,000 workers. While the claim itself is a good one, both its preparation, and the recent events around lay-offs at Dagenham, show that the officials and convenors have little intention of seriously fighting for it. Furthermore they seem intent on implementing the Tory anti-union policies for them — by preventing effective picketing.

preparing, discussion on the shop floor and in the union branches has been blocked or dismissed. has Coventry conference of Ford shop stewards this year.

On 26 October, when the claim was submitted, the convenor of Ford Langley was instructed by official Ron Todd to keep the union leaflet outlining the claim under lock and key till 11.30am. Union members were deliberately kept in the dark till after both management and the press had been informed!

the of the officials struggle for 80 per cent lay-off pay by Assembly Plant workers at

which speaks louder Lucill million leaflets.

Picket

On 25 October catering supervisory staff at Dagenham picketed the estate for one day in pursuit of a wage demand. The picket was respected by Toleman Transport drivers who shift

the finished cars out of the Assembly. plant car park. Next day they were

informed by their own management

that they would not be paid for the

day as ine picket was

Merchant employees and not

workers. The Toleman drivers struck

demanding picketing guarantees.

The Assembly Plant was

clogged with finished cars and Ford

with the prospect of a

was lactu lay-off on 80 per cent pay. Instead

they tried to round up volunteers in

the Assembly plant to do Toleman's

work. When the stewards put a stop to

this both shifts were laid off without

pay on Wednesday 31 October.

In response a mass meeting of. 'B'

shift voted to picket the whole estate.

That, in a phrase, is when the shit hit

Next morning Communist Party

member and convenor of the Body

Plant, Dan Connors, was out telling

pickets to let trucks through to his

plant. They didn't.

stewards in the Engine Plant were

accepting lay-off

assembly workers,

plant, while machining areas came

in to work weekend overtime.

Directive

Down at Bayswater

emergency meeting of the National

Joint Negotiating COHEMIRLICC.

prised of officials and

from all Ford

management, instructed tole were

directive.

drivers only to picket their

compound which

by-passed; directed Assembly plant

stewards to lift their pickets at once;

told them to return to normal working

— which meant accepting the lay-off

without pay if the Toleman's dispute

continued unless POTE

scabbed on their strike and shifted

cars.

Socialist Challenge 15 November 1979 Page 4

As Ford workers await wages offer-

manual 441l all

been

national

Ford's Bayswater House atrocious on the of the Tory Dagen- picketing rights! than a for them. of Gardner Ford

soon

RON TODD

stewards

from which you work than anything

On Friday senior cent lay-off

of 2,000 one third of the Leyland

pay offer

House an Steward at Rover Solihull

convenors plants and 25,000 jobs, shown his Toleman own can be negoulanons

page includes such automatic acceptance WULKELS

staffing

Conference to discuss new technology/alternative plans

17 November — N.E. London Polytechnic

Separate workshops on GEC, heavy engingering, aerospace,

telecommunications

Details and credentiais from N.E. London Poly Resources Centre or phone Tammy White, 01-597 4630. Sponsored by Lucas, NEI Parsons,

RETREA

As the final straw it was argued 'that the pickets were grist to the mill

against So the officials plant: decided to do the Tories' dirty work

national official who has been browbeating

In fact the restrictions they want to place on picketing at Dagenham only picket the plant or compound

go further the Tories proposing and would make picketing

The question of 80 per pay was

could By Pat Hickey, Deputy Senior

months.

FOLLOWING his 9-1 victory BL in the ballot over plans to axe

Edwardes has gratitude

'moderate and sensible' major- attack ity by offering a 5 per cent levels. increase in the annual wage

Plated.

The 5 per cent is tied to an document which Already conditions" as stewards OI in-

dustrial engineering standards

(time study), continuous audit-

levels, full if management their way.

Joint Negotiating and the are at

would

a picket of last year's pay negotiations. This year's offer comes next Friday

discussed at the NJNC meeting.

But the pickets remained By the end of the Friday night shift the Body Foundry and Engine assembly areas were laid off.

So on Monday 5 November the Assembly Plant stewards browbeaten for four and a half hours by Ron Todd. Warning He warned that the union would find it difficult to defend them against victimisation picketing continued. The stewards finally caved in and a mass meeting on Wednesday morning had little option return to work. Ron Todd told them that the NJNC would not even pursue their claim for lay-off pay.

This Friday these same people will be receiving the company's reply on our wage claim. It may well be time -for the officials and convenors appear 'militant'. What rank and file militants in the Ford Workers Group ('The Combine') fear is that a couple of weeks before Xmas the officials will come back with a recommenda reject the offer and take Ion 10 immediate strike action full well it would be rejected.

Instead in a massive leafleting campaign we are arguing for the use tactics work to rule overtime ban, token one day strikes il 01C1 the offer is derisory with prospect of all out action in the Nev Year. Our slogan is 'Don't decide

mobility of labour, an end to demarcation lines and a good deal more. Also tied into the offer is a bonus scheme which

another 15,000 jobs disappearing in the next 12

management are confident that their victory in the week ballot has prepared the ground retaining

pushing through another They

on wages and staffing attempt But indications are that they may well nave miscaicu

Longbridge shop sere. dovershop sevards the rejected follow suit and the membership time are increasingly angry with the Coventry. never ending threats of closure

does not get The Leyland Cars Committee Combine Committee HOSL preparing some opposition to Edwardes.

It is easier to fight on wages that on redundancies, but a Combine wide fight on wages

prepare the way opposition to other aspects of Lucculllso. management's attacks. ling

· 80 PAL

before Yuletide!'

There's a sting in the tail of this sorry tale.

Plant returned to work on Wednesday November having previously rejected an offer which would have given them £100 every time they crossed any WELC

Fraua NEWS //S 11140% 1118: 1979 WAciE: C1.41M DON'T SETTLE BEFORE XMAS

but to

DON'T DECIDE BEFORE YULETIDE

10BBS THE TALES FRIDAY 16 SOVEMHER 9 15am HAMI picket at Dagenham other than those the called by • nanonal drivers won f180 each for the time they were on strike! Principles pay.

Draftex women win dates

ranks.

By Anna Reese, Coventry

ithat inev WOMEN at the Draftex factory in Coventry have won their

long strike aimed at average beaten off the by management to reduce their average pay by as much as £15 per month.

are other workers and students in! The successes of the Draftex The solidarity SOWI by the city was quite remarkable.

It is the first victory lor some

for the unions

Furthermore the Draftex women now see it as tner Joc to reshape their local IGWU branch. Like many others it has , often at Strike had meetings rarely, only half a day's notice making attendance difficult. They want to see the branch playing a role in organising, and fighting for the interests of, its members holding regular, well publicised Fruehauf in Oldham are now in TASS

With elections comfor TEne

ringineers conference right-wing

GIVE THEM

drivers also CLLETINOFTI •THE COMBINE"

wants

trade unions.

'moderates' union

Hence

make provided democracy, branches, ment officials. The deciding action: ¡ommittee, the Draftex women ling them from will hopefully nominate candi- workers.

from amongst

It was through the strike

came into collate with the problems of organising after the shopfloor had made

Whilst union Ine procedures are and often the put it:

vital for effective organisation.

Redundancy and pay cuts scheme facing many probichl. women workers in Coventry.

women in organising to make _the union serve their interests compensate can be an inspiration to others.

Oldham

engineers

By Pete Clifford

WHITE COLLAR workers at

the engineering firm of Crane

their fifth week of strike action branch |to prevent management divid-, Royton, Oldham.

POEU

reject

secret

ballots

"The decision will disappoint the government'. That was how the Financial Times reported the decision of the Post Office

Union (POEU) throw LCDS LULU duce postal ballots.

MAKE TAPO MINE

BUZBY Thatcher's government postal ballots

become standard practice in the

It wouid have

been a great boost to them if the

in an important like the POEU could

have won voluntary acceptance

of these measures resolutions before the conten- four different

tried to impose postal

ballóts as the means of deciding

on industrial action. They were

all soundly defeated.

The conference went on to rule changes which for more direct through POEU and greater involveof the membership in on pay claims and

shop floor

A new bonus scheme for the mainly women office workers is calculated according to productivity on the shopfloor that they only start benefiting

| £18. This scheme also works in complicated reverse. As one union member

'We can be working harder in the office and have our wages. cut . To get rid of this divisive the 130 members TASS, the white collar section of the engineering union, have put in a claim for a 25 per cent increase basic pay 10 for inflation When the employers offered 13 per cent the strike started.

Twenty-four hour pickets have successfully closed the plant, but management resist- . lance is stubborn. With the employers on the the Manchester area, and 4,500 redundancies over the months, solidarity needs to be built across the district. Support and Alan Clarke. chairperson, Crane Fruehauf, 35 Patterdale Close,

Page 5 scan of this page

HOME NEWS

Never mind

the speeches,

wheres the

action?

THE mass media are determined to

draw blood from health workers. On televisIon news last

example, a strike by

London hospital led the TV reporter

to ask pickets: 'So you don't mind if patients die?' He managed to ask this question no less than three times.

That's part of the faced by health workers

cuts. asked BERT ELLICOTT, person of NUPE's North Manchester health services district about the state of cuts in the hospitals and the action that's necessary.

are short especially geriatric ones. Management tell us they can't recruit, so we've produced a bulletin in response to their excuses.

Our basic demands include: *Members of the appropriate trade union to see all applicants and

guaranteed accommodation, nursery

extend the higher grades get to the lower grades,

*Regular information to be tributed to the staff underspending, wages, snoltages. * An overall increase in the number of trained staff.

On the fightback Tameside Trades Council has formed an anti-cuts has Labour councillors leadership. and they have admitted that they intend to make cuts.

Then there's the union leadership. Many people think Alan Fisher and others on the NUPE executive are left wing. They can be left wing in their speeches.

Yet they have reneged on their commitment, voted on at national conference, to campaign to abolish private practice in the NHS. They've simply asked for branches to organise locally if they feel like it. That's just one example.

They keep mouthing fighting cuts, but when it comes to action they don't want to know. The important point is: leadership bring out the membership in defence of victimised workers?

-That's the way to fight the cuts. There are still members who are being sacked, or have been disciplined for taking part in the low pay campaign last winter, and they've received minimal or no support.

As faras I'm concerned, the left in the Labour Party today are the right wing of tomorrow. we fundamentally change things. Fighting. policies and actions needed. Halt measures are not. the answer.

lik want

Photo: GEOFFREY SHERIDAN

• garden 'LONDON needs another block like it needs another plague' that's one of the slogans adorning what's now an excayation site Covent Garden.

Until a few weeks ago the site was a splendidly laid-out garden, built and maintained by local residents Deoble who work nearby: in an area where the only other place to grow lowers is a window ledge, and wild

week, for engineers at a

opposition

battling Eve Bryczkowski

chair:

committee,

So, too, Parties nurses,

to be

and settling-in perks the Knight added.

labour boost to

disabout applause.) and staff Denise

generally,

books.

But

its

already

Liverpool

demonstrates By Graham

city)

and

• of last week.

The pruits Will the union

collection.

Public sector

have the National Union of Seamen.

Anti-Cuts Committee, are

for the nowhere for children to play. There's bulldozers;

Already pickets withdrawal and tion'. Pickets

Now for 28 November demo

the streets

By Geoffrey Sheridan

IT'S not every day that a local council leads a march on Parliament with the message: "We're not implementing your cuts'. That's what Lambeth's Labour council and the local trade unions did on Wednesday of last week, and ten thousand people from the South borough joined in the lobby of MPs and sat in the rally which followed. 'The banners of all the unions representing

the council workers were there, together with a

large proportion of those workers. were members of the Labour Lambeth and Wandsworth, delegation of Kent miners in their orange safety clothes and helmets, firefighters in health workers, some five hundred local teachers and as many school students. The SE Regional TUC added its banner and voice. Three quotes. At the rally, Lambeth council

leader Ted Knight said: 'We've decided to make

no cuts whatsoever under the direction of the Tory government. (Sustained applause.) Every

Labour councillor was elected on a mandate to

defend the working class, not to attack it. We must not be permitted to stand alone,' 'The official leaders of the movement deserted the Clay

councillors. Every Labour councillor must take

the same stand as Lambeth, and we must have

support of the movement.' (Lengthy

and Esther from Priory

School, who were among the NUSS contingent

at the front of the demo, said: "There's no

chance of equality of opportunity when half the

schools are closing and you don't get enough

ON THE KNIFE EDGE

Burgess, chairperson, Liverpool ALGO (personal capa-

OVER five thousand trades unionists,

other working class neople marched through Liverpool in opposition to the cuts on Wednesday

caused several sections of the council to be closed.

Included were the rents and rates offices, the housing and social service departments, direct works, the parks and gardens department, and refuse

workers from NALGO, UCATT and the GMWU were joined by delegates from shop stewards committees of the Transport and General Workers, Engineers and

By broad-based Merseyside which called the demonstration, is now building

November march fight stop the brought in by MEPC-

Reed, a multinațional property outfit. strike

have forced the OI. One building firm, Bovistiwho complained of 'aggrava- And

Male every Friday at lunchtime. Phone 01-836 9960 for

No cuts Lambeth takes to

London uniform,

influence the

Cross contacts in high places.'

Park were not simply a local issue.

rid of the Tory government.

message.

London.

The city council, dominated by a Liberal-Tory coalition, voted against giving morkers the day off with pay to attend the London action. But hundreds are expected to travel to the march in the chartered by the anti-cuts committee.

NALGO members Liverpool have received official backing strike action on 28 November.

While it's vital to gain support for this lobby of Parliament, we need to call for a one-day strike or dav of action backed by the TUC and the Labour Party. A combination of local and national action, co-ordinating all sections of the labour movement, essential.

Students occupy in

Manchester

Ann Henderson, convenor, Manchester area NUS

THE level opposition _to tne increases in fees for overseas students. who will be obliged to pay over £3,000 a year, has exceeded the expectations of the NUS leadership.

Over their thousand lobbied MPs and Department of Education Wednesday of last week, and colleges all over the country were occupied during the week of action.

Supporters 01 the Socialist Students Alliarice aim to ensure that action continues, and to link it to the fight against public expenditure cuts.

Seven colleges have already been occupied in the Manchester area and a 1,500-strong demonstration place on 31 October. - with some

Administrators Manchester Poly have refused to implement the immediate 23 per cent increase. A fees

by overseas Manchester University has secured an extension of their registration date.

at Bolton Institute Technology; the principal has said that no overseas students will be suspended.

An important development is the

CAMBETH

AGAINST

THECUTS

'We've tried petitioning and that, but this type of action on the streets is the only way to

government, unless you have no on tiehalf or the hoo studdus from

behalf of the 50 students Vauxhall Manor School, who had walked out during the break to join it, said that the cuts

The only way to solve that problem, she considered, was to get

Some two thousand leaflets handed out by Socialist Challenge supporters carried a similar

added that the national level of activity by students in further education colleges. week college, hree-fifths of the studenis are fron overseas. is among couniry to take direct action against train the fees increase and other cutbacks in education.

Another demonstration on these for Issue took place yesterday. •..and in Bristol

By John Lovibond, convenor, Bristol area NUS

STUDENTS, angry over the cuts and the fees increase for overseas students [itself a cut by another name), occupying higher education institutions in the Avon area.

A two-day occupation took place at Bristol poly at the end of last week, Students technical college occupied last Friday, and another two-day occupation took place at Bristol university beginning of this week.

Our main aim is to close the colleges today, to coincide with. a students half-day strike National Union of Teachers members the in Avon. Meetings are being held in all the colleges to argue for this.

The area is a focus for the NUT's anti-cuts campaign, way the axe is falling here. service spending is to drop by f8m, half of which is scheduled to come off budget. police spending is to rise by f2m.

The architect of this monstrosity is LOOk Jervais Walker,

Avon's lory county council. who is also chairperson of the committee of local education authorities illiteracy authorities would be a better title in the present context.

Among the campaigns are of made up of school students, teachers, and parents, The NUS objective is to establish joint groups in the colleges.

The on

mobilisation for the demonst against the cuts on Wednesday, Z called by the Labour Party, towards the one-day strikes the measure that can reat their tracks: an all-out strike. And among the copies of Lambeth Fich 8-page paper five hundred who Challenge Details of Lambe Lambeth Trades Co Helix Gardeas, I

Your services, your struggles — send us your news

include a Worsley FE rally at for example, at which over

in Manchester spending

NUPE

are management,

being filled,

restored.

Weston-super-Mare

the

now against the cuts by

year 1980-81.

because of the Public a television

Meanwhile wheel-chair

chairperson of

local

active anti-cuts groups in schools,

student-trade union

15 November

• Lambeth

Fightback

Lambeth Fightback

Lambeth

Fightback

Hotel oti

Barts gains jobs

ADMINISTRATORS at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London have unfrozen vacancies for ancillary staff

Wanted due cuts. This followed an overtime ban and work to rule in the portering and catering departments.

Management has agreed with

officials return to the position before cutbacks of £2m were announced in the City and Hackney health district in September.

In a joini •statement with

NUPE confirms its view that as well as unfilled vacancies

the level of patient services at the hospital should be

Seventy-eight beds have been removed in recent weeks b hospital administrators.

NUPE area officer Ian Barber says: 'We want to guarantee proper levels of service to patients at the hospital and detailed discussions will

within each departm nate mist make sure this immediate period but for the financial

An acrostic poem written on watching

report showing severely disabled patients government cuts at their hospital in

Stoke Mandeville. On patient

• ever claimed • thai this put inem in year of tneir nves..

THE WEAKEST TO THE TORY WALL

Conservatives and

Unionists, with

Thatcher, seem to be

Sadistic to the weak and sick.

@ N. Racine-Jaques, 1979

Socialist Challenge' 15 November 1979 Page 5

Page 6 scan of this page

My kind of Labour Party

Peter Hain at the head of an Anti-Nazi League carnival march: "The Labour left ought to be intervening on an activist basis, and not just sending round MPs

HOMENEWS

Peter Hain speaks

PETER HAIN joined the Labour Party under two years ago. He came from the Liberal Party and from campaigning acuvity in the Anti-Apartheid Movement. He was one of the founding members Anti-Nazi League and is a currently a leading member the Co-ordinating Committee.

The LCC has become the new umbrella under which many in the left of the Labour Party have gathered. Hain talked to Socialist Challenge about the kind of Labour Party he would like to see.

He began by discussing the role of the LCC:

PH: I would like to see the LCC co-ordinating left party. In the past the non-militant left has not been: given direction on an activist level.

That criticism is less true in terms of getting policies Labour's national executive, socialist politics ought not to be about feeding poncies through stitched into manifestos.

Rather, developing a proper activist movement which can begin to rally the working class on a serious basis.

SC: What sort of issues do you see this campaigning activity around?

This obviously because the turnout conference (200] was less than many expected. Accordingly there been an influx into the Labour Party, or into the LCC, which is necessary to make this mass active Labour Party a reality.

PH: I think that is true. stirrings locally but the LCC and its general perspective infancy in terms of attracting people.

As to issues, specific struggles at the moment, such

that against the anti-abortion Bill, to more general campaigns such as against the cuts, supporting industrial action, fighting against redundancies and resistance to Tory attacks on trade union rights.

All of these the LCC and the Labour left ought to be intervening in on an

basis and not just sending aLLIVISL

around MPs to decorate struggles: SC: But the LCC has yet to prove that it is capable of doing this.

Let's take an example. At the LCC

rally both Arthur Scargill and Tony

Benn attacked the Leyland ballot. But

neither Benn or the LCC held factory

gate meetings while the

taking place.

PH: Idon't know about the specific

example you mention; Labour leaders

descending from, on

depositing themselves outside factory

gates in the Midlands where they have

no base.

But yes, I do think that in the

future this should be the sort of role of

the LCC and its supporting leadership

like Tony Benn. If it is not then I don't

see any possibility of creating the kind

of backdrop against which the next

Labour Government could perform

anything useful at all.

In a nutshell what I want to see is a

concentration on politics which aren't

exclusively geared to electoralism, but

well

extra-parliamentary arena.

which recognises

rather than the formulation of neat

and tidy politics and

important though these are.

I would also say that I think the

Socialist Challenge 15 November 1979

the

Labour the

through but

get

question of campaigning,

to decorate struggles.' developing

important are just an example. the LCC There should

hasn't there have been serious retreats.

6 In a nutshell what I want to see is a

concentration on politics which aren't

exclusively geared to electoralism, but

which intervenes as well

extra-parliamentary arena.

major failures buccane

word on Ireland. these range from a lot of issues.

Corrie the LCC should have a

withdrawal position.

Campaigning dimension. high and movement politically.

A politics

issues as theory;

There would like to see.

Page 6

has been a general crisis of the left of which the Labour Party's dilemmas

have been explosive growth of the left in the last few years. It hasn't happened. In tact

an

SC: But why should the LCC offer a way out? For instance, one of the

of Labour left in the last few years has

silence and inaction on Ireland. But the LCC hasn't said a

PH: The LCC hasn't said anything on

But I agree with you, policy Ireland and I think in time it will have.

The Labour left has io grapple with the issue of Ireland which it has shamefully neglected. I think, in the end, we will have to rally around the

activity one Another is the industrial issues and more directly economic struggles.

Instead of leaving the politics of trade rights. unionism to the trade union. leaders the Labour left should see as one of its 6 But I also think there is a tendency

on the part of Labour left activists to

indulge in symbolic politics. In the

sense that most of what you do is

confined to berating and denouncing

a right wing leadership?

primary roles to help and co-ordinte ihe rank and file of the trade union

unity

This means linking up much more closely with those at the shop steward level and the combine committees.

SC: The obvious problem the Labour Party has when campaigning on such

the cuts is the record of the last Labour Government. So is the present Labour Party leadership not an obstacle to the type of party you

YAMA

Anti

Nazi

PH: A millstone.

SC: So how important is the question of changing that leadership? PH: It is crucial, and the need to create an alternative to that leadership is crucial.

But I also think there is a tendency on the part of Labour left activists to indulge in symbolic politics. In the sense that most of what you do is confined to berating and denouncing a right wing leadership and that all your politics are geared towards ritual denunciations rather than recognising that the leadership is only (111 saddle because of the failings of the Labour Party.

Obviously the present leadership is an obstacle but it is misconceived to think you can graft a left leadership onto a party whose politics may not be ready for it.

That is what we have to put right, starting at the rank and file level. It's a question of campaigning for, linking up with, struggles outside and creating the conditions whereby an alternative leadership with roots firmly based locally. SC: Attracting people to the Labour Party raises the questions of bans and proscriptions.

PH: I am not in favour of bans and proscriptions but neither am favour of affiliations of other greups. What I am in favour of is left unity in terms of agreeing on specific

whether it's the Culs, lig the attack on •trade union

This does not mean finding a basis for agreement which is the lowest common denominator, the sense in which the Communist Party projects

so that it almost anti-political.

But I am in favour of co-operation and I think if the Labour Party develops that kind of socialists on the left will be drawn into

Particularly at this rime socialist on the lett could play enormous part in rejuvenating the party precisely because all the social democratic options and

have been so discredited

SC: But situation. You want to attract those left socialists who rejuvenate the Labour Party but those peopleareliableto hold back until they see the signs of this rejuvenation.

zi

emerges,

I in

left , meeting.

By Celia Pugh

THE ANGER and resistancer of the working class is finding an echo inside the abOu Party. public sector strikes against the five per cent pay norm forced many in the Labour Party to openly question the policies and leadership of Callaghan and the Labour right.

becomes ment, abortion

immigration laws some on the Labour

up with such struggles.

other The Scottish

conferences of the Labour Co-ordin-

other

to consider links

ideologies

it's a chicken and egg

could help to disillusioned

working

THE

NAZI N!

Jonathan Dimbleby, the TV producer, and Peter hain at a 'No plugs for Nazis'

SCLV meets

winter's

socialist

Now, as thousands take to the

unemployrestrictions and

left have stated a commitment to link

Manchester The ating Committee showed an openness 10am

with those outside the confines of Parliament and the Labour Party. These stated intentions

PH: Yes, I think it is a chicken and egg situation. But it is our responsibility to show there is a point in joining the Labour Party. If you come in without

illusions then you don't. get because you weren't expecting a mass vibrant, dynamic

class party; only epportunity to try and build one I have still to be tested, but the L.CC has shown a potential as a forum for debate and action on the Labour left

On 24 November supporters of the Socialist Campaign for Labour

• will be meeting in London. The SCLV was set up fight for

policies general election. This fight for socialism has not ended with the election.

Supporters of the SCLV should now turn their attention to what is going on in the LCC. This offers the best opportunity for seeing whether the Labour left will live up to their promises to unite with all those struggling against the Tories

SCLV conference starts af the Central Library, Holloway Rd, London NI. It will be followed at 3pm by a rally in support lof Lambeth's fight against the cuts.

Page 7 scan of this page

battle deas WHY WE OPPOSE THE SPLIT IN THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL on the weekend of 28 to 29 October, the eve of the discipline of the FI and provoked their own 11th World Congress of the Fourth International. expulsion. It appears that 25 per cent of the Leaders of two currents inside the FI — the American, will follow their leaders out of the

An unprincipled split

heading for nowhere

By John Ross, member of the Secretariat of the Fourth International

THE ORIGINS of this split go back some time. The reasons given by the LTT and Bolshevik haction differences over the Nicaraguan revolution - were a pretext for a split and not the cause.

It was the decision of these currents to form organised relations with the Committee for the Reconstruction Fourth International — a grouping outside the Fl led by Pierre Lambert + that forced their expulsion.

The Bolshevik Faction had been flouting the discipline of the FI for some time attempting sabotage and destroy sections of the FI in Mexico and Columbia. This made democratic debate with Bolshevik Faction very difficult. developments were brought to a head by the events in Nicaragua.

AUTeTeN positions on Nicaragua have been expressed inside the International

Why the International

LEONTROTSKY spent the last yęars of his life attempting to build the Fourth International. He described this as the most important mission he had undertaken in his whole life. Why did he hold this view?

The necessity of international organisation had been built into the Marxist movement from its earliest days. Marx and Engels summed up this necessity in the famous words 'Workers of the World Unite' and in their practical struggle to construct the first International

This struggle expressed the reality of the class struggle within capitalism system of domination and exploitation.

The imperialist war of 1914-18 put this internationalism to its first decisive test and, at the same time, was a convincing proof of the international character of the class. struggle. Lenin, Trotsky, and Rosa Luxemburg had no hesitation in prunuuiclg the International a corpse when its leaders called on workers of different countries to shoot eath other for the sake of imperial colonies and profits.

The betrayal of the Second International signified for the Bolshevik leaders the necessity

A TRAGIC event for world Trotskyism took place

Leninist Trotskyist Tendency, and the Bolshevik

overr government, the correct attitude of Trotskyists to the FSLN leadership, the method of building a section of the FI in Nicaragua and so on.

The last meeting of the United Secretariat

Nicaragua and took various positions The FSLN's expulsion of the Simon Bolivar United Brigade from Nicaragua was condemned. The

Party) — supporters-of the Bolshevik Faction and volunteers were sent to Nicaragua. It

amendments to it were moved by the British Organising oI ine Individual sections have also been debating

Nicaragua in the run up to the World Congres:

by

other amendments to thè USEC position stressing

the coalrion and that a situation of dual powdes

These

existed in Nicaragua. It also called for the Fl to explain the need for a workers and peasants government. This is similar to the positions

transformation of the Third International into nothing more than an instrument of Stalinist eventually enabled fascism to win in

Trotsky was well aware of the magnitude of generation of militants had lost all hope with the victory of Stalinism in the USSR and the

Trotsky's optimism was based on the reality of the class struggle on a world scale. As World Two approached, he summed up the

a world

International was the struggle to keep alight the flame of classical Marxism through the darkest For Trotsky only this could allow the

capable of leading the working class to power. Second There existed in the '30s organisations like

the Independent Labour Party in Britain and the POUM in Spain which counted tens of thousands of revolutionaries in their ranks. These parties denied the necessity or possibility oi consurucung a new mlemanonal.

international discipline.

Io 3 -ltl

build parties

basis. the need to construct the Fourth

went through an internal crisis.

Nevertheless, 'GOs, only the

class as a whole

through Cuba to Vietnam. 1968 marked politics, indicated by France, the Tet

The Hourti

Europe In

Faction led by Nahuel Moreno — broke the

militants of the FI, many of whom are Latin

ranks of the International.

section, and also similar to positions supported

Prior to the split it seemed extremely likely that the world congress would have endorsed "liquidating" this view. The debate was continuing. osnevkCоnAIus lonac Soul Gue loa "Castroist' tendency that had developed inside

without

The British section of the Fl rejects the accusation that the FI has adopted the policies of Castroism and broken from the fundamental principles of our movement. Therefore characterise the split as both unprincipled and

Clearly the assessment has to be that the Bolshevik Faction and some of the LTT leaders were no longer interested in political debate.

militants

• Two weeks before the 11th World Congress of the Fl, where their allegations could have been clarified and refuted, they, jointly with the OCRFI in France, called an 'Open Conference

supported by all members of the LTT conference statement from the British members of this The

This open conference would make decisions that are binding on no one, and which entail no

split.

In the age of imperialism it is impossible to Today

. *defending the interests of the working class as a whole' on a purely national world

The world which emerged from the Second World War put internationalism to its hardest test. Unexpected twists in the class struggle — the consolidation of Stalinism in East Europe and the capitalist 'boom' in the West - meant that the Fourth International, founded in 1938,

throughout the 1950s and Trotskyists WeTt consistently defend the interests of the working

- supporting the struggles against Stalinism as in Hungary in 1956 and the new rise of the colonial revolution from China,

La turning point in world tne gentiat. stikt offensive • in Vietnam ard Czechoslovakia's 'Prague Spring' bearings

was abe io economics. mobilise a new generation of youth in solidarity with the Vietnamese revolution. Its militants today stand trial as part of the opposition in East

the imperialist countries, ine rourtn international 1s on the road tc building strong working class organisations

There can be no other assessment than that it is LIC Cu adO WuU SubDUIL Lus Coriccuc wil! are the liquidationists - in practice they.are

- the Fi, the only international revolutionary organisation struggling to build a world party of socialist revolution.

international 'Open Conference' any agreement to campaign debate and build parties with a commitment to building a world party of revolution, is just the kind of organisation that Trotsky fought against.

The militants who have followed these leaders face a dismal future unless they rejoin the FI, for the road of 'national Trotskyism' is littered with corpses. The experience of groups like the Militant, the Workers' Revolutionary Party and Sparticist League show the ultimate ate na aars toema

Despite the tragedy of the loss of these

•especially when the deliberately opened its debates to the OCRFI and many other revolutionaries world wide — there was no option for the ai but to expe those leading comrades who were campaigning within the ranks of the FI for this "regroupment'

demoralisation of thousands of Trotskyist militants lies in the hands of the irresponsible leaders of the Bolshevik Faction and the LTT who provoked an unprincipled

armed with the lessons of the '20s and '30s.

activity Fourth International can demonstrate the unity of the

revolutionary DL COD This 1S only pi ssible on the basis of an international party.

All attempts at an alternative route to mass parties have resulted either in a retreat into national insularity — which in the case of the 'Militant' tendency in Britain has resulted in adaptations to the Labour leadership adapting to one or other aspect of the world process, as in the case of the European Maoists who emerged in the post '68 period.

The Fourth International is still a relatively small organisation. It is not yet the 'general staff of world revolution' fought for by Lenin, Luxemburg and Trotsky. Not all revolutionaries are within its ranks.

But it is the only organisation struggling for socialism on a world scale. Like Trotsky, we are confident that only such an organisation can aspire to lead the working class and keep its

in the era of world politics and

The last forty years and especially those since 1968 have proven both the possibility and the vitality of Trotsky's mission.

The comrades' attempt to splinter the world Trotskyist movement is a serious blow to the building of such a world party of revolution.

Socialist Challenge 15 November 1979 Page 7

Page 8 scan of this page

THE NICARAGUA QUESTION

"The Fourth International places itself firmly on the side of the FSLN's battle to ensure the victory of the socialist revolution in Nicaragua.'

THE debate in the Fourth International on Nicaragua the unfolding revolution. Welook at the leadership of this revolution -Government National [GRNN]; as well as the role of imperialism and the need for international solidarity.

It is not an abstroct discussion. We are concerned with very practical questions of how revolutionaries try to build socialism in other Latin American countries.

In order to understand the debate on the way forward in Nicaragua we have to make a distinction between strategy and tactics.

In imperialist and semi-colonial countries The Gains of the

Toiling Masses

FOLLOWING the defeated September 1978 deep-going self-organisation was started in Nicaragua.

In the neighbourhoods Committees (CDCs) were built in each block, organising arins, medical care, food supplies, and bomb shelters.

FSLN were strengthened by the hundreds of youth fleeing from the Guard.

During the insurrection popular militias were formed, not only in the cities, but also in some rural areas. The CDCs became organs of people's power in the Somoza's forces had been driven.

This led to a situation of dual power. In the final offensive the population of Managua rose up en masse to capture 'bunker', seizing thousands of weapons: undisputed leadership of this struggle was the FSLN.

The CDCs have become Sandinista Defence Committees elected by neighbourhood. Their extended to all aspects of social welfare, jobs, reconstruction, repait against pro-Somoza forces.

the countryside organising in the Association of Field Workers.

being workplace, and centralised Sandinista Workers NAC, the women's organisation that played a central role in the struggle, fight for women's rights as the Association of

Nicaraguan Women. The building their own organisation, the 19 July Sandinista Youth.

A Sandinista army has been established. It has drawn into it's ranks many of the militias which arose in the civil war. In addition to this a national militia is being built, 300,000 strong, to be based in the factories, neighbourhoods, ana rutal areas.

The new Government Reconstruction announced a series of radical measures on coming to power,

*The nationalisation property, a staggering 60% of the economy.

* A land reform, giving land to the peasants, and establishing cooperatives on the big estates.

*The nationalisation of the banks, all air, maritime, and essential land transport, and a monopoly of foreign trade.

*An illiteracy.

Employers are forbidden to workers without the permission of the Ministry of Labour, and have been forced to pay two months back wages for the period of the general SLIKE I

But although the victorious insurrection tore apart the old bourgeois state structure and destroyed it's

Callial

Guard, there are still guarantees for capitalist

property. The new government takes the torm

of a coalition with bourgeois figures who

opposed the Somoza regime.

It is this which has led to a debate in the

Fourth International and with other Trotskyist

Vizallsailulls Critics

Secretariat of the Fourth International have

centred the character

leadership, and it's setting up of a coalition

government with the bourgeoisie.

For the comrades of the Leninist Trotskyist

Tendency the government's intentions were to

safeguard

bourgeoisie and imperialism, and maintain the

subjection of the masses

exploitation. The Bolshevik

similar position, claiming that Fidel Castro also

packeo me coveranen akire sucia coursc

The OCI in France,

of the OCRFI, stated that the FSLN were

Socialist Challenge 15 November 1979 Page 8

dynamic

rules? the FSLN; the role of the

Reconstruction process the crucial. uprising of of

Civil Defence

murderous National

areas

Somoza's fortified

The

the people in each

function has been

work, and vigilance

the peasants al C

built in every through the Federation. AMPRO-

is continuing to

youth are also of National Kremlin®

of all Somocista education programme to eradicate

sack any the National

of the United

of the FSLN

the national

poverty and Faction had

the main organisation

alike, history has shown that revolutionary crises pose the question of power; which class

At a critical stage in this revolutionary

question of government becomes Who forms the government? Is it s

Boy woreing hiss prede is basenteen the

working class and based organisations of that class, or is it a bourgeois government based on the institutions of the bourgeois state?

The differences in the Fi do not focus on these fundamental questions of strategy, the need for a workers and peasants government

conciliationist and that the government had

been supported by the imperialists and

bureaucracy because

"counter-revolutionary" role.

Thesé three currents share a common

method - that of abstract schemas. The fact

that the FSLN led the revolution

Somoza; carried through a radical programme,

and fights continuously to organise the masses

is overshadowed for them by the presence of the

bourgeois ministers.

Of course we cannot support the presence of

such forces in the government. The

through of the revolution to its conclusion must

at some point come into conflict with ine

bourgeois ministers.

The FSLN does not use the presence of

bourgeois figures in

Communist Parties did in the Popular Fronts

of the 1930s — to hold back the mobilisation of

the masses. Far from it, the FSLN is leading the

fight for self-organisation ot tne

peasants, militias, women, and youth.

The OCI's description

government's actions as

ary. is no surprise. To this day they argue that

Cuba remains a bourgeois state!

Just two months before the overthrow of

Somoza, leaders of the LTT in Costa Rica

wrote that: The class struggle is going through

an acute downturn. however temporary'. and

denounced the FSLN for launching another

offensive!

The same comrades, and the Bolshevik

Faction, , claimed that the militias were being

dissolved and the workers disarmed. In fact the

FSLN was setting up an army trained in the use

of rockets, tanks, and artillery, to guard against

any Somocista attacks from

Honduras.

Char trom dissolving the militias, on 9

October FSLN leader Tomas Borge announced

'the workers in the factories themselves will be

of it's daya week'.

The Trotskyist against elections

carrying centre of

the same way as the

of the 'counter-revolution- sharpest.

spelt OUL other neighbouring

and class independence, but rather on tactical questions, assessment of the balance of class forces, the centrality of this or that slogan at any given time in the unfolding revolutionary

These tactical questions are of course very important and at times crucial. But even a mass revolutionary party, with a large proletarian base, like the Bolsheviks, found it difficult to avoid making mistakes of this character.

The article printed below, "The gains of the toiling masses', summarises the positions of the United Secretariat of the Fourth International.

"The revolution has only just begun' we the militias. They will have their weapons'; they 'will of course be controlled by the workers who will also have military training at least one

Bolshevik Faction, and Tendency, have called for removal of the bourgeois ministers, and for

to constituent Concentration on removing ministers would be to completely mis-estimate the far reaching break that has taken place in terms of military power, the location of the real

power,. the character OI government measures up to now, experiences necessary for the consciousness and organisation of the masses to develop.

The demand for a constituent assembly, also raised by the OCI, is to counter-pose bourgeois parliamentary institutions to the development and national centralisation of the

organs of power of the masses, neighbourhood and union committees.

It is on the tasks of the Fourth International in Nicaragua that the differences have been

The resolution of the United Secretariat that *the "reconstruction Nicaragua" in the interests of the workers and poor peasants makes it necessary to extend workers control of production; expropriate the imperialist banks and enterprises; repulse the artempts of the imperialist financial institutions to use the foreign debt as a means of pressure;

nationalise the remaining privately owned industries and large firms; and begin overall economic planning. Along this path, the system

of captialist accumulation will be destroyed.

words, the tasks before the

Nicaraguan masses and their leadership require

resolutely continuing along the road opened

twenty years ago by the Cuban revolution.

"Today, to prepare to carry out these tasks

means strengthening all the organisations the

outline the

conference The

revolutionaries, profound effect internationally

biggest possible solidarity

• strings and US hands off Nicaragua. toiling

Leninist

the

assembly,

ofrevolutionary Marxism the "The consolidation and the

centralised workers,

prolelaran parly

such as the questions facing the revolution.

permanent revolution unfolds.

The idea that

struggle of the Sandinista people'.

Many break with principle.

James P. Cannon, leader of the

ideas.'

position adopted by the International Marxist Group World Congress

unfolding revolutionary process in Nicaragua is not only rich in experience for all

wild ve g on the class struggle

The essential task for us now is building the

and attempting to counteract the manoeuvres of imperialism. The central themes for a solidarity. movement must be aid to Nicaragua with no

masses began building during their struggle against the dictatorship and in the first

*By explaining its programme and ideas the Fourth International places itself firmly on the side of the FSLN's battle to ensure the victory of the socialist revolution. By acting as loyal militants in the framework of the organisation which led the overthrow of Somoza and leads this revolution, the members of the Fourth International in Nicaragua will defend the ideas

of the gains of the toiling masses in a workers state based on

soldiers, and peasants committees is intimately connected to progress in the construction of a revolutionary socialist

within which the political vanguard of the Nicaraguan working class can debate out and decide the most important

'The character and history of the leadership of the FSLN as well as its role in the first phase of the revolution show that it would be an error to place any a priori limit beyond which decisive sectors of the FLN cannot go as the process of

these positions are "liquidationist', as the Bolshevik Faction and LTT charge, is absurd. The Bolshevik Faction themselves operated in Nicaragua as the Simon Bolivar Brigade of the FSLN, whose stated 'only programmatic point' was, to support the

Nor is the line for Trotskyists in Nicaragua

• we need only recal American Trotskyists, describing their entry line into the Socialist Party, supported by Trotsky, in which they were forced to give up their paper. 'We enter the Socialist Party as we are, with our

Page 9 scan of this page

THE NICARAGUA QUESTION

The Revolution has

only just begun

AT it's conference leading up to the World Congress the International adopied a number position of the United Secretariar. These can be summarised as follows:

In the words of a Sandinista leader, overthrown Somoza, but the revolution only must begun. dictatorship may political power doesn't just. barrel of a gun. reparte of the coolismy in the has st of large part or ine economv in the hands imperialist and anti-Somoza bourgcoisie has economic organisations such as the Chamber associations.

Prensa, radio stalloils.

Catholic hierarchy, and government.

This gives rise to a situation of dual power, in which the decisive confrontation has yet 10 bulle Any inevitably entails a clash with the bourgeoisie, born intermany and externaly. I is •tor this clash that the prepare.

Government

From this characterisation of the situation as one of dual power flows the need to fight for a workers and peasants government. government would base authority from the mass organisations of the toilers and the oppressed. It's objective would be the favourable resolution of the situation of dual power through a victory of the workers' and peasants organisations over the remaining capitalist bastions.

The tasks of such a workers' and peasants' government would involve the centralisation of the Sandinista Defence Committees and so on,

bullang youth organisations, arming generalison of workers control, working out through workers' militias, a national economic plan and so on.

The present Government Reconstruction is not such a government. It is a bourgeois

Simon Bolivar Brigade

- effective solidarity? THE Simon Bolivar Brigade was launched by the comrades ot the Colombia to send militants to fight with the FSLN in Nicaragua. The intiative was opposed by the FSLN and the solidarity committee in Colombia, and was taken without consulting the leadership of the Fourth International.

It was not opposed in principle, but because the most effective form of support was political solidarity. in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Mexico, large campaigns were built, International militants in their leadership.

These campaigns Nicaraguan revolution, and were undoubtedly a factor in the Organisation of American States refusing to support a US proposal for a peace keeping' force to take over from Somoza's National Guard.

The Simon Bolivar Brigade as such never fought in Nicaragua, militants saw action in regular units FSLN. The Brigade as Nicaragua after the fall of Managua.

The Brigade masqueraded as a part of the FSLN, and. endeavoured to leadership on workers involved in organising unions in various factories, throuch auluntaral methods. It even introduced the

the Sandinista Simon Bolivar Brigade!

This activity Nicaragua. In Bluefields, a town on the east coast largely cut off from the rest of the country where there were few FSLN cadres, the brigade presented itself as the FSLN leadership of the city and surroundine area. obliged to send in an armed unit into Bluefields d to establish its authority.

Faced with this leadership publicly called for a meeting with the Simon Bolivar Brigade. The Brigade responded

Marxist Group ot amendments to the

'We have has

he armed forces of the

have been destroyed, bul.

grow from the

The

of Commerce and employers It has the main daily paper La

support from a presence in the

revolution

Nicaraguan masses have to

measures

Such a itself and derive its

revolution.

women's capitalist of the masses land reform, aware that

clash of National

coalition government involving

Bolshevik Faction demonstrations and involving Fourth

helped to channel the although some of its of the entered

impose its own

in some cases brigade. allE outrageous

Workers Federation and the

political received broad notoriety in

The FSLN condemn,

situation, the FSLN ally intention Nicaragua.

'We can't give the FSLN a blank cheque.'

bourgeois ministers. Whilst this government has not acted as an obstacle to the radical

proposed by the leadership as

•eL. WY C presence of such forces within the government.

The bourgeois ministers have been given an authority quite out of keeping with their actual role in the class struggle through their presence in the government. hey. act with imperialism, using the threat of witholding cooperation, finance and aid to hold back the

. At the first opportunity they will try to split off forces from the FSLN to build a counter-evoluuonary base

Whilst we reject the slogans sectarians who today shout. "down

government' 'Out capitalist ministers' we must

the fight for peasants' government will inevitably involve a

with the bourgeois forces

This happened in Cuba, where capitalist ministers revolution.' by organising a demonstration of workers near the meeting site.

The workers involved were brought to this demonstration under the false pretense thal they were there to discuss their problems with the FSLN leadership.

The FSLN leadership held two meetings with the Simon Bolivar Brigade, lasting many hours, to try proposed that the brigade become a disciplined and loyal part of the FSLN, as an international

But the brigade leadership refused to place itself under the discipline of the FSLN, despite its public stance that it is a military, and not

Or gallation. the FSLN leadership expelled the brigade's non-Nicaraguan members.

Panama, as a first step on their way.

When the Torrijos opportunity to arrest and beat members of the origade Delore senalug mem ou, walen

the FSLN leadership issued statement that it had not arrested or mistreated

member of the brigade, was solely to expel them from

. Sandinista cannot support the and costly error.

had sided with them.

the forces that Nicaraguan

of the revolution, but with the with the be continually regimes. workers' and

in the Party

exactly what

Obreros Campesino:, estudiontes

Por la Libertad de Los Reos

"The Colombian PST placed its own factional interests above those of the Nicaraguan

largely

majority Colombian PST interests revolution.

They

The

Consequently,

They were sent to

utilized the

we Brigade operation.

and that. its

were also püt in office after Castro's victory over Batista. At the time leaders of the Fourth International were clear that this was a 'grave

The capitalist ministers had to be driven out by mass mobilisations, along with a section of the guerilla movement that

The best defence against counter-revolution

made the revolution, masses overthrew murderous Somoza dictatorship.

It is correct to note the massive material aid

the policy of the Cuban Icadership over the last period has been one of

radical bourgeois Such a policy which rejects a break with the bourgeoisie, would be fatal for the Nicaraguan revolution.

Whilst the FSLN has led the revolutionary overthrow of Somoza and pushed through a

Sandinister

Documents of the Colombian PST state that the project of the Simon Bolivar Brigade factional operation against the FSIN and the conceived and executed

of the Fourth Inlernallonal. Int placed its own above those of the Nicaraguan

This behaviour of the brigade could provide a pretext to forces opposed to the advance of the revolution to advocate the use of repression in the workers movement to settle differences, against the policy of the FSLN.

United Secretariat of the International condemns and repudiates Simon Bolivar Brigade and its activities.

At the same time, the Fourth International considers the expulsion of the Simon Bolivar Brigard from Nicaragua to be a mistake. We don't want to minimise the fraudulent irresponsible character of the Simon Bolivar

But we believe that the prestige and political authority of the FSLN are sufficiently great to have enabled it to solve the problem of the Simon Bolivar Brigade by using public criticism and condemnation rather than expulsion.

property will have its place.

forces is the capitalism. it

cheque Nicaraguan

nationalist

denalt organised

in the FSLN.

British Comrades

refuse to split

Trotskist • Tendency

with the Bolshevik Faction Committee for the Fourth International calling for conference of all

aim of fighting revisionism and ing' such an appeal. It is a splitțing act.

Steering Committee

the Fourth International.

Declaration factional

of view of the world revolution.

Steering Committee, political We,

Fourth break with the

the Ichocucy was lormcu

International, and Appéal.

The fight

future.

Socialist Challenge 15 November 197)

series of radical measures, it has not declared

that its goal is socialism. In fact the programme

of the Reconstruction Government is for an

anti-Somocista revolution, in which private

The FSLN is today a centrist current which from those supporting

popular front alliance with the bourgeoisie, to

revolutionary forces seeking the overthrow o

is true that we can't say

advance what limits there are to the evolution

of the FLSN, but nor can we give them a blank

It is this which makes vital the construction

of a revolutionary democracy centralist party

by the FSLN, in which militants of the Fourth

International would also take their place as a

tendency. The Fourth

International's position reflecting the interests of the workers and poor peasants lead to the stablishment of a workers state based or

organisations of the masses and are therefore fully in accord with the aims of revolutionaries THE majority of the members of the Leninist

Steering Committee on Sunday 28 Oct decided to issue a joint appeal

and . Organising Reconstruction of the an open organisations claiming to adhere to the Trotskyist Programme with the

"recompos-

To issue such an appeal is to say that the Fourth International as presently organised, its sections, its World Congress, its International Executive Committee and its Secretariat are dead from the point of view of the world revolution. There can be no other meaning for

The Declaration of the LTT states and the

earlier voted that all members of the LTT must be loyal members of

We stand by this

The International is not dead from the point

To split the Fourth International, to issue such an appeal, as decided by the majority of members of the

is therefore an unprincipled and criminally irresponsible split.

British members of the LTT Steering Committee, condemn this course of action. It is

principles on which the

We appeal to all members of the Fladhari to the LTT to stand by the Declaration of d LTT, to remain as loyal members of the Fourt

to repudiate time

continues within the Fourth International. With the FI, within the Fl, our politics can win. Outside of it there is no future

Sired by three leading members of the British

Page 10 scan of this page

THE TRAGIC split which has just taken place

the fourth International consequences for the revolutionary movement and the tasks that confronts us in building a world party of socialist revolution.

Since 1938, the year in which Leon Trotsky founded the FI, this confronted with many difficulties, hot the least of which Is the heritage of Stalinism and its organisational norms. confusion In the constitutes the basis for splits and fusions has its origins in the dissemination of the Stalinist myth of the "monolithic" expression of • 'sect' mentality.

This mentality has Its material roots in the isolation OI those groups from masses and their consequent remoteness from the immediate problems of constructing a mass party. Although the revolutionary movement has long ago passed through the of retrenchment; during the 1940s, 'bUs, the dead still weigh heavily on the living.

It is a tragedy that many currents. today and in the past, have justified their separation from the Fourth International by invoking Lenin's name and what they assume to be Trotsky's organisational conception they hold of Lenin and Trotsky as inveterate 'splitters' cannot be upheld in any serious study of the fight by these leaders of the Russian revolution to establish a revolutionary party in Russia itself and internationally.

In the Trotskyist movement these wrong conceptions been peddled by the 'Workers Revolutionary Party' in Britain, led by Gerry Lambert's OCI (international Organisation) in France; and Moreno's PST (Socialist Workers Party) in Argentina. Tendencies

These tendencies have tradition of splitting on the basis of internal organisational sectarianism questons. drawn by Lenin and Trotsky between parties, factions and tendencies. the unprincipled activities of these currents has been serious revolutionary movement and a weakening of the FI.

For its part, the International Marxist Group

the British SCELLULI of waged a struggle for an programmatic basis of the principled fusion of all revolutionaries (that is, those who defend the historic interests of the working practice) international democratic centralist organisation, no matter what positions are held on secondary questions or on tactics.

We are only in favour of parting company, if necessary splitting, definitively overturn tenets, and who fail to defend the historic interests of the working class. This is not the nature of the differences Nicaragua; therefore we characterise the split as unprincipled.

A failure to defend these Leninist principles of organisation both undermines the basis of unity of the party, and inevitably leads to a

Socialist Challenge 15 November 1979 Page 10

* Lenin split from the Second International only after its historic betrayal of the world pr

has serious

objective has been

The widespread Marxist left over what

party, and is an

the broad

'50s, and

tendency Fourth his and But most systematically

Healy; by Pierre Communist

fact

established

and tactical They confuse all the distinctions

The consequence of

fragmentation the

the has

understanding of the

party; for the that is.

that the single

challenge. with those who hese programmatic

in the FI over

Fourth

political current?

movement, unprincipled.

degeneration of internal democracy.

and factions are the basis for separation into different parties, then the result will be monolithic sects.

It is no accident that these organisations; which customarily react with

and factional struggles International, misunderstand struggles within an organisation which has a living relationship to the world revolution, and habitually construct tin-pot monolithic regimes in their own (tiny) organisations.

As Trotsky once put it: 'Whoever prohibits factions thereby liquidates party democracy and takes the first step towards a totalitarian regime" ('Leon Trotsky on France').

Lenin himself was absolutely clear on the necessity of preserving party unity even where there were major disagreements of a tactical or

example, to the popular misunderstanding that Lenin split with the Mensheviks in 1903, he in

insisted Bolshevik maintaining unity in the same party with the Mensheviks until 1912. Mensheviks calleds for a vote for a bour this despite party (the Cadets) in elections.

Bolsheviks did accept the split Mensheviks in 1912, this was Mensheviks announced that the Russian Social Democratic party disrupted it. Re-unification

Politically, Lenin held the door open for re-unification with the Mensheviks until 1914;

until it had been shown in through their support for the imperialist war,

Mensheviks betrayed interests of the working class.

Those who deride the Fourth International's conception of freedom for factions within a single party or international, also frequently

its conception of democratic centra ism. Organisations Lutte Ouvriere in France and the International Communist League in Britain argue that in a real international the leadership would have authority over every aspect of the political life cOl all the national sections

We disagree. The World Congress of the

International decides political framework within which the sections work out their tactics,

SPLITS & FUSIONS

In what circumstances is it correct for revolutionaries to split from or to expel a

DAVE PACKER and PHIL HEARSE examine the positions of Lenin and Trotsky, together with the historical experience of the world revolutionary

to argue that the recent split in the Fourth International was

If

Democratic

mirth at the inside the such

revolutionary untying acuons

Monolithic Contrary, for

faction

international

When with the because the conception

and actively monolithic national

How do practice, disputes in Nicaragua? the historic

revolutionaries,

international carried out. like For example

provisional

was

the general

but the tactical line

tariat in 1914.' The Fourth International has committed no such betrayal decided in each country cannot be overturned by the international leadership.

centralism in • a revolutionary party derives from the take power. It poses the need for a party to be able to act against the capitalist state with the utmost unity and effectiveness, while basing its internal debates and election of leadership on the experience of struggle of all sections of the working class and oppressed people.

The task of a revolutionary international involves the elaboration of the programme of

Marxism, co-ordinating on an international building new sections, and seeing interests of the movement as a whole prevail over national peculiarities.

Since it is impossible to take political power in every country simultaneously, the task of an international leadership is different from that of a national leadership; and it is inevitable that

democratic centralism function in a far less immediate and rigorous way than democratic centralism on a national

scalence again, those who challenge the FT's

international centralism in reality want a homogeneous and monolithic international, just as

parties. With conception perhaps an international sect like the Sparticist League is possible. towards a mass revolutionary international are impossible with such sect-like conceptions.

these positions relate to the Hourth nternationa

In Nicaragua a revolution is in the process of development. In such situations extremely complicated analytical questions are posed for

and it is not at all unusual to have disputes about the precise tasks to

in Russia between February and 'August 1917, Lenin held the position that the call for the immediate overthrow of the

government was ultra-left. argued this despite the fact that the government

bourgeois government; that Bolsheviks were opposed to it; and that the government would ultimately be forced into repressive counter-revolutionary acts.

Lenin took the view that it was not yet

possible government,

wanted to give government

positions had been taken.

Tactical

government, include . DOW SCUIS particular powerful political force

based on local committees. imposes massive tactical problems.

pre-World Congress and

scale, that the bourgeois government.

Nicaraguan revolution.

the Nicaraguan

for splitting an international.

will

practice betrayed the

politics on an international scale. democratic

Dead they want

such

signify Any steps

the revolution in the rapidly to intervening

Despite these grave

that matter be

over to alien class forces.

He shall continue

the

overthrow the provisional despite the existence of dual power in the form of soviets. He fought a dual battle against both the ultra-lefts in the working class base of the Bolsheviks who wanted the immediate overthrow of the government, and against the conciliators in his own party who

critical support to the

Indeed, before Lenin arrived in Petrograd in April 1917 the Bolsheviks did in fact adopt a conciliatory attitude to the governient. But at no time did Lenin urge a split because wrong

In Nicaragua at the present time there is a

the GRNN, which does indeed but the most which makes its own laws and gives its own directives, is the FSLN,

Such a situation

However, there is no doubt that before the split of the Bolshevik Faction and the Leninist Trotskyist Tendency, a clear majority of the membership of the Fourth International — expressed through the recent voting at the

conterences the national sections of the FI — was in favour of characterising the Nicaraguan government as a

There was no possibility of "betraying' the These differences of assessment, even differences on the nature of

government, do not at all amount to anything like the massive betrayal of the revolution in practice which is the only basis

Lenin split from the Second International only after its historic betrayal of the world

Trotsky split from Third International only when it had clearly in

German revolution in

1933, a decisive event determining the future of

viewpoint revolutionary struggle it is a dead organisation. No such position can be sustained in relation to the Fl's role over Nicaragua — on the contrary it is one of the forces which recognises a real

making, and responded within it. Thus the splitters are lightminded and irresponsible.

errors, we refuse : to characterise either the BF or the LTT — or for

factional plotters in the Organising Committee for the Reconstruction of the Fourth International - as having gone

The overwhelming majority of the forces of the Fourth International have stayed loyal. We

fight for the Leninist position on the programmatic basis for unity. To all those forces who stand for the historic interests of the working class, and who are willing to participate in the framework of a democratic centralist international, the doors I of the Fourth International remain open.

Page 11 scan of this page

Why the British Army shot one of their own

Black's rented cottage and outhouses showing: A, the window of the bedroom where the Special Investigation Branch man waited with a silenced

IRELAND

By Geoff Bell

IN the early hours of 18 August 1972, William Black and his wife were awakened by four men attempting to steal two vans outside their house in Black's British controlled-Ulster Regiment, arrest the thieves.

This, after a skirmish, he successfully did. William Black was later to wish he had never been so security' conscious.

The men he had arrested were undercover agents of the British Army and from that day on the Army's "Special Investigation Branch', which includes members of the SAS, decided they would teach Black a lesson. In short they decided to kill him.

The story of William Black is told in a book published last week, Ambush at Tully West: The British Intelligence Service in Action: The book is written by Kennedy Lindsay, a former Loyalist member of. the Assembly, coreone normally go out of his way to criticise the British Army. Lindsay's decision to tell the tale of William Black is probably motivated by the fact that Black Loyalist. Official Secrets

It was this Loyalism which caused Black to become indignant once he had learned that those he had arrested were in fact members of the British Army.

Although, as a member of the UDR, he was told that he had to say nothing about the incident under the terms of the Official Secrets Act, Black did tell a number of people. It was probably when the Army heard of this that it decided to kill him.

What also disturbed the British forces was that Black knew the theft he had prevented was ot two vans. and that another stolen nearby shortly before. car are what are usually used in IRA bombing operations, and one of the vans the Army was trying to steal belonged to a prominent Repub-

In other words, the evidence suggested that Black had interrupted an Army bombing unit which had the intention Republican movement for the crime.

Eleven days after Black's 'arrest of the soldiers, the first attack on his life was made. He was shot at as he was about to answer a ring at his door. Within seconds a Saracen-load o soldiers appeared at his door.

•They claimed to have been 'passing' when they heard the shot. Because Black knew the heavy sound of a Saracen and that he had not heard that sound when he had gone to answer the door, he knew the Army's story was a lie. The soldiers could not possibly have heard the shot.

A few days later Black was sacked from the UDR on a trumped-up charge. He decided it would be safer to move to a new area.

part 193

Daily Mail

Financial Times

Guardian

Daily Star

Sun

Daily Express

Daily Telegraph

Daily Mirror

TOTAL:

Rd, Belfast. As a member of the Defence Black went outside and tried to Northern Ireland would

was a proven and reliable car had been Two vans and

framing the British

been made.

Black's

British media and Ireland,

THE ruling class press screamed for censorship last Friday. The filming by BBC's Panorama of the IRA liberating the Northern Irish village of Carrickmore produced the predictable howls of outrage. The film was immediately banned, and the editorial columns of the press fell over themselves to demand more and more censorship of news from Ireland.

The same day the press exercised their own bit of censorship. Fleet Street gave little or no coverage to the sectarian killings of two Catholics in Belfast which occurred around the time the Panorama storm broke.

Those that did cover these deaths were'nt too concerned. The Daily Telegraph, for instance, described them as a 'reprisal raid'. For those interested in the standards of the 'free press', the following is a run down of how many inches of copy Fleet Street gave to the Carrickmore incident [in which nobody died] and the Belfast killings [two Catholics dead]:

Inches of copy Carrickmore 24.5 15 9.5 23.0 45.0 36

19 193

A

sub-machine gun and; B, the outhouse.

'our months later the house opposite hi

lew address was machine gunned. when Blac examined the empty cartridge cases left by the attackers he discovered they

Army issue. Next day informed him they had received information that it was Black's house that had been the target for the attack and that a mistake had

Black finally went to Kennedy Lindsay and told him the story. Lindsay inquiries with a number of lawyers. A few weeks later someone attempted to assassinate

son Lindsay considers 'improbable' that the attacker was a member of the IRA. More disturbed than ever, Lindsay then related the Black story in a speech in the •Northern Ireland Assembly. ignored by the media.

Sectarian killings

0.75

1.75

3.5

had rented were standard

the police

slencer.

Incredibly, he survived. started making

was attack been hired

largely there.

EXPRESS *

PROVOS RULE-RUC. THUGS

BBCECE

OUTRAGE C

Then, on 26 January 1974, William Black and three workmates arrived at a cottage Back

County Down. •Black carrying a sporting rifle under his arm. soldiers were waiting for him. Without warning they opened up with a machine gun fitted with a

Only Black was shot at. Two bullets passed through his neck; two others ripped through his chest and stomach. One struck him in his back.

stolen propertv was found in an outhous adjacent to Black's cottage. The Army was to claim they knew this to be the case before the

was mounted. But the outhouse had from Black by a mysterious Thompson', and it was heavily padlocked with no windows, so only the person who had fitted the padlock could have known the goods were

Army

'occupies'

factory

THE British Army industrial estate in the Catholic ghetto district of Whiterock, week, and immediately ordered two small firms operating there to get out within 14 days.

This new version occupation was spearheaded by the Royal Engineers who, backed up by LU CHIL units, industrial estate in the early hours of last Tuesday. When workers arrived al ine two small factories North Candle Co and the A-Town Welding Co - they were sent home by the Army, who intend to use the site as a new Army/RUC base.

Unemployment The Whiterock district of Belfast already level unemployment estimate puts the figure as high as 50 per cent - and although the two companies only employed about 15 workers the industrial estate did last make available premises for other companies to set up factories in the .al ca In the past

B cottage, it was later discovered, was Six

Army a year before

against Black. Indeed he

but later released.

in England that a 'hit'

said the SAS member, 'terrorist'

had discovered just how British Army. frame and kill him.

from the estate.

factories

British "security employment.

occupied an

Belfast, last

of factory trial

moved

The to appear in suffers from an atrocious

one

statement Hand

number of the streets.'

A pistol 'found' by the Army in Black's

was a UDR weapon which had been lost when the UDR member concerned had been on patrol with the

At any rate, no charges were ever brought

was later awarded £16,700 damages by the Ministry of Defence The soldiers who tried to kill him were arrested

A member of the SAS later told Kennedy Lindsay that it was known in SAS headquarters

squad had been sent from England to kill Black. They had been told,

that Black was a

In fact, Black's crime was that by chance he

"terrorist' was the And that is why they tried to

co-operative concerns have operated

But now the Government - the were leased by Department of Commerce - and the Army have decided that willlake priority over As a decision it can hardiy be taken as a change of policy by the Government.

Free speech

ASSOCIALIST CHALLENGE went to press, a member of Provisional Sinn Fein and two supporters of the magazine Hands Off Ireland were due court in Cardiff for the sell their magazine and copies of Sinn Fein's An Phoblacht/Republican News in Cardiff's market place.

They were arrested when selling on 15 September at a street meeting on political prisoners. For selling the •Journals, me luret were chargeu wilt 'insulting' and 'abusive' behaviour. Should the three be found guilty it will further attack on the right 1o speak out on Ireland. In a joint press Off Ireland and Sinn Fein have pledged: 'We will Bot be silenced. We will not be driven off

Socialist Challenge 15 November 1979 Page 11

Page 12 scan of this page

PUBLISH, AND GO TO JAIL 22 New official secrecy Bill

HOME NEWS

just introduced in Parliament, should more properly 'Witholding of Public Information from the Public Bill'.

The last Labour committed but its manifesto to repeal the Official Secrets Act, endear itself to the CIA and the

expelling Agee and Mark Hosenball from Britain, and using the prosecute Aubrey, Campbell.

With increasing demands freedom of information legislation, which would make many government voca dents avalable lo me Thatcher is treading the path of her predecessor at 10 Downing Street -with a vengeance.

CHRISTOPHER PRICE Labour MP for Lewisham West, is a leading campaigner Official Secrets Act. describes what's in store with the Tories' new Bill.

The Protection of Official Information Bill, introduced by the back door into the of October, is the most serious long-term threat to freedom of expression in Britain this century. about spies, but against every single alternative paper in this country.

It replaces section 2 of the Official Secrets Act, which made so wide in the anti-German hysteria of 1911, and recently proved to be ineffective in

by the state to discussion of the security intelligence services.

The Tories have drawn up the Bill on the basis of White produced by

following the Keport. Intimidate

This report came committee set up by the Tories in 1971 following the prosecution of the Daily Telegraph over its use of supposedly secret documents on the Biafra war, and the of Mr Caufield, who said that section should be 'put out to grass'.

he Protection Information Bill is being represented as a liberalising reform of the law. In fact, it will make convictions easier to Socialist Challenge 15 November 1979 Page 12

government,

tried ARO Philip ER + Act

TORI

for

public,

against the

Here he

on 25

The Bill is not could be used

the authorities

obtain, intimidate which has on the whole expenditure which prevent under public scrutiny. and has

Paper most serious:

Labour Franks classification

tions of the Franks Committee. from

Justice protected by criminal sanctions.

Official unauthorised disclosure may serious aannage lo

in the courts.

ARGUMENTS FOR

SOCIALISM

COVERNMENY IS A

IN

authors and journalists, and prevent discussions

area public ought to come

many unsatisfactory features, but the following are the

The Bill separates protection of information concerning defence and international relations from the

of documents and articles, contrary to the recommenda-

"Classification' in this Bill is only an indication that information may be protectea, No one can therefore he certain that a document which is not classified does not contain information which à Minister may decide is

2. The Minister's certificate that

cause injury, the nation conclusive and cannot be challenged

the recent thousands increases armaments at all.

NOMENO

ABC

MILITARY

INTELLIGENCE

TODAY

CONTRADICTIONE

TERMSK

International Telecommunication Convention Malaga-Torremolinos, 25 October 1973

(ratilled by United Kingdom 1974)

ARTICLE 22

Secrecy of Telecommunications

Il. Members agree to take air possibie, measures, compatible with the system of telecommunication used, with a view to ensuring the secrecy of

Left: Aubrey; right: Berry, during the ABC trial. With the Tories' new Bill such prosecutions could be everyday events

3. The Bill creates a separate category of information relating to security or intelligence, which is not subject to any test of serious injury or otherwise. Any information security or intelligence is protected whether or not it is already common knowledge.

The burden of proof is on the defendant to show that disclosure could not lead to unauthorised access to other protected information. This precludes public discussion security matters.

Categories

4. A new category of information relating to the interception of mail and telephone tapping is created. This, too, is subject to no test of and covers not information gained by these methods but information about the methods themselves.

IT IS argued that the cuts proposed in Тогу White Paper on government spending are necessary to control inflation but is this true? In fact, the White Paper is itself inflationary. It increases spending on defence and the police — areas which don't produce anything while cutting of productive •jobs Corby and BL.

Resources allocated to armaments and defence simply drop out circulation. The 'products - guns, tanks and so on — sit idly in army bases until they're outdated, or are used against Irish people.

The money that's paid for them spending power the industry, but decreases the amount of goods and services that could otherwise be produced.

The same is true of the pay rises for soldiers and the which increase the purchasing power of a section of the population without any corresponding increase in production

But the most alarming thing about the figures in the White Paper is that they are all based on the assumption that inflation will be running at 11.5 per cent per year, despite the fact that even official estimates put it at 20 per cent before the end of the year.

In other words, to get a real idea of the extent of the cuts you have to add about 10 per cent to each of them. Undoubtedly, when it becomes obvious that inflation running much higher than the Tories pretend,

It would be an offence for anyone

to complain publicly that his or he

telephone was being tapped.

government in confidence

circumstances requiring it to be held

in contidence or in circumstances it

which it would be

expect it to be held in confidence'

from a wide range of sources

corporate boales

organisations, of also protected.

put the burden of

defendant, and include an objective

test of 'no reasonable cause'

contrary to the

British crimina law

7. The system of classification is to be the

individual Ministers, but of the Prime only Minister, and she may delegate the

1ob of cassitication to responsible

authorities' which may not be within

government departments proper.

during the course of next year, the government will blame wage rises.

But the nothing to do with wage rises — trade

do not cause never have

Since the war governments have used Keynsian economics and hence at continually increased supply. Kevnes argued that wherea:

wages, it is a lot more difficult to resist cuts in the purchasing money wages caused by rising prices

So inflation is a policy, and it has Why governments

like inflation... up

to a point

By Marcella Fitzgerald

been used by successive governments to reduce the real value of wages by printing more money. allows capitalists to put up prices so thạt the Ical value continually talling back.

But now inflation is creating more problems than capitalist class. gullible as Keynes made because nothing has been keeping its value, long-term investment is very risky. With money losing its value all the time, no one wants to lend it

would information.

the House ycal soul as possible. *The Freedom

Details 274-288 stereotyping

Information received by the

Industry

reasonable to facilities The the BBL international and individuals - 1 of the

group, Defences against prosecution

committee, proof on the

Fi both film makers,

normal practice in

casting directors.

responsibility of

SW18

worth a lot less. rate of inflation has

• inflation and

the money suffer.

their money else, the state has

of upwards. fetish

spending.

destablising the direct cuts impossible (as yet),

More money The other of wages is

solves for the are cut back, Workers are not so

out. And cut in real wages

intelligence are all very general, and in

the case of security and intelligence

cover practically

The Bill must be opposed in the

House of Lords and when it comes to

of Commons later this

national campaign must be

mobilised to draw the attention of the

media and the public to the sort of

offences it would create and the

discussion it would prevent. I hope

such a campaign can be mounted as

Campaign for Press contacting various

organisations, including the print anc

journalists' unions, to co-ordinate a

campaign against the Bill.

John Jennings, London Road, Hadleigh,

Essex. Tel 0702 553131

Women in

entertainment

conference

HOW women in the entertainment

induștry can best challenge the sexual

which denigrates them

both as workers and in the sort of

toles they are expected to portray is

one of the aims of a conference to be

held by the Women in Entertainment

group on 25 November.

Another aim is to ensure that it is

possible for women to work in the

providing adequate

nursery, contraceptive, and abortion

group includes members of nursery campaign, the

Feminist Theatre Group, ex-members

National Theatre women's Ene Theatre women's subWriters

Union, and Rock Against Sexism, as

well as individual women designers,

dancers, agents, and The conference, for women only,

is at the Architectural Association,

Bedford Square, London WCI, from

10am to 6pm. There will be a creche.

Adm E2 (El for the unwaged). Further

from: Women in Entertain8 Sutherland Grove, London

¡ because by the time it's paid back it's

This is the case unless the rate of interest is greater than the rate at which money is losing its value. But with high interest rates it is expensive to borrow money for the long periods required for investment — so profits

Increasing the price of everything

been unable to prevent the price of capital (mone! for investment) from also spiralling

This explains the Tories' for controlling the mone supply so as to keep interest rates down - though they actually blame it on the need to finance high public

Putting the blame on government spending is not accidental. Inflation is

whole system, • In wages are political' , so there has to be another way to reduce the standard of living of working people sufficiently to increase the rate of profit. The aim of this exercise is to 'persuade' those with capital to invest it.

Away' is the public spending cuts. Once those goods and services produced and distributed by the state and financed by tax revenue

, people will have to pay for them individually. This means a

The difficulty for the Snatcherites is that millions of working people are by no means blind to this connection, or passive about its consequences

Page 13 scan of this page

A WEST GERMANY'S

INTERNATIONAL

TO UNDERSTAND Strauss's candidacy and its importance, one has to grasp the class basis of the contending political parties. The essence of the 1980 elections will not be the contest between Schmidt and Strauss, but a confrontation of classes.

The CDU/CSU and the (liberals currently part coalition government with the SPD)

traditional parties employers, with • structural personal ties to the bourgeois class.

For its part the social-democratic SPD is the traditional party of the (West) German working class. supported especially time - by a big workers, especially the working class vanguard. It has close structural and personal ties the trade federation, the DGB.

Consequently the sharpening of class conflict over the last twelve years has also been expressed in increased (electoral) support for the SPD in the working class, its highest scores being achieved in the industrial concentrations of the Ruhr. Class

In the course of the last ten years this underlying class polarisation has been partially concealed. reason for this has been the crisis of the main bourgeois CDU/CSU:

After Adenauer's resignation as chancellor in 1963 the Democrats were unable forward a credible perspective match the new demands of bourgeoisie.

The candidacy of Strauss alters this situation: the CDU/CSU has pulled itself together and is putting forward a clear capitalist alternative. The previously latent class ation is thus sharpening dramatically.

What Strauss's candidacy reflects is that decisive sections of the German bourgeoisie are prepared to go for a firm policy (as is confirmed by inside commentators). The reasons for this choice can be summarised in three basic features of the present situation,

even if one can't talk about a united aim of the whole bourgeois class here:

*First, the prospect of a new economic crisis. The awareness that a new crisis is on the way been expressed beginning of the year institution, the Bundesbank, has even

carrying out a monetary and credit policy in line with this.

The bosses regard a CDU/CSU government, not to mention Strauss,

as a more effective means of blocking

trade union demands and even taking

the offensive with new

intended to make the workers bear the cost of the crisis.

*Secondly, the

crisis, and especially the aim of the

most important capitalist sectors to

carry out a nuclear

course, on this point

ccident, is at th • domestic policy) Schmidt is regarded

'nuclear chancellor'

been applauded as such

bourgeoisie, including Strauss.

But the bourgeoisie cannot be sure

of the SPD. The SPD has already had

drop important

nuclear programme, and there could.

be further cuts at the congress which is

due to take place in December. The

future here is therefore too uncertain. leader of the CDU/SU is the most *Thirdly, Strauss

WHAT'S LEFT

ABORTION on Demand'

icals 1v0 Week, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP. Singly 25)

exch our ico each. Make cuccues or ros oul

one week

CONFERENCE on 'Workers' Plans

dae or blinderv stoperlam-oom, west nar

Precinct,

Romford Road, London E15. 17 Nov. Papers &

registration

IRANIAN socialist seeks room urgently. North Saman Cation, eTEo, London Or write to

at election majority of the

union

party, the

noted Strauss.

The main of Bavaria, party, the

Christian to put

the

polaris-

bourgeoisie's

its key policy

growing energy

programme. Ot

(which, by heart of Strauss's

and has by the

interests in

points of

(majority facto provocative ments, early elections). - Cutting

Polytechnic, Nuclear Dower priority. Science for People

demonstration.

Please contact by phoning LODOOR

unist Tendency.

FISSTRAUSS

THATCHER?

WITH West Germany's image of "social peace' badly dented by a series of major strikes, the main capitalist

Christian [CDU], has decided that its election campaign next year will be led by

right-winger Franz-Josef

Strauss is currently prime minister where Democrats are organised separately fitting representative of the bosses'

Christian Democratic circles, even if the SPD wins the 1980 elections. Strauss offers an alternative solution to an SPD government, even within the life of the next parliament

through realignments, constitutional judge-

TWO DANISH Trotskyists need a room durin

20 Dex 1979

Copenhagen,

BSSRS 1979 annual conference, Sar 24 Nov,

To.J0DH WOrKSAOD. nazares fasoes 105), radical statistics, agricapital, local groups

and review of year's work

Conway Hall, Fri 16 sneaker Ph murony кео

Democrats

mean the Christian looks

a chland

*Strauss knows that the hour has not yet sounded for the realisation of his whole programme'

Strauss as an individual stands for a strong state, a policy which he has clearly sketched out speeches. As head of government, 0i

course, he would modify this in som

respects — if for no other reason thar that he himself remains tied to the existing relation of social forces.

This does not (yet) permit an open

BSSRS 101h Anniversary meeting

30-10.30pm, 1 WC2. 1 neatre.

SI, London Speakers

Maurice Wilkin PRS (Pres BSSRS), Neednam. РОГОТЛІ Adm: 75p, 40p wageless.

College SU, Central London.

RED LADDER is a socialist collective theatre

company touring regionally. We are looking for

preferably with musical skills one to start in Jan, another in summer.

term years! socials

Brixion/Camberwell, child

Socialist Challenge PO Box 50, London N1.

as the Christian Social Union [CSU] * although the two generally run together in national victory for the CDU/CSU would

that he would chancellor of West Germany.

Below WINFRIED member of the Germany section of the Fourth International

at the developing polarisation in West Germany today.

I strong state policy, massive confrontation in pursuit of several the bosses interests. conservative mes (Heath then Thatcher; Giscard d'Estaing), that government would first attack the weak I points I movement. Its immediate programme

| THE NEW BELT and Braces Band are playing LSE Poly inc Higl (Aldgate East Mike Cooley Joseph against Corrie. Bar and disco. Adm: £1.50 support o

OLDHAM public meeting agains Laws, sull Centre. Glodwick. Speaker: lan Martin (Gen Se

Committee Against supported by Oldham TC

COLLEGE Rank and File London Prince Albert, contact squal all-London, 8pm. Topic: A united frontin 1980 18 Nov

would following lines: 1. strengthening

3. racist

4.

elections. A

This election likely).

become

WOLF, a

called

[GIM], arry I Ou class Crisis as the only

knowledge

This • out

confrontation Hour they mobilsallon wouldn't

open and

Call

So, like other government program- by

of Strauss

workers defending workers.

102 Whitechapel 16 Nov. write examples Cobden Ave, Closing daie 8 Dec

: Immigration 18 Nov, 4pm, Greenhill Community

Immigration Laws

Wharfdale Rd Outes

therefore be along the

A rigorous budgetary policy, with consequent effects in the public sector (job cuts, partial return of state enterprises to the private sector) and reductions in social provision.

An ideological offensive in the realm of the family (the paper Bild says: 'under Strauss, the number of

again...') and of paragraph 218 against the right to abortion.

Opening the floodgates to a and chauvinist campaign against foreign workers in prepara tion for increased unemployment.

A concrete threat to ban the radical left, particularly if there are

"terrorist' (which Strauss candidacy - and even more

would make

But Strauss will put off as long as possible any direct confrontation with the decisive sections of the worker: movement - above all IG Metal (the metal workers union). If-such a policy

for, however, Strauss would be the most suitable person to

Che 1980 elections will therefor express a class polarisation unprecedented since 1952.

In 1972, when there was last an open polarisation around elections, it was expressed above all in a choice for the reform policy of Willy Brandt. An 'economic crisis then seemed far off.

Today, however, it's a matter first and foremost of coming out against the bosses' policy as summed up in Strauss's candidacy. It's a matter of clearly taking a position for the SPD

alternative which can prevent a Strauss victory

that there are fewer illusions in a Schmidt government and growing criticisms of its policy of capitalist stabilisation.

class polarisation will become so strong that it will cut the ground from under the feet of any

candidature which does not take a clear position in this confrontation. Indeed, the extent of the polarisation could even squeeze

the FDP, opening

CDU/CSU majority.

The SPD and trade union leaders

are, like Strauss, trying to limit this

though their motives are different.

Strauss knows that the hour has not yet sounded for the realisation of his whole programme. Already he is letting it be known that he can arrange things - at least to the point inviting union leaders like Loderer and Vetter for discussions instead of squaring up to them straight away.

As for the SPD and the unions, tsarion like pole saine and plague merely be a movement against Strauss - it would also open the way to a growing criticism of the SPD and union leaders

What it would mean would be a

change in the policy followed till now

important sections

organisations, helping to restore the

idea that they should once more act as defanisations of struere for a pothe

interests

wrier — possibly win awecung or penona.

giving references, experience ot work .10 , Leeds 12. Tel: 0532 7922289 Red Ladder

CHILE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIG INTi ILLIMANI COnter Or LIH with ADRIAN MITCHELI

Saturday December Ist at 5pm and 8pm

ocan hat, Unversiy oi Londu ledford Way, London WC Tickoad, LondoN 09502-45 erS Socialist Challenge 15 November 1979 Page 13

Page 14 scan of this page

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Page 15 scan of this page

Please applaud the audience

UNDER REVIEW

WHILE Chairman Hua was 'meeting all the right people? (BBC TV news), lunching on

chicken and bombe glacé with Queen, John Pilger was telling us on ITV thai thousands of Kampuchean children are dying of starvation because of the West's failure to provide aid -same Chinese arse-licking.

China supports Pol Pot, therefore Britain must support Pol Pot and shut its ears to the screams of starving babies.

Unfortunately, Pilger was trying to make between British and American foreign destruction of the Kampuchean people got lost in a week full of images of Chairman Hua and Margaret Thatcher smiling cosily at each other, stepping on and off red carpets and generally 'hitting it off'.

Parading

Parama programmein the show trial of Wei week's viewing Jingsheng to remind us that Chinese democracy is not all it might be, and a BBCZ number for the cultured to remind us of China's great 'civilisation' by parading its art treasures on the screen.

Pilger's documentary Silent Death of Cambodia — was the most reviewed programme of the week. But there was something disturbing about the reviews; each one had its regulation photo of a sad, dying Kampuchean child to adorn its columns; each reviewer professed him or herself moved by the extremity of suffering Pilger revealed.

Yet the political realities which had caused this pain and suffering hardly got a mention. Yes, we should be sending aid, • can overcome a few little political wrangles that are getting in the way?

Most of the reviewers probably watched the news on television the same evening, yet they didn't appear to notice one little item which reported Chairman Mrs. Thatcher was a second Churchill, a leader who could spearhead the fight 'global exposio mism of phe SR. In other words, st threat' posed no account should Thatcher recognise the Heng Samrin government "WLICI knows, a 'puppet' of Vietnam and the USSR... Fail-safe

A couple of days later, Thatcher was asked á Parliamentary question about why aid was not going Kampuchea

regime. She employed her method of shutting her eyes to reality, taking a

By Geoffrey Sheridan

THE Guardian's. These Nicholas de Jongh, has just had what he describes as 'one of the most unusual and experiences nearly professional theatre-going.

Since this experience took place in Pasadena, California, his review to go on. But the message comes across reasonably clearly.

The play he saw is called Felu And Her Friends. which is Maria Irene Fornes, a Cuban-born American. Fefu's opening sets the pace for developments. She says: My husband married me as a constant reminder of how loathsome women are.

It's the staging Jongh. The play is being performed in a large house, and at the first act the audience is divided into four groups and told that each of them will be taken to scenes which take place in rooms or gardens of the house.

Each group sees the scenes in a different order.

"In each there revelation,' de Jongh writes.

The Other Bookshop

328, Upper Street, LONDON 057

FOR ALL YOUR SOCIALIST BOOKS

precisely because of this very

.connections whích

policy and the death and

also included

— Year Zero: The

and surely

Hua's declaration that

against the "hegemonist

is,

as yet.

and why

the defunct Pol Pot

usual fail-safe critic, rewarding. theatrical life

theatrical

10. years'

Arts Lab we have only London, which

badly miss.

written by

out of the Arts

succeeding adjacent

several flights

which gripped de

and were pleasantly

end of the incumbent, inomanin her sixties,

home'.

watch four from Tine old

the tertible trouble she waś 'This with her

not to say: "I'm very sorry. anything I can do?'. we thanked her, the stairs.

theatre since.

'Paris called Magique took

tion a : The

John Pilger with a victim of Pol Pot and the West

enough

deep breath, and enunciating clearly that aid was now getting through and she recognised Pol Pot because there was no 'real' alternative

The point is that in the documentary could only moral responses documentaries human misery, despite his bold attempts to break out of the naturalistic mould of television

technique of making us ambulant

very strange and It gives a new sense of - interpreted not as a from single action watched by an audience but as interconnecting experiences..

A similar thing happened to me 10 years ago. It occurred at what was the end.

Covent Garden, in its devotees noW

Or rather it occurred a couple of

itself, doors down the road in Drury Lane, for when a dozen of us had paid 10 bob to see the The Mother we were led

Lao ana Into an tenament stairsi passed of stairs, bicycles and cooking smells on the landings, and into a flat at the top.

We found ourselves in a bedroom reach

told by its heavily made-up 'Welcome to my As far as one could judge theatrical pictures decorating the room, it was her home.

And there, for about an hour, as we sat in some embarrassment on a sofa and armchairs, she told us about

having At the end of The Mother, it was exceedingly difficult of

Is there

smiled pleasantly, and made our way down I've never felt quite the same way about sitting in an ordinary

A few years ago a theatre group in

La Grande Cirque over an empty warehowed in a suburb of the city and performed the 1789 French revolu-

audience occupied the centre of the 'stage', bécoming the masses, while monarchists, Jacobins,

COLLE

back and forth, making their appeals.

TV's Year Zero' on Kampuchea

Humanity is not

evoke the standard

about

offered, the

What is altered is the presentation of a drama, which is normally 'out there', running its pre-written course

beginning to. end, with demands made on the audience save that we pay for our tickets, interrupt, and dutifully clap ai the

Fragmenting that relationship, by switching scenes so that the audience is left to piece things together for

For play circumstances where reality drama are not readily separable, or forcefully confronting an audience with choices that history actually presented, whithers the

between our seat and the performers.

The demands that this makes

beyond the escapism relatively comfortable associations that the bourgeois theatre usually has to offer

Displacing the traditional relationship between performers and the audience potentially opens up brand new connections, and it is making connections — in economis, politics, the social sphere, ineverything - that is a principle strength of Marxism.

Iț is the inability, if not the refusal,

bourgeois culture connections of much consequence 'that so often leaves it in the realm of 'entertainment; or merely when it attempts something more serious.

This is true not only of the theatr ut of just about every aspect o culture.

What makes the new Pompidou Centre in Paris so exciting to visit, for example, is that its large number of galleries and simultaneous suggest what exhibition centres, art galleries, and theatres in Britain rarely

near to: Ine possibility making experiences and ideas come to

By Sue Aspinall

documentaries and to pin the blame firmly at the door of Western imperialism.

His was a moral analysis, not a political one. How could two human beings decide to bomb a country out of existence? How could Khmer Rouge soldiers massacre their fellow countrymen, women, and children? Without a more profound political analysis than Pilger

answers to such no

don't

and

protective make

sterile

and ideas come to life'

events connections are for everyone to make, given half a chance. of its daring, modernistic architecture, which houses a panoply of cultural

evil, about morality.

not mentioned at all.

Destroyed

solutions and

faces of children, empty streets buildings, human emotional rhetoric of horror.

At the same time, British television,

country) was remarkable only made possible by personal journalistic reputation. analyse

how they got to be that way.

negligible victory.

Average

made

La whole,

Pilger's film

outside much documentaries.

questions British living room.

Inside out — the exterior of the Pompidou Centre in Paris: 'Making exper

The excitemen: lies in the fact that productions

-And the Pompidou Centre, with

inevitably remain comments about good and

How Kampuches should be reconstructed; the role of its government and masses - were

The film was clearly an attempt to stir the slumbering conscience of the West by an appeal to humanitarian values (which failed dismally

case). Its appeal was anger forced his to search for the causes and it was focussed on Nixon and Kissinger.

Pilger's grief forced him to searcl for

The loudly demanded aid denounced those who are withholding it. The camera dwelt on the faces of the tortured, dying

destroyed DO CO - employing the

within the context of Pilger's film wAS an achievement. That he was allowed to go so far as to call Nixon and Kissinger murderers (of a

and was probably Pliger's own unique His attempts causes OI Kampucher's destruction and its present plight was a first step away from the naturalist tradition of merely "showing' how things look without explaining

Pilger refused to avoid making judgements he had a point of view aid he did not try to anaesthetise it beneath the mask of 'balance' Also, the fact that Year Zero was shown on IT Y at peak viewing hours and must have been watched by millions of working people, is not a

But, inevitably, Year Zero did not go far enough. Its reliance on appeals to humanity

easily assimilable into the mainstream of bourgeois conscience-purging. And in the context of the week's TV viewing as

it could not compete with bombardment of counter images and messages of warmth and friendship towards China.

was too self-contained, cameo of 'a murdered society', looking on the

like other television

It failed to use the potentialities of film to reach out to its audience in new ways which might take more account of the reai politica context in which it would be seen, including the torpor induced by the TV screen in the average

and devices file video, exhibitions, records, paintings sculpture, books, live performance and debate; frequently combined ou particular themes - - has managed no attract real live proletarians.

Socialist Challenge 15 Noversber 1979 Peer L

Page 16 scan of this page

Socialist Challenge

Socialist Challenge,

SEND

BACK

THE

By Rich Paiser

THE POPE received a curt reply 1o his appeal for the release hostages being held at the American Embassy in Tehran — go and speak to President Carter, it's in his hands to send the Shah back to Iran.

Many colamn inches in the press have been devoted to the suffering of the American hostages. But that pales into insignificance when compared to the tens of thousands tortured and killed at the hands of the Shah.

Much has been said of American feelings running high, and of the danger of retaliation *gainst Iranians in the United States. policy of hounding Iranians as 'illegal

in ranian nitri biggest

Iranian encouragement he could mobs attacking protestors. Contrast

In contrast, little has been said in

British media in support extraditing the Shah, yet these same newspapers. TV, and radio stations fervently attack authorities for not extraditing Irish republicans. They are interested in extradition when it suits the state._ When harbours a mass murderer remain silent.

It is the Iranian people suffered decades of repression under

it is for them to decide what penalty he now pays for those crimes.

Certainly, the Shah should be extradited, and in that way Carter can free the American hostages.

But behind the headlines on the embassy occupation lies another story

the growing crisis of Khomeini and his regime in Iran.

About Turn

While Khomeini denouncing Carter imperialism, and rerusing to American representatives, weeks ago his foreign minister

with Carter's

¡ecurity advisor, Brzezinski,

Algiers.

Only (WO days scenpation of the embassy, which was

november unarmed demonstrators and met no resistance from the

permission for a demonstration to the

emhassy had heen denied by Islamic

authorities.

Then on November

gnvernment led hy Mehdi Bazargan

Registered with the

Or Street, London N1 2XQ. Editorial: 01-359

SHAH!

of the But Carter's

biggest

give to the

Iranian

American

only

Carter resigned, they country, Underlying the who

inability to

the Shah.

remnants

Kurdish

today and American Despite the

medi denial of the was autonomy national International in

before the executing them.

by

Islamic guards,

the

Post Office as. a

leaving the Islamic Revolutionary Council to govern the forced

sudden anti-American stance of Khomeini is his weeks.

meet the needs and aspirations of the Iranian people who faced torture and death to bring down

Despite Khomeini's attempts to deny the right of self-determination to the national minorities in Iran, the

Shah's shattered army and the Islamic Guards have been unable to crush the resistance of memo

people. Khomeini's regime has been forced to negotiate with Kurdish leaders who previously were attacked as 'enemies of God'.

imprisonment of socialists who protested against the

Kurds' demand for new militants of the Fourth international - an campaign of protest has forced the Islamic courts to draw back from

Nearly a fifth of the working population is unemployed and oil production is at less than two-thirds the butput achieved under the Shah. The oil warkers whose strikes brought down the Shah are not pleased with Bazargan and the threat of wage cuts, and fishers in the (aspian Sea recently

Rising: 01-359 8371

The women who were previously

off the streets Guards for demanding their rights, have again marched in the past two

What finally finished off Bazargan government, however, was the pressure placed upon it by Iranian people for anti-imperialist stance. They remember only too well Carter's backing for the Shah, and how the Shah looked after American interests in Iran.

That has been reinforced by

found the embassy, showing that the US State Department was considering admitting the Shah even before his illness.

The Bazargan government trying to find a way problems by beginning to negotiate a

relationship with Us imperialism. The recent upsurge in popular sentiment, focused on the demand for the Shah's extradition, has for the moment blocked that road.

While we must solidarise with the people of Iran by demanding Shah's extradition, we can also show our solidarity another way.

We have to continue to campaign for support for those fighting

national, and rights in fran today. That is the only sure means hy which we can help keep imperialist hands off fran for good. newspaper. Published hy. Relparrest Erd. for borialist Challenge, 328/9 Ipper St, London NI.

THIS week we had a nice surprise when we received Pennington who, as was reported in last weeks paper, is in hospital after being hit by a car a couple of weeks ago. If Bob can be motivased to keep the paper in the black from he sick bed then surely some of our more healthy readers contribution.

Equally encouraging

example of Lawrie White, given his tax rebate Challenge.

This weeks income was a welcome increase on recent weeks, however we still didn't cross the £100 barrier. We alc ruling seriously against the Tories.

My Name is Islamic

Address

the

the

firm

N1.

occupied

was of its Britain:

Abread: 12 months

Name.

Address

the

women's

•Socialist (hallenge'.

FUND DRIVE

target of £2500 fil from Bob

Socialist London N1. can match

the Dean Sinnett to Socialist DStevens

B Pennington Lawrie White Week's total behind our Grand total

TAX REBATE PLEDGE FORM

'I won't be bought off by the Tories' anti-working class Budget measures.

I want the money 1 receive from the backdated tax cut to go to the fight

I therefore pledge my whole tax rebate/half my tax rebate 1o the Socialist

Challenge Fund Drive. (Delete as necessary)

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Received this week:

10.00 20.82 5.00 IMG A/Racist Fraction 0.71

10.00

£96.53 £572.53 Printed hy Fast End (offset) Ltd.