Socialist Challenge No. 13, 15 September 1977
The scan: sc-n13-sep-15-1977.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.
Page 1 scan of this page
Socialist Challenge BUILD A SOCIALIST OPPOSITION FOR A UNIFIED REVOLUTIONARY ORGANISATION CONSPIRAGY OF SILENCE
of an SS past".
conspiracy? We say the latter.
The Sunday Times ran
Schleyer's past.
censored at the request of a foreign government?
The Fleet Street editors CEOWE THINE
When Schleyer entered the University of Heidelberg In 1934 he already described hinter, He was 19, and had himself "an old Nazi Joined the Hitler Youth three
before. He wore the black 55 uniform, with the
The nearest the British press has come to telling us anything about Hans Martin Schleyer, the head of the West German employers' federation kidnapped by the Red Army Fraction, is a mention in The Observer of 'murmurs
The British genius for understatement or a deliberate
La whole page "Germany's latest victim' without mentioning a word of
We stress that this is not a Socialist Challenge 'scoop'. Every editor in Fleet Street knows what we know. What hope is there for press freedom in Britain when news is
number 227014, and awarded the golden Ehren-
• He became the head of the Reichsstudentenwark In Heidelberg. entrusted with the task of Nazitying universities.
• 29 May 1937 he denounc-
This man was a friend of Goebbels
ed the Rector of Freiburg University to his superiors.
• 15 Juna 1937 he became 'political officer' to the 30th SS cavalry regiment.
1938 he headed the Reichsstory on occupied Austria.
Afler the Czechoslovakia he went fo Prague to head the Reichsstudentwerk there. By now he was a Doctor of Law.
Because of his persona friendship with Goebbels he was able to avoid visiting the front. He stayed in Prague lining his pockets accounts the fore the arrival of the Red Army.
• He was head of the
Democratic Union:
Invasion and Eberhardt Taubert.
Daimler-Benz. general was a
by the Long Knives! until days be-
ment ls These tanks are out on the streets again
Zentralverband der Industrie fur Boehmen und Meehren which entailed the employ- regime. mont of tave tabouE tone sHe concentration camps for the
During this period his which collaborators were men who later became the core of the the tanks lunctionaries of the Chrislan
men like Fritz Ries, Arthur Missbach oblige.
Neither
• After three years interment by the Allles he joined SUUUOlI
His promoBOT WAS DE a TOGE Co
former SA them who had obviousn witch-hunt forgotten about the Night of German left
Why has all this information been suppressed? Be cause the Schmidt Govern
turning the full
forces of repression against left-wing opposition to the
Any whisper of this Nazi past might draw too many parallels in the public mind.
And the British press
operates conspiracy of silence about
on the British' stroets of the Six Counties
is only too happy lo
Socialist Challenge not the Fourh International gives the slightest
the terrorist methods used by the kid-
We don't thank for provoking this against the
But we will not shed single tear for Hans Martin Schleyer. Who are the real "Hitler's Children"? • See page 2 lor our Editorlal Comment.
15 September 1977 No. 13
bread
and
butter
Issue
THE EMPLOYERS in the baking industry une a shabby lot even
the duhinus standurds of British cupitalism. of England and Wales this week Ei because these emplayers refuse to do what the vase majority of other emplosers have done for
-give paid leave on bunk holidass.
The emploren omplain thi his would cost them E300,00I year. How little this would mean in the lurgest bread piant - Rank
is shona, by the Esh million prufit that com pany made last sour Compa That with the waces their heavil
wowkforce receive The current Stands supplement from slages 1 and 2 if the Sociat Contract.
And yet the bukers are not even out for a rise in the basic rate all they one usking is the right to toke off Hank Holidays with pay
*We are says Sam Maddox, general secre tury if the Bakers I-nion. He B right, all they are asking for are a man's tahle.
Democracy and
Revolution in Indo-China
by Ta ig All
******
The Unions & the TUC p. 2, 4 & 5
******
Reporting Lewisham:
Lessonsfor Tameside by Anthony Barnett p. 8&9
******
Letterfrom Long Kesh p.6
Page 2 scan of this page
TUC leaders bid to stifle
HOME NEWS
include the opposes the Government.
members of various far left groups
tions give political Irresistible conclusion
chaos and only decisive action can ramedy things.
extends even to the British press. TERRORISM IS NOT THE ANSWER
employment.
years. There was no RAF then,
responsibility to be the excuse repression.
tas no base within the passive support, the
arrests, surveillance and even possible prohibition.
The development discipline and amuence.
possibilles or work within the
forme ol tonture - tor that is what it 18
prisoners. But terrorism is no way to diaplay it.
consistently willing
accumulated ail the machinery
of the
tive powers of intervention and repression of civil life.
complacency. When the British press collaborates
out all information on reminder that the
and repression
Capitalism Is in criss
Tabour Parts and the trades
salutions that are la thie interess, not of the
workers, but af the mpitalis class,
Tu bulld brond based cluse streggle tenden-
the luthe ma caracter ruine te be
militants holding wide range of pulitical
lied and demurradic resolutions socialist
ingantation which can, throagh an application
afternative by thuusands of worken engiend in Such an orgunisation should bie hased on the
Editorial
Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London N1.
News 01-359 8180
State of siege
YOU DON'T EXPECT to see armoured cars on the streets of a Western democracy. But that is what millions of West Germans woke up to last week. You don't have to be a counter-insurgency expert to know that armoured care are not much use for hunting a handful of kidnappers. So
The Minister of Justice explained: We have to Isolate those who still show an understanding of the murderers or sympathy for their actions or who even give them assistance. With a simple 1984 logic he has managed to
whole West German lett, anyone who
Already the net has been cast wide, bringing
and the small Communist Party, even though none of these organisa-
Ts that If the kidnap hand't happened they would have invented it. A virtual press blackout has been Imposed as part of a deliberate campaign to create the impreesion that the country is in
The scandal doesn't stop there. As we have shown in our revelations of Schleyer's pest, voluntary censorship
The Red Army Fraction bears no responsibility for an) of this. For 20 years after the foundation of the Federal Republic, left-wing parties were banned. The Berufsverbot excludes tens of thousands of radicals from jobe in public
Widespread surveillance techniques stringent self-censorship by the press have operated Tor
Nevertheless we are unequivocal in our denunciation of the methods used by the terroriats. It is still a grave
this SteDOnd uD Far from weakening the West German bourgeoisie the Cologne kidnapping strengthens it. Because it
mass movement, not even its •RAF only serves to isolate the vanguard of the working class and the far left organisa-
making them an easy target for
We understand what leads these people to terrorism.
of a stilling atmosphere of work. where the Social Democrats seem no different from the capitalists and the mass of workers seem happy with their lot, has led a number of middle-clase youth to a patty bourgeois despalr at the
mass movement. We understand also that the most terrifying and sophisticated
- against RAF members in jall have sharpened the desire for revenge. We too offer our full solidarity with West Germany's political
The Social Democratic Government has shown Itself
to pursue policies prodecessors, It is no surprise that Schleyer, the ex-Nazi, got on so well with his Eclallst counterparts, Of that the latter should now want to cover up Schleyer's past. Il has
- both legal and techno'Strong State': a state based upon an elected assembly but with sweeping independent execu-
It is a development we cannot watch with the slightest the West Germany state via the Foreign Office in blacking
Schleyer, it should serve as partical British state too prisonere; it too sende Its armoured cars onto the streets to Intimidate or suppress opposition; and it too la only waiting for the chance to extend ite powers of coercion movement. And we can't axpect to read about it in the
OUR POLICIES
The laden uf the
2
ilions of markerso
by Steve Potter The decisions of the Blackpool TUC markeds victory for the trade anion leaders. But it is only the begianing of their campaige to reverse the overwhelming de cision of their summer conferences to relura to free collectIve bargainingAs Hugh Scanion delivered the 1.2 million votes of his members leto the fold of the 12month rule — to the jeers of his delegation und the undisguised contempt of other delegates — be ust have reflected whether in all worth whit The Scanion
reversing the decision to expel thi Transport and General Worker from the TUC. He did so bound by the decisions of his delegation to vote against the move. Yet it principle which be ignored when it came to the vote The engineers delegation insisted that the vote be cast io line policy calling for an immediate return to free collective bargainof adhering to the 12-month rule. and BLOCK VOTE
If the AUEW delegate that vote eogineering and transport workdim majority necessary for che rejection af 'Phase 1 by the back door".
But, apart from the standing ovation accorded to Callaghan' speech CHICHON BALC CIRIE leaders Tel frey coult go ticte under 10 cent, further -VIL important decision the bonference telectod TEc system in the public sector. A ight on this issue is, of course, another matter, Meanwhile, Lhe union leaders are turning their attention to where the Government's policy will bite hardest the submission and settlement of claims.
Mr Terry Beckett, Ford's boss
its behind the hard-line approsch of
Confederation of British Industry. He also conducted the mammoth public relations exerdise involving the talents of Jim Callaghan as the new engine plant in South Wales was announced last week. Not only will this project involve the with loss of 1200 jobs in other engine
nanis in BatRin. 1 s 250 a transparent attempt to twist the arm of the trade union side in the forthcoming wage negoliations.
UNION CLAIM
The union claim includes 15 per cest on basic rates, automatic compensation for intlation and the long-standing demand for B0
1275
Le organs of powtr and defraiine wilh al necessary meune the power af the capitalise
Our socialism will be infiniels mare democratie than what eude se Reilain ET TH SHETE FOTBOULE
ap ans azainsi the socinlist stite: The Stalinist modele of waciahim in the Lissit and Fasten
to all thuce Fichsing for socialist democracy.
wage explosion
started the week by
мету steadfastly
per
JosE had there ls no doubt Twa,
the
general secretary elect
From the fall chali
the TUC
EXCEPTION - in
cash limits
The
union officiais.
uniting both alinine a
Scanian.
second time
rejected thie
The interesde nE workery and capital.
3
scale. Capitalism has pot unly erekin
long res he derisie in delesting Hen Th Imperialist regimes in the West and the brutal dictatorships they saisin in Latin America. trat plie, desanding the imm diate withdrowal of letich troope frum Inelam ind lenting the Irish people determine licie nua The Commuser Parties in Barope
wines have nny meuningiul sirwings of the rapitalist sale revalationary veristes partiss ary than ever before. Condillons today nore Tarourable than aver the proceding thres decades, Bal such parties can only be baill b rejecting sectarianism democrcy not os a luxun but as a vilal Thie mons the righit lo organis Faction and brodencies.
Scanior votes for 12 month rule to the jeers of his delegarion
cent of full pay for lay-offs. output.
pes nowhere near making up for
living standards sulfered under Phases One and
, it does add up to aboul 25 per cest on current earnings if Le MONE ANCRE SUCEu Beckert nims to chop this down to Healey's Dorm. Moss Evans,
roWu, who leads the union side in the begociations, is adready
MOLLULE
In abotber bartle in the car industry, the Goveratient and bosses are prepared to make an excenbon to the 12-Diocth TWO iE order to force corporate hargain ing down the throats of Leyland ally bid by
that instead of wage bargaining heins in the hands of shop steward
a plant by plant besis, ir will be
on a national level
inder the auspices of full-rime
above tai
Leyland stewards have already
engineering and
ransport members. But now th unemployment.
EFFECT
area:
productivity schemes. The first such ballot ir
schemes on the and refusing grounds that the unity of miners mould be broken and that safety in the mines would hit an all wt for low in che drise for higher "will Find out"
Nesher ihe
The last conference di thi NUM rejected the scheme for the same reasans, and Joe Goraley iations with the National Cos Board, Now the aim of the De Artbur Scargill and leaders orher militant areas to reject the decision of tbe TEL and ore shead with the claim for E135 due to be submitted on 1
The issue of cash limits will be central to the claim one mallion bonal manual worker discussed by NUPE this wock The Goverument has pledged to gains claies over six per cent i he publie sector, and it will us Le coreal ou cas auc playment is the consequence of
council workers to make up for the loss in carnings in the last two years
The otber hall of the Govern-
"bove the 10 pet cent norm, cut wage claims
up with the ders and contracts to produce
This policy is beginnin have an effect on some of the
gaing on at present. Some shop ewards commitees which haw submitted claiis for over 10 per cent are keeping the matter secret
to seck support cither nationally or from other workers submitting such claicis
fene that the Government
WANT TO KNOW MORE? tour agrice fid theie princides and brunt au le inalted in ceintile be Sociallet Challenge sup portersin your eres, flin the form belin sod send il
le inicreeed in thore informaton aboor acti ANDRESS
Tondoo VI
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1977 Page 2
Such bopes are naive in th extreme. Both the Government hanks on all wage claims sub-
with management-insplied campaign employnent as the punishment per cent norm can be defeared be a united response al rank and fil Jevel. VITE TAC 1 TERMIE leaders' sabolage, conferences of shop stewards in every locality should now be cabled to take the initiarive The Vice •Troen the rack and fle shoold be clear:
ACTION NEEDED
*Rejeeting the TUC decision of the 12-momth
trade unior
*Piedging full sepport to al workers in straggle. *Electing secring committoes to organise support and coordina nformation on all cinims sal
Similar action is needed in the public sector Teachers, local Davertien Mille Colt wOrker: and other prade of manual murkers will be tlucalened wit the manual workers sabmir their claim
Mectiogs of stewards in every union affected by the claim should be used to call for local conferences of ail local goveriment emplosees and labour movertent bodies to put theit full
from the rank and file to the trickery in Bluckpool last week
Page 3 scan of this page
HOME NEWS
Express
VICTOR MATTHEWS is the chairperson of Beaverbrook Newspupers, and someone who doesn't hide His politics under a bushel. Three months ago he said: "It & very important in the present state of the country that the Beaverbrook papers should continue to express their views which are sympothetic to those of the Conservative Party and of capilalise.
REG BIRCH Is a senior official in the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers and a leader of the Maoist, Communist Party of Britain [Marxist Leninist).
Last Saturday Mr Matthews said of Mr Rich: '1 conmend the responsible attitude of Mr Birch in this matier, and in persuading Mis Menters to StOl Out Is which will allow the management to manage and the workers to
The occasion of this flattery was the settlement the week lore lock out cf ALEW mem bers at Beaverbrook which bad stopped the Duily Express, Sundoy Prores and Evenine Mandard from littering the streets of London.
SETBACK
Mathews has every reason to praise Birch. The engineers have agreed to an 18-point statement drawn up by Mathews which is a severe setback for all workers in Fleet Streer, It states there will be no: union Chane! meetings a
"inconvenient times", no payment
employees attending such daring office hours, and that tea-breaks will only be taken at the discretion of the
The engineers have niso under taken to participate in meaning
ment's desire to reduce existing staff levels':
Beaverbrook's managing dir-
ector Jocelyn Stevens was over
Joyed at the terms of the agroe
nothing away.
he said, adding "this is the mos
important settlement in the news-
paper industry ance toe war.
This Jubilation is tasy union practice of holding win traditional moctings during working bours
as a way of pressuri away he
AUEW workers have accepted
that many jobs will go, and the tcribs of the management victory
establish an important precedent
In Fleet Street. All the Beaver-
brook engincers got in return was
Ebeir re-instatement - they
heen sacked and locked out after
working hours.
LOCKOUTS
The lock outs came Just three
months after Trafalgar House.
hended by Matthews, rook over
Trafalgar House
made its money hy property
spoculation and by specialising in
ISE WHE LIE ULCULT
arion is weak — the catering and
building trans is auto the targes individual industries. The
contributor to Tory Party funds
giving Thatcher and friends
126,000 last year-
Matthews views on the much
vaunted "press freedom" of the
Flees Street bazoos is summed up
in one remark he made wisco be
Took over: My editors will be
guaranteed editorial freedom as
long ESSENT agree with
policies
Marbews lived up to these
reactionary
last week's lock-out. He threat-
ented la close down the LOndOn
printing operation entirely and
transfer it to Manchester.
Bad news at the
Voice of
the silent
majority
'Voice of the silent maiority
barricaded the offices of the Express to prevent the engineers from caterine the bulling, And he called in the police after the disappearance of following his Instant dismissal of the engineers.
The Threat to
to Mabchester made possible by the lacest print technology - was who the encineers worked nor mally on the throughout the dispute. other is the rivalry betweto Drin workers in London and Mancheiter, caused by the higher my wares and to the London WOIk ers and their past reluctance to support the fight workers when their Jobs nave been chreatened -are bow by the electronic transTISSIOT -OL
Marrhees did all he could to
Maoist wins praise of Tories' main backer
must survive constant strikes ruptey.
Monday's front-page editorial (top right on the end of the lack-out. That printworters allowed such a • the new slogan to adorn the Daily Express -vicrous ettack to be published without a reply is a messum of the defeat imposed on the print enginears by Express boss Victor Matthews (above ielt) and the AUEW officie! he so much admires, Reg Birch [above)
foster these divisions. When the Manchester cagineets continued working he sent then a telegram praising them for your wondermachine parts ful support. tactics on for the AUEW The only transfer all forge unity against Lie bully-boy tactics of Matthews. Bat for a the unions involved Street have ibe independence priat workers NOTED CURD The have enjosed from their union lenderships. recent rejection of the bureau crats"
Clearly the AUEW and Reg Bisco in bf Mancbester Jock out as a way of te escablishing the aubority of the borens - IS MET INC! commented: "A siguiticant figure pares- in achieving che Reg Birch. he urged the engin-
Credit
Eventually those who would deny them the right to produce their newspapers the bully boys prepared to steal destroy in order to impose their own
brand industrial relations were put to flight.
Everyone concerned
grasp opportunity Saturday's agreement offers. Anarchy must be put to retreat so that newspapers may
without threat and
Much credit is due to Mr Reg Birch, the ancineering
Editions
answer these to
sought to destroy
especially niter the
war do new tecanoos saw Else TEASECHL for all printiog
Sunday Times commitsed on paper the form pl settlement was PHIL
Mutual
-
and interviewing of
the that
tection".
the of bank-
union! vote Rhode:
As for
- turned into rabid hysteria in
ners to accept the firm's con
Matthews is now Likely to try and do to the princers what he has done to the engineers. The LEOCET TCCE IS ID CANOESE SUOM Links between newspuper workers in different parts of tbe country
paupled with demands which would unite resistance to the threat to jobs mosed by the new campment. JoL sharing and the use of expanded production facilities for labour papers would certainly begin to rob the barons of their press
In the longer serm, one wion
which most of the whoos are
provides organisation which barricade tactics of Mathews & Co.
News
nowhere
protection?
JAMES HUNTE was a West Indian candidate in Ladywood. We referred to bien in OUT
LASt week the Dhilly Telegrapit sent out its tame black reporter Amit Roy to Birmingham to do a job on the far-lett. Roy did so by
business people and geuting them co actack "communism" and 'violence'
Mare to the point is that Ro the Mutual Protection sic). Hunte told Roy: "Older ant yoonger West Indians are agroed on this one issue. They find th ing Asians are going to be be main threat to their tuture. The nex remark From Hunte was a logical corollary of the first:
The most sensitive police in the country are at Handsworth Supt. Webb is really a highly the paid social worker and he under stands the West Indian com man in the tay to bie what is beans by mutual pro-
New Swiss War-time Party? THE TIMES recently feudared WE METHCH HIM CAME STUDE she Chairperson of the Socialist Workers Party, Halies said o unexceptionabie and with which
he socialists would dister interview which were, however somewhor bizarre. Sanely he implies thar Socialism - Wor time Planning + Swis Cantons
Swiss Cantons are not the best model of direct demacracy Lear IRM OLICY TACTE CONCURECENTRA the moment). Apart from the obwows weakness of parish-pump which has characterised thest:
only allowed the One canton, Exteriar, the Austrian border, still does nor allow women the vote.
as war-time planning is
concerned, surely she smail mar ter of its coexistence with privete
properry cannot he ignored. Th
Chairperson, If the quonarions ir The Times are accurate, should be a bir more careful in his public
The conversion of Paul SO PAUL JOHNSON has lett the Labour Party-s anyone really surprised? Not really. Bur the Tory press must be allowed to celebrate the event. Johnson's
abe caht had beer
apparent for years. Both be and
Bernard Levin see themselves as
capable a
fighting the evil menance
Workism. The banner they hav 181300 18 0000 0000
And yet Paul Johnson 15 sa
checond with a hatred or
things left that he never writes
about racism or the growth of che
NF ar the social conditions of be
working class. He has realised
that the crisis is serious and that his nice county existence mIShI
not be all that
indulges in the policies of fear.
He is frightened by the working
dass, so he arracks the trades
unions. He is unable to either
Marxist
ideas, so he talks about lett wing
Clearly his place is in the Tory
Party of Margaret Thatcher. H
could become her spoech-writer
rigbi-wing Rohert Mess, though
the latter will nor give up easily.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1977 Page 3
from
He could even become the Prop aganda Officer for Tory election campaign. Whatever h
most the
abour Party will sa Good
iddance. Lei him work out h IT MATERINETICEC where else.
Visitors from another planet THE BIG BOSS of the Scien KOMISIS. Ran Hubhard,
Will Dis 500cs. Hi minions had reported the emere
throughout Britain were report
the impact of this riva Huhbard and his cohorts wen into closed session. It is stil going on.
What had driven despair? Our intrepid reporter
Finally succeeded in unearthing
HERE
est-known centre of proletari militancy the ambrid
CERS DICE TOIC DE
pathbreaking series of lecture
This is what was worrying the Scienlalouisis, The themean "philosophy"
here an ery Heaty or The speaker to he non Workers Revolutionary Party
Adverts for the lectures impl
theoretical breakthrough which, at a stroke, golves all the knott
by Kans, Hegel and Feurbac
Gerry bas stated: The practice o cognition is the building of the Workers Revolutionary Party Hubhurd had better peck bags,
Letters from outside the Italian CP?
MARIA-ANTONIETTA Mac-
ciochhi is a wet-know intel
lectual and member of the hallan
Recenily sh
sigmed un appeal with various
other intellectuair opposing th
repression in frais, Since the
cludes the represan carried
at on orders from PCF mayo
Leaders
poitticat other they are consistent wie opinions"
membership of the party.
Monty's bombers
IN THE publle dehute last Friday
between the Communist Party
and the International Marist
Group, attended by a thousand
eople in St. Pancras Town Hal
Monty Johastone of the • CP.
BEcacked the IMG for ignorlo
prublems of "peace sad security"
What he did not explaia was (1)
Why the French
Party the 'noclear
deterrent'; O0 Why the lalian
Communist Party
NATO, and (ll Why the Spanish
ADIEUTES refuses
campalan for the withdrawal of
American bases from Spain
Is that the best way to defenc
"peace' and maintain 'security'?
Page 4 scan of this page
COHSE socialists form alliance
Public Sector on the March
HOME NEWS
STOP
CUTS
BEFORE
KILLS
WE NEED YOUR HELD
Britain's NHS trade union
Health axe dented in Liverpool
Campaigners against the closure u the Mall Road Maternity Hospital in Liverpool Have nor
SANDY
TOMKINS of the Women's Ac-
tion Group which took up the DEFENCE CHE MOO 95 BE 3405 activity — reports on the battle.
During the campaign to keep Mill Hill open, supporters leatleted. pickered the bealth authorities and established Inks with women clerical workampaign began to involve workes from all departm ents of the
the changed her mind and signed the petition! — the unions started to EXCIOC COSITE SEEINS
It was no accident that Mill Road was chosen for the chop -women, geriatric, and psychiarric
atients are least well provided
by the NHS. The authorities
mify the dosure of Mill Hill
har it was under-utilised, that
for rationalisation would
mande more efficient care cise-
me me. But the interests of
wenta themselves never rated
COHSE
magn in cocir arguncors
Our success at Mill Road bas rocant that che Merseyside health
steppin& Rathone
sLacks eisewhere.
Road Hospital. specialising in CHATTIC ARE OSCAR CArE due for closure There are proposals for double labour wards in the Seiton Ceneral, so thar two women will give hirth in the same tobin. Broaderoen Hospiral 1s or the chapping block. And all these neiy run-down.
har's why the posmon adop
meeting called by the Nationa Union of Publie Employees in LavErpOol 1580 important ble persistence of the women's movensent in its defence of Mill Road needs to be emulared so that the current ractics authorities to close wards rather
CUTE nospitals can ne defeated.
EGA to march on health boss WOMEN'S GROUPS,
and local anti-cuts committee will be marching to the Department Health and Services headquarters in South London on 20 September. The
A number of activists in the Confederation Health Service Employees met in London September and the COHSE Socialist Alllance. The call came from a meeting of 23 delegates al the union's last conference, disatistied by the leadership's support for the contract, and determined to organise union for cles.
The new tends to campaign around issues such as pay, the cuts, and women's rights. PATRICK SIKORSKI, East Birmingham branch secretary in COHSE member of the alliance, puts forward his views on what the left should be fighting for in the union.
CORSE has 200,000 members. Unlike other unions that organise health workers, all of COSE's members are in the NHS. It is with great pride that it calls itself "Britain's NHS trade union', and it is on this slogan that it bases its membership recruitment camp-
So great is COHE's desire to be NHS Leadershin would have us believe the other unions in the bealth shop stewards committees in the hospitals and sucas mes consistently opposed by union leadership. And Jomr act ion with other unions is only
undertaken when the leadership
feels it has no choice bur to participate → as was the case on
the big anti-cuts demonstration
Two weeks later in Birming
we had
spectacie of CORSE
Tory press me te
National Union of Public Em
ployees Midland strike against
ALL WOMEN
SAY NO
demonstracion coincides with a
Elizabeth Garret Anderson has-
pital, union officials and MPs. the original destina to shoe ind where campaigners hope
The campnign to save the EGA
plans to open a new out-patient trade woman's health
service-relying
public to implement
posal, South Socia Heatb
agreed to investigare bealth pro-
vision for women in the area, and
Uniting workers
in struggle
of
on formed
continued
soclal In the 1974 nurses strike Inside the socialist poli-
alliance in-
contract.
Where
and a
Led usionisation
unionism.
PRESSURES
this summer motions on the
DOCT the pate in the joint stewards in the union disgusting democracy in the union.
THE TEA *O
with help from other DHSS boss improvemen:
that
patients being removed. adon the This Com-
Council has Fleming House,
social foliomine.
Far from the test of a union being whether is only has mem bers ill the NHS, # 1s how a
interests counts. In this respect, COHSE has far less of a claim to fame, That is and its consistent refusal to work with other unions only weakens our members" fight against the
COHSE was one of the first
reglater under bership.
opportunistically put on a militant act to win nurses to the anion, and then helped sell out the strike through the Halsbury Committee, The union leader for united
One soci > make th union is changing was once amalgamation of two psychiatric living standard hospical unions, with a tradition
AT MOSO 0Y0
Three.
of women has forced even the Royal College of discuss the Nurses to turn towards trade workers' claim
- CONSES amal conferen ressures were rellecte
The number of leaders stick to genda dealin cuts from 3 to committees from none to four The obvious need to partici- = 35 hour
com-
voting to support them — in spite every locally of the executive's opposition. thai.
The CONSES membershi
membership have barely begun to be teflected
For its lendership This is in part doe to the lack of
15 October.
Many of the delegate aL CASH LIMITS conterence ste not mandared a motions, and little discussion is held in the branches abou
fights on
ICH
supporters organisaticos make proposals for its
The joint shop stewards com
mittee at the EGA is appealin
resolations lo the against the closure, demandana
all the bospital's facilities bould be restored, and for active abrain support to prevent facilities and Hornsion.
March on 20 Seprenzber, 3.30
pm, DHSS Officer, Alexande
Elephant and Condon SEI, Rally and
mittee conference motions. Many dele-
selves gates are branch secretaries who make up their own mind on the issues, and there is no standing orders committee elected from the Moor to ran the conference. alternative is needed la CONSE WITHE - an organised apposition to the union leadership which can offer socialist policies lo changing concerns of the teur
FIGHT FOR PAY
goaL Cleariy, the most hurning issue in
-Here, too, th union leadership's failure to fight
action with unions will hit the membership bard. With cash limits imposed
hipping boy for Labour's wa sector the restraint, united action to restore
is essential executive is handi likely to fight for thai united those action when it supports Phase
That's why in Birmingham we
ept together with othe
• NUPE and the T&GWU 1
hospital ancilliary
in November. All the NHS union have different wage tangers NUPE a t50 minimum wage; the G&MWU E55 minimum; CONSE has no target at all! St we worked out a claim which we will jointly demand the ubion
We decided on: a ES5 mini mum wage; the consolidation of Phase Ooe and Two rises into hasic rates an automatic thresh hold to compensate for inflation;
Week, and five wee
noual paid leave. I think the pi claim should be jolotly discussed wich each of the health unions in
We are taking it further than
We are getting together with other public sector workers to discuss a fight sens idlan limits, through a regional public sector conference for sbop stewards to be held on
The cash Limits mean that better wages and sopping the culs are Hounslow Hospital
A PLASTER-CAST body on ar
surgeons decked ou in their green gowns arrived or 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Armed
with a 400-/oot long petition
Houstom Hospini work-in de
manded that the hospital stay the Goveromen: refuses le local needs
reverse ins decision to ciose the
Houston the defence committee
Hus made the consequences clear:
Ty it is closed, then patients wett
ger admission acute
medicai wards this winter.
say health cuts in Hounslow will
The commisee has aso chal-
lenged Social Services Secretary
David Ennals to a public debate
explain his remedy for the chronic sick, who will be unable
effective care in
Council in line for thrashing
LANARKSHIRE: The spreading
local goverment workers" srike
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1977 Page 4
cart of the same fight. Th COHSE leadership has consis the curs, allowing branches loc ally to "do their own bing'. Here again the joint stewards com the CONSE conference pass ed a resolution calling for "participation any local actions against bealth curs, while repog action one a national basis g
ction c have to demand tbat the leader ship implements this, witale our
building for action through local, regional, hopchily national doll NITS stewards meetings.
One of the mom important issues in the union is thal o women's rights. Over 85 per cen of the union's membership are women, yet only a fifth of the conco Goal were wo men and the proportion is even Lone formal polities en union on womens rights are ver
it supports the demand of the Working Women's Char ter. But it stops short of action a: the internal life of the union
At conference a resolution
alling 10 opposition ro the Benyon Bill restrictions on abo
was defeated, despite the fact that delegates had jost called doc free nhortion an Gemand b passing the Charter, Among
War the conference
anti-abortion leaflets printed by the British Movement.
CHANGING MOOD
On all these issues the chang ing mood of the membership must be given a direction — and that requires the left organising to offer an alternative That why the COHSE Socialist All lance must be built
COHSE's membership target of minions Ten leader of a million.
hip socos to forget that it wi
luring the 1974 nurses strike th its bigar growth in memberstup
place. Pretending the acher NHS unions don't exist will not union. This can only be stree build COHSE into a by policies which can advance members' interests, and a willing best to wage a united fight for
the he nest meeting of
the CONSE Socialier Alliance is ou
19 November. lester i Tenance from Gone at 144 Piccadilly.
*The Allance can be contacter
ere Parick
in Monklands. Lanarkshine, ha
sparked off talk of getting the
ara tich the teen - BE
which, the strikers have
dismissed as rantatti. All counci
workers in the Monklands dis
trich are now on strike agains
IT DOULICS and support ha
been received from the posta
workers' union locally
Banes Whelan, chairperson of
the Monklands LOSTUCHE
Labour Party, is one ol the
workers whom the Labour con
chop. He argues:
talks can take place we wars the
status quo maintained and no
action takeil on the redund
The Monklands dispute shows
bow to fight the cuts. There has
been instant scrike action, soli
darity from other workers and a
firm stand on trade union prin
ciples.
The milirant atmospbere in
heth district i and Mind
officials little option lo fallen
the course on which the rank and
file have embarked. As long a
the workers don't falter. Monk
lands Labour council will take a
Page 5 scan of this page
Dockers plan national strike
HOME NEWS
rise'
The dockers intend to move against the Government's /2month rule. The National Ports Shop Stewards Committee has announced plans for indefinite action in pursuit of a 20 percent pay increase. Last week, Southampton dockers mer and agreed to settle under Phase 2, but dockers in other ports are awaiting the call for action.
The docks are currently a
vote 5 4 in favour of a return to work.
from what the workers were demanding.
The toolroom workers were beginning to feel the effects of Bolation in their 12-weck strike for higher bonus pay when lucas made its offer. Throeghout the strike. appeared, But when the women demanded that management increase its offer to the strikers after they had met with the toolmakers, this story naturally didn t appear.
And although the toolroom workers organised factory tours to win support, the AUEW lesdership dragged it heels ail the way, In fact, the only reason the mass meetting was called on Saturday was because the exec ative committee had pushed Lucas to make another concess ion, above the heads of the negotiating committee.
The 11,300 production work ers laid off by the strike, plus the massive lay-offs the strike was about to provoke in Leyland and elsewhere, made the situation too dangerous for the union bureaucrats. An excuse was needed for a MONSK HELLHER
'we are ready
to sit out for
a 20 pc pay
smouiderine cauldron of dissension over job cuts and wage restraint. Hull docks share the problems of every other port. Containerisation and mechanisation have vastI reduced the numbers of dockers employed, have re-routed work to unregistered ports - often far inland where part-time labour works for half the dockers pay.
How brother Terry duffed
up the Lucas strikers
The executive committee of the Engineering Union bas finally achieved in the Lacas toolmakers strike what Fleet Street had been unable to do on its own. Last Saturday, Terry Duffy - AUEW official and the right-wing's presidential candidate, managed to get a mass meeting to
He was opposed by both the negotiating committee and the shop stewards committee. JOHN GRAHAM reports that management's so-called compromise is a far cry
The palsey improvement which Lucas offered was a mete extra ES0 compensation tor we sinNe on top of the 6100 they bad first come up sut the Dosses dide hudge from their previous offer on the strikers' increase in the bonus scheme The toolmakers accepted the 63 offer, hut this is tied to an agreement that gotiations will be based on an entirely different bonus scheme.
ALEW dvisional organiser Bill Dully, backed by the Jordan, pot the union's Hirmingham East district comnitree to agree to this sell-out by a vote of 16-9. Every argument in the book was used to cunvince the commentitee, especially die lay-offs. suffered hy production workers A member of the committee countered by explaining how workers benefit from a victory. Lacas had implied that any reached with toolroom workers would extend lo the claim production workers will submit on their return to work.
The negotiaring
In Hull, the tonnage handled at the docks fell from 9.4m in 1963 10 6.3 m in 1971, accompanied by major Ciosures in ren vours the number of dockers nationwide has dropped Bosses 60,000 to KIRKBY, vice chairperson of Hull Ports Shop Stewards Committee, Told Challenge why dockers are derermined to claim.
dashed any hopes held by Dutty
and Jordan that the return to
work would be entirely smooth
rejected the
Neither was the joint shop stew
ands commitice convinced
votes were cast against 24 to
refuse the recommendation.
These votes dida't really mat-
ter from the point of view of the
union officials. They got what
they wanted — another chance to
address a mast meeting.
And with the weight of the
national leadership in the back-
ground, the negotiating commit-
tee found it difficult to pur up a
an adequate fight for rejection.
Production line workers in the
CAT ICAT
Ject to lay off, and they aren't
covered by lay-off agreements.
Wlich is why it is vital that the
usions take up the fight for the
guaranteed pay regardless of the
reasons for any lay-offs. This
will focus attention on the real
than those involved in the fight
to maintain their living standards
under Labour's attacks.
And it will also prevent craft
groups. like the would Being let oper
arguments used setilemenil last Saturday
thel sensor stew
production workers were waiting
Tike parasites'
their own claim all the gains of committee the cobroom workers.
file bocause me trade officials won't do it, then got to do it ourselves. 226,000 ALAN ployment has gone up
Socialist
win their
union is the Transport
registered dock
There's been a
the ocean.
A substantial majority
- 34 workforoe,
work on a roster-
the was organised picketing
are frequently sub-
rather
toolmakers, to the type of
by Bill Jordar with such a massive
ds representing
pick up for
lessons were leaned. back.
Platform
oftwice as maily.
The Platfoun netive witten the brauch of the
local union bureaucracy.
'We are ready to sit it out for a bough 20 per cent wage increase or E100 everywhere
port cant ear leaders. we've Unem
contrary to what we were promised with the Social Contract It's alright pulling together if these sacrifices benefit the unem effective. ployed, but the numbers kee
the National Association of Sic vedares and Dockers. The white
money General, which anyone can be un But in my unton you have to be a
worker. aren't important to the TGWU
reduction support dackets in Hull from 4,500 10 2,100 over the pass 10 years. For a union like the TOWU, with 1.3 million members it's a drop in
were
"We are ready for the strike:
We learned a lot in the 1972 strike. I took place after the wave of apposition to the Devin Report. The Report split the Ive weapons
peter and de me on t
or Tour days, In Liverpa struck
Also pie work was very hard, with unsafe hours and no time for meals,
shike there We increases of 25 per cent in Wes Counci pions for proposed for Yorkshire have been rejected by the Traffic Commissioners. Not that these penniemen were moved by compassion. They were faced protest that they had to take
A year ago, when the Labour Conneil raised fares by 16 per cent, cols a handful of Leeds hu workers were apposed. But in the months dat followed sone bister the
Tacreased fares Jod to femer Passengers, which meant reduced
abs and services, which in rurn led to worse parsenger-bus crew and DUs relations, with assaults on mall This time there was a 210 groups. majority in lavour of a Fight-
In the same ID months period,
the monthly news paper of the Platform group of
bus workers — bas built up from selling only a handful of conies in Leeds to monthiy sales of four to live bundred and a readership
group has been bus workers and again
General Workers Union, and has
simulared many more workers
inta attending branch meetings,
and demanding action from their
Fores
bus and went stopping, - like Scarboraugh. Ever lay there were a thoesaod police on the Trent. We were the first It was an ollicial strike. We bar fiying pickets because af the mushrooming of other ports in unfair competition.
From as The were fit a miners learnt it
SO SUCH every day. When we went lo
where dockers working up the Trent for hall the
all the police were waiting for us. We marched through Hid town in columns ol four and closed the berths down. We gat a bit of abuse bur a lot of
'On the Trent we had 60 dockers arrested and each fined ESO in a kangaroo court. The palice were very frightened. We
sending 700-1200 men = cars and bill-hooks. Those are tools of our trade. They called them "offens-
Women and wives worked hehind the scenes. We in the hlue union got no strike pay. got threatening and abusive phone cas the third week which worried me greatly - threws ta my wife and family. My wile got nich to tide us over. The wome weren't hostile. My wite had a typewriter here and did all tbe
Huge fare rises
smashed in Leeds
SPEAKOUT
by Paul Mathews
Plaiform and the Leeds Cam paign Against the Cuts combined
Patie trason Group fares issue 1o form
Leaf.
IS WETE CISIOU EL ATE WICCE
ings addressed, The bood for
united action from bus worker
4.15
Support cale from me n
trade unioniSts,
The fight ieself was nat timiced
I was
faces and the social responsibilcy
of the County Coumal ro provide
adequinee, low
When Faced with these агра-
mare importantly.
with the evidonce of mass prd-
test the Commissioners told the
think and in terios of 12 per
cent instead of 26
Altbough fare increases of any
kind are derimental, the rejec-
tion of the proposed 26 per
was a major victory,
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1977 Pape
Journalists
fight to
maintain
strike
THE STRONG whiff of a sell NTS TIE BET 10LBEE cars from the attempts of th leaderships of the print unions to
SERIE North or Foeland Newspapers s end their dared monts strike
The employers' claim that the journalists" demand for a post entry closed shop in a threat t
has always en barrassed the point unions. Now then one Nationed trying to Journalists into accepting immediate rerurn to work and "mediation al Darlington
The demand came during a meeting last Thuesday the
cincin industries committee of
he TLI when PRICE OL
rim unions NATSOPA, NO
nd SOGAT told NUJ reps sentatives that if they dicn't set their members back to work to cross the picket line.
NUl executive memher Aidan White who attended the meeting says: "A comprehensive sell-out is heing organised by the print unions! The NUT chape) Papis to lackmail them it ending the strike. Mike Dussen, the strikers father of the chapel told Socialist Chaliense: We ar willing to accepe a sediator in principle, bur we are not pre pared to go back to work in thi meantime, point out that recommendation ДІале-03 amediator are Do hinding.
As we go to press, die NUJ
consider ib attitude to the wtibarum of the print unions. Only a strong rank
and file campaign among journ alists and printworkers to build solidarily with the Darlington
journalists can guarantee succes
for this important dispote. 1h
NUJ rank and file group Journalists Charter is busy trying to ge
produced by united mass action
An undersranding between bu
workers and the travelling public
has neen acleved and moral t
higher than ever belore. • We's
done what was needed this time
ned we'll do i gain when the
time comber — as surely i will.
• Platform can de connorind a
2 Ascol Terrace, Laeir S
CORRECTION
We would like to correct an erro
witch noreated in our repon
the Right to Work Campaign tw
weeks ago. We incorrectly stated
that Bernard Regan and Social
Teachers Alliance SHE DEICE
*sistance to the RTW campaige
Ir should have said that the Eas
London Teachers Association
(of which Regon is President
bad offered support.
Page 6 scan of this page
241 A0 AIDEO J045 SEM 2UNU 30 Phob Пророко
at sinc
311012
JogE spondo manadoe ПрофСтала,
пороцію за
at 10 cans 10i bile do
проти в відо ла пан
0017 d013 1035230 200
MOS 941
HOMEONE
un se -
RESCUE BOOT punct out andaid men sonous
0 10 1 20 1018
The ga-que
do punjany On 2A84
-un
391. zanr
aULL
COMES
quan yued paradis a pinow 9961 aus
aldoad
"брити но Го зно злам ам Ві TODIESE LESE HELL
5 23j. j0 muosed pue sapi
301 10 TA 5 CARED
IROBINS
S41 DUE J0U 11202A0I
334
NO INVU3G SHN a47 j0
1 SA MO J00і I CA
'DOEP SEP-10 PL
Page 7 scan of this page
POLITICAL INTEREST on the
left in the issue of devolution and
Scottish independence seems to
it had become a contentious issue
Westminster, and had received
Ter this wasn't simply a Endish left, but of the impor- on of the insularity of the
Be of Westminster in deciding
lation is extended to Scotland,
nd the weakness of any extra-
ting the inue.
we have to face now is
of Britih polities, either a Tory/ ossable, due to the structure
one ananco may prevent a
Labour/Liberal aldefeat time Godenment over introducing it, or a
Tory government committed to traditional Unionist news on the British stare. The real choice could become not devalution or
se status quo, The impact of thi
ould finally swing the Scottis
ndependence, a possibility made
nore likely by the abandonmen
devolution by the Scottis National Party: If this
he issues involved
One of the points made in the carlier debates was that a strict line had to be drawn
Scotland and countries like Ireland, which Are oppressed nations, subjected to imperialis domination; Scotland, by con trast, having shared in the spoils of British imperialism. It is true
hat those who try to apply th
raditionally understood Leninis theory of imperialism to Scot
and will come unstuck. But, on
e other band, part or or
ablem about Scotland is that
defles our traditional undermanding of nationalism and self-determination, and we ue having
hack our way through an undergrowth of irrelevancy
OPPRESSED NATION
of an op
ressed nation as being which is economically and polit
estent that thi
notional bleependence neve
ational independen aha, tally belie not tur pean: This has meant that
tbe question has been con ceived of with the exception of Ireland) as being a problem of the Third World. This reflects
The first Murist Symposium
organised by Socialist Challenge
BELT BOOD OLE YEE
jous sessions. There were heated
and lively exchanges throughout
10C 300г Q0s 38 T0E waSH
first venture, we con regerd it as
i molest success.
The agenda for Ibe Sympusium mus packed with debates on
far-ranging subjects
the family in capitalist society, a
OPEN FORUM
SNP leader Wolle
the fact that in the second half of the twentieth century the struggle nial world has been of funda mental importance to the strat
dvanced capitali We therefore forger that for the earlier Marxist movencat the national question was primarily a
roblem of europ
ne of the formative int of the cratic revolution. For example he wa in which, at the ver oint of its greatest ach German bourgeoisie
inse the national aspiratio
the stial
OnE
national question only concerne the non European world. He wa
cutely aware that the failure o the bourgeoisie to resolve the national question in could contribute to a war, the malin burden of which wolld be borne by the workers and peas justified, The importance of the rational question in Europe was. Geoll Roberta (CPI speaking at Symposiam
round-table discession on strat-
LET TOT TEAKINHIM BITCHER
Europe, and the Leninist party
and socialist democracy. Thai
Indisputahle there
few seminars which would bure
and some sessions tended to be dominated by what one partici
pant called "gladitoria combats'.
Most participants muld agree
remains, however,
nent of Marxism in antil the formation of the Comintera. The concentration of the Comintern bon-Europcan world was only natural in the light of the false say wan suppo europe from the carly Twenties, but the Second World War demonstra ted that the Versailles Treaty had not eliminated it.
CONSEQUENCE quence, Marxis in many Euro pean countries were faced by problem which defied the crud colanial-world/imperialist conception of the national probcountries. Holland, etc, under Nazi occ
Etheir resources to the Genn rar effoct, they were not und Sevelaped nations, liberased they would resume their of the Marxias take to their nationa independence? A few seciarian carried on as if nothing ha happened, while -the Stalinists nationalitie
way by occoming patriots. But the most creativ with erase the Marie sout
to infose the struggle Jerman occupation with a mor owerful democratic and the present-day world tional issues which contribu Ешгорс to two European
disappeared from sight, nol b cause they have been eliminate but because they bave been subsumed in the larger conflic between capitalism and the worker states. But as resistance to Paul Thompson (Big Flame) speaking
with us that in overall terms the Symposium represented an imwho allended and would like to were too
please write your comments und suggestions.
Tapes of the entire four-days" debate will be advertised us soon as they ane avallable.
Second Thoughts on
Scotland
A few months ago a debate took place in the socialist press on devolation and Scottish independence. This debate has receded somewhat in the national press. It
* potentially explosive issue in British bourgeois politics and thus deserves the interest of all socialists. Here BOB PURDIE gives his views.
an important compo
overthrow of
The purpose
Belgium. economic and nations. understand
And wh
attitude should cannot occur.
DIVIDING LINE
referred to the way
The • forwaed. All those Bext even better To Socialist Chall-
the bureaucracy grows in Eastern Scolland. Europe we are constantly re minded that the aspirations of the oppositionists lor a senwine democraric socialist construction are alloyed with national senti
NEW WE SHODO TOUCHING that Lenin was aware that the
capitalism would
on — bis last political strugs and
as directed against the handit of Soviet Georgia by Stalin
subsistence discussion is to demonstrate IN thines! liesty that the narions question is, and always has been an important issue in Europe an
ot sometbing that happens on
1 the colonial world. Second that it is manifested in societie with widely differing forms of
social develop and with different rel tionships to what me usuali
as imperialism
lenied fall polirical autonomy
ponse to specte coonomic ar locial problems which the face under circumstances in which ful independence of action is denied to them. It is not a mechanically pre-determined Marxist response
ment, apart from an initial com
tionalism. Bus what we au rovetari: inter noc do is to ignore the potentia importance of nationalism, or ti schematically divide the world Into places where it can and
At the outset of this arricle I referee trades se mete,
Hoise Rule
Friday, 9 Seprember
cres Assembly Rooms 1
Party (represenied by Monty
Sam Aaronovich, Bea Cambell end Geol! Robers) and the international Marxist
Ernest Mandal (Fl) speaking at CP-IMG debate
have drawn a dividing line between Scatland and Ireland. On reflection, I would want to
One of the prob-
Jems incine Marxists in anaissin. Irish history is the fact that Trist marionalist historians have ented a distorted picture of Prish
development, which has depiciod Ireland as covered with stamina tenan • FRENCES
penury by English landlords, Nothing can eliminate the crimes of the Enelish land lords in Ireland, but the reality was more complex, and a more adequate view of this question is
to the problems of
TWO SECTORS
There were in faer tan distioc economic sectors within Ireland the mercantile mainly
market with agricultural produc
manufactured foodstuff's (and including an industrial sec
in the North) and the Sector of small, sub-divided tenancies i
which the overcrowde inbabithats were relian mainly polatoes for food. The nine-
eenth century Iriah nationalist
novensent developed on the basi of the "mercancile" sector, but i created a mass base by taking u the grievances of the subsist.
*I proved impossible, hovere
Westminster,
interests of the English landiord class, who feared the erosion of their own position through Irish Drccedents. When Mart sasd tha che freedom of Ireland was n condition for the frecing of th
in part, that the trish question was the battle ground against this entrenched reacrionary influence
gradually
ot before vas
on created in Ireland and d leadership of the nationalist movement forced into a radical position rhan their nomic interests would have deter ninod. It was their
nat, jusr when the problem
e Englisb landlords bad be
oped within the British ruling
lass, and the New Imperialists allied with Orangeison to destrey
Group (reprtsented by Ernest
Peter
CP has formally sanctioned a debate with a for-elt organis ation in Brizain. The theme of the debate cenred around the different was of achieving sociairsm.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 Septamber 1977 Page 7
Bob Furdle
In other wards. the emergence a radical. republican and
Ireland in the first quarter of this
century was not determined b
Ireland to Bricain, but by the
explosive clash of political inter-
British
ment. wonder the Irish
sought, first through Home Rule
ann, to create thele own Parlia
ment which would he free of
the differences between
Scotlam and Ireland become
one ot degree rather tban
kind. Scotland's economic and
social problems are
radical as those of Ireland at the
turn of the century, but they are
becoming more radical than the
EAVE TOLE and
Wescminster is proving incapabl
of dealing with them.
which has tipped the balamce it
SHODE SEE UP 81
Assembly the balance ma
urther tipped towards indepe
elf mat happens there will no
he the slighrest use lecturing the
scottish people about their no
being an oppressed nation anc theres tie in to there therefore
S a case for
devolutions Scarine be ar Westminster cannot
oppressed nation, albeit in a
starse the problems w supermarket. canno
Scans with wine
it contronts us. We have to come
consider whether or not the
COOL DED ASSEUIS LOIE
remain open, and if it is closed -
what then
* Views expressed in this coins
are those of the individual coi
uniss and do not necessurit
refleur thase of the paper.
The debate was recorded prete to Socialist Challenge which will soon 7 supporters both in this connie and goroad, For details write te Education Depariment, TMO P.O. Box S0, London N.I Monly Johnstone (CP! at the rostrum
Page 8 scan of this page
Prepare for Tames but learn the lessons of Lewis
OCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1977 Page 8 Lewisham and argues that: THE "BATTLE of Lewisham"
wingers. For whether the event
vas of primarily local or nationa SHE DETRA the fact is tha racialists strove to gain the free dom of the streets in an immithey would have exercised thei private terror in the wake of their
public, police protected "peace
ful manch Instead, the driven to the back roads, broker up and stopped short. The direct
counter-stroke against them crucially wided by the fee ten
THIs was a VIctOry.
Such an action is more importLOVET BETTE IT WOrd.
since written and spoken about i
Yet the effect of these is alse
How, then, was this event itself described and justified in the
he use of a quotation from, of a
cople, Adolf Hitler, A quotatio
David Edgar in Destine —his play about the rise of English fascism
concludes with Hitler's
wn words, used in such a fashior that they become the message or his drama. The same words were used again in Socialist Worker set out in display type on the pRee or their special account of th 'Battle of Lewisham', Here too the words were ased to endorse
c action and bring the messag
ome. This is what the leader c German fascism said: 'Only one thing could have stopped ou
adversaric
ad understood its first principl
ind from the first day ba siasbed with the utmost brutality the nudens of our movement
at was disheartening to see the same quotaton, in bold type. at the head of an article on page 4 of the "Lewisham Special" зирplement of Socialisr Challenge.
t is grotesque for socialista to
quote Hitler in this fashion, no because it plavs into the bands or those who claim that all extremist groups of right or left are
come as a surprise? -because Hiller was wrong
CHARLATAN
His reputation as a charlatan, demagogue and as a fabricator of mins should, by now, be wai established. True, he was also reputed to have had a hypnotic power over sections of the masses Maries in been Known to Tel pre-war Germany, and even under the away of strange speils. But isn't it incredible thar a paper influcnced by reprodube such arrant mystification? For the great political aclevencat which werybady Trotskyist and non-Trotskyist
agrees upon is that Tratsity saw SWISSI ENCTISC Hitler meant, for Germany and for all Europe, and that he saw
sopped, even as late as 1933.
Trotsky's cloquent and anim-
united front against Hicker was confirmed by ibe votes cast in
All the indications are that the mobilisation for the anti-fascist mass picket on 8 October in Tameside will be larger and broader than Lewisham. ANTHONY BARNETT maintains that there were some serious flaws in our reporting of
"There will not be any lasting, active socialist unity on a mass scale sufficient to challenge the bourgeoisie for power until socialists learn to tell the truth.' Bal the Gentine can a
some time in the early nist Party refused to ally with the Siler and or intal gang or followers could have been stopon, and should have
electoral prominence was not
He said it was inevitable, aod we find Socialis
This fascist ideology, It hum to represens himself and hi drown the trade union morement, unless it is dispersed now with the wunist hrutaly.
lenge? The lead article in the LewisDam Soccia" is What really happened at Lewthe ¡sham? It denounces the media: extremism, all the drooling about "democracy" serve one purpose: to cover up the real culprita."
Very well. No droolin creaming from Socialist Chal up. But somchow or other the the Socialist Workers Party, On another page the swP are co Ecotly ana, sarcis. art the Sochit Unity candidate acked for their failure to at Ladywood. But their leading tale at Lewisham is simply not aLoueh Ibe pres treated them the organisers of the main contin tal. Was this somelms which did not realiy happen'? In which case che SPinthe media really a part was the of the "cover-up', which is mentioned three times in the article?
HS The DET issue of Socialist Challenge Taric fully acknowledges Lie role of the SWP.
Another incident was the use of altitionia, The mass media cert-
HAUP
Char
Over a hundred correctly at-
political
Mainly screamed abour it. Now the use of ammonia, or any othe general, anti-personnel obnoxious against the principles of social les use demned. Not only is it necessary
also practical to do so, in erder to relain the mass support which is the ultimare bastion against any fascist advance. Certainly its use cannot be implicitly support-
A HAMMER
SHOW-STOPPING courts arising from 13 August. Already the fines are high. 250 for offensive weapons. E50 for threatening behaviour. Many of the defendants are due to appear for trial in October. Already defendants have received threatening phone calls from the NF.
out of the work. We make an urgent appeal for money from all anti-fascists. The fines will be high and we need money to assist the anti-fascist fighters in paying them. We also make an urgent appeal for all possible witnesses to contact the defence campaign immediate at: 720 1320 (Tony]. Send money to the Lewisham Defence Campaign: c/o 6 Cottons
Led because Adolf Hirler suggest ed that his enemics shoald have chemical used utmost brutality" and AMMONIA should be conweapons, it is includes condemning the has to he fneed, not because the wns widespread. but because tbe
COMING SOON TO :
TAMESIDE OCT.8.
/ COUNTER-DEMONSTRAT OF THOUSANDS
•..BE THERE!
ANTI- FASCISTS anti-fascist fighters bave already faced the
The defence campaign needs more money for the carrying
What CIE have to say? Nothing. "really happen The
hardly USE DI said, This is a detail but i monin": at Lewisham
CRODUCTION
absonia The
how it
Vol evasions
Gardends E2
medin have made an issue of it.
Challenge
Another SWP awkward tack which did th
report in Socialist Worker -was no it should be added, MOSCUCC D improvemiem. Thes 'most demonstrators like the quote TITSE
through the press pect. except for some SWP members
BACISM
838
bet Citton Rise and grabbed the pOr bottle from one of them and bou
This lacks conviction! Phical Nazis" with
bocoutes a singular bottle. Some SWP memhers in her the plucal threw it away til cus have heen a big bottle). Are we supposed to believe that they threw i into a dustbin? The evasiveness of this passage hill literally incredible
for Socialis DUESTICIN Challenge 10 ask, bowever, For
possible reporters id-induige in their kind
"OBJECTIVITY"
One explanation is 'sectarianism", or at least an aspect of it Securianism is nor just a matte
attacking ESTICES -13U contrary. the criticism of the
action at Ladywood men tibed above was constructive in tone, persuasive and realistic pro
sectarian. But mention ol the SWP's role at Lewisham. Jus
from Hitler. is SCOaTinE In One saniticant res
Both help to present a world view which accords with TEN CARE DIRE WILTESE
Page 9 scan of this page
Shirley Williams' racist circular
FASCISM
de
1am
writer. Uncomfortable
quotations ecades one sure legacy, there be any SUETOETINE unity on a man it to challenge the bour-
tell the truth. it must be stressed, that
arat. The truth does not in the face, for a start,
essarily sufficient. For ocialist paper mast also
ess — of objectivity and - between the paper and
ARIAN he last decade various
have been at ing such a relationship,
can now draw rof experience. The Red is a 'vanguardist' paper
comrades * the Black Dwarf, while * Dwarf aself tried to
ore readable and non-
Both died. In place of Biack Seven Days briefly and
ctice. Red Weekiy folceeded by Socialst Chan ted Mole and has hich has drawn on some ssons of Seven Days. ties to various editorial with their and ments, made mistakes. CADIO BIG: HOW LEE LIE sue of truthfulness was ly grasped, urgeoisie have undoubele an idealogy of 'object id have thereby rurned it TO US IS ON TERE tanes rile at the idea of
A common in he put like this: s claim to be "object-
they are not they are
JOU be partisan. The error bvious. Such a response
of objecivity to com-
Whereas, in order to CIS SENSIBEESS + real forces at play must own objectively
may be. ialists, objectivity tion for pocessful parSTULSH ALLEYEVE COI sandition for ultimate truthful accuracy is also
uniting today. For a socialist • first, albough not the
Here indeed challenge. Should the
respond to it and
1 and lasting one.
Challenge did not this its of Lewisham. Perhaps help of its renders, it can
ally be able to help unite in the spirit of the
the Relations: Act before 1 September 1973
hoarding charges,
isions."
march proved
The Government's continuing blatant discrimination against overseas students appears to contravene the Race Relations Act. REDMOND O'NEILL explains how the Department of Education has got around the terms of the Act on this issue — one which is certain to he explosive in the autumn when college students return.
Appropriate instruments for
autborisation of exemptions Act under Secbon 4i of the Race mical s plans
will be made , by the
with regard to further education
awards, tuition lots sod the admission of overseas students. Until that date indirect discrimination does not apply to further education prov
In these words, a joint circular from the Home Office, Welsh maLC Office, DHS and Department Crown' of Education, both exposer the The South London Cormittee af failure.
Anti-Raciats and Anti-Fascists'
racted 1,500 militants. Actempes by the National Front to attack
adisma
Britain's
drawn up.
hypocrisy of the Race Kelations all
reveals the Govern under.its STOr removing an embarassing obstacle to is bla tantly racist attacks on overseas students. It seems that the Department of Education's discrim ination against overseas students trols, could make it babie to prosecu tion under the 1976 Act.
sophole is that such discriminaterins of the Act if it takes place in line with special arrangements
• Minister of the
Shirley Williams, Minister of
SOUTH LONDON
AGAINST
RACISM
The handful of fascists who did try and provoke the several local demonstrators ran into crownie with some black youth and one of them was arrested after pull ing a knife on a black girl. The
the Crown' for Education, AIRS now issued a circular to college
"special arrangements". In other words she has given the green Light to a new wave of attacks on
students.
Within days of the circular being
SALIAN the Inner London Education Authority has ordered
colleges and Polytechna
control to operate quotas to reduce the proportion of overseas students from 25 per cent to 10 per cent. I implement ed, such quotas will not only ac as back door Immigration con
will also result course and college closures as the student population drops. Last year a wave of occupations won guarantees from college authoriles that no quotas would be operated. It is clear that th Government is shaping up fo further confrontation forms demonstration was supported by
Parties, THUS CHILE A HIS ARrIC and by local residents
BES
Petto THe
CRICAN
much as a whimper of disapproval from the college such-
Last year's struggle did prevent the implementation of quotas in
put the decisive question of fee levels the cart-
was defeated. Students returning to college next term will face fee levels up to 300 per cent higher than last year. The studenes have already resulted in many having to give up their
for that defeat lay with the NUS Executive, who refused to op-
students to exemplions for bardship cases —
che outset rather than stepping on the toes of the "liberal" college
to sop the quotas and other
of discrimination next LET CAROL Be DECOGE
Fascists attack
Labour Meeting
'LAST WEEK forty National Front members broke up a Labow Party ward meeting in South London due to be addres sed by rigbt wing Labour MP
Cax Wearing anoraks. black shirts and leather jackets the Fascists marched into the meeting where about 20 people were waiting to hear Cor speak in support of the government's record. Continuous chanting of 'National Front, National Front" soon forced the outnumbered and trightened Labour Party members to leave the room.
Later tbe Lewisham NF org aniser Richard Edmunds stated
Free Darcus
Howe
DARCUS HOWE, editor of the monthly magazine Race Today
od chairman of th Carnival Development VERDIC sentenced to three months im
We see and mom 00
-SCILLCOUS •TOm incident in May 1976 during which Howe was physicall at
called a "black bastard and a black cunt" by a London Transport ticker col
an all white jury,
ollowing a most biased summin Knightsbridge Crown Court. the
Howe was found guilty of a
narge of occasiona actually bodily hart after defendin himself against a vicious arrac with an umbrella by a white
same week as Enoch Powell's inflammatory anti-immigration
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1977 Page 9 alliance with authorities implemLOUIS BLASHE - Rather. the den and must be for colleges anc local authoritice to refuse k
ures. If the NUS Executive again refuses to co-ordinate activity nans to extend and co-ordinal action can be organised directly by the student unions prepared te LEnE the Coveransens policies, in conjunction with the lahour movement. In the mean Ume we can tid no instiratich whatsoever from the brave words of NUS Secretary Trevor Phil lips: We are going to lawyers to see what can be done about ir'.
NUS headquarters sbould be flooded with letters from student unions demanding a meeting of activists right at the beginning of next term to mag DUL that disruption waild he re peated at other Labour Party
DOCESE Labour Councils banning the NT from public balls trave matting then well take can't
over theirs.
is sort of move marks breakdown image the fascists have cried to create in the past No doabt it will sive certain Labour Party members more opportunities to make peacetal prorests against the Front. But maybe when it's themselves rather than blacks under attack they will begin to
peech which eventually led b
bod fither deans of A and further deaths scudents in East London.
The Race Today collective points out that Howe has no
and that it is most unascal te sentenoe anybody to a term in jai on their first offence
We consider that the sentence
rodent National Front activity and the climate of anti-black We believe -Howe has imprisoned for his political be liefs and activities.
We intend to appeal at the first possible opportunity the meantime we warn the Hoene Secrecary that he has not heard the last of this
speare Road, London SE2 OPI
el.01-737 2268.
Page 10 scan of this page
Dr Owen
THE Owen-Young
Zimbabwe have so far not had a
side in the guerills war, with both
giving it a definite
Its main i mpact has been in a
different quarter with those
ionalist leaders who bope th
will crumble directly imperialist pressure,
bout the additional i of the
ad Sithole have ow become
edent advocates ef the Anglo
The one thing this does is drive
• pretty firm nail into the coffin
Smith's proposed Internal
settlement. But, • ThE T
shown previously, was al-
ways a shaky proposition,
these new developments do little
more than speed up the inerit-
But we must he ciear about one
In this country: the proI are a blatant denial of the
ight of the Zimbabwean people
self determination, and as
determined way by the solidarity
ELECTIO
rom a briefing document issued
Birmingham Anti-AparI MovEment ham Campaiga for Justice
12 Mets oN Caraman Be
the streets of Barcelona on Catalan national day last Sunday. Through Plaza Catalunya and the Ramblas there were hardly any of the traditional pigeons to be seen.
This overwhelming show strength was a celebration of tbe restoration of autosomy to Cata lonia after 39 years. What the
reas won't tell you, the
you, the Catalan political parties certainl won't
ell you, is that the whole thin
Autonomy is a very limited concession anyway. It means the granting of a degree of self-government by cbe cntral enment, which has the effect of denying the right of the oppress-
determine its own huture. Bur nor ever autodomy has been grunted to Cara-
Instead tbere is the pravisional erMoration of the Gieneraliat -the old Caralan Government This non-clected cabal wil have • purely advisory CHOICEY no formal
tution is redrawn can the of the Generated Be established,
The natichai question in Spaul today is dynamite. Everwhere national and regional minorities
Tac steels 1o
INTERNATIONAL
gives the wrong
prescription
SPEAKOU
Patri-
wi- im Zimbabwe, which
clearly and precisely the impilcations of the proposais. 'ARE THESE test propos ended for the liberation a independence of the babwean people or for a "return to legality" the latter having been the aim of and the Foreign Office since UDI? These latest terms presealed by Dr. Owen are *change noseptable principaliy to the white minority and to TEST TIC CIALLEC The Commonwealth Heads of Government...stated that a gen entail nor only the removal of the Wiegal Smith Regime Out also the dismantling of is apparatus of repression. *Do the recent Anglo-American Bir-
Catalansamong
the pigeons A PIG
demand self determination or, at Made a state of attire frie very least, concessions from de suits neither the Government
for obvious reasons reformist and capitalist political parties in the nationalities.
The present CarRian selle ment, on the other hand, suirs both sides. The hopes it will defuse the Catalan struggle and set a precedent for the other nationalities. The part CULAUS COTE CESUD entrenching themselves in the governments if a non elected transitional copine is set up first.
urties, the Socialists Basque Nationalises (PNT), hav Diade summar Transideal pro rosals. It is no coincidence that these two parties are the leadine inghts in the (con-elected) Basque Government-in-exile. They hoping for the same deal as their Catalan counterparts.
There has been fighting on the surcols botween bourgeois PNY and supporters of Basque independence.
The struggle in the nabons of the Spanish state will now focus on a crucial question of democritic rights. Does LATE bave the right to elect a Constituent Assembly to determine its тенета ко зрал, ос а Тля to he decided by a secret coven of party bursaucrats and Madrid
sets out Emergency powers will
Gained by the British Comm sioner. sates that the aim will be to While the
aholish discrimination, it never theless Zim-
validated and time to work our". (Why should apartheid type laws have to be continued?).
ENDORSES
* Anti-Apartheid are bound to conclude that HM Government is taking part in an WISC WICHACCS sunder the seich reine Preene under the Smith regime.
terror, nor the brutal effects of discrimination, nor of the use of
The Forces. An remain. posed, to wipe out the past acts
CARVER reports.
The MC is reckoned to be the fourth largest of the Spanish fa left parties, behind the two Macist organisations we lave discussed in previous weeks and
were similar to those of the Basque Trotskyists The nucleus of the present MC was leaders of the expelled from ETA, the "liquidationism" - nor the sixties.
Still is implantation is uneven LIke ETA (Vl) irs grearest weicht continues to be Government working ists and the MC who carry the
majority of the Workers Com
Yet all these gains are now in copardy nons or convesion from Mod ism, its underlying politics have not changed from the days when 3е suppone bren coracoraton of workers' and parties in the
MC is still a signatory detunet Democratic Coordina
are
POPULAR UNITY
But the big change came with the Jube election campaign and the announcement of the Torma Doll or 8 Movement of Popusine Uniry. The reference to Alberide was deliberate →
The real political model was th JDUPs of Orelo de Carvalho E
The principal fault of the far left was suddenly diagnosed a movemenr, launched through the
clearly declares some
the document
catirely in the campaigner
although Sation.
RIGHTS
is pro-
MC: crisis comes
into the open
Few organisations can have had as many ideological affilitations as the Communist Movement [MC] in its ten year history. It has moved from Basque nationalism, through New Leftism and "Trotskyism', to Macism and thence to its present undefined leftism. Soon it will add another string to its bow: social democracy. RICHARD
•Worker
in the
In the Class. It is the Trotsky
Despite its protesta and organisations
between uang clas Platform of MILLIST The Centrism to the
For mample the nationnlities and rogions"
determination in the medsum to long term' there are many
fundamental orifice.
leaders, in Lusaka earlier this year,
and start anew-how then could
he Tangwena people be restored
to their land, or the displace
people get away from the barbed
"protected villages" to their
*The Bill of Rights proposed in
DICICHES the longest Right (no.v)—Protection from deprivation of property -in the white population from ex
The compensation,
I any, may he remited abroad tires in orphans if mise Zimbowen
of white who own half the ter ritory-all the most productive Government
they are only constitstion
STiraIn-
Another "Right"" listed is ch
right of individuals, groups, o
AC leader Doronsore [eft now Ands /mae/ teemed up with the ma
ho would be king: Carios Hugo de Borhon-Parma, the Carlist Pretende to the throne isfightly to his righrl. clections, which would draw in 'the broades popular masses
involved in
amme which borerod uncas
capitalism And
the supposed middle way beiween: reformisms
can never Have heen more clearly stated
rights of liquidationism . whil simultantously refusing them the The
night to came in the The "socialist transformation of society" coldes
democratic Govem-
take place definition of democracy so subdi
Not surprisingly the rag-bag of
programme were pencrally to th to the right ofthe MC; the Carlists, th
In there a doctor in the house? Young and Owen (centre) meet Mugabe left and Nomo, the Patriotic Front
communities to establish and
maintain schools at their own
But there is no de
claration ol, simply. "The Right
Education". So who will
SOLIDARITY
Ir would be more covincing
were committed TO independence
their proposals And recognised
the right of the future people's
0f Zimbabwe 20
work out the dear of is aw
political and economic structure
and electora
'Supporters of the Liberation Forces —our movements here in
*Must be active in pressing MPs and politicians to oppose the
Spanish far left
MC
Socialist Movement (a split from the regional socialist parties), tbe tprmer Communist Party opposition and various odds and ends from the social democratio
1967 the accusation
AeBise Basque chauvimm. 1h future MC argued for the unity of the working class of the whole
polites ward which springs to mind
Basque where the MC formed Euckadika Equenta (Basque Left), along uh a nuther of tender party se Everyone pretended not do notice the contradiction between state-wide position of the MC which denied the Basque right to self-determination, and the position of tbe Euzkadiko Equerra which represented a capitulation
worst encesses of senti mencal particularism.
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1977 Page 10
**Get all possible material aid to
Lie Zambabweaps n their variou
locations in Southern Africa:
•*Constantly publicise the
plight of prisoners and thei Tamilies, and get churches and other organisations to raise buand Christibascards
**Campaign for the contina
ation of sanctions — don't allow
sight to cause lifring of sanctions
legislation...
FULL TEXT
For the felt tear of this dirie fing
further information sien for Justice in Zimbabwe
write c/o Margaret Stanton [Sec1
100 Oakfield Rood, Birminghan
Only the MC iself missed the irony when its members made furious public defences of the politics of the very лане реоріс
who had expelied them from
The process of polstical liquidation was complete. All that remained was its logical corollary liquidation of the organisa tion itself. Popular Unity collapsed even hefore the cloction took pince. Unabashed, the MC set out on its mation of The MiR, The manu-
The monurecocal cheekinese of pinching the Chilean name disguises what is really taking place.
After a brief flirtation with the
ACH BE SOLIDE LI
Suve kenners hal chosen their target: the regional
The trousic. s thar after their cloctoral fiasco Jost of these have been swallowed un by the large social demos Tatie parties the PSOE and PSP.
Where this has not happened, as in Galicia and Valencia the
courts thom assiducasly. In
country its liquidation into ElA is almost a fore gone conclusion.
UNION WORK
The turn has thrown the organisation into crisis, will the virtual work with the LCR in Workers Commissions in favour insede the unions. userged i anne po. sition has the rank and file which could quickly gravitate to revolutionary polilies. Many of ita members will py a crucial roie in the banish revolution. but the MC or MIR — itself can offer nothing. at is poly toe as organisation to confront the sark reality: centrists live in a limho between revolution and refore. They can choose to stay there and coodemn themselves
SLDASEKUINE CHISELL -or they can move either way,
The ingrained anti-sectarianise move. Sadly they went the wrong
Page 11 scan of this page
Democracy and
Indochinese regimes?
Lnos and Cambodia must rank as the most brutal attack ever to be unleashed by an imperials power against presser people. For a decade and a half the
cation in the world used Indochinese peninsula as a labora pina desperase bid to stem the tide
used almost every weapon short of nuclear missiles and bomhs. They
PETE BAYO out they left Indochina devas
ated: mass destruction of fore use of oxic chemicals in paddy
elda, saturation bombing of a the major ndustrial centres i Northern Vietnam
They engaged in large-scale massacres of the civilian populations. The My Lai the best publicised, but there were many others.
WILSON AND MY LAI
Enrouthout the par the mos slavishdefendersof American war policies in this country were the Labour Rovernment. Die Famo mist, the bulk of the news media (more servile than the Americar press and a variety of intellectus Ightweights them Singaley Amis and
Wilson as Prime Minister said that be did not think the My La nassacre had taken placel wi
um Rees-Moer of The Time icked Nixon's arse so diligently that be delended the White House crook during the carly stages of
Yatergare
These Tactsse the context for the present campaign against Viet nam and Cambodia. It is part of the ideological campaign of the ruling rule the pro ge and neer class 1o and necover
Indochinese war and the Watergatecrisis.
More to the point its inteation is to prepare the public for direct US interventions elsewbere. Southern ANCELODEL SUCH HELE
DIGESTED HISTORY
The book which is being used to unleash this campaign was pub ished in the United Stares under
Marcer Dr a Centie Land. It has been reprinted in country by Hodder and Stoughton under the title Peace with Horror The latest media convertto Barror and Paul'shorrarstories is Marlin Woolacoltal The Cuordian. Ho
without The two whor Woniacott Taik to ser hat Barron aad Paul virtually IgHOre SEC tole of the United States. The B-32 raids, Ine system atic destruction of the couury are not considered important.
They openly acknowledge tle partisan character of their "diverse some or intormation: intor-
INTERNATIONAL
Last week saw the much-publicised publication of Peace with Horror, an investigation into atrocities in Cambodia. Many of the book's findings are fabricated nonsense, argues TARIO ALI, but can socialists so easily dismiss the charges against the
the mal brietings from specialists at the State and Defence Demari the National Securky Council and three foreign emba SESHE WASHION SISTER urprising as the journal for which Barron and Paul originally wrote liberation strugales: the Readers Digest!
One of the better debunking operations onthe Barronand Pau rubbish has been American radical-liberal The Nation. A lengthy the atrocicy literature by Noam Chomskyand Edward S. Herman demoliahes the press campaign 80d the more They cite in example of carried out by the Washington Post.
believed to be the fist of believed to foreed labour conditions in the countryside of Cambodia [to] havereached tbe West." (The pictures show armed sol dier! guarding people plows, others working fields, and the if this man was killed", the captionreads.] But there is & slicht problem The Washingron Post account of how they were smuggled our by a
entirely fanciful, The pictures hal the appeared a year earlier in France.
Germany and Australia, in the Hamekok Posr [19 April
Lon Not troops displaying humane treatmant of Khmer Rouge prisoner.
1976), with the caption True of In fact, an attempt by & Tha trader to sell these photos to the Bangkok Posr was turned down "because the origin and authen ticity of the photographs were in
another Thai newspaper two days «The Reekok Part then publi shed them, explaining carried by the
weekly 'Khiner watchers" were dubious revien of uhout the ciothes and manner of
interesting
'photographs
actual
pulling
всесторо
, as well ar
revolution in
Indochina
election.!
NO
because FORCED
Let an CALECHIC
Cambodian regime.
NO
The photos appeared in
of'urban repression.
Post-revolutionary he education in Vietnam
"other observers' who "pointed to the possibility that the series of
Thailand with the prime objective of destroying the image of the Socialist parties" before the
Stration.
COMPLACENCY
Having said all this we ourselves MUEL MOTOS ME BOODL сгар. Because imperialists tell lie:
confused journalists peddle State Department prope WATCIS
To bocome ogists of Phoom Pech or Hanci, not to mention Pyongvang and Tirana, cantor be a serious option For anyrevolutionary Marxial. We
truths, however unpleasant they
EVACUATIONS
chu the case of Camhocia While teres alte dons that the press stories are exag gerated and in some cases outright les of the once Band socilsis have to confront the followin facts: there have been limite
a purge (whose cxact magnitude is stunkbown withat the Cabbo dian leadership; a forped evacuntion of Phoom Penh was organised; the self-imposed isolation of the Cambodian regime has lod to
"SCHUL matsonalist
It is pointiess lo deny these facts 'Socialists" who used to ardently defend Sihanouk in this country gour ally every action of tal are now defending with
JUSTIFICATION
To move populations without their consent cannot be rustitied masses If anything it is an indictipent of the planning models of the regime
quality in all colonial cities, but socialists do not deal with that by
They plan a different solution.
bey ask for aid from China, from the LISSR, from Scandinavia, To pretend that Cambodia can reach
self-sufficiency thoroughly reactionary notion.
cannot be achieved in either China or the USSR BRUNS A CHIE HERO LISTI could supceed in Cambodia.
The problems lacco the Vietnamese communists are of an even greater magnitade and ye
for and even demanding aid for
. They The had relie of te Miesence in
has years of experience problems of war and adminis.
Last Julyameeting of the party's Central Committee admitted that the leadership had made gigantic miscakes' in a draft resplution on
sive food shorlages. They explain ed it in terms of technica! hack
They dismissed tbe Ministerof Agricuitureto indicate theseriousness of the problem. COMMANDIST STRUCTURES
But despite the infinitely superior political and economi policies of the Vietnamese leaderThin, the country Is sul run or commandist lines. We can express the contradiction inberent in the situation in the following way: the populations of Hue and Saigan
ind other cities had access to more intonation wower the Beavily censored pressor the Thieu regime than they do today.
The new Government has established a total monopoly of infor-
nation. It is worth recalling the Lenin and his contrades did ne institute such a monopoly during the civil war in the Soviet Unior Provda, Izvestie and other papers carried debates and discussicins. They printed criticisms.
WORKERS RIGHTS
One of the problems of the new revolutionary regime is self. created. Its credibility, its fune toning and its support sould treble if it instituted a workers
real elections to new, democratic insritutions and it lifted its mono KEN ME DOHER ARE ATED
In this way the politicisorion of thi
would be increased a
Aner at une programne wou
which the NIF fought and wo
was not just national indeper
Tree general clections to elect the
National Assembly in a really
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 Septamber 1977 Page 11
democratic way, in accordanc with the principle of universal equal, direct suffrage and secret
enforce broad democratic free
dom of the press and publication trade union freedom, freedom 1c form political parties, freedom of
tion. That is what the Politica Programme of the NLF stated unambienously m. 1907 suhsequently re-stated. It has no beenapplied
Here the Stalinist origins idealagical training of the Viet валья Communists win out What experichoe bas shown in Vietnam as in China before it no
parties which break with Stalinism (in the sense of disregarding the immediate interests of the
While this tends to be under played during the revolutionary the seizure of power itself. All the talk about "democracy turns our to he a subcerfuge. a manoeuvre which we are lold was necessary for that particular stage. REVOLUTION AND DEMOCRACY
And yer the future of these revo lutions is intimately bound up with the question of
tainly but democracy nonetheless Thelack of democracy distorts the
lution even with the enlightened and benevolent imperialism with one of is trum SOMETIME COVECU cards:
Socialists in the West therefore have an internarionalist duty to pointebese things out to comrade past. Not to do so would be hoth WELL WOLAL COLL SOROBESEE HE LI irresponsible and dishonest.
In Brief
ALBANIA: East Europcar
SOurces cinim thar ibe regime
has Jailed thousands of pro-
Chinese Albanians afler the
party leadership's recent rit
with Peking.
USA: A judge who freed
young rapist in Madison. Wis
venan lawyer in a specia
lection calle after an uproar
among local citizens. The judge had clairsed that the youch was only reacting "normally" to the PortIsse 3000)
Junior leaders have called a gener
strike for this weck, calling for a lifling of the state of siege, ar
extended bonas scheme and
higher wages FRANCE: A review of The
Ans sed Democratic France,
a Cooki CP Isader Jear
Marrane, in Le Moede, praises it for in Gaullist tong c. Thi
review is by Generil Georges
Buis.
FRANCE: The former mayor
'Humanite complaining of the
import ol 2000 Soviet
l'Hismanite. This was quickl
ollowed up by his Communis
Party successor who denoun
ced 'af imports of hunting
wherever they
fram"
BASQUE COUNTRY: Migue
Angel Apalasegal, the Basque
nationalist wanted by the Spon ish police and held in France
been given provisiona
iberty after
campaign for his
both sides of the Parences
CHILE: 60 people picketed the
LOS IREWERSE ENECTAT protest at the continued sale of
Chilean foodstafts. The picket
darity Campaign, bad the sup
of the ING, SWP, VC
port
and the major Chilean parties
pendent militants. There will be a picket of Tesco in Gateshead
Saturday 17 Septembe from 12 noon to 2pm.
Page 12 scan of this page
NUS calls for Klymchuk "Trial"
A nation of bourgeois nationalists
What's
Left
Dispiay: E1.50
HAMMON ACTORSON
Called PE da Sandram 20 Stockholm, Swede
niversary of the Russian Revol rand the Word Crisis, Booake
Poland Street.
WOMEN in Manual Trades Natiann
watre requires ull-timel. Must De
plan at Upi 041-302 8728 0r work) 041-339 8855 ext. 7120.
nets fortnightly: Noet
Sept, pete ference, Sunday. 19 September, 1
Dece Bermingham do. Price 50t CAMPAIGN for Free Speech reland is now researching a atudy e rodia coverage of che irish quest Please send any information.
personal
NUCLEAR POWER. Special saue of Ponca News gives full covarage of
News Nottingham LOBBY LABOUR conference to demand aborton ma. nasemes. Conference Centre, KIngS. HONE
between piers) 5 Oenaber, 12 nocn. Brighton. London departure poin СОмСТАІННІ ПОДИ ГВИ міня 10.10. Prics El 50. For furcher desas and booking consect.
Astrid Levar, 57 Trinity Rdi, Landor
N2 BIJ REVOLUTIONARY
"Ireland,
Tra Palmer 0G"
Con guern, London wot
NATIONAL
REPRESENTATIVES of the
the Ukraine by the KGB on 1 August.
Andrij is charged with bringing money and literature from a
organisa tion into the U5Sk. It convicted he faces up to 14 years in jail and adminitrative cric.
DISCUSSION
When the NUS called the meeting it had stared; Tor the immediate release of Andri Klymchuk on the basis of the democratic right to transport literature across borders, inde pendently of whether Andri had any literature
The meeting dominated by heroe around this point. US national secretary Trevor Phillips, Tory
Y DUnE and а тер-
Party's students argued vehemently against any call for Andri's inuediate release.
In the eyes of this alliance, we had to avoid at costs a campaign which might threaten to embarrass the Sovies HOST METICIN democratic rights. They argued that we should be fighting fat a Ukraine.
Not so long ago, I went cumping
there. The city has a famous old
cemetery- But I didn't see it.
because a local citizen warned me
away: the authorities were hull-
ozing some graves of peop
uried there decades ag
those who went fora last look were
being photographed by the KOB.
were a symbol of
Ukrainian bourgeois national
TRAFFIC
Then thereis the L vivtraffic. For
example, driving through
city's deserted streets at 10.30 one
evening
notice a couple in a car bebind. -
not goo close, not too far off. Our
curiosity roused after a while, we
drove twice round a roundabout
and the couple
followed us: round and round the
rather nondescript crassy island
Who did they think we were?
Bourgeois Airlonalises?
Then there was this personable
boung dial at the wis camp
site who offered us Our Savier
Ukraine, a book written by one of
the lan most poweriu men In toe
USSR: Pyotr Shelest, First Secre-
tary bF the Ukrainian CP and
mem сег Dile зана голове The a Bailed in the sover
press when it came out in 1970
We were suspicious, Could this
Se to know that one had ben
jettisoned in 1972 and his book
a beaned Fatalist
'bourgeois TREMBARSI
course. We taid our kind official
that our suitcases were full.
Shelest, a Podgorny map, seems
to have been locked in combar
with Brezhner for some time
The Klymchuk affair
National Union of Students, the Ukrainian Students' Union and various other student and political organisations, met at NUS headquarters on 5 September to set up a committee to defend Andrij Klymchuk, the British student arrested in
Fair trial around demands for it to be public and for the release of evidence 10 lawyers Andril's own choice.
Other painled our that pre vous campaigns of political pris oners and dissidents had only been successful when they had rucceeded in exposing publicly Fits in The DeSk, the mad We call recent example being the release of Leonid Plyushch after a massive insernational campaign.
And not only that. The Soviet asthorities would be only t00 pleased to organise a public, that is a show trial, in the not unlikely however. event of the KGB extracting a discussion "conlession' TrOD 1972 they rused such a confession from a Belgian student to implicate hundreds of Ukrainian dissidents in an insernacional conspiracy -Only a campaign based on the rejection of the ment's attacks on Andy's demorating both fas rapid release securing both and the defence of those the KGB may try to use him to smear.
The majority of the meeting finally decided to go ahead on The West Ukrainian city of Lviv-'Lvov' in Russian-
where British student Andy Klymchuk is being held, is
an interesting place, if you keep your wits about you.
OLIVER MACDONALD concludes his look at the
And to
Ivan Dryuba both men beforettis fall and that was how he became a "bourgeois nationalist' under pressure he tried to bid for sopular support in the Likinin For example, in the face b Moscow pressure for more arrests ch wann reportedly said: "This is not th 1930s and Tangot Kaganavich.
ADVANTAGES Mascoa: concluded he was the wrong man for the job. After his fall Kommunar Ukrainy of April 1973 explained: says nothing about the advan gained on entering the unified, centralised Russianstate":
Naive socialists and communists in the West may bare chought that ista' were all right-wing people.
Quite wrong. They coite in every
•REDMOND O'NEILI
the hasis of demanding a fair trail with the proviso definitive decision would be at a
meeting of the campaign on 26 LUTES September trade unions, student unions and political organisations 10 delegates to the next meeting and fight to reverse the political possible to launch the
Russian Embassy and
CYNICAL
Andrij.
Soviet Govern- enucratic dictatorship and
rapid release the NUS Exocative again
sured by their own non religious.
Dayuba
beone —they'reeverywhere.
what,
elementary dissidents,
Shelest's book
people
'bourgeois national-
thas tbe representative
In will thus he possible for
campaign's basis. It will also campnign of action which the
Government really fears, inchiding a massive picket of the
regional pickets of Intourist offices ithe firm Andrij travelled with), simed ar forcing Andri's case to the attention of the internationa
For too long socialists have heen prepared so leave the defence of democratic rights in Li USSR up to peoplé who fundamentally oppose both the bur
the real gains af the October revo lution. The cynical about-turn bi into thus trap, one for which they have beca repeatedly been cen-
huilding a new
people
shape and size: religious people
and
Stabrust chieftains like Shelest literary people and Marxists like
and Leonid the man whom Plyushch. It's precisely this which mnkes them so dangerous: you never know who may turn out to
Why is there a relentless drive
Ukrainian 'hourgeois
nationalison? The answer lies in •Soviet
for Marxists, is a bitter
paradox: 60 years after the over HITSCUS
throw of the bourgeoisie in 1917
hourgeois MATHSTR dices
Fights are being trampled under-
УКрАЇнськА PCP
LEONID PLYUSHCH: an International solldarity campeign freed him The same is needed for Kiymghuk, pot calis for a fair trial
foot in the Ukmine. The hopes that led the Ukrainian masses,
to colla borate with the Russian workers in alliance in the USSR were dashed hy forced "collectivisation' and its sonsequences: this was a drive try a Russian hureaucracy against an overwhelmingly rural Ukrainian
Afterwards, anyone, including Stalusts, who had the slightest experience of Leninist nabsonalaty policy was treated, quite rational
bourgeois nationalise", or even a lasciss ay
Lenin called a Great Russian Chauvinist hully'.
Russian bureaucratic donnacion is justified by the trans parently consensical idea of a
of the nat
resists this is nothing but
narionalist sticking crimunally to anriquared preju-
Back in 1866 Marx hiew such
RATICE
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1977 Page 12 nonsense out of the water in: letter to Engels abour a mecting of the First Inermational in London.
-As was expected, the session eventually come to the question
The repre sentative of "Young Frunce
cume out with the anbouncement that all nutiomali Lies and even nations were ast quated prejudices".
The English laughed very much when I began my speech by saylay that nor friends others, who had done away with mationalities, had spoken to us in French, that is, a language which was incomprehensinie lo nine tenths of the meeting. 1 also suggested that hy the negation of natlonulities he appeared, quite unconsciously. her scorpion My the mode understand French nulice.
Exactly. What will this new Soviet nation" speak? Soriet: No such thing they will speak Russian, of course
INDEPENDENT
Back in the 1930 Trotsky did not finch from drawing the conclu sions From this Russian dorion Son of the Ukraine: the Likrainian
betraved by Stalinism. would fight to destroy the rotten frontiers of the old Russian Tsarist Empire and build a new, inde pendent stare of theirown
declared in 1960: We are struggl Ing for an independent Ukrain which will provide for the macerial and spiritual noeds of her citizen DO LEC basis 1 socialise: economy as it develops toward
communism.
The writer of these lines was
jailed for 15 years. The bureauc
racy knows irs mortal enemy. Eor These ideas can become the hanner of millions of Ekrainians in The yearsrocome.
And in alliance with the workers of the rest of Eastern Europe, they
can wrench the Ukraine from the
grip of Stalinism and embark on tbe cond to a genuinely TTEE
voluntary union of Socialist State
of Eastern and Central Europe
Page 13 scan of this page
Drinking your troubles away?
IN HUMANITY'S battle to control nature, international socialism and anti-alcoholism once marched shoulder to shoulder. It is a fact that labour organisation lessens alcoholism and that everything which decreases the consumption of alcohol increases the helping powers of labour movements... those who can rule themselves are able and worthy to rule the world' warned the Belgian socialist Emil Vandervelde in the early 1900s, echoing the views of the mass of revolutionary militants of his time. Today, while the left ignores or avoids the issue, alcoholism raises two mighty obstacles in the path of proletarian advance. PhysIcally it stands as the single most widespread health hazand encountered in the capitalist world, Culturally it masively restricts the most basic social intercourse and selfexpression of the working class, narrowing its militancy and sustaining male chauvinism and other reactionary Teatures of bourgeois sociely in its turn.
damage is rarely popularly ackof Health officials have counted victims and alcobolism is statistically rared third in the US list of health hazards causing fatalities, measured nationally. Add to that the deaths and non-fatal injuries due to alcohol consumption assisting heart disease. cirrhosis pneumonia, road and industrial accidents. crimes, cic, and the cale of the problem is clarified. The medical consequences extend to bundreds of thousands of workers every day → yet the cultural impact presents arcoer treat to socialist pro gress.
PROLETARIAT
Lenn proclaimed that the prolerariat is an ascending class;
cocic nor stimulant" Yet the everyday capitalist nations today allows no mainstream SOONE ALOYEE avoid its presence. The pubs of major thread in British working blutionaries join crusades for speedily and padly commercial-
The reactionary social role of alcohol is, however, very gradually re-emerging into view. As the economo recession mersists anc campion of muritions foods is drop. recorded by current government sratistics. The same figures also demonstrate a proporrionate rise in the consumption of alcoholic beverages!
Indeed. the underlying industrial trends lowards automation and technologicalinnovation conLion of production workers and so enhance the role of alcohol as a SOUTE A COIET TOM WOTKARCE
Occupational breakdownsof the UlK national abour force show the continued decline in craft jobs which permit skilled workers a ENS SCENT ORCHED BE identification with their products and the drift lo semi-skilled, employment. In such circum stances, the appeal of the pub —as a lunchtime and post-Sols TErRe
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
revolutionaries anticipate new opportunities for working class resistance to capitalism, it was A.E. Housman who prescrihed ale for fellows whom it hurts to think/Lack
SURPLUS VALUE
Only
Soc
the
into the pewter pot To see the
The light of socialist analysis
Hence of alcohol in class society. wisere millions of workers bond to evade the harsh realitica
locarion, by one or other of the
ORGANISATION
The present era of imperialist industrial organisation, ism's highest slage', offers little scope to alcohol and -Is many ramitications, if seen through narrow, eyes. The production techniques vigorously opposed i. Frederick Taylor, lic creator of "scientific! ment, demanded social conditions fit for the development of "trained gorillar', motivated sole ly to operare assembly lines at the higbest level of elficiency. The drunkard was excluded Henry Ford, this manufacturer, declared thing that interferes with our ability to think clearly,
work well will ultimately may discarded condemning alike
Jibe evils of alcobol, pre-marital sex and all 'un-Christian' prac Lices: Imperialism, however, had to contend with a tradition of alcobol consumption
effects of alcohol for too long.
tram the end of prinsitive society itself, and was to reconsider its approach.
Analyses of tribal societies (the grapevine was probably the first of BCSC that ward the hunting gathering methods employed, the ness within the tribe.
Dine that became established, was relatively reduced, but remained a strong farce in social
capital- existence. The advent of the early logicaily alercontinental trading societi
Law fresh atracks on alcoholse the Jewish tradition achieving economistic control of the rate of conDESHIRLS sumption bs its social and rel
gious ritualisation contained in-the Old Testament) and the Islamic tradition ding alcohol altogether. With the dawn of the capitalist era proper, INC ACMAL WE COLE DELULLI was raised in Europe by the bourgeois revolution, automobile wells local adminstrators lond
Wing the closure of hundrods of
BAIT ale-houses in the 1650s
lead
COMPROMISE
Early capitalise state policy. however, compromised on this a on ollier cultural fronts, and
dating alcoholisen thus survived to meet
Richard Neubauer argues that socialists have ignored the
in defending financed the Tary
cultivated) Sug thore back and food
the degree of drunken-
By the
agricultural society
alcobolism
sumption between 1920
carupdign
sears. In Britain
consumption,
needs.
of imperialistic production
the imperialist era. Indeed, one child section of the ruling class, the brewers, held an obvious interes
and heavily Party Brilain to resist the party of Imperialist industry, the Liberala. Hon. (The brewers still donate more to Tory funds than other sections of capitalism). As throughout carlier history, the rise to power of a new form of class rule based upon more sophisticated means of production brought with it new assault on the indiscipline of
alcobolism. Imperialism in th
J5A banned all alcohalis co WUS MOSE
and allay agitation' 1933, the 'Prolubition Era'.
In Italy, It financod Mussolini's
down 30,000 wine shaps in only a lew
legislative action, such as the 1882 Act forbidding the payment of wapes to employees in places of alcohol society too
Victoriar moral crusading bad combined
centuries-old "trade footings" (linking appren-
reduce the overall level of drunk-
The deach of alcoholism rion (drinking was in sight — at the hands of mass manufacture. A final leas of historical life, however, was to be sranted by the cyclical nature
The new social order brought in its train a bitherto unknown scale of economit crisis and its
Lists. war. The Great Dep ression" and the world wan which preceded and followed it pave alcohol a place in the cuture of modern assemby-line societs. In his memoins, the RL.
Roberts, government Food Controller in Britain during 1914-18, neatly lustrated tbe point: When I was Food Controller, bad control of more beer than any brewer in the country, and the government at that time, confronted by growing EnTest called beer to be diverted to places where industrial unrest
acute, in order to
Contemporary capitalist states know and emplay the properties of alcohol in times of emergency and disaffection. And, in everyday life, alcohol has been award ed a 'special' niche in bourgeois
Various forms and methods of struggle against drunkenness have been tried and
the first place must he raken by
#rote Lean Trotsky in 1926. This is because
cult bE woohol ConsumiD a lot and not showing its effects, in current British practice) is broadly couFined to males, women in our society being frequently isolated from general social activily by domestic and bence Isolated work Junctions. The worst consequences of drunkenness are
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1977 Page 13
therefore often visited шров women Dy wilt beaung or agre sive husbands returning from the pab. For this reason the British Women's Total Abstinence Union once counted 250,000 memhers (in 1935), the over whelming majority being work ing class associated with the Cooperative Movement. Today. in fresh contrast, alcoholism actually ancreasing women in Britain, who fine themselves in bouse-baund seg lusion. Lone drinking appears a one antidote to exclusion for social activity.
Male chau-stism and alcohol ism reinforce cach other - man pubs outside of modern urbar centres •practio beavily male-oriented. The broes
baving been briefly oudlined, the
dearly passes to the socialist left and to the coming working class revolu tions in the West
Working class self-organisa tion was born in English put meeting rooms. The carly trad unions quickly encountered al coholism in their midst and fought agaiast it as a form o exploitation of the workers by the brewery trade interests.
ed its approach emphasising total individual ab stention as opposed to the need to combat human reliance on alcohol and notevery occasional drink.
TEETOTALLER
The emergent labour leaders, in cluding Keir Hardie, Joseph Arch JOE DUETS STRAW MEREL son were teetotallers and in 1893 a
widely-supported Labour Manilesto" called for a Veto Bill to
put the rights and bberties o
he peopl in relation to the Liquor Trade into the hands of the people themselves The American socialist wriser Jack London in his brilliant auto biographical John Barleycorn swayed thousands to support legal probibition, and one of the founding bodies of the Commu nist Parly of Oreat Britain was a league of socialist prohibition-
With the birth of the first workers state in 3917, a rigorous campaign to abolish alcoholism was introduced in Russia by the Soviets, It was a condition of membership of the Young Com munist Lengue in Lenin's time thur toral absention from alco hol consumption would he main tained, and the stale propa gandised against alcohol thouch one-eighth of its total budge liquor taxes within its revenue rule in the USSR has clinionted Benuine working class socini Intercourse (no real squivalen ta pubs or public cafes permitted) and 'thus fostered alcoholism within the home on a large scale, in iritation of the social life lost in the distant past. the historical link berween social Ise and anti-alcoholism formed a significant element in Bolshevik theory and practice and so remains on the record for future proletarian generations to consider
RESURRECT DEBATE
The abjective in this shor article bas aimply been to resurrest a significant cultural issue for debate in the socialist press Perbaps, Can common wita Tell gion and mysticism, alcoholism
CUHASETERIEYS reliance upon the natural world is borerational recestion ot Lhe international recession the world tabitals creasingly visible in recent years is likely to revive the Issue ol itself, since the phenomenon flourishes on commonic uncertainty and worry, Marxists should at least take the matter scriously at this time, however untrendy the subject in immediate term: Alcoholism is presently extend ing its influence among workers across the Western world - and socialism will have to face this enemy again.
Page 14 scan of this page
Save The Other Cinema
COMMENT
THE OTHER CINEMA is faced
seat a part of the target figure of
this is
Lose one of its most Impor
cinema in this country committed not only to
and progressive films, but
mationahip between film and political struggles.
In the first nine months of its
worked with:
Againat A Criminal Trespass
Socialist
Challenge
EVENTS
SCOTLAND
Sireet) sach 1Tam-2pm.
SOUTH/WEST
anders group ser YORKSHIRE NORTH WEST
a detain of activities in the h
a or ring the Man/ster Social
Thursda, ROOm intie for meetinge
VERPOOL Socialis ta fortrightly on Wedne
reer Teract food, War ingen.
LONDON
HOME COUNTIES
BASINGSTOKE *Chute House. mealing
Sireal, Spm
READING Readers Even
oat, Reading.
MIDLANDS
For detalls of activities
apporters contact Socialist
The Portuguese Workers Committee, Chile Cultural Committoe of the salarity Campaion, Ene grun-
from the Chloride Occupation,
Society for Anglo-Chines Understanding.
BOSIR IAT and
tims on many struggles in other countries, rugs in souter Africa, This programme has had
will not be able to consolidate
soma mention in the paper of the
situation that confronts social-
Iate in Wales today. in South
tied monolith characterise
corruption, political and Vot surprisingly the resull has
neen a rising nationalist move
mant. Yet a nationalism that
claims to be lhe inheritor of
Labour's early ideas, In Walet
nationalism tau not
the Interests of a section g
native bourgeoisee In part thie 1
due to the virtual absence of
Buch a strata in Wales Lullan
Hooge, - Canagnan's friend' -
STATE BACEUIOORE
Stace the war, nationailsm
has advanced from the intor-
gentsia, through the 'patty hour
sanger wear into hi (ranks ol
CHILDREN ARE ablo to exercise
a conscious choice well below
COM BOR ORSIXNEN. ISOL COLIC
11101 ciris rocenty were dea
cribed judge
precisely because their
conscious choice was clear
or consent Is Con Hea
various factors. Firet. There is a
a boy is inherently incapable of
quite clear that the boy did
consciously consent, the idea is
still maintained
of e teen come oppression ot
homosexuality.
there is a difficult
problem as soon as you begin to
consider really young children. If
the question is, i do not envy any
point, The mportant thing
ape-of-consent nat
longing
babies 5083 the
suitable as a method of ensuring
We insist that the imponent
and bulld on these gains, we will the lose them.
In alf this, however, The Other Cinema has made a considerable number of mistakes. When 1he LOUS HAM ALPAUSIO COUID far of £15.000. This figure, because
other of interest charges and other
risen to E25.000. Instad of con-
with an almost impossible teek
England's left
and Wales
30c port for Plaid Genre distr- N95 00D01 Botani Furtarmore she t ationalism has always buet. antral feature. Ine doleroe O
Has Worst her Tourtee years
sustained Of course pure nationalism as.
atarish ot sedial-damsonacy * torters mystification by plac
wong dationals. do debate lesces that rangn Hort workers constrel to womens iberatior polfiles are inhuenced by mo tom and pacifism inspind by
Sexuality
and PIE
question is not a/her*, but what is the quality of the relationship?'
I BETELE as little
It retuses to observe any distinction between tionship and an unloving one. To brush aside all duestons or 10ve
simply in lerms of age, and then the attitude unworthy of a civilised
Bre behind ens attite ta
lee bening this person belleves wars against the spirit, and that
Tre on eat or our existenco 18 tu qualily tor Heaven by resisting sexual temptationa person justified in which aim al saving us all from Hellfire.
on We say that the vast majority
do not wish ta like longer under the direction of that bocause we
with for chanpes in public thinking which will lead to changes in the
Paodophlis changs)
general
TH SURIC Other
JAN TALLIANE Cro Tha Other Cinema, "with the left in of bourgeois
Fortharmong the cus
pretarian intere
and culture "DAVID OWEN (Linell) importan
supplement Hunte platform
society le unpersonal vote.
Fi loving rele-
cuestion only in
# a Ignored. flesh
Earth, nomous movements. 489Y3 cultural socia
blacks, women, ete.
bourgeolsie
bullding firma
Information
The left is not free from oriti
The Other Cinema an a service lo an integral and important part of
something that we should a uppart, criticise and light to Recently a small group of let wing peocle have come locatne
save The Other Cinema, and o ВЕП ПОНІМЯ ВЕ ДОШЛОво!
neouraging the sort of ongoing relationships that we feel are
12/13 Little Newport St., London WCT.
+ 3 indoles of the Rascues an
minarities in the
coming Increasingly aware o
city. Gangs respanising and lead ng a untied struggle against crass
exists within mysel! the English letr
beginning 9 remember tharthe porrida
as a whole, not stopped
activity of nature.
Hunte's
vote
скрегівпова YOUR POSITIONS on the Ledy-
wood by-election results reveals
confusions : The nature of the Hunts vote is not at
SURRESTS vote while the adi-
orial In Socialist Challenge (SC
No. 11) says that in no way can It
in hig CONSINUS seen
that this can not be included In
OUTSITEd
to give credence to an extremel
impliatle interpratation of bou some
experience'
ol ine politicel development oi direct
Hus muttera desidents or a
depondents of a
hustler. The question of minorit
practice
It is a contradictory isature
within Imperialist countries that
the political fellures of the Indi
labour movaments
generate the tendency for auto-
OSTICU
larly within the supor-oppressed
groups:
It is totally consistent for the
pading elaments within shose
groups. Irish foreman for lum vote.
amplaying irisi confidence
workplaces with mainly womer
black hustiers in black . Hunte's vote In a contaxt Yen
contradictory. Much of it must
Unsar
whites?
ONE THING that has been abeent in the left press's cover ago of the Notting Hill Camival
that on the Monday night it was unsale for a white person to wark the sireeis in mat pare or are
of black youths roamed the streets in a two mile radius of the carnival
was surrounded and murged iwice on my way home
Although these aged between about 12 and 17 Are a small minority wo an scomed by the black population
the problem cannot be ignored by simply saying the police are the muggers! no doubt that the NFs prop aganda sround this issue will have a growing appeal amongs whites iving in areas such as Notting Hill If this behaviour la tension and frustration which la behino i1, is not channelled into
_a more DONLIGH
Obviously for socialieta more police represaion is not the
Italian far-left
critical one and ine face of the reublut oner lan in italy Is likely
no reason to write off the various
and contribulionis thet they can make to avoiu-
rocently published then? First it Is not true that Lotta Continua no tanger exicon nan one the
Lotla continua
whole of the revalutionary lef
has gone through a crisis but a
but it was a
crisis that we the or to The se
congress, always differentiated us in our
joction of all dogmatism and
dealaglem, and yer we now finc
in the situation naving changed into
aspects our strangth of Lotta Con-
inus has always beer its abilit
The mRee movemen is can DE
contrasted with hard-line mac
who have
always jealously guarded timeless truths on which
Ity Itsell. Lotta Continus gaine
experience ir
struggle around the demand 3e
hours paid 40 nowever it has
but instead rocognises, as Sof
, but equally it expresses no in the labour morement as it existe.
Be logical conclusion #
urse that we nood a uni
anti-racist platiorm omansinc
the inbour movement. practice this would be predomi
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1977 Page 14
stor
rawer. Their intimidation of the
over years has bred a deep distrust and hatred which was avicent In the street fighting al the carnival which I generated an oxhilirating feeling t
CHUTES most people there. The poloc
message was keep clesr of 1hi camival in future.
The only authority the black
discipline of their pan organi-
The stewarding toross
armed. In this sense our line on
self-defence patrolling the streets has a dual
protoct the black from racist and
ganise and prepare their alien-
the struggles anond. it will de iner anons tr the former which, with out help will delermine their success in the istter.
DAVY SHILLINGLAW (London) put it, that programme must
begin with the specific noads of
recomposition and unification o
LOMA COnTInUE SCOmS 1o DI accused of tinding itseif at the and yet not lying to politically hegemonise tem. For the trad tional left this may be wrong but tar peaple struggl
against capitalism thi kind of arganisation that they ПЕХЛ
elements of the class struggle that recognises thet has a contribution to make to
nbarating force coth on a corso is and 9 conso Live level
The GCR underestimated the
above all 188 momen they underest matad its desire
They make some self-criticism ch that which big
confession coming
who claim iney are only
organisation
taly. But what lessons are 10 drawn? Because both the IMG
I the GCA reduce reformism leadership, their attitude to reformiat pertlee HUED IDI
me that the same mistake could
ALLAN HUSBAND [West Landon Big Flame!
nantly from the organised reve lutionary left, but it would be able to consideraty undermin
personal CARDAR O
Hunte vole and simultaneously harness significent auctions o
JERRY LLOYD (Norh Landon)
Page 15 scan of this page
Exclusive! Socialist Challenge reveals Revie did not walk alone!
by GEOFF BELL
Whatever next, wondered Daily Mirror foothall editor Fearleu* Frank McGhee commenting on the inability of the English football team to hear Switzerland lasz week: The nation that invented football has been humbled by the country that gave the world the cuckoo clock: The shame of it all, and this on top of the accusations. in the same issue that former England team manager Don Revie tried to bribe opponents-to lose matches while he was manager of Leeds United.
Arab Emirates on a £340,000 coner sasber Bel molaion Mirror with its expose has done TEANULT its patriotic duty and exercised Revie from the green and pleasant felds of English football REVENGE
Revenge is the name of thi game. if there B one thing disliked by the people who run sport in this country and the writers they Feed whisky to half time, it's 'bounders' like
deserting England for some foreign Arabian clime in are about to be eliminated from the World Cup.
Revie went for money, and foothall doesn't like such public manifestations of its own moraliv. So Revie is erposed. He wil always a baddie after all, which is remarkably convenient, for it constitutes living in general..( think
UNDER REVIEW
explains not just why be deserted for oll money but also why 03 aE HOT TE DithEn failure under his leadership. All our woes can be atributed TO I NOBL MC MOGCTE COE puterised football manager now exposed and damned.
FORGOTTEN principie wien hel eas in charge which the plavers probably never aw, never mind us
levie's alleged crime is that h weDt oB 1o atlempt to bribe players to throw games. But if be did, then he simply took the business ethic in sport one stage further, Is there really mach difference beiween a foot-
another team Trom another team to lose player natches and buvins
And others have long before somes over which Revie is said to aid down the at have walked. The illasion that HIE A AIC d DICLLT cattered one by now The adver tising hoardings on the football all pools, the "Big Match' on V. the scarves, th even the peanu sellers on che terraces chant aut 'business,
which contrasts with that shown For the present performance of the England football team TONY HANCOCK: The secrer of my worr is the knowiedge of what
Il Revie was bribery, he certainly did noc walk BOEUE come from somewhere, and given Revie's reputation for watchig MS MaCI D IMUACL I CE from him. There is the inevitable question; is he simply the one who has been found out? Stan Ander-
one of the players Revie is aid to have tried to bribe, asked
tin ineb al of ches l
The game is that s all. MOre SuCOesSTa aE 1,
It is easy to determine Revie is heing sineled out. If he hadn't left tbe sinking ship of English football there CATC DET CSI CHR hadn't had the affrontery to ti
OUTSIDIED man", bave bothered.
£340,000
But Revie didn't do that. By taking his United Emirates, he did a better Job of exposing British football than the Mirnor will ever do. By bat singic gesture ne snow
hat big time footbal ba= abour mone)
To condemn Revie is like con demning an apple from a tree obeying the laws environment. Revie's real crime was that he was a loser. He failed magazines, to restare English football to its
ORO TORT NOR HC IS a simply unpatriotic worse, he robbed the business millions that can be made from a O SONE COMET C OL EOC successfal national side. stammered gargle which
Anthony Hancock died nine yoars ago Today he is a cult figure whose
lowers, if they are not quite
imerous as those ol Boes
nake up for what they lack in numbers citsm. Altentnts are made 1o analysc his humour which vacil
ate hey en pretenti tese
have had Hancock himselt rolling in the nistes
But don't be put off by the cult. In some ways Hancock was a SwLI0Ial)
CENTIC. thát mentonship weh Sid aies at relationship with Sid James. nu was ucacE Sciious, BOu Ene structures and subjects of bis colody bonary in that they. you to doubt everything - even yoursell:
FAVOURITE MAXIM
lt is Do accideut that
maxim of another
loved to laugh HancocI Plure. The anls
The thar he doesn't describe it to you. He does it to sou.
Like Terry Liked failure. He organises a reunion perry. A nedi var hal an hour YESTS /10 101 destroys himself and his myrhs. He colleces plasie from porn flaker nackers.
an never get the sel. His ls s
heatre of the absurd; of preten ЗЩШО IONAHI IMIN SCIE BECI
and wit. Identifying with Hancock is an intellecrunt and emo-
DELLES OI and distancing.
responsible for
The moncy must bave
of cheats. before he was sacked and the Mirror would neve HLAE
£340,000 from the cach is simply of its own
report, bribesformant 800
Much '3s 6d library fine? 1 don't want to buy 'em". Only the money has dated. So surprise yourself. Tune into Radio 4 every Tuesday at 10.30pm for the next few weeks and you'll hear the most distinctive theme tune ever, and a
Hour'. CHRIS ROSEBLADE r-r-ruminates.
Aloysius St John
self.
CHARACTER
by their Imellectual
AROUT BId and would doubtless
- he was terrified the public al... I think".
SLUL COCIEURHIE serious analysis of the genuinely revolu, encourage Hancock druws back -certain senousiv. always serious
doubt ie now the Tavourite Survives becauase l man wnD Karl Mark. And aicmo, aoom like Mark LEUR capitalism and difference is
Collier of The
Ladi. De socialises JB
NISCIL.
àn how Netiomary
bandsmen understandins".
semences."
That
JITSULAIL You are him,
DON REVIE: He's done a better job of exposing British football than the Dally Mirror will ever do.
So the Duil Miror goes for his morality and according to ope apalas mal
TOT 2003L Stokoe up will say.
£14,000 for spliling the beans
If the indications are right, and TC OGe CapIso moRoagcE noE Greenwood — Mr. Clean himself
- has little success in winning as
A comedy of failure
date,
says: "H-H-Hancock's Half
then you are laughing at him, ing. then with him and then at your-
futility or a
So listen
It doesn't do to get too serious
- that in itsclf misses the point. Hancock did say this:
The characer I play inn't character I put an and off like a coat, It is a part of me and a part of everyone eise 1 see. The secre DEI WETK ISTE AEDUL:01 what conscicuces living in gener-
And it all hangr on "I think".
verge of B "human condition' (call it what you will)
is uny- ven hia ho hou ele a socialist huniow is and sometimes
the post-awar boom, s aard cleariy so. His is the Britain
alean from us tatil abar
many ways
LIA DUMIRU condition, and about tragedy.
Too much going on in m
Lind vou soe. Nuclear disam ament, the future of mankind China, Spurs, Oh, it's very hard to be an intelectual these dass.
Let's have a look ar old Bertie
(Picks np the book
soon found out my limit - three bandi
speech is from Hancoch Alone For balt an hoor ne ma
tage, parading around bis bed
it. He buros his lip, tries co reu WDO SATES UE SOOU UCI
Revie, Jus watch the campaign
He wasn't tough enough, they
He should have been TOTE TE HLS "preity football', ,hut just make sure we win. Sack bim, they holer, And mayke preemy tim
with an engraved cuckoo clock for his trouble Nothing eise happens — bis final and breaks his TV. woros as ne purs oown al Poor ure: "No I'll read it tomorrow"; The sereen fades on bim trying to DOW SAMOEC TIRM
What should have been n recip for boredom has not been bor
been a didactic harangue on humnan
tragedy has bee TH CIOBOH Hancock. The
-to shows, produced under pressure aTe meyrLn UncIa! He didn't know the words of The Biope Domor when it was recorded nod had to read chem from chalked up boards because be was behind with rehearsals. But all of them are a quarry for good things
CAPITALISM
Tc spas ca wud sapuans is. He remind you what the struggle for socialism is abour. Above all be reminds us not to Hed probably bave ieriousl
aughe hisell silly at beiog reviewed i
newspaper using c
sessions like 'the hucisa co dition". Sometimes you just can'1
TH-OTHER-CNEMA
25 Tottenham Street, London W1. Tel: 637 9308
THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK
The tinat-flim from Robert Altmar
THE MAN FROM MAISINICU
salutien aopm, Frt18 Sepi, Mer 19 to Thurs2 in the
MUSIC FOR SOCIALISM
paro Filme by he toh ny ioa at patis un e sah
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 15 September 1077 Page 15
TV
violence
aids
police
BY RICHARD CARVER
THE LAST wock or so bas seen a loe of discussion ieria vicuss can c-guraa 'delioquent" violcoce in young people. What nobody seems ver) Interested in is whether it can be used to stimulate police violence A recent example from Spair MAES WIR BLan
RTVE, the Spanish broadcast ing corporation. bought a cog
called Hurrebor's Men SCHIC from an American TV network The series is based on the Specia Wenpons and Tachs SWAl units set up by the Los Angele police after the Patty Hears kadbaD and whose major succes was to roast the Symbionese Liberation Army alive.
FAMILIAR FORMULA
The Formula is famillar! group of dedicared fighters for SHW U ULCR teeth, wages the struggle againsl organised crime, peychopathic TOTECE CESIS SOS CIC narional minorities. Even many American critics denounced it a TESLISL
The Spanish public was eve ibore hostile, provoking a def CIOC ErOm Steve Pomest series" lending actor: *1 гереш that Harrebson's Men is violent series. In any case it's for
And he accused the Spanish of
there is an mOrE sinister aspect. RTVE bought thi series when the GRAPO kid sapped two prominent public Sigures at the end of hn vear. I is well known that at the time the Spanish Goveriment was think uE orsтag p s pha gwn unit. Spanish jouroalists insis thai the twe events EMISUETEHS. LUCUEHE
political use af Los Hombres di
Harrelson has continued
POWER STATIONS
One DL Ule major Issues in Spain this summer has DELI the plant to build four
isclear nower stations along 51
of tbe Basque coastlint
which has met ferce opposition from the local population. Sure
enough RTVE sc retoed a Herrel-
episode dealing with that very question to coincide with cbe protests.
The protestors are portrayed a megalomaniac (the leaders) and misled (the rank and file) and all
ol Liciare deunqucal: TDc story
degenerates into murder, the knaw it. and soda. Toe methee deleace of civilisntion as is so unsubcle you might not think it dangerou
But a survey of Spanish teer agers" reactions to the program
me showed ner cent
thought that SWAT was ncce sary in present societyslaber it has plans to seren ie declined to commeot serice here.
othars, plus. lim
Page 16 scan of this page
Renew the Mass Picketing
Vital meetings take place this week to decide what officia/ union action will be taken to implement the decision of the TUC to intensify financial and practical aid" to the Grunwick strikers.
The strike committee contibue to call for the cutting off of all
services 10.
Grunwick factory and these de AS WIL meetings of the TUC leaders.
Al the weekend the strike com mittee did not know if it would be invited to the moetings, but one of their members, Dromey of Brent Trades Coun cil, was sure what was needed. "A
onfire has been pile (up', he
dd. "What is needed is a spark That spark can come from official union action or unoffical action.* ACUTE DILEMMA The trade union leaders are in
acute dilemma as to what
Retical to do any. The Ne
cutting off clectricity and gas, which might be judged illegal". But at the same time they ar trike committee's threat of crumption of mass picketing if firm action is not taken Frank Chapple. ena Uncre tary of the Electricians expressed his willingness to cut off electricity to Grunwick. an a way of showing his solidarity with the sinkers, but because tor him it was the lesser of two evils. He asserted after the debate Il is a question of weighing the halance of destruc tiveness and inconvenience. My new i that anviline is prelcrabic to another stand-up, knockdown confrontation between mass pickets and the police
PERSONAL PREFERENCE
Chapple's personal preference for cutting aff George Ward as The least embarrassing option is not preventing the strikers pre The strike committee has alread had discussions with a number of rank and file workers who would be in a position to cut off supplies and services and it B determined to call for a renewal of mass picketing if the TUC drape can win this strike either officially or unofficially' Jack Brian leader lo it's up to the trade decide would peer victory Naturally we would prefer 10 come from official action, but If no
prepared to organise effective action ourscives.
Naine musi
Tracose s dogation for the Menting Fund alco
socialled Challenge
Registered with the Post Office os a newspaper
the
7 UNWICK STRIKE COMMITTEE
TOP
THE
LAFF!
UT
UNWICK
FNOW!
While the strike committee, the TUC, and even the Tories con amic to make poone statement.
Grunwick, the Government maintains silence. But with mass actio Dece more on the agenda, on simple move by the Government could bring Winter George strikers and Ward's threat to close Grunwick the company under Get a Fisher Party col ference recommendins
Socialist Challenge
Subscribe now!
Fi mead the we have had to rose the
Abrond: Alraull, 232.50. Serface, E9 per sinum. lege Pils end Money Orders abould be inade passhe l Cocain allenge die Unper Sure, Contes M
328/329 Upper Streer, Printed by Prestagale (T), Reading, Berkshire.
GRUNWICK STRIKE
COMMITTEE
STOP
THE
NACE!
GRU
OF
-CUT
policy are being considered in a
number of constituency parties. Labour paid to the plans of NAFF and
Silent Majority and
Help' organisation (founded by
Ross McWhirter and now run by
the Dowager Lady Birdwood) to
maintain supplies to Ward in the
event of a boycott,
super tie read Curete Cos workers'
Churchill's propaganda
vying with NAFF and Tory right
Justrions Corpses was shown
at The Other Cinema last Satur-
day to a full house as part of a
Benefit performance for Socialist
Challenge, Alsoscreened, for the
first time, was a short advertising
film about Socialist Challenge.
Three misues of pond Teascims
why the audience should rush to
buy copies
Every night at
Cinema, the Sociafar Challenge
film will be shown. Just
move in the drive to
sales. Copies of this film
soon be available for local show.
ine. The exact nraceeds trom the
benefit will be announced nest
week, and are a welcome boost to
the tund drive.
Our supporters
this week and sent in over E130.
TO SUAH
21,800 is the end of this month,
please make
dragon is not left with its tail.
The enterprise of
seems boundless. A supporter
Published by Reigoerest Ltd. for Socialist Challenge,
Socialist Challenge
1
Riser
-CU GRUNWICK STRIKE
COMMITTEE
STOP
THE
NAFE!
GRUNWICK
OFF NOWA
dent in their hopes.
Sell-
our Par Dowager's other pressures Winston sheet available.
PEDALLING FOR SOCIALISM
takes The Other another Coventry supporter D.G. Ream B49HN will
rallied round
BUE range of
sure that the
our readers - COTE
GRUNWICK STRIKE
COMMITTEE
STOP
NAFF!
-CUT
HORUNWICK
OFF NOW
wingers to build the boss's answer to mass action. Victory at
But even if a call for nationLisation is adopted by the L
conference, the Covernment's record of ignoring
are needed intervene. The renewal of mass picketing remains the most ef
"persuasion
writes: While in the process of moving from Swansea to CarditT I decided lo pet ms bike there b' cycling over; so we hit on the idea of a sponsored cycle ride for
That one ride raised over E14. a powe to your poddas
overall figure to L1239.1D. Our thanks to:
137.46
ITTACKS by fascists on lef
ving organisations snd ladivid. quarters in Cottons Gardens w
petrol-souked cross house of Socialist Unity lender have inanched on appeal fu and IMG member, Raghib Ah- funds do repair the damage. All san. Fascist slogans were duabed donations to 6 Coftons Gardens
now guurding his honse. 600 T00
GRUNWICKSTRIE COMMITTE STOP NAFF! CUTGRUNWICK OFF NOW!
London FI.
200
1100 1200
← Socialist Challenge No. 12, 8 September 1977Socialist Challenge No. 14, 22 September 1977 →