Socialist Challenge No. 241, 15 April 1982
The scan: sc-no241.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
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Challenge
SINK THATCHER:
No. 241 15 April 1982 25p compromise. It is bent on war.
Islanders. It is about maintaining Britain's world imperialist role.
Through trying Falklands militarily, Thatcher is warn-
away at Britain's colonial possessions.
Unemploy ed and strikers 10p
Socialist
down. Thatcher's cabinet will make no own shaky government.
The issue is not about the Falkland ment is to stop Thatcher's Fleet.
to
ing against any other attempts to chip Labour Parties to flood Michael Foot's
regain the ture. We need:
The labour movement cannot be im- war drive including MPs plicated in this warmongering adven-
• Resolutions from trade unions and headquarters.
office denouncing his and other front counted.
She is also concerned to shore up her bench spokespersons complicity with
Thatcher's warmongering
The key task of the labour move- • Public meetings to be called involv-
• Pickets to be
Public Meeting
Stop Thatcher's War Drive
Britain out of the South Atlantic Speakers Joan Maynard MP Reg Race MP Peter Tatchell (Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Bermondsey South)
Andrew Thompson (Latin American Newsletter)
Argentinian speaker Brian Grogan, editor Socialist Challenge Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London Monday 19 April 7.30 ing all those that oppose Thatcher's
organised outside military establishments or local Tory
Now is the time to stand up and be
Socialist Challenge has assembled a platform of speakers opposing Thatcher's wardrive. This seems to be the only real public manifestation ot hostility to Thatcher's ac tions.
Socialists have a fundamental duty to come out openly in their opposition to was wasee ov te rul ing class. All Socialist Challenge supporters, all
friends and anyone oul wanting to hear and argue for an alternative to Thatcher and the jingoism of Labour's front bench must make every effort to come along this meeting.
might VeT) well be trying to divert atzennon to he honor her governmen have redeem borde oun war threat is real and must be opposed ov all means a our disposal.
Inside this
week British imperialism Alan Freeman looks at what it is and its bloody history. Centre page
The left and the
Falklands Brian Grogan examines how the left has stood up to the
Tory press barrie and
The political
crisis Phil Hearse looks at the possible consequences for
me tory government. pa
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• Editorial
PO Box 50, London N1 2XP
Phone 01-359-8189/8180 (editorial and distribution)
Stop the fleet!
• Recall the fleet
• Recognise Argentinian
over the island territory and surrounding
waters
• Give the islanders the chance to reset-
tle in where they choose at Britain's cost
• Re-open Britain's
American refugees and mobilise labour
movement support for Latin American
working people
democracy
These are the policies which Socialist
Challenge proposes to fight Thatcher's war
mania.
The Tories no longer pretend to 'defend
the islanders'. As we go to press, Thatcher
has rejected even Haig's package, which in-
volves a near-total climbdown by Argentina.
She seeks confrontation and British con-
trol to show the whole world that Britain still
rules the waves.
Why? Because Britain doesn't just rule the
Malvinas.
Anywhere revolution
British navy - third largest in the world - is
there to stop it.
In Gibraltar it controls the mediterranean
approach to Southern Europe and the Atlan-
tic approaches to North Africa.
From its Indian ocean bases it surveys
South East and South Asia.
From peoples of Central America.
In Europe Thatcher conspires with Reagan
to impose Trident and Cruise missiles.
Thatcher wants to keep this world role
and its spoils. She knows that, left to rely on
British assets after the carnage they have
wreaked on Britain's industry, her class and
cabinet would sink never to rise again.
If the Tories provoke
millions of workers the world over will stand
to gain from the defeat. The fleet will not
depose the junta: it is the thread by which
Galtieri clings to office. If he falls to Thatcher,
Reagan and Haig will nominate his replace-
ment within the hour.
Only the cowardice and confusion of our
own labour movement has let Thatcher get
away with it. If it persists we shall pay a terri-
ble price. Michael Foot digs Labour's grave.
To Thatcher will
Labour Front Bench has whipped up.
The Parliamentary apoplectic with calls for
against Argentina: it has taken giant strides
towards national unity against
economic crisis.
paying for the crisis
government with Labour Party participation.
This is not a
something that
islands are retaken' so we can 'return to the
class struggle'. If Thatcher wins, the class
struggle will never be the same again. She
must be stopped.
JOIN THE FIGHT FOR
SOCIALISM If you would like to be put in touch with Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like more information fill in the form below Name..
Address
Age
Union/CLP (if any). send to.
London N1 2XP.
Socialist Challenge 15 April 1982 page 2
sovereignty
doors to Latin
in defence threatens, the Belize it helps Reagan crush the
confrontation, fail every jingo vote the
Labour Party notone unity
the next That is, the working class - even under a coalition
minor issue, a diversion, will go away 'when the Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50,
and the
By Phil Hearse 'GOVERNMENT LEFT REELING' was a typical headline after the resignation of Peter Carrington, Margaret Secretary. result of a sustained campaign by Labour and the SDP, not to mention some benchers, Defence Secretary, John Nott.
not be able to survive the crisis is not without foundation.
Apart from and the SDP/Liberal Alliance, Thatcher three main enemies. They are the Tory wets, some of her more nutty backhenchers and the United States government. These Torces are conse toecunci in a deadly constellation which could finish her off.
The background to Carrington's sacking is instructive. He decided to
when it became
last line of defence, was •ame to sack ill all John Nott should the Falklands expedition end in failure.
in other words. since he bas always been lavoll ceding sovereignty of the Falklands Argentina anyway, he decided to go when it was clear that would be made one of the scapegoats for the coming fiasco. Рут
But Carrington also in-
when he was sure that he would Francis Pym, replaccu the
NOOSI and ICasI vulnerable of the
'wets' being groomed the Tory hierarchy (the 'Magic Circle') the replacement for Thatcher.
In other words, his resignation dISO deliberate ploy in the war
Thatcher being surreptitiously waged by sections of the Tories who have opposed her domestic policies since the beginning.
Thatcher is also under fire from a more surprising side. Plenty of Tory backbenchers, absolutely in accord with Thatcher's economic policies, furious that she has bern prepared to run down con ventional forces and in particular the Navy, in order to pay for the Trident submarine missile system.
Perhaps the most devastating potential
THE TORY CRISIS
Between the
Magic Circle
backwoods
Thatcher's Foreign Carrington's resignation was the
Tory backfor the sacking of Carrington and
The speculation that the government might
enemy of Thatcher though the government. il Is determined to prevent a military clash between two crucial allies. Ana it can torpeau Thatcher moment's notice, should she ahead with her insane by simply engineering a run on the pound as thev di during the Suez crisis in 1956 Already the pound has been under pressure in the international markets, and the government could not another sharp the United States price for sanctioning IMF tion of military hostilities. • Cessar natchel would be able survive such an vulcollie.
Thatcher's chance of the and coming out of it relatively unscathed depend successful conclusion of negotiations with the Argentinians. The outline a deal is undoubtedly being worked out by Alexander Haig in his transatlantic shuttling But even if the Argenti-
- Falklands Crisis
nian troops withdraw from the Halklands in ex change for the withdrawal of the naval task force, deal will involve many point. of compromise which are difficult for the
If a deal is worked out and Thatcher emerges unscathed, prime responsibility will lie with the Labour leadershin who have jumped on the jingoistic bandwagon with a vengeance. The result of their support for the naval adventure has been to drastically limit public discussion of the CIfisi within right-wing
lial tionalistic framework
If the islands are now returned to British aa ministration, if not sovereignty, all the Labour leadership will be able to do is give heartv congratulations Thatcher.
bably be drawn praising the "brilliant statesmanship' of Alexander Haig in his role of Mr Fix-it!
Whatever the outcome of the ture, there is no doubt that sections of the Tory party have now definitively con cluded that I hatcher mus go, and are actively working to ditch her and install Francis Pym. Even a right-winger John Biffen now elevated to Leader of the House of Commons, is at pains to demonstrate his
'independence from Thatcher (not that it will do him any good when the Magic Circle has its 'night of the long knives').
After the 1956 debacle, it was possible to happily replace Eden with Mac millan, and pretend tha nothing happened Macmillan then went on to win the 1959 General Election.
Today, changing horses in mid-stream is a mucn more nazaraous ex ercise. The policies of this governmen stamper with Thatcher's own ap proach which Pym would change towards more 'centre' SDP-type policies. An attempt to change the ex. isting government in this direction means a general election and prolonged rachons inroughoul the Tory party
The possibility of the government falling poses
Labour with a number of important tasks Labour must be prepared to fight a general election the short term.. It must advance clear socialist solutions to the crisis, with no compromises. In particular, the Labour leadership must be broken from its jingoistic complicity with the Falklands adventure.
More important, Labour must give a clear assurance here and now that there will be no coali tion with the SDP/Liberal Alliance after genera
The Tory can be the labour movement's oooolLullil - but only if it stands or socialist policies in Britain and internationally.
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Scottish workers
Trident
through the
anti-bomb demonstration.
be sited only 20 miles from the city centre.
The Clyde's role as the base for Britain's new first strike missile system has created movement with overwhelming support Scotland. Polls show more than 80 per cent oppose Trident.
Even more significantly a clear majority favour unilateral nuclear disarmament.
The march was widely representative.
Organised contingents came from numerous Labour Parties and trades councils, nearly every major trade union and the Scottish National Party.
7
weeks
Reagan trains Argentine torturers
ISN'T IT amazing how many politicians.
have suddenly discovered that Argen-
tina is run by fascist dictators? They are
absolutely right, of course, even if their
hypocrisy in previously refusing to back
protests against violations
rights in Argentina sticks in the throat.
the Argentinian junta
machines to torture trade unionists and human
rights campaigners, or who allows the Argentinian
military elite to be trained in torture treatment.
in the current Falklands dispute. Never a US presi-
dent to he concerned ahout
Reagan is straining every nerve to prevent his two
reactionary allies
matter as the Falklands.
stalling US Cruise and Trident missiles in Europe,
and the Argentinian military is needed to be part of
a counter-revolutionary strike force against the
revolutions in Central America.
Reagan's face is to join the European-wide move-
ment to give him a warm reception or nis June
free world.
march against
MORE THAN 20,000 people marched
centre of Glasgow last Saturday in Scotland's biggest ever
Organised by the Scottish Campaign Against Trident, its size reflected massive opposition to the missiles to
The multitude of banners from local CND groups showed that the anti-nuclear movement now exists In virtually every LOWI and village from the Shetlands to Solway.
But this was no mere nationalist demonstration. Collections for the FDR of El Salvador and the Scottish Medical Aid Campaign for Nicaragua raised more than £140. Marchers obviously realised that the fight against the bomb is part of the fight against imperialism internationally. of human
And there are no two guesses for who supplies WilL SHOCKI
Yes, it's President Reagan, the man of 'peace' 'human rights',
falling out over such a trifling After all Thatcher is his most fervent ally on in-
The best way to keep that worried look on
- the first step towards creating a Reagan-
Speakers committed CND to building a contingent I0I Reagan's reception in London on 6 June double the size
the representation from Scotland from last October's CND demonstration. Clearly
Is the proximity of Trident that makes it possible to build such huge opposition here in Scotland.
CND throughout Britain should now make repulsing Trident
central target.
Doubts about Trident in ruling class circles
make this a real possibility.
It could provide CND with its first major . victory, laying the basis for defeating Cruise and opening the way to winning our full target unilateral disarmament.
Stop the missiles
By Tony Southall in Glasgow REACAN DONT CONSIDER YOURSELF AT НОПЕ OUR RANCE!!
Scottish Campaign Against Trident
STOP
TRIDENT NUCLEAR MISSILE BASE
my 420 Sauchiehall St. Glasgow 041-332 3141
London.
mittee set up on 5 April.
the El Salvador
cluding ine British SCOPO
ing colleges and Reagan gig on 29 May. Stephanie Grant Coultas,
mittee set up on 8 April
Sponsors include:
South); all local CND
nam and featuring speakers, through Brent.
and refreshments.
up on 2 April.
Party and trade union branches. May
Andrew Bennett, Labour MPs; regional
president of the Solidarity Committee,
Can tale Manchester councillor
rally with
ches and workplace Salvador exhibition, door rally on 22 May; sponsored walk
events in London
Campaign
grows against
Reagan
REAGAN Reception Committees have sprung up all over the country. Labour movement and anti-imperialist activists are uniting with CND groups to ensure the maximum turnout for the national CND march on 6 June and the other anti. Reagan actions planned for 7/8 June in
Birmingham: Ronald Reagan Reception Com-
Les Huckfield and David Winnick, Labour MPs; Paul Mackney, chair of the Trades Council, and Greg Campbell, secretary of District Labour Party; Birmingham CND and
Solidarity Campaign; Young Socialists branches in Ladywood, Sparkhill, Selly Oak and Handsworth; ethnic organisations in-
Bangladeshi Workers Association, Muslim Association, Midlands Region
Activities planned include; 3 May launch rally with Jon Snow invited; a campaign to get all Labour MPs to boycott Reagan's speech to parlia ment; a Disarmament Non-intervention Week of Action from 23-29 May with FDR speakers tour.
workplaces; a Rock Against The chairperson is and the Valerie c/o 137 Digbeth, Birmingham, B5.
North-West London: Reagan Reception Com-
Ken Livingstone, GLC leader; Illtyd Harrington, GLC Councillor (Brent
groups including. Youth CND; Brent South LP; local trade unionists including Tom Durkin (president of Brent Trades Council) and John Godfrey (Secretary of Neasden ASLEF) and AUEW shop stewards at Desoutters; Socialist Challenge and Revolution Youth.
Activities include a public meeting on Tue 18 May showing the film Ei Salvador — another Viet-
and a motorcade Brent Youth CND is holding a Keep Reagan out of Brent concert on Sat 17 April at Tavistock Hall, Tavistock Rd, NW10, 4-11pm. Featured are speakers, live theatre, music, displays
East London: Reagan Reception Committee set
Sponsors include: Ernie Roberts, Labour MP; all East London CND groups and East London Region CND who convened the meeting to set up the campaign; the El Salvador Solidarity campaign; the Labour Club at City Polytechnic; the Tower Hamlets Trades Council and the NUR branch at Kings Cross, as well as other Labour
Activities include: mass leafleting of markets; statement for local celebrities and labour movement figures to sign opposing Reagan's visit and supporting the anti-Reagan events of 6/7/8 June
- this will appear as an ad in local papers in June a Rock Against Reagan gig in Stoke Newingtor Hall on 20 May and a rally in same venue on 26
The co-ordinator is Phil Waterhouse, c/o THIS, Oxford House, Derbyshire St, London E2 Manchester: sponsors include Michael Meacher Frank Allaun, George Morton, James Lamond,
Eric Hughes, UCATT, Colin Barnett, secretary of North West TUC, who is the honorary
committee; the El Salvador and many local CND groups sent representatives to first meeting of the
Chairperson is Mike Hyns, Greater responsible for ordinating Greater Manchester's nuclear free zone policy and the secretary is Redmond O'Neill, c/o 214 Princess Road, Fallowfield, Manchester.
Activities planned include: CND march on 17 April with Frank Allaun and Mike Hyns speaking; rouy with anted Bon 202 Per and coin Barnett, NW TUC at Lesser Free Trade Hall at 7.30 on 22 April; a Reagan Reception Committee Rally on 29 April at Unicorn, Church St, Piccadily; a solidarity with El Salvador week of action o
7-22 May with FDR speakers touring union bra
including showings of 'El Salvador — another Vietnam' and Camerawork E
, culminating in a major in money to send youth down to the 6/7/8 June
ational Reagan Reception Committee o
• contacted at PO Box 51. Londor Si
Dece
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THE LEFT AND THE
Militant
incredibly Britain
towards war with Argentina under the blind
simply asking
class relaliols i areenuua dna brilaln. ana ll is on ini.
basis that socialists must look at the possible outcome.
Whose class interests are served by the
SIOIl
mintarv exeon !
From the point of view of the Argentine regime, there
is no doubt that the whole adventure arose because of the
growne ooboscon a nome
to any complete absorrtion of the islands into Argentine,
other than the British traditions of the residents, was un-
couolemiy ue auscnce or acmocrauc renls unere..
effects of the invasion on the Islanders themselves, there
can be no hesitation in condemning the invasion that
took place on 2 April.
But it would be
jingoism and the chauvinism of the Tory press and the
Thatcher government in Britain ... Workers can give no
support whatsoever to the lunatic adventure now being
prepared by the Thatcher government. In order to save
face for itself, it is gambling with the lives of hundreds of
thousands of soldiers and sailors,
Argentinian ...
June labour movement cannol aren usen elner witn
the Argentine regime or the Thatcher government. The
interests of workers in Britain and Argentina will not be
served by supporting either capitalist government in this
dispute . Ultimately the only action which can in any real way
help the ralkland islanders is international Class action
against the junta.
tons, the eec and other international capitalist bodies
The labour movement should give no support to such
a policy, which would be based on purely
tions against a regime which they have belatedly found to
be unacceptably
movement has
Falkland Islanders and the Argentine working class
Jane bruisnlabour movement must take mne inıtıatıve
in calling for the blacking of all trade with Argentina,
calling on the labour movement internationally for sup-
DOTE.
Morning Star
THE special sitting of the House of Commons
on Saturday (3 April) was nothing less than an
orgy of frenzied
and pure farce in the tradition of Gilbert and
Sullivan. The performance
Front Bench in that unseemly spectacle was
frankly a disgrace.
Noualnolr
double
House of Commons on Saturday...
tain who supports the NA70 alliance with the US is
actually supporting an alliance with the very coun-
try responsible for the existence in South
of the tascist iuntas, be they in Buenos Aires. San.
tiago de Chile or elsewhere.
Imernationar aisputes must pe sertiea by negonid.
tion. That is why it is against the use of force by the
Argentinians Britain's claim
these islands thousands of miles away is actually
quite untenable, in practice and in terms of natural
justice.
The Islands were taken by force and Argentina
has never ceased to demand their return. The claim
to sovereignty is nothing more than an attempt to
cling on to part of the last tew
miles of the British Empire, which has now collaps-
ed and gone for ever
onlv compound the errors of the past ...
now only one thing to do
basis of which should have been adopted all along
o ceoe me ciamm to sovereront,
auspices, to seek the ways of guaranteeing the
rights and legitimate interests of the inhabitants.
Committee for Human
Rights on Argentina
The Committee for Human Rights in Argentina (CHRA) feels that the realisation of the legitimate desires and aspirations OI the habitants of the islands can in no way be served by
military confrontation between Argentina and as Britain, either on the islands themselves surrounding waters.
A controntation would bring a real threat to the security and welfare of the
Black workers at Ford Dagenham have been con-
soling middle aged white workers with a friendly
pat on the back and a reminder: Never mind,
you've still got Tonga.'
Socialist Challenge 15 April 1982
The origins of the crisis itself are not to be found in
'who struck the first blow?' but in the
Argentine invaand whose class interests are served by a British
La nomena coscace
Given the class basis of the Argentine regime and the
equally wrong to support the
British and It is not excluded that Thatcher will of a trade boycott through the United Na-
capitalist sanca duty to take action in support of the Nevertheless the labour 19th century ,jingoism, ir-
of tne Labour
fact can excuse the double-talk and
standards displayed on all sides of the
Anyone in Bri-
America
The Morning Star has always maintained that
sovereignty over
roialuis ocuaro
To launch a counter military action now would
fmere is to negotiate on the
Jane uneer dr Islanders, and provide the Junta with the excuse it needs to intensify repression against the Argentinian people.
We therefore believe that all military aggression on both sides should stop, the first and essential step towards holding negotiations involving the true representatives of all YOUOS concened Argentines, British and Islanders. page 4
Truth will out. The Tories' pretended concern for the Falkland Islanders is no more than a fig leaf to cover the warmongering of the Thatcher government.
Labour leaders is more and more seen as an absolute disgrace. Trying to outdo the Tories in bellicosity can only succeed strengthening Thatcher's government.
Despite Britain's spurious claims, the Falkland sanes are economically integrated InIO Arcenma Yet ever the lefts have allowed Tnemseives to be aken by the 'humanitarian' claims of. Thatcher OnCe again they have failed to understand the immutable maxim that war is simply politics by other (that is, violent) means.
War threats against Argentina are part and parcel the previous politics of the Thatche government They flow
Sallc basic interests: to keep the entire Ichlon. including Argentina, under imperialist domination And that means keeping the path open to turtner plunaer oppression of nations and suppression of the workIng class movelnchl Heel
Britain has backed the trampling under foot of democratic rights by the junta. This policy was necessary to keep Argentina under imperialist domination. This remains the issue in relation to the Islands not the Islanders mnemseives
The achilles heel of the Labour lett is to make it. starting point the 'interests of the Falkland Islanders.'
It would be inappropriate
socialists blithely cast aside concern for them. However, such concern must not get in the way of a strict analysis of what is at stake. To worry away at the poor Islanders 'facing fascist aggression'
to substitute the uninteresting question of who fired the first shot for SuC ASS.
The Falkland Islanders have every right to remain British if that is what they desire. They have every right to settle in Britain something presently denied them by the Tory immigration aws.
The following situation in the Falkland Islands was adopted as policy by the above body at its meeting on 7 April 1982. 'Dalry/Shandon Labour demns the support given by Michael Foot and some of the Parliamentary Labour Party to the warmongering of Thatcher
We oppose the use of and the lories. military force to solve the situation in the Falkland Islands. 'In no way do we support the repressive fascist junta in Argentina and we totally condemn the manner in which they took over the Falkland Islands, as there can be no guarantee that the civil liberties or way of life of the people of the Falkland Islands will be upheld by the military junta. 'This ward however recognises that the Falkland Islands are much nearer Argentina and that there is no way that anyone can claim that they are part of Britain and no British government can always defend the Falkland Islands from
As this becomes clear, the reaction of the
if at all - In
equally they also ought to consider living under Argentinian jurisdiction
alongside the 20,000 British residents already in Argentina.
But they cannot claim the Falkland territories as British. These islands were taken from the ArgentiHaus Ov rorce ana nava been claimed by the AreCIuuaus Cve SHce
The Islanders are a settler population inseparably linked to the attempts by imperialism to deny Argentinian sovereignty. We have detend their human democratic rights but it is a Ta senood grant unen national rights.
Not that they
al C demanding independence They are demanding to be British. Once this false claim of British sovereignty is accepted, it is difficult in logic to defy Thatcher's bandwaggon
Tony Benn JOaE Maynard, Frank Allaun and other left MPs have called for the return of the fleet. Good. But basing this on 'the interests of the Falkland Islanders' rather
to imLial OUOUSILIULI perialism's false claims, they fail to break from Thatcher's framework and are prone to being drawn into it.
Junta
At least Reg Race admits the contradiction. But his
SOLUOS 'solve the issue by negotiation' inadequate because it fails to provide
principles which such negotiations should proceed.
The Morning. stal reflecting the position of the Communist Party, certainly unequivocal that Britain should cede sovereignty. But it is tightlipped on the Argentinian's case. It hints at the Areeaenars fails to tackle them head on. In the face of the pre:XSSSSSSS
Dalry/Tynecastle Labour Party Branch
motion on the eight thousand miles away.
'We do
would not be Party con- Falklanders,
workers.
The Coalite
of proven need.
Argentinian
patriotic, war-time hysteria.
to 'We call
that negotiations,
sent propaganda offensive such an omission disastrous.
In denying Argentinian rights, the left also gets diverted making an over-riding concern the political character of the semi-fascist junta. To be workers throughout the world have a profound hatred of this .gang of murderers. Yet in reality any British victory in this crisis will not help the Argentinian workers Certainly Galtieri will fall. But he will be replaced by an even more bloodnot believe that the loss of British, Falkland or Argentinian lives or the economic cost of using force to try and retake the islands is justified. War
in the interests of the British Argentinian
'We therefore say that the inhabitants of the Falklands, if they wish to be British, should be allowed to come to Britain, or to a place of their choice with suitable compensation for their loss of livelihood.
company shareholders should only be compensated on the basis
"This ward party rejects the tactics used by both the British government and the
junta to divert attention from their internal chaos by tostering a
Robin Cook, MP, the Labour Party NEC and the PLP to op pose the use of military force and urge
based on the preceeding statement, be started.'
Toble s
thirsty fascist. This is imperialism's way. The only way to approach the in-
workers understanding of world politics and the dependence of the present Argentinian government on imperialism
Militant rejects this basic Trotskyist framework. Its starting point looks OK: 'The origins of the crisis itsell
found in simply asking "who struck the
blow?" Inl loc class relations in Argen-
Peter Tatchell THE Falkland Islands belong to Argentina and it would seem more sensible negotiate rather than to send out Tne HP ASO military bravado which mav in tact jeopardise the lives of the islanders
Will the people who are captivated by war fever and jingoism be so enthusiastic when the government reses taxes to pay for this and when our soldiers and sailors and the islanders are killed battle?
The Labour Party has for years campaigned against the fascist dictatorship in Argentina while the Tories have happily traded and sold arms to the junta. It's a David Osen didnt heed Mrs tcner ane
warnings TeW
Len AnerOsr soutig tina and Britain'. But the class relations in Argentina cannot ignore the domination of Argentina by imperialism
But by doing this Militant's analysis leads them to pin-point the root of the crisis in 'the growing opposition (to the junta) a home'
This simply begs the question. For how was it that the dictatorship was able to play this card? Something more must be
issue than the demagogic longstanding claims of sovereignty.
years ago
Nevertheless successive governments including Labour bear some responsibility for the present TaSC( because they stalled on negolating decoronisd tion.
Frank Allaun THE Tory government got us in this mess. If they had acted week. ago, UnIS situation would not have ansen Simiariv ll lne. had not armed the fascist generals of Argentina and other southern hemisphere CouuLaC LUCI we would not be in this plight.
But now there are only two choices: the first is to fight it out between the t.wo aves. volve the destruction of 1800 kalkland islanders ir the crossfire. Then in addiLIUl scvcl dl Lilousalll
Page 5 scan of this page
FALKLANDS CRISIS
Scenes from the last battle for the Falklands in 1915.
slaughter which made necessary the vehicle for socialist change. trut, Argentinlan govern ments of all stripes have persistently raised their claim ever since they were kicked off the islands lock,
barrel by the SLULA British in 1833.
Militant practices the
kind of social WUSl chauvinism (socialism in woras. chauvinism practice) when it attempts
reduce the crisis fight between the capitalist governments the inee Workes Britain and Argentina will not
served Dv supporting either capitalist govern-
British people the Argentine would be
Argentinian servicemen are in grave danger.
Even if, after all the carnage, won, warships would have
One British life one Falkland islander's life is
ares pre sheepland. Mrs
sheepland. Mrs alico Thatcher and Nott having been trounced the parliamentary debate may overreact and behave wildly.
The second alternative is to resettle the islanders who wish to come to Britain or New Zealand, probably they would wish to
of the 600 families £30,000 each it would cost t 8m which is peanuts compared with the cost of the naval exercise.
It was the decisions of the leaderships of all the European socialist
building of new
ment this dispute'. What confusion.
The issue is not that of supporting either _government. is the claims of peoples and nations: one an oppressor nation, the other an oppressed one. Socialists cannot remain neutral in suen a conte as they would in one between LWO inDenals powers. It is necessary for British workers to break from imperialist claims for
Marx said *a namon which oppresses another will not itself be • free
A victory lor ArgenReg Race Frank Allaun
parties to defend their workers parties.
tina could perhaps shore up ne snori run. But this not the whole story. Any Argentinian success will help undermine the hold of the regime. The mass mobilisations and the anti-imperialist demands" they nave oromoted wil nave d tendency to cut
slalicc the junta.
Militant argues that the salvation of the Falkland Islanders rests in the hands of the Argentinian opposi tion. is true. But all the main forces of the op-
Brian Grogan spoke to
REG RACE MP
What your
Falklands crisis?
Our first task is to oppose the jingoism in
the Labour Party
ment generally. We must
crisis with two main principles in mind.
First, the burning need to stop That-
cher's war drive, and second to suppor-
ting the Falkland islanders
been subjected to clear military aggres-
sion.
Do you think the Argentinians have
any real claim?
Whether they have a claim to sovereignty
is irrelevant.
ple there are British.
tinians. It is a straightforward case of
military aggression by a fascist state.
But centring on the Argentinian's ac-
tion, without looking at it from the
broader view of who has jurisdiction
over the Falklands, creates the big
The First World War was the decisive test for all those calling themselves socialists.
'own fatherlands' and lead It signified the end of the Second International as a
position endorsed last weekend's mammoth demonstrations. This 17 -the Argentinian trade union federation, Loe CGT, who previous week organised general action against the government. even Argentinian revolutionaries forced into exile in Cuba by the junta were reported volunteering to defend the islands against the British force, despite their undying opposition to the junta. The defeat of Britain and ine victory ol 2224882
'Stop Thatcher's war drive'
attitude to the jectives.
insisting and the labour move-
discuss the sensible course.
Britain? who have
The fact is that all the peo-
There are no Argen-
stopped?
to centre on. the war danger.
workers into mass
Argentina in any military contict is ine best way io 'help the opposition Argentina' lay for the overthrow or te junla
Anv other road leads us play to accommodation with imperialism as the case of Militant shows. In clickily LIC demands for economic bovcotts. calls workers to black Argentinian goods - thus in prac tice favouring a British victory. follow this road. No socialist call danger of being drawn in behind Thatcher's war drive.
Not at all. There are two conflicting ob.
One is to ston war but the other is to defend the Falklanders. This means
negotiations aim should be to take the Falkland islanders off if they want to leave. This is the only
What do you think we should do in
We must give a lead to oppose the war drive. The de facto attitude of many peo. ple in the Parliamentary Labour Party is to support Thatcher. There is talk about not giving a blank cheque to the Tories but in reality there is little opposition to what looks like a very real danger of war. What do you think of Tony Benn's position in calling for the fleet to be
There is nothing we can do about the fleet now. It is therefore the wrong issue
The main thing is to fight
military junta.
try to support their the righ murdered and tortured people..
our readers to resist this lunacy.
SUOR restore her credibility.
stage. Jonn Noll, me scapegoal
even more. The last time this
Prime Minister
ments real Crimes laws, cuts and fare increases
ing calls for war. in
Tony Benn
Tony Benn: 'No to
task force'
the gains legitimate ment... either the invader or our assault troops.
Britain against Argentina
live in peace
posals reauire the task force
Prime Minister her position.
Socialist
Worker
THE fact is that the Falkland Islands are geographically part of Argentina, dependent upon that country for their supplies and com munications. They are only 'British' because a gunboat seized them 150 years ago as part of the process of building an Empire upon which 'the sun never set'. Today the only sure future for the inhabitants of the Islands lies in learning to live as part of their giant neighbour ...
Finally, we are told Argentina is ruled by a fascist
This is the only bit of truth in the whole war nysteria. ll is naraly news to genulne socialists
It is only when they want trade unionists in this coun-
• war lunacy that suddenly we hear of soldus and ine • Inousanas o
They do not care how many Argentinians, Falkland Islanders or British sailors die in the process. We urge all THE 'Iron Lady' can hardly preach peace in such a situa-
so shes runne won or me storm uviagra
• She believes she can buy party support by making Carrington, and probably at a late
But she may end up weakening her own government
happened, over • Suez in 1936. the result was a tasco which destroyed the lor
The Tories' disarray could be the opportunity for the working class movement to fight back over the govern-
unemployment the anti-union
It's a disgrace that instead of rising to these issues the Lavour leadersno or rool. nealev. and slikim are old NO blank cheque for this operation has been given to the government by the Op. position Front Bench. If somebody is to try later to cash a blank cheque, it might be better to say now that we do not want to issue a cheque at all. That is my position. The risks of this exercise far exceed
and indeed contradict the objectives of the govern.
I give three objectives to the government. First, the safety of the islanders should be our prime con cern. If we get it wrong, as I said, there will be no one to consult. That must mean seeking a local ad ministration that will protect the islanders from the tyranny of their new occupying consul.
Alternatively there must be resettlement, but do not threaten them with landing craft. Their little wooden houses would quickly be destroyed by
Second, a United Nations peace-keeping force must be established in the Falkland Islands ... If that proposal includes a United Nations mandate, the question of sovereignty could be merged into the United Nations, and the world will support
Third, now is the time for the Prime Minister to say that we would be prepared to cede sovereignty
to a condominium or to the United Nations . We must be prepared to contemplate a range o solutions provided that the Falkland islanders can
None of these legitimate and constructive pro-
The task force in volves enormous risks. It will cost this country a far greater humiliation than we have already suffered, and if history repeats itself, it will cost the
Socialist Challenge 15 April 1982 page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
The dictators confront one
another
By Paul Lawson AS THE British battle fleet sails southwards, rumours circulate about the British use of Chilean ports against the Argentinians. Chile and Argentina are in conflict over the possession of three small islands south of the Beagle Channel, and in 1977 came close to
The difficulties General Galtieri could be seized upon by the Chilean dictator, General Pinochet, to deliver a stab to Argentina's back.
Galtieri is the fourth general to hold the office
president since the military coup in Argentina in 1976. The coup was the end product of a process which with the workers uprising in Cordoba, the second dustrial centre, in 1969
the Ongania military regime.
Ongania had attempted to impose lasting authoritarian government,
was acreated mobilisation of Argen-
immensely strong labour movement. The revolt in Cordoba - the 'Cordobazo' was defeated by the army after three days of struggle, and followed by revolts other Argentinian cities.
Ongania resigned in 1970. ine generals who followed him decided on a process of partial return to civilian rule. But the elecLONS which followed resulted in the election of the Peronist candidate Dr Hector Campora first free elections for 20 years. Any hope of a civil military alliance to keep control went out of the window.
The resurgence Peronism was remarkable.
By Michael Baumann in Managua
NICARAGUA is mobilising to defend its revolution against further blows from the United States.
In the space of Reagan's threats have up by the bombing of two bridges near the Honduran border, on two fishing vessels in Nicaraguan territorial waters, and the killing of three soldiers counterrevolutionary band.
workplaces throughout the country to discuss the gravity of the situation and the immediate
meetings, held in brought together representatives of every single union in the city. Similar gatherings have taken
place In olnel arcas
Emergency
t'on. food distribution. price control. informa-
tion,
are being set into place
There is wide popular
decisive reponse to the US-backed attacks, in-
cluding. for the incas ulco
establishing a state of emergency in the country
15 March.
a suspension or ine consurunon,
news broadcasts on capitalist-owned radio sta-
tions. and ordered pre-publication review of all
newspapers and periodicals. broadcast Was political parties and all other organisations.
thirty days, at which time they may be renewed il deemed necessary.
Socialist Challenge
possibility of
faced by Argentina's
Peron himself was president of Argentina between 1945 and He mobilised the working class around a programme nationalist industrial cevelrooment Balancine between the capitalists and une workels. le cabitanscu on the post-war conditions of international boom to satisfy both the workers' demands for better conditions and the bosses' demands for higher profits.
Using state control of the agricultural sector he able buy cheap from the landowners and
international rio mind
international grain meat market. The surplus was pushed into industrial investment and workers living standards.
His ten year period in government thus became ooked upon as an idyllic period Argentinian history. After the Peronist electoral VICTORY limself was brought bac JITO BE xie in 1974 0 President. But Peron and, after his death, his widow, Isabel, were unable to repeat the operation of the original Peronist government. only four days, been backed
an attack
clash with a
Hundreds of meetings have been held at
Managua March,
networks of defence, produc-
health and sanitation, and construction
support for this
the decree
On the legal front, the government decreed
suspended
Also suspended ,R!
These measures are to remain in force for
15 April 1982 page 6
BRITISH TERRITORY BRITISH BASE
Rival claims by Chile, Argentina and Britain in Antartica After years of austerity, wages were allowed to rise. Consumption TOSC but exports declined. The economy went into a spin Sections of the Peronist movement both the main labour federation the CGT and the radicals of ne retonist vortn and une Monteneros opposed the government
When the generals saw what was happening they decided that the 'democratic interlude' had gone far enough. The result was the military coup without mass opposition brought General Videla to Violence WuCO power in 1976.
Since that time the successive generals have used the threat of 'terrorism' in fact the guerrilla
Response to appeals for militia volunteers has been massive. Eighteen thousand members of the Sandinista Youth alone have enrolled.
Here in Managua, out three nights a week for training in each of ine severa centres
In Matagalpa, a city of 40,000 to the north.
March. hours of evening training, the new recruits held a march through the main street or tne city ir answer to Reagan. In Juigalpa, a city to the east a similar demonstration was held
International
SANDWICH 1S SOUTH POLE
FALKLAND IS
ORKNEY IS SOUTH Signy Is.
SHETLAND IS. Orcadas i SANDWICHTS Rothera -farada
ANTARCTICA Pinochet organisations were all but 1976 anyway acreatea by launch wave repression against LOC Argentinian workers.
Nicaragua mobilises!
from Honduradiers display explosives captured from counter revolutionaries operating
thousands have turned all ne volatees.
ple ot Nicaragua
After several
conditions of war. the same
General Ongania, Argentinian dictator until 1970 Thousands have been murdered and 15,000 have 'disappeared' which means they have been secretly abducted and most Lasti tortured to death by the dictatorship
General Galtieri's agallisi the Falk lands comes in the wake of the biggest wave or trade union demonstrations for manly ycals There IS nO doubt that it is directed towards creating national unity in the face of the night after the evening's training
militia training were required to accommodate
In addition to joining the militias, the peo
are contributing skills they have to the defence of the revolution.
Doctors and nurses are being organised into medical brigades to assure battlefield care and general medical care for the population under
A brigade of engineers and geologists is be-
Juan Peron, President of Argentina from 1945 to 1955, with his first wife Evita government's difficulties.
Pinochet is of course a much better known figure than Galtieri. Brought to power by the anti-Allende coup 1973, Pinochet's period Ill office ses summed up by the fact
ten per cent of Chileans live in exile
Chile is the country in which monetarism has been most systematically put into practice under the direct supervision Milton Friedman.
ting bomb shelters.
And in
priorities, special
counts, and mobile cultural events. Special attention has been
and distribution of food.
tees, against military attack.
Trenches nave
mittees (CDS).
heightened tension to artificially
pose. large market workers task.
highiv organised way
whatever Sergio Ramirez,
speech 17 March: 'Defence is not solely a military
order and discipline. needs at this time.
And that is what it is getting.
The result has been a widening gap between the mass of workers and . the unemployed and mee increasily poarand increasingly fluent middle class. periodic rumours to the contrary, at no stage has the regime made even tentative moves towards democratisation or a democratic interlude The torture and the repres sion remain as vicious as ever The dispute betweel Argentina and Chile over UNUC uninhabited islands south of the Tierra del . ruego primarily a dispute over rival claims to sectors of the Antarctic potentially rich minerals. The islands pro tect a region of sovereign which under the isting the could give one or other party a better legal basi for their respective claims Both the Chilean and Argentinian claims howoverlap with Britain's. For Britain as well, control over the Falklands and South Georgia has a least strategic significance,
an protec British cases
British claim Argentinian military personnel already in the Antarctic.
ing formed to aid the population in construc-
La country where the battle for culture and literacy remains one of the highest
brigades artists, per• teachers. and lournalists nave been formed to ensure support to the means of com-
accurate news and historical ac-
paid to the critical task of guaranteeing continued supply
In the large central markets where most food is sold, a major effort has been made to enrol individual market-stall proprietors in the militia and vigilance commit-
, and in some cases to fortify the markets
been dụg at the Roberto Huembes outdoor market in Managua, where two-thirds of the proprietors have already Join. ed the militia or the Sandinista Defence Com-
Price committees have also been established to ensure that no one takes advantage of the
hike food
In Managua's Eastern Market, thirty-four CDSs are already on duty for precisely this pur-
supermarkets. the superunion is fulfilling the same
All of these steps are proceeding calmly, in a
The watchword was given by a member of the Government of National Reconstruction,
nationally televised matter; it also requires production, work, and above all
That is what the country
Page 7 scan of this page
Socialism and war
By Brian Grogan
tain and Argentina becomes very real.
Ment.
orner means.
conditions and democratic rights here in Britain.
ship, this basic mistrust through from rank and file militants.
the Argentinian butchers. cannot support men mutary victory over britains
developed. Leon Trotsky, who together with Lenin led the Russian Revolution in 1917, took this issue up on a number of occasions.
as their starting point the form of the government rather than the relation between classes and nations. For him, the countries and their economies had to each other.
veria ist countrv ike Britain and a dependent one. like Argentina, socialists always took the side of the dependent country ment.
ability of imperialism to keep them down.
He also thought that whatever benefits the dictatorship might gain, the overall effect would be to undermine it.
in relation to the conflict between Britain and Argentina.
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WITH THE DISPATCH of the British naval task force to the Falklands, the possibility of war between Bri-
Even if this crisis does not result in a military clash, the question of what attitude socialists should adopt is being earnestly debated in the labour move-
The starting point is that war is simply politics by
We can no more support Thatcher in war than we can support her attacks on our living
Despite the awful jingoism of the Labour leader-
has come
What confuses many is their deep felt hatred of
Surely, they argue, we
This is not the first time that such a situation has
He fought long and hard against those who took
the basic issue was what relation
He argued that in any conflict between an im-
whatever its form of govern-
His starting point was the impact of such a conflict in world politics. For him a defeat for the imperialist power would stimulate and strengthen the struggle of all oppressed peoples and weaken the
short term
This is the general position of Socialist Challenge
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The Olher Bookshop, PO Box 50, London NI
at 137 Digbeth, Birmingham B5 6DR: Phone
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HERE we reproduce two nieces by Leon Trotsky. In the first extract, , written in 1938. he deals with an exactly analogous situation of a putative conflict between Britain and the then semi-fascist Brazil.
Getuilo Vargas held power at had legal, closed down labour movementi paoncanon. and arrested leaders.
His 1937 constitution had denied workers as a class all rights.
The second was writter in 1938 in response to the • IN BRAZIL there now reigns regime that every revolutionary can only view with named LeT assulle. however, that on the morrow, England enters into a military conflict with Brazil.
I ask you, on whose side of the conflict will the working class be? I will answer sonally - in this case I will myself
be on the side of "fascist' Brazil against *democra
Great Britain
Why? Because in the conflict between them will not be a question of democracy or fascism.
If England should be victorious, she will put another fascist in Rio de Janeiro and will place double chains on Brazil.
If Brazil on the contrary should be victorious, it will give a mighty im pulse and democratic consciousness
and will lead to the overthrow of the Vargas dictatorship
The defeat of England will at the same time deliver a blow to British imperialism and will give an impuise to the revolutionary movement of the British proletariat.
Truly one must have an empty head world antagonisms and
CONCES struggle between fascism and democracy.
Under all masks one
know how distinguish exploiters slave owners and robbers From Writings of Leon Trotsky (1938-39), Pathfinder Press Leon Trotsky
• MAXTON and the others opine that the ItaloEthiopian war is a conflict between two rival dicLaluls lo these politi-
it appears that this Calis.
Italian in vastor of Ethiopia.
It argued against the leaders of the Independent Labour Party in Britain who had previously split from the Labour Party to the left and for a time had veer building a new Fourth International.
The ILP leader, Maxton, refused to support the Ethiopians against the fascist Mussolini on the grounds of the equally reactionary character the Ethiopian ruler, Haile Selassie (the Negus). He wanted to take a neutral stance.
fact relieves the proletariat of the duty of making a choice between two dic. tators.
They thus define the character of the war by the political form of the state. in the course of which they themselves regard this political form in a quite superficial and purely descriptive manner without taking into consideration the social foundations of both 'dictatorships'.
dictator also play a progressive role in
for chandic.
Oliver Cromwell, Robespierre etc
On the other hand right in the midst of the English democracy, Lloyd George exercised a highly reactionary dictatorship during the war.
Should a dictator place himself at the head of the next uprising of the Indian people in order to smash the British yoke , would Maxton then refuse this dictator support? Yes or no?
If not, why does he refuse this support to the Ethiopian 'dictator' who is attempting to cast off the Italian yoke?
If Mussolini triumphs, it means the reinforcement of fascism, the strengthening of imperialism, and the discouragement of the colonial peoples of Africa and elsewhere.
The victory of the Negus, would only at maian imperialism, mean a mighty but at imperialism as a whole, and would lend a powerful impulsion to the rebellious forces of the oppressed peoples
One must really be completely blind not to see this. N9isgo, PaLeone Pressk Leon Trotsky
- supported by the workers movement. Rotherham Middlesborough Wolverhampton Lambeth (H.T.)
J. Stott Hemel Hempstead Nottingham Edinburgh TOTAL Should be Shortfall this week
Demonstration in Buenos Aires in support of the demand for the return of the Falkland Islands to Argentinian sovereignty
Socialist Challenge
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Ours has been the only paper to take an un-
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What the last days have shown is how powertul the propaganda drive of our ruling
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ARGUMENTS for SOCIALISM
MALVINA CNTEDE PAL VIVE SOMOS PRESENT DEATH TO THE
MARGARET'S SWINES 16
• MUENTE ALOS CERDOS
. DE MARGARET THATCHO.
#ACMEMBER THAT HOLD DEAR Socialist Challenge 15 April 1982 page?.
Page 8 scan of this page
Freedom of small peritam, weake
PORT-SAID
35
British Troops in Port Said
nations
'POOR LITTLE BELGIUM' was the cry on every politician's lips when Britain W olEl war in Millions of British, German workers Were their deaths to 'defend small nations against the militaristic Prussians'.
But then as now, when Britain's imperialists went to war they cloaked their greed in hypocrisy. itself had been created by Britain to weaken rivals France and Holland.
Even as the cannon fodder left for Flanders, the new coalition government was burying the remains Lloyd George's Home Ireland Bill. 1916 saw the Easter Rising in Dublin, mercilessly crushed by troops withdrawn from France.
Then, as now, fought for "freedom' beside the most acacuula.y CUVC CILS world.
Helping democratic Britain fight the rapacious Hun was the feudal autocracy of Tsar Nicholas holding down over thirty smal nations and an army of serfs.
A year after the Dublin rising Russian workers taught their 'civilised' European sisters and brothers a new way to fight for freedom overthrew the Tsar, and six months laler made tne nrst soclanst revolution. The new government granted self-determination to nations such as Finland.
But it soon emerged just whose 'freedom' the defending as Russia's 'allies' turned Socialist Challenge 15 April 1982
1914. was infectious: French and workers overthrew
sent
swept the country.
Belgium ports.
realised: that of
Rule for
who wanted
Britain's rulers ICSLOIS.
of the
semi-
Spire.
from those that
when they another way.
robbers Ical
capitalist empire.
The empire
arinles werc London Demonstration against British presence in Oman
page 8
their forces against the new revolu-
1918 German neTT wartimne government and sued for peace. Only then did British workers begin to fight unc wa rucs as a wave o sunike.
In 1921 the TUC set up 'Hands off Russia' committees all over the countrv and industrial ac. tion stopped war supplies leaving the
It had taken six years to discover what Labour's leaders still have not
British armed forces could never be used in workers' interests bécause they were paid, run and officered by the ruling classes,
on/v defend privileges and domination of British
The lead-up to 1914 was a greedy scramble for colonies. Under the excuse or 'civilsing the word Batısh traders and investors had built the strongest navy in the world and coloured a quarter of the world mar pink, dominating more people and countries than any other previous em-
But Britain's empire was different
WClll before The colonies paid formal tribute to Queen Victoria, but the
were Britain's dustrialists. This was the world's first
began with colonisation. From the 17th century onwards English adventurers shipped out convicts, political dissidents, and the star-
DOWN
WITH THE
BRITISH
B IMPERALISY
ving peasants of Ireland and Scotland to settle huge areas of the globe on their behalf.
In countries like Canada, America and Australia they murdered the incuceIous OCUDIe and drove them from the land:
Africa and India they set up puppet ruling structures.
Behind the drive lay fantastic profits. the 18th century traders reaped huge fortunes from the "triangle capturing Africa, who were sold for cotton in America. The cotton was brought to Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol and London - whose cloth financed adventures in Africa.
Other traders, like the East India Company, ran whole continents for private gain, calling in the army when their greed caused revolts.
But with the Industrial Revolution came a new relation with the colonies
organise markets toplunder them for food and raw materials in exchange for British manufactured goods. From and South America Canic muteak and food, from the East spices and cotton from the dominions came mutton. Out went railways, bridges, mining machinery and gunboats.
To become the world's workshop, Britain had to force her customers to buy. The empire prevented the enslaved countries developing their own industry, creating dictatorial and cruel regimes to hold down starving people - to suit Britain's thirst for profit.
The army has mostly been driven out — but the chains and the scars remain. The 'third world' is a British creation. The poor, and the dictators, of Argentina, Chile, Africa, and the far and Middle East are the product of British greed - maintained even today by that same greed. ERITSHR
TROOPS
ony.
English
Slaves in world
Africa
'This disaster shows we should have kept a strong navy' choruss. ed Labour's Front Bench as the news of Healey Tories mistake dent instead arms.
new song. Confronting Benn in the Parliamentary argued that Labour would now have to rethink its policy towards America. His meaning: since Reagan is helping us to fight the nasty junta, shouldn't we help Reagan out?
his dirty work in the Caribbean, stay in NATO and agree to be a nuclear fortress. So much for the idea that the Ilayy is an alternative wenoors
prise. If you accept the idea that the British navy should deal with Argentinian junta, necatitiol WUTKCS. lorcea lo use existing ances to back you up.
Our police and banks against all threats — which means both threats capitalist munists and subversives' socialist revolutions. one witnoul une olner. Dy reiying on the navy, the Labour Party cannot avoid compromising counterrevolution.
role, the British state relies on collective scculily
THE BRIT
Politicians such as Tony
Benn have argued that
Britain's empire is a
thing of the past and
that Britain is now a col-
The war hysteria of
the last fortnight has
been a salutory reminder'
that jingoism and gun-
boat diplomacy are
more than a Victorian
perialism, weakened
though it may be, is not
dead. ALAN FREEMAN
anaiyses the roots of the
empire and explains why
it is still very much alive
and very much kicking.
Carry on uf
the empire
- the 'special relationship' and Britain's
the invasion came in. Sillp claimed that the was to buy Triof conventional
Four days later he was singing a Tabules
Labour Party he
In other words, we should support sul alcay
HUC CaI empire America.
But this should come as no sur-
Ansencd the instead of the bitter you are world alli-
armed forces are a world force for the multinationals
from other and from 'com• that Is founded You can't have
itself with
In order to play a Great Power
But
world role security against whom?
Britain is bound to America | what is called the 'special relatio
• a collective security deal which the two countries agree to con to each other's military aid, and gi each other special preference in trad exchange of technology, and milita
But Britain wan Reagan's backing in the Malvina then it has to pay the price, take TI dent and Cruise, and support Reaga in the Caribbean.
Breaking the special relationshi] and ending Britain's Great Pow role, is an essential part of a sociali
But what lies behind the speci relationship? Left wingers such Tony Benn claim Britain has lost i
and become
In fact the opposite is true. Tru
and rival America's bosses have forced som
Spills down British bosse throats. But this happens not becaus Britain has no empire but because won tlel go ol ll
Speaking 'Question Time Judith Hart claimed that 'the empir was replaced by the Commonwealth This is not true. The empire wa renamed the Commonwealth. It
when the Tor government, smarting from its partia defeat in Ireland, convened an 'inter imperialist conference. There it pro posed a scheme first invented by th arch-reactionary Torv Josep Chamberlain in 1905 to defend Britisl marss anaer simulaneous inrer from other imperialist powers an
Page 9 scan of this page
tragedy, Labour's
1979 'General Election' in Belfast from revolutions home abroad.
The colonies, Chamberlain said, should be self-governing. should stay loyal to the Crown, and carry on trading with Britain using the pound as international Because of British industrial, military and financial supremacy, ed the waves — and waived the rules — long atter the gunboats lett. The empire never ended.
For the Tories it was a brilliant scheme and pioneered what was later called 'neocolonialism'. drove the British out were forced to bend the knee because of dependence on British markets for their products, British banks for finance, and British industry for manufactures.
Ine guise OT
their friends' British armies went in to back up dictators under threat from revolution. When other powers threatened British sions, Britain could fight them off ilaiming to defend sovereignty' for its own colonies.
The system proved its worth in the thirties. The volume of food imported
SH EMPIRE
and ped by a third. stumped up for the depression.
But they
ly came mio Ils ownl.
currency.
the Empire.
Britain rul- Australian sheep,
Those who 'special relationship'
La new division of the spoils,
sheepdog. "defending At the
Teheran and Yalta the three leaders' lochaisi
posses-
'national
world politics:
world.
stayed the same while its price drop-
Britain's 'partners'
But it was after the war that it real-
In twenty years over £12½ billion was invested overseas, 60 per cent in
South African sweat, words.
African
muctals. thing, Indian foods and cotton, and Middle castern vu were tne roundanons or Britain's share of the postwar spoils.
A weakened Britain could not rule its Empire without a Big Brother. The
was designed so that Britain could cling to its spoils. Even while fighting with America for
British rulers ran at its heels like a tame
wartime conferences of 'world by Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill - divided up the world bet- guise. ween them. The condition of British control over the Commonwealth was its backing for American interests in
parternship of thieves to carry on plundering the
disgrace
LABOUR'S Dame Judith Hart was asked an embarrassing question on Robin Day's 'Question Time'. 'Why are you a Dame Commander of the British Empire, asked the speaker, 'if you aren't prepared to defend it?'
The exchange spotlights Labour's Achilles Heel. For despite sentimental humbug, it does support the empire. world role for British investors and their armed forces; dorses the Commonwealth; over the Malvinas it has tried to outdo the Tories in nationalism and aggressiveness.
This is the biggest obstacle between Labour and socialism.
It dates back to Labour's early days. 'Socialism means an organised internationalism rooted autonomous nationalities, says 1920 lecture by Sidney Webb, collective guardianship of the nonauul ales. The socialist conception of empire is not domination but a democratic federal hierarchy.'
But a 'democratic hierarchy' is naked domination clothed in fine
rubber bullets, description is softer than the real thibour Party socialism acce ted the just lethal. empire and then argued with the Tories about how to run it nicely.
It never understood that Britain's world role was a cover for British bosses' money-grubbing. realised that so-called 'backwardness' was not a natural state of "interior' races but subjection caused by British greed; that jingoism, racism and warmongering had to be fought at source
challenging Britain's capitaliss right to operate abroad under
In the First World War Labour's leaders entered a coalition government, in exchange for the slaughter of millions of workers. The system of wartime controls seemed to them an ideal way to run socialism.
Potsdam International Conference, 1945: Truman, Stalin, Bevin, Attlee carve up the world.
Working class
reforms became the orthodox Labour Party creed.
But the confidence of the capitalist class = wilen was onented to toreign in vestment. Labour's vision of state socialism committed it to safeguard this foreign investment.
In 1924 and 1929 it administered and propped up the colonies. In 1940 it went into another coalition government which hatched both the welfare en- state and the postwar division of the
world.
Labour's Attlee replaced Churchill in the international conference at Potsdam in 1945, secretary of state noted that 'as far as we could discern there ference!'
Labour helped suppress the partisans in 1947. It committed the army to the 'with a Korean war and even signed a secret
agreement to Under the 1964 prosecuted a vicious anti-communist war in Malaysia and in the late 1970s supplied more arms than anyone else to Chile and Argentina. the British involvement
Africa and with NATO has always British been maintained by Labour
Benn was nearly thrown out of the cabinet for arguing against joint naval extrases with the navy.
British troops were sent to Ireland never by Callaghan in 1968 and a bipartisan
policy was held ever since.
Most important of all, even when Labour did oppose a military adventure in Suez in 1956
to nationalise the Suez canal The working class has paid a terri ble price for this attempted short cut to socialism.
particularly excessive act of international banditry it faces the miseducaState tion it has given its own supporters. It
tatorship
state finances depended on
Aneurin lateralism
the mercy
short.
obstructs
the American
was no dif-
Greece between 1945 and
make war on China Wilson government it night's hysteria.
government policies in South
- in 1974 ships back. • End South African
all other
: dia ro: de erd Stering sortige el
which
When Labour tried to combat a
• Support
about the Malvinas, because it accepts the right of the British government and navy to deal with the dic-
instead of promoting world workers' unity.
But not only are they powerless to defeat the Tories' jingoism. Socialist
Bleicies at home have also be impossi-
Labour's commitments led
Bevan uniin 1957, and is leading Michael Foot down the same path. Every Labour government has been at
the IMF and world bankers - half of whom are British.
Labour has become the prisoner of the most backward and parasitic sections of British society.
Worse still, Labour's approach has created the very conditions which
uniter working class response to the capitalists. Ramsay MacDonald's betrayal in 1931 was much easier because Labour OUU porters, led to believe in a 'national interest' standing above parties, had come to think that a crisis of the bosses' making was actually produced by an 'external threat' against which everyone had to unite
Michael Foot's betrayal has been brought ten times nearer by last fort-
Everyone who fights for a Labour
carry out socialist should fight Labour's traditional commitment to empire by demanding • No nukes, no navy. Bring the
Britain's world military role: British forces out of Ireland Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Belize and
overseas possessions Withdrawal from all involvement in NATO and SEATO • End Britain's neocolonial role no reserve role for the pound wind up the Commonwealt and
Discose Trag 15503 "9c= British investors, hand them to the governments of the countries
the assets are, and oroanise international trade unior struggle for worker control of the multinationals.
for anti-imperia is: struggles the world over.
Socialist Challenge 15 April 1962 Dage 3
Page 10 scan of this page
LAST WEEK the Labour Party's organisation committee threw out Hornsey constituency's decision to accept Tariq Ali as a member. Now Eric Heffer, chairperson of the organisation committee, and David Hughes, national agent, will 'visit' Hornsey to try to get them back on the straight and narrow.
where the constituency have adopted Peter Tatchell as parliamentary candidate, turn ecutive committee.
TESSA VAN GELDEREN spoke to both Tariq Ali and Peter Tatchell on how they saw the present state of the party.
Tariq Ali
MY application for membership to the Labour Party was caught up in a right wing offensive against Militant and the broad left. The right have attempted, with some success, it should be said, to use my application against the left.
Now its a matter of prestige for different ayers on the National Execunve, DOlI une right represented by John Golding, Denis Healey al, and the Foot/Kinnock
The left should (ailly. have no truck with the witch-hunt. It should fight it all the way.
When Healey and co attacked the left after Hillhead, Foot realised that the hard right were breaking his consensus. It Was necessary in preserving his own position as party leader to attack them ane ne caso
But it doesn't get over the fundamenta' problem which confronts the party today. That is 90 per cent of constituency parties are for radical far-reaching socialist policies and economic reforms which Socialist Challenge
Who shot
Bishop's
Stortford?
They have to do a similar job in Bermondsey
who in has been rejected by the national ex-
challenge the rule of capitalism while 80 per cent of the Parliamentary HaDou rave sanct believers and upholders of LUC CabILdRS SYSLCH As far as the trade unions are concerned there is no organised left as such which is a big pity. I think there is room for a well-defined broad left united front inside every union.
Unless the Labour left does this it will find itselt confronting innumerable prooielns This is a problem for the Labour Party whole not just the left. The SDP/Liberal Alliance committed to introducing laws which will force the unions opt into membership of the Labour av anera oor okl When this was first in troduced after the defeat
os the General strike irany
Labour membership in the unions dropped by 40 per cent. It you think about it, it is not a very large drop.
However, the prolonged experience of Labour in office denno aised large sections of workers and they have vet toebe won back. This slump in party membership in most of the industrial unions would be Catasi oDe
15 April 1982 page 10
Peter
Tatchell
TARIQ ALI, Militant and myself are tied together as part ot a genera ottensive against the left at a time
we need to unite to fight for socialist policies which can bring about a real measure of social justice and equality.
The premise of party unity must be that the constitution upheld This has not been the case with miv owa encorsenent anc
ford Nort W.aNor nas d-
North. Nor has been the case in the nonacceptance of Tariq Ali as a member and the foisting of eight nominees back on the London borough of Southwark's panel of council candidates.
In all these cases the national executive has usurped the right of consuluencies waicn are in tne best position make juugmcnts avoul wno lney should admit into membershio and select parliamentary and council candidates
The principle of party unity which Bishop's • Stortford sought achieve is quite desirable. • However, une manner ¿ which the Bishop's Stortford conference was convened is highly questionable. It circumvented
This means that the notion ches is not just an ultra left Tallasa oul S SOnC e the Labour Party needs to do to rebuild its support at the level of the rank and file. This necessitates new type of party which is not simply a narrow electoral machine but a campaigning vehicle for socialist policies.
It will require a period of five to seven years to rebuld Labour's strength But the work should be started now and not walt till after the general elecwill.
If the attack against
Militant is successful it will represent a major Gerea for the entire left inside the Dav arono orodG ProuD ing or caucus will be safe It there are anv attacks or Militant there will be uproar inside the constituencies. Michael Foot has
COUSC between the unions and the constituenCics
Frank Chapple is signatory of the Limehouse declaration number of EETPU full timers are active members of the SDP. It is therefore not surprising they're anxious to hurt and damage the Labour Party as much as they can
Labour Party
the party's democratic decision-making process of regional and conferences and thereby excluded ordinary ranK and file members in the decisions taken. Veto
A genuine unity cannot be forged ed lending MPs simply handful and trade union general SCaClanco It has to be a party unity which created at the grass roots among ordinary members
There seems to be a very strong body • ot suD
that I should stand for the NEC. We are seeking the views at the constituency level around the country any final before occas ull making This
would be a way in which
constituencies could show their clear rejection of the NEC's veto of my candidature and affirm the right of all CLPs to choose their own parliamentary candidates.
ten beooc nave sur gested that it would be good to have a non MP
and a more grassroots par
ty member on the NEC provide a more direct link
BRIEFING LONDON LABOUR
.....other parties
SDP .. Refreshes the politicians other parties don't
want
London Labour Briefing's
from The Other Bookshop. Price 50p plus 20p p&p from
23 Leghorn Rd, London NW1.
Photo: Morning Star
between leadership
and the party's constituen-
cy base. Whether it's me
standing or not, I agree
wilh oese argulculs
We are most concerned
in Bermondsey that ll the
present MP Bob Mellish,
does resign later this year,
the NEC may seek to im-
pose a candidate or offer
the party a short list which
does not include my name.
we feel this would
disastrous for the local son would set have thre
would not have the
contidence ot Bermondsey
members.
Damage
Without this we don't
see how an effective and
vigorous election cam-
paign could be conducted
When we've been canvass
ing local people have said
that they thought Tatchel
ana une local party were
OK But
condemned and
Michael Foot's left
winger so this Tatchell
bloke must be a real ex-
tremist.
There is no doubt that
the attitude of the NEC
and Michael Hoot
done the local party a lot
of damage.
ON THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS
SDP refreshes
the politicians
SDP do not want
new pamphlet. Available
London Transport
100%Increase
from
Westminster®
GLC: forced to retreat on a number of issues hand it will be confronting the
Greater London Council,
tive Labour councillors
plement the following policies:
1. Defend the jobs, services, and living standards of the people of London.
We wil TETSE cut Council provisions no matter what the pressure: and threats.
2. Do not recognise the right of the District Auditor to fix the
Piro tes dem rical
democratically determined at the aaRo. box. The District Auditor's directives will be defied except to the extent that they Cucc l vestigations into corruption or similar matters. 3. Where threats of legal action - including surcadiee are made we annonce in advance that we will not tolerate these as reasons for abandoning
malli coll kutlililll" ments; instead we will as Icessal y. defy not only the rulings of the Distric Auditor but also the whole undemocratic system rule by unelected judges.
4. While the GLC and the ILA have been isolatec and forced to retreat on a • TULLIOCI ot Issues. wesct Labour victories in May as
hulporlalli Micahs providing added strength to these bodies in resisting pressures from the Tory
the judges auverlllicul and the establishment.
5. We will not tolerate present levels of racial harassmenu me allacks . O1 OCUple from ethnic minorities, SLicet assaulls. attacks or women and other forms of
We will crime in London. work to set up more accountable and more effec-
Photo: GM COOKSON
London goes
to the polls
LOCAL ELECTIONS are with us once again. In London, all Borough councils are up for grabs. It will be a crucial test for Labour. On the one
Liberal/SDP Alliance. On the other, the experiences of the
elected on a left manifesto one year ago, raises many issues for future Labour councils. A number of prospec-
for the London Borough elections have pledged themselves, on taking office, to do all in their power to im-
tive methods of policing our own communities, acting on demands made by ethnic minority, WO mens dents, , and working class organisations throughout the capital.
6. We are fighting for vic tory in the May elections in order to strike blow against the Tory govern ment, whose rule we ain to end We will seek to unite Labour local autho. rities and the trade union MOVC ICH , lll a lllass calli paign to bring down this vet lcdt and the system it represents at the earliest possible opportunity.
7. We will support moves to establish an 'Association of Socialist Councils in London', to co-ordinate action for the above policies.
8. Finally we see our victory London ICcsoal order secure for a future socialist Labour government some part of that base of strength and alternative machinery of democratic rule which it will need in order to defend itself and carry through its programme to the full, in op position to the forces of ine establisment and unt State.
BRIEFING
Reprinted abour Briefing April 198 from LOReT
Page 11 scan of this page
YOUNG SOCIALISTS CONFERENCE
By Brian Heron THE Labour Party conference, over Easter weekend, was a battle for ideas from beginning to end. time for many years, youth in action against racism and missiles, solidarity with El Salvador and Poland found their reflection in the YS conference. Revolution supporters spoke every debate
pors building he LPYS
building the LPYS_ based on mass action and
the spirit of socialist internationalism Similar themes ran through all of the debates. The platform 'hammered out policies' explained how 'present events untold and read out horror stories about the rich and powerful and the misery of the poor.
out in call debate a political challenge emerged in opposition the crass reduction of all
and Issues working conditions.
On the SDP, conference agreed on the seriousness of the threat to Ine abour maovement bul failed to analyse what produced it and therefore how to defeat that threat.
Steve. a delegate trom Leeds North east summed up the debate this way: 'To be sure, to fight the SDP. the Labour Party needs a clear socialist programme, but conference fails recognise the need mobilise for action now against the Tories and the trade union bureaucrats as ine best way to deltal tile SDP.
Falklands raised its embarrassing head early on Saturday when a platform speech member Joan Maynard called for the withdrawal of the British fleet from the South Atlantic. The NC statement demanding socialism in Britain and
RUTH HASWELL,
speech of conference at the hustings for the YS place on the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party. She explained the policy of Revolution supporters at the conference.
'At this conference we have discussed how we as Young Socialists are going to fight on all the decisive Issuco. women, international solidarity,
all of them government, central the collulle political and international
the British CrISIS government and society.
'It is by turning our decisions into action that we will build the Young Socialists in Central America today the offensive that is being led against the people of El Salvador and Nicaragua Is
direct attack by the
and hatcher led war drive to hold back the
of mood socialism Our job in Britain, to
assist these socialist revolutions, DOLDI LO build solidarity movements and the YS. What this means in prac tice is on 6 June, under the
sher Reagan out, That
cher every
A Step Forward
Young Socialists
For the first
for women's rights and
Argentina did not mention this elementary position.
John Cutts, delegate from Hazel move vanchester, explained Revolu-
SHODORICS VIeW the Falklands debate: 'The Militant tendency have taken a chauvinist demand for tion. Their for economic boycott of Argentina is forming united front with the imperialists. Argentina has the right to sovereignty. Socialists cannot support British imperialism's aLtempt to keep its colonies.
'Militant's Stallillg point is their attempt to
uild a Marxist Labour Party in Britain. We are building an international revolutionary party. They think they can afford mistakes on international questions. What they don't realise is that Britain's imperial past is catching un with them The mistakes of the Militant tendency will lead them into the arms of the wrong Class.
Positive action was the issue which dominated the women's oppression discussion. The Newport composite resolution which supported positive action and the Labour
Women's Festival Party was hotly contested by a succession of Militant sup-
porters. The delegate from
Newport, Ruth Haswell, said, 'Although Militant
for the Ilas VUL festival in writing, there
Build the Young Socialists!
delegate from Newport Young Socialists, made the most impressive
member should be marching on the streets of London for what we've been talking about in this conference
In rolana loday, we have seen the most impor-
movement Heal workers' democracy and workers' rights in Eastern Europe. Young people internationally should be at the heart of the solidarity campaign. This campaign has nothing in common with Reagan's and Thatcher's hypocrisy...
*Turning the Falkland crisis the decision
conference took yesterday
SUDOULL the National
Committee document puts
side of British
us on ine Imperaise de cus s o
from action YS
At this point Rath held
un the tront page of the
Observer with the headline
"EEC bans trade with
Argentina'. The NC document called for a trade
denounced the Tories' war drive and called on clearly for defeat Argentina.
tion of it in the debate. I think that they are just going to waffle on about health care and how awful oppression is.
One Liverpool delegate believed that tion did not strike at the root of the problem women's oppression. 'You
ism,' he said, 'any more Lnallyou Call legislate against racism, any more than you legislate against the common cold.
Fiona Rowan
Fiona Rowan, delegate from Birm-
cocoasion.
Ruth Haswell union boycott of Argentina
"The traditional position of socialists has to be reaffirmed against the NC's position. Revolution Youth Sanes defeat of British
and the withdrawal of its fleet, demands not included in ine Ne aocument. Joan Maynard, to her credit, called British withdrawal ...
'What the youth in Britain are looking for is lead. It is not enough for
Youth,
AUEW delegate at
for British imperialism But the conference went on to adopt a statement from National Committee which did not call for the recall of the British fleet! ingham YS, answered from the rostrum that the workers was already divided. 'We need an action programme bringing Wower into labour movement in order to unite the class.'
The major success of the YS last year, the YOPs campaign, was fully aired. The platform made a comHitilicill demonstration in Liverpool on 16 October to protest youth training proposals. This action received unanimous support.
But the highlights of conference were the inter-
debates. On Icianu. on Lionism. Poland, disarmament and Reagan, delegates fought the platform for basic socialist internationalism. The Militant leadership of the YS were pressured into support for the antiReagan mobilisations 6/7 June. us to place demands and wait for a Labour Party committed socialist policies. We have to fight for that now.
"The doubly oppressed people in society, blacks
face ment and the dole, young wollicil who tace attacks on their right to choose and on their right to work. these are the army of peoDIC from which our organisation can grow in numbers and political
" T1 the conference, the LPYS to come out In the conflict with
the
The battle on Ireland and Poland was not so successful. But an anti-imperialist line was Jorce us presented
Re chale supporters led
challenge leadership which hesitated
front tionalism and through its abstention on many of the mass actions of youth has no policy to confront the labour bureaucracy in Britain.
This fight by Revolution supporters, reflected
march, present mainly outside the committed to the women's rights festival, the alLi Reagan march and the YOPs demonstration. This is a considerable step forward. One Militant supporter commented, 'Revolution Youth bloody dangerous.' Too right.
REVOLUTION
BUILDING THI
LABOUR
DARTY LOUNG
YOCIALIS, New pamphlet just .out 20p a copy plus 15p p&p available from Revolution PO Box 50 London N1 2XP.
strength. The fight against the Tory government and
go away.
'We are the organisa tion that can lead this fight. on the streets and Ir the factories Basing ourselves the actual struggles of young people is the route to a mass campaigning YS.
"I am a supporter of the SOcialls licwsodocl Revolution. It is on these policies that we want the YS to be representea on the NEC.
On the fringes
Festival
ed the fringe meeting
go out and win support for the festival.
pointed the debate that through the YS. fight alone.
movement and not shut up at home'
Campaign for
All photos: PHIL PENNING
Nuclear
Disarmament
mobilise against Reagan.
Richard Rozanski,
organisation
Bernie
ment.
REVOLUTION
Revolution
Youth
Labour Party Young the YS.
Youth ons weren
rary people
National Left
had been differences
try.
John Cutts, said he thought
the YS.
5 June Women's
OVER A hundred people, mainly women, attend-
to discuss the 5 June Women's Festival. The meeting was an important step forward for the LPYS on women's rights, as all tendencies were united around the decision to
Kerry Wade, Revolution Youth supporter, pin-
will continue to run 'No one thinks that women can We have to win over the labour move. ment to our struggle with women in the lead.
'And that's why we're in favour of positive action on jobs to make sure women are in the labour ONE hundred and fifty people crammed a joint Labour CND/Youth CND fringe meeting. They heard a YS National Committee member make a commitment to do everything in the NC's power to CND, we med ans step eaving and aid outh speaking from policy for implementing the NC's position. Some speakers from the floor, reflecting Militant's position, claimed CND was a middle class and pacifist
Cavanagh and Warren Kirk from Sheffield YS countered these points and showed the way to fight the pacifist tendencies of sections of the leadership of CND by building the move. Ann Henderson WITH over a hundred in attendance, Ann Henderson, author of the pamphlet Building the
Socialists led off the discussion explaining the policy of Revolution in
A panel of leading supporters of Revolution
questions raised in the lively discussion that followed. Militant supporters who attended the meeting attacked Revolution for not basing themselves on the day to day concerns of
Many speakers took up this charge and pointed out that Militant's policies cut the YS from the massive movements of youth.
Wing Youth Movement sup porters appealed for unity with Revolution arguing that issues like the Falklands on which there
should become obstacles. Revolution supporters, while arguing for joint work where there was agreement, pointed out the necessity of calling for the defeat of your own ruling class in a war with a dependent coun-
La Revolution supporter and a Manchester YS delegate who chaired the meeting
the meeting was good demonstration of Revolution supporters' work in
Socialist Challenge 15 April 1982 page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
a reply to letters
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Poland
By the Editorial Board SEVERAL LETTERS have been published criticising the 11 February article on the Cuban leadership's response to the imposition of martial law in Poland. US imperialists had been quick to seize on the Polish events, and that the response of the governments of Cuba and Nicaragua and their leading spokespeople in supporting martial law, had made it easier for the US imperialists to use the Polish events to fuel their war drive.
The objections have been of three types.
First, it is argued that Socialist Challenge has let its coverage of Poland overshadow its coverage on the war arive bilal Lyons, 4 March). This is not true More than any other paper on the left, Socialist Challenge has defended the Central American revolution to the hilt (with many of the articles being written by Phil Hearse).
Far from our Polish coverage jeopardising this campaign at every point we have indicated the ways in which the Polish crisis ties in with imperialsm's intentions not only against the Central American revolution but also against the Polish workers.
Ine proot or the pudding was the large con-
that Socialist Challenge and Revolution mobilised for the 28 March demonstration on El Salvador.
Warts
Secondly, it is objected Socialist Challenge chanced ts stance towards the Cuban revoluLON OV dig presen the position of the Cubans on Poland as errors
'warts' on a fundamentally healthy body. This is not S0.
The editorial line of Socialist Challenge has fundamentally been in accord with the views of the International Executive Committee of the Fourth International LINe Cuban question (see Intercontinent Press. 19 October 1981 for the published resolution).
The positions of the
Cubans cannot be presented merely
'mistakes', nor does this give an account of their direction.
The Cubans fight for the defence of their revolu-
by defending the
revolutionary movements
In Central America WiaO
inspired by the example of
the Cuban revolution,
al C
yoke of US imperialism.
They practise aeeas what the bureaucrats of
Eastern
kurope and the
Soviet Union proclaim in
words the struggle against imperialism.
and Cuba:
The article, by Phil Hearse, pointed out that the
pratos in Nicarague and
leaders com-
Grenada cannot be considered subordinate to the Soviet bureaucracy which is where Brezhnev would like them to be.
But the 'errors' of the Cubans in respect to their atttude to the struggle of the Polish workers, their uncritical support for the policies of the Stalinists of the PCF, their refusal to back the just struggle of the Eritrean people for self-determination, are not just empirical responses.
Camps
They are informed by the same world view which the Cubans use to explain LicH revolutionary Drac tice in Central America • the 'anti-imperialist framework', or the argument that the world divided between a reacism) andamp tionary (imperial-
progressive camp (the Soviet Union and other states with which the Soviet Union has friendly diplomatic relations, including ruling ourcaucialic elite: and classes of these countries).
This is not only the attitude of the Cuban
which coverintil forced to make all sorts of necessary compromises in order perialist offensive but also of the Cuban Communist Party and especially the Second Congress of this party This 'astonishing' only to those who are not familiar with
positions Cubans or those who think the Cubans say one Willlig and do another.
Truth
Thus the Cubans' contradictions do entail revolutionary positions in Central America and support for the counterrevolutionary policies of the Soviet bureaucracy in Poland. Gary Erlisker (18 March) regards saying this
outrageous Unfortunate v it is the truth
It is true that the Polish political revolution, SO brutally crushed by the bureaucracy, and the Cenlal Amencan revolunon, still in ascendent, are part
the process world revolution. But this process goes in unree sectors - against the rul-
letter
Editor reserves
Socialist Challenge
DEFEND
SOLiDARNDi
REVOLUTION
ing class of the advanced capitalist countries, against the bureaucrats of the post-capitalist states, and against the imperialists ana unel local
clients in the dependent commudes
The Cubans' revolutionary
practice outlook does not extend to
humanity.
Two things are at stake here: how we defend the Cuban revolution, and how we build a world revolutionary party. silencing uban We can do neither by our criticisms of the Icauersip m of fraternal discussion.
Defence
The best defence of the Cuban revolution in deeds: the practical solidarity we give the advancing Central American revolution against Reagan and Thatcher. It is in this way that we will gain the eal revolunonaries l Central America.
But we also defend the Cuban revolution by advancing the Polish revolution, and vice versa. A victory for the Polish workers would gigantic possibilities the Cubans. It is only as revolutionary victories make it clear that there is a working class alternative to the 'two camps' — not just in theory but in visible, material form - that the basis for discussions with
Cuban leadership on the building a mass revolutionary parties will come into existence.
To stay silent on the attitude of the Cuban leadership towards the Polish workers does a disservice
Letters ATTA SETTER.
the right to Write to SC letters, c/o
REVOLUTIO
Solidarity with Polish and Central American revolutions: internationalism entails building on the gains of both.
to both revolutions. It is to act as if one may hold back
one revolution in the interests of another. I his is a
view of revolution which
nasty
eliminated
in Cuba
WHAT refreshing change to read Mitchell (SC April 1982) taking up Smith's ludicrous assertion that 'rape has been virtually eliminated in Cuba.
The trouble is that if Socialist Challenge
on repeating it often enough, SOne comrades will start to believe it
For myself, I prefer the following quote from the recently publishes
Women and the Cuban Revolution: 'Rape and violent crimes against women are nowhere near
prevalent in Cuba as they are United States. This I can believe.
Even more disturbing was Dave Smith's claim that 'Racism has been eradicted' Cuba The book quoted above has a more truthtul approach:
'Now racial discrimination
alll segregation in jobs, housing, • senooling ana recrea tional facilities is a thing of the past Cuba. Some racist attitudes still exist, especially among older
Letters
cut any letter over 400 words.
PO Box 50. London N7 REVOLUTION Ist ANNIVERSARY SOLIDARITY
WITH REVOLU WORLDWIDE we, who support building world revolutionary movellichi International utterly
Everything
people, and the effects o legacy of centuries o black oppression have no been fully eradicated. But ine whole revolutionary climate of Cuba — the internationalism, the solidarity with liberation struggles in Africa, and the opposition to racism and chauvinism of any kind helps to counteract this
vanguard of the fight azallls. lacisi interna tionally.'
The knack that some comrades are developing of bending reality to serve their particular political views is very worrying. It reminds me of a conversation myself and some friends has with a Stalinist hack in the Soviet Union: 'What's your position on homosexuality?' 'Pardon?' 'Homosexuality - is it il legal? 'Oh, no, there isn't any problem What do you mean there's no problem? doesn't exist in the
HILARY DRIVER Uxbridge, Middlesex
Page 13 scan of this page
By Judith Arkwright HERE WE ARE six full years after the much heralded Equal Pay Act came in and women still earn an awful lot less than men.
Pay Unit: •women male hourly earnings.
but 60 per cent of the low paid.
Furthermore, if women didnt go out to work the number of families living below the poverty line in Britain would treble much for the argument TACT women shouldn't and needn't go out to work. Action
This report em-
the labour movement to
and fiaht for women's right to work and the right to equality.
What is really needed is an action camnaian to increase public awareness of what is happening to women in the present economic crisis and to press the government To do something about it.
To make sure Here's how the 5. June events are being built
NOTTINGHAM: Week of teeny
had a events LEICESTER: Mobi ins
from sections, movement.
meetin May
riCWIll Womens Committee. At least in Leeds in April.
the DPP and the Home Office.
Equal pay-you've
got to be joking
According to the latest report of the Low
Learn less than three quarters of
• women are 30 per cent of fulltime workers
women's voices are heard the Labour Party has organised women s Festival for Saturday 5 June which will tremendously important. addition the London Labour Party and the South-East Region of the TUC are supporting march to the Festival calling for woman's right to work.
It will also be the oc casion for a show of solidarity with women in the USA, whose president, Ronald Reagan will be visiting London that weekend.
Reagan
Res War mangering
to wal montee efforts in Central America and the Caribbean, has stopped public support for abortwo trade union coaches exoccicu.
Women trade mobilising committee in
Party, Trades Coun
workers union wants lives. seeings Organised of public neetings organised oril laeri wil be a torun for canadates in ne local elecuons to burtorware inel policies on women's rights.
Supported oy local Parties rades conch and be dc con the engineering National demonstration to free the Bradford 12 held
Their trial starts MONDAY 26 APRIL. Support the picket of the courtroom in Leeds on te day ana comtinue to write letters or protest to
Women's
Music
right to
Forums
Employment
Child care
Services
Education
Battersea Park
tion, slashed affirmative action programmes and driven millions of women onto bread lines by his economic policies.
The action commit-
employees anion lape.
from emoloveds wiose women WUIKCIS on strike earner mine ycal against cuts.
HILLINGUUN west Lon •O. government. and manual workers unions NALGO, NUPE and
NALGO SuDDOrl will ting on a special showing 01 Rosie the Riveter.
Letter ana lact slice. ne around to all Diusucculvs cancoater a local clecuuk
coach laid on from Brunel University.
HACKNEY, 28ST A Woman's kient to worr
neit 24 April with local Newton Rose
Pukwana,
St, W1.
News.
LABOUR PARTY
Women's
festival
Rally & trade union speakers with major politic:
Theatre Stalls
Children's Events
Refreshments
CRECHE AVAILABLE
SATURDAY
5TH JUNE
LONDON from 12 noon
tee for a womans right to work is planning accomodation for people staying the entire weekend of acivities. and trade inionists reporting on aspects women's employment in
BIRMINGHAM: Five coaches expected Events be ing built b vest TUC Labour Party.
MANCHESTER: Labour Women's Council centralising campaign and mobilising Trade an ay Manchests.
May Manchester Socialist Challenge s putting on showing of Rosie the Riveter.
OMWO sending coaches. TGWU and LONDON RALLY: Friday 23 April 7.30-11. Speakers: Anwar Ditta, and from African National Congress,
Campaign, Paul Worrell campaign. South African Jazz.
Polytechnic of Central London, 115 New Cavendish
jeopardy
By Toni Gorton
to have
ed earlier this year, stand for re-trial.
retrial then they will dangerous precedent in British law.
According to lan MacDonald the barrister for Newton Rose the 1968 Appeal Act states that a person can only be put in jeopardy for crime once; the sole reservation to this is new evidence being brougnt torward
The DPP has no new evidence and is arguing for a return to old common law which allowed people to be tried more than once for the same offence. This would
never-ending persecution 01 those who, for some reason, gain the enmity of the police. Meetings
Campaigners for Newton are planning a series of public meetings Trovenou London and areas of Britain wnere there are large black communities along with pickets and various other protest actions
Newton and his sup. porters insist that he is MR AND MRS KHAN and their two children have been threatened with deportation for several weeks now.
The Home Office because Mr Khan illegally entered the country at the age of 13 and in common with many others didn't realise that one had to apply for the 1974
REDO
HERE REGGIE YATES is a Ghanaian whose grandfather was British. He is married to Felicia a black British citizen. They have one child.
The Home Office doesn't recognise the claim of citizenship by Reggie on the grounds that colonial practice was that white men had free sexual access
black women and that Reggie's
Newton Rose still in
THE DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions has won the right to appeal to the House of Lords
Newton Rose, a black East London youth whose murder conviction was overturn
If the five ancient Law Lords, due to meet on 14 June to hear the submissions agree to a
be creating a new,
innocent of the murder of Tony Donnelly, supporter of the National Front.
They say that this is a frame up by the local Hackney have particularly vicious reputation harassing the black community. Witness
HOr example, the police ignored the evidence ot Roxanne Walden who asserted in court that she saw Donnelly atby TOUI white men The Hackney police war against the local black youth. During last Sumer d disturbances, Socialist Challenge received many eye-witness counts of the unilateral violence of the police One group attacked a youth leaving him in a pool of blood with one cop dashing back him final hard kick the head and
Protest deportations
to stay.
argues that Stockport clorary
13. Tel: 061-225 5111. grandmother. nent.
UB40.
Socialist Challenge
running off again.
It is against this back ground that Newton's supporters charge Det.
Inspector Goodal. Det Sergeants Coomber and Deaney and Det Constables Holloway and Miles with having framed up Newton.
Fair While it is doubtful if any black person can get a fair trial in this
case the interference of the judge in the jury was uncovered If it had not been discovered that the judge had wrongly instructed the jury to stop its deliberations and give its verdict minutes then Newton Rose would still be serv ing a life sentence for a murder he did not com. mit.
The police and the courts must be given another chance to get Newton Please write to the Home Office, the Direc tor of Public Prosecu.
TOMS and the Lav Lords and support ac. tivities of the campaign.
Contact Newton Rose Action Committer for full details of the case with a conation toossiee They can be reached c/o 76
Stroud Green Road Lon. don N4 and tel 01-272 488 government amnesty he has no right
DEMONSTRATE Sunday April Man chester. Assemble corner of Dickenson Rd -
Ipm, Rally 3pm Longsight Donations to Khan Family Defence Committee c/o 593 Stockport Rd, Manchester grandfather was not married to his
Deportation
16 April at 7pm Hampden 100 ssusion si, Lonaon a 1. at o
15 April 198 page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
TUC blames members for lack of fight against Tebbit
By Pat Hickey 'WE MEET at a time of crisis. Crisis for the country, for employment, crisis for industry.
This was Len opening remark to the largest gathering of trade union ficials in the history of the British labour movement.
More than 1000 delegates from trade union executives came to Wembley on Monday 5 April to draw up a strategy to defeat the Tebbit anti-union law. But, crisis notwithstanding, this powerful body did little advance the against Tebbit.
The conference endorsed the TUC strategy. It had little choice. Amendments and resolutions were not allowed. Significantly, no union protested at this.
Conference also took the, precedented step of giving the TUC General Council power to call and coordinate industrial action against the Bill. This contrasts with the fight against the 1971 Industrial Relations Act when the action was led by individual unions notably the engineers' union, the AUEW.
Retreat
This was dressed up as a big step forward. In fact, it is a retreat. Instead of unions undertaking to respond at the point of attack, they have given the General Council the power io decide what response if any there should be.
Len Murray's speech spells this out: 'The GC will... deal with unions, not with individuals or groups workers. And the support they give • anliul be automatic or :ional: there will be no blank cheques.
nele lay well be situations from which we will have to extricate unions: that would not be the first time that the GC has had to advise a union to draw back from a no-win sualon.
The point is repeated in point six
Tel: 0i -+981 733k Square, London, EZ 9PE
NAME
ADDRESS
find in the other local papers.
voice in East London.
Park Square, London E2.
Socialist Challenge 15 April 1982
crisis
CCCUTeS.
Murray's waics
of-
possible.
will be expected to
tion that would follow. fight
Big stick
restrict action.
This
use ine lepistalion.
damages.
Spot anti-unionist take action, to take on the closed shop.
Lack CICS.
most likely opt for legal defence.
Faso lo pay compensanon.
This combination of
uncondi- to the TUC, need a head-on with Thatcher.
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page 14
of the eight point plan to smash Tebbit: 'Affiliated unions shall continue to observe strictly the requirements of the TUC Disputes Principals and Pro-
"The GC will support unions
having consulted the TUC, take steps in accordance with its adV en other words, the shop floor will be discouraged from taking action, and decisions about action will be as far removed from the rank and file as
More than that, individual unions
control their members on pain of being disowned by the General Council and the isola-
Far from a campaign for mass action on Tebbit, the TUC is seking to
dovetails neatly with the other prong of its strategy. This aimed at persuading employers not to
The hope is, that by waving the big stick, employers will not attack the closed shop and will not sue for
But the problem is that the legislation leaves it wide open for every tin-
in the country to and it encourages scabs
So even if some employers hold back there will be plenty of people to press ahead. Even then, when an at-
the indications in ine TUC document are that the GC will
The flm fighting fund will be used not only to fight legal actions, but
tactics, of waiting until individuals take the fight
of the tightest possible control from the top, and of relying on legal action, is based on a sender Labour hope that the unions can sit out the policies. next two years of Thatcher and have the legislation repealed by an incoming Labour government without the
From Phil Davies,
dustrial Relations Act.
Wing their members
unions he's We've
fight and stewards' committees.
Now we ve juture. The
right direction. lusion that
can'l.
of action.
individual is attacked.
Trade Unions
TUC leaders at conclusion of conference
Even this gutless strategy faces big problems. With the SDP now a force to be reckoned with, there is every possibility that the next government will be a calition involving them And they have supported Tebbit all along the line.
Indeed. , in some respects, notably on LP affiliation, they go further. The best possible way to ensure the return of a Labour government is to kick out the Tories and fight for a guvemlichl with radical
Those trade union leaders who support the Labour Party right are in fact bulding bridges to the SDP and their anti-union positions.
TUC decisions
FTAT national executive THE trade union movement has got to put up a fight. Tebbit's proposals are more serious than the 1971 In-
From the point of view of the rank and file, we could face unions disown-
Tebbit's not just out to divide the
out to cripple them. seen ine start or this with Prior's Act which got by without a
has led … to attacks on
got to look to the Wembley conference decisions are in my view a step in the
Some people are still under the il-
we can persuade this government to change its mind. We
We need a coordinated campaign
Demonstrations are okay, but in the final analysis we need commitments by all the unions and particularly the big unions that they will take mass strike action if any union or
The strategy for defeating Tebbit put forward by the TUC is right in line with the policy throughout the life of this government, and in line with the policies of wage restraint and austerity they supported during the last Labour governIlicill The result is that the membership is less union laws than last time around. The TUC uses this as an excuse for even more right wing policies Murray sees this as a victory for Tory propaganda which 'has even tound credence among many of our own members, who. illogically are at best apathetic and at By Ken Glanfield
Dagenham is over after seven weeks, 104 out of 150 jobs threatened by
70 per cent of those present. against so
secondary colleagues.
Ine Natonal Union Teachers is fighting for 'no
the Barking teachers had done ins las cad ol menune ovelal job loss, only 30 jobs would have been saved. This was an
wanted to but it was
a ne seluement quarantee mat no subiects win de . IOS from the secondary cur-
all sixth forms will remedial pre SuLUs suculalsl DIUVISIUE orimary schoo s wil aso maintained at the January '82 level.
Thus the worst effect of the cuts has been halted.
worst
they have followed prepared to fight anti-
Len at Plessey's.
... paradoxically and Tebbit.
Barking teachers win
THE STRIKE of 900 teachers in Barking,
, saving the local labour council. A mass meeting of teachers on Tuesday 6 April agreed with the settlement by
Those voting mainly because primary teachers have not gained parity with their
vurme uc last iwo week. four offers jected by the teachers at mass HACCuIeS On each occasion the national union ww cocallol.
Bob Richardson wanted to acceot ano on eacr occasion the team reminded the mass meeting which jected prime object of the union was l volan do cuunual)
It was the unitv of all the teacners orougn C aDou the mass involvement teachers and the democratic Tuncuoning the strike, which forced the executive to contmue to suboort une surus gle The support the parents was also vital.
:sympathetic to the government's purposes.
The situation is not a paradox, nor is it illogical, nor is it Tory propaganda. It is an indictment of the righi wing policies of the union leaderships.
As Terry Marsland of the tobacco workers, the only woman delegate to speak, put it, 'The GC should be seen to be giving leadership to the fight for the 35 hour week, and in supporting struggles like those at Lee Jeans and
Inevitably, it will fall on the rank and file who will face the spearhead of the attack to start the fight agains:
And then we will have to force the TUC to act.
I he lessons of inis Bark ing strike are being discussed at the NUT conference at the Easter weekend by fighting on une noor or conicrence lo cl sure the union will call striki action over job loss, not jus
lad (surtenerio i so chat et
be taken by recive actul cal ine memoersmip in the liga against cuts Barking NUT organisi sura mey tor tene ne argue its strategy fightim inc culs. lor ure wilnul awal u ai teaches ndAOOkoru! union organise ,regiona and national solidarity action and to take the fight into the WilUit mener sit organse anandial cv While the mass involve.
ment of teachers • in Barking forced the national executive long
Falure o alc epib ese polities
nigntng
uncer mined tne aclence oi ai 159 jobs.
Teachers in Barking have
agains and stand strengthened against furthe cuts next year
Page 15 scan of this page
Bosses move against Massey -Ferguson occupation
Health workers mobilise for pay struggle
THE Michael Edwardes' style of management came to Massey-Ferguson last week with a threat from the M-F machinery division chief close the plant down if the three week old occupation was not ended immediately.
3000 workers have been holding the Banner Lane, Coventry plant 10 prevent management enforcing 170 compulsory redundancies.
M-F. management has moved rapidly to bring the dispute to a head.
On Wednesday March the
culpany plied for an injunction
the strikers but union leaders got the hearing postponed for a week
This can only be a briet respite. The bosses' courts will be SuiC to DaCk
and M-F workers can expect similar performance from enols Dool-boys as was experienced by the Laurence Scott workers.
In best multi-national tradition Hoffman is playing different group of workers off against each
London
lobby MPs
23 April
in London' said Secretarv ot the Transport Workers Union on Transport Trade Union Defence Committee.
and active support The South East organising
Comprising
the Jay Bill.
Led for Friday 23 April from 11am onwards. Various trade
London boroughs.
For turmer intormaton contact Bill Morris, TGWU, 01-828 7788 Andy Dodd, NUR, 01-387 4771 Jack Dromey,
farm and industrial Mike Hoffman to
He has already decided to transter sonc work lo France, and is threatening
countries.
Efficiency at Coventry, he claims, has to be measured against the efficiency of Masseys in other parts of the world, and they are competing work.
But as soon as he has achieved 'efficiency' at Coventry he will be telling workers elsewhere that with LaeV must Collocle Coventry Then it will be time for another turn of the screw at Banner Lane. This kind of backma resisted, if only because the always returns for more.
It will be vital in the next few weeks to turn the dispute out and win the
transport -
'THE PUBLIC wants the return of cheap fares
Bill Morris, National and General behalf ot ine London
'Our task is to convert the tremendous support that there is for cheap fares into mass
Region of the TUC is broad-based campaigu change the law on Denning's fares ruling and to make the government pay its fair share towards public transport costs in the capital.
organisations representing consumers, employees of London Transport and the wider trade union movement in London its priority in the next period is to win the maximum support for the second reading of
A mass Lobby of Parliament has been call-
and consumer organisations have been meeting at a London level. Within two months they expect to see similar structures at a local level in each of the
support of the rest of the
lab certainemen Hoffman
can rely on the support of the courts and the meala
The local paper, the Coventry Evening Telegraph, ticles on 8 April urging the
'face wasser WOrkers the harsh realities rather
jeopardise 4000 jobs our beleaguered city'.
By Dominic Johnson, NUPE convenor, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, in a personal capacity
trouble
Service employs 800,000
groups
and technicians. The
resolve of health workers.
No group of workers has so far accepted what is
Ancillary some of whom gross less than tou for a 4i hour week administra-
tion staff and ambulance Celebrate 50 year an
World Revolution Sunday 2 May 6.30 till late A Tribute to Charlie van Gelderen A member of the Left Opposition and a founding member of the Fourth
Revolution, it will be an evening of enter tainment which
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MASSEYFERGUSON
COVENTRY
i.5.5.0
It does not add that accepting the 'harsh realities' at British Leyland and at Talbot led only to more redundancies, current unemployment rate in Coventry of 17 pe COll The stand against redundancies and for work-sharing is the best answer to une compele ur die' line being peddled by BRITAIN'S largest employer is facing serious
front. The National - most of them women, and most of them abysmally
This year for the first time there is a common settlement date of 1 April for all the main
ancillary workers, nurses and midwives, administration staff, ambulance drivers
prospect of a united struggle has strengthened the confidence and
drivers have all been offered four per cent.
The lowest grades on professional technical grades are being offered nothing at all.
Nurses and midwives,
Tickets in
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celebrates the revolutionary last 50 years.
Nicaragua. roland fighters and revolutionary Enclosed is months of IP _f22 for one year Send cheque to:
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the Telegraph and by Hoffman.
Bosses'
touching
concern
IN A CLEAR attempt to divide the workforce Massey-Ferguson has written to all employees appealing for a return to
many of whom take home only about £60 have been offered 6.3 per cent. some of which is to be financed by further cut backs.
The elitist non-TUC affiliated Royal College of Nursing has not yet cepted this.
The basis clearly exists for a united co-ordinated campaign of action in pursuit of the claim modest 12 per cent.
Pressure is building up from below from ar increasingly impatient membership. Three weeks ago 3000 health workers in the Manchester area struck for half a day following a lobby of the Area Health Authority.
Unfortunately the response of the union
International
DOES THATCHERNM HAVE A FUTURE
Sir Freddie's Crashant
THE LAURENCE SCOTT STORY
DO MEN BENEFIT FROM WOMEN'S OPPRESSON!
British economic crisis, crash of Laker, Potel
men benefit trom oppression Reds, Mayakovsky, Turkey, Laurence Scott's
Just 60p a copy Succi International, PO Box S0, London N1 2XP year (Britain anc
work.
Managing director, H
Hebden shows touching concern for the welfare of the workers in his ovening sentence: 'You are probably sitting home worrying about your chances of having a job to go to when this is over.
He goes on to pretend that the occupation is the action of the •work of minority a group shop stewards and a few of your fellow employees are illegally the Coventry location as part of a campaign which they claim will protect jobs.
The letter contains the usual threats about los orders, transfer of work ana closure It then tries to brand
the stewards as wreckers. 'what are the motives of ¡nese shop stewards? Do iney want to destrov Ban ner Lane? Perhaps some оз тет ao.
In reply, the Joint Shop Stewards have written to the managing direc LOr veer leadership so far does not inspire confidence.
Under the headline 'Fourteen unions in action the latest of NUPE's journal outlines noW NUPE's executive sees the next step: write to MPs; lobby MPs/AHAs/ DHAs, hold meetings to discuss the claim. Action
No mention of a campaign to win the membership of all the unions to support nationally organised industrial action
to win anything from the present governient
The only action called by the TUC health services
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distributed to the members
The stewards point out that the strike committee is
democratically elected body carrying out mass meeting decisions. The occupation was carried by an overwhelming majority at Followed theee mass meeting,
others, all o whicn aeciaea to rests. compulsory redundancies
Hypocrisy
The letter repeats the
workers' demands for
work sharing and shor time working as an alter
compaisor,
redundancies.
It goes on to point out the hypocrisy
management's complaint:
about the cost of the dispute.
Massey's are willing to
sustain the cost of a pro
longed dispute and pay for expensive legal action
High Court, rather than make un ugreement to suve 170 jobs.
committee is a one hour stoppage Wednesday 14 April with workplace meetings to discuss the pay claim.
These meetings must be used to prepare for joint action and to let the executives and the government know we mean business.
COHSE, an important neta service one upped the stakes by announcing it will be taking selective action after waster
If this action is not to be isolated and ineffectual the other unions must respond immediately.
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Socialist Challenge 15 April 1962 page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
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THE ISRAELI ARMY is on
Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).
in the north, control resources and a more 'secure' border -
Bank and Gaza strip.
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Israelis
poised
Lebanon
invasion
the verge of a
massive onslaught against Lebanon. The aim
of the invasion will be to smash the Palestinian
strongholds and deal a decisive blow to the
An invasion will give the Israelis more land of the Litani with
the objective of giving them a freer hand in an-
nexing the occupied territories of the West
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Since middle of March there has been a determined mobillsanon against Israeli military rule by the Arab populations in the occupied territories, which nave invo ved general strike and the deaths oi seven Arabs on the West Bank.
The Israeli plan is to proceed with the annexa tion of the occupied territories and to puppet civil administrations place ot elected, often pro-PLO mayors and local councils. This plan goes hand in hand with the annexation
the Syrian Golan reignts, Was with a general strike by the 13,000 Druze inhabitants
Once puppet administrations have been establisnea in inese areas the Israelis will consider giving them HAKe 'autonomy' - but in reality they will remain under Israeli control.
The Begin government has chosen to provoke a test of strength with the PLO and the Palestinian and Arab populations. The political crisis in Israel which the Arab rebellion has given rise to has made
invasion of the Lebanon more likely.
The Labour Alignment the Israeli parliament, put down Celibul e motion against the and combined in the vote with right wing Zionist forces. Begin survived by only managing to draw the vote 58 vote
against 58.
The result that another general election is very likely. For Begin, an invasion of Lebanon would be the best possible prelude war hysteria would probably sweep him back to power.
One of the most important repercussions of the anti-Zionist mobilisation of the 700,000 Arabs who have lived under Israeli ocBank for fifteen years ess cupation West been the emergence of sulluality strikes Arab workers Israel itself.
For the Israeli govern-
strike into Lebanon would be an attempt to cripple the PLO
REPORTS are steadily coming in of your activities on National Sales Day. In Hackney they doubled their usual sales 35 were sold on one estate alone!
Hackney have now organised themselves into teams to sell every week at the local fac tories, bus garages, and estates. They aim to increase their sales by at least 50 per cent by the summer.
In West London both Hounslow and Hillingdon supporters used the Sales Day as an op-
for once by pushing the northern border back and making guerrilla attacks extremely difficult.
A strike into Lebanon now would come at an extremely favourable time for the Israelis. The Arab states, in addition to their normal caution, up with their own internal problems. In particular the Syrian Ba'athists are involved in a tense interna struggle with Islamic fundamentalists. More generally the States which alone has the ability sometimes restrain the Israelis, deeply involved in trying
resolve the Falklands crisis.
Israel the main
National Sales Day
portunity to establish new regular sales. Lewisham inaugurated an estate sale with notable success.
What is needed now is to build on the successes of National Sales Day. Don't see the sales day as merely a one off event - it is part of a campaign to increase our regular sales of Socialist Challenge
Let us know how well your area i did on National Sales Day and what plans you have to follow up those sales in the future. Ring Alan 01 359 8371.
policeman of imperialism in the Middle East. simultaneous plan to an-
occupied ritories and invade not only to the struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination, but to all those 1n the region fighting imperialism. For example, in Lebanon it is not only the Palestinians who would be the targets
the israelis but also the Lebanese left
The net result would be
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SYRIA to strengthen the right wing Maronite Christians led by the Falangists. . The Arab masses mignuine ine Israelis in the occupied territories are very isolated in the face of brutal repression.
A new war in the Middle East will bring untold suffering to the Arab people. Now more than ever it necessary for all antisupport to the Palestinian cause.
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← Socialist Challenge No. 240, A, 8 April 1982Socialist Challenge No. 242, 21 April 1982 →