Steve Randell (Lambeth CLP)
The collapse of Michael Manley's People's National Party government last month was warmly greeted in Western capitals. A Reagan advisor, hearing of Edward Seaga's election in what was called a "landslide victory", termed it a "real opportu nity".
The reaction was not unexpected. Ever since Manley assumed power in 1972, Washington had been gunning for him. The PNP had brought in a series of reforms to benefit Jamaica's workers and small farmeis and had begun to hit out at imperialist domination of Jamaica.
CUBA These reforms included partial nationalisation of foreign-owned bauxite companies, increased taxation on foreign businesses and a programme to cut unemployment and boost the social services.
These inroads into the superprofits extracted by the US monopolies were bad enough. What really rattled Washington, however, was the PNP's decision to break away from the domination of the International Monetary Fund and to seek friendly ties with Cuba.
Ties between the two islands began to grow as Cuba - asking nothing in return - began to provide much-needed aid for Jamaica's flagging economy and hard-hit social services.
CAMPAIGN It was at this point that Washington's campaign against the PNP really began to take off. Acting Jamaican troops. Sectors of army aided Seaga's campaign of terror through Seaga's Jamaican Labour Party and the Jamaican police and armed forces, they openly moved to oust Manley from power. Their campaign took two forms.
First, they sought to break the Jamaican economy. Foreign and locally-owned companies were persuaded to cut production or shut down operations altogether. manufacturers and merchants were urged to hold back consumer items - such as soap, dairy produce and rice - that were staple items on the market shelves.
Such a campaign of economic disruption meant rising unemployment and erosion of the aiready 104 Ja. maican workers standard ot living. Seaga's JLP used this economic chaos to blame the Manley regime.
VIOLENCE Secondly, on top of this economic disruption, the JLP were encouraged to set up gun-toting gangs of thugs and unleash them onto PNP supporters in the ghettoes. The security this or helped brutalise PNP activists ities.
hoodlums and security forces became totally blatant on the election day and its aftermath. documented innumerable cases of JLP intimidation of voters at polling booths where the security forces -who were supposed to be guarding the stations - turned a blind eye.
Since Seaga's election, this collaboration has resulted in the burning down of PNP constituency headquarters and violent attacks on PNP activists. Gunfire is a regular event in Kingston, the capital.
POPULAR ington views the defeat of the Manley government as a much-needed Caribbean. it to reverse the revolutionary Other process that has spread from Nicaragua to Grenada.
While a set-back, however, the La full picture of Jamaica. While support for the PNP certainly vote.
support of the most militant work.
at PNP rallies where wild applause greeted speakers who emphasised WEAKNESS forces basically turned a blind eye to Manley leadership. While putting forward some important reforms, who sought to defend their commun- it did not advocate a clear programme of social change that This collaboration between the JLP could have inspired the Jamaican the reactionary offensive.
The PNP has Failure to really challenge imperialism - and to call on PNP communities - confused and de. moralised many who had no conback the reactionary offensive.
the revolutionary governments of Grenada and Nicaragua who were faced with similar attacks.
Warming the working masses to deTories. was a step forward?
'waste of time'?
There can be no doubt that Washtory. boost for its waning influence in the They clearly hope to use | Jason Hill, Stoke-on-Trent Dear Cde, October election results do not give life-style politics"
waned - as a result of Washington's terro: campaign - the Seaga opposiWin: establish re tion gained only 537 of the popuiar Moreover, the PNP retained the ers and youth. This became evident us. the PNP's stand against imperialism.
more fruitful.
David Biers, The real problem rests with the N. London masses and mobilised them to meet activists to organise to defend their fidence in Manley's ability to beat This is in marked contrast with They Ivelyn Reed reacted by mobilising, organising and feat the Washington-backed thugs.
from patriarcha PNP members who have been influenced by the examples of Nicaragua As the JLP enforces its anti-labour programme in the months ahead, it is they who will have to work out a uniting working people in the fights POST BAG Cde Freeman, defending the SWP attitude towards the Labour Party, dismisses it as a 'bourgeois' party no different (in essentials) from the Such a position has long been held by sectarians who divorce the Labour Party from its social origins. It is a position which Marxists - from Engels onwards - have had to fight against. I would like to ask Cde Freeman a question in this respect.
Up to the end of the last century, most British unions tagged behind the Liberals in much the same way as, today, most unions in the USA support the Democratic Party.
Does or does not Cde Freeman think that the decision of the unions to break from the Liberals - and to form a party of labour -Would Cde Freeman, if he had lived at the time have supported the break trom capitalist parties and helped build the Labour Party — or would he have written off the whole thing as a Cde Freeman and others in the SWP can get in touch with some of your should think carefully before they write off 80 years of workers' hisThe last issue of your paper wrote off the Beyond the Fragments conference as a retreat into "personal, Like many other left papers, you also sneeringly refer to the fact it achieved nothing.
I: may be true the conference ever, that it was at least an attempt by many socialists - fed up with the in-fighting on the left - to get together and discuss what we have in common rather than what separates Criticism based on dogma is easy.
Attempts to really work out a aims clear way forward - that can unite the left - is more difficult. And socialist Action pamphlets Socialist Action has a wide range of pamphlets/books on the labour movement, the fight for women's rights, anti-racism and the struggle against Imperialism. If you would like a full list of works available, which make excellent Xmas presents, why not drop us a line at: Socialist Action Books, PO Box 65, London SW 16 INN. Dear Socialist Action, Cde Freeman will rue the day he wrote off the current debate in the Labour Party as "irrelevant'.
This might be the position of the SWP leaders - desperately trying to justify their sectarian stance - but it is not the position of many SWP members.
In South London, for example, many SWPers are voting on Cde Freeman's position with their feet. They are walking towards the Labour Party.
Tim Robinson, S. London Dear Socialist Action, Please send me a one-year sub to SA. I recently bought a copy of it on the anti-nuclear demonstration and was impressed by its coverage of issues many Labour Party papers ignore. Its articles on the racist offensive launched by the Thatcher government was spot-on.
Could you also send me any more information about SA and where I supporters?
Bob Hilton, Northampton Dear Socialist Action, A North London Campaign Against Racist Laws group has recently been set up. It has already won the sup. port of a number of Labour Party and anti-racist activists. If anyone would like to find out more about :: - or get involved in its activity -please contact CARL, co Lans!.: House. +1 Camberwell Grera. SE :
Finchley Dear Cde. i would like to echo Frank Viney's point (SA. September 80) that the call for unilateral disarmament still doesn't feature in the statement of How long can one go on ignoring the importance of the mass movement building up?
Jane Whitmore, Wolverhampton Women's Liberation and the Socialist Revolution edited by Nita Keig Woman's Evolution
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clear class-struggle strategy for ahead. marianchel clan to • The nrign Women & the Socialist Revolution Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State by Frederick. Engels introduction by Evelyn Reed
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