SOCIALIST Challenge has received a big boost during the steel strike. Sales throughout the are increasing, as the figures in the graph show.
South Wales Socialist Challenge sellers report record results. On the day of the Welsh general strike on 28 they sold 300 papers in Cardiff alone!
This has spurred supporters into increasing their regular sales on the streets, in pubs and particularly on local demonstrations in Newport and Port Talbot.
In South Wales showed a lively interest in socialist politics when twenty of them turned up to strike support meeting organised by Socialist Challenge supporters on 30 January.
Speakers included Ray Davies (Lianwern steelworker), Hayward (South Wales NUM), and Raghib Ahsan (Rover shop steward).
speakers agreed that strugle to save jobs in Wales was crucial. A general strike was needed to get rid of this government, Ray Davies told the meeting.
Rab Bird In Middlesbrough, Rab Bird, a shop steward from Hadfields, spoke to steel strikers on 5 February at a meeting organised by Teesside Socialist Challenge MENJUICES. WHILE the Tory press has been devoting an enormous amount of space to witch-bunting the Militant grouping, right-wing plans to launch a new party are proceeding apace. Ever since Roy last November, the Labour right has been very busy.
Bill Rodgers, one-time organiser for the late Hugh Gaitskell, has been soun ding out over two dozen MPs as to what could be done if the next Labour Party conference takes the party further to the left.
What has upset the right the mest has been the vexed question of inner-party democracy, to make Labour MPs accountable to their party organisation has led to increased enger on the Right.
Neville Sandelson MP (Hayes and Harlington) dectares that his loyalty is his electors rather than the Labour Party. It is a theme dear to the hearts of Tory leader writers. The last MP to utilise arguments of this sort was Sits on the Tory front bench!
If the Bennites manage to do a deal with the trade unions and win on the of electing the party leader, there could well be a break-away from the Parliamentary Labour Party. But it unless the elecrepresentation: The Tories are, ; at the moment, strongly opposed to PR (and for roughly the same as Labour) and it would need a total vic. tory for Bennism in the LP and the unions to make change their minds.
Meanwhile the Tory onslaught working class and organisations has resulted in a sudden increase of the Labour Party membership. And despite the attempt to pre Steadman skills as a caro mist whati victory Ralph reflects is a desire to fight back against the Tories.
The Labour Party claims that it has total of 284,000. Even though this is a more realistic estimate than the usual figures of 600,000 and more it is still Relaying the lessons of the militant Sheffield strikers, Rab told the steelworkers on Teesside how to get the control of the strike out of the hands of the full-time officials and into the hands of the rank and file.
First The meeting agreed that a strike bulletin would be a good first step to building strike committee Teesside that could keep the strike solid and counter the propaganda of the popular press. The graph shows that Socialist Challenge SUOJUIICIS here have doubled their sales target.
Socialist Challenge has kept up with the latest developments in the steel strike. It has argued for the full 20 per cent with no strings, pointed out that jobs are crucial, explained the importance of strike committees and strike bulletins to cusul c maximum involvement in the strike.
We've argued that this fight is a Tory government that will only be moved by the most massive solidarity action, including general strike action.
In this issue show the importance of involving every single the strike by interviewing women undoubted exaggeration were to count the number of activists the Labour Party on the basis of those who attend an average of party meeting a event the figures pathetic the Tory Party, becoming more ordinated. William Rees-Mogg of The who point out the specific problems they face in such a male dominated union.
Socialist Challenge has also stuck its neck out by arguing the case for international unity in the steel strike. Jakob Moneta, former editor of the steelworkers union paper in West Germany, and a member of the Fourth International there, found a willing audience for his ideas as he toured the country.
He stressed the importance of steelworkers and others throughout Europe uniting together to unemployment levels totalling million people so-called "advanced' Europe. Bennites Socialist Challenge does not confine itself to covering trade union struggies, however. The world crisis Iran, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe has also been a central feature of our Next week. we will be explaining in detail why Socialist Challenge has come out against the call for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan Socialist Challenge's decision to make the campaign against John Corrie's anti-abortion Bill a number priority has already been vindicated. The opposition women, spearheading campaign: throughout the labour movement, makes increasing y likely that will meet defeat.
The Tories, with their vicious attacks on working people, are giving Socialist Challenge plenty opportunities to win readers. Make sure your branch is taking advantage of them TARGET No. 133 Aberdeen Daslusstuke Bath Bedford Birmingham Bolsover Brighton Bristol Canterbury Cardiff Crawley Colchester Coventry Dundee Edinburgh • Glasgow Socialist Challenge Hemel Huddersfield Hull Leamington Leeds Liverpool Manchester/Balton Middlesbrough Newcastle Norwich Nottingham •Oxford Portsmouth Reading St. Albans Sheffield Southampton Shrub Hill Swansen Swindon Wakefield Brent Camden Hackney Hammersmith Haringey Islington Lambeth Newham Notting Hi Outer West S. East Tower Hamlets Wandsworth UCL Totals 5000 4557 Times, Peter . Jenkins of The Guardian and Mike absent 14 February 1980 Page 13
Torture teaches 1 HAVE just read in the Guardian (23 January) how the British Nilmstry or welence trails Its fighter bomber crews and SAS personnel. Apparently as part of Inel taming our Drave lads. undergo 'inhuman and degrading' treatment — as first practised in the north of Ireland — at the hands of their military superiors.
Of course, it's strictly voluntary, but it gives an indication of the qualifications needed to gain promotion in Her Majesty's Forces.
Traditionally the army has demanded that recruits should be stupid, gutless, and without character; that they should suspend disbelief, accept brainwashing and humiliation without flinching; run like a dog behind their master, and if necessary kill without thought or feeling.
Now there is a new twist. To qualify in the SAS (shoot first, ask questions later) you are now expected to shed every last trace of human dignity, and voluntarily submit your mind and body to inhuman and degrading torture.
As the 'Great' increasingly appears small and mediocre, and stirring watchwords like national interest lose their flavour, the enemy within appears a greater threat to capitalism than the emphasis on counter-insurgency techniques.
The military experts reason this way: if soldiers are treated like animals they will behave like animals, obeying the most brutal commands without question. This is the kind of specimen that is 'keeping the peace' in thé North of Human values and rational thought are enemies of the professional war machine. The latest evidence confirms the complete moral bankruptcy of the British state and the ruling class which it defends.
DAVY SHILLINGLAW, Aberd DO YOU or do you not support the hint. We learn that Sakharov has that 'he has not been Sciences', and that this treatment is 'extraordinarily mild'.
accompanying article on the round"dissidents', whoever wrote the position on this 'extraordinarily Are Sakharov's politics not to left, recognised that socialist 11-12.30.
availabic trom Fouri Idea : For more info phone Nick, 605052.
Falmarks, 110 Cheltenham Road, Montpellier, Briscol Gc 13 shop. For SC availabh from Dundee Boots, Thursday 4.5.30pm, Here Hill British Rail at kiosk Brixton and Tetric Books our on sale 11-1 every Sar., Regent St Cot sad a Lists pe Road, Meddless rough, and at sales: at Socialist Challenge democracy (like national self-determination) applies irrespective of political views. now find it prudent to retreat on both these issues.
I am taking out a subscription to Soviet Weekly — a cheaper way of reading the same views more honestly expressed.
RICHARD CARVER, London SW2 I SEE the IMG wants to get its members into industry (24 January). In my naivety I might be tempted to call this opportunist. it it wasn't for the fact that there are 1.5m people unemployed and hundreds more being made redundant every day.
I'm sure there must be plenty of eager to get into industry, or do the IMG cadres all have special skills greatly in demand by the bosses? GUSTAV LINDSTROM, Wallsend THE MARX Memorial Library was founded 46 years ago as a reply to the burning of Marxist and progressive books by the Nazis. Nationally-known figures from all secuous or lue working-class movement were among its founders.
Our aims now, as in 1933, are: ...the advancement of education, learning and knowledge by the provision and maintenance of a library of books relating to all aspects of the science of Marxism and the history of socialism and the working-class movement.
We now have a splendid opportunity to extend our work. We have taken over a wing of our building not occupied by us previously. Our decision to expand into the whole of our historic building which housed the Twentieth Century Press, first socialist press in 1893, is a momentous one.
Recently, we have had a number of important book bequests, including an invaluable section from the vast library of James Klugmann. Our lending section will be increased to about 30,000 volumes. Our research section, which at present houses about 30,000 pamphlets, rare archive material and penuucas, will be enhanced considerably by our new and rare SOCIALIST CHALLENGE EVENTS Greens Bookstall, upstairs in Spencer Market, Stockton TOWER HAMLETS: SC supporters Whitechapel tube, Sunday 10.30-12.00 Brick Lan Mecting.
ories, Thurs la Fe ni every set 1030-120pm 14 February 1980 Page 14 • BUT NOT UNTIL MAJORITY.
FOR IT' AND NATURALLY WEATOLD UNITED acquisitions.
Evidently you you to help us to raise £50,000, the minimum required to do the work effectively. charity, and rely entirely on voluntary support. valuable service to the labour movement during the past 46 years. To ensure that our work continues and expands, our Appeal must succeed. Please contribute a generous dotalion MARX MEMORIAL LIBRARY EXPANSION APPEAL 37A Clerkenwell Green, London EC1.
insurrection... SOMEONE; somewhere seems calls, to judge by the technical LOVELY I SUCHE ICCHKIC possible by computers which can reportedly ideatify key words and print out rele in any way.
For example, if mundane conversations were to begin with a 'bomb', or "Soviet intelligence', With a heap such as 'hullo and 'goodbye were substituted fol the kind of things that the police are interested in - strikes, demonstrations, meetings, and the like - they would have an enormous printout if they programme these 'key' words into the computer.
I SPY, London N1 Trotsky only aids THE PRESENT dispute about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan clearly reveals the inadequacies of Britain's the traditional Trotskyist position demand for the withdrawal of Soviet troops is entirely consistent of that does not change it Soviet invasion have demonstrated the confusion engendered by their letter. To quote at length from Soviet bureaucracy but on the scil papers eve Charlie tells us that we can join in the chorus of imperialist jackals' by calling for their "imperialist jackal" or not.
such a demand. We still have the VOTE CHURLISH HAVE With confidence, we appeal to We are a registered We have given force of arms. likely to be listening-in to our phone Vant conversations.
It would be most unfortunate if these processes were to be disrupted mention of the words 'insurrection', MIS would presumably, be presented Of winteresting other.
And if frequent phone words "lunch', "bad hne the slogan Afghanistan.
with a Marxist position, and abuse All thöse Who have defended the This was most clearly revealed by Charlie Van Gelderen's Union.
The whole thrust of what is quoted from Trotsky shows that he ascribed no revolutionary role to the Yet, once this counter-revolutionary territory we are apparently to accept condemn the policies that led up to class struggle.
says the Afghan people can call for seem to be an accident of geography is the matter of the ability to voice YOU'RE DELBERATELY MISUMDERSTANDING ME! WAS REFERRING MAJORITY IN COUNTIES! opportunity to exercise some democratic rights and can demand the withdrawal of the Soviet Army and the British Army from Northern Ireland. The Afghan people will not have the right to do either while under the heel of an occupying army, other than by Did the fact that the capitalist states demanded the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary in 1956 or Czechoslovakia in 1968 stop socialists also saying the same thing? Obviously not, since we cannot let our views be determined in such a manner. he tact that Carter has seized upon the Afghan issue to bolster his flagging electoral fortunes should not deter socialists from taking a firm stand.
The nub of the dilemma resides in the continuation of the view that there is something residually 'socialist' in the Soviet Union, a view that is becoming less and less tenable. It is high time that some socialists stopped using their sentimental attachment to October 1917 as a prism through which to view the present day world.
The Soviet bureaucracy is just as big a block to socialism as is imperialism, and to condemn the actions of one does riot automatically align one with the The issues should be relatively simple, do or do not socialists stand for the democratic right of self-determination of all people? The fact that in some cases this will result in a regime not to our liking should not be a reason to 'weasel' out of this simple proposition. KEN TARBUCK, Hove "Troops out' not I AGREE with the main arguments of Charlie Van Gelderen and Tony Vanzler (31 January) on We condemn the invasion' by the USSR because it enables obstacles to be placed in the way of the Afghan masses embracing socialism. But we also see that the chief feature of the new political situation, provoked by the blundering of the Soviet bureaucracy, is the war threat of imperialism. Our number one responsibility is to defend the Soviet Secondly while we continue to uphold the right of the Afghans te self-determination this is not presently expressed by the slogan "Troops out now'. Those who would fill the power gap are no respectors of any democratic rights.
The only criticism I would make of their positions is that neither raises the key demand to advance the rights of the Afghan people — the immediate convening of a constituent assembly Richard Carver's letter in the same issue attempts to raise 'self determination' above the worldwide Lenin was clear on the subject:
In contrast to the petit-bourgeois democrats, Marx regarded all democratic demands without exception, not as an absolute, but as a historic expression of the struggle of the masses of the people, led by the bourgeoisie, against feudalism:
'There is not a single democratic demand which could not serve and AH!
MODERATES.
TO THE WHAT DEMOCRATS THEY ARE!
EXCUSE ME • WHILEGO AND GROVEL AT SHOW MY GRATITUDE!
has not served under certain conditions as an instrument of the bourgeoisie for deceiving the workers.
"To single out one of the demands for political democracy, namely the sell-determination of nations and to oppose it to all the rest is fundamentally wrong in theory "In practice the proletariat will be able to retain its independence only if it subordinates its struggle for democratic demands, not excluding the demand for a republic, to its revolutionary struggle for the overthrew of the bourgeoisie."
Socialist Revolution and the Rights of Nations to Self Determination.
If Socialist Challenge does hold the positions attributed to it by Richard then it has learned, while he has not, the lessons of all historical and recent experience. Among these it is interesting to note that the 11th World Congress of the demand the immediate withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Kampuchea as did the USec resolution of one year ago.
Socialists have never demanded 'out now' of a worker's state engaged against alien class forces. AILEAN O'CALLAGHAN, London NWI0 IN HIS article, John Leadbetter (7 February) seems to be saying that since a majority of Iranians (in fact the majority of Persians) supported the Embassy take-over, and since they thought they were engaging in some sort of anti-imperialist struggle, this means that in fact the Embassy siege represents an advance of the class The main point of my contribution was that to judge such a question we must ask ourselves not what the Iranian masses think they are doing but whether a given mass action does in reality bring the masses closer to socialism and a conscious take-over of political power by the working class and its allies? This question John Leadbetter finds irrelevant.
Instead he implies that having a critical outlook on what the Persian workers and the urban poor are engaged in at present means 'abstaining from any arena in which the proletariat is struggling'. This is . The point is not to abstain or to participate. That is rhetoric and demagogy.
The real point of difference lies in what we say and how we participate. John Leadbetter thinks we should have participated in the anti-American demonstration cheering along the 'anti-imperialist masses, and encouraging them to do more of the same My point was that our message should have been that the real fight is at home, against the excrescences that imperialism has thrown up in Iran; against national oppression; against any infringements on democratic rights; against oppression of women; and for pulling the country out of its economic and cultural backwardness.
If we want to say these things, we will have to face up to and prepare the working class to fight the Imam and Islam head-on, because they are exactly what is suppressing this real struggle today in Iran.
AZAR TABARI, London
ROBERT HOUSTON, author of the recently published novel Bisbee 17, writes on the death of a neglected American novelist.
LAST Angust, James T Farrell, America's major writers on the left, died in New York at 75. He died in some financial ease at last, pleesed in the knowledge that bis work was being "rediscovered'. In the last year of his life he saw a new novel published, saw his most famous work, Studs Lonigan, produced on American television, saw an important book of criticism on his radical socialist years appear, and received the prestigious Emerson-Thorean Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. America dusting bis book: vif and disinterring his name from the indexes of literary anthologies.
A few years back it had managed to furnish him genun income thousand dollars. Many who noted his death would have been surprised ten years ago to find he was alive. For a great period in the '50s and '60s, he practically gave much of bis work (his novel output alone was 52 books) to small presses just to see it Most American writers are liberals. Most younger ones nowadays come out of the quasiradical tradition of the '60s. actve involvement in traditional leftist (ie. Marxist working people's) movements. Causes and community action involve them instead. Spiritual poverty the last of was noticing him again, of just. over in printh But few show he bristled at any attempt to label him. (Some of lot characters are Irish, yes. But some are Jews and Potes and Italians. So how am I an "ethnic". writer?') He remained true to the notion that content in fiction was primary, anathema in a period when word-game writers were ascendent.
There was, I believe, some satisfaction to bim in his later years in seeing the incipient return to ДинУ DO SOk Ш fiction. Things mattered to him; the writer's profession for him was the highest calling he could have accepted. He could not betray it by engaging in тете artistic frivolity. In Trollopian volume work, he never failed to be the artist, the humanist, the understander.
Baseball and politics As a man, he was tough as his native Chicago — with & great streak of tenderness and as American as any writer the century has produced. His passions politics. Engage him in conversation and he was as likely to tell you all about what a fine surgeon his son was as to talk about his books. Yet be could never resist the opportunity for a political barb. (Lillian Hellman? What she's really best known for is defending more Stalinist crimes than any writer in America.! Withal, he was eminently accessible — wry, sincere, a faithful friend and •a sharo coemy A short while before his death, kuowing he bad had a heart attack last winter, and that he had thrown himself into revising his mammoth intellectual were baseball and human. and THE OTHER BOOKSHOP CAPITAL AND LABOUR by Theo Nichols Fontana, £2.95 THE EDIBLE WOMAN by Margaret Atwood Virago, £2.50 THE CHEAPEST NIGHT by Yusuf Idris Heinemann, £1.35 328 Upper Street, London N1 2XQ (Tel: 01-226 0571)
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figure would be near In any
Are we too pro-Soviet?
Getting industrial jobs
Marx Library appeal
Iran: real fight is at home
Belt ts races ofananarchist NIGHTLY