popular support for direct military intervention by the US against the colonial revolution - • which has not been possible since the US defeat in the Vietnam War in 1975.
It is in this context that we should look at Afghanistan. A direct US military intervention on the side of the rightists against the PDPA government was not possible either before or after the arrival of the kea Army; the imperialists had to content themselves with aiding the rightist forces and Zia's Pakistan. This 'indirect' intervention has been moved in. Invasion was not the only option before the Soviet only option before the Soviet bureaucracy. It could have made massive military and economic aid available to the PDPA government in the context of a growing popular struggle against the rightists. But ever-fearful of civil war and the threat of the process of permanent revolution on its doorster. it sent in the troops. In so doing, the bureaucracy has demobilised those forces that could most effectively defend the PDPA government against the rightists — the Afghan masses and the international labour movement.
A withdrawal of the Red Army in the present world political situation would lead to an Afghanistan overrun by imperialistbacked rightists. This could be the springboard from which the US could renew its direct interventions against colonial revolution.
Whether Marxists should call for the withdrawal of the Red Army is a tactical question; one which depends on the success of the struggle in the international labour movement to stop the imperialists' war-drive: No arms to the Afghan Rightists; No support for Zia's Pakistan; No boycott of the Moscow Olympics. JOHN STONE, Liverpool SARAH and Judy's letter in Socialist Challenge 20 March is either a work of great satire or an exercise in gross stupidity.. these it is I can't quite decide.
I never liked 'Jim' Callaghan (as he was widely known), nor did 1 have much time for don't like 'Maggie' Thatcher much Understandably incensed by the slogan 'Maggie Out' Sarah and Judy must have left the 9 March demo early thereby missing some of the 'minor incidents that occurred.
One of these incidents was that when the steelworkers (who should have been leading the demo in my opinion) reached Trafalgar Square they found, to coin a cliché, Could this have been to save the embarrasment of certain members of the TUC speaking on the platform, such as Moss Evans, Tom Despite all this Sarah and Judy may be interested to know that I intend to start a faction fight to ensure that we raise the correct slogan on 14 May Out!' (Oops, sorry I mean Ms U O'NEILL, London N1 (first name supplied on request).
I APPRECIAȚE that Socialist Challenge reserves the right to cut letters tor reasons or space However, I was surprised that in editing my letter published last week you cut 2 major (but s paragraphs, one of tiese tion No 3. 1 publicațion. WHAT'S LEFT 60р (рбр).:
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that he is the funniest man I have ever There seems to be on the left a body of says, "Oh, sorry Mrs Carter!" She
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Sexist jeers? Sociated Calmen 3 April 1990, Pase 14.
TUC women's rights contingent