I TOOK Paul Gilroy's advice (22 Jan) and went to see the film Babylon, much to my enjoyment.
wowever was tem wondering about val liculai in the film where the sole white member the sound system was physically assaulted and rejected by his black peers.
This occurred after ine wnie racist family who lived opposite the lock-up the youths stored and often played UneT sound system late at night had the equipment an vulns returned to witness the damage and UlIC after allulick turned to stare at the THE defeat of ine Labour right Wembley was obviously a step forward. But our unconditional support for the 40-30-30 position looks alarmingly like that age-old fallacy, 'left' equals better.
True, it is important seek trades unionists who pay their political levy. True, the of the Owen clique would leave control of the Labour Party vulnerable to any Tory who felt like taking out a party card.
And revolutionaries ought not to allow gang of rank opportunists to make press mileage out of the issue participatory democracy without some very good answers.
But that the union block votes are in the hands of the bureaucracy need careful attention.
Anyone ten minutes experience in a trade union knows that 1o make the the tight leaderships accountable members on issues this has scarcelv begun. We can't ignore this because it is inconvenient.
Books for the white youth.
'Why are you looking at me?' he asked. 'It wasn't me who did it. don't sympathise them!' 'But you're one of them. It's your kind that Beefy, the black youlns, ted his ex-comrade and the others, although thinking that Beefy was bit lal i nevertheless shared his On the other hand, active trades unionists heard in the labour raes make their voices through their delegates to general manage ment committees.
Surely the answer to the democrauc wen gang should be to propose leadership elections through votes of the GMCs, the elected representatives of all active party members. Isn't this the kind of democracv we stand tor at the ls softhe state?
such DIUposal would have got nowhere. But how much influence Challenge have Saturday's decision?
If SC supporters had succeeded in convincing even constituency party of such a position, we would have been able argue publicly that Labour wOrkers need not choose forever between appointed bureaucrats and self-appointed parliamentary leaders.
Surely that would have been worthwhile?
MARTIN BUCHWALD Oxford view. The white youth was left rejected by his peers, black youths, on the basis of his skin colour.
Now for me the film left an ambiguous question here. My impression watching the film was inal olack youths were unable undersLalla and 01S -tinguish between the class character of the attack the equipment and their friend's class — I use Class here MOST a political rather than sociological sense For the black youths it all boiled down to the question of race, race Cass They were unable to see set wilte were the other Now I don't blame feeling hositility and suspicion to all whites, quite the reverse. But do disagree with Paul's view that this scene is imporLalL because it help. Rosso (the director) emthe class character of the youth's sub-culture, so that race and class consciousness are seen as inseperable aspects the dynamic process' thought that the scene did exactly the opposite; reduced everything to a question of race, completely leav. ing out the question of class.
I may be wrong and may misunderstand what Paul and Rosso are saying. enlightenment from Paul others would welcome.
STEVEN ARCHER, Leeds Bob Pennington Frank Sinatra, longtime buddy of Ronald Reagan, has be had the gaff blown on him by another 'singer', one Jimmy Fratianno.
Mr Fratianno and Mr Sinatra worked for the same The vivally Weasel, as Fratianno known, worked on the of the business 'wasting' people at odds the Mafia then disposing of their bodies He admits 1o eleven assassinations, but his friends say he is being too modest and has much belter score than that.
'Ole blue eyes' had a different job. One of his tasks was procuring, like the time he fixed up President John F Kennedy with a new lady friend called Judith Campbell. Believing spreading Joy around, Sinatra also introducer the lady to top Mafia bos: Sam Giancana Even the fun-loving Kennedys, was 'a bed is a bed is a bed'. got worried abou that and John F was instructed to seek company elsewhere than at Ms Campbell's Sinatra's bosses were a little put out that Frank had not delivered the president In fact, Johnny Formosa, one of Giancana's hitmen, offered to demote Sinatra by putting a hole between his ears. However tolerance prevailed and Sinatra was given another chance.
Again he but his nose to the grindstone He wormed his way into the favours of those two CrOOK.
Agnew and Richard Nix on, and helped the Mafia at its Villa Venice nigh club in Illinois. where he perrormed without pay - what greater devotion show than working for nothing?
He even got Reagan to sign his apBob Pennington In a system where the profit motive rules and human needs poor second, organised crime will always flourish, both in and out government PolitiClaus will always be up . for sale.
Reagan and his
torney General have much more the Sinatras and Giancanas than they do with the working people of America.
Meanwhile in Britain lady whose family owes all wealth organised crime even the Mafia could organise the rape and plunder of con Linen take up the academic life.
Anne Phillips, née Windsor, has decided to go after her nan's old iob as Chancellor of London University To the consternation of the establishment Anne faces an election for the post an unusual experience for the windsors One can didate is ex-TGWU _na Jack lulla.
Jones whose sponsor Tessa Blackstone ad mires his cotribution to the Social Contract The other candidate is black liberation fighter and Robben Island
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Socialist Challenge
Labour Special Conference Issue Sinatra, Princess Anne