ion' inian workers, we see that a different ssue of self-determination is really inolved: the right of the Argentinian eople to self-determination. If they re to free themselves from imperial lomination they Illust mesncica access lo lie esources of their territory.
A different issue is really nvolved: the right of the Those who point only to the fascist nature of the junta ignore the eelings of the Argentinian hemselves. They feel the should be part of Argentina, want access to the seabed and mineral I COULLES of the South coastal regions, and it is their rights which are being attacked by the third argest navy in the world.
In short, the issue is a typical Tory crick. The alleged 'rights people are being used as an excuse to attack the rights of 27,000,000 people on the mainland. It's the same dodge Norman Tebbit's Employment' Bill which claims to detend' the freedom ot 400 scabs — as to smash up the rights 2,000,000 trade unionists.
For socialists who termination, Argentinian sovereighly should be supported as the only consistent policy.
ROM THE have natural island they Atlantic of 1,800 su-calcu defend selfThey say:
Tories and the Labour Party front bench, this Plaid argument is hypocritical.
From 1976 until 1979, Britain was the junta's biggest military supplier. At that time not even America would sell arms to Argentina, because of Carter's human rights policy.
Mass mobilisation in Buenos Aires. Fighting Thatcher and the fascists The Tories carried on this Cymru MP Dafydd Thomas testified Socialist Challenge that a British made T-42 frigate, sold to Argentina this year, was still completing its trials in Cardigan Bay in early March!
But the Tories went even further. Within three weeks of arriving in office they slammed the door in the face policy. of the junta's political opponents. LIlS *Friendly' governments like Chile and Argentina couldn't be antagonised; SO Thatcher's henchman Ridley closed down the refugee programme. As far as he was concerned the best place from which to fight the junta was inside its jalls.
Nor has friendship with Chile ended. How can Britain fascism when it makes common cause with mass murderers General Pinochet?
But, members, although shouldn't socialists fascists without hypocrisy?
But let's look at the facts. Has the British navy ever replaced a right wing government with a left wing one? No — and for a simple reason. ruling class's navy. It can't be used for progressive ends.
Sit back and think: if Britain stations 10,000 troops Atlantic, and the Argentinian people rise up against Galtieri, do you really believe the troops will support the people against the junta? Of course not; they will be used like British armed forces in the Caribbean, who are supposed to be there to defend the people of Belize tators' in Guatemala. taking part with the USA, in the have overthrown dictators and Grenada.
British armed forces are also helping dere the Guatemalan people from themselves overthrowing their dictators.
Only those who have nothing to gain from slavery will fight against The real issue facing socialists is this: in whom do we place our trust to fight the fascists — in our own class, which has been fighting the junta for _ six ycals Thatcher Nicholas policy. who have be fighting with Galtieri. like Chile's Labour Party this is all true, fight LIC accepting Tory It is the South it easier.
against the 'dic- facts They are now in joint naval exercises directed against the Caribbean that This Cuba, become Ana ine Salvadorean and Thatcher were lo from power in Margaret him.
and her navy who profit from the activities of dictators throughout the world, and in many cases put them in power? A socialist those nothing to gain slavery will fight against it.
Our objective must be to create the best conditions for the Argentinian working class to settle accounts It is not true, as the British Militant seems to think, that Galtieri can be crushed between the British navy and the Argentinian working people If Galtieri is forced to retreat before British military might, the most likely outcome in Argentina would be a right wing coup and a more repressive regime, which would not only have to accommodate Britain but contain the anger of its own people.
A British victory will make it harder for the left in Argentina and a British defeat will make victory will make it harder for the left in Argentina and a British defeat will make it easier. The show this: since Galtieri recuperated the islands, the trade union and political opposition have had much more freedom to organise is not because Galtieri has the friend, but because by biting the hand that feeds him, he has weakened himself inside Those who argue that Galtieri's move is merely a manoeuvre, to win popular support, fail to understand how to prevent the manoeuvre succeeding. Galtieri retains what support he now has because he is fighting - in short because Thatcher is fighting him. If the British fleet sail away tomorrow, the Argentinian people would not feel any inhibitions about removing him The war helps sustain Galtieri: ending the war offers Argentinian workers the chance to deal with Socialist Challenge 21 May 1982 page 9
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THIS IS the first collection in English of writings Christian Rakovsky Rakovskv •removed from the Ukraine and assigned diplomatic DOSLE abroad. As ambassador to Britain and later Rakovsky negotiated recognition of the young workers state by those countries. This earned him a reputation as a revolutionary diplomat. and convicted in the thir Moscow frame-up Like other revolutionar leaders, he was falsely a cused of conspiring wit the German and Japane: imperialists to overthro the workers state he ha done so much to build. H was sentenced to 20 year in prison and died or wa killed in a prison camp i 1941.
The present bool
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