The struggle at Lancaster continues (see The Red Mole 40), with the University Administration openly implementing the now vital policy for the British rubng class; the full integration of higher education into the productive forces of capitalist society, and disposing of any possible dissension via an intimidating use of other facets of the bourgeois State.
There is much evidence that "our masters" regard Lancaster as a test case in establishing the best method of ensuring this integration. This it is that recent developments here have aptly indicated the need for students everywhere to see beyond the personalities involved in this particular struggle and to be able to identify the same basic underlying trends that constitute the present contradiction of higher education under capitalism (see Ernest Mandel, The Changing Role of the Bourgeois University). and that will continue to manifest themselves in other struggles and behind other personalities. The need for such an approach is best illustrated by a resume of events at Lancaster during the past few weeks. Last term ended with the suspended English lecturer Dr. Craig waiting to face dismissal charges for alleged advocation of disruption and with nine students, randomly victimised for participation in the occupation of University House and the Computer Building. facing charges laid with the Director of Public Prosecutions as well as internal disciplinary acThe authorities moved fast during the vacation to consolidate their position in the eyes of "public opinion"; the media was used with a relish. "Would you let your children by taught by a Marxist?" denonded the Daily Express. "Academic thugs terrorize Liberal University", screamed the Daily Mail. Vice Chancellor Carter then teamed up with ultra hawkish Sir William Alexander of the Local Education Authorities Committee in an attempt to get a pre-emptive paper pledge out of students in exchange for handing over their LEA grants at the commencement of the summer term. Carter also displayed a penetrating understanding of the forces arrayed against him and the State by declaring that the NUS was a "paper tiger". The introduction of the grants issue was a skilful political manoeuvre, in that it appealed to the reactionary clements outside and inside, it confused the students and distracted their attention from the pending cases of Craig and the nine students, and it also gave the local CP dominated student bureaucracy and its NUS counterparts the opportunity to ignore the State policy of increased integration which provided the real motor for the whole Lancaster confrontation.
Thus at a mass meeting on the first day of term a "left" motion for the continuation and reinforcement of last term's academic strike was defeated. A call for a full scale rent strike was however passed. When two days later, the legalistic red herring of the grants issue was finally buried and a total student strike ratified, it was consequently twice as hard to mobilize and to enforce, and never really started to bite.
All attention was then shifted to the National Demonstration to take place on Tuesday. 2 far. They have also got a lot of other support from all over London, as well as from the other workers on the St Thomas's site. Some students and workers at St Thomas's Hospital itself are also organising support for the men, making use of the question of the site lavatories to relate to a campaign they are running for Occupational Hygiene in the college. Messages of support and donations should be sent to: Bro. J. Draper, 92 Gilbey Road, Tooting, London S.W.17. demonstration should culminate outside the Town Hall and stay there, if possible, until the hearing's outcome was declared that evening. Predictably, the NUS and the local bureaucrats, as well as I.S., argued against this. A fantasy picture was presented of frenzied student riots and possible police brutalities if our demand was met. This scare tactic worked and it was voted to terminate the march in the political wasteland.
When the findings of Council were announced that evening, they had the fully intended effect of creating confusion and doubt amongst the student body. The settlement that Craig agreed to was:1. That he admitted he had in effect been a "naughty boy" and thus publicly regretted his past actions.
That he agreed to be fully bound by the statutes of the University-which of course, he always had been anyway, but this clause seemed to imply that he -a senior lecturer-was now on some form of permanent probation.
That he would be moved from the English Department-which had initiated the original student strike-and that he would carry out his teaching duties in the service of a number of related departments.
Next day, Carter publicly announced that he was surprised that Craig had accepted such a settlement-it was an actual agreed settlement, as Craig's lawyers had finalized terms with the University Council-and that he, Carter, regarded this as the victory he had been intent upon. And indeed at this level this is just what it was, though it is really necessary to know something of the background of the people and underlying issues involved to fully appreciate all the implications.
Carter had, via Council, in effect been able to diffuse a very dangerous situation for the Administration and while some of the professorial hawks were denied their full taste of blood, he had managed to sever the link between Craig and the victimized students without over-ex posing the teal material and ideological motivation behind his own current hard line position.
important, the revolutionary ideas involved all wrapped up in a composite motion, full of red herrings, such as placing Carter under his own disciplinary procedure. IMG comrades hurriedly put forward an amendment that expressed complete dissatisfaction with the settlement, but noted Craig's acceptance of it, and stressed that the case of the nine students and the whole Lancaster University affair remained linked, that the nature of the struggle must be understood as such and intensified. This received overwhelming support from the meeting- the liberals and moderates being genuinely disturbed, at least, by Craig's and the CP stance, but still really unable to see why the sell out had taken place.
A mid this confusion the academic strike collapsed and a state of suspended animation reigns at Lancaster. The staff are now visibly cowed, many are applying left, right and centre for new posts away from Lancaster. Carter is just waiting his time and then he will hit the nine students plus perhaps a few more likely "suspects". Then he can relax, secure in the knowledge that at last the campus is entirely safe for massive capitalist investment.
However, during this present limbo and with the CP and other bureaucrats completely discredited, the opportunity exists really to get across to broad layers of the student body the actual issues involved in this and other struggles It is also imperative that other universities and colleges are fully informed of the real issues at Lancaster, so that they can:Respond in solidarity with large scale mo bilization when the oppression at Lancaster be comes particularly harsh. 2. Learn from our experience and be able to identify "friends" who might turn out-as they did at Lancaster-to be more destructive to student solidarity and collective action than the commonly accepted enemies.
To this end comrades from Lancaster have, in conjunction with the LCDSU, been speaking to Student Union and Soc Soc meetings up and down the country.
Lancaster IMG Members This collusion with American imperialism