Photo: ANDREW WIARD (Recort) WEEKLY No. 159 INSIDE:
PRICE 10p Occasionally something happens which sums up the barbarity, the hypocrisy and the sickness of capitalism. Such an event was the response to the execution of the Angolan mercenaries. It seemed that all society parasites were crawling over each other to plead for the lives of the scum who rushed to Angola, selling death to American, British and South African imper ialism.
From the leader writers of the 'respectable" pres to the Queen of England herself (cabling from her royal yacht) the plea for 'leniency" was the same. But even these pillars of refined behaviour were out-pace. by James Callaghan and Reginald Maudling.
James Callaghan, if you remember, was the Home Secretary who sent troops into the North of Ireland in 1969, since when over 1,500 people have died; he Was he man no was one ormie songest suDDorcE of America's war against the people of Vietnam; the man who even according to a parliamentary commit. tee was responsible for much of the recent suffering in Cyprus.
Reginald Maudling's chief claim to fame is that he was the Home Secretary who supervised the massacre of fourteen demonstrators on Derry's Bloody Sunday in 1972; and who attempted to whitewash the paratroopers who tired the guns - the same regiment where the notorious Callan learnt his trade Maudling stuck by Callan and his fellow murderers then, and he stuck by them in Angola last week So beware of judging the response of Maudling Callaghan and the rest as one of 'double standards There is no double standard. The guardians of British imperialism will always protect and plea for clemency for the agents of imperialism: iust as they will suppress and if need be kill the enemies of imperialism. Same side They plead for the Callans because they know that they and the Callans are on the same side; and they know that what happens to their minions on the battlefield can one day happen to the generals and ponucians wno send and support them For our part - Red Weekly strongly congratulates the Angolan Government for carrving out the executions. It is just punishment for those who kill for money and kill in the name of white supremacy. The executions serve as a warning against those who feel inclined to go on any similar campaigns' in the future As with Ireland, as with Vietnam, as with Palestine the distinction to be made about violence in Angola is the distinction between the violence of the oppressed and the violence of the oppressor. The executions in Angola were the rightful violence of the oppressed black people of Africa, directed against the servants of a world imperialism which has shed more blood in its ume man its opponents ww ever snea
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* How Lonrho became 'acceptable' p. 2 * Australian general strike over cuts p. 3 * Spain 1936-challenge of dual power pp. 6-7 * Forum on Portuguese elections p. 9 * Who benefits from Olympic Games? p. 10 * Why equal pay strike must be won p. 12