ism alone, but it is not true that this is their only appeal. They have been immensely strengthened by the support of the working class for the British war on Ireland. They have also been strengthened by the acceptance of the idea that a woman's place is in the home, by the lack of a fight for women's demands against Ine CUts The backwardness of the working class on questions like these provides the basis tor the grown or tascism, even it the current attack appears to be on the question of blacks. This is why the questions of women and Ireland are as key as the question of race.
Instead of fighting nationalism with nationalism, it would be correct to raise a slogan such as "National Front is a fascist front' which also exposes the National Front. and has the advantage of drawing out not the worst, but the best traditions of the working class-such as the battle of Cable Street, which is part ot a genuine anti-tascist tradition wnich the support for British imperialism in the war superseded, -ELEANOR SCHOOLING, CELIA HOLT, LYNDA FINN, CELIA SHALUM (sout vest London Students Action Committee). RED WEEKLY replies:
We obviously agree with the comrades that anti-black racism is far from being the only element in the present rise of fascist groups. But it is hard to see why the slogan National Front is a Nazi front' should suggest the contrary, unless a simple parallel is being drawn with the anti-Jewish racism of the Nazis. And no-one can seriously suggest that this is. all that working class consciousness of Nazism amounts to, It is true that the war against Nazi German was an imperialist war. But this objective analysis tells us nothing shout the sublective mowvaron or me millions of working class militants who fought in the Second World War and who saw the fight against Nazism in terms of a fight against the most hideous manifestation of a tyrannical system which op pressed and exploited them-and which had just delivered a crushing blow to their aspirations with the victory of the Nazi-backed Franco in Spain Indeed, far from reflecting simple British patriotism, the anti-vazı sent ment of the working class arose precisely had a deep class content, it is general election. out of experiences like Spain and the 'genuine anti-fascist tradition' of Cable Street etc. Of course it was tinged with patriotism, an aspect encouraged by the class collaborationists of the reformist parties. But unless you accept that it -CITTICUSI to explain how the defeat of the Nazis was followed almost immediately by the biggest ever Labour victory in a Two final points. It is incorrect to suggest that Irish Republicans would re frain from using the "Nazi" tag. Indeed, the Provisionals paper An Phoblacht recently carried the front-page headline: 'Radio Eireann: Dr Goebbels at work" Boom Secondlv. and more importantly, to describe the National Front as "Nazis' is hardly an appeal to British patriotism, since it is no secret that these people are themselves the biggest Union Jackwavers and 'Britain first' merchants. On the contrary, it makes the very clear point that "Nazism' is the logical culmination of extreme British patriotismjust as it was of extreme German patriotism. And that can hardly be des- wrote: cribed as capitulating to patriotism.
ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY SUMMIT Racism/Africa 7