HAYES RED FORUM: on Racism', Friday 17 May at 7.30 pm in the Festherstone Arms, Festherstone Road, Southall (near Dominion Cinema). For more information, phone John Alderson on 84B 4652.
RED WEEKLY STUDENTS Meeting with speakers fromthe Editorial Board, WedFied Weekly 16 May 1974 Page 6 nesday 22 May at 3 pm in University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1. Disco in evening.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST RACIALISM conference in Hillingdon, Saturday 18 May. Speakers include Mike Cooley (AUEW TASS), Steve Lynch (GAWUL, Ron Keating (Race Relations Board), V.D.Sharme IJCW), Starte 2 pm in Thostre 'E' Lecture Block, Brunel University, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge.
JUMBLE SALE: Saturday 18 May at 2.30 pm at Whittington Park Community Dentre, Yerbury Road, N19. Proceeds to Red Weekly Fund Drive
- Brandt's resignation marks the end of an era No-one should believe that the main reason for the resignation of West German Chancellor Willy Brandt was the Guillaume spy scandal.
Even The Times admitted that in anther period Brandt could casily have ridden out the storm. But it was a convenient excuse for getting. out, and he took it.
Behind this lay his understanding of the impossible crisis which faces European Social Democracy. His decision reflects his inability -like the good reformist he is-to face up to the practical consequences of this understanding.
INTEGRATION
Willy Brandt was the greatest example of those right-wing Social Democratic leaders who fourished in the early and middle 1960s.
At this time the aim of most European ruling classes was to integrate the trade union bureaucrucy through incomes policy agreements, "National Plans', and so on. Social Democratic partics in govconment were tolerated or even encouraged by European capitulastsin Britain, Italy, and West Germany, with the trade unions made them ideally fitted for this purpose.
But by 1968 it was clear that this policy had failed. A massive strike wave was rolling right across Europe. The capitalist class turned instead to a policy of repression and a strong the Social Democratic parties in From this moment on, every Social Democratic party in Europe found itself caught in a vice between the upsurge of the working class and the new turn of the ruling class. The social support of the right-wing SocTal Democrats, which had been based on their direct alliance with sections of the ruling class, crusbled into dust.
MASSIVE CRISIS
• This situation led to a massive crisis for example-hecause their close links for the Social Democrats. They faced the prospect of lectoral disaster if they remained on a right-wing course. Yet the only alternative-a shamp left turn-threatened to produce effects going beyond the bureaucrats control. Both Mitterrand in France and sections of the Labour Party in state. It no longer needed, or wanted, Britain share this tear Brandt and the German Social Democrats were able to escape this dilemma for a long time because of the relative passivity of the German working class, But a series of massive wildcat strikes last year were the writing on the wall; and this year *HEALTH: Poor conditions have hookworm abound. Companies are responsible for providing medical Facilities, Medical personel are public government sector."
'STATELESS"
ers to force significant improvements by themselves, however, Three gain factors explain this situation:
rights-over a million are "'stateless and liness. has alrendy seen the unprocedented stoppage by public sector workers.
The situation in the SPD is now as unstable as anywhere. The party has suffered defeat atter deteat in the local elections this year. Under continuous attack not only from the capitalist class but also from that section of the party's base which has been forced to the left (demanding withdrawal from NATO large-scale nutionalisation, etc), Brandt became increasin dy indecisive and begun to suffer long periods of depreasion DEMOCRACY FINISHED councils.
In his own way, however, Brandt understood what was happening to him. In a whole series of letters he wrote that democracy was finished, and that the only choices were 'radical communism' or "fascism", Hos reformism, of course, prevented him trom drawing the practical conclusions which flowed from this Brandt's resignation symbolises the end of an era. The last 'great" leader of an openly right-wing European Social Democracy, he will have no successors.
For on one thing Brandt was absolutely right. By the end of the century, if not before, there will not be one single bourgeois democracy left in Europe. Either there will be the barbarism of fascism and military dictatorships, or there will be the proleturian democracy of workers Brandt rose above Wilson & Co because in a certain sense he understood the problem. But he could not face the consequences. Those obers who cannot will like wise follow him into the dustin of history. JOHN MARSHALE