Socialist Action No. 174, 6 November 1987
The scan: 174-nov-06-1987-SA-UK.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
ALTON'S
No. 174
ACTiON
BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM
RIGHT
TO
WLEKS
1S
NO TIME
AT ALI
DAVID ALTON's Private Member's Bill to reduce the upper time limits for legal abortion by 10 weeks - from 28 to 18 is the most serious attack yet on women's access to safe abortion under the 1967 Act. If passed his proposal would hit abortion rights for up to 23,000 women a year and indirectly threaten many more.
But Alton has chosen his ground carefully.
Previous anti-abortion bills such as Benyon's, White's and Corrie's, attacked head-on women's access to abortion. These bills were openly anti-abortion bills aimed at severely restricting the gains of the 1967 Act.
Alton however has avoided this direct ideological confrontation over women's access to abortion. He has made his fight that of stopping 'late abortion' -posing the issue as one of lowering time limits in line with foetal viability. He has added to this an apparent concern for those with disabilities, attacking
6 Nov 1987
HOOSE
mit pro-choice lobby for wanting to abort defor-
Alton asks us to ignore the facts that: • no birth at anywhere near 18 weeks has ever survived • those who defend and want to extend the '67 Act support the right of choice for women - including choice for women when the foetus is severely impaired which 18 weeks would disallow • although the right to late abortions will always be necessary, the way to reduce them to the minimum is to remove the obstacles under the present laws, improve NHS facilities, improve sex education, and support international campaigns to extend women's fertility control. • doctors allow a margin of error of up to four weeks - an 18 week limit would affect women from 14 weeks pregnancy onwards.
Alton ignores these facts because his concern for 'late abortions' is a fake. His stated opinion is that the
40p
Inside:
Special 4 page supplement
on the stock market crash 7.0976
STOP
BILL!
Join the national action
on 21 January 1988
'post-conception child's right to life' must always take precedence. As the Guardian correctly pointed out, his Bill is simply a Trojan horse to secure that for which Benyon, White, Corrie and many others have fought — a substantial restriction in the access of all women to legal abortion.
The labour movement must act now to defeat this anti-abortion, anti-woman Bill and to defend the '67 Act and support the right of women to decide. Both the Labour Party and TUC have clear policy on this issue.
The Fight Alton's Bill campaign (FAB) has been established by the pro-choice organisations and others to coordinate resistance to Alton. Immediate priorities are:
* 16 January — Regional Day of Action * 21 January — National Day of Protest, including a lobby of parliament, a rally in Westminster Central Hall, and an all-women torchlight demonstration.
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• Stop Alton's
2 Socialist Action 6 Nov 1987
ACTiON
Seventy years on
THE PRESS is having a field day analysing the speech of Mikhail Gorbachev commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. But seventy years on what balance sheet should socialists make of the revolution — and by that we mean not justthe historical revolution, the classical reality of the workers seizing power, but its actual result, the Soviet Union of today?
It is unnecessary to recount here the crimes committed in the names of that revolution since it occurred. Stalin wrote what is still, in its scope, the blackest pages in the history of the socialist movement — although Stalin was no different in nature, only in scale, from the social democrats who in 1918 in Germany combined with the fascists to crush the revolution, or the hallowed leaders of British Labour who were prepared to preside over the domain of the 'King Emperor'. Soviet repression in Eastern Europe continues and no one need have any sympathy with the regime which exists. We believe that Gorbachev is the most right wing leader the Soviet Union has ever had — prepared to do spectacular deals with imperialism over such issues such as Central America and South Africa. But some other home truths need to be said about the Soviet Union and its real history in regard to the world working class.
First the USSR was the force which crushed fascism. The 'war in the west', between Germany, Britain and the United States, was a pathetic affair — a sideshow. Nor was the West European working class capable of overthrowing fascism. It was the Soviet Union that smashed Nazi Germany -nobody else.
Second, without the existence of the Soviet Union, and its victory in World War II, the great wave of post-war colonial liberation would never have taken place. Without the existence of the Soviet Union the Chinese revolution would not have survived, the Vietnamese revolution could not have survived, the Cuban revolution could not have survived, and a country such as Nicaragua would have no chance of survival today. The fall
out from these struggles, played a crucial part in
dismantling the old colonial empires.
Thirdly the Soviet Union is today, almost the
single greatest force in the world for peace — only
the international working class as a whole exceeds
it. Have no illusions, if it were not for fear of the
Soviet Union, and the belief that a Third World
War would lead to the overthrow of capitalism
throughout the world, the inter-imperialist con-
flicts of today would be resolved by war. We
would today see a nuclear arms race between the
imperialist powers — a situation present threats of
nuclear annihilation look like a haven of security.
These facts, decisive ones of twentieth century
history, are why, half a century after it was made,
it is still only
Union which accounts for what has happened and
remains the only balanced one.
crimes of Stalinism more bitterly or clearly than
Trotsky — and gave his life for it. And no one has
ever remained more firm that the Soviet Union had
to be defended against anything that capitalism
could throw against it.
said on its 70th anniversary that the Russian
Revolution is not just an historical idea. Whatever
the crimes, whatever Stalin and his successors
made of it, the existence of the Russion revolution,
and the survival of the Soviet Union, made, and ,
continues to make, the lives of billions of people in
the world infinitely better than they would have
been if that revolution had not taken place and if
the state that it created did not exist.
contribution of anyone to creating and defending.
that state, never let anyone forget it. And the fact
that Mikhail Gorbachev went out of his way to at-
tack Trotsky in his speech does not alter that reali-
ty one bit.
Human history opened. One which continues 1
dominate the world not just in ideas but in material
reality. Even the crimes of Stalin could not erase
that.
Trotsky's analysis of the Soviet
No one has ever denounced or opposed the
It may be unpopular to say it but it needs to be Trotsky who, after Lenin, made the greatest
eventy years ago in Russia a new epoch i
country. ANNE KANE and CAROL TURNER report. TWO HUNDRED AND fifty women attended the National Abortion Campaign's *Twentieth Anniversary of the 1967 Act annual conference on 31 October and 1 November, in the London Women's Centre. It was NAC's twelfth national conference, and though doubtless many were attracted by the impressive range others rallied to the conference in the light of the latest attack on the 1967 Act from David Alton. As Jo Richardson pointed out in opening Saturday's session, given that a disproportionate amount of her parliamentary time since the Act was passed has been spent fighting such unusual irony ference in the context of yet another assault. Neither, of course, given the fate of all the others, will it be unusual if we defeat this one.
Jo Richardson explained that although the tactical issue he has chosen to fight on is a variation on
Alton's
revious alack
im is identical. Whether 1 is his preferred 18 even now being mooted as a so-called, COOL OHUSC Alton aims to win the first successful attack on the
limiting reversing
explained le position:
make it
to earlier
reductions.
women's Corsuine McAnea, of
crucial role the
unions had in
defeating While
anti-
Local round-up
Manchester
MORE than 250 people at-
tended a hastily-convened
meeting in City Hall in
Manchester recently, call-
from the
District Labour Party
conjunction with the Man.
chester area
Union of Students
men's officer and Man-
chester University student
women's officer.
The meeting was address-
Anni Marjoram of
the Labour Women's Ac.
tion Committee and
others.
Plans are
underway to mee s negullar
ly and to organise a
leafletting and
in the city centre.
061-223
ON TUESDAY 27 October, Liberal MP for Liverpool-Mossley Hill, David Alton, introduced a Private Members Bill to parliament, which represents yet another attack on the 1967 Abortion Act. Alton's legislation proposes to reduce the time limit for abortions from its current 28 weeks to 18. Antiabortionist organisations like Life and the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC) have already thrown their weight behind him. But FAB — the Fight Alton's Bill campaign — called into existence by pro-choice organisations like the National Abortion Campaign (NAC), the Abortion Law Reform Association (ALRA), Co-ord and others, has already held its first national action. Meanwhile FAB groups are springing up across the
NAC conference plans
for the fight ahead
position
TUC-caller
that the now,
from Like
with The
issue. Christine McAnea TUC and
example Alton.
The and resell
almost angle. who Manchester FAB, , c/o PO Box 16 (South PDO) Manchester M14 5DD.
Lambeth
LAMBETH Against Alton is now in its third week Of existence after women the -OCa Labour Parties meeting on Friday 17 Oc tober to organise a local campaign are underway for regular Saturday stall in Brixton market which will be the
sping of po help Bet
help get - the ground Labour Party section is also meeting to
heroic struggle for contraception and abortion rights the 1920s and 30s. By Rosie Newbigg
the London SUES Hailed Emergency Whealt plained healt authorities like City and Hackney are already im plementing a 12 week limit all women automaticaly referring
who require abortions after that date to the private • sector. And by Sharon Atkin who pointec
o the very different e
rine black wore who are often offered abortions with the qualification that they submit to sterilisations.
The consequences of banning abortion,, including late abortion, was brought home most forcibly by Sunday's international panel.
In Ireland, for example, where not only abortion constitutionally prohibited, but women are also legally denied access to information about it, over 3000 women are forc ed to make the lonely and expensive journey to Britain for abortions every year. Many, of course, require much later abortions than would otherwise be necessaray concluded with an importan CISCUSSIOl CISCUSSIOl
in NAC's particular rol in the campaign against Alton. It was tinued existence basic to the speed at which cam-
like FAB (Fight
the ground, but also NAC
had a specific contribution to make in this broader
struggle as a labour move-
publicly launch the cam-
NOCCUS every
hall at 7.30. Further infor- in Brixton town
mation from Joan
01-582 2955 (ansaphone
or Carol on 01-254 0261
Hackney
A LAUNCH meeting for
Hackney FAB is planned
for Tuesday 24 November.
This will take place in the
town hall from 7.30pm on-
wards and speakers in-
Doctors for A
Woman's Right to Choose
and FAB, as well as local
MP Diane Abbott.
The campaign is in
itiated by Hackney South
Labour Party SOCIE
section and supported by
Hackne! South Labour
Party. For more informa
Anne on
01-241 5626.
Life
ment campaign.
Specifically, in the labour movement policy as been won very widel oth to defend the 196 Act and support the right of women to choose.
of defending the laws against so as to
the max of people
of actually
the unal the
close
campaign
the act woman !
demands.
Nottingham NOTTINGHAM FAB iS
already in an advanced
stage of organisation anc has made COlllall
women's organisations,
black and white. Not-
tingham FAB was set up in
mid-October from
nucleus of the local group
of the National Abortion
Campaign.
It has already made
links with local Labou
Parties and trade union
branches. NUPE women's
committee has now passed and pledged practical help a resolution
to the local campaign
The East Midlands
Labour women's con-
ference also met on Satur-
day 24 October and oppos
ed Alton's Bill. A resolu
on of support for Ni ngham FAB is also on i
way to the Polytechnic
students union.
News
The importance of this is more than just looking for the right slogans. There is every indication that, notwithstanding recent Guardian polls, any proposal to allow greate decisio making self reTera. O the right to choose, and therefore an advance on the present law
which, despite
right to choose) would have huge popular sup port.
One of the roles of NAC is to help turn botl these into actior to defeat Alton's Bill, and also to begin to take forward the campaign for better legislation to give
the right to choose: by making the conditions of the law les: restrictive by extending self-referral and massively cities vini NHS facilities. these, if David Alton wa: interested though would reduce never remove the need for late abortions.
been organised for Mon
day 30 November in the Mandela Lecture Theatre
the olytechr
ichardson MP has be
invited to speak, rogenie with Mel Read of the TUC women's committee and Gwen McLeod of the hosiery and knitweal
FAE
meets every Normalal Thursday a 7.30pm, but venues vary
More information
available from Mary oi
0602 623246.
Greenwich
A LOCAL Fight Alton'
Bill group is in the throe
of being set up in Green
wich by women from thi
local Labour Partie in
trade unions.
meeting takes place
Tuesday 3 November
Page 3 scan of this page
anti-abortion bill
News
AROUND 300 protestors joined the first national action called by the Fight Alton's Bill (FAB) campaign on Tuesday 27 October: a picket outside Central Hall, Westminster. Inside SPUC (Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child) and Life were rallying to mark the twentieth anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act. Pride of place at that rally was afforded Liberal MP David Alton. That same afternoon saw him introduce his Private Members Bill to reduce the upper time limit on abortion from its present 28 weeks to 18, which is designed as an attack on the '67 Act.
Throughout the afternoon small groups of anti-abortionists left the Methodist Parliament Square to lobby their MPs.
Inside Central Hall, Alton and choice speakers were making it clear that the Private Members Bill was simply another way of attempting to claw back une gains ol the 1967 Act.
Provisions
Since the passage of the 1967 there have been no less than 14 attempts to roll back its provisions. Most have never seen the light of day. But three private members bills, introduced by MICS ames White, John Benyon and John
have been debated in parliament.
On each occasion thousands of women took to the streets to defend the
rights that the 1967 Act gives us.
Backed up by the labour movement, the pro-choice movement has successfully repulsed cach these onslaughts.
Alton's Bill is the fourth to get an airing.
trom past failures, this Bill does not attempt to tackle head-on the right to abortion under the '67 Act. Instead, Alton claimstope concerned about preventing 'late abortions'
But the facts speak for themselves. First off, in reality Alton's Bill would cut abortions over 14, not 18 weeks. Under the present legislation, doctors rena o enron me sale see to avoid prosecution and add an extra tour WCCKS onto the estimated length ot a pregnancy
Of the 172,000 abor-
will be organising a public meeung to launch te campaign.
Greenwich council Labour Party workplace branch has donated £50 to set the local campaign on its way. Greenwich NALGO Chas agreed sponsor the Fight Alton's Bill national campaign and to make a t50 donation.
Many women trom this NALGO branch have expressed an interest in local activity To SLOU Alton's anti-abortion legislation.
HOT more contact Rona on 01-856 0296 ext 261.
Birmingham A BIRMINGHAM branch of the FAB campaign held its first meeting recently, NALGO, ASTMS and the women from Birmingham Trades
Time limits bill introduced
tions carried out in this
last. year. ICWC than 6000 were carried out after 18 weeks. The biggest cause of delays in obtaining an abortion is the lack of NHS facilities and unsympathetic doctors.
According to veteran Richardson MIP Where a pro-choice woman lives, significantly influences her chance of obtaining an NHS abortion - a better than 90 per cent chance in the North East Worse than is percent in example, but
the West Midlands.'
More than one-fifth of Ine womer WITC Have aboritons after 20 weeks THESE their before the twelfth week of their pregnancy. If David Alton genuinely wanted to reduce the time taken to carry out abortions, would introduce a Bill that improved NHS facilities.
Facts
Four main categories of women seeking aDor tions would be denied them under Alton's bro posed legislation. Arguably they are among the women THOS young women, older women. women WHOSE tests reveal they are carrying foetuses with a severelv disabling condition, and women from abroad
Alton ana nis backers don't give a damn about the situation which these women would find themselves in if the 1967 Act were amended.
Speaking at a conference organised by the FAB campaign on Tuesday on saider, We Richardson said: believe (the Alton Bill) is the first step in a series of THOVeS -LO dismantle ine Abortion Act altogether.
Council. They have been
NĂC branch and the Birmingham University Students Union.
A launch meeting planned for Wednesday 11
Tovember at Key Books, Digbeth at 7.30pm. That meeting will be discussing plans for a public meeting with local MP Clare Short as well as regular chorts tu lobby MPs and to petition on the streets of the city.
Pro-choice activists have already been out on the city centre streets. On Tuesday 27 October the day Alton introduced his
into parliament, picket was held in Chamberlain Square and leaflets explaining Alton's attack on women's rights were distributed.
For more information on Birmingham FAB's activities, contact Bridget on
KETURI
10 ITE
BACKTIFET
right to choose
Speaking at the Central Hall rally, the chair of Life organisation, John Scaris. brick, said that three million 'unborn children' had been out to death ince the 1967 Act reache the statute book. That situation had to be turned around. Many speakers al the SPUC-Life rally Billed out that a first
was *just the first step'.
First step peared at the rally with a Alton himself scan picture of an 18 week foetus, which has already appeared in several daily
It is a picture which has been doing the anti-choice rounds for
20 years now. Life and SPUC have thrown
Alton and are about to
021-440 0173 (evenings) or Jane OIL 021-449 5938
For Bernie on )21-236 8323 (daytime); 01 write to Birmingham FAB. c/o Geraldine Egan, Birm ingham Trades Council, 7 Frederick Street, Hockley Birmingham BI ЗHE.
Islington WOMEN from Islington ng to launch a local FAI calvur r arues are urcual group. A meeting date has been set for Thursday 20 November, at 7.30pm, Isl ington Central For more information contact Liz Phillipson on 01-263 9454.
Scotland WOMEN from the Scottish Abortion Campaign (SAC) are busy organising opposition to Alton's Bill
HANDS
Pro-choice supporters at FAB's 27 October picket demand the
turn it into one million postcards to be mailed to MPs. Lobbies
Anti-choice campaigners are also reported to be devoting their energies organising national lobby of parlia
people with disabilities early in the new
Anti-abortion tivists across the country are being asked to contact local organisations for the physically and mentally disabled for support.
However, in response to this proposed lobby three charities associatec with disabilities have come out on the side of the pro-choice supporters
According to the Sun. day Times of 1 November: Mencap, the Down's Syndrome Association and the
alC
com-
to react the Alton threat. called special
movement.
The TUC was
about FAB contact convenor
For write
"LIFE
IT'S
MY LIFE®
OFF
for Sping Bifida and Hydrocephalus said the abortion of a faulty foetus could only be for parents to decide.
After the introduction into parliament of David Alton's Private Members Bill, the anti-abortionists are geared up for another round of their obnoxious ane phoney emotionwrenching But pro-choice supporter, are also setting their campaigning wheels in motion
as une growin or loca FAB down che country deman campaigns and
SUCLOS
Attitude
It is vital that all the pro-choice forces are mobilised by the time of the Alton Bill's second reading Friday 22 January 1988.
16 Woodland Terrace Glasgow G3 (041-33: 2045).
Sheffield A Sheffield FAB cam-
will be launched soon, at a meeting Wednesday 11 November The launch has been jointly organised by the women's committee of the Labour council and by Sheffield NAC. More information is available via
women's committee, Sheffield town hall.
Haringey HARINGEY is launching a local FAB campaign at a hold al the Communiy on Monda
This will b
Centre, Brabant Road, Wood Green.
action
of action on Thursday 21 January.
The second reading in thil decide or House of Commons Alton's pernicious legislation goes into committee stage when, for example the lower time limit he is at tempung to set can be ad. justed to attract more votes.
There speculation that if Alton's 18 week limit were amended to 22 or 24 weeks, more MPs would ac cept the Bill. Alton and his supporters have now indicated their willingness to consider such a dea
The day before the se cond readin Thursdav 2 January, will be FAB's da of nationa action. here will be a rally during that afternoon at Central Hall, Westminster from 1.30pm to around 6pm.
Progress already underway on this. Speakers from across the whole spec. trum of pro-choice support - from political parties to the entertainment world -are being invited
At the same time, FAB will be organising mass lobbying of MPs across the square at the Houses of
When darkness falls, an all-women torchlight march will cross Details of the route are ye o be tinalised. But HA groups should start mobilising now for this and other
tional day on Thursday 21 January 1988 FAB is calling for a week of local and regional activity.
Local groups are encourag ed to stage public events throughout that week.
On the Saturday before the secone reading, regional actions Such os regional action. demonstrations. Liverpool would be one such excellent focus, because that is where Alton's own parliamentary seat is.
Literally dozens of FAB groups are already off the ground the brief round-up below illustrates.
The production of the FAB national petition
FAB's national
petition
all local groups. As in the past, this petition
against proposed anti-abortion legislation is
allows it to be used by pro-choice MPs in
of any petition you circulate must be
handwritten.
VA restaents snowern Inal the ADornor
(Amendment) Bill and your Petitioners as in duty bound do ever pray etc.
Socialist Action 6 Nov 1987
FAB campaign gears
up for 21 January
THE DATE has now been set for the crucial second reading of Alton's private Abortion (Amendment) Bill: 22 January 1988. The Fight Alton's Bill campaign is going full steam ahead with plans for a national day
(reproduced below) underway. FAB groups should also begin organise letter-writing campaign both to the newspapers and to their local members of parlNALGO has already decided to organise a postcard campaign supporting women's abortion rights пa00Na Fight Alton's Bill campaign now planning production of badges and posters, as well as more leaflets and bulletins these Nationai DULLCIS.
Union of Students too is producing a poster for use in the colleges. It is organis ing a fringe meeting at NUS conference with FAB, and a speaker at its women's aggregate on 14-15 November.
Labour movement support is a crucial element in a successiul aclence or uns 1967 Abortion Act — as the COMIC campaign already shown. . Many MPs and leading trade unionists have already sponsored the FAB campaign.
Resolutions of support for FAB are on their was through trade union and Labour Party branches.
FAB supporters should also be targetting the forthcom Later Party and trade ing round of • trade conterences 310] building support for the Labour women will b asked to lend their support o the FAB campaign at th National Labour Women Conference on 14-15 November The Fight Alton's Bill campaign continues to meet weeky to name our ut details of the hard round of campaigning for the coming months. Keep the cam paign informed of activities in your area.
• More information fron c/0 Wesle House, 4 Wild Court, Lon SAU (01-405 4801). Copies of the petition and FAB bulletins with sug gested model resolutions are available on request.
FAB has produced a national petition for use by
drawn up in a House of Commons language that parliament. For the same reason, the 'top copy'
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Parliament assembled, the humble Petition of
(Amendment) Bill which proposes to reduce th upper limit for abortion will, if enacted, restric women's choices, endanger their health and open the door to further attacks on the 1967 Abortion Act. Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House do vote against the Abortion
Page 4 scan of this page
The Socialist Conference
Latest attack on Black Section
Socialist Action 6 Nov 1987
SOUTH AFRICA
HOY Nicaragua protest NICARAGUA supporters picketed the Royal Institute for International Affairs where contra leader Adolfo Calero was meeting with his British supporters.
Calero had been invited to Britain by an with some Tory MPs.
Expressing his Second police attack on Trevor Monerville IN the early hours of Saturday 31 October police rearrested Trevor Monerville together with his brother and a family friend.
Monerville sustained further head injuries for which he recelved medical treatment Readers will recall that he suffered brain damage 11 months ago while in the custody of Stoke Newington police.
Despite his injuries, Monerville was held at over the weekend of 31 October - 1 November, together with the two others arrested. All three appeared at Old Street magistrates court on Monday morning
The family friend was tener lala but Monerville and his
Peter 1 homas are still being held in custody despite pleas
WINNING THE
MAJORITY
Labour's policies
for women
A conference organised by the Labour Women's Action Committee
Saturday 21 November Speakers include:
Diane Abbott MP, Diana Jeuda NEC/USDAW, Rose Lambie TUC/COHSE, Ann Pettifor, Jo Richardson MP, Audrey Wise MP
ocil town na
ENCARAGUA
Nicaraua opposition to the visit on tne Dickel, Laboul MP Jeremy Corbyn said 'Calero is a representative of a terrorisi ulcallisaliuli financed by Reagan. He is here to drum up support for the destruction of democracv 1u Nicaragua'.
The demonstration took place on Friday 30 October. from their barrister that he feared for their safety.
Around 100 demonstrated outside Hacknev re platon on the Saturday Monerville was arrested. A picket of the magistrates court was also held on Monday.
Another picket was organised for Wednesday outside the crown court. wier Monerville's barrister anneals against the ball refusal. Another picket ot Hackney Police Station in Lower Clapton Road has been called for Saturday 7 November, starting at
Labour Parti Black Section has bointed out that this 1s yet another example or black youth being framed. Black Section is calling on all Labour MPs to join the picket and has made a special plea for support from he Campaign Group.
gistration: 43 and 6
THE Socialist Conference held in Chesterfield on 24-25 October was a huge organisational success. Over 2000 people attended. It was a tremendous opportunity to discuss socialist policies.
Since the conterence the Labour right has gone out
to attack it. in particular Sarah Benton in the New statesman. WilU has previously spent her time attacking the Labour Women's Action Committee and the Labour Party black sechon, was turned loose with a remit to attack
Concreict Contrasting it adversely with a Marxism Today event held the night before in which: a Lenin look alike popped oul ol a caraboara cake lo deliver a speech in paraRussian on the problems of
production in the Ulall Soviet Union; witty and urbane speeches were made; the port was passed
According to Benton
IN THE WAKE of Labour Party annual conference former Black Section activist Paul Sharma has launched a public attack against that organisation, branding as the 'Mojahedin claims are fighting a 'holy leadership. Labour Party drop their demand for constitutional recognition, he says, and instead go for the affiliated status that groups such as neglects to mention been mooted and failed to win support. TURNER looks at the issues.
PAUL Sharma recently used the pages of Tribune to launch an attack on the Labour Party Black Section. That attack was greeted with delight by a hostile media.
The Guardian of Wednesday 14 October, which appeared before Tribune itself hit the streets reported that Black sections 'have beel hijacked' according Paul Sharma
Like many before him, Sharma failed to recognise Ine me connection ween the movement of black members 1U1 LUll
BLACK DEMONSTRATORS, including those pictured here, joined the SWAPO and ANC contingents at the head of Anti-Apartheid Movement national march through London on Saturday 24 October.
They were told: 'We've got to make it absolutely crystal clear we wIll not tolerate any attempts
the Botha regime in tron ue coe dy Denue arad MP.
A massive 75,000 pedestosea by oint the demonstration, that want further 4000 marched in a paralel demonstration Cardiff.
The previous weeks had been marked by Thatcher the Vancouver Commonwealth summit openly opposing sanctions, and inen Thatcher offensive to brand National Congress as 'ter-
The icing on
the Chesterfield conference, unlike the Marxism Today gathering, 'new ideas'.
By John Ross
In fact many of the
peeches made by leaders o
Men were cellent. Particularly notable Scargispeees were by Allllui
and Peter Heathfield on 'new realism' in the unions and by Ken Livingstone on the likely political effects of the Wall Street crash. But unfortunately they coexisted with key policies, promoted by the Socialist society ana Conference for Socialist Economists, aimed to take the Labour left far to the faction' those whom he
war' with the party black members should
Poale Zion enjoy. But Sharma that this solution has already
CAROL
stitutional rights in the party and headway in the abour movement on the politica issues heid to be most important within the DaCk Instead Sharma offers the two as an elther-or choice
In Tribune Sharma concludes that: "The demand for constitutional change and official recognition should not be dropped until it is won but black sechons must lurn their energies bigger concerns the real issues of politics. Their influence must now be re-directed at Labour's councils
75,000 march against apartheid
Calore the demostratays few days when three people arrested
plotting to kidnap top ANC
readers had the charges against
SWAPO president Sam Nujoma, and ANC international department head Johnstone Makatin were joined platform plant Vicki Philips, Presi. NUS presiLestor representing Labour's national ecutive, TUC general secretary, Norman® Willis and transport union leader Ron Toddas ; well as AAM president, Bishop Trevor
Huddleston.
major part of the demonstration was made
of young people, UaL" ticularly students. Significantly the trade union contingents were stronger and broader than
Apartheid demonstration in June last vear contingent was organised the Nicaragua Solidarity Cam-
the slogan Valele ulluCI 'Boycott South Africa not Nicaragua'
right of its previous posi-
The Socialist Society, in particular, promoted three positions - - all of which are interconnected. These were
for the EEC couched in terms of rejecting withdrawal, support for proportional representation, and an attack on
tionalisation'®
economics workshops at least these ideas were taken far further.
debate on the economay
debate economy, outlnea a view tor acalln: wịth the present economic
›ublic ownershit Evans, at the workshop ol Britain and the world economy stated that a part •la sulaoe soluton lo tie present crisis would be for Britain to join the EuroUndoubteney rese viens Monetary System. power and at the next mantesto which the national power will win power.
As an ex-activist in the Black Section movement Sharma simply cannot fail to be aware that the rise oi support for the Black Section coincided with. and was the decisive factor in
the tremendous increase in the number of black Labour colnculors electeo ano une historic return to _parliament of four black Labour MPs, including Diane Abbott, the first-ever black woman to win a seat. It is a simple fact that the in. creasing (although depressingly inadequate) atennon lo anul-lacisin l the Labour Party in
relauos the growth of the Labour Party Black Section.
To launch an attack on the Black Section is, in practice, to lend suppor to the opponents of Black
Party. That why newspapers like the Guar-
to the right of were war anything which most of the LavOul ralL HiCHUCiS DIC sent had ever considered adopting. At least in the workshop the present author attended such views were taken to task
Aims
Unfortunately if there is a printed record of the conterence which is likely. 1l will give a greatly distortec version of what really took place. Benton was in fact full of praise for the papers prepared TIOI ference: 'This (the absence ot new ideas ) 1s not wna the conference papers pro duced to set the tone of th conference, had promised. Here, thoughts on reality
peep above Ironically, had those who wrote, for instance, the section on public ownership, peppered passages
dian are more than willing
Furthermore, Sharma 1S lusI aseenlou. when 1t comes to advocating tactics. The compromise solution that Black Sections should become a Labour Party affiliated organisation was put to the NEC by • Eric Heffer. It was voted doWn.
Among voting against it was Neil Kinnock. According to Sharma it is Black Section which has declared hor war' on Kinnock. In fact it
Kunnock declared holy war on black
The against the
wal Black Section was cojoin ed in the following issue of Tribune. Prominent LCC supporter Lesley Smith welcomed Sharma's arti
de The
black press, however. didn't subport him, despite Sharma's claims that 'the black com munity has watched with amazement' the Black Sec-
namibtan
435 NOW
News
such as: "The public sector has, by and large, stifled initiative, . eg. in nealth care The major innovations have largely come from the privale ana voluntary col tage economy put these thoughts to the conference they would have been how! ed down as New Realists.
In reality most of those outside the Labour Party at the conference were politically far to the right of those inside Arthur Scargill rightly took them up very sharply in his contribution Saturday
A recall conterence ! promised for May. That is welcome socialists together vanae en sur some
these political issues must oe tronca out or lut conference will take on a ditterent dvnamic to the
ene its organisers intend
tion battle. The Voice reported Bernie Grant's response that Sharma was
'opportunist ana 'dodgy character'.
Debate about how to further the constitutional aims of the black members of the party is, of course valid. Naturally, Paul Sharma could propose as a tactic that the issue of affiliation should be reopened if it was now believed incie has ally on the issue bi the NEC movemen
But provocative language like 'Mujahedir
and 'holy wal was not designed to influence the Black Section but to discredit it. It was not intended as part of the debate on how to take forward the struggle for a Labour Party Black Sec tion but as part of the moves to derail it.
In SU doing Sharma tres lo weaKel the cam paign out of which others have gained success - anc the only beneficiaries of that are white racists.
SOLIDARIT
WITH
SWAPO!
Page 5 scan of this page
Why the stock market crashed
THE STOCK market crash of 1987 has been presented in the press as some sort of 'act of god' arriving for in explicable reasons. Alternatively it has been portrayed as something solely concerning share prices which will not affect the real economy'. But this is profoundly misleading. The signs of deep disequilibrium in the capitalist economy always show up first in the monetary sphere or in the stock markets * for these are the most sensitive dicatorsin the economy. In a special four page supplement on the stock market crash JOHN ROSS looks at its driving forces, likely outcome, annd how its development is analysed within Marxist economic theory.
The immediate trigger of the 1987 stock market crash was inter-imperialist competition - itself reflecting vast imbalances in the world capitalist economy which have been deepening since economic recession of 1973-75. Undertying this inter-imperialist competition, however, movements in the rate of profit. If we wish to understand the crash, and its probable consequences, we must therefore start with these basic developments.
Although the rate of profit in the 1143I1 commane recovered since the intense depression of tac mia-1y/us I sull remalns al a historically low level. The net rate of return on fixed capital in manufacturing in thẹ United States was 39 per cent in 1965 and only 9 per cent in 1985. In West Germany it was 22 per cent in 1965 and 13 per cent in 1984. In the UK it was 12 per cent in 1965 and 8 per cent in 1985.
Recovery from the depressed profit rates of the mid-1970s has been accompanied by deepening imbalances in the world economv of which by far the most important is the long term decline of the United States compared to its imperialist rivals. The fundamental features of that decline, prior to Reagan being elected president, are shown in Table 1.
As may be seen the United States
THE
CRISI
in-
its the
are
position in the world economy declined on every major index during the postwar period. Its share of world exports declined from 22 per cent to I! per cent between 1945 and 1980. Its share of the export of manufactures fell from 20 per share of value added in manufacturing fell from 55 per cent in 1955 to 21 per cent in 1980.
Productivity
By the most serious index, the productivity of its economy, the US has continued to stagnate compared to its rivals. From 1973 to 1980 output per labour hour in the US economy grew at only 1 per cent a year compared to 4.2 per cent a year in West Germany and 6.3 per cent a year in Japan.
This situation has not substantially improved Under presidency US productivity has grown at less than half the rate of West Germany and less than a third the rate of Japan.
Throughout the post-war period, continuing under Reagan, it has been the least competitive and productive sectors of the US economy that have boomed. The 'post-industrial society', apologists for Reag aprop hather, is subject a rationalisation of that economic failure. As Anatole Kaletsky and Guy de Jonquieres put it in a recent study of
Conomy. employment (in the US) has shrunk total in 1950 to 19 per cent in 1986, while service jobs have expanded from 59 per cent to 75 per cent..: the steady shift from manufacturing to service employment has been largely responsible for the long term stagnation of US income levels ... The service industries have shown miserably low productivity growth for many years.'
However under Reagan the rate of growth of the US economy has performed in a way that seems, on the face of it, to defy the economic laws of gravity. With an economy becoming
Economy Last year, for
per cent a year
of 1979-81 the United States.
Understanding
the present crash imperialist competition has * sharply exacerbated.
Reagan's be called 'military Keynesianism'. Growth propaganda
Table 1
Manufacturing Year
1945 1953 1958 1963 1970 1975 1980 *Constant prices
September 1984
HANG ASICAL WRONG
steadily less competitive than its rivals US growth has been more rapid than its major West European rivals and has cut back the lead enjoyed by the Japanese
vCal Under example, the US economy grew by 2.4 per cent — compared to 2.2. per cent in Italy, 1.5 per cent in France and 0.8 per cent in West Germany. Only Japan, growing at 2.8
•and Britain, recovering from the catastrophic slump
• grew more rapidly than
how Reagan brought about this result is the core of economic
and why interbecome wards by armaments.
There is no technical mystery as to why the US economy has grown rapidly under Reagan. It is a system that might
under
seen in
The driving force of US economic growth has been the huge government budget deficit - the amount by which US government spending exceeds in-
US share of exports and world manufacturing value added
US share of US share of world exports world export of manufactures 22 19 na 16 15 17
12 14 11 13
Source: Tim Congdon, 'The dollar standard is doomed'. The Times 26
Van M come. This rose from $70 billion in 1980 to $200 billion in 1986, is due to run at $147 billion this year, and scheduled to rise to $170 billion next
Keynesian "demand management', reduced to its essentials, government spending increases pull output upwards. The US system may be termed 'military Keynesianism' because the driving force of the government spending nas been armaments - real US military spending has increased by 40 per cent since 1980. The US military budget this year is $300 billion. As the budget deficit is the motor of the
expansion the economic growth of the US has been pushed up-
Reagan
What makes US economic policy
Reagan specific is the wa the budget deficit has been financed. Under most Keynesian expansions, as
Western Europe in the 1950s and 1960s for example, the government covers the difference between expen diture and income by creating -necessary literally printing - money.
US share of world manufacturing value added 57 55 34 33 25* 22* 21*
Socialist Action 6 Nov 1987 5 The results are inflationary - the amount of money in the economy increases more rapidly than the supply of goods and services and inflationary tendencies result.
The US government under Reagan, fearing inflation after the experience of •Ine 19/0s Sel budget deficit by different means — by vast borrowing from abroad. Between 1980 and 1986 the United States turned from a country with net foreign assets of $140 billion to a country with foreign debts of $260 billion - the largest debtor state in the world. If the US balance of trade deficit continues at its present rate the US will owe $900 billion abroad by 1990 — eight times the international debt of a country such as Brazil.
Borrowing
As the gap between government ex. penditure and income was covered by foreign borrowing there has been no need for the US government to create money and the inflationary consequences of Keynesianism were avoided. It was this foreign borrowing which allowed the specific features of US economic policy under Reagan — a combination of a loose budgetary (fiscal) policy and a tight monetary policy. The result was that the US economy grew rapidly - under the impact of the budget deficit, while at the same time inflation was kept down — helped by the tight monetary policy.
The combination of rapid growth and low inflation was claimed apologists for Reagan as 'getting the best ot both worlds. and as a masterpiece of economic management'. In reality the mechanism was simple it ar economy borrows than $400 billion from abroad then, before it has to start repaying the loans, it will enjoy prosperity. Propelled by gigantic inflows of capital - primarily from Japan but also from Western Europe -the US economy boomed. Japan and Western Europe financed the rapid growth of the US economy. Rivals
It cannot be said that the United States' rivals were exactly enthralled by this situation. In Western Europe, in particular, there have been complaints for years that the US was sucking capital out of Europe and holding back the growth of the West European economies. : Indeed throughout Reagan years the US economy has grown more rapidly than its West Euro pean allies despite the fact that the latter were more rapidly increasing the productivity their economies However for a period the United State rivals were prepared to accept this situation — first because they had no choice and secondly because of its side effects on the US balance of payments.
High interest rates necessary to suck loans into the United States drastically raised the exchange rate of the dollar. This mechanism was even for a time self-reinforcing as funds moved into the dollar in the expectation that it would
The years acterise mento vale 1980-84 saw the greatest overvaluation of the dollar in history.
However as the dollar exchange rate increased so US goods became less compchuve on michalolal Malach and imports into the United States became cheaper compared to domestic production. The high exchange rate of the dollar therefore produced the se cond great imbalance the US economy alongside the budget deficit — a balance of pavments dericit now running at $170 billion a year. West European and Japanese goods wert consequently, highly competitive in the US and the expansion of their exports led to growth in their own economies Last year, for ‚example the British
trade sury has to the United Sates post
trade surplus to the United States. Germany and Japan vastly greater surpluses.
Continued on page 6
Page 6 scan of this page
«The market had reasserted itself as an impersona and while that is the way markets are supposed to
6 Socialist Action 6 Nov 1987 In a sense the capital flows functioned as export subsidies. The flow of capital into the United States kept up the value of the dollar and this sucked exports from the countries lending funds to the United States into the US economy. This was a system which operated to the advantage of the United States, allowing it to expand its own economy, but was tolerable for Ine capital exporting COULICO. The problem is that this mechanism
could not last. Even the most substantial imports of capital could not compensate indefinitely for the stagnation of productivity in the United States. In order to bring capital into the US interest rates had to be raised to higher and higher levels - threatening a US recession. The continuous trade deficit could not be sustained indefinitely. At some point, as with any system based on borrowing, the mechanism would have to stop.
Rivals
The decisive threat for the United States rivals was a devaluation of the dollar - which would devalue the dollar holdings of Japan and West Germany and make their goods less competitive in the US market. Devaluation of the dollar, in essence, would rob the capital exporting states of a large part of their loans to the US while simultaneously putting the trade squeeze on them.
Shamoon the Observer described very accurately the mechanism that began to operate as the dollar slid -over the last two years it has lost 40 per cent of its value against other currencies: interest rates woria wide welc wastig because the American authorities were finding it difficult to attract the $20 billion or so per month at their bill and
900
resterday: own 22.6%
170
bond auctions (to finance the budget deticit).
Participants at previous auctions, including the Japanese, were tired of seeing their contributions depreciate under a weak dollar, so the prospects for interest rates were also bleak. Interest rates were rising, pivoting around American rates so as to disguise the fact that the US dollar was under the microscope.'
Recession
Fear of rising interest rates, which would spark a recession, was one of the chief mechanisms which ignited the Wall Street crash. The other was the fact that the United States was not getting its own way over how to escape from the situation it found itself in States, naturally, has no intention of picking up the bill for its policies over the last seven years.On the contrary it is intent that as much as possible of the bill will be picked up by its rivals.
The way the United States wanted the crisis resolved was clear. It demanded Japan and West Germany, its main rivals, expand their economies by interest rate cuts, tax reductions, and removal of tarrifs in areas such as agriculture and finarice. If this is done US exports will be. sucked into the West Japanese economies and the US balance of payments crisis will be overcome at the expense of its rivals. Needless to say the Japan and West Germany do not want this. It would mean they would finance the United States out of its crisis and the international relation of forces would shift in favour of the United States.
Tunneno sulla would be politically destabilising in both Western Europe and Japan. The United States, in particular, wants Japan and the
CRASH OF 87
EEC to ease agricultural protectionism to aid its balance of payments. As US agriculture is far more efficient than its Japanese and European rivals this would result in a vast expansion of US farm exports and major farm closures in Western Europe and Japan. This would undermine the main electoral base of the West European and Japanese conservative parties.
Javall want the United States to overcome the crisis by the US cutting its budget deficit via increased taxes — that is through cutting the living standards of US workers. Japanese and West German imperialists, would pay for the crisis.
- for the United Problem
sion and crushing.
Eliminating
German and
for any politician attempting it
ycals Japan
development
this fight will •SCE
Far from
Germany was
altered the situation
since the great crash of 1929.
$15.7 billion,
deficit of $184 billion.
ing interest rates.
"Panic
At this point sheer panic
shows that
and West Germany instead
That way the US working class, not the
The political problem is that this would be as deeply politically destabilising in the United States as would reces-
the farmers be in Western Europe and Japan. Unpaid imports into the United States are at present averaging $600 for every person in the
the balance of payments deficit exclusively at the cost of the US working class would mean cutting their real expenditure by that much - a drastic fall in the US standard of living guaranteed to result in electoral disaster
What took place therefore was a fight between the imperialists over who is going to pick up the bill for the last seven
and West: Germany demanding that the United States pay and the United States demanding West. Germany and Japan pay. Whoever wins
the international balance of economic forces shift in its favoUr October it looked as though West Germany and Japan were winning.
lowering interest rates West increasing them essence stating that it was not going to fund the US out of its crisis by expanding the West German market and sucking in United States imports. But West German imperialism's action in defending itself
sy artered tae situations whice carre
- the enure development getting out of hand and the most fundamental mechanisms of the capitalist economy asserting themselves in the most spectacular single days events
The sequence of events is clear. On 14 October disastrous US monthly trade figures were announced — a defect of
equivalent to an annual and the second worst figure in US history. It was clear the US balance of payments deficit could not be sustained. The United States made its normal demand that West Germany cut its interest rates, expand its economy, and therefore finance the US way out of dollar devalued. the crisis. West Germany replied by rais-
'financial took hold in the United States. For if West Germany and Japan would not expand their economies to suck in US exports then there was only one other way the US balance of payments could be corrected
_ hv a direct cut of imports into ine United States. And all economic history
short of overt protectionism which would have plunged the world into a 1930s style depression Harada there is only one way for a country to drastically cut back imports. This is to quences clearly: drastically deflate its own economy
experience shows that devaluation by
itself will not suffice In other words West
Germany's interest rate cut spelt reces-
sion in the United States. On Thursday
15 August US share prices began to slide
rapidly on a wave of domestic selling rates.
Over the same weekend US Treasury
Secretary Baker made a miscalculation
which worsened the situation. He open-
ly threatened devaluation of the dollar to
Panic on the New York stock exchange on 19 October
hit back at West Germany. Foreign investors began to rapidly remove their funds from the United States before the
The combination domestic and foreign selling in the US on Monday 19 October, when the markets opened after the weekend produced what the chair of the New York Stock Ex-
John Phelan, described meltdown'. Internationa. stockmarkets fell both to parallel falls in internationally traded stock and in fear of a world recession. Within a few days the dollar was falling rapidly.
Devaluation
• This dollar devaluation was what the United States rivals had feared. Kazuaki
chief economist of the Sanwa bank of Japan put the likely conse-
'a sudden fall in the dollar below its range of Y(yen) 140-150 could result "in chaos" because many Japanese investors still believed in the stability of the Louvre agreement - the commitment by leading industrialised countries to maintain current exchange
If the dollar fell the value of equities and of bonds would once again have to be reassessed
'A further fall in the stock markets could lead to a downward spiral of falling
prices and diminishing economic pre spects ... The.. • effect of this eart quake would be stronger than investor faith in the recovery of the Japanese re economy.
In addition to the effect on Japan assets either a US recession or a dot devaluation has knock on effects Japanese trade. Approximately 15 cent of Japanese GDP is accounted: by exports — 5 per cent of the japan economy alone is accounted for by ports to the United States. The collar in the Tokyo stock market following W Street was therefore particularly conce trated among large Japanese exporti firms - a US recession or devaluation the dollar would squeeze Japanese porters hard.
Chaos
The same fears also explain traordinary fury from BBC got at last week's announcemeteby the p dent of the EEC Commission, Jacq Delors, that the United States Intend let the exchange rate of the dollar Delors stated: 'Let us have no flusi The Americans are prepared to let dollar fall.
The Financial Times noted chaos followed: 'A West German F
Page 7 scan of this page
force beyond the power of any person to control, be, it was horrible' - J K Galbraith
Ministry: called Mr Delors remarks "entirely incorrect," while the French finance ministry insisted that the emarks did not reflect the views of the Louvre nations or of the French monetary authorities.
The president of the Dutch central
ink, Mr Wim Duisenberg, also criticised Mr Delors saying that those responsible for monetary policy should "in principle refrain from remarks about the preferred level for the dollar or interest
Impact
The Bonn Finance Ministry pokesman echoed this view: goyernment expects individuals who do
ot take part in the copsultations to
frain from making improvised public
ments which send false signals ...
e truth is that the major industrial
untries have agreed to continue their
Operation to stabilise currency rates" European : Commission within minutes to try to limit the telephoning news agencies to extracts of Delors prepared ish did not contain the remark. ey said only the official text was toe it alone would be included in irliament's record ol the debate
'But yesterday the assembly's president, Lord Plumb of distribution of the official record and ordered it reprinted so that it included Mr Delors' exact words.'
Stella Shamoon in rightly noted: "The suspicion is that the dollar was "allowed" to fall and will be "managed" lower in a bid to improve the United States trade deficit... a free fall could trigger a flight of foreign capital, with further stock market collapse, and force up US interest rates
'Given the current fears of a recession, the classic defence of the dollar, by. raising interest rates, propriate. Rather the reverse. There is pressure on the UK, West Germany and "the Japan to cut their respective interest rates in order to stimulate their economies and help stabilise the dollar."
While the US threat to devalue the dollar is a potent one it however also suffers from internal contradictions problem of how to attract foreign funds to continue to finance the officials budget deticit.
Crasn
This issue is going to come to a crunch during this month. November, the US government is auctioning its next major tranche of govern-
US$ against * 1987
US$ against DM ment debt. On the last occasion in May, Britain, blocked the Japanese institutions were only just
persuaded to take up 40 per cent by fierce pressure from the Japanese Ministry of Finance This time they will be more hesithe Observer tant. Yet if they don't American interest
and the dollar will be under renewed picssure
being applied by the US and Japanese
wise economic chaos was feared.
would appear inap- Respite
that a temporary respite set in because, as the Financial Times put it a "balance of terror' had been established.
West Germany found that if it tried to avoid bearing the costs of the US crisis it • the might precipitate a collapse of the US economy that would bring West Gersufficient United States found that if it tried to
down.
On
8* 8
180
170 tectionism,
150
reduced however,
itself•
cost of the recession
24 DM 719
"dollar standard"?
Answer
economy.
chaos. rates will again be under upward pressure
After the crash intense pressure was
governments for Japanese institutions to continue funding the US debt - other-
What will take place now? The first is
recession. 'economic miracle,
to an abrupt halt.
many down with it. At the same time the escape from its dilemma simply by dollar under conditions devaluation it risked an exodus of foreign funds that would bring its economy
The initial days following the crisis The debt undoubtedly saw some gaining of points by the United States. The dollar began to
devalue rapidly — loosing 5 per cent of its value in a week. Interest rates began to fall not simply in the United States but in •February. West Germany. As the Fimancial Times put it the dollar devaluation, in particular, was a bitter pill for the US's economic rivals to swallow: "The relevant fact is that the dollar has, indeed, started payment. to fall ... The decision appears to have been not so much that a fall is desirable as that the costs of averting that fall exceed the foreseeable benefits.'
But this, so far, is only fiddling at the edges. The really gigantic test is going to come over the next two years. To turn round the US balance of payments deficit, whether through dollar devaluation or, less likely, straight forward pro-
means reducing export markets for other countries by anything from $100-$170 billion. And without reflation in West Germany and Japan, which would weaken them confronted with the United States, this means reces sion in these two rivals of the United States. If the US trade deficit is not
by Japan and West Germany sucking in its goods, this will deepen the recession in the United States
- which can have a knock on effect of pulling West Germany and Japan into recession anyway. A huge test of strength will now take place between the imperialist states over who is to bear the
One final question, the key to the whole situation, is worth dealing with Why do West Germany and Japan accept based these type of policies from the United States? Because whatever their policy decisions the US enjoys mechanisms whereby it imposes disadvantages on them. For example at present, in order to try to halt the speed of the decline of the dollar, the West German central bank: is buying huge quantities of dollars. This means creating Deutsche Marks and exmanding the West German money supp-
- itself reflating the West German
and securing the United States goals. Why does West Germany, for example, not simply cut loose old way. from the whole system and abandon the
violent
The answer is because the United States has been the lynch pin which has kept the post-war capitalist economy together. There is no other alternative weaken a central pivot of the world capitalist
The United States ultimate argument has always been 'if not us then
After 19 October the United States rivals know that this is no empty threat. While the United States will undoubtedly now be forced to rein back on some of its policies, by cutting back the budget deficit, it will also be able to im-
pose some of its burdens on its 'allies'
That is the privilege it gains from being the centre of the world capitalist system.
What are likely to be the political
consequences of the crash? Very great.
Firstly the crash already means, even if nothing further occurs, an economic
recession in the United States. The only
issue is how deep it is going to be which in turn depends on how much the
United States can put the squeeze on
West Germany and Japan. will resist the USi to the best of their ability. To the degree that they do so they will
deepen the recession in the United States
- and at the same time slow the growth
of their own economies. We are, without
doubt, heading into a new international
Thatcher's which saw even
unemployment falling, is going to come
The consequences in the third world
will be still deeper. There is no chance of
third world debtors repaying their debts
of an • international
recession and where one of their chicf at-
port markets, the Unised States,
reducing its balance of paymenes defici
crisis was in fact already
tightening again prior to the crash - the
most important single debtor country,
Socialist Action 6 Nov 1987 Brazil, has refused to make any service payments on international debt since
International banks throughout the year have been increas ingly writing down the nominal value of their third world debts in anticipation of •substantial defaults or reductions
But something still more fundamental has happened than a new recession. We have seen the most violent inter imperialist economic conflicts since the inter-war depression. And this has profound consequences for world politics.
First it means a new wave of attacks on the working class. But it will also in. crease the forces breaking up the coherence of • ruling classes themselves - because the various imperialist ruling classes are striking increasing blows against each other.
It has been one of the great strengths of capitalism in the post-war period that it has not suffered from deep inter imperialist conflicts. Imperialism Wak able to face both the political crisis of 1968-73 and the economic crisis after 1973 in a relatively united way. Such trade restrictions, frictions in the Atlantic Alliance etc, as did appear were extremely small compared to the protectionism trade wars, expansion and destruction of colonial empires, which characterised the inter-war period. This ability to maintain the fundamental mechanisms of postwar imperialist collaboration intact -the system of relatively free international trade, the international monetary system
the dollar, •NATO strengthened all the imperialist powers against the working class
The reason for is simple. The ability of the working class to advance depends not only on its own strength but on that of its enemy. It remains one of the most important realities that, in Lenin's words 'for a revolution to take place it is not enough for the exploited and oppressed ' masses to realise the impossibility of living in the old way and demand changes
it is essential that the exploiters should not be able to live and rule in the
And what applies to revolution applies also to any working class struggle The greatest advances of the working class in this century took place around
inter-imperialist contilct: above all, of course, the two world wars. Inter-imperialist conflicts both break up the coherence of the ruling classes and
them as individual capitalist classes are forced to attack one another. The ability of imperialism to maintain relauve concicuce and equilibrium during the post-war period was one of its greatest strengths. coherence is now visibly under strain.
Whatever immediate developments the situation in the imperialist will significantly
shifted. Political weakness in the United States as it turns to attack its own working class, political destabilisation in West
Germany and Japan as they are forced to • bear at least some of the brunt of the US economic crisis, is inevitable. And new
chapter in the relation between the imperialist states is being ushered in. Strengths The 19 October 1987, in short was
not about a stock market crash. It was
about deep economic collisions bet-
ween the most powerful imperialist cen
tres in world capitalism - the Uniter
States, Japan and Western Europe Shake the leaves in the test of the word And when that tree trunk begins
economy will tremble.
summarised in famous
quote of J K Galbraith on the crash oi
1929: The market had asserted itself a
if any person to control, while e an impersonal force beyond th
is the way markets are supposed to be.
was horrible.' While we stil S 2 Особ 150 SOLDC bose
PeTE:
• TO DOI
can be
Whatever the form and tempo da
worst is still to come.
Page 8 scan of this page
8 Socialist Action 6 Nov 1987
WHY HAS inter-imperialist competition broken out more violently now when profits are recovering from the deep economic depressions of 1973-75 1979-81?| The answer lies in the way different capitals survive the slump and then seek 'redivide the world' in order to reflect the new relation of forces between them. JOHN ROSS looks at the Marxist analysis of inter-imperialist competition.
TER imperialist competition is an issue frequently not integrated into the body of Marxist economic analysis. The latter is seen as relating to the study of the workplace or to national capitalism and inter-imperialist competition is seen as running 'parallel' to this. This is radically wrong.
point of Marx's analysis is the development of 'capita) in general' or the capital of the whole society" This is sometimes taken to be the capital in a nation state, but this 1s wrong? Capitalism is an international system in which the world economy is dominant - as the events of the last two weeks have rather convincingly demonstrated. The decline in the rate of profit throughout the 1960s and early i970s, from which capital has still not fully recovered and which is the driving force of the present crisis, was an infernational decline working itself out in all countries.
But capital as it actually exists is not "capital in general'. As Marx put it: 'In their actual movement capitals confront each other in certain concrete forms. "3 Capital exists as different firms, and different nations with different companies and trusts, in competition with each other. It exists, as Marx put it, as 'many capitals. Competition between these capitals is the 'essential locomotive bourgeois economy' A Competition is the mechanism.by which me. mumdancilal laws the capitalist economy work themselves out.
There is a clear relation between the development of capital in general and the decline in the rate of profit. A decline in the rate of profit leads to stagnation in the entire capitalist economy: 'the rate of profit, is the spur to capitalist production ... a fall in this rate •.. appears as a threat to the capitalist production process; it promotes overproduction, speculation and crises, and leads to the existence of ex-
ess capital alongside a surplus popula
ion (unemployment)."
Profit The reason is simple: It is the rate
of profit that is the driving force of
capitalist production, and nothing is
produced save what can be produced at
profit. '6 Therefore: Production
comes to a standstill not at the point
where needs are satisfied, but rather
where the production and realisation of
profit impose this. The stagnation
and unemployment in the
economy since 1973-75, and the vastly
greater depression of the 1930s, is a pro-
duct of a decline in the rate of profit.
A crucial effect of this decline,
however, is to dramatically intensify
inter-capitalist competition.
fronted with a decline in the rate of pro-
fit the bourgeoisie as a whole can only
THE
and
to of the
overcome it by attacking the working class or, a marginal case today, through gaining profit from a pre-capitalist system of production. But this is not the only way out for an in-
capitalist. Alt capitalist can increase their rate of profit by competing with, or attacking another capitalist. Indeed attacks on other capitalists can be a way to avoid une necessily or so severely allacking their own workers. mechanism used by the most powerful imperialist powers to maintain reformist control over their working class -they attack other capitals in order to limit the necessity to so severely attack their own working class and thereby destabilise their internal situation. Competition
As Marx put it: 'which section (of capitalist capital) is particularly to be affected by this idling (of production)... is decided in the course of the competitive struggle. As long as everything goes well, competition acts. freemasonry of the capitalist class, so Con that they all share in the common body ... But as soon as it is no longer a ques tion of division of profit, but rather of loss, each seeks as lal as restrict his own share of this loss and pass it on to someone else.
•For the class as a whole, the loss is unavoidable. But how much each individual member has to bear, the extent to which he has to participate in it, now becomes a question of strength and
and competition becomes a struggle of enemy brothers. The opposition between the interest of each individual capitalist and that of the capitalist class as a whole now comes into its own, in the same way as competition was previously the instrument through which the identity of the capitalists' interests was asserted...
'Loss is by no means uniformly distributed amongst all the particular individual capitalists... tion being decided instead by a competitive struggle in which the loss
ee decided very unevenly and in very dif-
ferent forms açcording to the particular advantages • •1 DOS OS already been won... one capital lies
Marxism and
La temporary devaluation, and so on.
the effects of inter capita
This is the sharper inter-imperialist
began to appear.
competition which is
political
and for the big
not the reverse." • as a practical
Monopoly
he can to
mergers of simultaneously to
La higher growth rate..
HOW
forced onto speculation,
crisis, that
gives rise to the crisis.
the distribu- Alongside
rise to throughs in technology to increase profit -
that have
inter-imperialist
competition
idle, another is destroyed, a third experiences balya relative loss or simply
during the period of pro sperity of the 1950s and 1960s it was relatively easy for capitalto ameliorate
list and inter-imperialist competion - the relations between the imperialist powers were relatively harmonious. With the decline promotiol in the rate of profit in the 1970s much
conflicts
It appears to the capitalists that it is decline in the rate of profit. But in fact superior it is a decline in the rate of profit which is producing the increased competition: the capitalist crisis. 'the fall in the profit rate... necessarily gives rise to a competitive struggle.
Compensation for the fall in the proti Crisis rate by an increase in the mass of profit is possible only for total sociat capital
capitalists who are already established ... it is the fall in the profit rate that provokes the competitive struggle between capitals, and
Falling profit rates also lead to increasing trends to monopoly — one example being the wave of takeovers and
the last decade - and speculation and fraud: "As the profit rate falls... concentration grows at the same time, since beyond certain limits a large capital with a lower rate of growth accumulates more quickly than a small capital with
The mass of small fragemented capitals are thereby spendles, crises. o De sine olehe prote overous swindles, paths: share
limits. 12 rate therefore gives rise to the casino economy' we see today — but it is the decline in the profit rate, the economic
produces the casino economy', not the speculation which
as swindles and fraud, however, a decline in the profit rate also
revolutionary breakattempt to another is the rapid develop ment of new technology alongside C1ty frauds of the present period is quite
How International Business Week saw Japanese competition with the United States Lullal y typical: If the rate of profit falls, on the one hand we see exertions by capital, in that the individual capitalist drives down the individual value of his own particular commodities below their average social value, by using better methods, etc, and thus makes a surplus profit at the given price; on the other hand we have swindling and general
swindling, through desperate attempts in the way of new methods of production, new capital investment and new adventures, to secure some kind of extra profit, which will be indepior end the that the casino
That 'casino economy' and the computer revolution exist side by side is a logical product of
The crisis itself, however, is neither illogical nor irrational. It is the only means capitalism possesses; as it lacks central planning, for overcoming crisis and relaunching a capitalist upswing. As Marx noted: 'Stagnation in production makes part of the working class idle and hence places the employed workers in conditions where they have to accept a fall in wages... The fall in prices and the competitive struggle, on the other hand, impel each capitalist to reduce the individual value of his total product below its general value by employing new means of machinery, new and improved methods of labour and new forms of combination. That Is, they impel him to raise the productivi ty of a given quantity of labour ... and
to dismiss workers.. The stagnation in production that has intervened prepares the ground for a later expansion of production - within capitalist
This process, including the competitive struggle, works itself through not just in attacks on workers within individual countries but in tremendous conflicts between the imperialist states
through competition, which will ex- they determine, 13 perience the situation whereby, Marx's words: 'one capital lies idle,
destroyed, third experiences only a relative loss'.
The relative stagnation in production is therefore accompanied by not
only sharp attacks on the working class but by increased conflicts between the imperialists. Capialism producTors quilbrium, Trotsky disrupts it, restores it anew in order to disrupt it anew, concurrently extending the limits of its domination. In the
restorations equilibrium assumes the form of strikes, lockouts, revolutionary struggle. In the sphere of inter-state relations the disruption of equilibrium means war economic war or orade arif war or - in a weaker form -
The economic conflicts between the imperialist states are given particular weight because these powers attempt to use political means to maintain their control over sections of the world economy. Previously this has taken the form of wars, the creation of empires etc. But it can equally take the form of competitive devaluations, military threats etc.
The most extreme expression of inter-imperialist competition course war. Thus Trotsky noted during the 1930s that the international weight and empires of the old European states Britain and France, was totally out of line with their real weight in the world economy compared to the rising power of the United States. He prophetically noted: "The United States is heading inevitably towards an imperialist explo sion such as the world has never seen ...A new partition of the world is on the order of the day.'
This 'new partition of the world', as well as attacks on national working classes was the preparation for a new upswing. , As Trotsky had noted earlier in the 1920s: If we grant — and let us grant it for the moment - that the working class fails to rise in revolu-
struggle, allows the bourgeoisie the opportunity to rule the world's destiny for a long number of years, say two or three decades. , then assuredly some sort of new equilibrium will be established. Europe will be thrown into reverse gear. Millions of European WOLKCH. will die from unemployment and malnutrition: Afterwards, after a new world division of labour is thus established in agony for 15 or 20 or 25 years, a new epoch of capitalist upswing might perhaps ensue.'o
War
This was not 'catastrophism' but literally happened. Tens millions of European, and Asian, workers and peasant died amid fascism and world war. The consequence was that a 'new (capitalist) world division of
under the leadership of the United States was established in 1945. At the cost of 100 million dead in the World Wars the centre of world capitalism passed from Europe to the United States. But in the 1980s that 'new international division of labour has itself been undermined by the decline of the United States and a new wave of inter-imperialist competition is breaking out.
Imperialism must again create a 'new international division of labour'
- one that corresponds to the real economic weights of the different imperialist powers. Just what that division
of labour will be will be decided not by any pre-arranged plan but by a real
competitive struggle between the im-
- in which those who will
lose will fight by all political means to
hold onto what they have possessed in
the past, and the rising capitalist
powers will have not option but to
assault their old dominant rivals.
The crash of 1987 is an announce-
ment that this struggle is breaking out
with a new force.
1. Marx, Grundrisse p346
2. This is, for example, the typical mistake
made by David Yaffe.
3. Marx, Capital Vol 3 pl17
4. Grundrisse p440
5. Capital Vol 3 p350
6. Capital Vol 3 p368
7. Capital 3 p367
Vol 3 p362 • Capital Vol 3 p365 Capital 13 p359 Vol 3 3 p367 • Capital Vol 3 p364 Trotsky, Report on the World Economi Crisis and the New Tasks of the Com
14. Trotsky, A fresh lesson the character of munist internanionas
the coming war
15. Trotsky, Report on the World Economic
Crisis ana ine new. lusks of me com munist International.
Page 9 scan of this page
'Our people deserve nothing less
News
conference) Dublin October-1 November. Fifteen hundred people 500 delegates and 1000 observers
conference was GERRY ADAMS presidential
Ireland Civil Rights was formed. The basic
tion moderate,
of that time: • One man • An end to gerrymandering;
ing; • The of the
B-Specials.
and its Just
minimum basic
the colonial state,
years later. The
HUVCL11-
borne
for reform Six
brutal of the
1968 and, the campaign continued, it was becom-
increasingly obvious tat civil rights were unobtainable within a British colony. Subsequent events proved this position to be correct.
The rest is history. terrible, and necessarily cruel history
by British 1lterference which has condemned the malority of citizens of that state to a bloody and deprived existence.
In the course of that history, one of the most
significant victories for the
encorec Calme
with the toppling of the
StarTer: parliament.
Adams speaks at Sinn Fein Ard Fheis
than complete independence'
SINN Fein held its eighty-third Ard Fheis (annual
over weekend 30
attended.
Discussions centred on the ongoing conflict in the six counties and the colossal attacks on living standards, jobs and welfare provision by the Fianna Fail government in the south. The keynote speech to the
cresse ene reproduce here edited extracts from ige.
Since then, the key objective of British strategy has resurrect that system, albeit in different forms and with a changed composition.
When the treaty
of partiDOSI and
myself of people. Your
You better the six have within United Kingdom one-and-a-
- compared to the social
Sinn does. not wish LIIC
problem the great trauma will be the unionist
intend nor to
foolishly to
We of-
that stable
Evolves Bercy fact that the Bristi~& e coonomic
its own
Daillalicl hostilities,
government strategy decolonisation.
NO MORE
The above poster is part of Sinn Fein's
extradition treaty between Britain and the 26
started their appeal at the Old Bailey Convicted 13 years ago of the Birmingham no vomoure ure six ure wuery recornsea tu have been framed.
Lord Gifford QC said that their conviction
was perhaps the greatest injustice in British legal history. It is a mark of the deeply anti-
must begin by repealing the Government of Ireland Act and public ly declaring that the 'Northern reland statelet 1s no longer part of the United Kingdom.
Furthermore, it must declare that its military
systell political administration will remain on y as long as it takes to arrange their permanent withdrawal.
Such irreversible declaration of would minimise loyalist backlash and Nowards bringing round to would long reality most loyalists and those representatives genuinely interestec and negotiation to set the constitutional, social and political rangements for a new Irish Seale throun a consuitu tional conference.
Free elections to an all-Ireland constitutional conference would be arrang ed. The conference woule consist -of the elected represcatatives of the Irish people and would be open
all significant organisations in Ireland teg the trade union movement, the women's the churches) and would draw up a new constitution and organise a national system of government. Withdraw While this conference
could have no influence on
the decision by Britain to
winataw, it woula play al
important role in organis-
Extradition
MEANS MORE
Judith Wards
Guildford Fours
Maguire Sevens
Birmingham Sixes
/FRAME-UPS
of the
Birmingham Six
of justice inflicted
equally soc ing the capsitiog to a nett govert ental system.
Should + fito find agree ment on a her constitution, or on anyrother mata British withdrawal would proceed within the fixed time period.
loyalist in Collmon with all other citizens, be given firm their
withdrawal removal considerable body of
cept of
society would terests. for the
national police and the judiciary. ab-
be abou
with a
released.
Irish character of the British state that the Six have had to go through the charade of an aveur ar au. ine snoma ave oeen reed exonerated and compensated for the travesty
Continuing
ormer mier vicams such es une guinore Four are vital; and a major campaign against the extradition treaty as part of a fight against more Birmingham Sixes and Guildford fours create ne climate necess- would ary for a peaceful transison to a negotiated settle-
As part of this settlethe British government must accept responsibility for providing financial support by agreeing by treaty with the national provide economic subvention for an agreed period.
The onus is on British government to en sure a peaceful transition to a united and independent Ireland. The shape of that society is a matter for the Only when Britain recognises that right and initiates strategy or accolonisallor along these lines will peace and reconciliation established between Irish people and between Britain and Ireland.
Democratic This is the kind of democratic for peace and reconciliation all Irish political parties professing a united Ireland objective should pursue. It is a na• that : nc other party has requested or appealed or demander that the British abandon the Government of Ireland Act Sinn Fein is not only committed to pursuing the demarzi
ments, we are committed to implementing it. Our people deserve nothing less than complete independence and we will settle for nothing less than this.
sober affair.
1986 Ard Fheis:
most important task facing
in the six-county presidential address).
Belfast city council by-elections.
cl with nine councilors
set itself.
tral campaign of the party.
Secondly, launched a series
'Ireland - have been forced, by and poverty, to emigrate since 1981.
returns.
foreign debi.
ourden or laxanon onto tne rica
working farmers.
directive pregancy
the
annua sinn rein more women candidates for Sinn Fein.
the campaign to the scheduled ( for
life terms
revolutionary republican
Socialist Action 6 Nov 1987 9
Sinn Fein conference THIS YEAR's Sinn Fein Ard Fheis was a
The overwhelmingly working class delegates set to work to address the nuts and bolts of the task agreed at the historic
'We must develop 32-county wide political struggle. This is the
us at present.
While consolidating our base in the six counties we must develop a popular struggle here in the 26 counties to complement the struggle
area.' (Gerry Adams
The general elections in Ireland and Britain this year allowed this task to be quantified. In the north, sinn Fein has consolidated more than 30 per cent of the nationalist vote. Gerry Adams won a great victory in West Belfast in the general election and, just the week before the Ard Fheis on 22 October, Sinn Fein won spectacular victories in two
. Sinn Fein is now the largest nationalist group on Belfast City Coun-
In the 26 Counties, however, Sinn Fein polled 1.9 per cent overall, and averaged 3.2 per cent in the seats it contested, in the February general election. This shows the scale of the task Sinn Fein has
Sinn Fein, is banned. from appearing on TV or radio in the south by Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act. Fighting for the repeal of this censorship which goes further even than British law, and for journalist to make it unworkable, will be a cen-
the Fianna Fail government has of draconian attacks on the health service, welfare, jobs and living standards. It presides over, and, makes a virtue of the grotesque situation where 100,000 young people literally two per cent of the total population of
unemployment The Dublin government debt is one of the highest per capita in the world and the interest payments alone amount to the entire annual 'Pay As You Earn' income tax
The Ard Fheis decided to 'immerse' Sinn Fein in every facet of resistance to these attacks. It called for the repudiation of the Dublin government's
It rejected the pact between the government, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the emplovers. It demanded urgent measure to create jobs, to end emigration and to shift the
It called to special measures to help the low paid, women, and
Women's rights have also come under savage attack north and south of the border: abortion is illegal north and south; divorce and contraception are illegal in the south. The Ard Fheis condemned the recent high court ruling making even 'non.
counselling' illegal in the 26 counties and it called for such counselling to be freely available. But it rejected the proposal that Sinn Fein should participate in the campaign to defend the clinics which have provided such counselling. Women played a big role in the Ard Fheis however and resolutions were passed setting up an
women's conference and for
The Ard Fheis called for vigorous support for
repeal the Extradition Act ratification by Dublin on December. It called for an intensification of the campaign against strip searching of prisoners and for release dates to be given for prisoners serving
Overall, in spite of evey form of repression which is being used against it, Sinn Fein is step by step proceeding along the road of creating a mass
alternative to British domination of Ireland north and south of the
PUBLIC MEETING CIVIL RIGHTS JUSTICE EXTRADITION
Chair: Clare Short NIF Speakers Kon Livingstone MF Michael Farrel auro loter reard te itange sat akers trans tho i
campaigns Siobahn Crozier (Labour Party Irish Section)
Page 10 scan of this page
Eye witness from Burkina
Euromissiles treaty date set
10 Socialist Action 6 Nov 1987 ANC considers suing kidnap plotters THE African National Congress is considering legal action against four men who were accused of kidnapping its leaders, including the chief ANC representative in the UK, Solly Smith, and Frene Ginwala. The four men
Evan Evans, Frank Larsen, John Larsen and Hans Christian Dahl — were discharged by Lambeth magistrates court when the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of-
sultations with MI5 on 12 October. According to David Leigh, writing in The Observer tober, 'A long list of reasons was produced: there was no evidence that the kidnap conspiracy had
acuve. seekers" and "lived in a world of their own"; the Crown would look "ridiculous" and the lesser charges Terrorist Squad to waste its time with. clearly disagreed: as late as 15 October, its officers
In fact no one seriously believes the official
Rather the evidence suggests direct involvement by the British state which the dropping of
to Stephen Fiddler who'acted for three of the four men claimed that they had been working for a British government agency, though declined to say
By Jon Silberman
Another lawyer, Ben Conlan, who represents Frank and John Larsen Radio News that Frank Larsen had worked for MIS in the past. deputy head of intelligence services in Rhodesia responsible for setting psychological research unit. He was approached in 1981 by Sir Michael Hanley, the head of MIS, with a view that when the war ended Larsen should work in the UK.' according to Conlan.
This contradicts a statement made in the House of Commons by Sir Patrick Mayhew who said that he'd been 'advised' that none of the accused had been'employed in any capacity by forces'. Mayhew's statement drew the comment from Labour MP, Dennis Skinner that the affair was 'a squalid cover up between the government and the DPP protecting the prime minister's back because of her known hatred of the ANC'.
Because of the dropping of charges, thousands of sensitive documents which, it has been alleged would be 'of great embarassment' to the British government would not see the light of day. In fact, the Lambeth magistrates hearing was for similar reasons held in camera Haastdloo Coull.
Collaboration
In addition to possible direct British state activity against the ÄNC, another issue which the trial could have disclosed was collaboration between British and South African intelligence services. Larsen, whose real name is Viggo Oerbak, theid liviy doent he was io naat wits aan. theid activity Rhodesia. He and Evan Evans, a British ex-officer who had served in the apartheid army had contact last yeai with South Johann Niemoller. Niemoller, a former member of the South African military, has confirmed that he diavise Leigts of nshehe observer says ns. Niemoller was the second businessman to appear in London in 1986, in what he describes as a 'classic South African intelligence operation': He goes on to say that 'MIS knew for certain that Pretoria was mounting another London operation. It did nothing to stop it'. James Phillips 1919-87
on 25 Oc-
'publicity-
of forgery and imper- were not serious enough for the Anti-
COvel
sald Independent
'Frank Larsen was the active
up group
Larsen had accepted the offer,
the security
quite unusual for a was in what m
African 'businessman'
Observer
South African
SOUTH African libera-
tion fighter, James
Maamope r ammos saul
assed away last
ilos davcu al lloul
tant role organising
unions including dur-
the miners
strike, organising gar-
the 50s and in Britain as a
member of SACTU. He
will be additionally
remembered by many for
his marvellous singing of
liberation songs.
OPPOSITION to the military coup in African country of Burkina Faso, in which president Thomas Sankara and 15 of his supporțers were shot, continues. TREVOR SHELDON, who was in the country at the time of the coup, reports.
from
Thousands
sweltering
and the ucad had
Popular support
propaganda
anger.
CasLs OUl by the Popular accused
„ocra
and that he was a 'traitor'."
Captain Hase paoré the new president and formeriv a close collaborator of Sankara, , had
and declare in his speech to the nation that despite nis errors Sankara had increasingly isolated himself from his colleagues, trating in his own hands. The killing, he alleged, was provoked by the unCOVENCOAI S NONKOI plot led by Sankara against himself (Compaoré) and two other officers who had helped Sankara lead the revolution in August 1983.
Very few people believe
appeals for the peop conte out aro cend
igporid and TIONL wele counter demonstr the country's second towr of Bobo-Dialasu were dispersed by the militat
This reflects the wi
August C ENC popularity Sankara's leadership.
Burkina Faso, formerly Upper Volta, was a French colony until 1960. Since then it has been ruled by a A US-USSR TREATY abandoning intermediaterange nuclear forces (INF) in Europe will now be signed by the end of this year. On December Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev will begin a summit meeting with Ronald Reagan in the pose. Such a treaty will get rid of more than 1000 nuclear warheads from Europe, missiles from Greenham Common in this country.
On Friday 24 October, nuclear arms talks in voscow oelweet Soviel foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze and US secretary of state George Schultz ended with refusal by the USSR to set a date for signing the trea-
4 INCYuls sions this round of talks
nad taltered because the USA refused to budge on
oualc Defence Initiative (SDI).
There then followed a week intense media speculation that the
the West
series of neo-colonial regimes taking their orders from France. This left the country one of the poorest and most underdeveloped in the world.
The revolution defined as 'democratic and popular'. Its primary, fask was to liquidate imperialist
obstacles social and cultural development particularly in the countryside where 90 per cent of the population live.
It was a popular revolution in that it based itself on the support and mobilisation the people, particularly through the local grassroots Committees tor the Defence of the Revolution (CDRs).
In the last four years, the revolution resulted major gains for the toilers
the country. Irrigation schemes, health clinics built; * mass BILCraCy alu valulalivl programmes were established based on unleashing and harnessing the energies öf the people.
Women, who had been particularly oppressed and isolated from politicai life organised through the CDRs and the Women's Union of Burkina. They demanded, and got, a ban on forced marriages and female circumçisions, and a major sex education drive.
The right to have to land and to equal
x By this year thea were
La Dinel cemimsters
Sank arnied an
reputation as anti-imperialist betore he va illed. ek .Just hosted a major international anti-apartheid con Jerenet which followed months of a major educational campaign in the country on apartheid, including the setting up of a national anti-apartheid movement, MOBRAP.
Monday 7
cruise
chances iles oneludineis Euromissiles treaty ycal were end.
By Carol Turner
However, week HILON 30 tober, Shevardnadze and Keagan alo wulccu trom the White House that the two premiers had agreed to meet on 7 December to sign the INF deal.
joint communique issued after the meeting of
Thomas Sankara
All this brought him in té confliet with Francee other imperialist countries, along with neighbouring
African seulisel vativo governments who were scared of the popularity of the revolution amongst African youth, who looked to Sankara for a lead.
The main support fo the coun has come trom th Union of Communists of Burkina (UCB) a small but well-placed hard line faction based originally in the military. This was set up b Compaore and other ficers in 1985. The UCB had come increasingly into conflict with Sankara over the last six months
This group called for a tougher line against interna dissenters and a more ad ministrative approach the revolution. This was in direct conflict with Sankara who was trying to integrate Shevardnadze-Reagan announced inlal. presiden
Reagan and general secretary Gorbachev have
agreea to meet in the
United States beginning on 7 December 1987. The president and the general secretary attach the highest importance to holding sulos anavt meeting which covers the
bet-
ween the two countries al lls reduction, human rights and
issues, of regional contlicts and
bilateral relations and
which makes significant
headway over tne
range of these issues.'
joint announcement went on to explain
that the December meeting
would also consider
Teduion n peand
and
Soviel sul alaall offensive al lo and on the obser-
people into the revolutionary process by means OI auschssod organisation and education, by political consent as oppos tonce inis adiye orce thhe UệiB sup and smaller Union of Communist Struggle (UCL-B) have been placed in senior ministerial positions and put in charge of national and local : organisations. This has confirmed early suspicions that this was a UCB-backed coup
The new president's ef forts to gain support by sending his men round to address meetings of the local popular organisations have
een frustrated by a mixture of poor diLen widespread incredulity and rejection.
School students at one
capital's • largest schools physically ejected vance and withdrawal from the ABM
Missile) . LAE- Datsul treaty for all agreed period'.
In the midst of the disastrous Wall Street crash. Reagan was evidently • relieved at the prospect recouping which is what signing the INF .treaty represents for him domestically. But the joint announcement does wow sintadlll ulualick tal change in the US administration's determination to continue the Star Wars project.
Gorbachev wanted to use the opportunity of a successful trea ty to reopen the issue of SDI which Reagn has con sitentiy refused to discuss He has called on the USA to agree 10-yea adherence to the ABM treaty, which would limit
International
the Popular Front speaker amid chants of 'Sankara or no one'. A few hours later it was announced that the schools would be shut down for a week.
the countryside, peasants showed their op
Sosieion ig maryes ell
suspending markets known radio commentator
various OTOACaN local language: the refused to translate the of ficial communiques and several former ministers have been arrested or are in
hidinhis poses a deep pro-
blem for the military leadership who for two weeks had still not been
come from the
respected
In
Front' says it
since the the few
the towns.
methods coup to
put their
demning killing of
minstrator told me: 'Sankara's is
but their organised.' asked
; of the revolution shook his
the development of spac
weapons. But Reagn is on
prepared consider discussing seven years.
Undoubtedly, the sign-
ill be of consideraale
considerable
political importance. Bu
it only raises more sharply
demand Tuie auclld Gorbachev has advanced
for the elimination of all nuclear weapons.
Twelve thousand nuclear weapons . wil re main in Europe alone
The 1986 Icleand summit exposed the fundamental pro-nuclear stance of the United States administration Signing and INF treaty at the
of this year signals aeros that. Th political gain that the INF treatv • represents must D
used to insert large
wedge in the crack that ha noW appeared in the nuclear door.
Page 11 scan of this page
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Page 12 scan of this page
ALLIANCE SOCIALISM
BUILDING
SPEAKERS INCLUDE
Diane Abbott Linda Bellos
Peter Heathfield
The third annual Alliance for Socialism weekend of debate,
discussion and agitation sponsored by Socialist Action
Tony Benn Ken Livingstone
Registration from 10am Saturday Sessions: 11-6pm Saturday 10.30-5pm Sunday Saturday evening social
AN
Dewsbury
peace Bernie Grant
the NUM
women?
Ann Pettifor • Employment
of Ireland
Palestine
Labour Marc Wadsworth
3
7-8 November
WORKSHOPS INCLUDE
• After the Wall Street crash • Fighting racism -
Broadwater Farm to
• The strategy of the ANC • Defend abortion rights • Ireland - a scenario for
• The Coal Board's assault on
• Nicaragua must survive • The changing working
class — what policies for
• Which way for students? • Glasnost and detente
discrimination in the North
• The EEC — for or against? • For a democratic, secular
• After the AES — a new
economic strategy for
• The Iran-Iraq war • Defending unilateralism And two plenary sessions: • Campaigning for socialism • The way forward
← Socialist Action No. 173, 23 October 1987Socialist Action No. 175, 20 November 1987 →