So& Wloirkdersa’ Lirbeirtty y No 214 24 August 2011 30p/80p For a workers’ government Ban the EDL? 1911: Liverpool The religion of the page 3 on strike page 8-9 Socialist Party pages 11-12 Post-riot clampdown on working-class youth OPPOSE THIS CLASS-HATE BLITZ See page 5 More socialist ideas and labour movement news online: www.workersliberty.org NEWS What is the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty? Libya: the return of hope Today one class, the working class, lives by selling From back page workers’ rights. gogue on the British left and its annihilation, it is its labour power to another, the capitalist class, But in fact the funda - will ever have to face. irresponsible and morally which owns the means of production. Society Outright support for Qaddafi is confined to a mental lesson of Libya — Workers’ Liberty be - degenerate to simply de - is shaped by the capitalists’ relentless drive to marginal fringe of sects,. as with all the heroic and lieves that a people staring mand that it ceases, or to increase their wealth. Capitalism causes inspiring uprisings we down the wrong end of a oppose it ever taking poverty, unemployment, the blighting of lives by For most of the far-left, have see in the Middle state-sanctioned massacre place. We believe that the overwork, imperialism, the destruction of the the intervention of NATO East and North Africa this have the right to call for gains of the uprising vin - environment and much else. in Libya cancelled out the year — is that no ruling assistance, even from im - dicate that view. Against the accumulated wealth and power of the genuine democratic con - class is unbeatable. Those perialist powers. It is not What now? At this capitalists, the working class has one weapon: solidarity. tent of the Libyan upris - on the left have no busi - for us, from the safety of stage, when much still The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build solidarity ing. To argue that NATO ness ignoring, marginalis - Britain, to sanctimoniously hangs in the balance in through struggle so that the working class can overthrow somehow engineered or ing or misrepresenting the condemn as insufficiently Libya, and at this distance, capitalism. We want socialist revolution: collective ownership orchestrated the Libyan political will of the Libyan “anti-imperialist” the our main job is to support of industry and services, workers’ control and a democracy uprising is a form of “anti- people who organised to Libyans who demanded any elements struggling much fuller than the present system, with elected imperialism” based on a overthrow a tyrant. NATO intervention, such for the maximum democ - representatives recallable at any time and an end to cynical, nihilistic de - The NATO intervention as the thousands of racy and the maximum bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. featism. If American impe - helped them by prevent - women who demon - freedom. rialism is so all-powerful ing the crushing of the up - strated in Benghazi in If working-class organi - We fight for the labour movement to break with “social and all-pervading that it rising at a critical point. early March. sation is our starting partnership” and assert working-class interests militantly can conjure up a mass That is a good thing. But We know imperialism point, then the fundamen - against the bosses. movement in a foreign this victory does not be - will only act in its own in - tal question must be Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, country entirely at will, long to NATO, who inter - terests, and if and when it whether that organisation supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, then surely it is unbeat - vened for their own intervenes it will do so is more or less possible, helping organise rank-and-file groups. able? Of course the many reasons. It belongs to the using its own, blundering, easier or harder, without We are also active among students and in many campaigns kinds of imperialist inter - Libyan people who fought means. We offered NATO the crushing, murderous and alliances. ests that will now come to and died to get rid of no positive support, trust QaTdhdeaafinrsewgiemrei.s that it is the surface in Libya — Qaddafi and who re - or confidence. But when infinitely more possible. We stand for: around oil, and rebuilding mained resolute in the face such an intervention is all And that alone is cause G Independent working-class representation in politics. infrastructure — will not of conditions far worse that stands between the for celebration and G A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the be there to act in the inter - than any more-anti-impe - continued existence of a hope. labour movement. ests of democracy or rialist-than-thou dema - revolutionary movement G A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, to strike, to picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. G Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, education and jobs for all. Assad must go now! G A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. Arab Full equality for women and social provision to free women By Mark Osborn from the burden of housework. Free abortion on request. Full ingly isolated Syrian killing 2200 civilians and equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Black and white spring regime faced UN, US and of a shoot-to-kill policy The rebel victory in European calls for Assad against unarmed volun - workers’ unity against racism. Libya will strengthen the to step down. teers. The friends of the Open borders. G resolve of the Syrian The UN Human Rights Syrian dictatorship — au - G Global solidarity against global capital — workers frees the democracy protesters Council has ordered an in - thoritarian Russia, one- everywhere have more in common with each other than with and weaken the vestigation into violations party China and Cuba — their capitalist or Stalinist rulers. Baathist dictatorship of carried out by the state attempted to prevent the G Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest Berbers Bashar al-Assad. during the five month-old UN investigation. workplace or community to global social organisation. uprising. The UN accuses Last week the increas - G Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal the single-party state of rights for all nations, against imperialists and predators big By Gerry Bates and small. One consequence of the Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. “We can no longer live under the regime” G uprisings across North G If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity Africa is the new free - to sell — and join us! doms won by the Berber By Ali Khalaf, a have an economic impact nesses and even livestock. 020 7394 8923 [email protected] peoples. Syrian activist based on the regime. On the danger of sectar - 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, Authoritarian Arab in the UK There are no organised ian strife, I quote from a regimes had suppressed trade unions in Syria. Peo - letter send to me: London, SE1 3DG. Berber history and lan - Syrian people that can ple would always be wor - “For many years, all reli - guage, claiming they no longer live under the ried that some of their gions and sects have lived threatened ‘national unity’. regime started the move - co-workers could be spies close to each other without Islamists supported Arabic- ment. The main demands for the government. Cor - any problems. ... It is true GET SOLIDARITY only laws. of the people remain ruption has been wide - that many of these crimi - There are perhaps over freedom and dignity for spread, and trust in the nals in the regime are 20 million Berbers, mainly all Syrians. Due to the workplace is rare particu - Alawi, but many collabo - EVERY WEEK! in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, way the regime has re - larly with any kind of civil rators and beneficiaries are Mali and Niger. They share acted, they are now de - service job. from across the board in - Special offers a common history and manding the regime is Despite great efforts cluding Sunnis and Chris - mainly speak variations of toppled. from the regime to divide tians. Many Alawi are G Trial sub, 6 issues £5 the Tamazight language. the people of Syria, this decent citizens who do not This revolution was not revolution has never been agree with what the G 22 issues (six months). £18 waged £9 unwaged In Libya Qaddafi be - lieved Berber culture was started by any political a religious one. regime is doing. A lot of party. Political parties in - Protests are organised them are poor and many G 44 issues (year). £35 waged £17 unwaged “colonialism’s poison” and banned their language. dependent of the Ba’ath via the internet and word are fearful and therefore of mouth. remain silent. The regime’s G European rate: 28 euros (22 issues) or 50 euros (44 issues) Many of the rebel fighters Party have never been al - in the West of Libya are lowed in Syria. This will Every day there are sol - attempts to create an eth - naturally change, but it diers defecting from the nic war have not suc - Tick as appropriate above and send your money to: Berbers from their heart - lands in the Nafusa Moun - will be the people of Syria army. It holds high risks ceeded so far and we have 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG tains. The rebel-controlled that will choose their fu - not only for them but for to be alert to this and fight Cheques (£) to “AWL”. station, Libya TV, broad - ture leaders.