Page Socialist Fight Liaison Committee for the Fourth International

No. 33 Oct./Nov. 2019 Price: Cons: 50p, Waged: £1 (€1) Make Corbyn Fight the Witch Hunt!

Daily Mirror: ‘An “anti-Semitic” poster from outside the has been removed. The poster featured a caricature of Labour leader speaking out on Palestinian rights.’ Note quotation marks and gash in the mid- dle; it was attacked five time by Zionist thugs (see pages 10, 11).

Former Life Guards Regiment soldier Dennis Hutchings, who pleaded not guilty to “attempted murder” by video link from Plymouth on 26 September did not attend the Belfast court because he was “too ill”. He shot mentally ill John Cunningham DEAD in 1974; it was a successful attempt! But he was not “too ill” to travel to two days later to take part in the 500-strong demonstration for Soldier F, who murdered at least four on Bloody Sunday, 30 January 1972.

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 2 Socialist Fight Where We Stand (extracts) the attacks of this Tory government it is now necessary tion. We therefore reject the reactionary “intersectional” to work within the Labour party as well as within other theory as hostile to Marxism, to the class struggle and to proto-parties such as Left Unity and RESPECT that revolutionary socialism. seek to present socialist and anti-imperialist politics in 11. We also support the fight of all other specially op- opposition to the neo-liberalism that is now deeply pressed including lesbians and gay men, bisexuals and embedded within the Labour Party. We support all transgender people and the disabled against discrimina- genuine left developments within Labour, such as the tion in all its forms and their right to organise separately Corbyn for leader campaign. in that fight in society as a whole. 4. We strongly support campaigns to democratise the 13. We fight racism and . We support the right of trade unions’ traditional link to the Labour party. We are people to fight back against racist and fascist attacks by for funding only those MPs who agree to and have a any means necessary. Self-defence is no offence, we record of fighting for union policies. support it. Two people might make racist/far right 5. We fight for rank-and-file organisations in the trade comments but on challenging them one might turn out unions within which we will fight for consciously revolu- be a hardened racist/fascist and the other might be tionary socialist leadership.in line with Trotsky’s Transi- mindlessly repeating editorial. It is necessary to tional Programme statement: distinguish. It is a legitimate act of self-defence for the “Therefore, the sections of the Fourth International working class to ‘No Platform’ fascists but we never call should always strive not only to renew the top leadership on the capitalist state to ban fascist marches or parties; of the trade unions, boldly and resolutely in critical these laws would inevitably primarily be used against moments advancing new militant leaders in place of workers’ organisations, as history has shown. routine functionaries and careerists, but also to create in 14. We oppose all immigration controls. International all possible instances independent militant organizations finance capital roams the planet in search of profit and corresponding more closely to the tasks of mass struggle imperialist governments disrupts the lives of workers against bourgeois society; and, if necessary, not flinching and cause the collapse of whole nations with their direct even in the face of a direct break with the conservative intervention in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan and apparatus of the trade unions. If it be criminal to turn their proxy wars in Somalia and the Democratic Repub- one’s back on mass organizations for the sake of foster- lic of the Congo, etc. Workers have the right to sell their ing sectarian factions, it is no less so passively to tolerate labour internationally wherever they get the best price. subordination of the revolutionary mass movement to Revolutionary internationalism Subscribe to Socialist Fight the control of openly reactionary or disguised conserva- Four Issues: UK: £15.00, EU: £18.00 16. We were and are for the immediate withdrawal and/ tive (“progressive”) bureaucratic cliques. Trade unions or defeat of imperialist armies in wars like Iraq, Afghani- Rest of the World: £20.00 are not ends in themselves; they are but means along the stan, Libya, Syria and Ukraine. Whilst giving no political Send donations to help in their produc- road to proletarian revolution.” support to the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Sunni and tion Cheques and SOs to 6. We totally oppose all economic nationalist campaigns Shia militias in Iraq, Hamas or Fatah in Palestine, Gad- like for ‘British jobs for British workers’ that means dafi (as was) in Libya, Assad in Syria, the ‘Islamic State’ Socialist Fight Account No. 1 capitulation to national chauvinism and so to the politi- Unity Trust Bank, Sort Code in Syria and Iraq, the theocratic regime in Iran or the cal and economic interests of the ruling class itself. We Donbass leadership in Eastern Ukraine we recognise US- 08-60-01, Account. No. 20227368. are therefore unreservedly for a Socialist United States of led world imperialism as the main enemy of humanity Europe. and so advocate critical support and tactical military 9. We are completely opposed to man-made climate assistance from the working class to all those fighting for Revolutionary socialism change and the degradation of the biosphere which is the defeat of imperialism as part of the perspective of 1. We stand with Karl Marx: ‘The emancipation of the caused by the anarchy of capitalist production for profits Permanent Revolution. working classes must be conquered by the working of transnational corporations. Ecological catastrophe is 18. We are for the overthrow of the Zionist state of classes themselves. The struggle for the emancipation of not ‘as crucial as imperialism’ but caused by imperialism Israel and for a Multi-Ethnic workers’ state of Palestine the working class means not a struggle for class privileg- so to combat this threat we must redouble our efforts to as part of the Socialist Federation of the Middle East. es and monopolies but for equal rights and duties and forward the world revolution. 19. As socialists living in Britain we take our responsibili- the abolition of all class rule’ (The International Work- Special Oppression and Racism ties to support the struggle against British imperialism’s ingmen’s Association 1864, General Rules). 10. We recognise that class society, and capitalism as the occupation of the six north-eastern counties of Ireland 2. In the class struggle we shall fight to develop every last form of class society, is by its nature patriarchal. In very seriously. For this reason we have assisted in found- struggle of the working class and oppressed in the direc- that sense the oppression of women is different from all ing the Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group and tion of democratic workers’ councils as the instruments other forms of oppression and discrimination. Sexism we will campaign for political status these Irish prisoners of participatory democracy which must be the basis of and the oppression of women is inextricable tied to the of war and for a 32-county united Socialist Ireland. We the successful struggle for workers’ power. ownership and the inheritance of private property. To reject all ‘two nations in Ireland’ theories. Revolutionary strategy and tactics achieve sexual and individual freedom women need to 21. We are for the re-creation of a World Party of Social- 3. We recognise the necessity for serious ideological and fight in the class struggle in general to overthrow class ist Revolution, a revolutionary international, based on political struggle as direct participants in the trade unions society itself. We cannot leave the struggle against wom- the best traditions of the previous revolutionary interna- (always) and in the mass reformist social democratic en’s oppression until the revolution but must recognise it tionals, critically understood, particularly the early Third bourgeois workers’ parties despite their pro-capitalist as one of the most fundamental aspects of the revolu- and Fourth Internationals, with their determination to leaderships when conditions are favourable. In fighting tionary struggle itself or we will never make that revolu- combat and overcome both reformism and centrism. ▲ Contents

Editorial: Constitutional Crises and fear of the global working class…………………………………………….Page3 Defeat Johnson’s coup, constitutional crisis., letter to Morning Star, anti-union laws..……..………....Pages 4 and 5 Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group.……………….....…………………………………………..……….Page 6 Mobile phone seizures…………………….……………………………….....…………………………………… Page 8 CPGB Communist University……..………..………………………………………………………….…………. Page 7 Hong Kong and Universal Credit………………………...... …….……...…..……………….Page 9 Peter Gregson and That Banner………………………………………………………………..………..Pages 10 and 11 Imperialism spooked by Houthis’ defence ………………………...... …………..…..…….………...Page 12 Modi Brutalises Kashmir, Assam ………………………………………………..…………..……………….…..Page 13 The Banality of Tony Greenstein …………………………………….…………………….…………………….Page 14 Defend Eddie Dempsey……………………………………………………………………………….…………..Page 13 Now the coup is against Trump .……………………………….…………………….………………….....……Page 16

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 3 Editorial: Constitutional Crises and fear of the global working class

henever rival factions of the ruling class sky without control of the commanding heights -deal Brexit as much higher than [that caused W clash, they are always acutely conscious of industry and a block on capital flows out of by] policies proposed in the last Labour mani- there is a third force, the working class, is lis- the country. Thatcher finally abolished ex- festo.” In the same article, Christian Schulz, an tening in. Today that clash is obviously deep change control in 1979, completing the neo- analyst for Citibank, noted approvingly that and bitter. Boris Johnson is now seeking to liberal work of Callaghan. Labour wont repeal “Labour has become more decisively pro-EU”, mobilise the far right and provoke riots to get this law either, John McDonnell assures us. while “a fiscally profligate no-deal Conservative his preferred hard Brexit through by the use of Sounding very radical Angela Rayner sig- government” had become less “enticing”. inflammatory language in parliament; surrender nalled she wanted to develop the motion And Beckett observed that the city bankers Act, betrayal, humbug, traitors etc. passed by conference to seize the assets of see John McDonnell, who has been touring the Johnson is pitching towards a reviving Eng- private (public!) schools and redistribute them city recently, as “a serious and intriguing figure: lish nationalism, an Empire nostalgia, a hatred throughout education and end tax relief and a supposed Marxist who looks, and sometimes of foreigners and import controls in trade wars state aid to the privileged. McDonnell indicated talks, a bit like a bank manager.” in which his preferred ally is Trump and US to that seizing assets was ‘draconian’, The says, “Capitalism: time for imperialism. In response the Labour party it could be illegal and he would not do it. No a reset”, The Economist is grudgingly respectful acknowledges the need to defend progressive tuition fees must also be in doubt. of the efforts of Corbyn and McDonnell to EU legislation on workers’ rights, essentially Writing in on 30 September please them, Conservatives Welsh MP Guto won by the militancy of the French working Larry Elliot says, “there was nothing revolu- Bebb, says “a short-term [caretaker] Jeremy class. tionary about either of the two big economic Corbyn government” would be “less damag- But the Labour party conference this year themes of his (McDonnell’s) speech. The capi- ing” than a no-deal Brexit. Ken Clarke said the was very disappointing because the main con- talists wont invest and Elliot tells us why: same to the Observer but did not mention care- cern of Corbyn and the leadership was to keep “the economic model of the past four decades taker only (see page 5 on National Govern- the membership in check. These were obvious- means a growing share of household income is ments). ly younger and far more leftist than last year, as financed by borrowing, while the increase in the The disgraceful capitulation of Corbyn yet increasing numbers of CLPs have fallen to the profit share has either been saved or channelled again to the Zionist lobby over Peter Gregson’s left. And they were expressing the push from into buying assets … Yet, businesses would rather banner (see pages 10 and 11) is another clear the mass of the working class as its vanguard. sit on piles of cash or use profits to buy back signal of subordination to the masters of life; But Corbyn again and again blocked with the shares rather than seize the plentiful investment the whole capitalist establishment. opportunities.” Trade Union bureaucracy and the right wing of For those who see politics as an eternal elec- his own party to frustrate that push, as Tony McDonnell also promised to raise the national toral conflict between Tory and Labour about Blair had done. living wage to a minimum of £10 an hour, a who can best serve the interests of British im- Labour is determined to keep all the Thatch- shorter working week with no loss of pay, and perialism these are comforting thoughts. Boris erite anti-union laws so they can be wielded by rolling back (!) the Thatcherite anti-trade Johnson is making a complete hash of serving against a resurgent working class when that log union legislation from 1979. Because, Elliot capitalism as seen in the Tory party conference. jam is inevitably broken. This has the support says: For internationalist socialists, who look to the of the Labour leaders and almost the entire “Thatcher and her ministers recognised that the global state of the international working class trade union bureaucracy with the honourable right to strike was easily the most potent weapon and who note the very similar constitutional, exceptions of the FBU, the RMT and the at labour’s disposal. Unions (bureaucrats, he corruption and sexual assault crisis in the USA IWGB. It is in direct defiance of Labour party should say!) don’t really like strikes, especially long over Trump (see page 16) these are pre-battle ones that make it harder for their members to pay conference decisions of 2017; they are pledged manoeuvres between the two great remaining the mortgage and feed their families. But they to repeal ONLY the 2016 Trade Union Act know that often the only way to get a deal out of classes on the planet, the international working and only to “roll back” Thatcher’s Acts. In an intransigent employer is to threaten to walk out class and world imperialism. other words, to slightly modify them by a new … Labour’s approach is like that of a trade union- We always remember with Karl Liebknecht trade union act but not to “make a bonfire” of ist who reassures the employer from the outset of that the main enemy in war and conflicts is them, in the words of the execrable Andy negotiations that there is no possibility of a strike.” ALWAYS at home in an imperialist country. Green, leader of the Instruction of Employ- So we can see that the sharp conflict at the We are left remainers in this ongoing political ment Rights and TUC-backed Campaign for outset of the conference, over Jon Lansman’s and constitutional crisis. Everything that in- Trade Union Freedom in the Morning Star on attempt to remove treacherous deputy Watson creases the confidence of the working class and 26 July 2017 (page 4). and the defeat of the CLP delegates’ push to its vanguard in the Labour party ranks and its Likewise, on immigration controls, a Labour win Labour to a remain position was really a confidence in its own strength and ability to government will certainly not implement the signal to the capitalist establishment itself that confront and defeat capitalism itself is good. excellent socialist internationalist resolution Corbyn was a safe pair of hands. Everything that seeks, like the Labour party passed this year. Diane Abbot assures us that On 21 September, to assure the Labour party leadership now, to put them back in their box- the party backs a workplace visa system. We leaders before the start of their conference, The es by bureaucratic manoeuvres and to use them will not be swamped by floods of poor immi- Guardian’s Andy Beckett, headlined, “Even only as a stage army to get Labour elected the grants fleeing from Middle Eastern wars creat- bankers are starting to think Corbyn might be better to manage capitalism, is wrong. ed by USA and British imperialism, racist big- the safe choice now” and the subhead assured Of course, vote Labour now and still fight to ots are assured, visas only for those who can us, “Faced with the Tories’ no-deal extremism get Corbyn elected, the Tories are the main assist to enhance the profits of capitalism. and a glaring crisis in capitalism, the financial class enemy, Labour is better for the class con- The pledge to create a state-owned drugs establishment is losing its fear of a radical La- sciousness and militancy of the working class company to undercut the rip off of the NHS bour government,” but have no illusions. As in international wars by Big Pharma is welcome but without nation- He went on to supply the gory details; Oliver and conflicts the Marxist united front motto is alisation of the drugs companies and equip- Harvey, an analyst for Deutsche Bank in the always unconditional but critical support to ment manufacturers this plan is dead in the City of London, told the Telegraph: “We see the every, even partial and half-hearted, opposition water. Likewise, the four-day week is pie in the magnitude of economic damage caused by a no to imperialism and capitalism itself. ▲

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 4

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 5

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 6 Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group

Political Status for all Irish Republican prisoners! Free Brendan McConville and John Paul Wotton, no extradition to Lithuania for Liam Campbell!

Letter from Ireland 14-8-19 Gerry, a chara, even when the topic Castlerea Prison Dean Byrne Magahaberry Prison, I have watched a few videos of Bernadette is Brexit and the Harristown Edward McGrath Old Road, Ballinderry McAliskey and in every one she is consistent- Irish response. They Caslerea Connor Hughes Upper, Lisburn, ly, at best, a centrist. In the early days she are allowed to dis- Roscommon Darren Fox BT28 2PT, Ireland spouted out really puerile socialist rhetoric as cuss it with a new Eugene Kelly Conan Murphy Roe 3 her defence against any “sectarian” allega- political spin alleged- Darren Gleeson James Smithers Conor Hughes tions, especially on US TV. And throughout ly on their concerns Joe Finnegan Joe Walsh Ciarán McLaughlin the heady days of the H Block campaign she for the working class Eddie O’Brien Seán Walsh Kevin McLaughlin alluded to a more republican stance. as if they had always Dean Evans Mick Gilmartin Roe 4 Martin McHale Brendan McConville But my point now is at this vital and very been opposed to Portlaoise Gaol David Murray Darren Poleon sensitive time over Brexit, and with funda- Brexit instead of Dublin Road mental political and historical issues emerg- what they actually Dylan Cahill Seán McVeigh ing, she swings back to an essentially pro- did, which was cam- Portlaoise, Jim Smyth Gavin Coyle unionist position, using the insulting, pejora- paign for it in the six Co Laois Colm Mannion Patrick O’Neill tive reference to the other side of the border -counties. Ireland Brian Mannion Matt Johnston in her own country, the “Free State”. I un- But although the C2 Kevin Braney Gerard Burleigh derstand the use of this term in the same way pro-Brexit left may Colin Casey Ciaran Maguire Luke O'Neill that the N word is used in the US, it depends be posturing differ- Daniel Hegarty Robert Day Emmet McSheffery on who is using it and for what reason. The ently now, hiding E1 Julian Flohr Christopher Gillen British left group in Ireland, the SWP, refer to their support for it, Dónal Billings Kevin Hannaway Paul McIntyre the twenty-six counties as: “a pathetic little they are setting their Sharif Kelly Seán Hannaway Quoile House statelet”. This is meant to be anti-Free State face against any po- Vincent Banks David Nooney Brian Walsh bourgeoisie in some way but is essentially anti tential movement by Jonathan Hawthorn Conor Metcalfe Mark McGann -Irish in their use of the term and its meaning the Irish masses in Frank Murphy Damien Metcalfe Seamus McLaughlin which is essentially only an accommodation response to and Michael McDermott John Brock Barry Petticrew for their pro-imperialist core. against the changing E2 Martin Manning Erne House McAliskey’s speech has been reported wide- face of British colo- Charles Anthony Deery John Roche John Paul Wottoon ly, and it is added to the broad campaign by nialism in Ireland. Garret Mulley Declan McDermott Lagan House Johnson’s regime and the MI5 media offen- Bernadette McAlis- Ryan Glennon John O’Brien Sean McGaw sive currently underway in Ireland using its key has thrown an Joe Cassidy Dóchas Centre Stephen McCullagh media assets to promote British interests olive branch to Ire- Limerick Prison, Mul- E3 & E4 Mountjoy Prison against Ireland, from Eoghan Harris to well- land’s enemies along North Circular Road grave Street, Limerick known British media agent Bruce Arnold, with Eamonn Philip Barney McKevitt Rose Lynch Patrick Brennan Dublin 7, Ireland. Olivia O’Leary who worked for the BBC for McCann and others (not on IRPN list) some years, and anyone else they can dredge on the 50th anniver- Stephen Hendrick Ursula Ní Shionnáin up in the current Brexit crisis. McAliskey’s sary of the Battle of speech puts her into the same camp as other the Bogside. There can be no compromise You and others in Britain and a couple of left traitors to Irish independence. Her words on principals, no compromise on Irish inde- us here in Ireland including Peoples Democ- might have been couched in other ambiguous pendence from British imperialism such as racy (PD) called it out for what it is, and they terms but there can be no doubt of the in- indicated by McAliskey, and constantly pro- couldn’t have missed that. She also claims tended effect. It was a clear accommodation moted by the stage-lefts and insidious Stalin- that if we follow a nationalist agenda in Ire- to Brexit and to the slimy camp of quasi- ists of the CPI. In real terms such conclu- land it will eventually lead to fascism – really? unionist, stage-socialists, insidious, Stalinists sions are no more than political cowardice We already have proto-fascism in Ireland in of the CPI who have always supported British and deserve to be treated in the same manner the form of the unionist paramilitaries and imperialism in Ireland based on their attach- as Fintan Lawlor would have done in the their political puppeteers. But the McAlis- ment to the Churchill/Stalin pact, and of circumstances. key’s, McCann’s and the Brid Smith’s, the course to the Orange gangs who now have a darlings of RTE and its host of British intelli- direct line into Downing Street. gence media assets have been to room 101, Although the Irish government and bour- and they can no longer see this. geois political establishment are in a tempo- And since they have a constant desire to be rary deadlocked situation with the British, in the spotlight wallowing in bourgeois media they will not openly turn on these left-wing flattery, they will naturally be given plenty supporters of British colonialism even though more time to renounce “nationalism” - Irish they were caught inside the camp of MI5. and nationalism that is. they are not called and to account, and won’t be, for their treachery/political blunder. Is Mise, They are still given plenty of media exposure Mikki MacNabola ▲

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 7

Mobile phone seizures: Rape complainants treated as terrorists By Ian Donovan THERE HAS RECENTLY been an confidential aspect of alarming combination of statistics regarding their personal life, unre- rape accusations, charges and convictions. lated to the case, availa- According to statistics released by the Rape ble to a likely rapist and Monitoring Group (RMG) on 25 August, their often unscrupu- the number of reported rapes in lous lawyers, to use and Wales rose quite considerably over the against the alleged vic- last year, from 41,186 to 54,045, a 31% rise tim as they will. in reports. At the same time the conviction Of course this raises rape fell from 6.8% to 4.2%, which in rela- the question of the tive terms is a 38% fall from the previous meaning of ‘innocent year. The number of alleged rapes that were until proven guilty’, not reported as crimes rose from 8,624 to both at an individual 11,913, again a rise of 38%. The number of level, and at an aggregate level. These are some way to rebalance something which cases that resulted in charges fell from 6,606 two aspects that have to be balanced: it is statistically cannot possibly be true: that to 6,012, a drop of 8%. But the number of perfectly possible that in an individual case most women who report rapes are liars, to convictions fell much more, from 1,350 to a complainant may be lying, and that that be assumed to be guilty of such, and that 1,062, a 21% fall. the ‘victim’ may in that particular case be therefore it is correct as a default position Quite a shocking combination of statis- withholding evidence that would result in to hand their most intimate details over to tics! If you discount the farcical idea that the accused being exonerated. But what is the accused who is assumed to be innocent. over 95% of rape accusations made by equally prejudicial as assuming guilt of an That is a malicious assumption; and an ex- women are false – there are people around alleged rapist in an individual case, is assum- ample of gross misogyny in the criminal who genuinely believe such things – then ing that, in their majority, women who re- justice system. obviously a major injustice is happening port rape are lying and should be assumed This is not fool proof however, and there here. to be so. are likely to be a very few cases where a The implicit assumption behind the police guilty lying accuser can create a miscarriage Getting dramatically worse position seems to be the latter. This is be- of justice at the expense of an innocent And things are getting dramatically worse, cause it is obvious that the contents of a accused person. The problem is that the despite the existence of trained female rape person’s phone are as private as their home. opposite system is inevitably going to pro- specialists in the police forces and decades In order to search someone’s home (if they duce many more miscarriages of justice. of supposed improvements in court proce- are not invited to do so) the police have to Rape is not shoplifting. Being raped can dures. A huge number of women are suffer- get a warrant, authorised by a judicial au- severely damage a person’s life and cause ing trauma, and have no apparent recourse thority. This should be the case for mobile incalculable harm. So can a false accusation as the situation is getting worse. phones as well; their contents are as sensi- of rape. But the nature of things in a society One very aggravating factor in this is the tive and private as the contents of their like ours where women are still treated as increasing demands from the police for the home, and should be subject to the same less than equal is that currently the number seizure of complainants’ mobile phones safeguards. of the former can only massively exceed the upon reporting a suspected rape. The vari- It is not normal to insist that the victim of latter. Both in the interests of fighting anti- ous police forces have come to do this as a a crime have their home subjected to a women bias in the justice system, and the result of a few well-publicised cases where search as if they are the perpetrator of a minimisation of harm, this is the only just cases collapsed due to non-disclosure of crime, unless there is some reasonable sus- policy regarding mobile phones. some significant evidence to the defence. picion that they have actually committed a Indeed it will benefit everyone who comes However, it is blindly obvious that the crime themselves, and a judicial authority into contact with the police if their phone is enforced handing over of an alleged vic- can be shown that evidence and agree. treated like their home, and subject to the tim’s phone, the content of which will be same legal safeguards. To a degree there is given to the defence, which has increasingly ‘Reasonable suspicion’ under anti- some reality to that already, as the police are become the norm, is grossly intrusive and terrorism laws only able to search computers, data and the traumatising to any genuine victim. In fact the only circumstances currently like from a home with a warrant. This must It is a complete invasion of privacy and where searches can as a matter of course be extended to phones all the time, in and allows someone who, irrespective of the take place without a warrant granted be- out of the home, as phones are by their very legal presumption of innocence until prov- cause of ‘reasonable suspicion’ is under anti nature portable. en guilty, may well be in fact guilty of rape, -terrorism laws. And even those do not This is a basic reform which the labour total access to the personal and private ma- include people’s homes. So arguably, this movement must fight for in the here and terial of their alleged victim. Everyone has coercive searching of alleged rape victims now, while understanding that the real liber- private and confidential aspects of their involves treating them as terror suspects, or ation of women from the danger of rape personal life and a right for them to remain even worse! No wonder so many end up can only take place in a socialist society private, in the absence of reasonable suspi- not pressing charges! where people’s personal lives and sexualities cions that they themselves have committed This demand is a basic reform that should are not mangled and warped by the social a crime; and certainly not to have every safeguard the privacy of victims. It goes irrationalities of capitalism. ▲

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 8

Centrism confronted by Trotskyism at Communist University

rom 17th to 24 August, several members and Centrism and Zionism charged with any electoral offenses). The CPGB F supporters of the Socialist Fight Group, mainly They are the same over the crucial question of Zion- defended the Labour figure who replaced Rahman, from London but also including a comrade of our ism and the Middle East. In fact, they began one John Biggs, against ‘scurrilous’ charges of rac- tendency from Holland, comrade Wilhelm, attended witchhunting others to their left even before the ism by Rahman, and cited that as a ground for sup- and participated in Communist University. This is ‘anti-Semitism’ witchhunt which was the ruling class porting ousting Rahman! Yet four years later, arti- the annual summer discussion school of the group response to Jeremy Corbyn, began. cles appear in the Weekly Worker by Tony Green- that puts out the Weekly Worker, which calls itself the They purged our comrade Ian Donovan from the stein complaining that the same John Biggs has Communist Party of Great Britain. bloc they initiated within Left Unity in 2014, the banned a Palestine Solidarity bike ride in Tower Originally among the most left-wing splits from Communist Platform, for stating provable facts: that Hamlets! Stalinism in the 1980s Cold War, for the past 20 the disproportionate representation of wealthy Jews When confronted with this political record, Jack years or so it has hovered on the brink of third- within the Western ruling classes provides a social Conrad and Mike McNair, two of their leading com- campism – in the early 2000s engaging in fusion base for Zionist politics (which is hegemonic among rades, denied that they had ever taken this position. talks with the Stalinophobic, pro-Zionist Alliance Jewish bourgeois today). As indeed, in a session by Moshe Machover, Jack for Workers Liberty – seemingly on the basis of a This is the basis of potent Zionist factions in the Conrad tried to deny that they had ever argued a shared Stalinophobic hostility to the deformed ruling classes that dictate a barely-critical or often ‘Two-States’ position on the Israel-Palestine ques- workers’ states as well as a refusal to defend semi- uncritical pro-Israel foreign policy among Western tion, or that they had ever had fusion discussions colonies and side with movements within them who governments, together with potent attacks on the with the AWL on the basis of these kinds of posi- were in conflict with imperialist forces. democratic rights of opponents of Zionism via the tions. This is characteristic of centrist politics, a But it never could quite bring itself to move so smear of ‘anti-Semitism’ in Western countries, very cavalier attitude to your own political history, a de- decisively to the right as to embrace this form of unlike the alliances that NATO allies such as the sire to obfuscate the record of your own political political death. Instead of adopting the kind of hard US, the UK, Germany etc. have with each other. development. right positions that the AWL is renowned for, the When our comrade Gerry Downing was purged CPGB is notable for vacillating between leftist and from the Labour Party amid similar smears in 2016 A useful week for Trotskyists rightist positions according to the prevailing political they, and their ally Tony Greenstein, denounced him At previous year’s Communist University events our winds. The CPGB today is an example of left- as a ‘fool’ for criticising the Jewish-Zionist lobby. comrades have been somewhat isolated and kept at centrism; a tendency that vacillates back and forth in They also purged us from Labour Against the arms-length by many participants. This was not true the constricted political space between reform- Witchhunt (LAW) this time, partly a reflection of the modest growth of ist and revolutionary politics. for ‘anti-Semitism’ our own tendency; we were now the main organised on the same basis in dissenting group at the event and quite clearly criti- Debate: Abstract and Concrete 2018. cising the CPGB from the left, from an orthodox In a period where many far left groups have Yet they were morti- Marxist position against their Kautsky/Draper/Lars either decisively moved to the right or declined fied when noted T Lih influenced non-revolutionary positions. It is to nothing, the CPGB/WW has maintained its Jewish anti-Zionist clear that there is a degree of recognition among organisation more or less intact and maintained scholar-activist Nor- both independents at CU, and some CPGB people a certain commitment to political and program- man Finkelstein themselves, that we are their orthodox Marxist crit- matic debate on the left – with limitations, as defended our right ics. we shall see. It also has something of an ab- to argue our views at This had both positive and negative expressions, stract, academic and sometimes abstentionist Communist Univer- as on the final Saturday Mike McNair struggled to and sectarian bent. It doesn’t do what much of sity in 2016, and published an essay that made the defend a long denunciation of the Soviets in the the left, including many decaying would-be Trotsky- same points as ourselves about the social base of the Russian Revolution as in some way embodying a ist groups do; seal itself off from hostile social forc- Zionist lobby during the “Corbyn Mania” witchhunt democratic deficit. es and criticism by refusing to engage with other in the summer of 2018. Tina Becker admitted that He counterposed the so-far hypothetical situation forces, or by overt displays of bureaucratism. Finkelstein would “have questions to answer” were where a workers’ party wins a parliamentary election What it does do however is preserve itself from he to apply to join LAW. and goes on, through abolishing the various undem- overall programmatic criticism through an absten- In the debate between Tony Greenstein and ocratic accoutrements, such as the Monarchy, tionism that hides half-heartedness about real en- Moshe Machover on whether or not Israeli Jews are House of Lords, Senates, Presidencies, etc. that all gagement in political struggle via a spurious purism. a nation, both participants denounced each other as bourgeois regimes have attached to them, to call It often tries to make itself appear equidistant from akin to Climate Change deniers for failing to agree into being some rather unspecified form of working contending social and political forces, whether over with the other’s arguments and observations. But class democracy based on a single-chamber, recalla- Brexit, or Scottish independence, or even the Israel- regarding the social weight of Zionist Jews in the ble parliament. Palestine question. Its leadership, centred on Jack Western ruling classes, all of these people behave To us, that sounds suspiciously like a variant of Conrad, fears that too strident a position against like Climate-Change deniers and worse. the Grant/Taaffe ‘Enabling Act’ road to socialism, reaction will in some way ‘help’ the same reaction. Mentioning obvious, provable facts brings denun- except that the CPGB seem to reject nationalising This is one refrain we repeatedly heard throughout ciation and flat denial that they mean anything. But the ‘commanding heights’ of the economy because the week, for instance that outright opposition and as Marx said ‘facts are stubborn things’. Lenin’s of the internationalisation of the productive forces an attempt to defeat Brexit, by Corbyn or the left in observation that ‘the truth is always concrete’ is under globalised capitalism. It is debateable which general, will lead to a landslide victory for Johnson’s relevant here. As is Trotsky’s saying that the duty of perspective is worse. Tories. They had a similar response in 2017, pub- revolutionists is to ‘say what is’. On the other hand there were positive contribu- lishing dire predictions of a Tory landslide and were This issue has haunted them ever since. The tions from more left-wing CPGB supporters, such somewhat astonished when the ‘Corbyn surge’ took prominent role they and LAW have played in op- as Anne McShane’s excellent presentation on Wom- away ’s majority. posing the witchhunt notwithstanding, they cannot en and the Russian Revolution on Friday morning, Another rightist position disguised as ‘purism’ was justify their record on Zionism openly and honestly. and James Harvey’s equally interesting final presen- their insistence that social democratic parties such as Examples of this are legion: for instance in Tower tation on the German revolution of 1918-19. And Syriza or even today’s Corbyn-led Labour should Hamlets in 2015 the CPGB supported the ousting there was some useful discussion in a fringe event not take power and be put to the test regarding their of the twice-elected independent Muslim mayor, by Alan Gibson of the Bolshevik Tendency on Ex- programme, because inevitably they would betray Lutfur Rahman, for ‘undue religious influence’ over tinction Rebellion and Climate Change. and the movement be defeated. This produced a the electorate. All in all this was a positive experience for the sharply critical response from Trotskyist-influenced The electorate was overruled in a racist judicial Socialist Fight Group and a number of our support- people on the Labour left who were guests at CU, coup orchestrated by Tory Friend of Israel Eric ers, who had never attended before, and we man- such as Graham Bash and Chris Knight, as bizarre Pickles, without any evidence of corruption that aged to exert some serious left-wing political pres- abstentionism. would stand up in court (Rahman was never even sure on these centrists, which is all to the good. ▲

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 9

he protest movement in Hong Kong that this opposition waves the Stars and Stripes and T erupted this April against a new extradi- calls for Trump to ‘liberate’ HK from Beijing, tion law was fuelled by legitimate grievances something that would require WWIII. and fear. The law threatened Hong Kong’s The HK movement in that small territory is population with being directly subjugated by not currently a major threat to the independ- the much more draconian political regime in ence of China. And we are not supporters of Beijing, from which HK currently has a degree the brutal, ex-Stalinist now-capitalist regime in of autonomy and protection as a result of past Beijing, whose large state-sector, left over British colonial rule. But the movement has from the old deformed workers, is now being radicalised not in a good way and is now overt- used to strengthen the growing and powerful ly pro-Western, pro-UK, pro-United States mainland Chinese bourgeoisie, not to suppress real precedent in China going back to the sabo- imperialism, and has engaged in wanton acts of capital as it was under the Stalinist regime. taged workers revolution in 1926-7, and to a provocative violence such as trashing the Hong But it is legitimate to fear that the Hong degree the working class upheaval around Tien Kong parliament. Kong movement could be a Trojan Horse for -An-Mein Square in 1989, separate from the The extradition law itself was first suspended imperialism, and could potentially be used as a student movement which expressed such cra- and has now been completely scrapped by vanguard for something more widespread that ven illusions in the ‘democracy’ of US imperial- Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing ruler, Carrie Lam. could be the basis one day for imperialism ism. But the movement continues, and both mass attempting the kind of ‘colour revolution’ that But we oppose any pro-imperialist overthrow demonstrations and confrontations continue they have used in other places to overthrow a of the relatively advanced, but semi-colonial, between demonstrators and the HK police. recalcitrant regime that they dislike and replace regime in Beijing by pro-imperialist forces, and Shadowy groups of pro-Beijing irregulars, in them with a more compliant, pro-imperialist while we do not advocate the suppression of some cases criminal triad gangs, have attacked regime. Such as in Ukraine, or Georgia, or Leb- the HK upheaval by Beijing at this time, never- the population. They have also clashed with anon. theless if this erupts into something that really reckless fired up opponents of Beijing minded We are in favour of a working class revolu- does threaten Beijing with a pro-imperialist to use force themselves, with ordinary passers- tion in China, based on mass workers organisa- overturn, we will defend China against an im- by caught up in the conflict and beaten, while tions and workers councils, which do have a perialist proxy attack. ▲

eremy Corbyn’s government will So low pay and zero hours con- J scrap Universal Credit if elected, tracts have ballooned, proving the he has promised. However, we do evil intentions of the Tories (and not know the details of how this will LibDems!) was working for them by happen. They have pledged a £3bn screwing us. package of emergency reforms If Labour eliminates this attitude which will, amongst other things, then the details of how to resolve remove the outrageous “rape the UC conundrum – what to do clause”; tax-credit is only paid for with those already on it and what to the first two children now; a woman replace it with – can be worked out must prove any subsequent child in collaboration with the user groups was conceived as a result of rape. like KUWG and the PCS union. The five weeks wait for benefits But we must continue to fight for CJ KUWG: Watching the statement by Transport Secretary Grant will be reduced to two. ending the hostile environment, Shapps’ on Thomas Cook in Parliament (25/9/19) about the col- As KUWG has repeatedly pointed the real prize! lapse and job loses, Therese Coffey, the DWP Secretary of State, out the hostile environment and Jeremy Corbyn said: heard his statement then walked out soon after. With questions underfunding of the DWP (and the “When a Labour government which followed about job losses and proposed Job Centre help, it Home Office also!) has resulted in takes office, we will introduce an showed lack of interest on her part. growing numbers of suicides and a emergency package of reforms to Shame. Grant Shapps was asked what would happen with sacked ballooning use of foodbanks, more end the worst aspects of Universal workers to get money quickly via Universal Credit to avoid the in- than four in ten have been forced to Credit. And we will built delays? He replied they could get an “advance use them. introduce a new payment”. Far from the welfare state being system that will be Not sure the sacked workers would know they would the safety net it was intended to be based on the princi- have to pay it back as it’s a LOAN of course! now it is a means of humiliating and ples of dignity and Workers are only a company shut down away from a harassing claimants, particularly the respect and it will Claimant’s life- so the Employed & Unemployed have most vulnerable, the disabled and alleviate and end mutual interests, especially with Universal Credit com- mentally ill. poverty, not drive prising of Employed workers too. The purpose of Coalition and sub- people into it.” Universal Credit which comprises of Government- sequent Tory/DUP governments Labour had al- inspired indebtedness for totally innocent people, was to save money to be transferred ready promised to should be SCRAPPED! to billionaires and to force workers stop the national Mary: Typical, Well the government should have to take any job at any wage; those on rollout of UC if saved the company-not necessarily the bosses’ jobs but the dole were only ‘scroungers’. elected.▲ the jobs of the workers. They don't care..... ▲

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 10

Jon Lansman to Peter Gregson Anyway, I wanted to send Jeremy Corbyn 24-9-19 you your election manifesto ✔@jeremycorbyn Dear Mr Gregson that you put before me 14 I’m disgusted that this banner was displayed near our I do not wish to receive any more of your mes- months ago (it is attached). In #Lab19 conference centre. sages. Your obsessive hatred of those you call it you say your priority as our We asked the police to remove it and I’m glad they did. “Zionists” marks you out as an antisemite. To NEC rep “will be to ensure we This kind of antisemitic poison has no place whatsoever be clear, you do not have my permission to trust and empower our mem- in our society.https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ retain my contact details so please delete them bers to choose the policies we sign-taken-down-labour-anti-20146095 … and never contact me again. need to win that transforma- Jon Lansman tive government.” I must assume you said this because you Because according to the IHRA definition Peter Gregson to Jon Lansman want our views on policy. Isn’t that what your of anti-Semitism adopted by most political parties, including Labour, to say that Israel is a 27-9-19 pledge means? To listen to members to help choose the right policies? It’s what you prom- racist endeavour is now seen as prejudice Dear Jon, against Jews. Don’t all NEC reps get messages? ised when you wanted my vote, wasn’t it? I think as long as you remain my representative My banner says: “IHRA: tell the NEC how I appreciate that you are the man responsible you feel”, because we want Labour members for getting the IHRA definition adopted by on the NEC, you will need to allow me to keep writing to you about Labour policy- anything to tell our National Executive Committee to Labour last year; that you are a strong support- abandon the IHRA definition they adopted a er of Israel and that you spent years on a kib- else would hardly be very democratic, and I don’t think would help you honour your elec- year ago, an action you yourself objected to. butz. But I hope you share my concerns that Party members are now beholden to a defini- this racist colony is not remotely interested in tion pledge, would it? You’ll also see from the attached that you tion whereby any activist criticising Israel be- giving the Palestinians an inch. Can you really comes an anti-Semite, a plainly ludicrous claim. see them honouring Labour’s motion asserting included your email address in your election materials. You chose for this to be sent to Most of these accusations come from a the irrevocable right for those refugees to re- group within our Party, the JLM, the Zionist turn to their homes? 550,000 people, presumably because you were keen to be contactable. society we are seeking to disaffiliate from La- I hope you can see that many Jews in the UK bour. It was shown in the documentary to be don’t like Zionism either. Are they all anti- What’s changed? Best wishes, conspiring with Israeli agents to attack you and Semites too? You would probably call them others for their pro-Palestine stance. We at self-hating Jews, but the many I have met don’t Pete Gregson (a Labour Party member since 1986) Labour Against Zionist Islamophobic Racism seem to hate themselves at all. I hope that (LAZIR) see Zionism as racism and want to someday you will begin to understand that Peter Gregson to Jeremy Corbyn 24- end their influence. Our party stands for fair- Zionism is racism and has no place in our Par- 9-19 ness, equality and social justice. The JLM ty, which is dedicated to fairness, equality and shares none of these values when it comes to social justice. Dear Jeremy, It was I who put up the banner at Labour Palestine. Regarding your other request about my never We at LAZIR love Jews and want them to contacting you again. You are one of my nine Conference whose removal by police was cov- ered by numerous press on Monday. Sadly, stay in the UK, not migrate to what we see as a CLP reps on the NEC and as such you were racist colony. elected to represent the views of all CLP mem- your tweet failed to note that my banner had earlier been repeatedly attacked by Zionists Yours sincerely, bers, including me. Pete Gregson Chairperson, LAZIR I consider that as my representative, you who slit it from top to toe. Each time I re- have to accept that part of your role is to re- paired it, each time it was ripped apart again. ceive communications on Labour Party mat- Eventually a dozen extremists from the Sussex Friends of Israel and the Jewish Labour Move- 23-9-19 ters from members like me. [And I was also a On Sunday 22nd Sept, I, a Labour Party mem- member of until you stopped tak- ment (JLM) made such a furore that the police took the banner down, thereby undermining ber since 1986, had my banner taken down ing my money last month. from outside Conference. Why? The police I suppose that means you’ve expelled me, my right to freedom of speech. You can see the slashed banner at tinyurl.com/ agreed it was not anti-Semitic. When Zionists but I have received nothing in writing. A few first started complaining about it, the police other ex-Momentum chums at Conference bannerbanned Rabbi Ahron Cohen of the Neturei Karta photographed it and referred it to their superi- remarked upon the exact same thing. It looks ors. Not a problem, they said. The banner like you have been having a purge. Can you told me this morning the he cannot fathom any way that it’s anti-Semitic. We are dumb- could stay. confirm that I really have been summarily ex- But the Zionists, from the Jewish Labour pelled?] founded at your tweet describing it as such. And you have seen the Al-Jazeera documen- Movement (JLM) and the Sussex Friends of tary on which the banner was based, “The Israel (FoI) were incandescent with rage. Re- Lobby” (tinyurl.com/thelobbyp1 ). peatedly they complained and when the police It shows how Israel funds the take-down of refused to act, they took the law into their own politicians sympathetic to Palestine. The film’s hands. fairness and accuracy was supported by Cllr Joshua Garfield from Newham Council OFCOM and you called for an investigation, rushed past me at the banner and slashed it in so you know that Israel pumps millions of two. The police apprehended him and re- pounds into Zionist defamation activities in moved the large sharp scissors he had used and the UK with the sole aim of shutting down any took his details. (Later Garfield boasted about debate on Israel’s racist treatment of those it on .) who are not Jews. The Secretary from Labour Against the Carlos Latuff Witch-hunt and I repaired it. Yet again it was

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 11 attacked, ripped in half again by another Zion- The police must now de- Carlos Latuff ist. We repaired it again. cide if they will ask the CPS ✔@LatuffCartoons At this point local hoodlum Simon Cobbs to prosecute me; it is likely No, Mr. @jeremycorbyn that banner was not disgusting. (Founder of Sussex Friends of Israel and ex- to be months before a deci- Disgusting is: resident of HMP Exeter) stood spread-eagled sion is made. -how the #Israel Lobby™ weaponize anti-Semitism to before it and refused to move. After an hour In the meantime, I will silence critics. of this he moved away, whereupon another pursue claims of criminal -how you bowed down to your detractors and ordered extremist rushed the banner and this time damage against those who removal of a banner with a @Mondoweiss cartoon I ripped it in several places. attacked my banner and made in defense of you! On each occasion we repaired the banner, against the police for taking Shame on you! https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/ and on each occasion the police caught the it down, for the Human status/1176060705738493952 … assailant and took their details. Rights Act of 1998 – Article The police asked me if I would consider 10 protects my right to hold my own opinions Labour’s founding planks are fairness, equal- taking down the banner; I said I would not do and to express them freely without govern- ity and social justice. LAZIR point out that this- I explained this was a matter of freedom ment interference, including through works of JLM’s sole focus is on protecting Israel, shar- of speech; I was in a public space; the banner art. ing none of Labour’s values in their disregard was not anti-Semitic. The next day, Rabbi Ahron Cohen of the for Palestinian rights. Eventually, a group of Zionists stood before Neturei Karta spoke to me and gave his view I emailed Corbyn in response to the tweet, the banner and created a scene, arguing and that he could not fathom any way that the pointing out the Rabbi’s views and that he shouting with a group of us who defended the banner was anti-Semitic. himself had called for an investigation into banner, supporters of free speech. At a certain Many are dumbfounded at Corbyn’s tweet Israel’s work undermining UK politicians; he point the police made the decision that a pos- describing it as such. When the Lobby film had also not supported Labour adopting the sible public order offence had been commit- was shown in 2017, its fairness and accuracy full IHRA definition. ted. They removed the banner and took it was supported by OFCOM and Corbyn called I copied in all NEC members and drew this away. for an investigation, so he knew that Israel response from Jon Lansman: The police explained that it was now evi- pumps millions of pounds into Zionist defa- I do not wish to receive any more of your dence in a potential public order charge…. mation activities in the UK with the sole aim messages. Your obsessive hatred of those you AGAINST me! of shutting down any debate on Israel’s racist call “Zionists” marks you out as an anti- It would appear the police had been bullied treatment of Arabs and Christians. Semite. To be clear, you do not have my per- into making a decision into taking my banner However, according to the IHRA definition mission to retain my contact details so please on the grounds that I had committed a public of anti-Semitism adopted by most political delete them and never contact me again.” order offence, rather than those who had been parties, to say that Israel is a racist endeavour Lansman is Momentum leader and the man harassing and attacking me, calling me an anti- is now seen as prejudice against Jews. responsible for getting the IHRA definition Semite. Readers can see the slashed ban- The banner says: “IHRA: tell the NEC how adopted by Labour in 2018. He is a strong ner here. you feel”, because I wanted Labour members supporter of Israel and spent years on a kib- Later that day, Jeremy Corbyn waded in. He to tell the Party’s National Executive Commit- butz. He is also one of the nine CLP reps on tweeted: tee (NEC) to abandon the IHRA definition the NEC and as such was elected to represent “I’m disgusted that this banner was displayed they adopted a year ago, an action Corbyn the views of CLP members, including me. I near our #Lab19 conference centre. We asked the himself objected to. consider that as my rep, Lansman must accept police to remove it and I’m glad they did. This Party members are now beholden to a defi- that part of his role is to receive communica- kind of antisemitic poison has no place whatsoev- nition whereby any activist criticising Israel as tions on Labour Party matters from members. er in our society.” racist becomes an anti-Semite, a plainly ludi- Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson could- On the Monday, I attended a voluntary inter- crous claim. This enables Zionists to make n’t resist wading in as well, saying in the Jewish view at the John Street police station where I endless charges of anti-Semitism against anti- Chronicle he was furious about this was interviewed under caution with the duty apartheid activists. “deliberate intimidation of Jewish Labour solicitor present. I explained what the banner Most of these accusations come from the members at the conference”. was about and why I had brought it to Bright- JLM, registered as a socialist society affiliated He said “Regardless of where and why it is on, to promote political discussion on the to Labour. outrageous to come to a conference of a dem- weaponization of anti-Semitism. I am chair of Labour Against Zionist Islam- ocratic party and to intimidate people who are I explained about the Al-Jazeera documen- ophobic Racism (LAZIR), a group of Labour just trying to make the world a better place.” I tary on which the banner was based, The Lob- Party activists which sees Zionism as racism do not consider Watson’s unbridled support by , which portrayed how Israel funds the take and who want to end its influence, seeking to for Israel is in any way making the world a -down of politicians sympathetic to Palestine, get the JLM disaffiliated. At the Conference, better place. using groups such as the JLM and the FoI. we distributed 1,500 flyers to Party mem- I am now in discussion with my solicitors; I I noted the banner had particular relevance bers calling for this, highlighting the JLM’s will seek redress through the courts. at this time. An election was coming and that role in undermining any politician who sup- once the date was announced, newspapers ports Palestine and criticises Israel. Notes would be full of accusations of anti-Semitism Corbyn’s pro-Palestine stance has drawn Carlos Latuff ‘s cartoon was first published in aimed at Labour politicians who have dared to JLM’s ire and they have declared Corbyn September 2018, when it was used to illustrate criticise Israel, in an effort to undermine their “unfit to be prime minister”. They score La- Gregson’s article Why let Netanyahu write the vote. I thought it important to point out the bour candidates seeking election according to Labour rulebook? He is a Brazilian freelance role a foreign country was having in British their level of support for Israel, working with political cartoonist. His works deal with an electoral affairs. the media to undermine whose whom they array of themes, including anti-Zionism, anti- I concluded by telling the police that I was don’t like or who support Corbyn. globalization, anti-capitalism, and opposition disappointed in them for undermining my One doesn’t have to be either Jewish or in to U.S. military intervention. He is best known freedom of speech. the Labour Party to be in the JLM. for his images depicting the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Arab Spring events. ▲

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 12

he attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq oil refinery and T Khurais oilfield on 13th September were a game-changer in the resistance of Yemen’s insurgent Houthi movement to Saudi Arabia, which has been trying to wipe out their movement since it gained control of most of Northern Yemen in 2015, challeng- ing the Saudi-dominated ‘internationally recognised’ puppet re- gime. The bombardment of the Houthi population and infrastructure has been pitiless since then, producing mass malnutrition and an Iran has allowed their Houthi allies access to more advanced drone epidemic of cholera since 2016 that continues to this day. 27 mil- technology than they previously had been able to develop lion people are blockaded and being pulverised, millions are cal to the 12er Shi’ite form of Islam that dominates Iran, are re- threatened with starvation, disease and death by terror bombing. garded by the US and Israel as an Iranian ally and therefore But the Houthis have survived. The September attacks briefly something to be crushed with the utmost brutality even if that knocked out close to 50% of Saudi oil production and caused oil means a near-genocide of the Yemeni population. prices to spike, though not as much as in 2018 when Trump tore The US claim that the missiles ‘must have been’ fired from Iran up Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. The Houthi action, which is and not Yemen is belied by what was already known and in the really a simple act of self-defence against an imperialist-backed public domain from the August trial run. The American allega- attack, has really spooked the Saudi Arabian regime and its US tions are a classic smokescreen, both to justify possible future and Israeli backers. For the Saudi war on Yemen is part of a US/ wars in the region – the standing threat of war against Iran by Israeli campaign of terrorisation and aggression aimed squarely at Israel and the US has been a huge threat hanging over the region, Iran. and indeed the world, ever since the Iraq War, and could even For those with decent information, these events were not a have the potential to go nuclear given the demented racist nature complete surprise. They were herald in a trial run by the Houthis of the Zionist/neocon project. of their new improved drones on 17th August. This attack was This has particularly appeared to be true since the rise of effectively predicted by an article in the Moon of Alabama, a most Trump to power in the US, and his partnership with Netanyahu; interesting anti-war, anti-imperialist US American blog. They his moving of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, his published the forecast that: destruction of UNRWA, and recognition of Israeli annexation of “Today Saudi Arabia finally lost the war on Yemen. It has no defenc- Golan. However this may have been destabilised by Netanyahu’s es against the new weapons the Houthis in Yemen acquired. These failure to win the just-concluded Israeli election. weapons threaten the Saudis’ economic lifelines.” (https:// Trump is not the most stable partner for the Zionists in their www.moonofalabama.org/2019/08/long-range-attack-on-saudi-oil- war crusade; there is a right-wing populist-isolationist element in field-ends-war-on-yemen.html) his base to which he promised not to get involved in more wars They went on to cite Associated Press (AP), in the Middle East, and he sometime genuflects to that as well. In “Drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked a massive oil fact he seem to vacillate between pandering to both the neocon/ and gas field deep inside Saudi Arabia’s sprawling desert on Saturday, Zionist element, and the isolationist/right-wing ‘anti-war’ ele- causing what the kingdom described as a “limited fire” in the second ment in ways that are quite incompatible with each other. such recent attack on its crucial energy industry. This was personified by his appointment, and then later sack- … The Saudi acknowledgement of the attack came hours after Yahia ing, of the demented arch-neocon hawk John Bolton as his Na- Sarie, a military spokesman for the Houthis, issued a video statement claiming the rebels launched 10 bomb-laden drones targeting the field tional Security Adviser. He knew full well what Bolton was like in their “biggest-ever” operation. He threatened more attacks would when he appointed him, so sacking him appears oddly erratic. be coming. (https:// Other elements of this instability in Trump are his deranged apnews.com/9edb1f71010847f2b321d1951997e797). threats of destruction and even implicitly nuclear war, issued of- And as we saw on September 13th, they came. As the Moon of Ala- ten on Twitter to such opponents as North Korea and Iran, and bama noted: “Today’s attack is a check mate move against the then his abrupt switches to a policy of personal talks with the Saudis. Shaybah is some 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) from likes of Kim Jong-Il, and his attempt to do the same with Rou- Houthi-controlled territory. There are many more important eco- hani. Some of this behaviour is for electoral purposes, but it real- nomic targets within that range.” ly is a sign that Trump’s right-wing populist government is se- This is the reason for US/Israeli hysteria and attempt to deflect verely dysfunctional from the point of view of the rational inter- attention to Iran. It does appear that Iran has, entirely legitimate- ests of US imperialism. ly and correctly, allowed their Houthi allies access to more ad- On 30th September the Houthi claimed to have killed 500 Sau- vanced drone technology than they previously had been able to di soldiers, captured a further 2,000 and seized a convoy of mili- develop, and that has now provided them with a crucial levelling tary vehicles. We cannot but applaud the heroic resistance of the off of the previously very one-sided war with Saudi and its US/ Yemenis to the Western and Zionist-supported Saudi genocidal UK/Israeli quartermasters and patrons. The Houthis have copied war; we seek the defeat of Saudi Arabia as the transparent proxy the Iranian designs that were provided to them and adapted them of imperialist and Zionist domination of the Middle East. to their own purposes. Hands off Yemen! Defend Iran against imperialist-Zionist The Houthi, who are a mixed-confessional Muslim group cen- attack! US/UK imperialism out of the Middle East! For per- tred on the Zaidi strand of Islam, which is close to but not identi- manent revolution throughout the region! ▲ Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 13 Modi Brutalises Kashmir, Assam Self-determination for Kashmir By Ian Donovan

n 5th August the extremist Hindu- and dire warnings to the people not to leave India out of Kashmir and Jammu! For O chauvinist Indian government of their homes, Al Jazeera has reported up to 20 the right of Kashmiri independence for Nandendra Modi revoked, by Presidential De- protests a day against Modi’s actions, leading to all people in Kashmir where the popu- cree, article 370 of India’s Constitution, which clashes with Indian police and troops, many lation desires it! previously guaranteed the autonomy of Kash- injuries and an unspecified number of deaths. The extremist Hindutva (Hindu nationalist, mir and Jammu, and article 35A. The latter Modi’s regime has been in power since 2014, Hindu fundamentalist) regime of Modi is turn- restricted migration to Kashmir and property the product of neoliberal reaction as manifest- ing the entire country into a hellish place for ownership by non-Kashmiris in the autono- ed in India. As everywhere, capitalist attacks on non-Hindus in general. Another manifestation mous territory; its purpose was to stop Hindu social gains and free market economics have of this is what is happening in Assam, where chauvinist colonisation. led to the impoverishment of large numbers of 1.9 million of the Muslim population have had This autonomous Himalayan region, with a urban and particularly rural working class peo- their citizenship removed, been rendered state- Muslim majority, a Hindu minority and a small- ple and the despair has led to divisions, chau- less and are threatened with mass deportation er Buddhist minority, was part of the larger vinism and the rise of reactionary demagogues. to Bangladesh. They are unable to prove that Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu, which This is particularly dangerous in the Indian they lived in India prior to March 1971, coin- was split largely between India and Pakistan at subcontinent given that both India and Paki- ciding with Bangladeshi independence from the time of partition in 1947, also with a small- stan are nuclear powers, and they have twice Pakistan and the 1971 India-Pakistan war. er portion incorporated into China, which is already gone to power over Kashmir, in 1947 The device for doing this is something called not directly relevant to the India-Pakistan dis- and again in 1965. The policy of Indian gov- the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Those putes over Kashmir. ernments for decades toward Kashmir has who cannot prove this: in a country with large This division was on condition that Indian been through repression to whittle away at scale poverty and illiteracy, often poor records Kashmir would have considerable autonomy Kashmir’s autonomy in practice, while keeping and no state legal support for often poverty- the formal articles in the constitution. stricken people who have to pay huge amounts There have been numerous national move- in lawyer’s fees, is frightening. The regime is ments seeking to reassert that autonomy, and already in the process of creating large scale the demand for independence of Jammu and internment camps for up to two million peo- Kashmir has an obvious democratic content ple, and the plan is to expel them to Bangla- that socialists are obliged to support, given that desh. However Bangladesh is unlikely to accept decades long suppression, even prior to the them; the future for these people could be very removing of autonomy by Modi. grim. The revocation of article 35A is particularly Furthermore the Modi regime plans to ex- sinister given Modi’s affinity with Zionism, as tend the NRC India wide: far from being any sort of xenophobic meas- ure, it was designed to counter the very real “In April, the BJP’s official Twitter account fear of large-scale, organised Hindu settlement quoted party president Amit Shah as saying, “We will ensure implementation of NRC in the The Hindu-chauvinist Nandendra Modi of the sparsely populated, mountainous territo- entire country. We will remove every single infil- ry given India’s huge population: it is very easy trator from the country, except [Buddhists], Hin- on all local and residential matters, while fol- to conceive that Kashmir’s Muslim population dus and Sikhs.” Muslims were conspicuously ab- lowing India on relations with the outside could become an oppressed, colonised popula- sent from the list. In language reminiscent of U.S. world, defence etc. tion like the Palestinians given the kind of state President ’s, who has referred to That was abolished at a stroke by Modi, who -aided settlement that the Hindutva nationalists Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and “animals,” then sent in many thousands of extra troops, want. The Muslim 5 Pillars news portlet spelt it Shah referred to migrants by saying, “infiltrators whose levels are now over 900,000, to suppress out: are termites and we will weed them out when we Indian Kashmir’s population of only 8 million. come back to power.” https://slate.com/news- “The problem for Muslims of Kashmir and Paki- and-politics/2019/08/india-nrc-assam-modi- Communications including phones and inter- stan is that the re-conquest of land is also an inte- muslims-citizens.html net were cut off, local politicians and trade gral part of the Hindutva vision. It views the his- unionists dragged into detention or put under torical Indus valley/river civilisation as part of All this is the outcome of India’s semi-colonial house arrest, and Kashmir has been sealed off Hindu India. The historical centres of this civilisa- capitalism and fake ‘democracy’ that impover- from the outside world ever since. tion are claimed to be Mohen je daro and Harappa in ished the working class and the poor rural Kashmiris abroad with relatives and friends Pakistan. dwelling population, which have nevertheless in the country have often been unable to com- Whilst in Kashmir, the priestly Kashmiri Hindu sought ‘modernisation’ in the most barbaric municate with them, and have no idea about Pandit caste (or Kashmiri Brahmins) claim to have form: following chauvinist demagogues who their safety. a pre-Muslim historical claim and pre- claim to be able to enrich the dominant Hindu What has come out though is news of the independence right as Hindu rulers with Muslim population at the expense of minorities. mass roundups of people, including many subjects. Three quarters of a century of petty reform- young teenagers – some as young as 14 – hav- In the context of the rise of this Hindu suprema- ism at local and provincial level by India’s ing been interned. Some reports say as many as cist ideology, the forced integration of Kashmir ‘Communist’ Parties, with the occasional flurry 13,000 young people were detained in the first into “Hindu rule” in India was inevitable. What of guerillaism, have left the Indian workers weeks after Modi’s decree. There are reports of happened a few days ago will be viewed by the movement seemingly impotent in its face. Only widespread torture, and some of the boys seem Hindu supremacists through the lens of a ‘Hindu the struggle to create a new revolutionary to have been effectively ransomed by the re- Reconquista’ of Kashmir.” Marxist party, through programmatic struggle gime – families having to pay up to 60,000 (https://5pillarsuk.com/2019/08/07/ and debate, can begin to re-arm the masses to rupees (£678) for their return. reconquista-jammu-and-kashmir-under-direct- fight back against the hell that India has be- At the same time despite draconian curfews hindutva-supremacist-rule/) come today for the oppressed. ▲

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 14

The Banality of Tony Greenstein By Gerry Downing (Alex Steiner extracts)

PRIOR TO THE COMMUNIST UNI- Enlightenment finds its real VERSITY, on 29 April 2019, Tony Green- voice. And it is to this tradi- stein, who claims to be a “socialist, anti- tion that we should look in Zionist, anti-racist”, paid tribute to “Hannah situating the philosophy of Arendt – a Jewish Pariah and Daughter of the Martin Heidegger. Heidegger Diaspora … Arendt was the German-Jewish himself in fact recognized Refugee whose Universalism Overcame her Nietzsche quite correctly as a Zionism” he told us. She was, he assured us, kindred spirit. But whereas “the greatest Jewish political philosopher of Nietzsche saw himself as the the 20th century”, no less. prophet announcing the His adulation says far more about the poli- coming of nihilism, tics of Tony Greenstein than he wished. When Heidegger sees himself as the asked about her lifelong adulation of Martin biographer of a mature nihil- Heidegger, an avowed Nazi, with whom she ism. had sexual affairs after 1923 and again after As part of their public rela- 1950, Tony defended Heidegger and went as tions campaign Heidegger and his apologists Actually, there is good evidence to suppose far as asserting that his philosophy had noth- were particularly keen to enlist the testimony that Heidegger not only did read Hitler’s ing to do with his politics, and he had done of German Jewish philosophers who had opus, Mein Kampf, but approved of it. Tom some good things, like not persecuting Jews as themselves suffered under the Nazis. To this Rockmore has convincingly argued that in his vigorously as he could have done under Hitler. end the well-known philosopher and German speech assuming the rectorate of Freiburg, This bifurcation he compared to the impres- émigré Hanna Arendt was solicited to write an Heidegger’s “multiple allusions to battle are sionist Salvador Dali, who, equally, had fascist essay for an anthology honouring Heidegger also intended as a clear allusion to Hitler’s sympathies (for Franco and Hitler) but sup- on the occasion of his eightieth birthday. Ar- notorious view of the struggle for the realiza- posedly produced great works of art. And he endt’s essay, “Heidegger at Eighty,” contains tion of the destiny of the German people for- mentioned others in defence of his theory of the following cryptic allusion to Heidegger’s mulated in Mein Kampf.” Heidegger’s bifurcation, although he did not political activities: At a later point in her note, Arendt seeks to advance another similar absolute contradiction “Now we all know that Heidegger, too, once turn the tables on Heidegger’s critics by trot- of philosophy/politics. succumbed to the temptation to change his ting out the legend, manufactured by Tony sees a few problems. “Hannah Arendt ‘residence’ and to get involved in the world of Heidegger himself, of his redemptive behav- was an enigma. She rejected any materialist or human affairs. As to the world, he was served iour following his “error.” class analysis in favour of a philosophical and somewhat worse than Plato because the tyrant “Heidegger himself corrected his own ‘error’ metaphysical discourse.” Not a good start for and his victims were not located beyond the sea, more quickly and more radically than many of but in his own country … As to Heidegger him- “the greatest Jewish political philosopher of those who later sat in judgment over him—he self, I believe that the matter stands differently. took considerably greater risks than were usual in the 20th century”: He was still young enough to learn from the German literary and university life during that “Originally a Zionist, Arendt escaped the shackles shock of the collision, which after ten short hectic period.” and straitjacket of authoritarian nationalism. Zi- months thirty-seven years ago drove him back to onism demands obedience to the Jewish volk, his residence, and to settle in his thinking what he Even in 1971, Hannah Arendt certainly knew above all from its intellectuals, which is one rea- had experienced ...” better, or should have known better, than the son why it has produced so few … If I’m guilty According to the legal brief presented by Ar- tale she relates in this embarrassing apologia. of anti-semitism for speaking the truth then Han- She certainly knew for instance of Heidegger’s nah Arendt, the greatest Jewish political philoso- endt, Heidegger’s unfortunate lapse was due neither to the circumstances in which he lived, 1953 republication of his essay discussing the pher of the 20th century, is equally guilty because “inner truth of National Socialism.” this is exactly what she said in her book Eichmann nor to his character and certainly has no echo in Jerusalem: The Banality of Evil.” in his ideas. The fact that Heidegger became a She was also aware, through her friendship with Karl Jaspers, of the deplorable behaviour This from one of Heidegger’s better speeches: Nazi, which she euphemistically describes as, having “succumbed to the temptation to Heidegger exhibited toward Jaspers and his “This will … must be our innermost certainty and Jewish wife. (Heidegger broke off all personal never-faltering faith. For in what this will wills, change his ‘residence’ and to get involved in the world of human affairs,” can be ascribed relations with Jaspers and his wife shortly after we are only following the towering will of our he became rector. It was only after the war Führer. To be his loyal followers means: to will solely to the occupational hazard of being a that the German people shall find again, as a philosopher. And if other philosophers did that Heidegger tried to repair their personal people of labour, its organic unity, its simple not follow in these footsteps, that can be ex- relationship. Despite an intermittent exchange dignity, and its true strength; and that, as a state plained by the fact that they did not take of letters, the two philosophers could never of labour, it shall secure for itself permanence and thinking as seriously as Heidegger. They were repair their personal relationship as a result of greatness. To the man of this unprecedented will, not prepared to “accept this wondering as Heidegger’s refusal to recant his support of to our Führer Adolf Hitler-a three-fold ‘Sieg their abode.” Nazism.) Heil!” Arendt’s piece is notable for its sheer effron- End of extract In April 2000 Alex Steiner posted a three part tery. She manages to make Heidegger into the essay, “The Case of Martin Heidegger, Philosopher victim who fell prey to the greatness of his and Nazi”. In it he examines the politics of thought … She returns to the theme of Heidegger and Arendt’s relationship to him. Heidegger’s primal innocence and political The rest of this piece is extracted from that naiveté, writing that “... the point of the matter essay: https://www.wsws.org/en/ is that Heidegger, like so many other German articles/2000/04/heid-a04.html) intellectuals, Nazis and anti-Nazis, of his gen- It is in Nietzsche that the counter- eration never read Mein Kampf.” .▲

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 15

Chris Williamson and other leftists, they are wider smear campaign against Corbyn and his Defend Eddie just as much scabbing as Galloway is with his allies in the media and elsewhere which has support for Johnson’s coup. painted him as everything from an IRA volun- Dempsey teer to a Czech spy. My trade union officially We defend Eddie Dempsey against these slan- Eddie Dempsey (in his own words) recognises that as such in our national policy derous accusations. Of course, Socialist Fight 25 August 2018 · in the case of Marc Wandsworth which I de- has big political difference with Eddie and I was invited to London Young Labour Sum- fend. Stalinism in general and we are not slow to mer 18 event to present my unions I was met on the way in by two activists who fight these out. (dissenting) position on the EU and Brexit asked me to leave. I debated them politely, But Eddie recognised the unprincipled at- today. I was then last night and this morning told them I disagreed with them and I thought tacks on us by Labour Against the Witchhunt libelled as an antisemite for retweeting Michael they were wrong and then took part in the and came to defend us in 6 January 2018 when Rosen, George Galloway and comparing the panel which went very well with good debate. we were witchhunted and expelled. Political treatment of Margaret Hodge with that of differences must be fought out in earnest and Marc Wandsworth. we reject the methods of Jim Denham, the The Blairite panellist who was supposed to Guido Fawkes of the Labour movement. be opposing me pulled out ‘no platforming’ Owen Jones, Ash Sarkar and the AWL’s me as an antisemite. I have consistently op- Pete Radcliff have their own poisonous anti- posed antisemitism including being part of a Communist motives for attacking Eddie mobilisation to physically defend the Jewish Dempsey and should not be indulged. This is community in North London when a Jewish connected with their support for the racist community event was violently attacked in witchhunt in Labour against supporters of Mansfield park a few years ago. I stand by my Palestine liberation and anti-Zionists. On this comments that there is antisemitism on the ▲ question, on their support for the purge of left that is being cynically used as part of a

From back page ► for a New imperialist capital and the media, popular his economic interests and political sur- American Century (PNAC), created in among its poor and right-wing electorate. vival must be based on this fraction of 1997, under the Reagan administration. Trump reduced unemployment at the ex- world capital against A more powerful Bolton was a rabid dog always willing to pense of precarious contracts and anti- fraction of imperialism than temporarily wage war, attack North Korea, invade immigrant discourse, the real enemy of his and contradictorily does not occupy the Venezuela and bomb Iran. In fact, com- mandate, through which he ensured the presidential seat, but controls the Deep pared to previous mandates, nothing truly division of the US proletariat and the State that conspires against Trump. effective Bolton has accomplished except cheapening of the labour force, enabling a Trump is today the chief agent of world warmongers. Trump used Bolton’s threats relative recovery of US economy. imperialism, arguably an enemy of the to advance the economic terrain, but not Some factions of imperialism, such as the oppressed workers and peoples of the to carry out the threats. billionaire Koch brothers, for example, world. But those who want to bring him First, by moving away from the neocon- have done well in the Trump administra- down are worse. Why? Because they are servative wing defending the PNAC doc- tion, especially thanks to the fact that he more consistent in the defence of imperi- trine of war economy hypertrophy and the has kidnapped the government of Brazil alist interests. They are less brave and arms race, the Trump administration for his area of influence through the deep- more executioners. If Trump is a traitor to seems to be stating another course for the ening of the 2016 armed coup by the imperialist interests (which is an exaggera- US, more than military trade expansion, Obama administration. tion of the coup opposition) we are not recovery. economic power through strong the oppressed peoples that we will sup- protectionism and a permanent trade war Deep State conspires against port in establishing a government more of sanctions and tariffs to the detriment Trump faithful to imperialist interests, stronger, ... of the maintenance of the huge military In this contradictory but relatively effec- against us. The Republican Democratic machine and its expansionary cost, as if tive way, Trump has been neutralizing his opposition speaks less and does more for economic warfare did not lead at any time threats of impeachment. US expansionist policy. The inter- to direct or indirect military dispute. Now, in full campaign mode for re- imperialist dispute within the US opens a Second, the Trump administration has election, Trump has got rid of Bolton, deadlock that must be tactically used by increased its US gas exports to Europe announced his willingness to renegotiate the oppressed peoples, without losing tenfold and wants to get rid of the previ- with Iran (which rightly demands the sus- sight of the strategic goal of the struggle ous scheme implemented by Democratic pension of sanctions as preconditions and for victory over the whole of imperialism rivals to impose its own. the reinstatement of the nuclear agree- and its criminal agents like Bolsonaro. If ment with Obama as a precondition), “The share of US liquefied natural gas in Trump is overthrown the war escalation total EU gas imports in the first quarter of hints at the suspension of import tariffs of the cold war will resume. Those who 2017 was six percent, increasing 10-fold against China, especially those imports want to strike Trump have orchestrated all compared to 2016. In the first quarter of from US companies lodged in the Asian the successful coups on the planet in the 2017 the US became the sixth largest suppli- giant. last decade, such as Dilma’s impeachment, er of liquefied natural gas to the European In this way, the US president tacitly re- and now they want to do it in the White Union.” (Why the US cannot replace Rus- negotiates with the Eurasic bloc, not be- House itself. sian gas in Europe). cause he is a mere agent of this bloc, but https://lcligacomunista.blogspot.com/2019/09/ Unpopular between fractions of the great because as a minority wing of big capital, agora-o-golpe-e-contra-trump.html ▲

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward! Page 16

Now the coup is against Trump Hummberto Rodrigues, Brazil 26-9-19

emocrat House Speaker Nancy D Pelosi filed an impeachment case against Donald Trump on 24 September. The accusation against the president is that he violated US law by pressuring, through a call on 25 July, the new Ukrain- ian president, Volodymyr Zelenszy, to reopen investigations into a corruption scandal against the son of Democratic main candidate for the 2020 elections, Joe Biden. Biden’s son Hunter was named director of the largest energy and gas company in Ukraine, Burisma Holdings, in 2014, two months after the Barak Obama- Nancy Pelosi filed an impeachment case against Donald Trump on 24 September orchestrated coup d’état, whilst Biden was that he threatened the Ukrainian govern- Burisma Holdings became the country’s vice president. ment not to release US $ 250 million to leading gas company during this parasitic, This fact in itself is outrageous, opens Ukraine if the Kiev government did not repressive and corrupt process. wide the moral double of the imperialist cooperate in re-filing the case against Trump was elected with Putin’s support. establishment and compromises even the Biden’s son. This accusation does not Russian intelligence provided ammunition “good boy” Obama and the high-minded seem to make sense because Trump has to the then-candidate businessman to pro- “Democrats”. Under US law, the CIA already released the money even though voke crisis within the Democratic cam- cannot carry out foreign coups without Kiev has not yet complied with his re- paign by demonstrating Hillary Clinton’s the President approving them first quest and because unlike his former coup low game in sabotaging Bernie Sanders’ through a so-called “presidential finding” Ukrainian president, the current Zelensky “socialist” candidacy. Democrats who by the 1974 Hughes-Ryan Amendment. enjoys Trump’s and Putin’s sympathy. held the strongest and most popular pres- Obama is directly implicated in the con- However, the similar charge against idency, media and candidacies scrambled spiracy that toppled a government. and Biden seems much more credible. That and allowed the outsider of politics to orchestrated regime change which among the then US Vice President even black- become president with reactionary, xeno- other benefits gave control of Ukrainian mailed Ukraine, threatening to withhold $ phobic speech addressed to the white gas to his vice-president’s son. 1 billion in aid, unless the government proletariat. dismissed the country’s top prosecutor, A large smokescreen by the Viktor Shokin, who was accused of Russian interference in the 2016 Democrats “inefficiency” while coincidentally investi- elections This leads us to believe that while im- gating. Burisma Holdings, an investigation The demo-republican establishment tried peachment may appear to be an offensive that could have incriminated Biden’s son. to impeach him from the outset by measure against the Trump administra- The coup presented by the media cam- “Russian interference in the 2016 elec- tion, it is in fact a large smokescreen cre- paign as the “EuroMaidam revolution” in tions.” Throughout his tenure he pretend- ated by the Democratic party machine to reference to Maidan Square, where fascist ed and said things that camouflaged that protect itself and its preferred candidate, US and European Union defenders began in fact he liberated the Eurasic bloc to which is the pivot of the scandal. to mutiny against Russia, was extremely follow globalizing multipolarism. China This attack is a defence and the shot can lucrative for the US, disastrous for and Russia’s strategic plan to exponential- even backfire. It is very likely that this Ukraine, impoverished and divided. the ly expand their influence on the planet, attempt to impeachment, already called country almost in half in a bloody civil the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), made Ukraineiagate, will have the same fate as war. The anti-coupists took the island of great strides during the Trump admin- Russiagate, that is, it will not overthrow Crimea and founded the People’s Repub- istration, perhaps thanks to an unbelieva- the Trump government. Biden’s image lics of Donetsk and Lugansk, which voted ble zigzag roadmap. should not get any better after this scan- to integrate with Russia. At this point, the most bellicose faction dal, which may also favour Democrat Part of the scam artists explicitly of the neoconservatives that made up the Bernie Sanders (77, one year older than claimed the neo-Nazi ideology, started a republican front that gave rise to the gov- Biden) who is more popular than the for- witch hunt of workers and their organiza- ernment moved away from Trump. So mer vice-president. Sanders’s candidacy tions that had as one of the bloodiest mo- far, this fraction was best represented by was sabotaged in the 2016 election by the ments the massacre of the Trade Union John Bolton, as White House national Democrat machine with their super dele- House in Odessa, set on fire by fascist security adviser. Bolton was one of the gates. This time the party machine favours forces led by the Kiev government, lead- most active hawks among the Republican the moderate Democrat Elizabeth War- ing to 46 deaths and more than 200 in- neoconservative think tanks, articulator of ren. jured, almost all shot or burned alive ac- the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, One of the accusations against Trump is signatory of the Project cording to Wikipedia. Overleaf ►

Leon Trotsky: I am confident of the victory of the Fourth International; Go Forward!