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Letters July 1986 Marxism Today 39

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Letters July 1986 Marxism Today 39 Letters July 1986 Marxism Today 39 UNPOPULAR PERCEPTIONS away from an 'edge of darkness' are UNEQUAL AID wasn't bad enough, they also tend to It was alarming to witness Richard now part of national and spiritual It's about time we had a socialist hide the fact that Third World people Kinsey's reliance (MT May) on aspirations. With some of these perspective on development (Aid themselves are organising to fight people's experiences and perceptions aspirations being represented by Crusade, MT June). But what is a famine. The 'Images of Africa' entry in of crime and policing (as if these were Britain's ancient monuments, there is socialist perspective? Five years' the Women Alive programme reads: never contradictory), and on greater a struggle going on forthe meaning experience in the development 'Presenting positive images (in police effectiveness (as if this was of 'national heritage'. The Left would movement has led us to believe that contrast to Live Aid and the Sunday unproblematic), as key components do well to consider this. what we need is a change in the supplements) is a part of fighting the in a socialist strategy in this area. Mike Welter, Penge concept of charity and aid. racism and imperialism facing You would not imagine reading GOLLAN BIOGRAPHY Although some charities produce Afro-Caribbean and African women'. this article, nor reading the survey I am collecting material with a view to some (very good) educational A socialist perspective, if it is to be reports themselves, that findings writing a biography of John Gollan, material, their fundraising techniques anti-racist, must challenge this based sole/y on questionnaire-based who was general secretary of the are more often than not racist. Image ideology of aid, and begin to redefine interviews ought to be treated with a Communist party from 1956 to 1975. after image of starving Africans serve it as the repayment, between equals, degree of caution. Such caution is Among your readers may well be to appeal to our emotions, not our of a long overdue debt arising from especially necessary when the people who remember him from the brains. They say nothing about the our imperialist plunder. Maybe a mass findings themselves are far from thirties, when he was secretary of the causes of famine, especially campaign combining fundraising and straightforward-something Kinsey's Young Communist League; or later, underdevelopment by the West, and education would have been a better readings of his (and the Islington when he worked in the North-East of subsequently blame the victims idea? survey) evidence serves to obscure. England and in Scotland. themselves, by default. As if this J Legg and A Patel, Glasgow The idea that police effectiveness I should be grateful to anyone who could be improved simply by focusing could lend me letters or leaflets (these on the public's supposed crime would be copied and returned priorities and spending more time without delay) or who would be interviewing witnesses and suspects willing to meet me to contribute oral in connection with particular crimes, reminiscences. appears disarmingly simple. It is, I can be contacted at Berry Lane unfortunately, simplistic. Quite aside Corner, Aspley Guise, Milton Keynes, from the fact that neither police MK17 8HZ. numbers nor particular activities Margot Kettle, Milton Keynes appear to bear much relationship to the clear-up rate beyond a certain UNFORTUNATE PLEASURE bedrock of effectiveness, the difficult In tarring me with being an intolerant truth is that more effective crime conflict haterfor criticising macho control has implications for civil images of sport, Nellie Henderson liberties which are not adequately (Letters, MfJune). reveals an dealt with by insisting that we need a unfortunate pleasure in Daily Express 'reformed legal framework. .which style sterotypes. No doubt, her guarantees. civil liberties', internal composite image of myself is as a reorganisation and 'greater external dungaree-clad radical feminist hot control over the police' as well. from Greenham Common. Tony Jefferson- Sheffield Actually, I am a man who sees no excuse for the Left carelessly NEW HIPPIES reinforcing right wing views of the Simon Frith and John Street (MfJune) world, and more particularly its sport dismiss the rock underground as and leisure time. There are certainly 'clearly ridiculous' in the new context. conflicts in sport for all of us but they This may be a premature are about criticising elite competition observation. The government has and making sport accessible and open helped create young 'new era' to mass participation. hippies, many from working class What can only hinder us are sexist backgrounds. Reconstructed, sterotypes in no way conveying the realigned '60s types may now be concerns of the Left. pillars of threatened municipal Hilary Barnard, London socialism but the new hippies are a different kettle of fish. Victorian RELEVANT LIVES economic policies have produced Contrary to Eileen Phillips (MT June), I 'mediaeval brigands'. did not make the ludicrous The Stonehenge '86 summer suggestion that social anthropology solstice convoy represents, in many obliterated my class. In so far as there ways, a new movement. Sharing was an 'investigation', it was of the similar experiences with state oppressors of a minority. agencies as black inner-city youth, Phillips asserts that a writer's life miners' families, print workers and should be kept separate from any the women's peace camps, understanding of her work. Yet de counter-culture is being revitalised. Beauvoir's work included six volumes This is not just nostalgia. The CND of autobiography whose significance festival at Glastonbury this year is Anne Oakley's article beautifully timely, with its wide range of music illustrates. If (auto) biography is and performers, popular and classical. irrelevant, why did Phillips have to tell With these vibes and 'Spirit In The Sky' us that she herself is related to 'signs'forthe hippies, punks and someone who married into the ruling fellow travellers are good! classes? It is not surprising that movements Judith Okely, University of Essex.
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