No 118 November/December 1990 30p Newspaper of the Spartacist League Margaret Thatcher: goingLgoing ... Labour, Tories offer war, slump, inflation '

21 NOVEMBER-As we go to press, Plenty of people will be happy to see ment rate recording its largest monthly "services are no longer required" as they Michael Heseltine's challenge for leader­ the back of Maggie Thatcher, the vicious increase in four years. Recession and the rearm in the face of depression and im­ ship of the Tory party has received 152 "butcher of the Belgrano", ghoul of King's Gulf crisis are rendering many govern­ pending war. What they have in mind is a votes to Prime Minister Margaret That­ Cross, raving anti-worker swine. But the ments in the imperialist West shaky­ regime better capable of waging the cher's 204, thus forcing a second ballot attempted purge of Thatcher is being en­ from Bush in the US to Mitterrand's capitalist offensive against the working within a week. A bitter power struggle gineered by those who seek to restore an France. The weak British economy, rav­ class and the poor-to cut jobs, to lower within the party has been open and public effective bourgeois authority. Thus, among aged by decades of capitalist neglect and wages and if necessary to send them off since the cutting parliamentary address of the most vehement exponents of anti­ devastation, offers no easy options to the as cannon fodder. As the Sunday Times Sir Geoffrey Howe, until recently the sole Thatcherism is the Independent, which is bosses. Industry has been cut to the bone, (18 November) wrote in its editorial "A surviving member of Thatcher's original also among the most rabid supporters of rail and transport starved of investment, reluctant goodbye" of the Thatcher re­ 1979 cabinet. However the vote goes next an imperialist military adventure in the and industrial murder has become com­ gime: "It now presides over an economy week, the Thatcher regime is visibly on Middle East. monplace, from the North Sea to London mired in stagflation. The poll tax-the the rocks. lt is not an accident that the govern­ Underground. conception of which was a mistake, its Discontent with the Thatcher govern­ ment crisis broke out at a time of sharp The executive committee of the British birth a mess and its infancy an expensive ment is widespread; she is one of the economic downturn, with the unemploy- bourgeoisie are telling Thatcher that her embarrassment-has proved to be the most unpopular prime most unpopular tax in ministers of this century. modem British history. Trade unionists, minori­ All the perfumes in the ties and the poor have government's boudoir always despised her. The cannot make it smell middle classes are reeling sweet." under skyrocketing infla­ The emerging domi­ tion and mortgage rates, nant political forces are a top ruling echelons are more main-stream Tory worried by her attempts party and a very right­ to sabotage "European wing Kinnockite Labour integration", and every­ Party, whose policies are one hates the poll tax. In almost interchangeable. Scotland, used as a gui­ And whether a new gov­ nea-pig for the tax and ernment were to be sharply hit by the That­ headed by Kinnock or a cherite devastation of l Hurd or Heseltine, it industry, the Tory party m would be at least as op­ is almost irrelevant, run­ I:" pressive and vicious to ning a poor third behind .i working people as That­ Labour and the bour­ §. cher's. That is what is geois nationalist SNP. ~ continued on page 8 cc 6l

For military defence of Iraq! Defeat US, British imperialism!

The imperialist war drums in the supposed to be rotated out every six to "the sheer scale of the operation, retreating from Kuwait or to wait for Gulf beat ever louder. Another 150,000 eight months. Now it's official: US particularly in the air, with extra United Nations "authorisation" of the additional land, sea and air forces were soldiers won't be coming home for missions to be flown by Saudi and "use of force" . As one military ordered by US president Bush on 8 Christmas. Meanwhile a "mock beach British interceptors, is intended to give specialist from Washington's Brookings November to ensure "an adequate landing" just south of Kuwait's border them an idea of what they are up Institute put it: "It is too big a force to offensive military option should that be with Saudi Arabia called "Imminent against". sit on." Arguing that Washington necessary". Bush's staunchest ally, Thunder" was planned for the 17-18 Despite talk of giving the UN fig leaf should go to war sooner rather than Margaret Thatcher's government, is set November weekend, using 1000 aircraft blockade of Iraq time to work in later a senior Bush administration to send thousands of additional ground including Stealth bombers, A10 tank starving Iraqis into submission, Bush official said: "It's tough to keep an edge forces as well. All leaves have been killers and helicopters as well as a force hasn't mobilised close to 400,000 on your forces out there as weeks go cancelled for US forces already of Marines. As the London Evening combat forces in the Persian Gulf in an into months and they say, 'Why are we deployed in Saudi Arabia, who were Standard (Friday, 16 November) put it: attempt to "scare" Hussein into continued on page 5 US Supreme Court turns down· death row political prisoner

On the first day of its autumn term, pared sophisticated legal papers for the United States Supreme Court shut its numerous inmates. Despite widespread doors to death row political prisoner support from liberals and conservatives Mumia Abu-Jamal. On 1 October the Save Mumia Abu-Jamal! alike, the Court rejected Giarratano's court denied Jamal's petition for review request for a new trial because his law­ of his conviction and death sentence. yers in earlier stages of his case failed to Jamal, 36, had challenged the overtly Jamal, a former Black Panther Party booth. Because he was an outspoken raise the constitutional violations he cited. political basis of his conviction and the spokesman and supporter of the MOVE critic of racist cop terror, he was framed If "Judge Death" Rehnquist is driving exclusion of eleven prospective jurors organisation, was president of the Phila­ on charges of killing a Philadelphia the "execution express", Congress is fev­ solely because they are black, a chal­ delphia Chapter of the Association of policeman. erishly stoking its engines. In the Senate lenge going to the heart of the racist Black Journalists at the time of his 1981 For years, Chief Justice Rehnquist, confirmation hearings for newly ap­ death penalty in the US. The Court's arrest. Jamal became known as the "voice whose hero is the notorious hanging pointed Supreme Court Justice Souter action clears the way for Pennsylvania of the voiceless" because he spoke out for judge Isaac Parker who sent 164 men to they didn't even question his support for governor Robert Casey to sign a warrant the poor and oppressed minorities, first their graves in post-Reconstruction Ark­ capital punishment. And on 4 October of execution. from the streets and then from his radio ansas, has been the most outspoken pro­ the Democratic-controlled House passed ponent of speeding up the assembly line by a two-to-one margin an "anti-crime" of death. Nearly every day Rehnquist & bill which expanded the list of federal Co confirm that in death penalty cases crimes to carry the death sentence. As Defeat imperialist aggression there is no court of "last resort"-just a frustrated Congressional opponents sar­ rubber stamp. The Rehnquist court says castically chanted "Kill! Kill! Kill!" Wis­ As the United States, Britain and their that racist application of the death penal- consin Representative David Obey ac- allies invade the Persian Gulf, we defend the Iraqi and Arab peoples against American colonialist aggression, and want to see the defeat and humiliation of the imperialists' military adventure. When Mussolini's Italy invaded Ethiopia, a feudal kingdom, in the mid-1930s, Trotsky supported the Ethiopian TROTSKY resistance and condemned those leftists, LENIN such as James Maxton of the British In- dependent Labour Party, who took a neutral stand on the ground that both sides were reactionary despotisms. We print below part of Trotsky's .~ Letter to an English Comrade".

It is with great astonishment that I read the report of the conference of the Independent Labour Party in the New Leader of April 17, 1936. I really never entertained any illusions about the pacifISt parliamentarians who run the ILP. But their political position and their whole conduct at the conference exceed even those bounds that can usually be expected of them. I am sure that you and your friends have drawn approximately the same conclusions as we have here. Nevertheless, I cannot refrain from making several observations. Maxton and the others opine that the Italo-Ethiopian war is "a conflict between two rival dictators." To these politicians it appears that this fact relieves the proletariat of the duty of making a choice between two dictators. They thus defme the character of Wor1

WORKERSIIAMMER Latest issue, featuring the For a federation of workers republics in the British Isles I ~ international campaign to n P ...... Oo_c...... ' ...... N_V-Clty, J ...... um' ..... J_' ..... OOld.. For a Socialist United States of Europel save the life of American Monthly newspaper of the Spartacist League, British section of the International black political prisoner, Worldwide Campaign Communist League (Fourth Internationalist). Mumia Abu-Jamal. to Save Mumia Abu-Jamal EDITORIAL BOARD: Bonnie Bradley (Editor), Jon Branche, Alec Gilchrist, Eibhlin P'gt'f9 McDonald, Alan Mason, Len Michelson, Ellen Rawlings, Michael Riaz, David Strachan PRODUCTION MANAGER: Michael Riaz ·~~~~~~~;~~~~~·:;;r;:~ Price: 75p m CIRCULATION MANAGER: Suzan Groves ij W¥&Iik'iU1IAWd9¥ • Published by Spartacist Publications, PO Box 1041, London NW53EU Subscriptions: £3.00 for 1 year, overseas airmail £6.00. Opinions expressed in signed articles or letters do not necessarily express the editorial viewpoint Order from/make cheques payable to: Printed by Slough Newspapers Ltd(TU). ISSN 0267·8721 Partisan Defence Committee, BCM Box 4986, London WC1 N 3XX

2 WORKERS HAMMER Anti-Semitism stalks Europ-e Workers, minorities must crush fascist vermin! I Emboldened by resurgent pro-capitalist men caught defacing a car were sur­ in Kielce-the town which in 1946 achiev­ of course, of the sponsors to this country reaction in Eastern Europe and the im­ rounded by 200 Hasidics who handed ed worldwide notoriety when Jewish of one Yurl Butchenko-connected to perialist triumphalism over the "death of them over to the cops after giving them a survivors of the Holocaust were murdered the Russian fascists of the NTS as well as communism", the anti-Semites and fas­ lesson fIrst. But what has caused par­ in their hostel by pogromists. A Jewish the scab UDM of Roy Lynk-who like to cists in Britain have crawled from the ticular outrage in the Jewish community mathematician and writer on Jewish pose as some sort of anti-fascist activists sewers and stepped up their attacks. As in was an incident in which Jewish school­ affairs, Stanislaw Krajewski said: "The on their home terrain. (See "The Work­ France, where last May fascists exhumed children were sprayed with a CS gas-like main thing is the presidential campaign of ers Power school of 're-elabora­ and impaled the corpse of an old man at substance. Walesa, who has legitimised the public tion' /Turning on the Butchenko spit", a Jewish cemetery in Carpentras, the Unchallenged this deadly menace will expression of anti-Semitism. I don't say Workers Hammer no 117, October 1990.) skinhead and fascist ruth have added to only grow. The fascist vermin must be that he is an anti-Semite, but he is taking At the same time that the fascist thugs their murderous race-hate campaigns crushed in the egg. For worker/minority advantage of it, allowing it to be used" on the streets emulate the scum rising to against Asian, black, Arab and African mobilisations to smash racist, anti-Semitic (Guprdian, 19 November). Walesa, That­ the surface throughout Eastern Europe, peoples an increasing number of attacks terror! cher's favourite "trade union" leader, is the British ruling class fans the- same against Jewish people, their synagogues In the wake of the disintegration of on record as saying: "sometimes it is Jews flames. Thus, during the War Crimes Bill and cemeteries. ' Stalinism in Eastern Europe, the counter­ who create an anti-Semitic atmosphere in debate in the House of Lords earlier this Last month, the anti-fascist journal revolutionary spearhead of capitalist order to get into the limelight, because on year, the stench of anti-Semitism per­ Searchlight reported the ominous chroni­ restoration has resuscitated reactionary the wave of these 'anti' feelings, you can meated the debate which ended in the cle of anti-Semitic attacks this year: the nationalism, fascism and anti-Semitism rise in position" (Independent on Sunday, defeat of any action being taken against desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Ed­ with ferocity. From the Pamyat Black 27 May). Nazi war criminals resident in Britain. monton, North London twice; 25 head­ Hundreds in the Soviet Union to the The struggle against fascism is integral­ The debate laid bare sentiments widely stones smashed in a Jewish cemetery in vicious fascist/nationalist organisations in ly linked to the struggle to defend the prevalent in the upper echelons of the Leeds and daubed with "Crystal Nicht Poland and what used to be East Ger­ gains of the Russian October against British establishment. It is well known 90" (a reference to Kristallnacht, when in many, the targets of these scum are Jew­ imperialist attack and internal counter­ that a section of the ruling class including 1938 the Nazis unleashed state-sponsored ish people, Gypsies, national minorities revolution. Those on the fake left who the former king, Edward, Duke of Wind­ terror against Jews). In Chelmsford, a and foreign workers. give lip-service to "anti-fascist action", sor, along with some Mitfords and the Jewish schoolmaster was threatened with In Poland, for example, the presiden­ while at the same time promoting the Mosleys, were Hitler fellow-travellers. An gassing if he didn't leave the school and tial election campaign has been marked likes of the Pilsudskiite-loving Polish index of how steeped the British rulers in London's Stamford Hill area, Hasidic by aggressive anti-Semitic attacks, with Solidarnosc and even more vile forma­ are in anti-Semitic bigotry was the recent Jews have been the targets of escalating anti-Jewish graffiti increasingly common. tions from Eastern Europe and the Soviet obscene outbursts of Lord Denning (for attacks. On one occasio~ however, two A Soviet Jewish folk group was attacked Union, are charlatans. We are reminded, continued on page 9 Workers Hammer greets our new subscribers Congratulations to all, comrades on DSYG with their fIrst subscription drive students at the university; this was a events in Ireland. Thus, the announce­ the successful completion of the autumn meant that our regional trips in England follow-up to an earlier successful trip in ment of the DSYG's founding as well as 1990 Workers Hammer subscription drive. were less extensive this year. Thirty-nine August where we sold subscriptions to our on-going coverage of the struggle for Participating along with the Glasgow and points were sold on the Leeds trip, cen­ striking oilworkers. At St Andrews, we abortion rights were popular items with London branches of the Spartacist tred on the university, while at the univer­ sold 13 points, mainly to students at­ young militants in Dublin. We look for­ LeaguefBritain were the members of the sities of Kent and Essex we sold 30 and tracted by our line on the Gulf crisis. In ward to carrying articles of current and newly-formed Dublin Spartacist Youth 20 points respectively. Door-to-door sales Glasgow, a gratifying number of sub­ historical interest in forthcoming issues of Group (DSYG). We exceeded our overall of subs in Southall not only brought in scribers renewed (22 points) including WH. Part of the struggle to forge a Bol­ quota of 340 points by 26 per cent with a new subscribers from the predominantly many Asian readers. shevik party in Britain and Ireland is the total of 430 points. Asian working-class neighbourhood but The overwhelming bulk of subscrip­ polemical battle against the reformist and also resulted in renewing existing readers. tions sold in Dublin were to university centrist pretenders (a number of whose In addition to the 157 single subs to The London campuses accounted for members read WH regularly). This con­ Workers Hammer, we also sold 66 joint students at Trinity College, University some 37 points, particularly among stu­ tinues to be one of the central tasks for subs to Wmkers Hammer and Wmkers College Dublin and Dublin City Univer­ dents at the London School of Econo­ the monthly Workers Hammer. Vanguard (fortnightly newspaper of the sity. (Our sub drive committee overdid it mics. With this issue, Workers Hammer is Spartacist LeaguejUS) and 67 subscrip­ on the quota given the other tasks facing Highlights of the Glasgow sub drive raising our single issue price to 30 pence tions to Women and Revolution, journal the Group). With the founding of the included the regional trips to Aberdeen and subscriptions sold beginning with this of the Women's Commission of the DSYG, Workers Hammer has an in­ and St Andrews University. Twenty-one issue will be raised to £3.00. Resisting this SLjUS. Comrade Debbie was the top sub creased responsibility to provide cover­ points were sold in Aberdeen, mainly to age and analysis of the social and political price rise for probably too long; we still seller with 57~ points. We welcome our remain the least costly newspaper on the new readers and those who have renewed left in Britain. And the only newspaper to their subscriptions to our unique Marxist provide a revolutionary internationalist publications. coverage of the historic events which are Concentrating on expanding our read­ now taking place and which so urgently ership in Scotland and reinforcing our require the reforging of the Fourth Inter­ Glasgow branch as well as helping the national, party of world revolution .•

SL/B & DSYG o 1-year subscription to Workers Hammer for £3 joi\'lt sub drive (Overseas subscriptions: Airmail £6.00)

o 1-year subscription to Workers Hammer PLUS 24 issues of Workers Vanguard, Final Totals Marxist fortnightly of the Spartacist League/US for £8.00 All above subscriptions include Spartacist, organ of the International Quota Pts % Communist League (Fourth Internationalist)

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1990 3 NlHlIf<8 arbeitermacht ~f I'll Mflf f{ lY4() Workers Power in Germany: -'-,----"- ..... --.~~-.-.- ~.-.-~- f'RfIS 30prG. taking it easy with Gysi ...--, __~I ~r-JIt.1 FRAGEN AN DIE

STELL T DIE PDS AUF DIE PROBE ! oS" .L\~KE L\S1£11" ,.,rr.\1L1 ORGANISIERT DEN KAMPF Arbeitermacht EURE INTERESSEN ! joins the PDS

The Spartakist-Arbeiterpartei Deutsch­ a vote to the SPD, the social-democratic lands (SpAD) is currently standing in the 2 Trojan horse of capitalist counter­ December Bundestag elections on a class­ revolution in the DDR! In the Novem­ struggle programme to fight the consequen­ ber/December issue of Class Struggle, ces of unification under capitalism (see newspaper of the Irish Workers Group "For workers resistance East and West!" (IWG-affiliates of Workers Power) we WH no 117, October). We print below an read that: "The LRCI will stand with Arbeitermacht, article from our SpAD comrades exposing worker militants who look to the PDS and journal of the antics of the Gennan affiliates of SPD in Germany, by voting with these Workers Power's Workers Power. parties against the capitalist parties.... co-thinkers in That means voting for the PDS nationally Germany and, locally, for PDS candidates or SPD campaign for the The group of anti-Soviet rightward­ where there is no PDS representative". reformist PDS moving centrists around the journal Ar­ In a polemic entitled "Trotskyism which capitulated beitennacht, German organ of the League versus stalinophile Spartacism" (Arbeiter­ to capitalist for a Revolutionary Communist Interna­ macht no 1, March 1990), the LRCI ask­ Anschluss. PDS tional (LRCI) has applied to join the ed: "Is the SED-PDS reformable?" and leader Gysi PDS and build a "Trotskyist Platform" in answered with a resounding "No!" Here (below, left). it. Those familiar with Arbeitennacht the LRCI is vigorously thrashing a straw know that the LRCI rabidly denounced man, since the SpAD and its predeces­ the SED-PDS and saw, not capitalist sors, the Trotzkistischen Liga Deutsch­ PDS as a contribution to resolving the the pressure of the anti-Treptow cam­ reunification, but "Stalinism" as the main lands and Spartakist-Gruppen, did not current crisis of the left" (Arbeitennacht, paign and forswore any such mobilisation danger facing the working people in the have the position of attempting to reform no 10, 20 October). No call for a break for the future. (Not coincidentally, by DDR. So what has changed? The LRCI the SED-PDS. The LRCI is in fact de­ with the party and its cringing reformist April, after the PDS' abject capitulation has evidently decided that the PDS has nouncing us for seeking to intersect the leadership here. Like Gysi & Co they talk to the imperialist stampede for capitalist crossed the Rubicon of social democrati­ thousands of militants who wanted to about the "renewal" of the PDS. reunification, the Little England Labour sation. break with Stalinism and be communists Arbeitennocht's "rrrevolutionary" in­ Party leftists of Workers Power began to In the critical months leading up to the during the winter of 1989-90 when it was transigence corresponds only to the pe­ call on the PDS and SPD to "use their 18 March DDR elections, which marked cheering on the mobs who stormed Stasi riod when the SED-PDS was under heavy votes" as an opposition in the Volkskam­ a decisive electoral victory for the forces headquarters in Berlin under the black­ fue from the bourgeoisie and its social­ mer and to "table pro-working class of capitalist reunification, Arbeitermacht red-gold colours. democratic lackeys and the DDR de­ legislation".) The stage was set for was second to none in screaming for In its polemic, Aroeitennacht wrote: formed workers state had not yet been Modrow's declaration of support to "Ger­ "Stalinist" blood. At every crucial point, "So what are the Marxist principles which destroyed. The 3 January Treptow anti­ many, united fatherland"-a historic they tailed the forces of capitalist coun­ must be observed for a tactical approach fascist demonstration was a turning point; betrayal, which together with Gorbachev's terrevolution. Today, with Gysi inviting to a reformist, in this case Stalinist, this powerful pro-Soviet mobilisation of green light for capitaIist reunification, the bourgeois cops into party head­ party? First, you can't hide the fact that 250,000 could have rallied workers resis­ accelerated the collapse of the DDR quarters and setting up his own comrades such a party is not reformable .... A con­ tance to capitalist reunification. That's deformed workers state. for imprisonment in order to reaffirm the sistent revolutionary orientation can be why the bourgeoisie hated it, and why the Neither of these capitulations is even PDS' cringing loyalty to the German presented to oppositional SED comrades PDS repudiated it. mentioned in the "Call for the formation bourgeoisie, Arbeitermacht wants to enter only when a break with the Stalinist party Arbeitennacht has claimed that it sup­ of a Trotskyist Platform"! And Albeiter­ the PDS. These centrists want to be on is openly propagated." ported Treptow. It would be bad for their macht is not just "taking it easy with the ground floor of the new PDS-bro­ The key word here is "Stalinist". Is "left" image to simply denounce the Gysi" here, because they never forthright­ kered popular front, as Gysi appeals to today's PDS a reformist party? Of course. largest anti-fascist demonstration in Ger­ ly opposed capitalist reunification. The the Greens and others to join him in a But Aroeitennacht now say, in their "Call man history. But the LRCI's international article in Trotskyist International no 5 is new "left alternative". for the formation of a Trotskyist Plat­ leadership declares that it was possible tantamount to support for German reuni­ Furthermore, LRCI is also advocating form", "we see our collaboration in the that "the state used agents provocateun to fication. "[Treptow] also tended to con­ exaggerate the impact of the Republi­ fmn the left in their view that support for kaner in the DDR" (Trotskyist 11Ilema­ national unification was tantamount to Hate TrotskYism, tionoJ no 5, Autumn 1990}-almost word support for Nazism, a Fourth Reich. This Out now! for word the same as the reactionary sectarian attitude served to deepen the Hate the Spartacists Bildzeitung, which labelled the desecration gulf already existing between the mass of the monument to the Soviet war dead movement and the left." A bulletin series of ··llbUJletlnSerleIO'Opponenlrrfilllerllll (to which the demonstration responded) Presumably by "mass movement" opponent material NUMBER 1 a "Stasi trick". LRCI means the orgies of German na­ Workers Power and the Trotskyist International goes on, "It was tionalism which took place at the rallies Number 1 Irish Workers Group essential for revolutionaries to call for in Leipzig. Sure enough, the "non-sec­ £2.00 independent working class mobilisations tarian" LRCI published an "action pro­ eSectal1lnlimilndSlallnQprtma The POIIIJet; 01 Ihe Splrblcllts IWGl>llmp/1Ie![I'-..uy'900) against both the fascists and the state." In gramme" in August, reprinted in Trotsky­ (42 pages) .~Sp.rtaC"lI;:APOI._W.11 IWGpompl'''p oaoOer 19001 other words, the LRCI was actually ist International no 5, which whines, "No

.r.....,CIIII'... Itp<>hl_ Work.... Power: th. bllgg.g. 01 SUile ClIp/tJi".m against the united front with the SED­ to the undemocratic imposition of unifica­ Order from/make cheques w"" ... ·~''''''00ISOpl._,_, • son.cor. ""pjIo~ ...... <>1'11'0"' ... PDS, and for an imaginary "third camp" tion" (our emphasis). In the tradition of payable to: WOfk .... POw."rl\lhltum on East Germllny w"" .... Ho"",,", "" 113 (M.","/~ ..., ,_" which is but a "left" variant of the bour­ Kautsky, the LRCI wanted super-"demo­ 'fIMo8U1CIMo"_OIn.IrInll-SO"'otJom""","t>omolOrooot Work.... Pow.rcaughtwlth RUlllllnl.scllta, ThIlIc"-".lIcab, geois/social-democratic smear campaign cratic" Anschluss: "For free elections, Spartacist Publications W""'''''lffJfltmM"",.e(SepI'''''''''''!lIlO1 .TIIIWott.... PO_OC:hooIOI .. _bomlon Turning on tn. Sulchen!m brutal assaults by fascist scum against DSYG DUbhnSl*\lc,,,roUlhG;oup occupation troops" in LRCI pUblications PO Bo<21U4 Oublln, ... o"..,,~,_ PO Box 2944 _,. no 1 leftists, immigrants and Soviet soldiers (language usually used by German fas­ Dublin 1 multiply. cists) demonstrates not only rabid anti­ The PDS leadership collapsed under Sovietism, but capitulation to German

4 WORKERS HAMMER nationalism. Arbeitennacht continually raises the call for "foreign troops" out of Germany, putting imperialist forces and the Red Army on the same plane. The "Call for the formation of a Trotskyist Over 1000 anti­ Platform" even proposes that the PDS fascists came out undertake a campaign against German on 2 November to membership in NATO! In or out of protest Nazij NATO German imperialism would be skinhead attacks part of the anti-Soviet imperialist coali­ in Halle, In former tion. The thrust of LRCI's politics is the OOR. Banner defence of "self determination" for Ger­ says: "For man imperialism-a line they share with workers GysijModrow. resistance No wonder the LRCI can't stand any against the mention of a Fourth Reich, howling "sec­ Fourth tarian", "caricature", etc. The Fourth Reichl Vote Reich is not a fascist regime, but its con­ Spartakistl" tinuity with the Third Reich is evident. Does the LRCI believe, with Reichskanz­ ler Kohl, in the "mercy of a late birth" for German imperialism? In Austria, their On 19 October the cops raided PDS money by "democratically-elected repre­ the PDS has repeatedly stabbed the fight section followed the social democracy in headquarters after its treasurer had at­ sentatives of the workers from the fac- to organise workers resistance against the politely demanding the resignation of tempted to prevent party money from • tories". If the ''whole class" decides to Fourth Reich in the back. ·.But that is Nazi war criminal Waldheim. falling into the hands of the bourgeois send SPD or CDU representatives to what the LRCI fmds so appealing! To the The bourgeoisie has targeted the PDS state. In a leaflet Arbeitennacht called for snoop in the PDS books that's just fme by LRCI, such betrayals demonstrate that for destruction in its new Reich. As the defence of the PDS-with its own Arbeitennacht! The LRCI believes the the PDS has "broken with Stalinism". For would-be members of this !larty, Albeiter­ special brand of "united front": the SPD adjective ''workers'' transforms an im­ the LRCI, which considers the overthrow macht does feel obliged to give lip-service should "distance" itself from Piitzold, the perialist slogan into a revolutionary one of capitalism in the wake of the smashing to defence of the PDS, even with lan­ SPD's top cop in Berlin who launched the -''workers sanctions", ''workers ballot", of Hitler's Third Reich by the Soviet Red guage that seems to be (and probably raid. While revolutionaries point out the etc. Why don't they raise the call "For a Army to be "counterrevolutionary" (not was) cribbed from the pages ofSpartakist. danger posed to the entire workers move­ workers witchhunt against the PDS"? to mention a "reactionary denial of the Quite a change coming from people who, ment by this razzia (pillaging incursion), As the PDS leadership piles capitula­ right of self-determination"), that's the thought that the "anti-Stasi" anti-com­ and seek to win the trade unions to uni­ tion on capitulation in a vain attempt to decisive question. munist witchhunt was not bloody, not ted-front defence of the PDS, Arbeiter­ appease the bourgeoisie, Arbeitennacht Trotsky made the point that the social­ thorough, enough, who called to "root out macht covers up the fact that the entire knocks on the door to join in on this democratic and Stalinist reformists were and punish every filthy bureaucrat and SPD leadership has been the driving force crawling "renewal", taking as their model equal betrayers of the proletariat. There secret police agent who made life hell for in the expropriation of the PDS and its toothless "oppositionists" like the "Com­ was only the difference that the Stalinists the GDR's workers for forty years". call on the SPD is thus pure cynicism. munist Platform", which has yet to seri­ rested on the gains of October, prolet­ Although the de facto outlawing of the In the next week, the Gysi/Brie leader­ ously oppose a single one of the Gysi arian state power. The LRCI proves that PDS began in the spring with a law put­ ship threw PDS treasurers Pohl and leadership'S betrayals. In Arbeitennacht's Stalinophobia is in essence opposition, ting the party's money under the control Langnischke to the bourgeois wolves, and leaflet written after the 19 October raid, not to Stalinism, but to the dictatorship of of trustees of the Fourth Reich, this invited the police back into PDS head­ they say, "Despite all the affirmations of the proletariat as such. When the PDS is subject interested Albeitennacht so little quarters for another razzia. The Novem­ conformity to the Constitution by the no longer in power, and the DDR de­ that it merited no mention in its August ber Albeitennacht passed off this criminal party executive, despite all the reformist stroyed, then it becomes supportable for "action programme". It gets one line in capitulation as "the party leader­ hymns to the blessings of the 'social mar­ the LRCI. the "Call for the formation of a Trotsky­ ship... sacrificing comrades as scapegoats ket economy', despite all the bowing to They deserve Gysi, but rank and file ist Platform" and the shameful and sui­ for their own mistakes". As for Gysi, they German unity, the PDS, by its existence militants in the PDS who have had cidal capitulation of the PDS leader­ write, "We criticise Gysi for letting the alone, is still a threat to the smooth func­ enough of his belly-crawling, who want to ship before this expropriation not a myrmidons of the state freely enter party tioning of social-partnership democracy a fight against the Fourth Reich, for a word. By contrast, the SpAD called im­ headquarters". Ia Bonn." communist future should look to the mediately for united-front defence of the Albeitennacht was more interested in "By its existence alone"!? Trotsky genuine Trotskyist programme of the PDS and said that refusal to open the the "undemocratic structures which made wrote that "the historical crisis of man­ Spartakist -Arbeiterpartei Deutschlands books to the bourgeois state was a ques­ the actions of Pohl and Langnitschke kind is reduced to the crisis of the revolu­ and the International Communist League ti~n of principle. possible". They call for control of PDS tionary leadership". The misleatkrship of (Fourth Internationalist) .•

deranged rulers of the declining Amer­ the imperialists' most-favoured Russian under the United Nations flag and much ican empire, who are seeking to reassert leader since Tsar Nicholas n, but the of the fake-socialist left trails behind Gulf ... themselves as the global policemen and Kremlin's policy of trying to "appease" Benn's social chauvinism. At the recent (Continued from page 1) bully their imperiaIist rivals through imperialism has only tightened the conference of the "Campaign Against control over world oil supplies. And military noose encircling the Soviet War in the Gulf" (CAWG) it was left to here?' Morale goes down" (New York Washington's most important Arab ally, degenerated workers state. the Spartacist League to put forward a Times, 10 November). Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, is calling Leninist perspective for mobilising along In the confrontation between Iraq and for more time for the sanctions to work Anti-imperialism abroad means class lines for the defeat of the imperialist the bloody US and British imperialist war and has stated his troops will not go into class struggle at home! powers in the Gulf and the military criminals, the international working class Iraq (only Kuwait). The US is out to achieve global con­ defence of Iraq ("Break with Labourism has a side: for the defence of Iraq and Bush's announcement that he was trol of oil supplies. ("You can be sure we to Defeat Imperialism!" see page 9). the defeat of the United States and its doubling US forces in the Gulf came on wouldn't have a platoon on the Kuwaiti With Thatcher in deep trouble, she has allies. Iraqi despot Saddam Hussein is the heels of Secretary of State Baker's frontier if the resource in the region was already tried to play the Gulf card as indeed a bloody butcher of tens of global tour to harden up the US' shaky guano", quipped one Democratic ana­ "war leader". However, this is unlikely to thousands of Iraqi Communists, militant anti-Iraq "coalition" partners. France and lyst.) But even if the US imperialists win wash, particularly as every contend­ workers and Kurds. He was also until the Soviet Union were floating calls for the war, they won't achieve their aim. er-rival Tories (including Heseltine, the very recently an ally of the US a "peaceful" solution. Baghdad was be­ There is oil in too many places on the ex-Minister of Defence) and Neil Kinnock imperialists for years and a prime coming, in the words of the Independent face of the earth outside the US and the alike-would prosecute the war with candidate for regional "policeman of the (24 October), "an international con­ Middle East. Moreover if the imperialists equal zeal. This fact has not in the least Gulf". Thus, the CIA helped Hussein's vention centre for opposition politicians", take Iraq, after murdering hundreds of dissuaded virtually the entire fake left Ba'athist Party murder an estimated 5000 as everyone from former Tory prime thousands of Iraqis and killing tens of from calling ever more loudly for a Lab­ members of the powerful Iraqi Com­ minister Edward Heath to former Social thousands of American and allied our government. (A call akin to de­ munist Party in 1963. Britain, as the Democratic West German chancellor soldiers, they could reap a whirlwind of manding the Social Democrats Noske and recent "superguns" revelations attest, did Willy Brandt flew to Iraq to negotiate the hostility, from the Middle East to the Scheidemann to be elected to lead Ger­ its bit to arm the Iraqi regime as well. release of hostages. (Not to be outdone, belly of the imperialist beast. In Riyadh, man imperialism during World War I.) Hussein must be brought down by the "left" Labour MPs Tony Benn, Bernie senior US staff officials figure that they What is necessary is a political struggle to Iraqi working masses and oppressed, not Grant and even Ron Brown have got into will be shipping home a thousand corpses break the working class from the pro­ the rapacious imperialists who are seek­ the act.) a day as soon as war breaks out. And imperialist Labour traitors, right and ing the devastation and SUbjugation of the So at a Moscow press conference, US even before a shot has been fired, polls "left". Political strike actions and mass Arab peoples. Break the blockade! Secretary Baker and his aides could show a level of anti-war opposition in the militant mobiIisations against the war will barely contain themselves when Soviet US that wasn't reached until several years run straight up against the opposition of Triumphantly proclaiming the "death foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze into the Vietnam War. the Labour/TUC misleaders. Integrally of communism", the US rulers see the said the use of force "could not be ruled In Britain, which has more troops in linked to the perspective of class struggle world as a "free market" for their out". The Kremlin bureaucrats have Saudi Arabia than any other Western ally to defeat imperialism from within is the unbridled aggression and exploitation. endorsed the most massive imperialist of the US, Thatcher's sabre-rattling has forging of an authentic Leninist party But, with the exception of Thatcher, military mobilisation since the Vietnam War been loyally supported by the Labour dedicated to lead the struggle for socialist Bush's "allies" are none too enthusiastic which will put close to half a million US Party leadership. The "lefts" such as revolution. Break the blockade of Iraq! about plunging into a war in the Middle troops only 700 miles from the borders of Tony Benn are perfectly willing to No to UN sanctions! British, US, French East to fulfll the ambitions of the the Soviet Union! Gorbachev might be support war as long as it is carried out troops out of the Gulf! •

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1990 5 Weare proud to print well as the Warsaw con­ below a statement of work­ gress of the OPZZ trade­ ing agreement between the union federation. This let­ International Communist ter, counterposing the Trot­ League and our comrades skyist perspective of pro­ of the newly founded Spar­ letarian internationalism to takusowska Grupa Polski. escalating Greater German The militants of the SGP chauvinism and the nation­ come to the ICL, having alism of Solidarnosc, came arrived at revolutionary into the hands of the RML. Trotskyism after several Nine years ago our call to years of efforts to redis­ "Stop Solidarnosc Coun- cover the programme of au- terrevolution" stood out thentic communism. Its cadre include who have a 'SolidarnosC' pedigree, or in The beginnings of political revolution in sharply as a concretisation of the Trot­ some who were politicised by the events any case put all their hopes in 'Soli dar­ East Germany (DDR) a year ago allowed skyist insistence that the USSR and the of 1980-81 in Poland but were repulsed nose.' Until now it is diffIcult for them to us for the rust time to reach out to Polish deformed workers states be defended by the reactionary clericalism of Solidar­ shed these illusions. Either they don't workers with Trotskyist propaganda in against capitalist restoration. Sundry op­ nose. They were among the founders of know or they deliberately suppress the their native language. A statement of portunists sneered that such a principled the Ruch Mfodej Lewicy (RML-Young reality of our true tradition (for 'tactical' "Internationalist Greetings to Our Polish stance would rmd no support within the Left Movement), initially a somewhat het­ reasons). It is increasingly more diffIcult Comrades" (December 1989) by our Polish workers movement. The revolu­ erogeneous grouping which sought to for us to have a common language with comrades in Germany, produced through tionary regroupment in Poland is there-' function as a left wing within the youth them." the assistance of a Polish-speaking sym­ fore particularly satisfying. The adher­ organisation of the Polish United Work­ For the ICL, this agreement represents pathiser in London, was widely distrib­ ence of Polish comrades to the ICL, ers Party (PZPR-the ruling Stalinist a welcome result of our ongoing propa­ uted among the thousands of Polish along with fusions of new forces in Can­ party). Seeking the road to proletarian gandistic intervention into the events in workers in the DDR. Subsequently, a ada and Mexico, bears witness to the internationalism, our new Polish com­ Poland from without. It is also a modest "Letter to Polish Workers" (May 1990) power of the Leninist programme to rades came into conflict with the Stalinist vindication of our insistence on reviving by the Spartakist Workers Party of Ger­ regroup subjective communists interna­ nationalist . perversion of Marxism and the historic revolutionary unity of the many was distributed in Poland itself, to tionally. Forward to the reforging of the with the deeply nationalist pro-Solidar­ German, Polish and Soviet proletariat. the combative rail workers in Szczecin as Fourth International! nose left. They were excluded from a May Day demonstration. in 1988 for carrying banners hailing Lenin, Luxem­ burg and Liebknecht, revolutionary lead­ ers of the Russian, Polish and German workers. Increasingly attracted to Trot­ skyism, they were instrumental in seeing that key works by Trotsky like TI,e Revo­ lutioll Betrayed were translated into the Polish language. Thus, by the time they first came into contact with ICL literature this summer, the comrades who now constitute the SGP had through their own experiences and struggles arrived at a similar political thrust on several key questions. But it was necessary to draw a sharp political line against the pro-Solidarnose outfits like the Mandelites and Morenoites who mas­ querade as Trotskyists. As the Polish comrades noted in a letter to our Ger­ man section: "In the Trotskyist movement New York, September 1981: Spartacists opposed power grab by reactionary Solidamose, company union for the CIA in Poland, we often meet with activists and capitalist bankers. Solidarnose leader Lech Walesa (right) flaunts money from Western backers.

1. From October 1917 on, capitalism has Counterrevolution" and supported Jaru­ sought to crush the world historic Between Young Left Movement zelski's preventive military coup, while achievements of the Russian Revolution. fighting for a proletarian political revolu­ The restoration of capitalism would tion to oust the parasitic bureaucracy. mean massive immiserisation and unem­ of Poland and leL The RML [Young Left Movement] agrees ployment of the working people, bring­ with this position. These events were an ing back all the backwardness and chau­ and abetted by imperialism, the Vatican victorious, it would as well have threat­ acid test for all would-be revolutionaries; vinism of the past, and preparations for and social democracy. By the time of its ened the existence of the other deformed it is necessary to swim against the stream a new interimperialist war. We Trotsky­ first congress in 1981, Solidarnose had workers states, placing in the hands of the when the Marxist programme stands ists stand for unconditional military consolidated behind a programme of imperialists the main supply and com­ counterposed to the existing conscious­ defence of the Soviet Union and the social counterrevolution: support to anti­ munication routes between the Soviet ness of the overwhelming bulk of the deformed 'workers states against imperi­ communist "free trade unions", restora' Union and the DDR, then the front line working class. alism and internal counterrevolution. tion of capitalism through bourgeois state confronting NATO. At that time the 3. We reject the claims of fake-leftists 2. In Poland the primary agency for coun­ parliamentarism, and liquidation of the international Spartacist tendency (iSt, now that counterrevolutionary Solidarnose was terrevolution has been Solidarnosc, aided planned economy. Had Solidarnosc been the ICL) demanded "Stop Solidamosc leading a "proletarian political revolu­ tion" in 1981. A genuine proletarian Panorama Columbia University Press Ksiazka Wiedze no credit political revolution is premised on the defence of the collectivised property rela­ tions. As opposed to workers "self-man­ agement", which in reality means the introduction of capitalist property rela­ tions through the pitting of workers in different enterprises against each other, we stand for a planned, socialised econ­ omy (including the collectivisation of agriculture) free of Stalinist bureaucratic parasitism, arbitrarism and national au­ tarky. The basic direction of the econ­ omy and society must be decided through workers democracy, that is, rule by work­ ers councils. 4. True to the programme of the early Communist International, Trotskyism Poland's revolutionary Communist tradition: Rosa Luxemburg and the stands for world socialist revolution. In "Three W's"-Adolf Warski, Henryk Walecki and Wera Kostrzewa of the contrast, Stalin's dogma of "socialism in early Polish Communist Party. one country" is a nationalist, anti-sociaI-

6 WORKERS HAMMER Letter from Polish comrades The following letter was addressed to the Spartakist Workers Party of Gennany. ARBEITERPRESSEKORRESPONDENZ Wroclaw 29 July 1990 .~PARTAkIST ~ ~m, NittVOCh, 10. J.nu_r 1990 5 Ptenn ... PiamO _yczno-programowe Ruchu ",Iodoj Lswicy \ ~. 1'0 Comrade Spartacists, Wroc'aw kwiecieli-1ipiec 1990 rok nr 7 8 ..ron - ••• ,., As young people, who during their CO SIE DZIEJE studies have arrived-thanks to their own efforts and searchings---to Trot­ W EUROPIE? skyism, that forgotten tradition and ~~~~~~~~ modem revolutionary current· of the Aufrufder~undTLD workers movement, we read with inter­ Ehrt Lenin, I..iebknechi, Luxemburg! est your publications. As far as we know, you are the only current which ~~~~~~. commemorates the anniversary of the deaths of Lenin, Luxemburg, Lieb­ Young Left Movement In Poland. Spartaldst WOrl(ers Party In Germany have fought to revlvelntematlonallst tradmon knecht. It so happens that we too have of the "Three L's": lenin, Uebknecht ancl Luxemburg. For revolutionary unity of Germen, Polish and Soviet workers I remembered this anniversary in Poland. So for your interest, on the 1st of Polish press, in which we have press the reality of our true tradition German imperialism against which you May 1988, we were thrown off an documented this forgotten tradition. (for "tactical" reasons). It is increasing­ are warning is in Poland used to fuel official demonstration in Warsaw for Thanks to you our access to this ly more difficult for us to have a com­ nationalistic hysteria. Our aim is to op­ having banners, one of which was about tradition became wider. mon language with them. pose it with an internationalist stand "Lenin, Luxemburg, Liebknecht." On In the Trotskyist movement in Po­ We are hearing proposals to sup­ calling for a common defense of the the 70th anniversary of the death of R. land, we often meet with activists who presS your position, which they consid­ gains of workers revolution on this and Luxemburg and K. Liebknecht we have have a "Solidarno~c" pedigree, or in er as "discrediting the Trotskyist move­ the other side of the Oder. We express issued a leaflet on the streets of Wro­ any case put all their hopes in "Solidar­ ment" (!). Discussion is cut short at the full support to your struggle. claw in dedication to their memory. no~e'. Until now it is difficult for them very moment that it should have We have organized a series of meet­ to shed these illusions. Either they started. With internationalist greetings, ings with slides from the German and don't know or they deliberately sup- The threat to the workers states by AJ,RK

-,~~,;...~--"""'--~;"" [Confederation for an Independent Po­ imperialism for a renewed "Dra1lg nach land] vermin here to the Great Russian Osten" [drive to the East]. Our cOl)1rades chauvinists of Pamyat. For workers uni­ of the Spartakist Workers Party of Ger­ ted fronts to smash the fascists! Workers many [SpAD] uniquely fought against in Poland: smash chauvinist attacks on capitalist reunification and fIght today Jewish people, Ukrainians, Gypsies, ho­ against anti-Polish and anti-immigrant mosexuals! Honour the heroic fighters of chauvinism, as an essential part of the struggle for socialist revolution. Polish , uprising, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1943! Defend leftists and former members of communists must fight relentlessly against erected by the PZPR [Polish United Workers Party) Pilsudskiite nationalism, which subjects Jewish against anti-communist witchhunts! For the workers to the dictates of the IMF survivors class struggle against attempts to dis­ while spewing out anti-Russian and anti­ In 1946. mantle social gains of the collectivised German chauvinism. Only proletarian economy: for factory occupations and internationalism offers a way forward­ strikes against privatisations and plant For the revolutionary unity of Russian, shutdowns! Polish and German workers! For a so­ 8. In East Germany what began as a cialist united states of Europe! political revolution turned into a capital­ 9. Reformists and centrists, forsaking the ist counterrevolution. This defeat for the principle of defence of the deformed ist lie aimed at conciliating imperialism. and (b) the RML's support to the "Trot­ workers movement has whetted the appe­ workers states against counterrevolution, The Gorbachev bureaucracy's appease­ skyist Platform" published by the Trotsky­ tites of the Fourth Reich of German continued on page 11 ment of imperialism and its undermining ist Faction of the Mexican POS, which of the collectivised economy, unleashing subsequently fused with the Grupo Espar­ bloody national and ethnic conflicts, taquista de Mexico. threatens the very existence of the home­ 6. A Trotskyist party must be a tribune of Top: Polish land of October. The Polish Stalinists, the people, championing all victims of railway workers In who mortgaged the economy to the West­ oppression. The drive to restore capital­ Szczecin strike in ern bankers and drove the working class ism revives and intensilles all the "old May against into the arms of the CIA and Vatican, crap" of the pre-war social order, from Solidarn0S6 are self-evidently politically bankrupt. reactionary clericalism to Pilsudskiite regime's Those who have paved the way for capi­ nationalism and anti-Semitism. As Rosa capitalist "shock talist restoration cannot lead the struggles Luxemburg wrote in 1905: "The clergy, treatment". to beat it back. no less than the capitalist class, lives on Bottom: women 5. Posed pointblank is the need to build the backs of the people, profIts from the peddling an authentic Trotskyist vanguard party in degradation, the ignorance and the op­ vegetables to Poland, part of a reforged Fourth Inter­ pression of the people." The Catholic survive. national. But we reject the idea of a hierarchy, conciliated by the Stalinists, has "family of Trotskyism"; genuine Trotsky­ long exercised decisive influence over La BoIchevik ism has nothing in common with such Solidarno~c. Clerical reaction particularly pro-Solidarno~c purveyors of anti-Soviet­ targets women. Smash the attacks on ism as the followers of Nahuel Moreno abortion rights! For free abortion on and the United Secretariat [USec) of demand! For free 24-hour childcare facili­ Ernest Mandel, who in 1983 hailed the ties! For the strict separation of church Solidarno~c leadership as the "best so­ and state! Down with the conservative cialists in the world". The RML, a group Stalinist dogma that glorilles the institu­ known for honouring the communist tion of the family, the main social institu­ leaders Lenin, Luxemburg and Lieb­ tion oppressing women. Only the achieve­ knecht, came to recognise that Trotsky­ ment of a genuine socialist society, based ism represented the continuation of the on material abundance and egalitarian­ revolutionary traditions of the "3 L's". ism, can truly liberate women. The RML fIrst came into contact with the 7. We honour the 600,000 soldiers of the programme of the ICL while it was en­ Red Army who died liberating Poland gaged in discussions with the Morenoites. from the Nazis. But today the forces of Particularly decisive in winning it to the capitalist restoration have fuelled the programme of the ICL were (a) agree­ growth of virulent anti-Semitism, from ment over the char~cter of Solidarnosc skinhead Nazis in Germany to the KPN

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1990 7 than the Tories for war in the Gulf. For­ England" left Labourites who want to true colours during the miners strike Labour, mer defence minister Heseltine, no slouch retreat to the inglorious days of the post­ when he supported Thatcher's scab ballot, himself when it comes to beating the war period. With the near-demise of the while denouncing the NUM for defending Tories ... imperialist war drums, has close ties with Warsaw Pact and the strengthening of its picket lines against strikebreakers. (Continued from page 1) the officer corps. Heseltine oversaw the German imperialism through the An­ Had hard class struggle toppled the That­ proliferation of NATO nuclear weapons schluss of the former DDR, Washington cher government during the strike it needed to administrate the decaying at the height of the anti-Soviet war drive, no longer sees Britain as quite so crucial would have created a pre-revolutionary capitalist society. Unlike the Labourite and he was Thatcher's point man in push­ a factor in its military-diplomatic calcula­ situation, posing point blank the question fake lefts, many of whom are dizzy with ing the unsuccessful prosecution of Clive tions. This has helped push the balance of of which class shall rule. So, Kinnock, delight over the prospect of a general Ponting for leaking material about the opinion in London's ruling circles towards Willis and the Labour "lefts" worked election and Labour victory, we say the Belgrano butchery. Richard Cheney, US closer involvement in the EC's utopian overtime to knife the miners. Since then, truth. For the working masses the choice defence secretary, vouched for him: "I unification project. whether it's been laying a wreath at the between the boot of the Tories or the happen to be a fan of Maggie Thatcher's Closer European economic union, grave of racist killer cops like PC Blake­ knife of the Labour Party is no choice at . . .. But Mr Heseltine's policies towards favoured by both Kinnock and Heseltine, lock, denouncing poll tax resisters or all! We need a revolutionary party com­ the Gulf have basically been the same" will be used to attack the living standards chiming in with the imperialist war cho­ mitted to the only solution to the crisis of (The Times, 19 November). of the working class, while erecting a rus, Kinnock has amply demonstrated imperialist war, racism and economic Numerous European politicians are "fortress Europe" against dark-skinned that he is an enemy of working people immiseration: proletarian revolution. deeply savouring Thatcher's unhappy immigrants (and those from Eastern and the oppressed. plight. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Europe). Far from leading to a levelling Tory power struggle headed its comment "Maggie, Maggie­ upwards of living standards, as the labour Break with Labourism­ bye bye". Indeed the only governments bureaucrats claim, it will mean the op­ build a Bolshevik partyl For many dissident Tory MPs, naked that seem sorry to see Thatcher go, out­ posite. Thus, one of the central purposes self-interest was motive enough to back side of the American, are the South Afri­ of the exchange rate mechanism (ERM) Fake left groups such as the SWP or the internal revolt. Crushing by-election can apartheiders and the Gorbachev­ is to prohibit devaluations of currency Workers Power fill their press with mili­ defeats in Eastbourne, Bradford and Yeltsin sell-out gang! and instead to force uncompetitive in­ tant-sounding anti-Thatcher rhetoric. But BootIe, as well as umpteen public opinion dustries to close down or layoff workers. anti-Thatcherism does not equate to anti­ polls make abundantly clear that Thatcher In anticipation of this, the TUC recently capitalism. And now with Heseltine on is an electoral liability. The Thatcherites, Heseltine & Kinnock­ offered to negotiate lower wages in ex­ the scene, the SWP is saying "Take Ad­ of course, did not take Heseltine's chal­ birds of a feather change for meaningless promises of job vantage of Tory Splits-Get them All lenge lying down. The ever scurrilous Sun When Thatcher quipped that Heseltine security. Although contemptuously dis­ out" (Socia/ist Worker, 17 November). ran a front page headline characterising had the same politics as Labour, she missed by the Thatcher government, in Workers Power advises: "Tory woes are Heseltine's three chief lieutenants as wasn't far off. But she was dead wrong to reality this was an attempt to reinstitute good news for the workers. Celebrations, "The Bungler, the, Adulterer and the label either of them "socialist", crypto- or state wage controls, like the hated "social though, are not yet in order. Eastbourne Joker". A few die-hard right-wingers otherwise. Last March, when anti-poll tax contract", under the guise of making was showed (sic) the depth of feeling threatened a split, while Thatcher's cam­ protest was at its height, we noted: British capitalism "more competitive". there is against the Tories, but if a swing paign team attacked Heseltine for being to the Liberals on that scale were repeat­ "The poU tax is likely to be ephemeral, with While rejecting the NATO-linked EC, unreliable and disloyal. the strong probability that its chief architect Marxists combat all manifestations of ed in an election it would damage La­ But Heseltine is not the only one and advocate wiD shortly go down the tubes. national chauvinism and fight for a So­ bour's victory chances." The Labour whose loyalty is in question. Heseltine's While there are large numbers of people cialist United States of Europe, which can entrists of Militant and Socia/ist Organiser challenge was triggered by Howe's public who despise both Kinnock and his hench­ only be realised through proletarian revo­ drone away with identical "Kick them all men for enforcing this onerous tax, on a indictment of Thatcher's rule and after lution. out!" headlines and demands for a gener­ the "sheep bit back", Thatcher has found national level public opinion poUs show the al election. The bottom line for all these it increasingly difficult to control even the Labour Party ~ a huge lead over the groups is ''vote Labour" despite the fact Tories. But that could rapidly change if the sycophants in her ministerial team. Edu­ Conservatives dump Thatcher before the Labour enforces that the Labour Party is little different cation minister Kenneth Clarke publicly general election.... In fact, there wouldn't Tory tax from common-or-garden variety Toryism! asserted the need to review the poll tax, be much difference between a Tory govern­ Above all, what triggered massive It is starkly clear that to wage a class while Douglas Hurd at first could not ment headed by Heseltlne, and a Kinnock revolt against the government, from the fight against unemployment, union-bust­ bring himself to give an unequivocal Labour government" Tory shires of southern England to the ing, wage-slashing and warmongering a statement that he wouldn't run in a se­ Both Kinnock and Heseltine promise working class and plebeian poor of the political break must be made from the cond ballot. And when Thatcher sug­ to modernise the country's infrastructure large cities, was the gratuitously cruel poll Labour traitors, right and "left". The gested holding a referendum on a com­ through a "partnership" between industry tax. Again last month hundreds of protes­ TUC leaders and trade union bureaucrats mon European currency, her "close ally", and government, importing German or ters were beaten up and dozens arrested must be ousted and replaced by a revolu­ transport minister Cecil Parkinson, im­ Japanese-style capitalism with ~heir higher by rioting cops who attacked a pi~f of tionary leadership in order to unleash the mediately contradicted her. living standards to boot. This is pure Brixton Prison, where four anti-pOll tax social power of the organised working Not surprisingly, Thatcher & Co sought poppycock. Under capitalism the bosses activists are serving sentences. We de­ class. It will take a workers revolution to whip up a "Falklands factor". "That­ only invest where they can make a profit, mand freedom now for all anti-poll tax and a couple of five-year plans to ensure cher plays the Gulf card: 'War leader' and Britain's clapped-out productive base protesters! Drop all the charges! a decent life for all on these isles. Our warns off Heseltine", headlined the Guar­ is too weakened to offer much of that. In While resistance to paying the tax task is to forge a revolutionary party dian (8 November). But it largely came to reality, the few cosmetic changes on offer remains strong, organised protests have through splitting the working-class base nought. Kinnock has screamed louder will be paid for by sweating it out of the been greatly scaled down since March, from the pro-capitalist Labour leadership ~ hides of the working class. when 200,000 marched through London and regrouping those forces outside and ~ Thus, Heseltine's crusade to improve' and rioting cops were repelled by angry to the left of the Labour Party under the Q education is coupled with tirades against demonstrators. Seized by panic, the legal­ banner of authentic communism. Q. the National Union of Teachers. And he istic Militant Tendency leadership of the It would be too bad if Margaret That­ is a proponent of US-style "workfare", anti-poll tax federation initially offered to cher were only kicked out of No 10 and where the unemployed are expected to fmger protesters to the cops. (They along given some honorarium. She deserves a work for their meagre dole money. Billing with Tony Benn were booed down at the far harder fate than that. We bet that himself as a self-made tycoon, after gra­ Brixton rally.) From the beginning the some of the sacked miners, homeless duating from Oxford Heseltine parlayed Kinnocks, trade union bureaucrats and youth, impoverished pensioners, families an initial inheritance into much more by the local Labour councillors who are of the Argentine sailors of the Be/grano buying up seedy rooming houses and enforcing the tax have sought to stifle and victims of racist cop rampage-to hotels and selling them at a large profit. class struggle and channel outrage into name but a few-could come up with One story has it that the young ehtrepre­ Labourite electoral parliamentarianism. something appropriate. Real justice will neur was caught mixing margarine into While publicly gloating at the Tory come with proletarian revolution, which the guests' breakfast butter. Heseltine's party divisions, the Labour Party tops are will sweep into the dustbin of history the "more efficient" capitalism will be fman­ quite anxious over the possibility of a bourgeoisie along with the parasitic la­ ced by attacks on the unions and poor. Tory shake-up. It's hardly a secret that bour fakers._ Within the spectrum of pro-capitalist Kinnock et al have been fervently praying politics, closer European economic in­ that Thatcher comes out on top. (Labour tegration is resisted by diverse elements, MP Chris Mullin put it straight: "Many Correction ranging from the Thatchers and Nicholas opposition members are rooting for Ridleys who yearn after the past glory of her".) And for good reason: as the polls In the last issue of Worker.r Ham­ the British Empire (and the special demonstrate, Labour would lose con­ mer (no 117, October 1990) we prin­ American relationship), to the "little siderable support to the Tories if That­ ted an introduction to tributes from cher were dumped. This fact alone gives comrades in the ICL to the memorial the lie to the fatuous assertion of the fake meeting for Louis Sinclair, the Spartacist League/Britain left that Labour today is fundamentally world's foremost bibliographer of seen as a "class alternative" to the Tories. Trotsky. We mistakenly referred to Glasgow PO Box 150 London PO Box 1041 Kinnock & Co have packaged themselves his "two-volume bibliography of Trot­ Glasgow G3 6DX London NW5 3EU as a bourgeois "lesser evil" to Thatcher. sky's writings in the English langu­ 041-332 0788 071-485 1396 Pointing to the impact of a Heseltine age". In fact, the bibliography lists victory, columnist Peter Kellner noted reprints and translations of Trotsky's Dublin Spartacist Youth Group that "Starting from opposite ends of the published works in many languages, PO Box 2944 ideological spectrum, Labour and Conser­ cross referencing each listing back to Dublin 1 vative will have arrived at a similar des­ the fIrst published text. tination" (Independent, 16 November). "Ramsay MacKinnock" showed his

8 WORKERS HAMMER Break with Labourism to defeat imperialism! If you listen to how they bill them­ • Defeat imperialism: break the block­ selves, there are any number of groups on I _lBOll~; ; ade of Iraq! For military defence of the British left that claim to be "anti­ Iraq against the imperialist forces! " ' ,,' imperialist". Hence, the proliferation of """, ~ GYLFI " ;,,' ,< _~.. JN • No to UN sanctions, pretext for and an assortment of "campaign groups", "ad first step towards imperialist war! hoc committees", etc who claim to stand to the left of Tony Benn, whose grotesque ---..., THE J1(ICIADEf6.~ • The trade unions to take political support for imperialist UN sanctions BENN'S _l'''U .. ..,.. •••A'dI strike action against the war: boycott against Iraq is a bit hard to swallow. But troop transports, materiel and com­ not wanting to be "sectarian", ie, to draw munications to the Gulf: not one pen­ a sharp political line against the chau­ ny, not one man for the imperialist vinist Labour lefts, such lash-ups as the military! Campaign Against War in the Gulf • Defence of the USSR against imperial­ (CAWG) and the Ad Hoc Hands Off the ism and counterrevolution: were tbere Middle East Committee from the begin­ a genuinely communist government in ning refused to include in their "united­ the Soviet Union it would lift the arms front" slogans the call for the military embargo of Iraq and give whatever defence of Iraq and defeat of imperialism. military aid is required to repulse the Now our ostensible "anti-imperialists" Bush/Thatcher offensive! are quietly making their peace with Benn. A case in point is the Socialist Workers • No support, however "critical" to the Labour Party, whether it be the right Party, which claims to oppose the UN social-chauvinists or the "left" social intervention and even stand for "victory London, 10 October: Spartacist contingent on demonstration called by Ad pacifists! It is impossible to fight the to Iraq". But at the 15 September Benn/ Hoc Hands Off the Middle East Committee highlights defence of Iraq war hand-in-hand with the Tony Benn/ CND-called demonstration in London, against imperialist attack. CND camp, left wing of the war party, the SWP contingent pointedly carried no who will "only" countenance war under signs against sanctions. Apparently such Workers Power substitutes a different Workers Power will all be campaigning the leadership of the United Nations, grovelling has "paid off": the SWP is now slogan: "No sanctions-no blockade", for warmonger Neil Kinnock, whose den of imperialist thieves and organiser listed as a "participant" in Benn's Com­ implying an appeal to the imperialists, position on the Gulf is identical to that of of counterrevolution. mittee to Stop War in the Gulf, which rather than mobilising the workers move­ Margaret Thatcher. The speaker con­ refuses to even call for US and British ment to defeat imperialism. And at the cluded by pointing to the intransigent • Down with the sheikhs, the colonels, troops out of the Gulf. Socialist Worker conference itself Workers Power sup­ struggle of Lenin against chauvinist social the kings and the Zionist butchers! For (17 November) carried a completely porters, in a sterling rendition of their democracy, which enabled the Bolsheviks workers revolution throughout the uncritical call for the 24 November mastery of "tactics", barely got beyond to build the only successful anti-war Middle East: the workers and peasants Benn/CND demonstration. some timid suggestions for building the movement in the world, the October must settle their own accounts with Then there is CAWG, whose main campaign. The prominent WP banner Revolution. Saddam Hussein! constituent elements are Socialist Or­ contained no reference to the imperialist We reprint below the leaflet dis­ ganiser, the Mandelites of Socialist Out­ blockade whatsoever! In point of fact, all tributed by th,e SL to the CAWG con­ Just as in the case of the Vietnam War, look, and Workers Power.,Earlier denied of this is window dressing for WP anyway, ference: the fIght against war is incompatible with affiliation to Benn's committee because of since they are perfectly willing to subor­ assistance to, alliance with or support for their "troops out" position, CAWG has dinate their "anti-imp~rialism" to "unity" the Labour Party leaders, who in all not stopped trying. Thus, they have now with Tony Benn: "If we lose the argu­ varieties stand for capitalism and against produced a statement where they ments decisively for a broad anti-im­ Spartacist League motion for revolution. Break with Labourism: fIght "congratulate the 37 Labour MPs who perialist campaign in the workers' or­ the CAWG conference for a revolutionary workers party. voted against the government's Gulf war ganisations, then we will work within a The Campaign Against War in the Gulf policy" ie, endorsing Benn's "war under pacifist Stop the War movement... " 3 November 1990 hitherto, by its refusal to take the side UN auspices" line! (Workers Power, October 1990). militarily of Iraq against imperialism and At a 3 November conference in Lon­ The Spartacist League intervention at This conference is for the defeat of Bri­ its attempts to participate in Benn's don called by CAWG, the Socialist Or­ the conference underscored the sharp tish and the other imperialist powers in committee has proved itself to be a tail ganiser /Socialist Outlook leadership dividing line between proletarian inter­ the Gulf, and stands for the military of the chauvinist Labour Party. The No­ refused to allow any political resolutions nationalism and Labourite social demo­ defence of Iraq. The fight against war vember 24 demonstration called by Benn/ to be voted on, lest any left-sounding cracy. You cannot struggle against im­ cannot take place apart from the fight for CND & Co under the pseudo-pacifist statement be passed that might throw a perialism without breaking with the the revolutionary overthrow of capit­ slogan "No to War in the Gulf", far from wrench in their efforts to reach rap­ agents of imperialism within the workers alism. The responsibility of working-class being an obstacle to Thatcher's war drive, prochement with Benn. One Workers movement, the Kinnocks and Benns alike. socialists in the current Gulf war crisis is is an attempt to line up the working Power resolution indeed included the And indeed, as the SL speaker at the to fight for: people behind their real position of pro­ demand: "No sanctions-break the block­ plenary session noted, the likes of Social­ • British, US, French troops out of the imperialist sanctions and imperialist ag­ ade!" But elsewhere in its October issue ist Organiser, Socialist Outlook and Gulf! gression under UN auspices._

Hitler's Third Reich, Gecas was awarded haven for these mass murderers, a policy which is "mainly Soviet, coming from Fascism .•. the Iron Cross. Another is Paul Rein­ shared by the US imperialists whose own people who are skilled in forging evi­ (Continued from page 3) hards, director of the Latvian "Labour "rat line" rescued thousands of Nazi war dence". Stone waves off anti-Semitism as Department" responsible for running the criminals. We say: extradite all the Nazi "harmless-a matter of sniggering at the decades an appeal judge and Master of Nazi slave labour schemes. Over 280,000 war criminals to the scene of their crimes preponderance of Jews in showbiz .... " the Rolls). Jews were deported to Germany by Rein­ to be tried by their surviving victims! and dismisses the desecration of the As we noted in Worlcers Hammer no hards' administration. For years this At Nuremburg the losing side in the Jewish cemetery in Carpentras to be the 103 ("Britain harbours Hitler's war crimi­ "captive nations" war criminal has been imperialist carnage of World War II was result of a fad which "caught on in 1988, nals", December 1988/January 1989): at the head of the exile Latvian com­ put on trial by the victors. But those who it seems, because an English rock group many East European Nazis are known to munity in Britain. fire-bombed Dresden have no place pass­ called Trash inspired people to steal have found a safe haven in Britain in the The British authorities have good ing judgment on mass murder. The British, skulls and bones". aftermath of World War II. One of these reason to protect their Nazis. Any at­ American and French imperialists were This is nothing but an "academic" is Antanas Gecas (Gecevicius), personal­ tempt to bring the SS scum to trial would guilty of heinous crimes against humanity cover for fascist terror, not far removed ly responsible for the murder and torture risk lifting the lid on the squalid history -from Churchill's murder by starvation of . from the sort of filth and deadly lies one of thousands of Jews and anti-fascist of Britain's own post-war "rat line", something like a million Bengalis during the gets from a David Irving and those who partisans following Hitler's invasion of the revealing how the British intelligence war to Truman's atom-bombing of Hiro­ would deny the grisly reality of the Holo­ Soviet Union. Gecas was a member of services combed the "displaced persons" shima and Nagasaki. caust. Historically, it is highly likely that the Lithuanian auxiliary police battalion refugee camps in Europe, seeking to One professor Norman Stone of Ox­ from medieval England the anti-Semitic serving alongside the SS in the systematic enlist certified Nazi war criminals as ford University, writing in the Sunday "blood libel", the murderous myth of extermination of East European Jewry. "freedom fighters" in the service of the Times (27 May), perfectly expressed the Jewish ritual slaughter of Christians, first The Soviet Justice Department suspects imperialist bourgeoisie's anti-Soviet war atmosphere behind the continued protec­ arose. England is the earliest recorded Gecas was involved in the execution of crusade. And it was the Labour govern­ tion of Britain's Nazis. He regards these place where this sort of "blood libel" can 15,000 in Lithuania. For his services to ment of AttleejBevin which provided a war criminals as victims of evidence continued on page 11

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1990 9 socialist". She spoke the truth, not just power rooted not principally in the reli­ At the same time we are opposed to-the Robinson ..• about herself but about her reformist gious ideas in peoples' heads, but in the nationalist irredentist view that the Prot­ (Continued from page 12) backers. possession or control of virtually all estants in the North should be forced into On the social questions which played schools and hospitals, not to mention a unified Ireland. Our call for an Irish nothing. such a role in Mary Robinson's win, her great amounts of real estate. For the workers republic in a federation of work­ The manner of Brian Lenihan's undo­ supporters have also been warned, if they separation of church and state! For univer­ ers republics in the British Isles deliber­ ing also demonstrates the discontent of are prepared to read the signs so clearly sally available, free, secular education at ately leaves open the question of where certain bourgeois circles with the "old displayed in the course of the campaign. all levels! For a state-owned and run na­ the distinct Protestant community will fall says she is for the wider avail­ order". In the middle of the election Robinson tional health seTVice, providing free, quality in the context of the proletarian dictator­ ability of contraception. In an early inter­ health care to al~ capable of providing campaign a highly contrived "constitu­ ship that can alone resolve the conflict of view with music paper Hot Press she contraception and abortion free on de­ tional scandal" was created by Fine Gael the interpenetrated Irish Catholic nation concurred with the suggestion that if she These vital measures cannot be and the Irish Times over the very old mand! and the Northern Irish Protestant people. became president she would open an realised this side of the overthrow of news that in 1982 Haughey, Lenihan & And beside that, the question of the Irish Co tried to pressure then-President Hil­ illegal stall selling condoms in Virgin backward Irish capitalism. revolution is enmeshed with those in Eng­ Megastore. The moment Lenihan at­ lery to let them form a government with­ land, Scotland and Wales, not least be­ tacked this reply Robinson pulled back out an election. They proved Lenihan to Fake left on the Robinson cause of the role that workers of Irish like a startled cat, denying she would ever be a liar and Haughey to have the ethics bandwagon descent play in the workers movement do anything "illegal". A Lenihan cohort of a cornered ferret. These are two facts Much of the Irish left has joined the throughout these isles. went on to accuse her of planning to run that no-one found in the least surprising. Robinson bandwagon, confmning that When the votes were counted at the The PDs demanded Lenihan go as the an abortion referral clinic in Aras an they are obstacles to the building of a Uachtarain (the presidential palace in Royal Dublin Society hall on Dublin's price of their support for a vote of con­ genuine revolutionary workers party in southside, the observed that Phoenix Park). The justified derision with Irish Times fidence in the government, and the Taoi­ Ireland. In the October issue of the Irish which this accusation was greeted spoke "A lot of faces in the crowd went back to seach [Prime Minister] Haughey obliged Socialist Worker Eamonn McCann penned the radical Sixties," celebrating that "at by sacking him. The brouhaha over volumes: why would anyone think that a a scathing attack on Robinson which politician who over and over underlined last there was something to smile about" "phone calls to the Park", with the PDs would leave any intelligent reader won- her opposition to abortion (and whose after all the years of disappointment. If delivering the coup de grace to Lenihan's Labour Party campaign minders insisted dering "why should I vote for her?" How­ the absence of a real Trotskyist organisa­ electoral hopes, shows that a good part of never even mention the fact she was the ever, as the pressure and hype of the tion during the seventies and eighties the Irish bourgeoisie, while lacking viable lawyer of the USI student leaders and the campaign mounted the Socialist Workers helped those radicalised 20 years ago to governmental alternatives to Charlie Well Woman Centre) do such a thing? Movement, true to type, happily cast its end up humming "Here's to you Mrs Haughey right now, certainly want Robin­ ballots for the popular front, while the Robinson", the task of the Dublin Spar­ son's modernising popular front politics in Accommodating the Unionist British SWP whinge gently that "the tacist Youth Group is to ensure that order to turn a fresher face towards the Ascendancy In the North result ... was not a clear cut victory for youth looking towards revolutionary s0- "Europe of the 1990s" and to top up the A noteworthy aspect of Robinson's socialists". Naturally the Labourites of cialism today end up as Bolshevik fighters reservoir of reformist illusions for the Militant were in the same camp, although singing the Intemationale. Commentator depression Ireland of the 1990s. own politics is her desire to "modify" Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution, significantly the Republicans of Sinn Fein Fintan O'Toole expressed a widespread But the working class and women don't which declare the whole of the island to were more equivocal. reaction to Robinson's victory when he need a glossy image: they need a social be the territory of the Republic and claim The centrists of the Irish Workers urged the formation of a new social-dem­ revolution which will expropriate the the right of jurisdiction over that territory. Group, evidently afflicted by agonies of ocratic reformist party, "a merger of the bourgeoisie, destroy the stranglehold of She resigned from the Labour Party in indecision, failed to come out with a two old left-wing parties" and a "home" the Catholic church on social policy and 1985 over the Anglo-Irish Agreement. As position for or against Robinson until two for all those who share "their basic va­ education, and provide the possibility of a a member from 1973-80 of the Executive days before the election. Having thereby lues" (Irish Times, 8 November). The avoided any conflict with the Labourite just resolution of the national question in Committee of the infamous Trilateral politics of social democracy will never camp until it was basically all over, the Northern Ireland. From this standpoint Commission (a Cold War cabal whose liberate Ireland from the scourges of IWG, doubtless cognisant of the position Mary Robinson's anti-Haughey coalition other alumni include David Owen, Henry unemployment and emigration, never is an illusion-filled trap. Furthermore it is Kissinger and George Bush) Robinson of the Dublin Spartacist Youth Group on its left flank, popped out a leaflet headed eradicate the abject poverty of the coun­ nothing new, recycling a traditional poli­ not surprisingly had no criticism of the try and the city slums, never lift the pall tics as old as Fianna Fail's-coalitionism Agreement's twin goals of drawing Ire­ "Don't vote! Organise!" Dismissing the election as an irrelevance, they call on of clerical obscurantism which shades between the not-very-reformist workers land closer to NATO and strengthening above all the lives of women. parties and the Fine Gael conservatives. British/Irish collaboration in repression voters to "abstain", without any mention of the popular-frontist character of the Yes, the sclerotic and atrophied divi­ of the Republicans. Her objection was sions of the Partition and Civil War per­ No vote to the Robinson that the Agreement was too great a Robinson campaign or of the corridor popular front! coalition represented by Labour's support iod must be transcended. The venal and "culture-shock" for Unionists in Northern weak Irish bourgeoisie might only dream Leave aside the fact that the presiden­ Ireland. Robinson's stance typifies a wing for the PNR. The IWG writes that: cy is essentially a figurehead position. of being more like their Italian class of the Southern bourgeoisie which seeks "Had she decided to use the election to brothers, urbane and prosperous Euro­ Marxists sometimes give critical electoral really mobilise workers, women, students, an accommodation with the Ascendancy peans in nice parts of Dublin, while the support to a workers movement candidate politicians of the North at the expense of the oppressed, in a campaign around standing independently of the bourgeois the oppressed Catholic minority, in pur­ even pne major issue of importance rest of the country suffers in priest-ridden parties, as a tactic to win the proletarian suit of the chimera of a "peaceful" bour­ today, there might have been a case for poverty and oppression, like southern supporting her as a labour movement base away from pro-capitalist leaderships geois co-existence North and South. Nota­ Italy. The growth of the Irish working candidate of struggle against the Irish class in recent decades strengthens the and to the communist vanguard. But bly Robinson's election was favourably ruling class. That would probably have Robinson was the candidate of a class­ received by Northern Orange politicians. meant not getting elected to this parasitic possibility of revolutionary class struggle. collaborationist popular front alliance. It The Rev Ian Paisley's deputy Peter Ro­ sinecure in the Park, but it might have This can come, not by the workers red would have been unprincipled to advocate binson called her "not the sort of in­ yielded real gains for the struggles of flag being dipped before the tricolour, as a vote for her. Moreover her popular­ dividual one would slight by passing in working class women and men in the Labour has done since its earliest years, frontist programme is the programme of the street" (Irish Tunes, 9 November). long run." nor by dipping it before the stars on blue Irish Labourism. Coming from that Unionist bigot this is Talk about fostering illusions in par­ of the EC bosses' club, but by the fight The Labour Party leadership'S support praise indeed! Not a peep of oppOsition liamentary reformism! Not that surpris­ for the interests of the proletariat sepa­ for Haughey's Programme of National to the extradition of Dessie Ellis was ing, however, when we remember that the rate from all its class enemies and false Recovery (PNR-a Social Contract-style heard from the new president before or IWG habitually gives electoral support to friends. Forward to an Irish Trotskyist austerity pact which has delivered lower after her election; indeed Sinn Fein re­ the coalition-crazy Labour Party in the party, section of a reforged Fourth Inter­ wages and higher profits over the last port that "she has written in favour of South and calls for votes to the petty­ national.- three years) has been a critical prop for extradition" . bourgeois nationalists of Sinn Fein in the the FF/PD government. By tying the If the ftgurehead presidency' has North. And of course Workers Power in unions, which organise a major propor­ changed hands in past weeks, another Britain are prepared to sign as many tion of the labour force, into permanent appointment has been made, this time to blank cheques as Judas Kinnock's election "Theses on Ireland" class-collaborationist betrayal, Labour and a real seat of power. Dr Cahal Daly has campaigns demand. the Workers Party have served their been elevated to the archbishopric of The IWG's statement on the elections capitalist masters well. The enthusiastic Armagh and Primacy of All-Ireland, was moreover tailored to the social-dem­ ~~ARTI!9?T~.~ students who laboured night and day to thereby taking over as Ireland's top Cath­ ocratic sensibilities and parochialism of ~...:.=.: FronIs-KerID turn out the Robinson vote have, what­ olic cleric. Described by the old splutterer the pro-Robinson milieu. Thus they advo­ Chilean OTR Fuses With ever their subjective intentions, helped Rees-Mogg as "the saintly bishop", Daly cate campaigns against extradition of Spartacist Tendency bolster the flagging support for these pro­ is a hard-line reactionary. One hundred Republicans and over women's rights, but capitalist parties and strengthened their per cent anti-IRA, one of his acolytes in these foremost experts on the "anti-im­ hand for the future austerity policies that the North, Father Denis Faul, welcomed perialist united front" omit any mention the Irish rulers will demand as world his appointment with the following chill­ of Northern Ireland, not even the elemen­ recession squeezes the vulnerable South­ ing words: "he will tackle the sort of tary call for British troops out. And once ern economy. In the closing days of the liberated Catholicism which has got loose again the IWG drops the call for free election campaign FF leaders launched a in Ireland in the last 20 years. Abortion abortion on demand. ludicrous anti-red smear, falsely accusing and contraception are now called family ~.,,- "" Dc Rossa's Stalinoid/social-democratic/ planning, and are considered to be help­ British troops out of :'\,nner-Republican Workers Party of ing the family and preventing hunger and Northern Ireland now! i. "ng "Marxist-Leninist Communist" (a destitution in the world" (Irish Times, 7 It is necessary to oppose all pro-im­ Price: 30p l;iq~ rich given that Haughey happily November). perialist schemes for Northern Ireland Available from Spartacist ','" ,I De Rossa's support to remain in No amount of enlightened Robin­ and to raise the demand for the im­ Publications, PO Box 1041, power, in 1982). Mary Robinson's re­ sonism in the Park will dent the real mediate unconditional withdrawal of the London NW5 3EU sponse was to announce: "I am not a power of the Church in Irish social life; a British Army in both Britain and Ireland.

10 WORKERS HAMMER the Polish CP, which was the first to the oppressed women of Afghanistan. from above through splits and fusions of Poland ••. come to the defence of comrade Trotsky Gorbachev's withdrawal was a sellout, ostensibly revolutionary organisations. (Continued from page 7) by asserting in 1923 that "the name of greatly encouraging the imperialists in Cadre can be won from among left Sta­ Comrade Trotsky is insolubly CQnnected their drive to overthrow the Soviet work­ linists, as well as ostensible Trotskyists. with the victory of the Soviet Revolution, assist in infecting the working masses with ers state. We reject the anti-Soviet de­ 15. The ICL will assist the comrades in with the Red Army, with communism". the poison of national chauvinism. Thus, mand raised by fake-leftists to withdraw Poland in developing a systematic educa­ such organisations as USee, the Moreno­ 11. While today Walesa and Jaruzelski the Warsaw Pact troops from East Eu­ tional programme to better acquaint them ites and Workers Power backed both the obscenely whip up Polish nationalism by rope-Soviet troops have constituted the with the specific positions of ICL sec­ Polish nationalists of Solidarnosc, while celebrating the defeat of the Red Army first line of defence of the workers states tions on various problems and events in in Germany tailing after such groups as outside Warsaw in 1920, we reaffirm the against NATO imperialism. Out of the the world. Fuller political integration will the PDS, SPD and/or the United Left, policy of the early Polish CP, which not ranks of Soviet soldiers and officers will be enhanced by travel and mutual ex­ which supported revanchist capitalist only rose to the defence of the Russian come many fighters for Trotskyism. changes of visits with other ICL sections. reunification. Adapting to conflicting Revolution but recognised that the Polish 13. The comrades of the RML constitute In particular, it is envisaged that com­ appetites of different national bourgeoi­ proletariat was a bridge to extend west­ themselves as the Spartakusowska Grupa rades from Poland participate in the sies" the fake-Trotskyists are an obstacle wards the revolution to the borders of Polski (SGP). The SGP and the ICL look SpAD's election campaign, as well as to the construction of an international Germany, with its powerful proletariat. forward to an early fusion, where the helping to translate election materials and vanguard party. The subsequent defeat of the German SGP will become part of a democratic­ fundamental ICL documents into the 10. Polish Trotskyists must seek to re­ revolution of 1923 was a major impetus centralist International. In the interim, in Polish language. The establishment of an claim the best traditions of the Polish for the consolidation of the Stalinist bu­ matters of mutual concern regarding ICL group in Poland represents a real workers movement, forged in the strug­ reaucracy with its false ideology of "so­ Poland, both parties to this agreement step in our capacity to bring the pro­ gle against national chauvinism. This is cialism in one country". will consult. gramme of Trotskyism to the East Euro­ exemplified by Rosa Luxemburg, a Po­ 12. The RML agrees with the iSt position 14. The SGP needs to develop a system­ pean and Soviet proletariats. lish Jewish communist and leader of the on Afghanistan, hailing the Red Army atic public face, recruiting cadre and revolutionary German proletariat. Revil­ intervention, which posed the extension of intervening in various struggles and move­ 20 October 1990 ing Luxemburg for her internationalism, the gains of the October Revolution to ments with ICL propaganda. A Leninist­ Reprinted from Worlcen Vanguard no 513, Stalin never trusted and fwally liquidated the Afghan peoples and particularly to Trotskyist party in Poland will be built 2 November 1990.

Featured is a picture of Fred Leuchter, Committee brought together trade union­ People felt chills of remembrance that Jamal ... the ghoulish "authority" on Nazi gas ists, socialists, civil rights activists, stu­ this threat came from the very people ovens who claims the Holocaust never dents and death penalty abolitionists in who planned and executed the mur­ (Continued from page 2) happened. Leuchter was hired by the derous Mother's Day Massacre of Osage ten cities around the world to demand Avenue, when men, women and babies corpus challenge to the legality of their state of Illinois to design the death that Jamal not die. were incinerated in their home; the same state conviction and sentence. Dozens of machine used in the milestone execution Among racist killer cops across this people who slew African-Americans while innocent people who were wrongly sen­ of Charles Walker last month (see "State country, Philadelphia's are in a league by handcuffed; the same state force that tenced to death and later had their con­ Hires Nazi Executioner-Illinois Starts themselves-from raids on Black Panther shot young Stacey Whitted of West Philly victions overturned would have died Up Assembly Line of Death", Workers Party headquarters to the barbaric 13 to dcath with utter impunity; the same Vanguard no 510, 21 September). May 1985 bombing of MOVE. Backed up group that liquidated Winston CX. under these rules. Proposals to guarantee Hood, Cornell Warren, Jose Reyes, minimally qualified counsel (three years Jamal's case is what the racist death by the courts' racists in black robes, they William Grccn, on city strcets, with utter of experience in felony criminal cases) in penalty is all about. On death row be­ are committed to putting Jamal on a impunity; the same body that shot 700 capital cases were rejected. Adopting the cause of his political views and associa­ conveyor belt to the electric chair. When people between 1971-1981, killing over segregationist "states' rights" principle, tions, Jamal's case has won widespread over 200 people rallied for Jamal at the 300 of the mostly Black, Puerto Rican the House left such standards to the support as the case for all opponents of Church of the Advocate in his Phila­ and poor white youths, with total, utter individual states-such as Mississippi and the death penalty to rally around. Thirty delphia hometown on 14 July, Fraternal impunity." Arkansas where attorney's fees can be thousand people around the world have Order of Police president Richard Costel­ Mumia Abu-Jamal must not die! We limited to $1000 no matter how long or signed petitions and written to Pennsyl­ lo slanderously branded Jamal's support­ need to organise massive protests, take involved the trial may be. vania governor Casey demanding Jamal ers a "misfit terrorist group" and sug­ his case to the Supreme Court of the And a macabre front-page article in not be executed. Among them are Penn­ gested they be jointly executed with him masses. The working people are the the New York Times (13 October) de­ sylvania state representative David Rich­ on an "electric couch". social force with the power to save this cries the shortage of "experienced execu­ ardson, Congressman Ronald Dellums, From his tiny death row cell Jamal courageous man and stop this deadly tioners". "Hangmen are a dying breed", actor Ed Asner, Rev Joseph Lowery and continues to speak out in columru. printed killing machine. To join the international sighs the Delaware deputy attorney gen­ Operation PUSH. Trade unions repre­ in papers across the country. In the Phila­ campaign to save the life of Mumia Abu­ eral, a serious problem now that 2400 senting millions have taken a stand with delphia Tribune, Jamal responded to Cos­ Jamal, contact the Partisan Defence people are on death row and 23 states are Jamal and against the state's racist "le­ tello's remarks by exposing the nature of Committee, BCM Box 4986, London, "preparing to join the 15 that have ex­ gal" lynching. This summer an interna­ Philly's racist cops, who are dedicated to WClN 3XX. Phone: 071-485 1396. ecuted prisoners since the Supreme Court tional campaign of demonstrations and silencing his voice forever: Reprinted from Worlcers Vanguard reinstated the death penalty in 1976" . rallies initiated by the Partisan Defense "Who has instilled terror in whom? no 512, 19 October 1990.

tants that it is suicidal to place any faith ists stopped the Mosley black-shirts' cations by the native fascists of the Ku Fascism •.. or demand justice from the British bour­ provocation in its tracks. Klux Klan, their Nazi and skinhead co­ (Continued from page 9) geoisie. We completely oppose the call on Following the desecration of the Soviet horts, from Washington, DC to Philadel­ the bourgeois state to "ban" fascist out­ war memorial in Treptow Park in the phia. The fascists and their lumpen skin­ fits, a call made for example by the DDR in 1989, our comrades in the Spar­ head stormtroopers are the "final solu­ be traced. By 1255 when Christendom Searchlight journal. Such laws would be, takist Arbeiterpartei Deutschlands in­ tion" decaying capitalism keeps in re­ had invented its own martyr-Little and have been, used to attack the left. As St Hugh of Lincoln--the blood libel had itiated a protest, supported by the then­ serve. It is the task of the working class for the Labour Party, not only did it SED, of 250,000. In the United States, spread throughout Europe to be used as and its communist vanguard to smash preside over the Nazi "rat line" to Britain the Spartacist League-initiated labour / a pretext for pogroms ever since. In them on the road to overthrowing their post-World War II, but implemented black mobilisations have stopped provo- York, in 1190, the entire Jewish popula­ capitalist masters.- some of the most viciously racist im­ tion was exterminated in a pogrom. The migration laws from virginity tests against largest massacre of Jewish people in Asian women to Camden Council's Pow­ England took place under the reign of ellite attempts to repatriate homeless Edward I who hanged 300, thereafter Spartacist Irish people in London. Throughout many expelling Jews from English soil in 1290. Labour-controlled areas in London and The bourgeois revolutionary Oliver Canada Yorkshire, racist anti-Gypsy/Traveller Cromwell welcomed Jews back in 1656, bans are to this day in effect in pubs and the obstacles barring them from Newspaper of the while both are routinely harassed by the many trades and professions were gradu­ Trotskyist League cops. ally abolished. of Canada Those minority organisations who In the epoch of imperialism and capit­ eschew calling on the state to ftght the alist decay anti-Semitism was revived and fascists often put forward the perspective Special fuelled. In fact, a precursor of Britain's of community self-defence. While be­ regroupment racist immigration laws can be located in sieged communities certainly have a right issue the 1905 Aliens Act which was explicitly to defend themselves, such a limited directed towards limiting the immigration perspective leaves the victims undefended No 81 of Eastern European and Russian Jews by the only force that can stop the fascists November/December , ReIIgnatIon from c.n.dIM cp fleeing from pogroms and the aftermath '''CaIIlbAllCoonrn.nst. in their tracks: the social power of the 1990 of the failed Russian Revolution. After : ...... SpltFn:wnMmoel·.us.c II 'Ii'otakyIMFutIonrtMexico working class. It is necessary to mobilise 30p ~UnIIeds.em.t.l ~GroupOf the victorious October Revolution of ~-F"'T~ll1Po1.ndI'oundkl the organised workers movement and all (32 pages) 1917, harsher legislation was enacted of the oppressed to smash the fascists on which blended together anti-Semitism and the streets. We look to the tradition of Make cheques p.tlyable!post to: Spartacist Publications PO Box 1041 London NW5 3EU hatred of Bolshevism. Cable Street, where thousands of Jewish It should be ABC for anti-fascist mili- workers, socialists and other trade union-

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1990 11 WORKERS Irish p'residential elections Robinson's popular front: trap for workers and women On 7 November Mary Robinson was voted in as the fIrst woman President of the Irish Republic. In a campaign master­ minded by the reformist Labour Party, Robinson-a liberal constitutional lawyer with a strong civil libertarian and "mod­ ernising" reputation-made it clear that she is "not a socialist", and declared "I'm against abortion". Yet her win over dis­ credited Fianna Fail candidate Brian Lenihan has been hailed by a vast spec­ trum of commentators both in Ireland and in Britain as a famous victory for progress-including by many self-styled socialists and "revolutionaries". William Ray McManus Rees-Mogg, former editor of the London Popular front candidate Mary Robinson (left) defeated Brian Lenihan and Times and perpetual grand old bore of Charles Haughey's Fianna Fall old guard. English letters, greeted the news of her Steve Morgan election under the headline "The gates Mary Robinson drew the official support of wide sections of Irish society with the of repressive Irish society that the elec­ open to an enlightened Ireland". Socialist of bourgeois rme Gael in a second pref­ ossifIed conservatism symbolised by the tion of a woman who stands for the sim­ Worker (17 November) drooled "Irish erence vote transfer pact. The right-wing notoriously corrupt rumna Fail. Robin­ ple rights of divorce and contraception, elections-a blow against establishment". Progressive Democrats (PDs-the coali­ son's candidacy struck strong chords and who has defended in court the right In Ireland itself the Robinson cam­ tion partners of Fianna Fail in the gov­ among women, who suffer most from the of student leaders to distribute informa­ paign pulled together a veritable "rain­ ernment) were also rooting for Robinson: stultifIcation and social backwardness of tion about abortion is viewed as a water­ bow coalition" in opposition to the gov­ as a spokesman put it "Her agenda of the bourgeois-clerical state. Attempts by shed, a ''breaking of the mould". But by erning capitalist party Fianna Fail (FF). change, realism and common·sense is the Lenihan and his supporters to drape the standards of what is objectively need­ Directly backed by the Labour Party and PD agenda" (Irish Times, 16 November). themselves in the mantle of "national ed by working people and the oppressed, the equally reformist Workers Party, as Mary Robinson's electoral triumph is Christian Irish views" and blatant anti­ Mary Robinson's election will change well as the ecologists of the Green Party, indeed a symptom of the disgruntlement women outbursts fell flat. It is a measure continued 011 page 10

Haughel does Thatcher's di~ work Free Dessie Ellis!

DUBLIN-Dessie Ellis, a RepUblican Ard Fheis (conference), but they have sible for Dessie Ellis to have had con­ prisoner, was extradited to Britain on been the bulwark behind Ellis' extradi­ trol of explosives in Britain, or to have 14 November. The Irish Supreme Court tion. And Haughey's govern­ conspired to cause explosions in Brit­ ruled against his appeal of the High ment-which has always happily imple­ ain, because he was in custody, or oth­ " Court decision to extradite him on con­ mented the Anglo-Irish Accord nego­ erwise under garda surveillance spiracy and explosives charges. Dessie tiated by an earlier Fine GaeJ,·/Labour throughout the entire period covered by Ellis had been on hunger strike since Party administration-doesn't need the the extradition warrants." He was 10 October in an effort to stop the pressure of their Progressive Democrat arrested in May 1981 on domestic extradition (he ended the hunger strike coalition partners (the most pro-ex­ charges in Ireland and received bail An PhobIact after arrival in Britain). On 10 Novem­ tradition party in the Dail) to prosecute some months later. In February 1982, Dessie Ellis ber a. demonstration of well over 5000 a continued campaign of repression of Dessie Ellis left for the United States. people protested on his behalf in Dub­ Republicans hand-in-hand with the A month later he was re-arrested and whole-heartedly by the Irish bour­ lin. Meanwhile the bourgeois press British imperialists. The travesty of deported back to Ireland in March geoisie. The utterly venal Irish rulers strove to bury the case; Irish "left" TDs Irish "justice" is coupled with state 1983, where he was tried and sentenced also refused for years to offer any sup­ were equally quiet. censorship of members of Sinn Fein to eight years in Portlaoise Prison. It port to the Guildford Four, and the Dessie Ellis will now be tried by the under the notorious Section 31 of the was only at the time of his release date Fianna Fail government, backed by the British judicial system, infamous for its Broadcasting Act. This meant, for in­ in April 1989 that extradition warrants wretched reformists of the Irish Labour racist frame ups of the Guildford Four, stance, that the chair of the Gateaux were issued; the British judiciary con­ Party, continues to hand Republican Birmingham Six, Maguire Seven, Win­ strike committee during their recent 14- sciously decided only to seek extradition suspects over to the British police. chester Three and many others. Ellis week strike was unable to be inter­ at this late date in order to deny Ellis The case of the Guildford Four­ must be defended against British in­ viewed or quoted in the press because the chance to have a solicitor make a fmally released nearly 15 years after justice and its handmaidens in Ireland. he is a Sinn Fein member! careful investigation in his defence. their frame-up convictions for the crim­ The Dublin Spartacist Youth Group Ellis is charged with possession of Dessie Ellis is the fIrst person to be inal sectarian 1974 Guildford and (DSYG) and Spartacist League/Britain explosives with intent to endanger life tried under the 1987 Extradition Act, Woolwich pub bombings--exemplifIes demand his freedom now! between 1981 and 1983. According to which allows the demand for extradition what the British courts have in store for The criminal hypocrisy of the Fianna the account of his case from the Irish without requiring a prima facie case Dessie Ellis. His extradition is a sen­ Fail party in this case is manifest. By an Anti-Extradition Committee in Dublin being made in court to justify the ex­ tence to incarceration in Britain's pri­ overwhelming majority they passed a (printed in Socialist Organiser, 9 No­ tradition warrant; ie, "extradition on son hell-holes. Down with extradition! motion against extradition at their last vember): "In fact it is physically impos- derpand" for the British state supported Free Dessie Ellis!

12 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1990