Revolutionary Perspectives 51 GlobalGlobal CapitalismCapitalism isis TTururningning thethe ScrScreeww

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 South Africa’s Class Struggle Explodes  Ssangyong Occupation in Korea  The Cost of the Crisis So Far  The Miners’ Strike 25 Years On  The “Last Fighting Tommy” Has Died  The Iranian Election and the Working Class  Power - The State in Capitalist Society

Journal of the Communist Workers’ Organisation ISSN 1361-9713 Revolutionary Perspectives Quarterly Magazine of the Communist Workers’ Organisation British Affiliate of the International Bureau for the Revolutionary Party Series 3, No. 51, Autumn 2009 Contents

From Episodic Resistance to Global Class War? ...... 1 South Africa: Class Struggle Explodes Once More ...... 2 South Korea: Ssangyong Occupation Ends in Defeat ...... 4 The Cost of the Crisis So Far ...... 6 British Capitalism and the Miners’ Strike of 1984-5 ...... 11 Harry Patch: “The Last Fighting Tommy” Has Died but Warmongering Lives On ...... 16 Iranian Elections: The Working Class Must Fight for its Own Agenda ...... 20 Power: The Fundamental Question of the State in Capitalist Society ...... 25 Life of the Organisation ...... 28

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e are dedicating the bulk of this issue of RP to the scheme “green shoots”. No, not of the mythical, much for saving the W spotted capitalist recovery, but of the revival of world working class resistance around the planet, much of bourgeoisie which is going unreported. (as we go to press) the working class is beginning to resist. Naturally Chinese Steel Strikes this incipient response is episodic and largely involves only the workers who are immediately threatened. Indeed, Whilst the capitalist press is full of stories and pictures as at Visteon or in the last strikes at the Lindsey Oil about ethnic or environmental conflict in China (see http:/ Refinery, workers are only demanding that the capitalists /www.ibrp.org/en/articles/2009-07-20/inter-ethnic- do not renege on existing agreements. Some of these conflict-in-xinjiang-a-proletarian-tragedy they tell us less firms’ tricks to deny workers pay, pensions or redundancy about workers’ struggles. There have been literally rights (see for example Nortel in Belfast where the firm thousands of strikes and protests in China over the last filed for bankruptcy and sacked 87 workers without the year where at least 20 million have recently lost their 90 day notice) have been so outrageous that even the jobs. In the last few weeks workers in the old state run state’s judicial system has been slow to act against the industries have not only launched a series of strikes but workers (as in the evictions of Visteon and Vestas workers have even killed a manager who tried to enforce wage or in the toleration of the several bossknapping incidents cuts. This came about because the Chinese Communist in France when workers took managers of firms which Party is trying to privatise them. In Henan 3000 intended to move plant elsewhere hostage). steelworkers at the Linzhou Steel Corporation launched a strike which led to a fortnight of violent clashes with All these signs of resistance after years of relative class police at the factory gates. The workers were supported quiet are heartening but, as the weight of the attacks is by thousands of others from the locality. This solidarity building up, they will have to develop into a bigger was critical in forcing the state to withdraw the movement with wider goals. Today the idea that if we all privatisation plan but we all know they will be back when work hard for the firm we will all benefit is now just a conditions allow. This strike followed another at Tonghua joke. Everyone can see that the profits we have created Iron and Steel where the factory had already been sold to for the system enrich the few (whether financiers or the private industry. This not only led to the usual wage cuts bosses of big companies) and that our share of the wealth (which were reduced to 1090 yuan or about £160 a year) is declining. The political system is manipulated by those but workers had remained unpaid for months. The who control the real wealth (see article on Power in this murder of a particularly arrogant boss is only one issue). As Lenin argued there can be no democracy indicator of the growing class tension and no doubt without equality. And by this he meant economic equality contributed to the suspension of the privatisation and not some universal right to vote every four years or programme at Linzhou. so.

…the Chinese regime is worried by the social ferment At the same time the bloody wars going around the throughout the country. The crisis is creating ever planet, from Afghanistan to Africa, are not about more bitter social tensions and some officials are defending us from terrorism but defending the economic beginning to fear that they could explode and are and strategic interest of our rulers. These are no beginning to demand compensation and union policies sideshows but the material consequences of a system to keep the workers quiet. Last year, after years of which provokes such conflicts that take so many innocent growth, China suffered a fall in employment and a lives. The only way that this can be stopped is if those strong economic crisis. In January alone there was a who create the wealth (i.e. the world working class) begin 21% fall in inward investment and the government is to fight not only the immediate attacks of the capitalists worried about the possibility of a working class but for a different world. This is as yet some way off and explosion throughout the country. there are many obstacles to be overcome. We have translated from http://www.ibrp.org/it/articles/2009-08- already seen this year how the capitalist press distort 30/condizioni-e-lotte-operaie-nel-mondo strike demands into those that the bourgeoisie can understand (as in the “British jobs for British workers” Rising Resistance? headlines). The Vestas Occupation From China to Korea (see article on Ssangyong on p. 4) across Africa (see p. 2) to Europe the resistance to the attacks on workers is mounting. These attacks are not In some ways Vestas is a tale of our time. When the new, as the article in this issue, “The Cost of the Crisis So Danish owners of this plant producing wind turbines Far” shows. Wages as a share of GDP have declined in the decided to shift production to the US claiming it was capitalist heartlands since the end of the post-war boom unprofitable in theUK (in reality their UK state subsidy in 1973. Whilst the G20 meets to plot the next stage of had run out!)it meant the loss of 600 jobs. A couple of dozen young workers decided to take action themselves.

Revolutionary Perspectives 1 Class Struggle

They had never been in a union but South Africa decided on a sit-in and hastily erected barriers to defend the factory. Against much harassment from the police and the company Class Struggle they held out for 19 days before the company finally got an order to evict them on 7 August. The sit-in got much favourable media coverage but Explodes Once More instead of a struggle for the workers it became for “green capitalism” (a nonsense in itself). The struggle was ince last April’s election South temporary concessions to the widely supported but not by workers Africa has been engulfed in a workers are difficult to implement in in other factories. One reason was S tide of class struggle which has today’s situation of crisis where the that the occupiers were persuaded to been the most widespread and bitter economy is contracting and sign up to the RMT union which said since the ANC (African National unemployment is rocketing. The that the case could be won by Congress) came to power 15 years recession is the worst since 1992 and embarrassing the Labour Government ago. There have been strikes by in the first 3 months of this year the into living up to its “green construction workers bringing work economy shrank at an annual rate of credentials” by nationalising the plant on power stations, railways and 6.4%. Although Zuma promised to and carrying on production. This line football stadiums to a standstill; by create 500,000 new jobs this year, in was enthusiastically supported by the miners bringing coal and gold the first 6 months of the year TUC, the Campaign against Climate production to a halt; by municipal 475,000 jobs have been lost. The Change (i.e. middle class greens workers, including bus drivers and regime has reacted to the strikes with whose agenda is to make the cost of garbage collectors leading to the caution. In general most of the climate change be carried by workers disruption of transport and the piling strikes have been settled with pay everywhere) and the various up of rubbish in the townships and increases only slightly below the Trotskyist left such as the Alliance for major cities. Telecommunications workers’ demands. Construction Workers Liberty and the SWP. The workers, doctors and even soldiers workers, miners and municipal occupiers soon found that the RMT have also gone on strike. At the same workers, for example, got a 13% left them in the dark as to what was time the seething discontent in the increase only 2% below their demand. going on and started to speak for townships and squatter camps has Similarly some strikes were bought them. All solidarity action amounted erupted into widespread rioting, with off by quite generous pay offers. An to were token days (more like attacks on public buildings and illustration of this is the case of minutes) of action organised by municipal officials who are all ANC power workers who were given a trades unions who were hostile to placemen. The riots in the townships 10.5% increase and a strike, which real solidarity. There was no attempt are of the kind not seen since the would have crippled mining to link up with striking posties, worst days of the apartheid regime in production, was averted. Some railworkers (who are also in the RMT!) the 1980s. strikes, such as that at the Impala or others involved in strike action at platinum mine, have not been settled the time. Apparently the resin works Strikes Win Pay Increases and are continuing as we go to press. next door is also earmarked for However, the pay rises which have closure but once the RMT had taken been conceded are well above the over there was no attempt to unite The massive strikes, in which official rate of inflation and represent with them. The other big question hundreds of thousands of workers real — albeit temporary — gains. In mark is the passivity of so many of have taken part, and the wave of the future such gains will, of course, the other workers who accepted the township rioting have clearly shaken be clawed back either by inflation or feeble redundancy terms of the the ANC regime. In the past the ANC by speedups or both. However, company. Needless to say the has used the unions, with whom it is conceding to workers demands Labour Party decided that in alliance, to control class struggle shows that, for the present, the South by avoiding strikes or bring them to a African capitalist class and the ANC We are not going to nationalise speedy end. However, both the regime have decided on a tactical because we are sticking to our erosion of wages by inflation which is retreat rather than a direct principles. now 6.9% and unemployment which is confrontation with the working class. Joan Ruddock, Climate Change now 33% have built up a reservoir of Minister. discontent which is proving difficult Township Riots for the unions to control. The ANC, Confronted By Police Presumably these principles mean which unashamedly stands for the only handing out big pensions to interest of the South African capitalist bankers? Thus the whole affair ended class, has found it difficult to adapt When it comes to the township riots up as a circus. The last 6 occupiers to a situation of more open class the regime has taken a more robust were evicted and are now still struggle. This has produced a crisis attitude. It has sent in its police force campaigning outside the factory in the ANC itself leading to the with armoured vehicles and riot gear gates but the whole episode ousting of its previous leader Mbeki and the protesters have been underlines the need for workers to in September 2008 and a subsequent confronted with rubber bullets, tear recognise their own agenda is not split in the organisation. The new gas and large scale arrests. that of these various capitalist populist leadership, which emerged interests as embodied by the groups under Zuma, came to power Conditions in the townships are, if above. Ultimately workers promising to address workers’ anything, worse than they were at the everywhere will have to recognise grievances, unemployment and the end of the apartheid regime. The that the only permanent way to conditions in the townships. Of increase in population, coupled with ensure their living standards is when course, the ANC regime is unable to the corruption and incompetence of they take over the running of society carry out these promises at the same the ANC placemen, who fill the themselves. time as protecting profits and government appointed administrative maintaining the flow of investment jobs, have more than cancelled out capital into the country. Even the new housing built in the last 15

Revolutionary Perspectives 2 Class Struggle

It is the ANC’s boast that it has succeeded in doing these things. Since 1994 it has increased profits, achieved economic growth of 5% or more each year and attracted billions of dollars in foreign direct investment. One only has to glance at townships like Siyathemba to understand at whose expense this has been achieved. At the same time ANC officials have used the power of the state to establish themselves as members of the bourgeois class and have made the transition from political prisoner to millionaire without the slightest concern for the condition of the workers.2 years. For millions of people living in have accepted this, these events also With the onset of the present the townships there is no proper indicate a weakening of the ability of housing, no electricity, no water and economic crisis the ideologies which the ANC to confront the class have served the ANC so well are no sewage. On top of this there are struggle. The mask of defender of all no jobs. Over one third of the being undermined. The recent black people against the wicked strikes, like those of 2004, 2001 and working population is unemployed whites, which it has worn for so long, and 75% of the jobless are under 35 1999 have had no racial element to is finally slipping to reveal its true them whatsoever. The issue is simply years old. The anger felt by the face; the face of defender of young unemployed has boiled over one of class. However many workers capitalism against all resistance of still see the ANC as their only hope and municipal buildings have been the working class. burned and local officials have been as indicated by the 66% of the vote it attacked. In the Balfour township of achieved in the April election, This is Siyathemba, for example, the local The Real Role of a great mistake and one which is ANC mayor was only able to address African Nationalism being challenged by deeds. The root protesters from the safety of an cause of the problems of the South African proletariat is the same as that armoured car which was The coming to power of the ANC of the proletariat worldwide, namely subsequently pelted with stones. after decades of attempts to enforce the capitalist system of production. After his attempts to calm the racial divisions brought with it many situation the protesters torched his illusions. It was argued by many on The SA working class fought under second home, burning it to the the left that apartheid was necessary the banners of African Nationalism ground. The fact that such an official for ensuring the profits of South and shed its blood to install the ANC can have a second home while African capitalism and its removal in power. This has created a reservoir millions are homeless indicates the would somehow usher is a transition of illusion which makes a break with corruption running through the entire to socialism and that African the ANC more difficult. It is, however, ANC political machine. One resident Nationalism should be supported by necessary for the working class to of Siyathemba summed up his the working class for this reason. The break entirely with the forces of frustrations as follows; ANC itself, which has never even African Nationalism and its allies, nominally opposed capitalism, namely the trade unions and SA argued that all the country’s We fought the apartheid communist party. These are political problems stemmed from the government but now we are going forces which stand squarely behind antiquated racial divisions and once nowhere. There are no roads the capitalist system of production these were removed all would be well there is no water. All the jobs go and its continuation. Their 1 for everyone. 15 years of ANC rule to relatives of officials. programmes of public spending or and the present strikes and riots nationalisations of sectors of the SA have revealed the absurdity of these These events show the unemployed economy are simply reforms to views. In fact the key issue in SA has proletariat revolting against its capitalism. All the dreams of always been one of class and desperate conditions once again, reforming the system to make it organisation of the exploitation of and, once again being confronted by serve workers’ interests are simply the working class. The racial issue the violence of the state. The issues illusions. The working class needs to has simply been used to divide the and the reaction of the ruling class support its own interests working class and weaken its are in essence identical to what independently of all other classes. struggle and the ANC was brought to occurred under the apartheid regime. The struggle for its own interests power precisely to control workers’ Only instead of the forces of needs to be oriented towards the struggles and restore profitability of repression being white police firing overthrow of the capitalist system SA capitalism. As we wrote in RP 9: live ammunition at the protesters the itself and the unity of workers forces of repression are black police worldwide in this cause. firing rubber bullets and tear gas. The ANC was brought to power in The direct parallel between these the 1990s by the capitalist class CP events and the township riots of the as a whole. This was done to 80s show precisely how the ANC rescue SA capitalism from the Footnotes government has taken over the role catastrophic situation the 1 See video http://multimedia.thetimes.co.za/ apartheid had produced in its last videos/2009/07/calm-restored-to-siyathemba- of the apartheid government. township/ 2 decades in power. Because of 2 Mzi Khumalo ex Robben Island prisoner became Although Zuma has supported the its populist appeal and its wide head of JCI, a mining house and was reported in social base, the ANC was best the Guardian 22 April 1999 as saying “ I have view that the problems arise from a spoken to the unions at JCI and made it clear we few corrupt officials, and has placed to calm the social revolt, are here to run a business. I am not for any of this appealed for patience while he cleans and to pacify and discipline the brotherhood stuff.” out these rotten apples, and many working class.

Revolutionary Perspectives 3 Class Struggle

South Korea Ssangyong Occupation Ends In Defeat

n 5 August the 77 day strike The Occupation Towards the end of June, the State’s and occupation at the attacks on the workers intensified. Ssangyong car plant came to On June 26 and 27 violent clashes O The all out strike and occupation of an end. This militant struggle of 1700 took place between the workers and the plant began on 22 May. The workers which has received virtually a combination of employer hired workers’ demands included no lay- no coverage in the official western thugs and scabs and, the riot police. offs, no casualisation and no media started back in May as a Workers fought back with iron bars outsourcing of jobs. The struggle against mass redundancies and Molotov cocktails but the bosses casualisation of the labour force has in the wake of the company filing for managed to secure the main factory constituted a significant attack on bankruptcy. building with the workers retreating the working class in South Korea as to the paint shop as planned. More casuals earn substantially less than violent attacks followed and gas and The Shanghai Automotive regular workers and have no job water supplies to the factory were cut Industry Corporation security. Recent legislation ostensibly off. As well as physical confrontation intended to give casual workers job the company and the state employed security after 2 years has only The Ssangyong Motor Company of psychological pressure by flying encouraged employers to fire Pyeongtaek near Seoul, is owned by police helicopters over the plant workers as they come up to 2 years the Chinese Shanghai Automotive round the clock to deprive the of service. This is how "reforms" Industry Corporation which acquired workers of sleep. Water and gas operate under decaying capitalism. a 51% share in the firm about three supplies were turned off (but not Every so-called reform makes years ago. Since the take over, a initially electricity for safety reasons). workers worse off sooner or later and process of reducing the workforce of The workers had to resort to in the current stage of the capitalist 8,700 has been going on. By the time collecting rainwater and improvising crisis there is no question that we will the company filed for bankruptcy in toilets after the WCs were blocked. be made to pay. This is why workers February of this year it had been Conditions in the hot summer were under attack are responding by reduced to 7000 and had been distinctly grim. The state also sought trying to deny the use of the plant to transferring much of the plant’s to intimidate individual workers with the bosses. machine tools to China. This will legal action by suing them for huge sound familiar to former Longbridge sums of money for loss of revenue Initially the Ssangyong occupation workers as this is why the same resulting from the occupation. company acquired Rover at about the continued with little intervention by the state authorities, partly due to a same time. The plant was shut and The response of the workers' union, crisis within the ruling class following the assembly line taken to China. the Korean Metal Workers Union the suicide of the 'left-leaning' ex- Exploiting cheap Chinese living (KMWU), was to formally support the president Noh Mu Hyeon ,and labour with the "dead labour" of "illegal" occupation but not to go subsequent large scale existing machines in older further in challenging the state. demonstrations against the right established industries seems to be Instead they called for a half day wing government, in protest against the general strategy for Chinese state general strike of metal workers which the effects of the world economic capitalism to boost profit rates. led to a rally in support of the crisis. However as time went on the However as the plant was actually set Ssangyong workers in front of the state began to release its arsenal of up via Korean state subsidies the factory. On July 4th and 11th the oppression against the striking Shanghai Automotive Industry Korean Confederation of Trade workers. On June 16 an anti-strike Corporation has to go through the Unions (KCTU) held a series of rally of scab workers and hired thugs procedure of trying to re-float the workers' rallies across the country. took place outside of the factory. enterprise. The plan for the re- However the occupying workers During this time around 700 workers financing of the firm required effectively remained isolated and from the nearby Kia car plant joined substantial cost cutting to be imprisoned within the factory. achieved by a large number of lay the strikers to defend the occupation. The workers decided to base the offs. Following this, the company On 20 July the authorities occupation in the paint shop, the idea fired 300 casual workers and sought commenced their final assault on the that the flammable chemicals may to force another 1700 into early factory; around 200 riot police deter the police from launching an retirement. It was from the ranks of surrounded the factory and teargas attack which may result in the paint the latter that the occupiers came. was sprayed from helicopters. The shop being destroyed and loss of life. workers responded by launching

Revolutionary Perspectives 4 Class Struggle

Molotov cocktails and catapults at economic crisis. Although at a far structures can be recouped by the the police. The KCTU responded by higher level of participation and unions. calling a two day general strike, and militancy, the lessons from strikes were called by the KMWU. Ssangyong are essentially the same Ssangyong illustrates the urgent need However these actions were limited as those we have seen recently, albeit for revolutionary minorities to and formalistic. On 25 July a rally on a smaller scale in the UK at increase their presence in the working class and to assist the process of development of class consciousness. In this period any economic struggle must also have a conscious political dimension if the class struggle is to go forward. Embryonically the occupying workers came to realise this. In a press conference they gave at the factory gates on 27 July one worker finished by saying; outside of the Pyeongtaek railway Visteon and Vestas. Factory … We have been doing our best to station in support of the strikers led occupations no matter how militant solve this dispute with the to a further violent confrontation are unlikely to succeed without a principle of peaceful settlement with the police. By the end of July the broader generalisation of the with dialogue. Nevertheless, if police and company thugs recaptured struggle. Whilst obviously essential, it this kind of brutal, deadly all of the plant with the exception of is not enough that the strikers repression continues, we openly the paint shop. On 1st August the received support from their local declare our resolute will to fight company finally cut off the electricity communities and that workers from to the death.. supply to the paintshop and by 5 other factories joined rallies and Those of us in here will show our August after further battles, the demonstrations in support, because determination to die to the world occupation was ended. ultimately the struggle remained not only as workers but also as isolated within the factory gates. The human beings. Defeat demonstrations and half day (taken from Loren Goldner’s article 'solidarity actions' organised by the at http://libcom.org/news/ unions were predictably useless and ssangyong-motors-strike-south- The strike ended with an almost total merely served to ghettoise the korea-ends-defeat-heavy-repression- defeat for the workers. The Ssangyong strikers. In a period of a 17082009). settlement finally agreed with the generalised attack on the working KMWU resulted in 52% of the strikers class, our class can only fight back Here is a glimmer of insight that what being given early retirement with effectively with a generalised they were doing was fighting not just some severance pay whilst the other response which means not only for Korean jobs but for the future of 48% were offered a year's unpaid solidarity actions but other workers humanity. This is a task which only leave with a vague commitment from joining in the struggle for their own the world working class can carry the firm to re-hire them after a year if demands. This means going beyond out. In the end the fight is not just economic conditions permit. Even the trade unions which seek to for our jobs but against the state after the strike ended, the state has isolate and compartmentalise the which protects capitalists and their continued to arrest and detain working class by trade and by "right" to dispose of us a mere individual militants and workers are employer. At some level there appendages to their machines. also facing the prospect of further appears to have been some Materially "Workers of the World" are damages claims from the company. recognition of this by the Ssangyong uniting in struggles across the planet. From the information we have strikers who within the factory, What they need to do is recognise received approximately 5 workers adopted an organisational form consciously that we have to replace committed suicide as a result of the which appeared on the face of it to this inhumane social system with one pressures arising from the strike. be outside of the union structure. which addresses human needs. To The workers formed about 50 achieve it we have to unite politically What Can We Learn struggle groups, comprising of 10 in a world proletarian party so that from Ssangyong? workers. Each group, or chojang, the ruling classes will once again elected a delegate to participate in a tremble at the prospect of a workers’ The struggle at Ssangyong is not co-ordinating committee. But without revolution. atypical of industrial workers' a wider perspective for generalisation responses to the severity of the even these democratic fighting PBD

Revolutionary Perspectives 5 Capitalist Crisis

From Prometeo 1 (series VII) July 2009 The Cost of the Crisis So Far

hether or not the danger has years or more the international such a vital necessity that capital been averted, whether there bourgeoisie has followed exactly the cannot permit itself to ignore it if it W really is a flicker of light at opposite course with a policy of wants to at least try to hold up the the end of the tunnel: in short, progressively restricting the market, degenerative course of its illness. whether there are solid grounds for that is the masses’ capacity to Redundancies, temporary contracts the stubbornly optimistic view of consume. In other words, the and permanent job insecurity, many capitalists that the crisis is systematic lowering of wages both in reduced purchasing power of wages, almost over or whether this is simply the capitalist metropoles and in the these are the indispensable weapons a way of taking ‘people’s’ minds off periphery. But this fierce attack on paraded by the capitalists over the things, only time can tell. However, it wages is not the outcome of a simple last thirty or more years which, is certainly convenient for many to political choice based on the together with the ‘magical’ power of see (or pretend to see) a lantern nastiness of the bourgeoisie who, at money2, that is financial speculation every time there’s a flicker of light, a certain point, have chosen to carried to paroxysm, was supposed deluding themselves that the ransack the pockets of the proletariat to revitalise the world economy. darkness is not so black as they’d almost as if they had grown tired of Thus, if the tendency for the average once thought. Then again, wasn’t it the so-called ‘Fordist compromise’ rate of profit to fall has been slowed that master of propaganda, the and its relatively secure and decent down or temporarily neutralised by incomparable President of the wages. On the contrary, the roots of such counter-tendencies, it has not Council1, who happened to say one the market turbulence are to be been annulled. day that the crisis is only a found where the commodities which psychological problem? According to finish up on the market originate — These are the underlying reasons for him, if everyone pretended the crisis in the sphere of production with its the deteriorating conditions amongst didn’t exist and kept on spending antagonistic social relations between which the proletariat — and even part and squandering a dangerous bout of capital and labour power. Capital of the petty bourgeoisie — is obliged pneumonia would turn into a only survives and develops at the to live, in Italy and throughout the harmless cold. The superficiality of expense of labour power. So long as world. such notions provokes things are going well it is capable of embarrassment when they are conceding the famous crumbs to the High Exploitation, expressed in such a vulgar way but wage slaves (in fact, this is to their Low Wages basically, once the typically theatrical direct advantage); but when, as a figures of speech of the ‘premier’ are result of this antagonism, things start removed, this is the accepted wisdom to go badly — and sooner or later The figures published by the OECD in mid-May on Italy’s low wage rates and which provoked the usual ephemeral clamour in the media, Wages as share of GDP in the European Union 1960-2008 were in reality a timely confirmation of research by various institutes and economists of various ideological persuasions, most of whom cannot be suspected of harbouring particular proletarian sympathies. For example, the Bank of Italy, in a report at the end of April, revealed that from 1993 to 2008:

the percentage of poor people (people with an income of less that 60 per cent of the average) belonging to these two categories [those dependent on a wage and self-employed, ed.] has jumped from 27 to 31 per cent amongst workers and to 8 per cent amongst the self-employed.3 of a wide section of the serious they must go badly — the only option bourgeoisie — reformists included, is to attack those who are dependent Is it an accident that in July 1993 the naturally — who see the re-launch of on wages and the weakest strata in general agreement on labour consumer spending and maintaining society to try and pump oxygen into contracts was signed which wage levels as the principal means a rate of profit (the heart of the accelerated and intensified the so- for getting out of the difficult system) which is having increased called settlement? Obviously not, as economic situation. For those who difficulty breathing. Thus, just as some left members of CGIL4 more or have the job of starting this re-launch imperialism is not one policy less openly admit, without however it is not so easy — and the right and amongst many for this or that drawing the obvious conclusions. left bourgeoisie disagree about how bourgeoisie, a defect of capitalism, This same union has tried to quantify to do it — given that the crisis has but is capitalism’s very mode of the loss of purchasing power for exploded with such devastating force being in our epoch, in the same way wages/salaries. Payments have all precisely because for the past thirty the intensification of exploitation is gone up: but only for the murky

Revolutionary Perspectives 6 Capitalist Crisis benefit of taxation trickery. In essence, not only has the slice of the cake allotted to the proletariat Once again, then, capitalism has not In the last 15 years every worker (which made the whole cake) been forgotten its own interests and by has given the taxman an average reduced, but there has been a big devaluing labour power, that is of €6,738: for the State that increase in the number of mouths lowering wages, it has one of the means it has benefited by 112 whose teeth are biting into that slice. most powerful means — perhaps the billion euros, one of the major On the other hand, as we have most powerful — to offset the supply of funds that has mentioned, this is a global tendential fall in the average rate of prevented the return of fiscal phenomenon. It could not be profit. Without going into details, it is illuminating to compare the measures employed by capital in the 1920s and the strategies adopted today. In Germany in 1924, after the defeat of the last — badly prepared — revolutionary onslaught, working hours were extended to 10 hours per day and wages were reduced. In the United States during the ‘Roaring Twenties’, drag.5 [Government spending otherwise, given that capitalism the frenetic years of expansion in overrunning tax receipts, trans.] ‘reigns’ over the whole planet. consumption based on debt and Perhaps the only difference is to be financial speculation, the average But independently of this increase in found in the sharpness of the wage clearly fell or else, in the ‘best’ tax revenue which all governments of proletariat’s diminishing share which case, remained unchanged. whatever stripe have carried out, in Italy is particularly acute. An Obviously this means that the rate of wages themselves have fallen by an examination of the data on wages’ surplus value went up although, average of €1,900 between 2002 and share of GDP reveals the same given how things turned out, this was 2007, a figure which is no laughing picture everywhere, the only not enough to prevent the crisis of matter, especially when taking difference being the amount. 1929.10 Today one of the most account of the fact that more than 14 Between 1982 and 2005 wages’ share bourgeois of economists, perhaps for million workers must live on less than fell from 47.6% to 30.2%, in the G7 effect, condescends to use Marxist €1,300 per month and around 7.3 from 67.5% to 61.5%, in China, that terms and talks about an increase in million on less than €1,000.6 In order paradise of globalised capitalism, the rate of surplus value and the rate not to leave any doubt about the from 53.6% to 41.4%.8 of profit in Italy between 1993 and huge extent of the robbery being 2003, but the net outcome is what we carried out at the expense of the These figures, already eloquent see today in front of our eyes.11 This proletariat, with the complicity — as enough in themselves, probably is because, no matter how large the Minister Sacconi loves to say — of depict — and certainly do for the USA mass of surplus value that is extorted the unions, it’s worth reporting what — a better picture than reality. In the by every means possible from the one of the most lucid minds amongst US, for example, those who Marx working class12, this must always be Italian reformist intellectuals has called the ‘officials of capital’ — that related to the whole of investment written, someone who nowadays is to say the administrators, capital and in the end cannot be appears almost an extremist, such is directors, managers, the people who, enough to adequately remunerate the miserable state of bourgeois- whatever their role in the firm, get an capital, thus beginning the downward reformist thinking: ‘income’ sometimes hundreds of phase of the cycle and all the times higher than the wages of a measures designed to lift the rate of …the share of wages in GDP: in general labourer. It’s even better for exploitation, increase that notorious Italy between 1979 and 2007 workers in the ex-Soviet bloc competitiveness of firms, until in the that share had fallen by almost countries — another Eden where end they rebound against the system 13 per cent. At present it freedom has been regained — where, in general. ‘Old Karl’ noted ironically constitutes only 55% of GDP, even taking account of inflation and that every capitalist aims to lower the if wage earners in regular work increased productivity, wages of his own workers while he and therefore included in the would like to see the wages of others State’s figures have grown in the in recent years, the decline of increase in order to sell at a lower meantime by several million.7 wages is higher … in relation to price — at a competitive price! — on Western countries.9 a strong and expanding market. And

Revolutionary Perspectives 7 Capitalist Crisis today the capitalists all over the workers who would fall into poverty there is the fear that the dams which world are doing and hoping for — particularly in the capitalist protect ‘social cohesion’ will be exactly the same things. However, periphery — above all because they suddenly broken by a spontaneous once the vicious circle of the crisis would fall into the grey area of the wave of all-out struggle by the started it wasn’t so much that ‘informal’ or black economy which, proletarian class. Poverty, or rather ‘private vices’ have become ‘public moreover, in the space of a decade reduction of workers’ income is, as virtues’ but rather they are would swell to include two thirds of we have seen, a generalised fact generalised ‘vices’, i.e. part of the the labour force, that is to say 1.8 whilst social security or welfare sharpening of the crisis itself. billion people.16 benefits, official or otherwise — which up until now have curbed the For example, even if temporary jobs Increasingly Insecure Jobs effects of the multi-decennial (that is, and short-term employment contracts structural) crisis could well be — the scourge of contemporary insufficient if things should happen In case these predictions are not capitalism, which affect between 13 like this. In Spain — ex-miracle borne out in reality, let’s keep with and 33% of the European labour force economy country — unemployment is the hard facts, where they are (but amongst younger workers the already over 17% and, according to available. These confirm that in the percentage is much higher) — are a Eurostat, is in danger of reaching 20 USA from the end of 2008 the kind of miraculous potion for the or more per cent in 2010. In a year number of people without a job has bosses, in the sense that they have a unemployment throughout Europe increased at an average rate of blackmailable workforce at their has risen to 8.9%. This means 14,158 600,000 per month. Thus, in one disposal, ready to use at the ‘right’ million unemployed (2.8 million more year the official unemployment rate moment and at the ‘right’ price; in than in March 2008) in the euro the long run they contribute to the zone and 20,150 million for the EU shrinking of the ‘market’, given that as a whole.18 Thus the ECB the intermittent and generally lower Conditions in the US (European Central Bank) warns that wages reduce the so-called capacity have deteriorated further since this even if the upturn predicted by the to consume of a solid portion of article was written. crystal ball gazers (itself included) citizens. In Germany, which has an materialises, unemployment will economy oriented towards exports: The number of working US citizens continue to rise, up to 10.5%.19 turning to free government food the number of poor workers — stamps (worth $80 a month) has And, what’s happening in the Bel where ‘poor’ signifies getting two surged [to 35 millions or 11.6% of Paese? Even though Italy is thirds or less of the average the population]...whilst this fortunate in having a President of wage — has exceeded 22% of the increase is often attributed to the Council with the miraculous total workforce. A recent source unemployment - which yesterday powers of a medieval king, things says that there are about 5 hit 9.7% - the FT has learnt that are following the same general million ‘minijobs’ and around 2 some 40% of the families now on tendency. Official unemployment, million workers get €800 or less food stamps have “earned income”, which stood at 6.2% in 2007, has per month.13 up from 25%. now increased by a further 1.8%. According to official figures, the Overall, in Europe there are more This only confirms what this article building sector has lost 250,000 than thirty million people in argues - that, as the FT puts it “wages jobs but the existence of the black precarious jobs; 5 million of them in and benefits have decelerated”. economy, which is prevalent in this Great Britain and 6 million in Spain.14 sector, makes an exact calculation Yet again, though, it is the United Quotations and figures from the impossible. The play within the States which has led the way for the Financial Times September 5/6 2009 play is that the most affected, whole world to follow. The country obviously, are immigrant workers of Uncle Sam takes first prize for the who in some areas, such as increased by more than three unstoppable growth of the ‘working Lombardy, comprise around half the percentage points which by April poor’, of workers tired out by the end workforce in building. For immigrant meant 8.5% of the labour force or of the month (when they make it), up workers as a whole and obviously not about 13 million people. (By May it to their neck in debt even to the only building workers, the decline in was beyond 9%.) However if it’s also point of losing their house; all well available jobs means the loss of taken into account that, in order to before the subprime bubble that was residency status and the grim avoid complete closure, many firms inflated with the money — or rather prospect of being pushed into living have reduced the working week to the non-money — of the poor burst and working clandestinely. The point around 33 hours (obviously with a cut in the face of the world economy. In is that many immigrants have been in in wages) and that nine million December 2008 the Washington Post Italy for years — forming the workers are now obliged to work signalled that in the world’s number backbone of the labour force in many part-time (the majority of them one imperialist power, “63% of the factories — and have families and women); and then if the number of population are now experiencing a children who go to school here. those who have supposedly stopped drop in income”.15 In the same Aside from the loss of wages, which looking for work and who don’t period an ILO report (International is no small thing, it is not difficult to appear in the figures are taken into Labour Organisation, agency of the imagine the huge problems that account, then the real level of UN) drew a picture of the outlook for losing the legal right to remain would unemployment rises to 15.6%.17 the future which has so far been bring. confirmed. According to the ILO, However, in Europe things are not worldwide unemployment would However, if the building sector is much better. Even though, as we grow in 2009, from a minimum of 18 weeping, metal engineering is far said, the bourgeois politicians are million people up to, in the worst from laughing. In one year alone obstinately radiating flawless hypothesis, a maximum of 51 million output in this sector fell by 30%. By optimism the EU’s statisticians and people and the advanced countries March the CIG (Cassa Integrazione or economists are continually revising would not be the last to be affected. pool of laid-off workers getting a the figures for GDP and In addition to these figures a further reduced holding salary) had unemployment downwards. Behind 200 million could be added to include increased by 1,014% and in April by the smiles and the reassuring tone

Revolutionary Perspectives 8 Capitalist Crisis

1,400%. At the same time from this scheme). Now, it’s true that those nearest pensionable age employment in the biggest firms fell the government and especially the and who have defined pension by 1.6% and the number of metal regions have designed some more tin contributions which are entirely workers overall fell by 144,000. Over pot schemes for the unemployed and dependent on the performance of the next few months 41% of all metal unprotected workers but, being the funds. engineering works predict they will optimistic, this still spells widespread cut personnel.20 A glimpse at the poverty, if only because they It takes the bloated face of a union local situation in the province of expressly do not cover wide areas of bureaucrat to say these things Reggio Emilia — one of the most insecure jobs and unemployment without blushing, seeing that it was industrialised in Italy — bears this (see, for example, the agreement the unions who signed every one of out. In February 9,000 workers were drawn up between the region of the agreements designed to weaken laid off in the cassa integrazione Lombardy-the bosses-unions). and dismantle the old pension scheme. By the end of April there system (i.e. the robbery of final salary were 19,000 in the ordinary scheme Returning to the field of social pension schemes), pushing and and 2,000 in the extraordinary21 and security protection. The CGIL eventually forcing workers to the industrial output figures showed predicts that in 2009 there will be a subscribe to private pension funds, a drop of 30 to 70 per cent. The million more unemployed, while the managed, at least in part, by the same socio-economic earthquake has more optimistic Confindustria (the unions themselves. If we didn’t know hit many industrial sectors which bosses’ organisation) says 600,000. these types we would be until recently were hailed as the The fact is that, so far, according to disconcerted as we remembered the ultimate in competitiveness and the CGIL, 400,000 temporary workers arrogance and derision met out to Italian creativity. For example, the have not had their contract renewed anyone who criticised their activities ‘bedding sector’ in Puglia has and on top of this can be added a at the union meetings which they’d experienced a swathe of shutdowns further 200,000 public employees called to lure in the workers with and job losses or lay-offs in the cassa who are set to lose their job in the their fantasy about the advantages of integrazione. The latter, however, next two years as a result of the pension reform. Now what are they has given the bosses the opportunity targets set by Minister Brunetta, going to propose in the face of this to play the same old trick as the whose anti-statist fervour is massive disaster? The usual idiocies.

British Figures Confirm that Everywhere Workers Are Paying the Price for the Capitalist Crisis:

In August 2009 official UK unemployment stood at 2.49 million. 1 in 6 households are now without a wage earner.

1 in 5 18-24 year olds; 400,000 (or 5%) of 25-34 year olds live with their parents and a similar proportion of 35-45 year olds have moved back with parents. [ICM Research September 2008 ]

25% of manufacturers have cut working hours and many more are considering following suit, according to research from the EEF, the industry body for engineering and manufacturing employers. [The Guardian 13 March 2009]

I in 3 public sector organisations are planning redundancies with at least 10 per cent of the workforce set to lose their jobs. Redundancies have already begun in nearly 50% of district councils. [The Financial Times 12 August 2009]

10% of firms are certain to cut jobs and 40% are considering lay offs. [British Chamber of Commerce August 2009]

Over 20% of people in employment (5.79 million) work more than 45 hours a week. Office of National Statistics 2009

87% of defined benefit (mainly final salary) pension schemes were now closed to new members. 18% also no longer take contributions from existing members. [The Financial Times 31 August 2009] industrial capitalists. Briefly, they, or reminiscent of an old cartoon figure, Empty calls for greater financial rather the workers who have been a drunken superhero for the rich who control, for more equal wealth laid off in the CIG, are re-employed robs the poor in order to further distribution, for a sense of moral by the same bosses who pay them a enrich his protected few. responsibility by institutions. In wage of between €2-2.5 an hour; short, they make out that the beast between this lowest of wages and the For the moment we can pause here to of the market can be tamed when, CIG payment a more or less ‘normal’ make an overview of the devastating however, it is not tameable. The salary is put together while the effects of the crisis on the proletariat, market is a monster and only obeys bosses make a great saving on their whilst at the same time not forgetting the demands of profit, and in fact, of wages’ bill and shove a large part of that many pensioners are also paying the highest possible profit: that is its the cost of variable capital onto the a high price. In a document prepared nature. All the rest doesn’t matter in wider social collectivity.22 for the G20 in London, the ETUC the slightest. It is an illusion. (European Trades Union Although the CIG is undoubtedly a Confederation) observed, Productivity, Profit and The significant social insurance scheme — (currently latent) Struggle even if it doesn’t pay out the 80% of The pension funds within the salary that the bosses and politicians OECD lost 3,300 billion dollars in of the Working Class claim but more like 60-65% (which the value of their shares, that is means a breadline income) — in any 20% in real terms in 2008, due to Despite all the possible counter- case it includes no more than 50% of falling values in the stock measures which have been taken wage workers at any one time markets, of hedge funds and over the last thirty years to increase (around 7.5 million people; all the structured financial products. the amount of surplus value extorted others, not to mention casual and The immediate impact of the and provide an adequate amount for temporary workers, are excluded crisis will be felt above all by the valorisation of capital; amongst

Revolutionary Perspectives 9 Capitalist Crisis them and not least, the lengthening maintaining competitiveness is by ‘real socialism’, intoxicated by of the working day, the results for pushing down the cost of labour or bourgeois ideology, by a the (real) process of accumulation rather turning the screws on the consumerism (in the West) which has have been far from brilliant. working class. On the other hand, led it to ape the lifestyle of the petty Everywhere the bosses insist and industrial restructuring, the bourgeoisie. These disagreeable persist with this route because they introduction of new, higher facts are responsible not only for the know no other. ‘Increase ‘performing’ machinery, leads in loss of class consciousness, but also productivity’, yells Brunetta. ‘Increase general to the expulsion of labour for the decline in simple class productivity’, says Federica Guidi, power and, thus, for the proletariat identity, which has undermined president of the young industrialists: it’s a situation of falling from the workers’ will and capacity to frying pan into the fire. In the long struggle, something for which we We must increase productivity … term this is also the case for also have to thank the political work more hours, 41, 42, 43 and capitalism itself because it narrows operations of the unions and parties review the number of holidays: the basis for valorisation. Certainly, ‘of the left’. Last, but not least, it is four or five weeks a year are too during the upward part of the thanks also to the absence of a much, as are the number of sick accumulation cycle, the comparative revolutionary political reference days.23 reduction in labour power (in relation point. Up to now the class response to the capital invested) is to the capitalist offensive has — with However, it is already the case that at accompanied by real growth but, at some exceptions — come nowhere least half of wage earners (workers the moment, there is no sign of this near the level of the attacks. and employees with ‘permanent’ jobs on the horizon. Here then is the Nevertheless, it is true that things and legally registered) work more source of the ‘doggedness’ of capital can suddenly be turned round for in than forty hours a week24 and this towards its workers, who must be the past this has been the pattern of phenomenon is certainly not peculiar continually more flexible: about a class revival which, if and when it to Italy. Granted, the ‘productivity wages, hours, shifts, their entire life. happens, as we truly want to see, problem’ in Italy is due — as For the proletariat it means a leap then it certain ly will be neither economists of various persuasions backwards fifty, hundred or so years, painless nor straightforward. We will maintain — to the fragmented but with a difference: today the take up this argument again later … productive apparatus, i.e. the proletariat is atomised, with no hope abnormal presence of small of a better future, subdued by the Celso Beltrami enterprises whose only hope of historical delusion of the collapse of

Footnotes

1 The official title of Italy's head of government distinguishes the bloody character of Italian 19 Il Manifesto, 1.5.09. But even these figures, is Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri, literally bosses (see also the recent Safety report [Testo gathered during the editing of this footnote, have ‘President of the Council of Ministers’, usually Unico sulla Sicurezza], it is part of a growing been surpassed with the revelation by Eurostat referred to in English as the ‘Prime Minister’. In tendency world wide. According to the ILO there at the beginning of June that unemployment is other words, Silvio Berlusconi, well known outside were 2,200,000 deaths at work in 2004, 200,000 now 9.2% of the workforce. Within this bleak Italy for his media empire, constant ability to more than in the previous year. Furthermore, for framework Spain and Greece are distinguished by escape prosecution for corruption, famous advice every fatal ‘accident’ there were four deaths as a a growing countertendency, that is a very small to the survivors of the L’Aquila earthquake to result of workplace diseases and, to finish this increase in employment. Whether this is due pretend they were camping and seedy list of crimes by the bourgeoisie and its lackeys, principally to the various government philandering with prostitutes and minors. in the same year there were 270,000,000 non- programmes or to a real change in direction for 2 Hjalmar Schacht, Hitler’s creative minister in fatal ‘accident’ victims. Figures reported in P. Ciofi the economy is yet to be seen, but given the charge of the economy, wrote an apposite book op.cit. pp 104 and 109. present state of things the first hypothesis is the entitled, ‘Money Magician’ in order to strengthen 13 Luciano Gallino, ‘Decline of the Union, Between most likely. the illusion of the bourgeoisie that money in itself Crisis of Representation and an Uncertain Future’ 20 www.rassegna.it visited 18.5.09; this page said can magically create more money, more wealth, [‘Declino del sindacato tra crisis di rappresentanza that the number of metal workers in cassa by leapfrogging over the process of production e sfide future’] in Nuvole, #34, October 2008. integrazione was between 450,000 and 500,000, of commodities and therefore of surplus value. 14 La Repubblica, 9.2.09. i.e. 25-30% of the whole group. Quoted by Ester Fano in ‘The capitalist countries 15 Il Manifesto, 21.12.08. 21 L’informazione, 1.5.09. from the world war to the crisis of ‘29’ in AA.VV 16 Figures from the OECD, reported by Il Manifesto 22 Riccardo Jacona (ed.), Presa diretta, Raitre, The Crisis of Capitalism in the 1920s, De Donato, of 8.4.09. According to the ILO workers in the 15.2.09 1978, p.99. black or ‘informal’ economy could soon make up 23 La Repubblica, 9.2.09. 3 Il Manifesto, 22.4.09. 53% of the entire labour force and the working 24 Figures from CGIA de Mestre, reported by Il 4 Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) poor , 1.4 billion; in China alone it appears that Manifesto, 4.1.09. with a membership of over 5.5 million. the number of unemployed forced to return to 5 Agostino Megale, director of the IRES, the the countryside from where they came is at least research centre of CGIL, reported in Il Manifesto 20 million. 28.3.09. 17 4 million workers were forced to go over to 6 Paolo Ciofi, Voyage Around Working Italy, part time working after the subprime bubble burst Correction [Viaggio nell’Italia del lavoro] CalicEditore, 2008 in 2007. The total number of unemployed and p.33. underemployed would appear to be about 23.1 million people. See Charles-Andre Udry, ‘Emplois: 7 Luciano Gallino, La Repubblica, 9.1.09. In our last issue we mistakenly 8 Michel Husson, ‘The Tendency for the Rate of la chute la plus rude depuis les annee 1930-31’ Exploitation to Increase’ [‘La hausse tendencielle [Jobs: the sharpest fall since 1930-31] in referred to the recently formed du taux d’exploitation’] in Un pur capitalisme, www.alencontre.org visited 16 March 2009; see International Communists who also Il Manifesto 4.4.09. In May the official Editions Page Deux,2008. publish the journal The Commune as 9 Devi Sacchetto, ‘Mobility of the Labour Force unemployment rate was already over 9%. and Capital’ [‘Mobilita della forza lavoro e del 18 Amongst the unofficial welfare supports (i.e. the International Communist Party. capitale’] in AA.VV. La Lunga Accumulazione which are not part of the cassa integrazione (Italy’s This stemmed from a misreading of official system of putting workers into a holding Originaria, Edizioni Ombre Corte, 2009 p.148. their first issue and a 10 Leon Sartre The Marxist Theory of Periodic pool for redundancy payments, trans.) or Crises [Theorie marxiste des crises periodiques] unemployment benefits) first place is without misunderstanding of a presentation Ed. Marcel Riviere et al ,1937, pp 38-40. See also doubt the family which nowadays supports by a Commune speaker who called thousands of ‘big children’, that is youths who ‘Considerations on the Composition and for the establishment of a new Recomposition of the Class with Globalisation’ cannot leave the family home because their [Considerazioni sulla composizione e income is either too low or they do not have an electoral party of the Left. We ricomposizione di classe nella ‘mondializzazione’ income. In any case the mid-May report by the apologise to them. Thanks to governor of the Bank of Italy, Draghi, (attacked del capitale’] in Prometeo #6, 2002. comrades from the CWO, ICC, GIS and 11 Geminello Alvi, A Republic Based on Revenue by the ineffable premier) indicated that 2.6 million [Una repubblica fondata sulle rendite], 2006 p.60. workers were totally, or almost totally, without The Commune for pointing out this 12 Amongst these means are the non-compliance any social welfare benefits. Of these at least 1.6 error. with the most elementary safety standards at million are in danger of becoming unemployed work, so much so that in Italy between 2003 and or, which is the same thing, of not having their 2006 there were more workers killed than contract renewed. For a more detailed picture, Editors American soldiers in Iraq: 5,252 as against 2,978. see the article by F. Piccioni in Il Manifesto of RP Even though this phenomenon particularly 6.6.09.

Revolutionary Perspectives 10 Workers’ History British Capitalism and the Miners Strike of 1984-5

n February 1984 the miners in British ruling class gave confidence to tried to tackle head on the chronic Cortonwood, South Yorkshire the rulers of other advanced lack of productivity of British industry Ilearned that their pit had been capitalist countries to begin the (due to a lack of investment, both earmarked for closure. After a process of restructuring of their before and after, the nationalisations pithead meeting they voted for a economies in the face of the of the 1940s). Their solution was wildcat strike on March 5th. They capitalist crisis. This was largely simply to make the working class pay were soon to be followed by 6000 based on the de-industrialisation of by cutting wages (via higher inflation other miners. No-one at the time the areas where the old heavy and fewer jobs). It sparked a wave of realised that this would lead to the industries were located. In September militancy across all the nationalised biggest confrontation in the class war 1984 we were still able to put this industries but particularly in coal. In in Britain since the Second World War. issue in more positive terms. every case the workers won higher wage rises (even if soon undermined Many words have already been A victory for the miners will not by the going rate for inflation). written in commemoration from only clear the way for a renewed different aspects. Many look on the offensive by the rest of the In the 1972 strike Arthur Scargill led struggle with a kind of despairing British workers who, up till now, thousands of miners to blockade the nostalgia, others on a world that has have been cowed by Saltley coking depot and caught the been lost, whilst others have simply unemployment and the catalogue police unawares. This victory of the focussed on the icons of the time. of defeats over the past 5 years. flying picket was to inspire a similar For those who lived in pit villages It will also be crucial for the tactic in 1984. The difference was the focus has been on the social balance of class forces in Europe that the state was ready and in the devastation which followed, as pit as a whole: the significance of the so-called Battle of Orgreave, for after pit was closed down, and with it British miners strike overshadows example, the coking works near the only real employment in those all events in the class struggle in Rotherham were protected by at least areas. Today there are 6000 working Europe since the Polish defeats of as many police as there were pickets. underground instead of the 250,000 1980-1. The embryonic revival in However back in 1974 the miners not of 1984. In may villages youth class struggle, as seen in the only succeeded in getting higher unemployment rose to 70% well into Belgian public sector general wages but even forced the Heath the 1990s. The consequent social strike last year, and the struggle Government to call an election on the breakdown led to drug dealing and of the German metal workers this issue of “who runs the country”. The criminality on a hitherto unknown year, will be tipped towards fact that the Tory Government of the scale. By 1994 the Dearne Valley upsurge or retreat by the day narrowly lost indicated a (which runs between Barnsley and outcomes of the present battles widespread class hostility to Rotherham) was designated one of in the British coal industry capitalist restructuring plans. the three poorest areas in the entire Workers’ Voice 18 (Sept 1984) Unfortunately class hostility to European Union, and Grimethorpe the capitalist restructuring was not the poorest village in Britain. The whole Labour and the same as hostility to capitalism. At of South Yorkshire thus became an Capitalist Crisis the time members of the CWO often Objective 1 development zone. voiced the view that “money Today a shopping centre stands militancy” was not in itself leading to where Cortonwood pit once was, and This turned out to be true and this any wider consciousness of the most of the other pithead sites in article is an explanation not only of issues at stake as the working class South Yorkshire, South Wales and how that retreat came about but will gave more and more support to elsewhere have been converted to also attempt to understand its trades union struggles. As we know mini-industrial estates offering low significance for the future of the the unions have never been wage jobs to a few workers. working class as a whole. The miners’ revolutionary and indeed their strike cannot be understood just by existence is bound up with In other areas such as looking at 1984-5 alone. Its capitalism. Asking for “a fair day’s Nottinghamshire, where the miners background was the capitalist crisis pay” is not the same as demanding did not strike, all but 3 pits have which engulfed the world in 1971-3 “the abolition of the wages system”. been shut (despite promises made and which signalled that the post-war In the pit areas this was stronger that they would not) and here, they boom was over (or, as we would put than anywhere though every mining have not even bothered to “develop” it, the cycle of accumulation had community had its minority of so- pithead sites. But the impact of the entered its downward phase). The called “communists”. But these were strike went beyond the miners, and Heath Government at the time was those who looked to the Stalinist even beyond the shores of the UK, portrayed as the most right wing Soviet Union as their model whilst since the victory achieved by the Government since the war when it most miners were content to go

Revolutionary Perspectives 11 Workers’ History down the pit every working day past were lost as Durham pit villages were in Thatcher’s Government) which was the sign which had announced since turned into “category C or D” (which no secret since The Economist 1947 that this or that pit was “owned meant you had no hope left). The announced it in May 1978. It by the people”. For miners this was Labour Party’s service to British summarised the essence of this plan not only the culmination of a century capitalism has never been in doubt thus; or more of struggle but it also meant from the moment they (and their that you had a job for life. It seemed union backers) supported the First …Mr Ridley and some of his co- to give the assurance that you were World War in 1914 right down to the authors have been pondering how taking part in a tough job but for the 1970s but the 1940s was “their finest to counter any “political threat” good of the community. hour” as they established a social from those they regard as the state which saved capitalism from enemies of the next Tory In fact it was a Labour lie. What they even more extreme demands from Government… they would like a should have put above the pit was the workforce. five part strategy for countering “owned by the nation” since this this threat: reveals that it was not owned by the The Tories narrowly lost both * Return on capital figures workers but by those who had “the elections in 1974 but the drive to should be rigged so that an greatest stake” in the nation – those restructure did not end there. above-average wage claim can be who really owned the land, the Obsessed by balancing the books in a paid to “vulnerable” industries. newspapers, the factories, mines and way which looks almost laughable * The eventual battle should be fisheries. The post-war now, the Labour Government called on a ground chosen by the Tories, nationalisation of “the commanding in the IMF in 1976. Prime Minister in a field they think could be won heights” of the British economy by a Wilson, who once promised to use (railways, British Leyland, the Labour Government is often “the white heat of technology” to civil service or steel). portrayed as a step towards modernise Britain, resigned * Every precaution should be socialism, by all sides of the ruling presumably because the IMF taken against a challenge in class. It was in fact the exact medicine was too hard to administer . electricity or gas. Anyway, opposite. The state became the This brought Callaghan and Healey industries in those industries are collective capitalist in the interests of (as Chancellor of the Exchequer) to likely to be required. The group the bourgeoisie as a whole. The power and they carried out the cuts believes that the most likely position of the workers was not demanded by the IMF as a condition battleground will be the coal altered by replacing individual for its loans. The decline of the fight industry. They would like the capitalists with the state. The of the working class against the crisis Thatcher Government to a) build individual capitalists did not of began from that moment (and not up maximum coal stocks, course like it (though they got hefty from Thatcher’s arrival in power in particularly at power stations; b) compensations for their clapped out 1979). The Labour Government not make contingency plans for plant) but this was a ruling class in only used troops to break the import of coal; c) encourage the deep crisis. It had “won” a war which fireman’s strike but made cuts in recruitment of non-union lorry had destroyed its overseas markets health and social security spending drivers by haulage companies to (gobbled up by its American ally), as well as imposing a “Social move coal where necessary; d) three quarters of its merchant marine Contract” (widely dubbed the Social introduce dual coal oil firing in power stations as soon as possible. * The group believes that the greatest deterrent to any strike would be “to cut off the money supply to the strikers and make the union finance them”. But strikers in nationalised industries should not be treated differently from strikers in other industries. * There should be a large mobile squad of police equipped and prepared to uphold the law against violent picketing. “Good non-union drivers” should be recruited to cross picket lines with police protection. and was on the brink of losing the con trick) which tried to introduce a Empire which it had entered the war wage freeze at a time of high In the end all of this came to pass but to defend. In this crisis the ruling inflation. The “winter of discontent” not quite according to the schema of class also had another weapon to (1978-9) it provoked spelled the end Ridley and Co. Thatcher’s 1979 deploy – the Labour Party, itself of Old Labour as a useful tool for the election victory was a narrow one. founded by the trades unions at the British ruling class and ushered in 18 The Tories had won largely because beginning of the century. By setting years of Tory rule. the level of unemployment had up the welfare state and nationalising tripled to 1.5 million under Labour loss-making industries the Labour Background to the Strike (an issue made much of in Tory Party conceded the demands of those propaganda viz the “Labour isn’t who thought they had fought the war working” posters of the Saatchi When the Tories arrived in power in for “democracy”. But their brothers reproduced on this page). June 1979 they had no master plan nationalisations were not about However under Thatcher this was to for solving the capitalist crisis but “common ownership of the means of double again at a time when inflation they had learned from the debacle of production” as the Durham miners in peaked at 22%. The Thatcher the Heath Government. They also had the 1950s and 1960s found out. Government became the most a plan to deal with the miners. This Nationalisation was but a prelude to unpopular since Neville was the Ridley Plan (after Nicholas rationalisation. Thousands of jobs Chamberlain’s in 1940. However the Ridley who would become a minister

Revolutionary Perspectives 12 Workers’ History

Tory Government pressed on with so- British Foreign Secretary resigned moved from the “unreliable” railways called anti-trades union legislation over the diplomatic blunder, and (since the railworkers would show which, by outlawing wildcat and there was some debate amongst the class solidarity) to private coal firms solidarity strikes as well as mass ruling class as to whether the staffed either by self-employed lorry picketing actually strengthened the Falklands were worth fighting for. But drivers or non-union workers. Now hand of union leaders over the the Thatcher junta was desperate to the only provocation needed was to membership. In short the legislation copy Galtieri. Plans to scrap naval make Ian Macgregor who had was anti-working class and anti- vessels were hastily abandoned and “butchered” the steel industry head struggle than anti-union per se. Such an expeditionary force was put of British Coal. legislation though gave the legal together to recapture the islands. It framework for what would happen in was the political turning point of the As the ruling class prepared their the miners’ strike. However the first 1980s. The “short victorious war”1 position the situation had been clash was not with the miners but against a weak enemy allowed the moving against the miners in other with the steelworkers who were British ruling class to swell out their ways. Once again attacks came from initially offered a derisory 2% wage nationalist chests and to claim that their supposed friends. The Minister rise (i.e. a large wage cut since Britain was once again a great player for Energy in both Labour inflation was at 20% at that point) in in the world. We wrote about the Governments had been Tony Benn. the autumn of 1979. After consequences as follows: He not only shut down 200 pits (with negotiations only saw the offer raised the connivance of the NUM to 6% (with job losses on top) the The failure of the working class leadership) between 1964-70 but in steel strike broke out in December to substantially oppose the his second term of office in 1977 1979. For over thirteen weeks the Falklands War in 1982 led to a introduced a productivity scheme steel workers struck and carried out new wave of confidence in ruling which offered big bonuses for miners many flying pickets to try to stop the class circles. This was reflected in in modern mines and nothing for movement of steel. In this they were the capitalist press. Until then the those in older pits. The miners supported by the miners who sent bourgeoisie had grave doubts spotted this divisive game and masses to reinforce pickets of private about the open civil war tactics of rejected it in a national ballot. Joe steelworks.. They were not so well the Tories. After the riots of the (Later Lord) Gormley, the President of supported by their own union (later unemployed youth throughout the NUM then implemented it area by the ISTC) led by Bill Sirs who did Britain’s cities Thatcher was area thus breaking the national unity everything he could to get the strike being described as the worst of the miners. During the miners ended on the bosses terms. When British Prime Minister since strike the miners went on strike area the deal was finally announced of a Neville Chamberlain . Today there by area, and were roundly 16% wage rise, but only on condition has never been a better prepared condemned in the capitalist press for that thousands of jobs would go, offensive by the bourgeoisie than not holding a national ballot but in steelworkers in Sheffield publicly that being carried out by the 1977 no-one noticed this same “lack burned their union cards en masse. present Conservative of democracy” when Gormley first Government. introduced it. Neither did anyone The steelworkers defeat emboldened The Miners’ Strike and the Tasks of remember Benn’s role as a Labour the Government. Ian Macgregor was Communists in Revolutionary Minister when he shared platforms brought in from the US to close much Perspectives 22 (Third Series) with Arthur Scargill during the of the steel industry down and make miners’ strike! However the lack of a it ready for privatisation (150,000 The press played their part to the national ballot was a propaganda gift jobs in both the old British steel and full. The Daily Mail (which had to the capitalist press. There is also private steelworks went over the next opposed giving asylum to “dirty” Jews no doubt that it helped undermine 20 years). And in 1981 the Thatcher in 1938) carried the headline “Smash class solidarity since the fact that the Government thought it would take on ASLEF” as a rail strike began at the Nottingham pits (foolishly believing the miners by announcing the closure end of the Falklands War. All the promises that they would not be of 23 pits. This provoked a papers pictured a returning troop closed) not only stayed at work but spontaneous walkout of pit after pit ship with a banner hung over the side produced a split in the miners’ ranks. starting in South Wales and then reading “Call off the rail strike or Union leaders also used it as spreading across the country. The we’ll call an air strike”. A wave of propaganda to support their own Tories were not yet ready to take on jingoism not seen for decades swept capitalist interests. Bill Sirs (ISTC the miners so after a week of Britain. leader) rewarded the solidarity the hesitation the shutdowns were miners had shown the steelworkers shelved. This relatively easy victory Much of the ruling class’ preparation in 1979-80 by refusing any for the miners was to induce a false was foreseen in the Ridley Plan but suggestion of solidarity with the sense of security that the miners some went beyond even that. The words. “We are not going to sacrifice could win on their own. police were militarised and ourselves on someone else’s altar”. centralised so that they could deploy Things were also changing on the large numbers to any area and the The Great Strike political front. The Thatcher tactics learned in Northern Ireland Government’s unpopularity was at a were now part of their arsenal. Many As it was the NUM leaders did not historic low when a diplomatic failure of the coal fired power stations were provoke the confrontation. It can was turned into military victory by modified to burn oil as well. The even be argued that, as they had the Falklands War. Encouraged by workers in the power generation already negotiated the closure of half British apparent willingness to let industry and the police were both the 23 pits the Tories had wanted to them have the Falklands Islands the awarded large pay rises just before shut in 1981, they were doing all Argentine military junta of General the strike broke out. As a result of oil they could to avoid a strike. In fact Galtieri decided they could be seized huge stockpiles of coal built up at the spontaneous way in which the without resistance. Galtieri’s regime, power stations and a work to rule by strike started and spread was not like Thatcher’s was in deep trouble miners throughout the winter of something the NUM leadership could economically and socially so this act 1983-4 to try to reduce it did not control, and was more like that of the of war was intended to divert make significant inroads. And just to 1981 confrontation. Even before national attention towards this great make sure the transport of coal was Cortonwood came out miners in achievement. Lord Carrington, the

Revolutionary Perspectives 13 Workers’ History

Barony and Killoch pits in Scotland bosses, who have ranged the will call upon power workers “to and Manvers and Wath in South whole of the might of the work on” to defeat the miners. Yorkshire had been on strike for capitalist state against the These were not “betrayals” as the Trotskyists at the time tried to maintain but the unions playing their real role for the capitalist state. The miners suffered the biggest onslaught in terms of state violence that we have ever seen since the General Strike of 1926. In the mini-police states we referred to above the police were restricting travel, carrying out arbitrary arrests of workers, beatings, photographing, finger printing, telephone tapping. At the same time the bosses have used their courts and laws to cut off money and food to striking miners. Strike funds have been seized and the strike declared illegal. Shipments of food from workers abroad have been turned back at ports or destroyed. Thousands of miners have received savage sentences on the flimsiest of charges. The three weeks. What made Cortonwood miners; they have spent more on entire bourgeois media, press (and Bulcliffe Wood) different was defeating the miners, than in and television have been united in that the miners there produced a fighting the whole Falklands War, a chorus of hatred and lies leaflet which they took to other pits and turned whole regions of the against the miners in the name of and then proposed a strike ballot in country into mini-police states. democracy and freedom. In fact the Yorkshire area NUM. It was The key to victory lies in the so—called “democratic freedoms” about this time that the disastrous spread of the struggle to other have been wiped out and the slogan “Coal, not Dole “ was adopted. sections of the working class. present society revealed for what It sounds clever but it posed the Instead of token support, the it is, the dictatorship of the struggle as one for the miners alone miners need more active help, capitalist class over the workers. when, as we wrote at the time, the like the kind briefly given by Break the Miners’ Isolation in Workers miners were actually fighting for some dockers over moving scab Voice 85 (Hanuary 1985) everyone. But “Coal not Dole” made coal to Ravenscraig, or the it look as though this was simply a London printworkers who stopped There are many, many, aspects we trade dispute and made it more production of The Sun for its could go into and many already have. difficult to get other workers to see attacks on the miners. We could highlight how the so-called the need for solidarity. In short it battle of Orgreave in the summer of had the effect of isolating the miners But more important is for other 1984 was one of the biggest from real solidarity (and we are not workers to launch their own diversions from the real picketing of belittling the attempts of the various struggles, to open up other fronts the power stations and steelworks at support groups to keep financing the in the fightback, and to link these a time when the ruling class was miners to keep them going but the fights with those of the miners, itself beginning to doubt the wisdom real solidarity that was required had through joint picketing, of fighting on. We could show how to come from transport workers, demonstrations etc. Everywhere the miners passed from passive dockers and other strategically- workers are facing the same picketing towards real class violence placed workers). However speaking problems as the miners; threats when faced with an obdurate and to young miners during the strike we of redundancy, falling real violent enemy. The defeat was not found that they thought that they wages, infernal increases in inevitable and there were times when could win on their own and had exploitation… the Tory Government’s nerve was enormous confidence in the power of shaken (naturally when the pound their union. Partly this stemmed from But the same leaflet went on to point and the stock market tumbled). We the structure of the NUM which was to the role of the unions. could also point to the incredible much more run by its members (as Any attempt to generalise and sense of community which the strike the Cortonwood initiative confirms) unite the struggles leads to revealed. The Tories thought that by and less bureaucratic than any other conflict with the trades unions, getting a lot of workers to buy their union. But the NUM was still a union which divide the workers section council houses they would trap them and the fact that this was seen as by section, and restrain any in the so-called “property-owning trades dispute and not for what it struggle within the bounds democracy” where paying the really was – the future of the working acceptable to capitalism. Thus mortgage outweighs any tendency to class in Britain, and beyond, played the TUC has passed meaningless militancy. It may have worked into the bosses hands. motions in support of the miners elsewhere but in mining villages the which are designed to leave them building societies did not dare In one of the many leaflets we gave isolated. The ISTC has openly foreclose on mortgage arrears whilst out at the time we called for a supported the use of police- the strike was on. This apparently generalisation of the struggle escorted scab lorry convoys, and made Thatcher incandescent with No amount of militant fight by the EEPTU has indicated that it rage as she had already pronounced the miners alone will defeat the

Revolutionary Perspectives 14 Workers’ History that there was “no such thing as the “emerging nations”. The alone that we will achieve the society”. She certainly destroyed the speculative bubble has now ended in understanding that we need a mining communities in pursuit of that tears and once again as in the 1970s programme which envisages a piece of dogma. and 1980s the working class will be different kind of society. asked to pay for it. Where we go The Lessons from here depends on the response It is likely that the current crisis will of the working class everywhere. So be managed by the state so that we But what the miners strike really far we have seen violent resistance in are in for a gradual worsening of showed was that militancy alone is China and Korea and workers living conditions world wide. In this not enough to win a battle on this occupying factories and kidnapping period communists need to explain scale. For the British bourgeoisie managers in the advanced countries. that the only future this system has restructuring the old state- owned However these are as yet not the to offer is one of permanent wars, industries was absolutely vital but to stuff of a generalised class declining living standards for the achieve it they had to impose the movement. majority and environmental most draconian of cuts on the bulk of degradation to the point where the the working class. The issue was The miners’ strike proved for all time existence of humanity is threatened. never about modernising Britain – it that our collective resistance is not This means we have to help develop was always about exploitation. And just economic and social but has also the consciousness of the working the evidence of their victory is all too to be political. We can put it class to an awareness that it alone, apparent. Today families are more whichever way round you like. There as the one collectively exploited likely to exist on two low paid jobs was not enough consciousness so producing class, has the capacity to (where they have them) rather than there was no workers’ party or there solve humanity’s problems. This on one wage which can support all. was no workers’ party so there was means going beyond struggles in this Real wage rates have fallen insufficient awareness of the stakes or that workplace, and to raise our continuously since 1973 whilst the to play for. At the time of the miners’ sights for the struggle for a society ruling class have transferred strike the workers were not really based on human needs and not industrial production to areas across conscious that what they were capitalist profits. We can still do it – the globe where they can exploit fighting for was a bigger stake than but only if we learn the lessons of our workers on minimal wages. They just the survival of one industry. own history. have been able to use the profits to They had little realisation that they indulge in the financial speculation themselves would have to forge a Jock which artificially gave the idea that new society. And this is why there real growth in the economy has taken was no political party of the working place over the last two decades. At class which had an alternative vision the same time they have tried to of the society we need. Politically the Footnote capitalists understood what was at 1 The phrase is from the Russian Interior Minister reduce the working class in Britain Plehve who suggested to the Tsar of Russia in and all the advanced capitalist stake in 1984-5 and this is what we 1904 when faced with mass strikes that what he countries to the status of plebians, have to understand now. Whilst our needed was a “short victorious war” to play the daily resistance to exploitation is the nationalist card. Unfortunately for “Nicholas the given enough bread (social security) Bloody” Russia chose to fight a newly emerging and circuses to maintain them as basis for the future of the unity of Japan and lost thus provoking the 1905 War. The consumers of the commodities workers actions it won’t be through a British Government had no such problems when spontaneous outburst here or there faced with the decrepit dictatorship in Argentina produced by the quasi-slave labour of (which was duly overthrown after the war).

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Revolutionary Perspectives 15 Workers’ History

Harry Patch The “Last Fighting Tommy” Has Died But Warmongering Lives On

arry Patch died on Saturday 25 Germany’s only surviving veteran Europe and built a navy with the idea July 2009, only three days from the war. It was emotional. of forcing the British to agree to this. Hshort of the ninety fifth He is 107. We’ve had 87 years to The British reaction was the opposite, anniversary of the start of the First think what war is. To me, it’s a seeking allies amongst former sworn World War1. Just surviving the licence to go out and murder. enemies like France (agreeing on the trenches and living to the age of 111 Why should the British division of Africa) and Russia is remarkable enough, but as many government call me up and take (creating buffer zones in Central people know his uniqueness does not me out to a battlefield to shoot a Asia). Britain went to war in 1914 not stop there. The war for this man I never knew, whose to defend “brave little Belgium”2 but particular Tommy was over on 22 language I couldn’t speak? All to make sure that the German Navy September 1917. His group of four those lives lost for a war finished was destroyed and no longer posing operating a Lewis gun were taking over a table. Now what is the a potential threat to the shipping part in the third battle for Ypres (also sense in that? lanes of the British Empire. This is known as Passchendaele). In an (from an interview in the Sunday why the British Government interview Harry described what Times 7 November 2004) demanded the immediate surrender happened of the German Fleet in November The Hypocrisy of 1918 and ordered it to Scapa Flow. My own team was hit at Pilkem the Ruling Class Ridge. A shell came over us and We should not forget that at the three of the boys were blown to same time they also maintained a pieces. Nothing of them was Harry’s anti-war sentiments are not in blockade of the starving German found — not a shred. I was lucky. doubt. For him the Great War was “a people until the end of June 1919. No I was only wounded. licence to go out and murder”. But great humanitarian cause here. And what predictable barefaced lies have the majority of the Labour Party and “Only wounded” meant a piece of followed this remarkable man’s the trades unions joined with the shrapnel two inches long and half an death! Prince Charles intoned the toffs, the capitalists and aristocrats, inch wide lodged in his groin. With most despicable line of all on Radio 4 in defending their property. No Harry’s consent the field hospital saying that Harry and men like him surprise that Gordon Brown should doctor removed it without had died “to defend the liberties we echo the nationalist claptrap of our anaesthetic whilst four men held him now enjoy”. Harry and his mates future King. Here’s a selection of his down. He declined the offer of the certainly fought for HRH’s “liberty” to vomit making rhetoric. shrapnel as a souvenir. It was a day rule over us. A glance at most war he was never to forget even though memorials will confirm that they did I know that the whole nation will he did not speak about until he was not go to fight for liberty but for unite today to honour the 100. And when he did speak it was to “King and Country”. The King at the memory, and to take pride in the condemn the war and those who sent time was George V, the great- generation that fought the Great them to fight in it. grandfather of Charles Windsor. War. These property owners really can say I was taken back to England to they are fighting for “my country” The noblest of all the generations convalesce. When the war ended, since they actually own it. For the has left us, but they will never be I don’t know if I was more rest of us nationalism is an forgotten. relieved that we’d won or that I abstraction dreamed up by the We say today with still greater didn’t have to go back. bourgeoisie to get workers to kill force: ‘We will remember them’. Passchendaele was a disastrous each other. In reality what Harry was battle — thousands and sent to fight for was British imperial I think it’s right that we as a thousands of young lives were interests against the no less nation have a national memorial lost. It makes me angry. Earlier obnoxious German imperialist service to remember the sacrifice this year, I went back to Ypres to interests. The German imperialists and all the work that was done by shake the hand of Herr Kuentz, wanted a free hand to dominate those people who served our

Revolutionary Perspectives 16 Workers’ History

which took place on the battlefields country during World War One of Europe in the First World War. and to remember what we owe to Opposing War Much has been written (and filmed) in that generation - our freedom, the last two decades about the our liberties, the fact that we are We don’t want to commit the same Christmas truce of 1914 but this was a democracy in the world. crimes as our rulers. We cannot claim Harry as one of us. Harry was not only the start of the recognition that the war had nothing to do with those Contrast this garbage with Harry’s political but simply an ordinary who were doing the dying. Writing at own view. In his memoir The Last working man, the plumber from the time in his diary a British officer Fighting Tommy written (with the aid Coombe Down. He was the antidote Captain J. L. Jack wrote of the of Richard van Emden) in 2007 to any notion of making heroes, once stating for the TV cameras that fraternisation of Christmas 1914: These incidents seem to suggest Politicians who took us to war that, except in the temper of should have been given the guns If any man tells you that he went battle or of some great and told to settle their into the front line and he wasn’t grievance, educated men have no differences themselves, instead of scared, he’s a liar. desire to kill one another, and organising nothing better than that were it not for aggressive legalised mass murder. He wanted to avoid the war but it wouldn’t let him. Unlike Henry National Polices, or the fear of them by others, war between And even when Harry, at over 100 Allingham who died a few days civilized peoples would seldom was dragged into the Armistice Day before him he did not respond to take place.5 celebrations which he deplored, he Kitchener’s call. When the first wave did not indulge in the usual of volunteers looking for a bit of Harry Patch, like so many other nationalist nonsense. Once giving a adventure were wiped out in battles Tommies would be surprised to be speech at the Menin Gate war like the Somme, the British ruling included in the ranks of the educated, memorial he stated class were faced with the unpleasant but there is no doubt that he was not Let us remember our brethren prospect of introducing conscription. alone. But there was another strain who fell - on both sides of the Being an island nation conscription of resistance to war which ultimately line. was not normally essential to territorial defence, and arming the ended it. These begin with the tacit agreements of soldiers on both sides Harry Patch’s funeral on August 6th “scum of the earth”, as Wellington not to kill each other along wide (did anyone notice it was also the called his own troops on the eve of stretches of the trenches. Tony 64th anniversary of the dropping of Waterloo, was not something our Ashworth in his book Trench Warfare the atom bomb on Hiroshima?) was a rulers liked to do. After all, workers 1914-18: The Live and Let Live further occasion for downright lies. with guns can be dangerous (and System stated that The Scotsman reported that Harry this, plus the cost of building the Patch “would accept the need for Bomb, was the main reason why the Truces were usually tacit, but war”. The words were taken from the British Empire took the decision to always unofficial and illicit. The Head of the Army Sir Richard abandon National Service in 1955 – agreements between antagonists Dannatt, who reportedly said that after all “a nuclear deterrent” means Harry Patch’s death was the end of “a chapter of living history”, adding the brazen lie that Harry would have “accepted the need for conflict in Afghanistan”. This violation of the facts of Harry’s well known opinions is not surprising. It is the same big lie, so vividly underlined by Wilfred Owen at the end of his poem, Dulce et decorum est written during the Battle for Passchendaele,

If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth- corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, The Last Lie?: The State gets the militarist image it wanted My friend, you would not tell with as soldiers carry Harry Patch’s coffin from Wells Cathedral such high zest To children ardent for some was unspoken and expressed in desperate glory, you don’t need to worry the citizenry certain actions – or non-actions – The old Lie; about what their destruction which were meaningful to front Dulce et Decorum est involves). line fighters but not always to Pro patria mori.3 Harry was conscripted in 1916 and others.6 Harry had refused a state and a very soon found that the war was To give just a couple of eyewitness military funeral but that did not stop hell. After a while his team operating 4 examples from the same source. A the military muscling in to provide the Lewis machine gun made the soldier wrote the pallbearers (with German, Belgian decision not to shoot at heads and and French military following to torsos but tried to aim below the We go out at night in front of the partially comply with Harry’s wishes knee. This decision was just one of trenches .... the German working that the funeral should be about the many minor (and not so minor) parties are also out so its not “peace and reconciliation”). acts of sabotage of the “war effort”

Revolutionary Perspectives 17 Workers’ History considered etiquette to fire ... Army’s own colonial troops who productive capacity of the opposition refused to go into the trenches. Some entirely. The wars of the twentieth And a British officer explained: were shot but the rebellion spread century have been much bloodier and right along the front to involve 78 nastier as a result. Even in the I was having tea with A company regiments. Two regiments singing seemingly small war against the when we heard a lot of shouting the Internationale and waving red Boers in 1899-1901 the British and went to investigate. We found flags set out for the capital but were introduced a total war concept which our men and the Germans ambushed by cavalry troops and included, for the first time the standing on their respective forced to return to the front to face introduction of concentration camps parapets. Suddenly a salvo either the firing squad or the for an entire population, and which arrived but did no damage. Germans. Pétain, the most trusted of resulted in the massive loss of Naturally both sides got down the French generals, was despatched civilian life. and our men started swearing at to promise that there would be better the Germans, when all at once a conditions and no more suicidal The First World War was a total war brave German got onto his offensives as long as the men held not just between armies but between parapet and shouted out ‘We are the line. This was accepted by the economies and in the end it became a very sorry about that; we hope no troops but Pétain later had 70 of war of attrition which was won by the one was hurt. It is not our fault, it their most prominent leaders shot. side whose population suffered the is that damned Prussian artillery. On 9 September 1917, just before least. In 1917 the collapse of the Passchendaele, it was the turn of the Tsarist regime and the subsequent There are thousands more examples Russians in France to try to end the Bolshevik Revolution seemed to give of this “live and let live” attitude but war. Having gone to war in a wave of Germany an advantage, but this was resistance did not end their. As the patriotic fervour these troops were largely illusory. In fact by the futility of the war struck home in now supporters of the revolutionary beginning of 1918 the tide was 1917 desertion and even full scale movement which had broken out in turning. Geographically isolated by mutiny became more common. their country of origin. the Allied blockade the Central European population, like that in Class War is the only Way to Ten thousand troops of France’s Russia earlier, was starving. A quarter Stop Imperialist War Russian allies, serving in of a million died of disease and Champagne had overthrown their malnutrition in Germany in the winter officers, set up soviets and months and the same was happening One such occurred at the brutal declared a Bolshevik revolution to Germany’s ally in Austria. All this British embarkation base of Étaples (two months before the real one – was a far cry fro the situation in 1914 just 12 days before Harry’s mates CWO). Now they were when the Social Democratic Party , were killed. This was largely in surrounded by French cavalry, betraying every resolution against response to the brutal conditions artillery and three brigades of war voted by the Second imposed on troops in a supposed infantry. Thousands of miles International decided to vote war attempt to toughen them up before from home but buoyed up by credits for the Kaiser. This was sending them to the front. Run by propaganda from Trotsky and his probably the greatest single betrayal training officers with yellow friends in Paris, and the in the history of the working class armbands known as “Canaries”, the bewitching oratory of Private and threw the revolutionaries inside reputation of the place was well Globa, the Russians refused to Social Democracy in Germany and established by 1917. It took only surrender.8 elsewhere into despair. However one incident (in this instance the once the war’s real character was shooting of a soldier by a military The result was a battle a hundred demonstrated resistance began. policeman for refusing to stop talking miles behind the lines which lasted Leaflets appeared before the end of to a female auxiliary) and the whole for three days. The outcome was 1914 which condemned the place went wild. British troops never in doubt as the artillery just leadership of the Social Democratic refused to obey orders for days and pummeled the Russians into Party and Karl Liebknecht became the order was only restored when offers surrender. These mutinies of 1917 first SDP MP to vote against further to increase pay and remove the worst may all have been failures but they war funds thus earning a prison abuses were agreed by a panicking indicated that many at the time were sentence. One of the leaflets added a General Staff.7 ready not only to put an end to new line of parody to the socialist “legalised murder” as Harry Patch march “Arise socialists, close your The Étaples Mutiny though did not called it, but the social system which ranks!” manifest much anti-war provoked it. Indeed if it had not You who in your millions consciousness and such class been for the Russian and German Come from mines and fields, consciousness as was seen was more Revolutions the capitalists would not from cities and the land intuitive than political. Whilst the have ended the war even after four You are now mere cannon fodder British Army largely went in for years of slaughter. Cannon built by proletarian desertion (thousands of British, hands! French, German and Belgian troops When many young men in all For now we fire on our kin with lived in hidden communities in the countries volunteered to fight in pleasure woods of the Somme or the 1914 it was with the expectation For this is what our highest limestone cliffs near Le Touquet) the that, “the war would be over by masters wish, real mutinies took place in the French Christmas”. After all, the cabinet To wipe out the greatest score of Army and in the Russian Army wars of the previous 90 years had all human lives fighting on the Western Front. The been short, and for limited This is the goal to which we are French Army had mutinied first in objectives. But these wars were led, April 1917 after the disastrous largely about establishing modern This is what is known as “holy Nivelle Offensive on the Aisne. At the national states like Germany and war”. height of the battle troops coming Italy. They had precise and limited With us, the people! Victory is down the line had baa-ed at troops objectives. The wars of capitalist assured.9 coming up to signify that they were imperialism however have a much all lambs to the slaughter. The first to bigger goal which is to destroy the By early 1918 strikes were mutiny were some of the French

Revolutionary Perspectives 18 Workers’ History developing all over Germany and this epoch it means imperialist) human need, a society without anti-war sentiment was growing. In interests. They have nothing to do standing armies, national frontiers March 1918 the German General Staff with the mass of the population. They and class rule, can we abolish these gambled all on a final offensive in the will be ended, not by the United futile wars for the interests of the West known to them as “Operation Nations, nor by pacifist campaigns, few. And that would be a fitting Michael” but to history by the name but only by the international monument to the men and women of of the General who was virtually revolution of the working class Harry Patch’s generation. dictator of Germany by this time. everywhere. Harry Patch was no Jock Once the final gamble of the revolutionary but he clearly perceived Ludendorff Offensive petered out in that the First World War was fought Footnotes July 1918 the German General Staff for the interests of the few and for told the Kaiser the war could not be this we salute him. What he did not 1 The forces of the Austro-Hungarian Army won, and urged him to get civilian see is that in order to put an end to marched into Serbia on 28 July 1914, exactly one month to the day since the heir apparent to the figureheads into Government to be war we need to change society. This Imperial title, Franz Ferdinand had been more credible negotiators for peace. is why we have advocated class war assassinated by a Serbian nationalist group in But before that process was finished as the only way to put an end to Bosnia, with the aid of Serbian military intelligence. The subsequent ultimatum to Serbia the naval mutinies in Kiel and imperialist war. Some have rebuked was simply a delayed declaration of war. Within a Wilhelmshaven spread to the us for using the word “war” but we week all the Great Powers piled into the conflict Northern German cities and turned are not advocating something which (with the exception of Italy which waited until it got the best offer from either side and thus did into a revolution. The Kaiser fled and does not already exist. The lies of not enter the conflict until May 1915). the task of halting the revolution fell Prince Charles, General Dannatt and 2 The Ypres Salient was the only bit of Belgium to the same German Social Gordon Brown are all part of the the German Army did not conquer in 1914. It was held simply for that reason. Militarily it made Democratic Party which had betrayed ideological face of this class war. And no sense to hold it. It was dominated by a ridge the workers in 1914. Once again in a real sense we are the ones who which ran through the village of Passchendaele they did not disappoint their allies will pay for every capitalist crisis of from where the German artillery were able to pour down a murderous fire on the Allied troops below. amongst the capitalists and the war and peace, just as we are doing This explains why there were three bloody battles military. Once the Spartakist Revolt now. We do not advocate violence as as the Allies (British, French and Belgian Armies) was defeated in January 1919 they such but we cannot see the property fought to hold on to it and take the ridge. There were nearly 200,000 deaths on both sides in the dismantled the workers councils set owners who are prepared to plunge battle where Harry lost his mates. up in November 1918. These class mankind into misery to defend their 3 Owen took this from a Latin ode by the Roman struggles were all part of a property rights giving it away without poet Horace and means “How sweet and fitting it is to die for your country”. revolutionary wave which had its some sort of fight. How violent that 4 One reason for Harry’s survival was that he was, echoes everywhere. Even in Britain fight is will depend on the like the grandfather of the author this article, a five and half million days were lost to preparation of the world working Lewis machine gunner and thus expected to do most of the killing. My own grandfather joined strikes in 1917. When the workers, class. The more conscious, organised the Army in 1912 as a boy soldier (aged 15) and appalled at the capitalists’ continuing and united it is, the more power it left it without a scratch in 1920. The greatest life of luxury whilst they starved, will have to brush aside our masters. danger facing Lewis gunners was that they were targeted by the (not very accurate) artillery which proposed to take over the After all, as the German revolutionary explains the horrible end of Harry’s comrades on distribution of food in 1918 the song above says, we produce both September 22nd, 1917. Government hastily introduced the wealth and the means of 5 Quoted in Meeting in No Man’s Land M. Brown (ed) Constable 2007 rationing to stave off a first step repression which are used against us. 6 Op cit. Macmillan 1980 p.19 towards revolution. The more we use our collective 7 For a fuller account see The Monocled Mutineer strength the more peaceful will be by William Allison and John Fairley, Quartet 1978 8 Op cit p.57 All this only underlines our point that our eventual triumph. Only by 9 Quoted in Brown et al. op. cit p.203 wars are fought for capitalist (and in ushering in a new society based on

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Revolutionary Perspectives 19 Capitalist Crisis

On the Iranian Election The Working Class Must Fight for its Own Agenda

n our previous article1 we tried to However, little did Rafsanjani realise All that was left was to grab the last explain how the two main factions how quickly these “heroes” would political bastion of reformism, the Iof the Iranian ruling class had forget about “emancipation”, “Islamic presidency. To flex their muscles and arrived at the election, how the Iran/ brotherhood” and “heaven”, once the to show how far they would go, they Iraq war had rejuvenated the “soul of dollar's magic was waved in front of fired their first warning shot, on 8 capital”, and how reformism had their hungry eyes! And less did he May 2004 when: dispersed the growing struggle of the realise how soon they would working class. We also showed how challenge his authority and his well Revolutionary Guards, citing US and EU policies, such as the war known “Oil Mafia” establishment. security concerns, blocked the on terror and on the nuclear issue During this period, however, the IRG runway at Tehran's new Imam benefited the Islamic Republic elite and personnel were out of Khomeini International Airport. nationally and internationally. Here political power. we look at these issues in a bit more The guards used military vehicles detail. From 1997–2005, while Khatami to block the runway, after just enjoyed popularity by promoting one of six scheduled flights had The War is Over, the “civil society” and a “dialogue of landed at the airport on its first Commanders Return civilizations” the IRG began its day of operation. Due to the political ascendancy, by allying itself closure, a second inbound flight with the conservatives to challenge from Dubai was forced to divert In May 1979, just a month after Khatami’s reforms. Thus their to the central Iranian city of proclaiming the Islamic Republic, influence grew rapidly, so that they Isfahan more than 155 miles Ayatollah Khomeini, ordered the had a finger in every pie. As well as away despite being low on fuel. Revolutionary Council to form Sepáh becoming the most powerful e Pásdárán e Enqeláb e Eslámi, the economic body in the country, the Airline Industry Information, 12 May Army of the Guardians of the Islamic IRG also managed to impose some of 2004 Revolution, or IRG. its commanders as head of a few powerful Bonyads; foundations, that The 2005 election showed the Eight years of organising a war the Islamic Republic had confiscated determination of the Khameini and machine by renewing state arms from the previous regime of the IRG camp to oust the reformists from manufacturing, dealing in Shah. As well as this there was the political power. The next few years international black markets, and Foundation of the Oppressed; Bonyad revealed that neither the conservative acting as a powerful “client” of the Mostazafan whose activities cover 3 camp nor the reformist camp were major domestic industries and the categories, Economic, Scientific and homogeneous. Where the interests of bazaar, led to the metamorphosis of Cultural & Social; the economic the IRG, Bonyads and the bazaar these “revolutionaries” of the IRG into section covering 42 major overlapped, there was a united policy a wealthy new elite that would have companies, which according to some against reformists but where there no match, as far as corruption was analysts are the biggest in the Middle was a conflict of interest different concerned. They were headed by East. They also controlled Astan factions flexed their muscles as on Rafsanjani who from 1989 to 1997 Quds Razavi's activities in mining and 13 October 2008. According to was President during Iran’s post-war manufacturing, agriculture, Agence France Presse re-construction period. construction & civil engineering as well as activities in the Free Economic The Iranian capital's traditional Rafsanjani knew that, when they Zone of Sarakhs. In addition the IRG bazaar stayed on strike on returned home, the “heroes” who had also managed to gain control, Sunday as merchants pressed carried out the “Sacred Defence” of directly and indirectly, of some other their demand that a decision to the nation would have problems with foundations, including the Alavi bring in VAT be scrapped, even the lavish lifestyle that he and his Foundation, the Martyrs Foundation, after President Mahmoud clique were enjoying, unless they the Pilgrimage Foundation, the Ahmadinejad officially froze its were given a share. So he found a Housing Foundation, the Foundation implementation for two months. way, “legally” of course, to pass an for War Refugees, and the Foundation Stalls were shut down in the act of parliament to engage them in for Imam Khomeini's Publications. capital's main bazaar. the “business” of post-war re- construction.

Revolutionary Perspectives 20 Capitalist Crisis

Death to America! man, with the most reactionary and The second round of Basij Long Live the Enemy! superstitious ideas that can be found mobilisation exercises on urban on earth was applauded several counter insurgency begin on times. It seemed like he was almost Tuesday, October 23, 2007. The If someone had told Khameini what winning the argument. This is an first exercise will begin “with Gorbachev said to Reagan, “I am indictment of today’s Western heavy and light weapons around going to deprive you of an enemy”, “liberalism” but how was all this seen the city of Qom”. The Basij Khameini would have had a by people in the region, including commander for government nightmare as he would have nothing Iran? Is there any room for surprise at agencies and offices announced to say in his Friday speech! State- Ahmadinejad's partial popularity last Saturday that 10,000 Basij managed shows would have nothing among the masses whose politics are members belonging to to say and would have no viewers. anything but class politics? government agencies would begin Iranian television would have to close three-day exercises around the down a few of its channels, including Two Camps, One Illusion city of Qom “to confront the its English Press TV while leftists, like enemy, attack the enemy’s Galloway and Co, would have to look defence systems and confront the Having succeeded in keeping the for a new cause. possible infiltration of the enemy foreign “Enemy” alive and giving into sensitive centres.” A few years ago, a low ranking himself a “victorious” image inside the country, on domestic issues clergyman in the holy city of Qom, in Unlike the other faction, the Ahmadinejad, picked up on an interview said “Clinton talks well reformists picked on but acts badly, Bush talks badly individual “Rights” and “Rule but acts well” . This clergyman of Law” issues. They kept had understood the essence of defining and re-defining the new US policy and how the democracy and Islam! A few Islamic Republic was going to reformist parties started to fully exploit it. The four years of criticise their own policy in Ahmadinejad’s presidency in previous elections by saying the Bush period was a triumph, that they had gone too far in not because he was offering their attempts to expose something good or new, but corruption, in particular in just because his opponents relation to Rafsanjani and Co! nationally and internationally This gave Rafsanjani more were so bankrupt. They room to manoeuvre, so much portrayed themselves as the so that he could now sneak 'ENEMY” he so desperately into the reformist camp and needed. put his weight behind his old opponent Moussavi, who Hardly a month would pass stood a good chance of without news like this in The getting past the obstacle of Observer on 4 November 2007, the Guardian Council’s vetting of candidates. The Now is the time for clarity conservatives, confident of over Iran their success, did not see that The drums of war are Moussavi would be a beating. In America, talk of challenge to Ahmadinejad. a strike against Iran grows louder. In Israel, hardliners Both camps went into the claim Tehran is close to election without engaging the getting the bomb. In public to any great degree in Bahrain, host to the US fifth fleet, their campaigns. It seemed that corruption. His regular trips and the state's foreign minister Ahmadinejad's supporters were visits to poor towns and villages imagines doomsday. under no illusion that corruption indicated where he intended to draw would end. Moussavi supporters were his support and where he would Or take the nuclear issue; just a few even less hopeful about more human prioritise investment. He had all the months after Bush, Blair and Sarkozy rights. The experience of 4 years of qualities for spreading the illusion questioned whether Iran, as one of Ahmadinejad who was supposed to that he represented their interest and the major oil producing countries, “bring oil money to their table” and 8 he would fight corruption. A simple needed nuclear energy at all, years of Khatami which had basically man who sleeps on the floor, lives in American diplomats and Sarkozy given nothing, were pretty vivid in a small house, doesn't wear suits etc. were travelling around the region the minds of supporters of both In public meetings and gatherings he offering nuclear technology to other camps. major oil producing countries! even spoke of the “demise of capitalism”! Contracts were signed with the U.A.E Then came the television debates, the In 2007, as part of preparation for and Libya just a few months later first ever in the Islamic Republic's civil unrest the IRG merged with the whilst another with Egypt was on the history. Ahmadinejad, confident of Basij (militia) which was the final way. his success and desperate for a consolidation of the Khameini and landslide victory which would match IRG camp, which was now well The University of Columbia's decision that of Khatami's 1997 victory, prepared and well in control of the to host the Iranian leader at its World attacked his opponents on a scale economy. Similar exercises to the Leader's Forum in September 2007, never seen before when he openly below reported one, were conducted was one of those events that named Rafsanjani and Karrubi as an in few major cities including Tehran captured world attention. Presumably axis of corruption. His supporter up to the election day it was arranged to challenge began to believe it was a real Ahmedinejad's controversial stand on challenge to corruption. In a similar the Holocaust? What challenge? This

Revolutionary Perspectives 21 Capitalist Crisis way, in the other camp, Moussavi's “ENEMY” to divert attention and arrests (especially in 2007). It is also, supporters saw this split as an foster national “unity” to a lesser degree, a hangover from opportunity to say NO to the Islamic the student movement of the Khatami Republic, by driving a wedge to widen A Weak “Velvet period, as well as elements from the crack, so to speak, an equally Revolution” Tendency ethnic minority movements, as in unprecedented move. Kurdistan and Zahedan. The backbone of the street protests is Of course, supporters of both camps Here some might criticise us for rooted in these elements. Its policy were not aware of the fact that by saying the same as the Revolutionary towards the election was articulated supporting this or that faction, they Guards. But we are not, and radical in a statement called “Election & were splitting among themselves. In elements among the protesters Dialogue” by the Demand Axis which the early days when social should not close their eyes to the fact was circulated on 15 March 2009 and restrictions were relaxed, supporters of both camps were on the streets discussing and dancing in a very friendly atmosphere, unaware of what this split would mean in the coming days.

And it came like a storm. Hundreds of thousands took to the street without any preparations, shocking themselves and shocking the world. So far, officially, 69 people are dead, hundreds injured and thousands arrested. Even though the street protest has massively reduced, the situation which provoked it has not been resolved. To sum up, this movement didn't come out of a clear blue sky, it is the outcome of the bourgeois factions attempt to outmanoeuvre the public on one A supporter of Moussavi fighting the Basiji (militia) hand, and an outburst against 30 years of absolute dictatorship and economic stagnation on the other. A that the idea of a “velvet revolution” was signed by nearly 500 individuals. close look at the nature of the exists within the movement. Whether These individuals included women, protest reveals: this idea is simply copied by young students, journalists, civil right inexperienced middle class activists, workers, ethnic minorities ... An Absolute Reactionary protesters or initiated by those who even clergymen and ex-reformist engineered the election, or by Leadership parliamentarians. Their statement monarchists, makes no difference in sums up the current dire economic so far as the damage that it has situation and experience of the last There can be no doubt about the already done or will do in the coming two elections by stating: reactionary nature of the current period. This idea is mostly attractive leadership, not just because of their among ex-Shah supporters and stems Notwithstanding: previous anti-working class and anti- from an illusion that has been spread 1, The economic pressure revolutionary stand which is a matter by the west in ex-soviet countries. resulting from inflation, and of record, but also, and more Pick up a colour, chant a few silly economic stagnation, and also important, on their current positions. slogans, then democracy will arrive, the restriction on freedom and A quick review of Moussavi' and like it did in Ukraine and Georgia! human rights particularly in Karubbi's statements since the Pick up a green colour, clever choice recent years and the ever beginning of the protest reveals how (an Islamic colour!) and chant increasing pressure on political they have sacrificed the lives of the “Ahmadi bye bye, Ahmadi bye bye..... activists, women, students, protesters in order to save this rotten One Week, Two Weeks, Mahmoud journalists, civil rights activists, Republic. Two months on, despite all hasn't taken a bath, then democracy workers, ethnic minorities, the sacrifices by the protesters, they inshallah will arrive!” This is not to followers of other have not managed to get a single say that the movement does not have religions,...... and also because of concession from the “Supreme radical elements. the costly, quarrelsome, non- Leader” to whom they keep pleading transparent conduct of the for mercy. Symbolically, the reformist The Presence of Substantial government, we believe that the pundits are telling Khameini to avoid Radical Elements: national interest is in danger the Shah's mistake and urge him to 2, At present this is due to the listen to the voice of “Revolution”! But government's lack of This reflects the general discontent. how could he possibly listen to transparency and its failure to These protesters considered the something that is not there? The deal with problems. As a situation as an opportunity to break latest Rafsanjani manoeuvres give an condition for a free, healthy and the harsh oppressive atmosphere indication of how far this devious just election does not exist and that their previous attempts had politician can go. The anti-working the chance of getting demands come up against. class policies which have been met is very remote and also due adopted up to now may prove to be to the intervention of These radical elements include insignificant to compare with those irresponsible bodies that are not women, teachers and workers. They that will be implemented in the supposed to interfere in the have existed for the last few years coming days and weeks. They will political process, we have a work around the idea of an outside and have been subject to mass

Revolutionary Perspectives 22 Capitalist Crisis

serious reservations about the the working class. It is a myth that maintaining the status quo or to way the election is going to be the working class in Europe achieved improve it for the ruling class. A conducted some of its demands through voting government that takes pride in (our emphases) and parliament. On the contrary it implementing Clause 44 of the has been voting and parliament that Constitution, concerned with Here we do not intend to discuss the have limited working class privatisation ... will never take a nature of the demands since the achievements in the last two step towards meeting workers events itself revealed their centuries. Only bodies composed of needs ... was it not the irrelevance however we would like to elected delegates who can be Commander of Development’s say a few words on the general immediately recalled by the workers (i.e. Rafsanjani’s - CWO) policies outlined. can represent working class interests. government that shamefully But even this can only work in a implemented the temporary The first and by far the most society where production has been contract, … on this basis we important issue is class interest. socialised and the media is not Irankhodro workers, by Workers cannot and should not controlled by the propertied classes. considering the current situation, replace their class interest with that will not participate in the election of the national interest. The whole The Absence of where we have no right of choice concept of the national interest is the Working Class? and we are not free and we do based on the illusion that the not have a worker's organisation. interests of the rulers (or would-be We will only participate in rulers) can be reconciled with the To say that the working class, as a election where it protects our interests of the exploited class. There class, was absent in this protest is an interests. is no short cut, as we said in our obvious statement, but to conclude article “ Thirty Years of Islamic Iran - that workers did not participate at all and also on 3 June 2009, in an A Warning from History” (see is a wrong assumption. interview with Radio Farda, Reza Revolutionary Perspectives 49 or Shahabi, a member of the executive http://www.ibrp.org/en/articles/ Prior to the election, unrest among committee of Tehran and Suburbs 2009-04-15/thirty-years-of-islamic- the working class was much in Bus Company union, when asked iran-a-warning-from-history) evidence. Unemployment amongst about the workers’ position in the 15-29 years olds stands at 31%. The coming election, replied: The revolutionary programme Iranian Government also sets wage has to be developed and fought levels for most industries. In March We do not have any specific for by an organisation which 2007 the monthly minimum wage opinion on this election and we bases itself on the past lessons of was reduced from about $450 “to will tell no one either to the workers’ struggles and is prevent layoffs” to $200. The official participate or not to. Previous part of the class. This is the poverty line is $300 a month. Nearly Presidents never kept their independent and international 2 million Iranian workers have promises. Until now none of the revolutionary workers’ party. As arrears of pay going back months. candidates has said anything the Iranian experience shows, Strikes and other actions by workers, about the workers. We can only such a party cannot be the such as in the Tehran and Suburbs product of the last minute but Bus Company, IranKhodro, and the must be present inside the Haft Tapeh sugar factory (which has working class before the had 17 strikes in three years) are just revolutionary situation arises. a few examples of many which met The Iranian working class have with a brutal police response that led suffered much for the illusions to many being arrested and jailed. and weaknesses of 1979, but The two statements below are they have at least one gain. The examples of how workers regarded council idea has not been lost the election. These, and similar ones, from Iranian workers’ give an indication of how advanced at revolutionary consciousness as least some workers are in rejecting they have often been formed, if the election as a bourgeois tool. At only as strike committees, in the same time this indicates the long struggles since 1979. The next road ahead which we need to go Striking bus workers mass meeting time, however, these strike through to form independent committees must be transformed organisations. It is worth reminding into real bodies representing a ourselves that these statements are meet our demands by relying on working class alternative and the written and spoken in a situation ourselves, the workers movement next time they must be part of a where tens of worker activists have and independent workers world-wide struggle for been jailed for just attempting to organisations. We will pursue our communism. form an independent organization, or demands only through our participating in a May Day rally or unions.2 The second, related, issue is the merely having an interview with concern for “a free, fair and healthy foreign journalists. Following the recent street election”. We do not boycott elections protests, further statements by because of a lack of freedom or a In a statement which was signed by a Irankhodro workers announced a lack of transparency. Our opposition collection of Irankhodro's workers we half hour strike in every shift and to elections is based on the read: a Tehran and Suburbs Bus recognition of the true nature of Company union statement3 parliament in bourgeois society. We want neither the best nor the supporting the protest and Parliament is the executive worst, we just want a better condemning police brutality committee of the ruling class. The world… shows how much the popular representative approach (i.e. where ... the experience of last few movement is drawing in the MPs are elected but are not capable years has proved that all workers movement. of being recalled) has never been for elections are either for

Revolutionary Perspectives 23 Capitalist Crisis

The Unity of would we try to downplay the foreign language of populism. We should the Working class power's meddling in it either. After organize our news bulletins, all, Imperialist rivalry, big or small, demonstrations announcements, and does not take place in a vacuum. strike committees etc without This underlines the biggest danger Contrary to their accusations and relaying on the official channels. It that militant workers are facing denials, and also contrary to middle absolutely must be based on regarding this particular movement. class multicultural notions of independent grounds. The new The fact is that the workers whilst “diversity”, “their culture” , “ our technology, mobile, the Internet..... trying to stay on an independent culture” and all that nonsense, the have provided us with an opportunity class terrain have been split into two Internationalist Communists disdain to use them for our advancement. camps. Every policy that we adopt to conceal their views and aims. They Mosques or the official media are no and every single step that we take openly declare that they do not longer the hub for organizing. should bear this in mind. The recognize the legitimacy of national working class’ biggest asset is its boundaries and will intervene and Behind the scene, among the rival unity, without this unity even its best support workers struggles wherever factions, tense negotiations are policies are doomed. In the coming they may be. taking place at national and days workers should organize international levels. Whatever the themselves against both the All the official propaganda about outcome of these negotiations might Ahmedinejad and Moussavi camp. foreign interference is designed to be, one thing is certain, all factions, The split among the ruling class has isolate the working class struggle in soon or later, will unite against the provided a breathing space for the order to make them to unite with working class. We should avoid working class to form its own their own bourgeoisie. The interests dissolving into the current movement independent organizations against of the Iranian working class are by taking part on individual basis. Iranian capitalism, a system that has entangled with those of Iraqi, Instead we should organise ourselves nothing new to offer. American, British workers….. and in in strike committees, workers short, with the interests of the assemblies etc. We should form Militant Workers! working class all over the world. committees of delegates (Soviets – Shuras) rather than on a The task before us is not an easy Similarly the “greens” of the Moussavi representative bases (as in task, the spectre of so many years of camp are trying to rekindle the ghost Parliament). All decisions should be failures is haunting us, and the traps of the past by taking up the methods made collectively and should leave along the path that we intend to go and slogans of 1979. People going to room and means for correcting them are many. The brutality of the rooftops shouting “God is Great” if necessary. .In short, however capitalist state has no limit, but (Allah O Akbar) as in 1979 or “Death events develop, we should come out equally dangerous are all these to the Dictator” (instead of “Death to of this movement, more organised, elements pushing us to be “realistic” the Shah”) are constantly trying to more united and stronger, with the and limit our aim to “the achievable”. convince everyone that this simply a perspective of forming our The bourgeois pundits echo this by popular movement to reform the independent organisations and presenting historical events upside Islamic Republic. It reminds us of developing our own programme, down. They are encouraging us to Marx’s famous statement that based on the experience of workers limit our goal within the capitalist The tradition of all dead everywhere system. We have heard them all generations weighs like a before. Democracy, Freedom, Peace, nightmare on the brains of the In the coming days imperialist rivalry Security, Full Employment, Muslim living. And just as they seem to will raise many more issues that will Brotherhood...... and we have lived be occupied with revolutionizing demand the intervention of long enough to witness and themselves and things, creating internationalists. We in the experience what they meant in something that did not exist International Bureau for the reality; just full blown barbarism. before, precisely in such epochs Revolutionary Party intend to rise to War, unemployment, economic of revolutionary crisis they this challenge. Join with us! insecurity, and oppression are now a anxiously conjure up the spirits of permanent feature of capitalism. the past to their service, Nationalism is dead, Long live borrowing from them names, Internationalism. The way that events have unfolded battle slogans, and costumes in has made reformism irrelevant. The order to present this new scene in We will have to go for something that presence of tens of thousands on the world history in time-honoured did not exist before, Long Live streets is testimony to the disguise and borrowed Communism revolutionary potential of the language… masses. The protests are no longer In like manner, the beginner who Damoon Saadati about the election nor about has learned a new language reforming the system. They are the always translates it back into his Footnotes manifestation of the failure of mother tongue, but he reformism. Reform is dead, Long assimilates the spirit of the new 1 See http://www.ibrp.org/en/articles/2009-06- language and expresses himself 23/the-10th-iranian-presidential-elections-2009 Live Revolution. But the only class 2 We have not dealt with the complicated issue which is capable of leading a real freely in it only when he moves in of the role of Iranian trades unions in this text revolution is the working class and it without recalling the old and but this will be discussed in our next article. when he forgets his native tongue 3 “We the workers of Iran Khodro, Thursday 28/ this throws an enormous 3/88 in each working shift will stop working for responsibility on its shoulders. Karl Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire half an hour to protest at the suppression of of Louis Bonaparte students, workers, women, and the Constitution and declare our solidarity with the movement of Comrades! the people of Iran. The morning and afternoon However we have learned a new shifts from 10 to 10:30. The night shift from 3 to language, its is a class language in 3:30”. The official state media in Iran, is which every single working class For more on the struggle of Tehran bus workers repeating the idea that this see Tehran Transport Workers Gaoled in protester is a reporter, a camera Revolutionary Perspectives 38. movement is initiated by the foreign man..... we just need to move on and powers. We do not intend to prove forget the native language, the the stupidity of this argument nor

Revolutionary Perspectives 24 Theory Power – the Fundamental Question of the State in Capitalist Society

t the heart of the many vexed power in capitalist society. It is quite many old and antiquated notions questions which divide the remarkable that the original 19th that have been fished out of the Aworking class groping towards century judgements of Marx and dustbin of history — unscientific a comprehension of the conditions it Engels have stood the test of time and utopian ideas that were long faces, and the many political and correspond directly to our own ago answered by Marx, Engels expressions which vie for influence crisis–racked historical moment. and Lenin, ideas that belong to and leadership of the class struggle, the prehistory of the workers’ is the analysis of political power both Saving Marxism movement. These old and tired under capitalism and beyond. The from the Leftists ideas of pre-Marxian, utopian clarity achieved by the leading socialism have been dusted down theoretical founders of the and presented as 21st Century communist movement, Marx and On the many occasions that the Socialism. And there are even Engels still remains as the only basis problem of the capitalist State and some simple souls who take this upon which to examine this topic and the process of revolution were seriously.1 can be summed up in almost a word considered by Marx and Engels, the by Marx “…the state is an instrument conclusion remained the same. The As well as variants on the theme of for the suppression of the working capitalist state was (and is) an voting in this or that party to class nothing else!” As in so many instrument of class oppression, not a liquidate capitalism through areas, the bright light cast by Marx neutral body which could be used by parliament we also find the old theme and Engels proved far too much of a the working class to implement a new of voting in the Social Democratic/ scandalous truth for generations of social formation; “the working class Labour parties and applying working mealy mouthed reformists and cannot simply lay hold of the ready- class pressure upon it to apply revolutionaries in name only who made state machinery, and wield it socialist measures. Apparently radical were unable to grasp the sharply for its own purposes”. In a letter to revolutionary outfits can quote accurate sentence cast by authentic Kugelman, for example, Marx writes, chapter and verse of Marx, yet still revolutionaries upon the capitalist conclude that electing Labour to a State and only succeeded in If you look at the last chapter of parliamentary majority is a viable providing further layers of confusion my Eighteenth Brumaire, you will solution and mystification to cover up the find that I declare that the next blatantly anti-working class nature of attempt of the French Revolution We have not yet convinced you of will be no longer, as before, the need for revolution? Very to transfer the bureaucratic- well. Let us at least agree that we Our pamphlet on Trotskyism is military machine from one have to fight against the bosses £2.50 from the group address hand to the other, but to and their government. Let us by smash it and this is the all means fight together for the preliminary precondition for election of a Labour government. every real people’s revolution. But that is not enough. A Labour government must carry out However for those of us who policies in the interests of the have explored the political working class. How can they do spectrum in search of an that, when the banks and organisational home in which monopolies are in the hands of to contribute to capitalism’s our enemies? “How do we deal demise, it is quite obvious with that? Once elected, Labour that the Marxist perspective must take emergency action to has been largely abandoned solve unemployment, by the plethora of parties, homelessness and all the other groups, tendencies and problems. They must immediately organisations claiming to pass an Enabling Act to stand in the socialist tradition. nationalise the banks and Again and again we are monopolies.2 presented with rehashes of electoral parties and alliances Under Capitalism Economic who apparently aim to nationalise the most Power is Political Power important sectors of the economy, take over the banks If the arguments in favour of etcetera, endlessly parliamentary democracy wrapped in reproducing pseudo-revolutionary rhetoric hardly manage to seduce anyone, revolutionaries must also remember

Revolutionary Perspectives 25 Theory that historical materialism, our representing all citizens. working class. Public sector workers method of interpreting the unfolding are particularly targeted by this sort reality can never be a simple The centralized state power, with of propaganda. They are exhorted by restatement of the positions of the its ubiquitous organs of standing the unions to identify with their past, an invariant suspension of time army, police, bureaucracy, exploiters “for the common good” which requires nothing more than clergy, and judicature — organs and to stand up for public ownership. presentation to the working class of wrought after the plan of a Workers are divided between public the texts of the “old masters”. We systematic and hierarchic and private sector and the media must strive to demonstrate that the division of labour — originates stokes up antagonism between them, theoretical conquests made in the from the days of absolute an obvious tactic to create cracks in past are valid now, to enrich and monarchy, serving nascent the working class unity which the elaborate them. When Lenin wrote “ middle class society as a mighty capitalist class fears. Public weapon in its struggle against ownership is depicted as somehow Bourgeois democracy, although a feudalism. ….. At the same pace opposing capitalism even when it great historical advance in at which the progress of modern involves greater levels of comparison with mediaevalism, industry developed, widened, exploitation. All of this directly always remains…restricted, intensified the class antagonism relates to the historical defeat of the truncated, false and hypocritical between capital and labour, the workers’ movement whereby the and a snare and a deception for state power assumed more and industries taken into public the exploited and the poor, more the character of the ownership became the vehicle for the national power of capital over privileged position of State he could have been directly labour, of a public force bureaucrats. Public ownership does commenting about the resources organised for social enslavement, not at all do away with the capitalist made available to the parties whose of an engine of class despotism.5 relationship. The fact that the right ideological line directly favours the wing of capital contributes to this wealthy minorities who provide such The State is Not Neutral illusion by presenting enlarged state resources. The figures released by involvement in economic affairs as the Electoral Commission show the “socialist” further fuels this Our analysis of the State has millions of pounds donated by the dangerous trap; workers can only tremendous repercussions for our wealthy and the trade unions whose suffer if they allow themselves to be political positions in many areas and bloated bureaucrats have every involved in ruling class disputes separates us from the left–wing of interest in maintaining an economic about the extent of state run capital which, often presenting itself system which perpetuates their capitalism and market freedom. under the guise of the socialist label, privilege at our expense. The Neither direction contributes to Financial Times informs us that working class freedom from wage donations to all parties in the first labour, from its position of three months of 2009 totalled over estrangement from the decision £9 million, with the Tories doing best making process regarding of all with £4.3 million including production, in short from its slavery … a £1.1 million donation from to the capitalist class which can Stanley Fink, often referred to as derive its position of power by the “godfather” of the British direct ownership of industry, or hedge fund industry.3 through the State bureaucracy.

What more blatant example of the We make our history ourselves, Marxist view that the class which but, in the first place, under very wields economic power also wields definite assumptions and ideological domination? What does conditions. Among these the this say about the liberal arguments economic ones are ultimately about the wonders of democracy, its decisive. 6 impartiality and its fairness? “Money talks” is an old saying, and this is an The class which dominates excellent illustration of that fact. Not economically is able to dominate that any of this is totally new. The mentally, either through direct same FT article goes on to say that Public ownership does not at all do private ownership of the channels the previous quarter saw even of communication, or by indirect greater donations to the Tory party away with the capitalist relationship ownership of the State’s of £5.1 million. The massive tremendous arsenal of influence, resources which the capitalist parties parliament, education etc., through poses no threat to the existence of command ensure they have their political parties reliant on the funding capitalism. Rather it seeks to secure a hands on the reins of power. This is of those whose material conditions permanent place within the system far more significant than the depend on the prolonged existence through a series of measures often peccadilloes of MPs expenses dealt of capitalism. This is the obvious fact involving state funding in order to with in our last issue.4 The hollow which negates any claim to legitimacy procure social stability and the illusion of democracy is yet another for capitalist democracy. Behind the conditions for optimal profiteering. example of the primacy of economic illusion of pluralism and free Unlike this so –called left and the power, the real source of power in competition between a multiplicity of Trade Unions which call on workers this and every other historical class- political perspectives stands the to support calls for nationalisation or divided social formation. Just as Marx unchallenged allegiance to the to combat the spread of privatisation, described, the modern State is the capitalist mode of production which to engage in electoral politics in present day instrument of class all parliamentary parties must order to propel those critical of the domination which grew out of profess in order to receive the free market and private enterprise absolute monarchy, not an impartial material support necessary to have into power, we have no illusions that power standing outside of sordid an impact in the electoral process. State control of productive forces is material interests impartially Although no individual capitalist or in any way advantageous to the sector has overall control, the

Revolutionary Perspectives 26 Theory interests of the capitalist class as a wage labour and capital relationship the entire system, reject all the whole are served. It is precisely our which is the motor producing ideological traps and face the fact adherence to the Marxist analysis of deprivation and privilege at its poles. that it has no friends amongst the the capitalist state which prevents us The State may well appear to act on multifaceted political spectrum who from endorsing any of its variants. behalf of the deprived, mitigating the are merely hydra’s heads attached to The internal disputes of the ruling worst effects of unemployment with a single capitalist body. It has to class over the management of the benefits, carer’s allowances, disability recognise the need to set up its own capitalist process, particularly how to payments and the like. Now and class dictatorship outside of the tackle the effects of the current crisis, again this or that capitalist may fall capitalist dictatorship posing as disagreements over the degree of foul of the Law and face sanction, but democracy, and it in that structure interference in market mechanisms, all of this only serves to maintain the that our Revolutionary Party seeks to immigration controls, taxation levels, basic framework of capitalist society. work, not in the rotten world of the welfare spending and the like, in no Give a little, take a lot, buy cheap, capitalist political arena which, like way represent a threat to the sell dear. Such is capitalism. all other aspects of capitalist society continued existence of the capitalist However, even this limited attempt to is a game played for the benefit of social relationship and cannot be dampen the class struggle through the few at the expense of the many, used by the working class for its own softening the worst excesses of the where sordid material interest are advantage. When this or that capitalist process comes up against wrapped in a hypocritical veil of capitalist political outfit presents its the limits of the logic of profiteering, equality and fairness which can never plans for greater State expenditure, and as contemporary conditions be realised in capitalist society. regardless of dressing up its rhetoric demonstrate with ever more force, SS in the guise of (democratic) socialism, the contradictions of capitalism are the issue at stake is only that of how beyond the power of the capitalist to best serve and preserve State to contain. Whether one Footnotes capitalism, how to provide an considers the global proletariat or 1 Reformism or Revolution – Alan Woods. Yet the infrastructure which will best serve that of the metropoles only, the same Trotskyist author of these accurate words belongs the profit seekers and combat the process is unfolding, a war of to the organisation quoted in the next footnote, the International Marxist Tendency, which inevitable negative effects of the attrition against our conditions of encourages the working class to vote for the capitalist process which, left to their life, incremented exploitation, Labour Party and apply pressure upon it to realise own devices, unleash the most unemployment, pension cuts in a policies in the interests of the working class. 2 http://www.marxist.com/marxism-and-the- desperate levels of misery on the futile bid to maintain the profitability state-part-three.htm proletariat and the ensuing social of capital. 3 Financial Times 2009 No: 37, 012 breakdown which threatens the 4 See The System is Bankrupt in Every Sense in Revolutionary Perspectives 50 conditions for profiteering. In no way In the face of this insoluble crisis the 5 Marx — The Civil War in France is the real antagonism addressed; the working class must take a sword to 6 Engels Letter to J. Bloch

Announcements

The IBRP is proud to announce the opening (on June 10th 2009) of the Fondo Mauro Stefanini. This archive of the documents (some in English) of our comrade Mauro who was the main correspondent of both the PCInt and IBRP until his premature death in 2005 has been compiled by his widow and comrade, Franca Fortunato. It can be found at:

http://www.insmli.it/ pubblicazioni/1/ INSMLI_invito_it.pdf

Revolutionary Perspectives 27 Life of the Organisation

Life of the Organisation The International Bureau for the Revolutionary Party he Communist Workers’ Organisation was founded in 1975 and joined with the Internationalist Communist Party (Italy) to form the Britain TInternational Bureau for the Revolutionary Party in 1983. The The Communist Workers’ Internationalist Communist Party was the only significant organisation to Organisation emerge in the Second World War (1943) condemning both sides as which produces Revolutionary imperialist. It is the most significant organisation produced by the Perspectives (a quarterly internationalist communist left which fought the degeneration of the magazine) and Aurora (an Comintern in the 1920s as well as the process of “bolshevisation” (i.e. agitational paper) stalinism) imposed on the individual communist parties. BM CWO, London WC1N 3XX We are for the revolutionary party but we are not that Party. Nor are we the only basis for that party which will emerge from the workers’ struggles of the Italy future. Our aim is to be part of that process by participating in all the Il Partito Comunista struggles of the class that we can with the aim of linking the immediate Internazionalista struggle of the class with its long term historic programme — communism. which produces Battaglia Comunista (a monthly paper) and Prometeo (a quarterly theoretical journal) Pamphlets CP 1753, 20101, Milano, Italy The Platform of the International Bureau for the Revolutionary Party Canada/USA Revised English version (including postage in UK) 70p Groupe Internationaliste or see http://www.ibrp.org/en/platform Ouvrier / Internationalist Workers Group Socialism or Barbarism which produces Notes An Introduction to the Politics of the CWO £3 Internationalistes/ Internationalist Notes South Africa: The Last Fifteen Years (quarterly) How the end of apartheid would not benefit workers £4 R.S. C.P. 173, Succ.C, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2L 4K1 1917 The full story of the only time the working class anywhere came to power. PO Box 14173, Madison, WI New version £3 53708-0173, USA

Platform of the Committee of Intesa 1925 Germany With an introduction explaining the fight of the founders of the Gruppe Internationaler Communist Party of Italy against the manoeuvres of Stalinism and Socialistinnen which produces Socialismus the confusions of Gramsci oder Barbarei (to appear £3 quarterly) GIS, c/o Rotes Antiquariat, Trotsky, Trotskyism, Trotskyists Rungestrasse 20, 10179 Examines the course of how Trotsky, who made such an enormous Berlin, Germany contribution to revolutionary practice, ended up giving his name to a movement which returned to the errors of Social Democracy France £3 Bilan&Perspectives or go to http://www.ibrp.org/en/articles/2000-10-01/trotsky-and-trotskysm produces a quarterly journal of the same name Meetings BP 45, 13266, Marseille, For next meeting go to www.ibrp.org Cedex 08, France

The Basic Positions on which the state capitalism and self-manage- debate among revolutionary groups International Bureau was founded ment for co-ordination of their active are those established by the Interna- * recognition of the Socialist and political interventions towards the tional Conferences which ended in Communist Parties as bourgeois class in the class struggle, with the early 1980s. These are; * rejection of all policies which the aim of actively contributing to the subjects the proletariat to the process leading to the International * acceptance of the October national bourgeoisie Party of the Proletariat, the indispen- Revolution as proletarian * an orientation towards the organi- sable political organ for the political * recognition of the break with Social sation of revolutionaries recognising guidance of the revolutionary class Democracy brought about by the Marxist doctrine and methodology movement and the proletarian First Two Congresses of the Third as proletarian science power itself. International * recognition of international * rejection without reservation of meetings as part of the work of Extract from the Platform of the IBRP

Revolutionary Perspectives 28 Revolutionary Perspectives Back Issues

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British State Ter- Front cover: Striking South African workers in 2009

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