An injury to one is an injury to all Volume 3 No. 128 6 March 2008 30p/80p S& WoORlKiEdRS’a LIBrERiTtY y Stop the bludgeoning of Gaza Two nations, two states ISRAEL OUT OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES! See page 3 2 NEWS Tories want to break Tube workers’ power BY JACK STAUNTON around the windpipe of London commuters Furthermore, we must not foster any illu- In the mayoral elections we will critically and it’s time it was prised off. I want to end sions in Ken Livingstone, who, while more call for a first preference vote for the Socialist ORY candidate for mayor of London the chronic strikes by doing a deal with the palatable than the Tory bigot Boris Johnson, is Workers’ Party/“Left List” candidate Lindsey Boris Johnson unveiled his transport workforce in which they agree in principle not by no means in the camp of the working class. German, despite all of the faults of that organ- policy on March 3, including a promise to go on strike in exchange for an independent Infamously, so-called “Red Ken” called upon isation. We will call for a second preference T arbitration in the case of a dispute on pay and tube workers to scab on strike action, crossing vote for Livingstone — not because he is “less to obtain a no-strike agreement on London Underground as well as the capital’s train conditions.” picket lines in the interests of his “progres- bad” than Boris Johnson (although that is in services. This policy, echoing an earlier UK There is no way the RMT would agree to sive” administration. He furthermore endorsed several ways true), but because of the vestigial Independence Party manifesto pledge, further such a no-strike deal, a red herring policy the privatisation of the East London Line. His trade union link to the Labour Party and the demonstrates the utterly reactionary agenda of designed by the Tories to answer Evening interests are promoting London as a centre for very marginal possibility of regaining a work- the ex-public schoolboy Henley MP, who Standard style rants about tube workers. investment, somewhere where international ing-class voice in the party, despite Brown’s appears to have a serious chance of winning Neither would the ASLEF union, and (hope- business can make a profit. complete demolition of party democracy. the election against Ken Livingstone. fully!) the TSSA, which very rarely takes Johnson, who previously attracted contro- industrial action. But while Johnson’s versy by referring to black people as “pican- commentary is plainly reactionary, one of his ninies”, also announced plans to scrap the £25 points worthy of reply. Vote Lindsey German no. 1 congestion charge for those people who feel It really is true that many people — not just the urge to drive their Land Rovers through tube bosses — are pissed off when strikes the city. But more dangerous is his plan to happen. However, socialists must make the ED” Ken Livingstone’s campaign for Cuba and Venezuela. attack the power of the RMT and one of the case that tube workers have the power to fight for re-election is being supported There’s really nothing much to add, except country’s most powerful groups of workers. for commuters’ rights — as exemplified by with a high profile statement to quote one paragraph from the statement: striking against Metronet last autumn, which “R Johnson commented, signed by... trade union militants? left “Of course, like all of us, Livingstone operates “The RMT leadership have their thumb challenged privatisation and therefore opposed activists? anti-cuts campaigners? No, instead in the here and now. For London that means safety cuts and fare rises. we have a statement of the great and good, the domination of the Square Mile in the form launched by that oh so radical organisation of financial capitalism. He cannot be expected Compass. to address such forces at once or alone. He Its signatories include Sir Jeremy Beecham has set up a Living Wage Unit for which he of the Local Government Association, former gets a big tick. He would get a bigger tick if Unison gen sec/sell-out Rodney Bickerstaffe, he talked about the policy more. Trying to NUS president/sell-out Gemma Tumelty, NUS ensure everyone shares in success is difficult. president/sell-out-in-waiting Wes Streeting, But Livingstone is trying. Boris Johnson various Blairite MPs and the head of the would just make everything worse.” Cooperative Party. To be fair, it does include a Left-wingers with an ounce of self-respect, few trade union general secretaries and lefties left-wingers who don’t believe you can grovel like Hilary Wainwright, Lynne Segal and Tony to the City and still call yourself a socialist, Benn who should know better. But, overall, should join the AWL in (critically) backing this is a statement of the Brownite establish- Lindsey German for mayor. ment’s left fringe. Which is appropriate really, since that is • For the full statement see: exactly where Livingstone is — despite his www.compassonline.org.uk/campaigns/ maverick comments, left rhetoric and support campaign.asp?n=1364 Sights set on privatisation AN INTRODUCTION TO MARXIST IDEAS Organised by the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty 12-7pm, Saturday 19 April 2008 University of East London Docklands campus (Cyprus DLR) This year is the 40th anniversary of 1968, when French workers and students rose up A profitable way to against the rule of capital, in the vanguard of a worldwide upsurge against capitalism and Stalinism. We will be discussing both the lessons of 1968 and the significance of the struggles by workers and young people which are shaking France today. Sessions will include: • Young workers in struggle: why anti-capitalists should look to the labour “happiness” movement, and how we can help revive it • Revolution, democracy and violence • “Radical chains”: how does class struggle relate to the fight against women’s, black, LGBT and other forms of oppression? BY MIKE FENWICK able income. That it also affects the line they • Marx’s ecology: rediscovering a forgotten tradition HE recent survey of all the existing take on printing reports on the effectiveness of • Iran and Iraq: what do “imperialism” and “anti-imperialism” mean? evidence for the effectiveness of the these medicines is underlined by the fact that • How (and how not) to fight the BNP anti-depressants of the type made the new research has been published on a free T online journal. • Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba: models of 21st century socialism? famous by Prozac has demonstrated how • Why is the left so divided? Do we need a united socialist party? easily drug companies can get away with Such was the impact of the marketing cherry picking studies that highlight the effec- campaign that Prozac became a cultural tiveness of their drugs whilst hiding any nega- phenomena leading to books and films Followed by a fundraising social with Marxist hip-hop artist the Ruby Kid @ the Ivy House, 8- tive results. (Prozac Nation). You can now even get a 10 Southampton Row, Holborn (a few minutes from Holborn tube). The survey revealed that none of these version for your dog for relief of “separation Ticket prices £5 waged, £3 unwaged — with a £1 discount if you pay in advance. Whenever drugs had an effect better than a placebo in anxiety”. you pay, please preregister if you can by emailing [email protected] or ringing any but the most depressed patients. It is only after a long battle using freedom 020 7207 0706. (We can find you somewhere free to stay as many nights as you need.) Prozac was the first of the group of drugs of information legislation that the full details called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors of the research used to promote these claims (SSRIs) where a massive marketing campaign have been revealed. That the pharmaceutical was launched to put depression in the forefront companies make huge profits by unscrupulous Under attack from immigration of the minds of patients and doctors alike. means is no new revelation. Profit is the In the US prescribed medicines can be central motive and the saving of lives a lucra- controls: trade unions and marketed directly to the public, so you can go tive market rather than an ethical or moral for an appointment with a preconceived idea duty. communities fight back! that a “wonder drug” is now available to ease A backlash against the SSRIs has been long your pain. For example Venlafaxine, another in coming and unfortunately, because of the one of these drugs, was advertised to the weakness of regulatory powers, may eventu- Saturday 29 March 2008 from 10.30 am public under the slogan “here comes the sun”. ally end up benefiting exactly the same big SOAS, Malet Street, London WC1 Brand names are chosen to reflect the uplifting pharmaceutical companies in the long term. effects of the drug — e.g. Lustral — and Because you can bet your mental health that • Speakers include John McDonnell MP, trades union activists and organisers, people who presented with a smiley logo. the next generation of anti-depressants are on have successfully fought back against the immigration system and from a broad range of Such advertising probably raises the expec- their way, and they too will be best ever avail- migrant communities tations people have of the drug and contribute able, at a price of course to match. • Workshops and plenary sessions with plenty of time for discussion. towards the placebo effect. In the same way a The hope must be that the current interest in Creche, please book in advance man in a white coat might make you think a how the drug companies have manipulated Suggested donation: £50 pounds for trades unions, £25 pounds for other organisations.