No Confidence in US's Anti-ISIS Coalition
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For a Solidarity workers’ government For social ownership of the banks and industry No 336 17 September 2014 30p/80p www.workersliberty.org Help Kurds and Iraqi left resist ISIS See page 5 No confidence in US’s anti-ISIS coalition 2 NEWS What is the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty? Chomsky tells BDS to wise up By Paul Hampton spell out the deeper flaw turn to the homes and prop - fett or Intel or other big Today one class, the working class, lives by selling its labour power to with BDS — its racialisation erties of 1948, given all that hedge funds and multina - another, the capitalist class, which owns the means of production. In an article published in Society is shaped by the capitalists’ relentless drive to increase their of the Palestinian oppres - has happened since. He re - tionals (including military the US magazine The Na - sion, thereby downplaying gards a UN resolution that contractors). Finally, he wealth. Capitalism causes poverty, unemployment, the tion on 2 July, Noam blighting of lives by overwork, imperialism, the the more important national stipulates the right of return mocks the campaign as Chomsky challenged the oppressive element of how as “conditional”, in the “BD” since there are no destruction of the environment and much else. central tenets of the Boy - Against the accumulated wealth and power of the Israel treats Palestinians. sense of being tied to “liv - sanctions — nor much like - cott, Divestment and capitalists, the working class has one weapon: Nevertheless, he shows that ing in peace with their lihood of any. His point is solidarity. Sanctions (BDS) Palestin - differences of class struc - neighbours”, is manifestly that tactically, these de - The Alliance for Workers’ Liberty aims to build ian solidarity campaign. ture completely undermine implausible. Chomsky does mands do little to help the solidarity through struggle so that the working class can overthrow That sparked a huge the apartheid analogy. not take his view to its logi - Palestinians and may in - capitalism. We want socialist revolution: collective ownership of furore among people who BDS says its goals are Is - cal conclusion — that the deed harm their cause. industry and services, workers’ control and a democracy much fuller normally take his pro - rael out of the occupied ter - right of return in fact means Overall, Chomsky is right than the present system, with elected representatives recallable at any ritories; equality for the destruction of Israel. that these mistaken tactics time and an end to bureaucrats’ and managers’ privileges. nouncements as gospel. In further recent interviews Palestinians within Israel; flow from a faulty assess - We fight for the labour movement to break with “social partnership” and the right of return. FLAWS ment of the political reali - and assert working-class interests militantly against the bosses. Chomsky stood his ground. The original BDS declara - Chomsky argues that the Chomsky believes the first ties. In fact they reflect the Our priority is to work in the workplaces and trade unions, demand, one which all so - tion was explicit about vicarious fantasies of so- supporting workers’ struggles, producing workplace bulletins, helping analogy BDS activists draw ending Israel’s “occupa - between their campaign cialists and democrats sup - called anti-imperialists who organise rank-and-file groups. port, should be the main tion and colonisation of believe the main job is to We are also active among students and in many campaigns and and the anti-apartheid focus of solidarity work. In all Arab lands”. (It has undermine the current alliances. struggle is flawed. He since been revised). pointed out that South this he is absolutely right, as world order, rather build a it is the basis of getting an working class agency that We stand for: Africa under apartheid re - BDS activists and single- independent Palestinian na - can both challenge the dom - Independent working-class representation in politics. lied on 85% black labour state supporters are pri - ● tional state alongside Israel. inant powers and also cre - A workers’ government, based on and accountable to the labour and that the apartheid gov - vately (and occasionally ● ate a more progressive form movement. ernment really did promote BEST publicly) candid about this of democratic self-rule. A workers’ charter of trade union rights — to organise, to strike, to Bantustans. Chomsky reiterates his — and there is no question ● Chomsky’s position is not picket effectively, and to take solidarity action. Israel on the contrary, is long-held view that two- that is what it would mean. without its contradictions. Taxation of the rich to fund decent public services, homes, education premised on the exploita - states, while safeguarding Nevertheless, he is spot- ● He seems to put the empha - and jobs for all. tion of Jewish waged labour the right of Jewish self- on that the right of return is sis on doing the right thing A workers’ movement that fights all forms of oppression. Full (as well as increasing num - determination is the best a central political defect ● where you are — in his case equality for women and social provision to free women from the burden bers of migrant workers political solution to the with the BDS campaign. putting pressure on the US of housework. Free abortion on request. Full equality for lesbian, gay, from Africa and Asia), with national oppression of the Third, Chomsky takes to effect a change in the bisexual and transgender people. Black and white workers’ unity Palestinian labour marginal Palestinians. aim at the tactical orienta - Middle East. International - against racism. to its central mechanisms of tion of BDS, pointing to the He disputes, wrongly in ist working-class solidarity Open borders. capital accumulation. flaws in all three of its com - ● our view, the importance of goes much further, prioritis - Global solidarity against global capital — workers everywhere have Chomsky also points out ponents. He supports the ● fighting for equality within ing support for actors more in common with each other than with their capitalist or Stalinist that the reality on the boycott of settlement goods Israel; he does this because within the actual situation rulers. ground does not conform to and has done so for years it undercuts those who — principally the Israel and Democracy at every level of society, from the smallest workplace or apartheid. He argues, some - before the BDS campaign ● want to focus on Palestini - Palestinian workers. community to global social organisation. what contrarily, that the sit - was launched in 2005. But Nevertheless, his inter - ans inside Israel because Working-class solidarity in international politics: equal rights for all uation of Palestinians in the he offers no support to an vention does much to ● they want one, so-called bi - nations, against imperialists and predators big and small. occupied territories is worse academic boycott or a wider cleanse the ideological national state. Maximum left unity in action, and openness in debate. than apartheid, but for boycott of all Israeli goods. terrain. We should wel - ● Chomsky reserves his If you agree with us, please take some copies of Solidarity to sell — Palestinians living within On divestment, he points come the blows dealt by ● main critique to the de - and join us! Israel it is significantly bet - out that major investment Chomsky’s critique. ter than for black people mand for the right of re - in Israel continues unabated under apartheid. He doesn’t turn. He rightly questions — whether by Warren Buf - Contact us: the logic of a demand to re - ● 020 7394 8923 ● [email protected] The editor (Cathy Nugent), 20e Tower Workshops, Riley BOOKS TO CHANGE THE WORLD Road, London, SE1 3DG. A revised and ● Printed by Trinity Mirror In an era of wars I n a n 50%-expanded and revolutions e r a American socialist cartoons of the o CLASS f w mid-twentieth century edition of the a r s a n Get Solidarity every week! d AGAINST 2012 booklet r e v o l u t Antonio Trial sub, 6 issues £5 i ● o CLASS o n s | C Gramsci: 22 issues (six months). £18 waged a ● r o l o a n d working-class £9 unwaged o o t h e r ● 44 issues (year). £35 waged o s revolutionary , £17 unwaged o summarising European rate: 28 euros (22 issues) 9 Gramsci’s life ● o Cartoons by Carlo and others or 50 euros (44 issues) o Edited by Sean Matgamna and thought. Tick as appropriate above and send your money to: In an era of wars The miners’ 20e Tower Workshops, Riley Road, London, SE1 3DG an d r e v o l utions strike 1984-5 Cheques (£) to “AWL”. Edited by Sean Matgamna It disputes the Or make £ and euro payments at workersliberty.org/sub. Cartoons which tell the story of revolutionary Class against class “post-Marxist” Name . socialist politics in the readings of US; depicting alterna - This history marks the 30th Gramsci and Address . tives to “New Deal” capitalism and Stalinism anniversary of the miners’ discusses the . Buy online at strike. A blow-by-blow account relation between Gramsci’s ideas and of events, an examination of Trotsky's. I enclose £ . workersliberty/social key political lessons. ist cartoons Price £6, or £7.60 including postage, order for £10.60 £8 from workersliberty.org/books from workersliberty.org/books 3 NEWS Paying for the doctor? By Martin Thomas time in my many visits to Australia, I had serious Even the Tories dare not health problems, so I visited say outright that they a GP three times, went for want to stop NHS care four medical tests, and was being free at the point of prescribed medications. need. I had to pay $615.