No.7 March / April 1979 1Sp In[LUDlnli 5'E[IAL SUPPLEm EnT We have ways of making you .work till you drop .commit mass suicide . confess for 'socialism' came the realisation that the fight against 'partial oppression' was not enough. But nor would it be enough to remain pure but aloof from the struggles of everyday life LETTE~~S that all working class people are involved in. To become a revolutionary and fight Dear Friends, it might be easy for revolutionaries to the 'total' oppression doesn't make it any 'distinguish between necessitated ref- Whilst I agree with most of the 'Anti- easier to live in a hostile world, or make orm', what constitutes a 'social revol- Sexism' article in Solidarity for Social 'collective casualty stations' any less ution' (without the benefit of hindsight) Revolution no. 6, there are 2 points with necessary to the maintenance of our san- is more problematical. which I strongly disagree. ity. Our theory and practice must always Firstly, the language of deperson- By reducing the world to abstrac- go hand-in-hand if our own lives are not alised abstract ions, not only in this tions it is also possible to claim that to be wasted in hypocrisy or futility. article but prevalent on the 'left'. Look- 'men (although historically placed in ing at capitalist society in this way the position of oppressors) are them- Sheila R., Manchester. reminds me of establishment explana- selves exploited'. History does not do tions of capitalist economics, in which things to men. Men placed themselves 'consumers' and 'producers' behave in historically in the position of oppressor, In Solidarity for Social Revolution 'perfectly rational' ways in order to with women's collusion, no doubt. It is no.6 S.Dawe suggests that Solidarity 'maximise satisfaction/prOfit'. But as not merely a question of semantics, but should join Socialist Challenge, a ven- we all know real life ain't like that. To fundamental to the struggle for social ture launched by the IMGand supported claim that 'the ending of oppressive sex change. The idea that we are up against by Big Flame and the Libertarian Com- roles in many areas of social life is a an immutable system only encourages munist Group. impotence and apathy. This does not conscious and major aim of modern What staggers me is that anyone mean that we cannot generalise or cat- capitalism' assumes that such a crea- could believe we have anything in com- egorise when this benefits our analysis, ture as 'modern capitalism' exists with mon with them. I can think of no major only that we must guard against such a homogeneous radical consciousness issue on which we would agree: from generalisations and categories assuming and a progressive ideology of its own. the analysts of capitalist society to the a life of their own and actually obscuring State bureaucracies have accepted this meaning of socialism, from the Trade reality. false premise and attempted to organise Unions to the Labour Party, from 'na- capitalist economies rationally, without tional liberation' struggles to the role success, because a 'perfect' economy Secondly, where does revolutionary of the Party. On all these issues we can only function in the absence of peo- consciousness come from? Does it are poles apart. ple. This view of capitalism with the spring from nowhere and suddenly zap irrational lumps removed (i. e. the cap- us on the bus, going to work? This view The problem is not simply one italists, private or state) is very mis- seems Implicit in both the 'Anti-Sexism' of Trotskyism but of Leninism (or leading for revolutionaries. We are and 'Miniaturisation' articles in the last mindless leninoidism). In this respect not really fighting a system, it has no issue. For me it came from my own the pa.rttcipants of Socialist Challenge logic or cohesiveness and cannot be, experience of life, my own struggle are just made for each other. We destroyed by a single, well directed against 'partial oppression '. Through inhabit a different universe. revolutionary assault. Therefore, while frustration, disillusion and depression K. W. While the contents of Solidarity Oxford : c/o 34 Cowley Rd, Oxford. The next issue will be produced for Social Revolution reflect the If you would like to subscribe by the Coventry group and material politics of the group as a whole, to Solidarity for Social Revolution should be sent to them before the articles Signed by individuals don't send your name,address and £2.00 to end of March. necessarily represent the views of the Publications Secretary,23 Solar all members. Someof the articles Ct.,Etchingham Park Rd,London N.3. are,we hope,highly contentious. We Please make cheques /postal orders If you live outside Britain please welcome readers' responses whether payable to Solidarity Publications. write to the International Secretary in the form of letters or articles. You will receive the magazine and any through the Aberdeen group. If you Enquiries and correspondence other publications produced nation- want to contact people in other areas, should be addressed to one of the ally up t'O this value (less postage). please write to the General Secretary autonomous Solidarity groups: also through the Aberdeen group. Aberdeen: c/o 167 King St, Aberdeen SOLIDARITYFORSOCIALREVOLUTIONis the national magazine of SOLIDARITY. Coventry: c/o Frank N. Stein, 124 It is produced approximately every A wide range of pamphlets is Hollis Rd, Lower Stoke, two months. To maximise involvement available through the London group Coventry. and democracy,the production of the (list available on request) and new paper rotates among the different ones are being prepared. If you send Dundee c/o N. Woodcock, 74 Arklay autonomous groups. Issue No 1 was £2 (cheques and postal orders payable St, (Top Right), Dundee. produced by the Aberdeen group;2,4 to Solidarity London) you'll receive and this issue by London;3 by Oxford; their new pamphlets and issues of the London: c/o 123 Lathom Rd, E.6. 5 by joint effort of Scottish groups; national magazine to~at value. Let them know if you don't want the Manchester: c/o 109 Oxford Rd, Man- and 6 by comrades in Manchester and Leeds. magazine. chester 1. - 2 - and trade unionism are irreconcilable', it is futile to look to the unions for pro- gressive initiatives. It is now openly seen and cynically admitted by everyone (from Margaret Thatcher to Moss Evans) that union officials only join struggles in Five years ago Ted Heath steered ployers, both private and public. order to control them. But their autho- What is new is how very little effect the Tories on a collision course with rity is brittle. It has to be 'salvaged' the miners. This led to an early all this is having. The solidarity of anew in every confrontation. Authority election under the banner 'Who rules: non-strikers has been shown by mas- is no longer consecrated by parliam- the government or the unions?'. For- sive refusal to cross picket lines, entary or union elections and is crum- get for a moment the silly identification despite the encouragem ent of Jim bling throughout society. This process of 'unions' and 'workers'. To every- Callaghan and the practical exam ple cannot be reversed. Even the sticks of one's surprise Heath lost the election. of his wife. inflation and unemployment won't make The conclusion was clear: no govern- The weak points have been the lack people work who don't want to. ment can rule without the consent of of imaginative tactics and the general working people. In confrontations, insensitivity to the problems of other This is not to say the unions are political authority is no match for working people. Unions and government moribund. The battles they were industrial action. Ministers can make have been content to fight their battles created to fight have not yet all been speeches and take decisions - but they by interposed person. The unions are won. 7 million people still earn-less can't dig coal, drive trains or run prepared to blackmail 'their' govern- than £ 70 per week. In the government's power stations. If those who do these ment, threatening to erode its electoral own words they are 'poorly paid'. There things refuse to, no one - neither the base (by continuing industrial action) is still no guaranteed minimum wage. Law nor the Army - can do much unless the government gives way on The government, whose members earn about it. wages. The government in turn seeks five figure salaries, can't dismiss the claims of those who only earn £ 40 per Today the Labour Party, voted in to channel the hostility of voters week as exaggerated. If the government because of its ability to 'handle the against 'free collective vandalism'. still insists that pay rises must be kept unions', is having its pay policy Meanwhile it is working people who within 5% it should not be surprised that smashed to smithereens by Ford suffer most. Public wards may be no one accepts its advice - or that many workers, lorry drivers and public closed and ambulance services curt- are insulted and angered by it. sector employees. No Tory gov- ailed, but the rich still easily get to ernment could implem ent a pay policy. thriving private clinics by taxi. Expen- It has been said that the number of A 'national unity' government could sive restaurants organise their own unemployed today is the highest since do no better. Only with difficulty can refuse collection, while rubbish piles the 1930's - and that the number of even a Labour government control the up el aewhere , A million working class strikers is the highest since 1926.