Britain and Palestine: A Criminal History of Intervention Part 4 – (Parts 1, 2 and 3 appeared in Workers’ Weekly Vol.36, steps in regard to Palestine. maintained sanctions directed nos.15, 16 and 18) Indeed the US, Britain and the against it and the Palestinian other big powers have continued government. he recent Middle East of State and Israeli and to threaten and bully the The Prime Minister publicly summit involving talks Palestinian leaders has, as legitimate Palestinian lectured the Palestinian president, between the US Secretary expected, not led to any positive government and have Continued on page 8 p to 100,000 marchers Thousands more marched in war movement across all sections joined the London Glasgow. The march and rally of society, showing the initiative, demonstration on was called by the Stop the War persistence, militancy and politi- February 24 marching from Hyde Coalition, CND and the British cal consciousness of the working Park to Trafalgar Square, calling Muslim Initiative. class and people in their stand [inside] for “Troops Out of Iraq” and “No The demonstration was against war, aggression and state Trident Replacement”. marked by the breadth of the anti- Continued on page 3 Neither spectator nor victim - defend the rights Commentary of all! 2 More on demonstration HE THIRD SESSION OF THE FIFTH DPRK’s Stand at ROUND OF SIX-PARTY TALKS against troops in Iraq BETWEEN CHINA, THE DEMOCRATIC Photos from the recent Six-Party Talks A PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (DPRK), THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, JAPAN, RUSSIA demonstration against Contribution to AND THE UNITED STATES, concluded with an the war in Iraq agreement in Beijing on February 13 after six DPRK and the six-party days. Western media reports expressed relief Peace and Security that the US was engaging in diplomacy with the talks DPRK rather than threatening a pre-emptive in East Asia (nuclear) strike. But these same media also Published by RCPB(ML) 170 Wandsworth Road, London SW8 2LA Continued on page 6 Registered as a newspaper Printed by Millennium Press Workers’ Weekly 03/03/07 Neither Spectator nor Victim – Defend the Rights of All! by Roger Nettleship, from Silence is Shame!* Number 8, brand the resistance to their wars movements of the people in February 22, 2007 in Britain and the world as Britain and throughout the world “extremist” and calls on the “mod- is the order of the day – this is why think it is very important to isolated, that this is just an issue to erate” forces to defend its people will once again take to the reflect on the fact that the gov- do with them and not the polity as “civilised” values and defend the streets of London on February 24 ernment is attempting to create a whole. The role of victims is to status quo which they claim are the against the warmongering govern- and incite divisions in Britain. complain and in the polity at large values of the “host” community. ment of Tony Blair. Also, it is a The aim is to attempt to shatter the just to list how bad things are. This “way of life” of the “host” reflection of the growing resis- coherence and resistance to the That the government wants to community is also used to attack tance in the United States that over wars of occupation and attacks on assign people and communities the the whole polity. The backward half a million demanded that the rights and freedoms as well as to role of victims is very clear in the line, or backlash, to upholding the troops be brought home in the attacks on social programmes, feverish atmosphere of disinfor- rights of Muslims, or other nation- Washington two weeks ago. In the environment and the all-round mation where they try to inculcate al minorities, is that no one these mass anti-war manifesta- well being of the people and ren- suspicion and prejudice, giving upholds the rights and way of life tions of the people, the decisive der the people as spectators, or priority to prejudicial statements of the “host” community, i.e. what issue the anti-war movement has victims. and reports. It is the case that the is sometimes described as the to take on board is not to stand The depiction of the people as state is singling out those of the “white working class”. aside as spectator or victim at the spectator is to say that history is Muslim faith and outlook for hands of the executive, whether made by someone else other than attack under the guise of waging Defending rights of all that be Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, the people, that people are denied war against “Islamic extremism” Defending the rights of all or someone else. The issue is that decision-making power and that and then criminally carrying out smashes this. No culture is second the whole polity in Britain must the executive in power are the ones arbitrary arrest and detention with to any other. This way of life of put forward solutions and strive to in the know, that tough decisions “anti-terror” laws. To call such the people and values of these sec- become the decision-making force have to be made which are unpop- measures “laws” is also travesty of tions of the people united in the and bring to power an anti-war ular. It is a dictate that people justice itself when they are based anti-war movement, the youth government. A government that should not have the power and on racial profiling which require movement and the workers’ move- puts in place arrangements that are should not be allowed to influence little or no evidence, reducing ment – it is these values of the peo- pro-people and put the interests of the course of events. That the gov- legal process to one of the denun- ple which are in the ascendancy, human beings at the centre of all ernment wants to assign us the role ciation by secret police just as in which are a threat to the values of policies. So the issue for the anti- of spectators was very clear when the Middle Ages. the executive power whose values war movement and all movements they ignored the just demand of are disintegrating in the modern of people is to take a bold step the demonstration of two million Decision-making force world and which they try to together in defence of the rights of against the invasion and occupa- The antidote to both roles that impose by force. In this context, all. tion of Iraq on February 15, 2003. the ruling circles are trying to these old values of multi-party Bring the troops home from That the people defined these assign to the people as spectator democracy (“representative foreign soil! demonstrations in Britain and and victim is that the whole polity democracy” as opposed to involv- End the attack on humanity! throughout the world as a defining in Britain has to put forward solu- ing people in decision making), Defend the rights of all! moment in the unity of the world’s tions and strive to become the free-market economy (neo-liberal * Silence is Shame! is published people against the warmongers decision-making force. So the globalisation as opposed to an by South Tyneside Stop the War turned it into its opposite and issue for the anti-war movement economy that meets the needs of Coalition. This issue, “Neither placed the issue of the demand for and all movements of the people is the people) and rights based on Spectator Nor Victim”, was an anti-war government centre to take a bold step together in private property (as opposed to released on the eve of the No to stage. defence of the rights of all. being human) are fraudulently rep- Trident - Troops Out of Iraq The depiction of the people as In this context of the govern- resented as universal values or national demonstration in London. victims is that again the victims ment attacks on the polity and its those of the “host” community. Website:http://philiptalbot.mem are powerless, and are also unity, the government tries to In conclusion, the resistance bers.beeb.net/ststwc.html John Buckle Books Newspaper of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) Website: www.rcpbml.org.uk 10am-6pm March 3, 2007 Volume 37, Number 3 E-mail:[email protected] Subscription rates within Britain (including p&p): 4 issues - £2.95, 6 months - £18.95, Yearly - £33.95. 170 WANDSWORTH ROAD, LONDON SW8 2LA For any subscription applications from abroad or for bulk subscriptions, please contact Workers’ Weekly directly. Tel: 020 7627 0599 or 0845 644 1979 (local Rate) Cheques should be made payable to ‘RCPB(ML)’ and sent to 170 Wandsworth Road, London SW8 2LA. Workers’ Weekly 03/03/07 Additional Reports TENS OF of the THOUSANDS ON THE Demonstration MOVE against Troops in AGAINST Iraq and Replacing WAR AND Trident AGGRESSION Taken from Mathaba, February 26 p to 100,000 people Americans who voted against the Shaun Jones from the Continued from page 1 marched from London’s war. We are not protesting – we Aldermaston Women’s Peace Hyde Park to Trafalgar are demanding that all troops be Camp called on the demonstrators terror. Square on February 24, protesting withdrawn from Iraq, and to support the Block The Builders Speakers at the rally included against updating the Trident Afghanistan and that Israel with- Campaign which is trying to stop Lindsey German, the convenor nuclear weapons system with a draws its soldiers from the Golan the development of Britain’s of the Stop the War Coalition new generation of weapons of Heights.