A paper of Marxist polemic and Marxist unity weekly Yassamine Mather n Letters and debate workern July 10 strikes delves into Israel’s n Crisis theory secret nuclear arsenal n Marc Mulholland No 1019 Thursday July 17 2014 Towards a Communist Party of the European Union www.cpgb.org.uk £1/€1.10 Marxism 2014 presents... Codename: carry on as before AN YGAEL GLUCKSTEIN PRODUCTION 2 weekly July 17 2014 1019 worker LETTERS Letters may have been abolished; and that the British state whistling”, pretending not to understand the Lib Dems in Westminster. the respectable face of youth culture - top shortened because of needs to be overthrown - not broken up the term as embodying coded hostility to It does mean there is a real national DJ, presenter of youth radio and family space. Some names - are under attack. These old ideas have ‘foreigners’, whether of English or other question to be addressed - and the TV, friend to prince Charles and prime may have been changed yet to be winkled out their Labourist origin, who may not fall into line behind demand for a federal republic does minister Margaret Thatcher, marathon shells. Loyalty to them forms part a nationalist project. indeed address this - with the strategic runner for charity, the face and voice of Spoilt vote? of what Sandy McBurney calls the In commenting about the “dark side” aim of strengthening working class unity public service ads for car safety and the The debate between Sandy McBurney “rearming of the labour movement”. of the English ruling class (as opposed to on the basis of struggle. But those, like then nationalised British Rail: the long (Letters, July 3) and Jack Conrad Presently, they require preservation, the very light-sided Scottish ruling class), Steve Freeman, who have capitulated to hair of which the establishment approved. (‘Sinking loyalism and lifeboat reiteration and rethinking as part of a Steve speculates about the role of state nationalism and seek to paint Salmond’s He got away with his long list nationalism’, June 26) on the Scottish transnational democratic movement agencies, such as MI5, and reactionaries, referendum in anti-imperialist and of assaults because of his status: he referendum is welcome because it for a United Socialist States of Europe defined by the Irish question, such as republican colours, are as hostile to combined pop with British altruism - raises the question of how Marxists and against austerity, disintegration the Orange Order, in mobilising against this from their own ‘left’ chauvinist a role-model for youth at the height of can contribute to an understanding of and division. Salmond’s new bourgeois monarchy. It standpoint as the more conventional the welfare state; ‘fun’, fit and northern nationalism and how to defeat it. Moreover, a negative vote does not is certainly not unlikely that MI5, or at Labourists and social-imperialists. without the excesses of a Keith Richard Marxists oppose contemporary entail loyalty to the crown, the Protestant least elements of it, will engage in hostile Ian Donovan or the Bolshiness of a John Lennon. He nationalism - the popular doctrine settlement or the British armed forces. activity to this, though not on the basis email didn’t get this privilege by being born that people with a shared language or Indeed, apart from breaking up the latter, of fundamental class interest; rather of white, male and well-off. In fact he culture should form separate national membership of the Scottish National bureaucratic convenience. Striker’s diary suffered pneumonia as a child in Leeds states - on the grounds that it is a form Party is consistent with a commitment As for the Orange Order, their main BBC radio news bulletins on July 10 and spinal injuries working in the mines of cross-class alliance. This alliance is to strengthening both the monarchy function here seems to be to give indirect seemed to slip from saying a million during World War II. formed between small business people, and the established Protestant church in cover to the pro-Nato, pro-monarchy would be out to saying hundreds of I don’t know why he abused so sections of the intelligentsia and part of Scotland. Opposition to independence SNP, by allowing the partisans of the lion thousands while I was getting up for many, but I know why he had so much the unemployed masses. It attempts to does not mean a commitment to loyalism rampant and the saltire to use the Irish an early start on the picket line - had opportunity: his position in a class society draw into its influence both capitalists in the above sense. tricolour for camouflage. As indeed does Coulson’s successor got to them? which increasingly relied on the illusion and workers. Jack Conrad suggests that Marxists Steve Freeman in mentioning this ‘little I wore my Unison tabard on my of social advancement by celebrities who Nationalism within a declining should raise the demand for a federal matter’ of Salmond’s lesser kingdom in (earlier than usual) way into work, just could be trusted to keep their mouths shut capitalism is of a different nature than republic. Abolition of monarchical forms the same breath as the miners’ strike and to emphasise to the public that class- about politics - a silence complemented during its ascendant phase. In the 19th of government and the nationalisation of the Irish struggle. What do they have in conscious striking workers do not take by the silence of their victims; in Savile’s century, nationalism destroyed feudal the land are some of the first measures a common with such historic working class a strike day as unpaid annual leave, but case, girls and boys. relations that held back workers’ workers’ government would implement. and anti-imperialist struggles? Nothing! regard striking as a job in itself. Rather than concentrate on movements towards socialism. In a However, in a contemporary context, Steve seems to think that George Our picket of the town hall in a (not condemning one individual’s attitude to post-Stalinist world, nationalism is republicanism appears to support those Galloway has changed politically since desperately militant) London borough another, we should attend to institutions, no longer progressive. It is part of left nationalists who argue that socialism he stood up to imperialism over Iraq. Not succeeded in arguing one person into because it’s people with the most social a panoply of controls over workers. in Scotland will come into being through so. At the time he was being expelled striking who had not intended to, and power - bosses, adult relatives, priests These have the potential to bring into a series of stages - first, independence; from Labour for calling for armed most of those working did take leaflets and officials of all kinds - who abuse the being barbarism. For example, there are second, a republic; and, third, socialism. Arab resistance to Bush and Blair, he from us - though one colleague seemed most. no instances of struggles for national The federal republic demand coincides was just as outspoken an opponent of to think that saying that he liked me Mike Belbin liberation within the last 70 years with the second stage and is inconsistent Scottish nationalism as he is now - to his personally ought to stop me from London that have advanced the struggle for with the CPGB’s criticism of ‘halfway credit in both cases, whatever his other attempting to engage him politically as he socialism. On the contrary, they have houses’. In addition, Steve Freeman has political flaws. His views and activities crossed the picket line. I gather we closed Caveat retarded or actively destroyed it. intimated that Marxists who characterise about imperialism have not discernibly some buildings in the borough and I think I plead ‘guilty’ to submitting letters Stalinism - the doctrine that proclaims Scottish republicanism as a form of changed either. that my increasing visibility recently regularly to the Weekly Worker - a it is possible to build socialism in one nationalism are secret agents of the Maybe if the SNP were the anti- as a Weekly Worker reader may have ‘crime’ I do believe Andrew Northall country - is the key to understanding British state (Letters, July 10). The latter imperialists Steve seems to think they contributed to a stronger turnout among (Letters, July 10) shares with me. I this historical difference. Stalinism grew suggestion is intended to scare people are they would put into practice some of my immediate colleagues than in the last fully appreciate the paper’s editorial out of the nationalisation of the Soviet into supporting a ‘yes’ vote. the spirit of Galloway’s stand over Iraq strike, with a lot of managers having to practice to encourage the expression of economy. Its apologists and fellow Finally, spoiling ballot papers on the and promise to use their hoped-for state do frontline cover. I engaged one person a diversity of opinion and, hopefully, in travellers supported nationalisation grounds that the forces on both sides are power to send modern weapons to the on the picket in a discussion on wider some debates, I have made a worthwhile and the extension of the public sector divisive is as valid a form of abstention Palestinians to even the score in the one- working class strategy, saying I was a contribution. Nor have I been reticent wherever they had influence. The public as a boycott. A boycott implies that the sided slaughter the Israelis are inflicting. supporter of the CPGB/Weekly Worker in linking to Weekly Worker articles on sector created a large social group of calling of the referendum is in itself But there is zero chance of this; the and outlining some party positions: she the Socialist Party of Great Britain’s educated workers who see their interests reactionary.