ARGUMENTS for SOCIALISM By Tessa van Gelderen 'UNLESS we understand the need to break the power of this machine, won't be socialism in Britain.' hardly surprising these defiant words, by Militant supporter and would-be Member of Wall, have brought down storm of fury from Labour's right and from Michael Foot.
Militant, unlike Foot, realises that a Labour government committed to serious reform will be bound to meet unconstitutional resistance trom state and employers alike.
Michael Foot should look at his wn experience of Labour fectively sabotaged the nationalisation of steel. In 1974 the army refused carry out instructions from the Labour® government Loyalist strike in the north of Ireland. The Law Lords' judgement on London's fares policy has highlighted yet again the class interests of the courts.
And who do we have to thank for the Law Lords' existence? Repeated Labour Party conference decisions to abolish the Lords have been ignored by the Parliamentary Labour in 19/4 the poncy was the manifesto by the Harold Wilson Labour leaders like Foot, and the trade union bureaucracy, argue that there that Pat governbreak the Party.
then leader, the working class the state will, in these for all times tears down everything ever won.
This is defends the state.
Wing used against blacks, against youth the metropolitan transportation of black now. Labour has to be elected at almost any Coatect people's view irreparably damage Labour's chance The result is that they which now stand idly by while the ruling class's 'extraparliamentary' machine WOrKers Socialist Challenge Militant against the witch hunt inside the party and for its stand on the need to confront the forces of tary But there is a further problem. I he forces of repression are now be workers, against The racism of police highlighted the deportations and now people, the of the courts and prisons against workers, all unis nas to be laken up Waiting for a socialist government to be elected before doing that is a The representatives of the state aren't waiting for the election of a socialist government before attacking suretire way of ensuring that such a government would not take And taking up these issues will be a necessary prerequisite for socialism, very unlikely through the ballot box.
Foot opposes Militant's influence, not because he believes they have the remotest chance of forming the next cabinet, but because he doesn't want rIsk any suggestion that he might tackle the forces of 'law and now, by sanctioning extraparliamenactivity oppose Heseltine the Tory government and their courts.
The problem with Militant's approach lies in its view that the Labour Party in its present form can bring about socialism through parliament.
Of course the Labour Party will pass through big changes. In the years to come there will be huge upheavals which it cannot be immune to. It will undergo massive splits and recompositions, as it is racked by the class struggle.
counter-revolution, as occurred with come the German Social Democratic Party after the first world war. A large component could break from the present bureaucratic leadership party that fights terests order day by speculating about the future as Militant does.
Tebbit, at present the Party leadership is in the hands of union leaders who have shown that they are willing to smash it up rather than socialism. 10 March Terry nounced that he was willing to pledge the engineering union to support right wing candidates against the Labour Party unless the left's advances are halted. This week he has renewed the LiliCal Party. How can we fight this?
the tor the leti wisp ignores this.
defend for democracy.
It could become an instrument for to create a for workers' InBut we can't decide what to do toWe cannot forget that lt used for Duffy anwithdraw funds from the Our task as socialists is to involve Labout Party extraparliamentary struggle and suppor unions, without holding back in order to jockey for position in pursuit of the will-o'-the of a future socialist Labour The Polish workers have been an inspiration for those here as to the need to make their own organisations more democratic and to serve the needs of the workers themselves. This type of development is a prerequisite for changing society - when workers begin to take control of their own organisations and their own struggles Militant with its talk of 'enabling acts in present dav struggles institutions far more democratic than our present parliament are being torged If a future socialist government is to itself while shooting down workers, this govern ment will have to have proved itself long beforehand — in today's fight TRO CIVIL WAF
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IN THE PRESENT CRISIS EVERYTHING - INCLUDING TRUTH -MUST BE
BLOOD ON STREETS SAYS WALL