Stop the fleet!
• Recall the fleet • Recognise Argentinian over the island territory and surrounding waters • Give the islanders the chance to resettle in where they choose at Britain's cost • Re-open Britain's American refugees and mobilise labour movement support for Latin American working people democracy These are the policies which Socialist Challenge proposes to fight Thatcher's war mania.
The Tories no longer pretend to 'defend the islanders'. As we go to press, Thatcher has rejected even Haig's package, which involves a near-total climbdown by Argentina.
She seeks confrontation and British control to show the whole world that Britain still rules the waves.
Why? Because Britain doesn't just rule the Malvinas.
Anywhere revolution British navy - third largest in the world - is there to stop it.
In Gibraltar it controls the mediterranean approach to Southern Europe and the Atlantic approaches to North Africa.
From its Indian ocean bases it surveys South East and South Asia.
peoples of Central America.
In Europe Thatcher conspires with Reagan to impose Trident and Cruise missiles.
Thatcher wants to keep this world role and its spoils. She knows that, left to rely on British assets after the carnage they have wreaked on Britain's industry, her class and cabinet would sink never to rise again.
If the Tories provoke millions of workers the world over will stand to gain from the defeat. The fleet will not depose the junta: it is the thread by which Galtieri clings to office. If he falls to Thatcher, Reagan and Haig will nominate his replacement within the hour.
Only the cowardice and confusion of our own labour movement has let Thatcher get away with it. If it persists we shall pay a terrible price. Michael Foot digs Labour's grave.
To Thatcher will Labour Front Bench has whipped up.
The Parliamentary apoplectic calls for against Argentina: it has taken giant strides towards national unity against economic crisis.
paying for the crisis government with Labour Party participation.
This is not a something that islands are retaken' so we can 'return to the class struggle'. If Thatcher wins, the class struggle will never be the same again. She must be stopped.
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Socialist Challenge 15 April 1982 page 2 sovereignty doors to Latin in defence threatens, the Belize it helps Reagan crush the confrontation, fail every jingo vote the Labour Party notone unity the next That is, the working class - even under a coalition minor issue, a diversion, will go away 'when the Socialist Challenge, PO Box 50, 'GOVERNMENT LEFT REELING' was a typical headline after the resignation of Peter Carrington, Margaret Secretary. result of a sustained campaign by Labour and the SDP, not to mention some benchers, Defence Secretary, John Nott.
not be able to survive the crisis is not without foundation.
Apart and the SDP/Liberal Alliance, Thatcher three main enemies. They are the Tory wets, some of her more nutty backhenchers and the United States government. These Torces are conse toecunci in a deadly constellation which could finish her off.
The background to Carrington's sacking is instructive. He decided to when it became last line of defence, was •ame to sack ill all John Nott should the Falklands expedition end in failure.
in other words. since he bas always been lavoll ceding sovereignty of the Falklands anyway, he decided to go when it was clear that would be made one of the scapegoats for the coming fiasco. Рут But Carrington also inwhen he was sure that he would Francis Pym, replaccu the NOOSI and ICasI vulnerable of the 'wets' being groomed the Tory hierarchy (the 'Magic Circle') the replacement for Thatcher.
In other words, his resignation dISO deliberate ploy in the war Thatcher being surreptitiously waged by sections of the Tories who have opposed her domestic policies since the beginning.
Thatcher is also under fire from a more surprising side. Plenty of Tory backbenchers, absolutely in accord Thatcher's economic policies, furious that she has bern prepared to run down con ventional forces and in particular the Navy, in order to pay for the Trident submarine system.
Perhaps the most devastating potential Tory backfor the sacking of Carrington and The speculation that the government might enemy of Thatcher though the government. il Is determined to prevent a military clash between two crucial allies. Ana it can torpeau Thatcher moment's notice, should she ahead her insane by simply engineering a run on the pound as thev di during the Suez crisis in 1956 Already the pound has been under pressure in the markets, and the government could not another sharp the United States price for sanctioning IMF tion of military hostilities. • Cessar natchel would be able survive such an vulcollie.
Thatcher's chance of the and coming out of it relatively unscathed depend successful conclusion of negotiations the Argentinians. The outline a deal is undoubtedly being worked out by Alexander Haig in his transatlantic shuttling But even if the Argentinian troops withdraw from the Halklands in ex change for the withdrawal of the naval task force, deal will involve many point. of compromise which are difficult for the If a deal is worked out and Thatcher emerges unscathed, prime responsibility will lie with the Labour leadershin who have jumped on the jingoistic bandwagon with a vengeance. The result of their support for the naval adventure has been to drastically limit public discussion of the CIfisi within right-wing lial tionalistic framework If the islands are now returned to aa ministration, if sovereignty, all the Labour leadership will be able to do is give heartv congratulations Thatcher.
bably be drawn praising the "brilliant statesmanship' of Alexander Haig in his role of Mr Fix-it!
Whatever the outcome ture, there is no doubt that sections of the Tory party have now definitively con cluded that I hatcher mus go, and are actively working to ditch her and install Francis Pym. Even a right-winger John Biffen now elevated to Leader of the House of Commons, is at pains to demonstrate his 'independence Thatcher (not that it will do him any good when the Magic Circle has its 'night of the long knives').
After the 1956 debacle, it was possible to happily replace Eden Mac millan, and pretend tha nothing happened Macmillan then went on to win the 1959 General Election.
Today, changing horses in mid-stream is a mucn more nazaraous ex ercise. The policies of this governmen stamper Thatcher's own ap proach which Pym would change towards more 'centre' SDP-type policies. An attempt to change the ex. isting government in this direction means a general and prolonged rachons inroughoul the Tory party The possibility of the government falling poses Labour with a number of important tasks Labour must be prepared to fight a general the short term.. It must advance clear socialist solutions to the crisis, with no compromises. In particular, the Labour leadership must be broken from its jingoistic complicity with the Falklands adventure.
More important, Labour must give a clear assurance here and now that there will be no coali tion with the SDP/Liberal Alliance after genera The Tory can be the labour movement's oooolLullil - but only if it stands or socialist policies in Britain and internationally.
Reagan
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Thatcher's Foreign Carrington's resignation was the