MUST reply to Mark Smith's mis(13 coresentaton May) of our views on the He denies our contention that UK's post-war policy of 'rapid de-colonisation' has been in the interest of capital. He says 'Britain has been forced to capitulate In the face of big independence movements. This is sided view. e Smith and Socialist Comrade Smith and Challenge still operate with a pre-war model of Imperialism's' mode of operation (ie conterritorial domination at than surrozaLe capital), in practice this leads them to the mistaken view that UK capital has material interests at stake worth going to war about. nence our comrades end up giving support to the Importantly the framework of UK foreign policy was moulded by the outcome of World War Il. Mark Smith could do well read D Irving's 'The War between the Generals' wales conclusively shows that the Us prolonged the war by eight months.
Because General Marshall said to Eisenhower at the time, 'Take your time Ike, the United States leadership of the western must be consolidated on the basis break British Empire so that our business boys back home have got something to ex. pand into The intelligent politicians the 1945 pecking order. Hence when Britain involved itself Walls against independence movements in Kenva and Rhodesia for example, they were not wars to de. fend the Empire against independence; the contrary every perceptive politician realised the absurally or such a poncy. but were wars to make sure that the form of the nos colonial state established corresponded to the interests of western capital. Indeed the British were so eager to dump the 'Rhodesian problem they couldn't be bothered even to go this far!
As assertion that 'we are in favour of the Force Islands. occupying the nis Is Just nol tue. une main point is this: for both the Argentine and British bourgeoisie there nothing to be gained from either having or not the Falklands The war ha more to do with political climates in eacn county. The should be withdrawn to base Finally comrade Smith tells Argentina will only lead oo strengthening fascist hold over the oobulatioli is this serious? Did a defeat for the Tsar in the first war, Mussolini strengthen reactionary and fascist domination? Would a military defeat for Franco in 1937 have strengthened Falangism? JIM JOHNSTONE and Manchester differences on the Labour party and entrism, should connie to rosier an al titude of sectarianism.
Frankly, both Socialist Worker and Socialist Challenge are excellent papers, and we agree on SuCI Issues the Malvinas, EI Salvador, CND and opposition to the Tories.
Unity in action at the Socialist Challenge/Socialist Workers football match on Friday 11 Suspension of sectarian hostilities took place team who also lent SC three players. The result was a 3-3 draw.
There has to be a way to encourage dialogue and debate among ourselves which is not only healthy, but imperative to the future of the left.
The enemy, after all, is Thatcher.
ALEX WARNER Tameside NEITHER at the invitation of the SW printshop I AGREE with Mark Smith's reply to Arthur Mowatt (29 April), when he points out that all Britain's colonies had to fight for freedom.
But think Mark misses Arthur's (wrong) point; that by emphasising territorial claims plucking out lorilluld from a bygone age.
This deserves a reply because il echoes Tony Benn who, quoting Dean Acneson, says Drilain na. lost its empire and become Arthur is factually wrong. He says 'Britain's foreign policy since 1945, excepting the Suez abberation, has been one of rapid rapidity! After thirty five vears it has armed torce patrolling four out of five oceans.
The Dutch, and to a lesser the French, were forced to relinquish SOUSSCOSIUIIS after the war, but Britain was not. was given "sphere of influence. armed forces give it world military role, which differentiates it trom al other except the USA. Why eise imperialist should shrentine aggression and Britain 'reply not, say, Sweden?
Arthur should not confuse nomina dependence, creating client state, with loss of territorial control Nor should he confuse transfer of hegemony with 'decolonisation'. wnen a revolution turfed Britain out of 'independent' Iran in 1953, the UK lost ter400 words. Write to: Letters, socialist Challenge who where she and 1974.
ritorial control as surely as the USA gained it when i: installed the Shah.
Arthur hasn': understood that territoria ambitions are forced on imperialist powers although they prefer neocolonial relations the postwar boom, with an overseas investment in the metropolitan countries. and American leadership of imperialism, a period ot formal decolonisation wa possible.
But in general imperialism cannot avoid territorial conflicts because of its monopoly character and because canno! resolve serious terimperialist contlicts, ol head off revolutions and nationalist revolts, by other means.
If territorial involve.
mom does Arthur explain does Arthur the 'anachronism' of Viet. nam? Of the Bay of Pigs? Of the buildup to temerica today? tervention Centra Now, with the collapse of the postwar boom, the rise of colonial revolution a new wave of investmen: the dependent coun. tries and the decline 0: British/American leadership, we are entering a new period of territoria conflicts, revolutionary wars and in. terventions in spite of im perialism's 'preference for the 'human way' of do Ing unligs Arthur has only to turn on his television discover that it is he, Benn and Dean Acheson whose understanding of the roots of war has been bypassed by history.
ALAN FREEMAN SE London Shirley Williams to somebody wrote to her enquirin and the SDP stoo regarding the PTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act). The letter is dated 8 May.
'Thank you for your recent letter. I'm afraid that you have the advantage of me because !
what the PIA L therefore can't so: whether we oppose it or food it. Perhaps you would be cos enough io erlighier. me ===:: which introduced ine Pia Socialist Challenge 18 June 1982 page
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